Not too long ago I received an email from Lily at Houzz.com….she was enjoying my blog and offered to write a guest post. I was like…”Houzz…wants to guest post…here…on my little blog?!?!” Yes!!! I am a huge fan of Houzz. The website is a go to source for professionals and DIYer’s….love the inspiration I find on Houzz. She offered to write a topic that I was interested in at the moment. I told her I would love some ideas on creating a more private oasis in our backyard. We LOVE our neighbors…and it is something we have all talked about before…creating more outdoor space that is private..but yet still compatible with neighboring yards and spaces. Our lot is a nice size…it is pie shape…and our backyard is against neighboring yards. It is perfect for kids and we really have loved it.  Here are some ideas for creating a beautiful private space outdoors from the writers at Houzz ….

Hello everyone! My name is Becky and I’m a contributor at Houzz, a home design site focused on helping design professionals and homeowners manage the remodeling and decorating process. Thanks so much to Tracie for having me!

Tracie has a very common issue with her backyard landscape: She has a pie-shaped lot and not a lot of privacy from neighbors, and wants to create a backyard retreat that works well for everyone in the family. While a pool isn’t currently in the cards, she’d like to turn this backyard into more of destination space.

Don’t we all wish a pool was in the cards right now? I know I do! However, there are plenty of much less expensive ways to create a dreamy backyard that the whole family can enjoy, even during the process of "project-ing" it! Here are three.

Build a pergola. Often in suburban homes, all the builder gives us is a plain old slab of concrete they call a patio. The great thing about a pergola is that it defines a special gathering space in your backyard. It will add shade, character and beauty, and if you do it yourself, an 8- by 8-foot pergola will cost you about $700-1000 in lumber (most contractors recommend using cedar).

Create container kitchen gardens. These gardens can grow in raised beds, galvanized troughs like the ones above, and other structures. Of course, your garden can also go straight into the ground, but containers add ready-made structures to your backyard plans and make getting started a little easier. You can create geometric plans or edge a side or two of the patio with them.

Kids will love to participate and watch the vegetables grow, and you’ll love being able to pick fresh herbs and veggies for meals. You can find troughs similar to the ones above for around $115, and plants and seeds cost just a few dollars each.

Add a fire pit. You can design a whole area around this focal point. As you can see from this photo, it can be as simple as a circle of pea gravel edged in rock. And you can build your own fire pit very similar to this one for under $500.

I hope these ideas can inspire you to make the most of the space you have within a budget. You may enjoy planning and putting them together as much as you’ll enjoy them when they are completed!

Find more inspiration from landscape architects and other design professionals at Houzz.