5 ideas to turn your back yard into a relaxing retreat

Your home should feel like a place of sanctuary, where you can work if necessary but also relax when it's time to unwind. Living in a calm space can help us all de-stress and lighten our mood, creating a healthy environment.

Apart from enjoying a calm space inside your home, you’ll also benefit by extending the vibe outside into your backyard. You can make the most of your outside space with a few clever ideas, whether you’ve got a tiny patch or a large expanse.

Here are five ways to transform your backyard into a serene outdoor area you can enjoy throughout the year.

1. Choose a calming color palette

Color plays a big part in creating a certain mood, so if you want to design your backyard with calmness in mind, you might need to rethink your planting, especially if you’ve inherited a backyard full of vibrant-colored plants.

Generally, greens, blues and pastel shades are viewed as calming colors, while reds, yellows and oranges will stimulate your senses. It’s similar to creating a calming color scheme within your interior to induce relaxation. For instance, there are 5 paint colors you should never use in your bedroom as they are over-stimulating and can disrupt sleep.

However, there’s no reason to banish bright planting in your backyard completely — you might just want to dedicate one area to softer hues.

My favorite mix includes soft creamy white Hydrangea Annabelle and fragrant bluish-gray lavender . Other tranquil combinations can consist of pink, lilac and peach with silver foliage.

2. A place to rest in comfort

There’s nothing worse than venturing into your backyard for peace and quiet and finding yourself sitting in an uncomfortable seat. However beautiful and calm your backyard appears, you’ll need to be sitting comfortably to truly enjoy it.

Although a traditional hammock might not be your first choice (I’d worry about falling out) and you need a few trees to hand to support it, there are plenty of alternative options.  Home Depot has a freestanding double-seated hammock chair with cushions, which, although on the pricey side at $1,496 , looks perfect for a nap.

If you’re looking to sit back and relax in your yard for a while, you’d be best to find seating with an adjustable high back rather than low seating, which is perfectly fine for dining. Home Depot has a Plastic Rattan Swivel Outdoor Reclining Chair with light beige waterproof cushions for $263 .

Coral Vista Brown Wicker Outdoor Patio Chaise Lounge: was $349 now $174 @ Home Depot
Lounge in luxury with this chaise lounge that is perfect for your backyard, pool or patio. The lounge is made of handwoven wicker that has a durable all-weather finish. It also comes with a cushion and customizable slipcover. View Deal

3. Go wild

One reason to escape into your backyard is to give yourself time to unwind away from the pressures of everyday life. Although you might be keen to spend some time alone, it can be beneficial to invite some guests into your space.

Watching birds, bees, and butterflies can bring you closer to nature while also benefiting your backyard; however, you need to know how to encourage them.

Certain plants attract butterflies and other pollinators to your yard . Apart from coneflowers, foxgloves, lavender, nasturtiums, sedums and zinnias, there’s plenty more to choose from. So, if you want to share your space with wildlife, grab your best gardening gloves and get planting.

Bird feeders and water baths will also attract birds to your garden, but ensure you keep your feeders topped up and refill the water if it gets low. Your visiting birds will get used to knowing where they can find food and won’t be happy if their regular snack is not there.

Hanizi Bird Teed: was $16 now $14 @ Amazon
This lightweight bird feeder has a large capacity and measure 8.5x7.9x7.3 inches. Simply open the lid and place up to 47oz of the bird feed inside. The overhanging roof prevents the seeds from becoming wet, with the tray containing small leak holes to avoid water accumulation. View Deal

4. Add a water feature

The sight and sound of water are instantly calming and bring an added dimension to your outside space. Bringing the tranquillity of water into your yard needn’t be difficult to achieve. In fact, a bird bath is the easiest type of feature to include as it doesn’t require a pump or filter, so you can benefit along with the birds.

However, with a bird bath, you won’t hear the sound of water, which many people find relaxing. What you choose will also depend on the style of your backyard and whether it’s contemporary, traditional, or something in between. This Curved Swirl Sphere Water Fountain, available for $168 at Home Depot , has a slate-like appearance for a modern look. If you prefer something more rustic in appearance, you might like this 2-tiered barrel and pump water fountain, $48 at Amazon .

Alpine Corporation Rustic 2-Tiered Water Fountain: was $74 now $48 @ Amazon
This garden water fountain will be the perfect addition to your outdoor space. Setting it up is a total breeze as all you have to do is plug it in — it includes an interior pump that keeps the water flowing. Its rustic look paired with the sound of trickling water will add a peaceful ambiance while you relax outdoors. View Deal

5. Delight in fragrant flowers

Many plants induce relaxation, not just from their color’s effect. Many offer beautiful scents that are calming and have therapeutic benefits — just like these indoor plants that can help you sleep at night and 7 indoor plants that will make your house smell nicer .

It’s worth planning on positioning fragrant plants where they’ll have the optimal effect — patio and seating nooks are ideal places, or by a backdoor, where you can sweep past them and enjoy the scent as you enter your yard.

Lavender is always a top contender in the fragrant stakes, and you can learn when and how to harvest lavender to enjoy it indoors, too. Jasmine will do well climbing over a trellis or arbor in a spot with free-draining soil and full sun, where its scent will entice you, while honeysuckle will do the same and also bring in butterflies and bees.

One of my favorites for fragrance is Salvia Microphylla, also known as blackcurrant sage. It’s described as minty and similar to blackcurrants, hence its name, although I think it smells fresh and lemony.

More from Tom's Guide

• Discover room fragrance designer reveal how the right scent can help you fall asleep and stay asleep for longer
• And 7 best plants for your patio
• Plus, spruce up your garden – 7 tasks that can each be completed in under 60 minutes