Patio and garden blended ideas
Getting the right patio and garden combination can turn a terrific backyard into an oasis your neighbors brag about to everyone. We can understand someone who isn’t into gardening not wanting too many plants to deal with by the patio. But there are options for every patio style, personal situation, and yard size. Let’s have a look at some dazzling options.
Shade
The first thing many folks consider on a patio is shade. Good thinking too. No one can enjoy their favorite outdoor spot with the sun bearing down on them in July. On the other hand, large shade trees can cause problems.
- Leaves have to be handled in the fall.
- Limbs could damage the home eventually.
- Tree sap and birds can leave patios stained.
The wise move on shade trees is to plant reasonably-sized ones. These type trees won’t grow to 40 ft and tower over your home. Here are some examples of shade trees that grow only 10-20 ft tall. Star magnolias, Dogwoods, and Crepe Myrtles are good fits for patio shade.
Butterfly art
Sitting on your shady patio it is nice to watch some flying art in the form of butterflies. If only there was a way to lure them in for a nice patio garden combination. Of course, there is! Butterfly bushes are lovely all on their own. As a bonus, they draw in many different species of winged beauties.
Watching these butterflies is wonderful entertainment sitting with family and friends on a cool patio waiting for the burgers to be done. Cool climate butterfly bushes include:
- Royal Red
- Purple Ice Delight
- Pink Delight
Turf touch
If watching butterflies is relaxing then cleaning grass clippings off a lovely flagstone patio is not. That’s why many landscape designers recommend having mulch beds next to patios instead of turf butted up to the stone. For one thing, mowers could damage the patio stones. That’s no good! Beyond that, when the grass clippings blow onto the patio, it causes more work for the homeowner.
Nothing looks better than lush zoysia alongside a backyard patio. However, there is an easier way for that area to look awesome with less mess… mulch beds.
Space to grow
Some homeowners may not have the grass issue as a concern. Small space backyards are known for tiny patches of grass while making use of container gardening. The beauty of this patio and garden blended idea is that the plants are mobile. Also, for folks with a newly installed paver patio, the options are limitless.
- They can match up containers with the style and color of their pavers.
- Giant containers are available as well as smaller ones.
- People with an eye for color design may even offset darker pavers with lighter colored plants.
That’s not all. To get the neighbors really chatty about a blended patio garden, many people go with wooden planters. These are a nice contrast to the stone patio. There are some containers embedded into light posts, which is ingenious!
Water world
One last way to make a patio garden area all it should be is to add water. Patios made from slate can match up nicely with a small water pond with similar rocks. These ponds can hold exotic fish to trill the little kids during get-togethers. And of course, there are pond plants that will add some curiosity for backyard guests hanging out with the family.
Some may find these pond plants easier to keep alive since they get watered automatically. No judgment on the non-green thumbs out there.
Be sure to ask us about our patio and garden blended ideas when planning a patio and backyard layout. We want to cause the neighbors to brag on and on about these lovely combos.
Best Place to Tailgate could be your own Backyard
Do you know why your own backyard is the best place to tailgate for football games?
Because it’s your backyard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just like your favorite team loves playing at home and dominates on their own turf, you can take tailgating to the next level when you don’t even have to leave your driveway.
Sure, you can brave the traffic to tailgate downtown to watch your Philadelphia Eagles or favorite college team. But you might end up in the hot sun or a half mile from a porta potty.
Not fun.
So the best way to gameplan against all that trouble is to have the perfect place to tailgate at home. A nice living room with a monster TV is fine, but football was made to watch outdoors.
You can make that a reality by creating your own mini stadium at home on the back patio. Don’t come in half stepping like a scared quarterback on a winless team though. You want to make sure your backyard setup is perfect for all your buddies to enjoy along with their wives.
The smell of ribs on the grill set out on a beautiful stone patio, with a mini waterfall on the side, is a sports fan’s dream!
And don’t forget the kids.
You don’t want your children hanging out with the enemy’s kids down the street on gameday. You know, the guy with the team flag from a college 2,000 miles away.
You want to make your tailgating facility top notch so all the neighborhood kids come to your home field.
There’s lots of ways to make that happen.
- A stone fireplace for those cold winter nights as the football season winds down. You don’t even need a TV when you have a fire going. Good thing too, because football season doesn’t last forever.
- A scenic walkway that winds along your lovely flower beds makes for a relaxing space as guests arrive for the gameday eats.
- The perfect backdrop for your prized big screen TV is a powerful retaining wall that reminds you of that timeless football stadium that you visited as a kid.
Take a look around our showcase photos on the website. I know you’ll see some options that will take your backyard tailgating to the next level.
There’s nothing like having a perfect setting to watch your favorite team take the field each weekend. Not to mention watching your little boy fall asleep on your lap as the game ends in overtime late into the night.
You’ll appreciate a patio made for tailgating even more as the years pass. That sleepy kid you toted to his bed after the big wins, will no doubt grow up and return year after year to catch games with you all.
One day bringing his own family by to tailgate in the backyard you took time to make so special.
Tailgating is all about family and community. Making that a reality just a few steps away from your own refrigerator and couch may sound too good to be true.
But with a backyard addition here and there, you will be the king of tailgate parties on your block.
Feel free to use those bragging rights on the rival neighbor down the road with his tattered team flag.
And please let us know how we can help.