Understanding Your Space The very first step in creating your year-round outdoor oasis is falling in love with the space you already have. Take a deep breath and really look at it. Notice the size and shape — is it a sweet narrow courtyard that feels intimate, a wide-open garden that makes your heart expand, or something beautifully in between? Let those feelings guide you, because the way your space speaks to you will shape everything that comes next. Pay special attention to the existing features that are already there — the graceful trees, the soft shrubs, the little pathways…