Last month I introduced you to the latest movements in the outdoor living experience. Today, we will explore a more in depth look at the features that make the “Outdoor Room” an outdoor experience. Wood, water, fire, earth, and stone. All elements to a great landscape. Whether you use one or all of these elements let the design team at Greenlife help make your landscape dreams come true.
The core to any good outdoor room is the space that is created by is seating areas. The patio space can have a multitude of materials for its surface:
Brick Pavers: Durable, lots of styles and colors and ease of care. Pavers can fit into any homeowner’s sense of taste and style. They can be combined together to create anything from a simple garden courtyard to a lavish pool deck with an outdoor kitchen. You can cut them to fit any shape you wish. You can even have inlays put in them with your initials or your favorite sports team. (see paveart.com)
Unlike boring concrete slabs, concrete pavers are easy to repair if chipped or broken. Simply call the experts at Greenlife to remove the broken pavers and replace it with a new one. Try that with concrete.
Looking for something a bit more “Green”, try permeable pavers. These pavers allow for the capture and filtering of the surface water through the brick and the sub-base under the patio. They are being used more and more frequently in conjunction with city planners as an alternative solution for stormwater management.
Natural stone: Flagstone, bluestone, slate to name a few. Very durable and a more “natural” look, these materials can be molded to about any shape or design. The drawback to these products is cost. Not only is the material more costly, but they are labor intensive to install. If cost becomes a factor, I like to combine brick pavers and natural stone together to be more cost effective
Accent your seating space by adding depth with the addition of accent boulders, outcroppings, or precast seat walls. Changing levels in the grade along with planting berms will also add variety to a flat landscape.
Water features have taken the landscape industry by storm. Waterfalls, bubbling boulders, and fountains are just few ways to help you relax at the end of a hard day.
Fire is another great way to accent your new space. From a simple stone firepit to a grand fireplace with wood boxes and wine racks. Gas or wood burning, the options are endless. Belgard, a leading manufacturer of hardscape products, has jumped head first into the outdoor living experience. A leading manufacturer of pavers, retaining wall block, and modular fireplace units, check them out at Belgard.com for products and ideas.
Another great way to add value and structure to your landscape is with the use of wood features. Arbors, pergolas, gazebos will help create a more cozy environment in which to enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of your own yard. Imagine walking over an elegant wooden bridge, stopping to feed the koi in your pond. Entering deeper into the yard you relax in the comfort of a soft chair under your gazebo while enjoying a cool drink as a ceiling fan gently stirs the air around you. If you can dream it, you can build it with wood.
What ultimate backyard experience would be complete without an outdoor kitchen.Built in grill, side burners, warming oven, wine rack, AND the kitchen sink.Countertops of granite, limestone, or polished concrete will add beauty that all your friends will rave about. By using all the above mentioned elements together you can create your own backyard oasis to be enjoyed for many years to come. Only one problem, your friends and family may never want to leave.
Your landscape in an ever-evolving experience. As plants mature they change the look of the yard from year to year. You add some new lighting to create a new mood in the evening. So let’s get busy and make your yard and outdoor experience.
Jeff Hendrickson
Design consultant/Hardscape specialist
Greenlife Gardens
