Thanks to the pandemic, homeowners are using their outdoor space in a whole new variety of ways. The ‘backyarding’ trend, as it’s called, reflects how we’re now using our yards for work, exercise, recreation, dining and gathering with family and friends, and playful activity with our kids and pets.

In order to create a backyard that perfectly suits your lifestyle needs and desires, you need to first determine your backyarding personality, says the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and the TurfMutt Foundation. Here are just a few backyarding personality types to consider: 

Expert Landscaper. Your idea of a good time is spending the weekend doing yard work. You know how to maintain a healthy living landscape all year long, and you have the latest tools and equipment to make even big jobs easier. You love the sense of accomplishment that comes from working in your yard, and friends can count on you for advice about their own living landscapes. 

Environmentalist. You know that nature starts in your own backyard and that taking small steps in your yard can make a big impact on climate change. You embrace your role in supporting the powers of your living landscape, such as capturing and filtering rainwater, producing oxygen and absorbing carbon.

Nature Lover. No bingeing Netflix for you. You prefer to spend your free time watching the birds, chipmunks, butterflies and other wildlife that count on your yard for food and shelter. You cultivate a living landscape that supports a rich biodiversity with butterfly bushes, flowering plants, water sources, and trees and shrubs with nooks for nesting and food.   

Horticulturist. You research and take extreme care in putting the right plant in the right place in your yard. You consider location, maintenance, sunlight and watering requirements, as well as your climate zone and lifestyle needs. 

Kid-Zone Creator. You know the safest place for your kids to be is in your own backyard, and you work hard to create an outdoor fun zone they will never want to leave. Your priorities are a flat area of sturdy turfgrass to play sports or pitch a tent, the perfect tree for a treehouse, or a safe spot to string a zipline. 

Entertainer Extraordinaire. Family milestones, birthdays, graduations, reunions, socially distanced BBQs—your yard is a popular gathering spot. A fire pit, yard games, plenty of outdoor seating, string lights and maybe even an outdoor kitchen are all part of your layout. Zen Master. Enjoying your morning coffee on the balcony as songbirds serenade you. Meditating under the shade of a tree. De-stressing by swinging in a backyard hammock. Taking a break from your busy day to feel the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair. Your backyard is your sacred space for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. 

You may completely relate to one of these personalities, or you may see yourself in several of them. Use them as a fun guide to creating the backyard of your dreams.