Backyard Living

Debbi WaldenbergIt is that time a year when we are preparing to be out doors and enjoy our back yards. Our backyard patios have become an extension of our home: another room to enjoy during the long summer and early fall days.

According to HGTV, these are the top trends to invite us outdoors and into our backyards:

  1. Gardens top the list as the number one sought after design element in our back yards. From container gardening, to getting back to basics of planting and growing our own gardens, especially as more and more people are interested in organic food these days. Create a statement entrance by adding an arbor that guides you as if it was the “front door” to your garden.

  2. Warmth is necessary to keep us out longer in the evenings, and today there are so many options to provide us heat. To include various fire pit designs, propane patio heaters, gas or electric mounted heating units, or our own gas or wood outdoor fire place.

  3. No back yard outdoor room would be complete without our favorite BBQ. Many outdoor designs include building your BBQ into a counter space, similar to our stoves in our kitchen. A favorite feature of my back yard outdoor island is the extra gas burner I added for those big pots of corn on the cob, or great for a summer lobster feast. Take one step further and include a bar area.

  4. Gone is the traditional picnic table that I remember from my childhood memories. The outdoor dining area is a must, complete with an area rug, a bistro height table and chairs with cushions and an adjustable umbrella to match.

  5. In our yard I added a pergola with an outdoor clear roofing product to let the sun in, but the rain out. This is a very important feature of the outdoor room, to be able to use it during those warm summer evenings where we might get a bit of rain; so peaceful.

  6. The tried and true backyard hot tub, or “spas” as they are termed today is no longer the free standing ‘hot tub’ unit, these are custom built in, and many times built down in the yard today, so that you do have the feel of being at a resort, and you just walk into your spa, at ground level.

  7. Fountains and water features can create an ordinary spot in your yard and take it to the next level. Fountains will create a wonderful focal point, with the special surprise to the sound of the ‘music’ they provide, or it is a pond stocked with gold fish and a waterfall feature. There are so many whimsical water fountains that are designed to sit on top of our outdoor island; just add water and plug in.

  8. And for the final touches on creating that wonder outdoor entertaining area is lighting. Again, this all depends on the overall feel and the design of your outdoor room. Lighting can consist of fun candle lit lanterns, to a simple string of lights or actual built in lighting with a dimmer switch.

No outdoor room would be complete without having some beautiful flower pots spattered through-out. When designing my pots, I like to take different shades of color and blend them together, not only with the traditional annual flowers but also the many plants out there like Colias, with their beautiful leaf colors, or the variety of grasses to choose from. For inexpensive and fun containers, visit flea markets and antique stores for finding unique containers for planting.

If you find your home is needing any heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical or drain cleaning repairs, call 756-6656, your comfort is our Central concern.

Spring Planting:
My favorite flowers to plant in pots and such, are Pansies…
Their name is very deceiving, they are very hardy and cute at this time of year!!!

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