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A cabin can be your home -- or your worry-free home away from home. Either way, you want your rustic mountain abode to be an escape into the wilderness that's comfortable and well-equipped. While we’re sure the architecture of your cabin is charming, you can still enhance the space outside with a touch of cabin landscaping.
Unlike landscaping in a city or the suburbs, log cabin landscapes should focus more on preserving the wild beauty of nature. Maintenance should be low as you likely come to the cabin to put your feet up, not work for hours in the yard. A lifelong landscape design will allow you to set the foundation of your outdoor rooms and foliage and enjoy the results for years to come.
Plan Your Cabin Landscape Project
When it comes to log cabin landscape ideas, there are four main areas to consider before getting started. Using log cabin landscape pictures, make a list of features you would like to include in your project. From growing a vegetable garden to building stone walkways, discover the basics to cabin landscaping below.
Patio
Before you start building out your landscaping plan, decide whether or not you will have a patio. While you won’t need one in the winter, it is a huge asset in the summer as the weather in mountain areas is often beautiful in the warmer months. The benefit of having a large patio space is that you don’t have to keep up with as much landscaping. Instead of planting, you can focus on decorating your outdoor entertainment space.
Granville Fire Table
To create a stunning patio, consider adding a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, bar, and seating area. You can even install torches for extra mood lighting. Even if you don’t want to sit outside in the winter, the addition of a hot tub to your patio will let you enjoy the scenery while staying warm year-round.
Planting
Planting around your cabin requires a lot of thought to create an oasis that looks and feels in harmony with nature. Take time to study what trees, shrubs, and flowers already grow in the area and what might be a nice addition to the lush greenery. Elements like the level of sun and temperature will affect how well your naturally beautiful garden will do, so consider shady and sunny spots for your foliage.
Terrace Vertical Garden
- Perennials: When it comes to perennials, some common flowers used in a cottage garden in the mountains are tulips, daffodils, lily-of-the-valley, and lavender.
- Annuals: Zinnia, marigold, and pansies are popular blooms found in mountain flower beds.
- Trees: When it comes to arbor choices, conifer trees are a great choice for a mountain home.
- Hedges: Consider planting hedges as a living fence if you would like a bit more privacy around your cabin.
- Vegetables and Herbs: If you plan to stay at your cabin for extended periods of time, you might want to grow a vertical vegetable garden or herb garden that will yield plenty of veggies in the spring and summer.
- Climbing Plants: Climbing plants like wisteria, ivy, and roses add a magical touch to your cabin.
- Flower Pots: If you want to keep gardening simple, stick to flower pots on your patio. Bright blue hydrangeas add a gorgeous pop of color to a mountain cabin.
- When it comes time to plant your bulbs, check with your local utility companies to make sure you know where buried utility lines are. You don't want to hit water, gas, or electric lines, nor do you want to plant a tree whose roots will eventually disrupt your utilities.
Retaining Wall
As many log cabins are built on the side of a mountain, it is no surprise that a lot of them have a retaining wall that prevents erosion of the slope. If you foresee this being a problem with your landscaping, we advise building a retaining wall. The other upside is that stone retaining walls are beautiful and add classic old-world charm to your outdoor space.
Wood Mulch
Once you have completed building and planting around your cabin, consider adding a layer of mulch or pine straw. Many cabin owners use wood mulch in their landscaping because it protects their plants by locking in moisture. It also keeps the plants warmer in the winter by sheltering them from the elements. Be sure to rake your mulch regularly to prevent mold from growing.
15 Ideas to Create Standout Cabin Landscaping
1. Use Plants that are Native to the Area
2. Plant Tall Trees Around Your Cabin for Shade and Privacy
3. Construct a Romantic Wood or Stone Staircase Leading Up to the Cabin
4. Think in 3D Terms with the Verticality of Plants, Shrubs, and Trees
5. Add Decorative Lighting like Torches and String Lights
6. Use Faux Boulders to Hide Utility Boxes and Sprinkler Systems
7. Build a Magical Treehouse for Your Kids
8. Plant Bee-friendly Flora like Sunflowers, Poppies, and Cosmos
9. Create More Privacy with Flowering Vines
10. Add a Garden Bench for Contemplation
11. Plant Flowers that Won't Appeal to Deer like Daffodils and Lavender
12. Add a Water Feature like a Fountain
13. Intersperse Art Sculptures Throughout Your Landscape Design
14. Create Texture with a River Stone Pathway
15. Set Up a Fire Pit or Fire Table to Your Patio
Yaletown Fire Table
Popular Products for Cabin Owners
Beyond the greenery, there are lots of outdoor additions that can make your cabin landscaping truly come alive. Here are some favored products for cabin owners.
Propane Fire Pit
There’s nothing better than relaxing around a cozy fire pit while you enjoy the crisp mountain air at your cabin. Make set up, clean up, and travel easy with a portable propane fire pit that you can pack up in a small bag and carry with you wherever you go, like the Premium fire pit. Outland carries a range of fire pits, from the more luxurious Cypress to the easy-to-use and reliable Standard fire pit. Carry bags can be purchased separately to make travel easier.
The benefit of having a propane tank is that propane gas burns cleanly without an odor and doesn’t leave behind ash or residue. It’s also simpler than having to find firewood and doesn’t require you to connect to the gas line of your home.
Standard Fire Pit
Wood Burning Fire Pit
If you are looking to use a stationary fire pit for cooking hot dogs and s’mores, then you should consider a wood-burning stove. You can appreciate the sounds of crackling logs while staying protected with a built-in mesh lid on the Oakridge Wood Fire Pit. This sturdy fire pit works great for people who don’t need to travel with it.
Summerland Stove
Of course, if you are going to be doing a lot of cooking, then it makes the most sense to purchase an actual outdoor stove. The Summerland Stove has three burners, a large cooking area, and two sturdy prep surfaces so you can grill out all summer long. The best part is, it is very portable. The stove folds up so that you can pack it hassle-free along with the rest of your luggage or store it away when not in use.
Propane Torches
Light up the night with attractive and sturdy Tonga Torches that are powered by propane for easy portability. It can be very dark in the mountains and these bright torches will illuminate shadowed areas at night and create a beautiful ambiance, whether you’re relaxing in the hot tub or entertaining friends on your patio.