A backyard is one of the most exciting parts of your home. After all, there’s nothing like being able to enjoy the outdoors without having to go to a park or the beach. Thanks to the range of contractors available, you don’t just have to rely on the backyard your home came with. There are many custom landscaping ideas to choose from to create the back outdoor space of your dreams. Here are a few ways you can create custom backyards.
1. Add a Patio
If you don’t already have a patio space in your home, there’s no better time than to get one now. There are so many reasons to have a paver patio, which is why it’s one of the most requested features new homeowners look for. As a result, if you ever plan on putting your home on the market, having a patio will help increase its resale value.
Do you enjoy entertaining at home? If so, your patio is a perfect place to host all of your birthday parties, happy hours, or just sit back and chill with a friend or family member. With a large enough patio, you can even install an outdoor kitchen. Then you could leave your main interior kitchen mess-free while you enjoy cooking outside. However, during big holidays you can utilize both kitchen spaces and get the holiday meal done earlier, especially if you have more people to help. If an outdoor kitchen is too much for you, you can use your patio as the host for your grill or fire pit. The problem with home entertainment is the massive clean-up after the fact. Luckily, a nice patio allows you to keep your interior home clean.
Patio contractors can further customize your space by adding a walkway or different design features. They can enclose your patio so you can use it more comfortably in the winter months. Make your space as comfortable as possible by visiting a patio furniture store to get chairs, tables, couches, cushions, and even outdoor rugs to beautify your space.
2. Build a Deck or Porch
Instead of a patio, you are home may call for a deck or a screened in porch. A deck or porch can add just as much aesthetic appeal to your home as a patio will. It also is certainly a feature that’ll increase your home value in case you put your home up for sale shortly. The main difference between calling a deck builder as opposed to a patio one, is a deck is normally elevated. Your deck can be attached or completely detached from the home. It’s a good idea to have a deck in case you have a home that’s in a more hilly area. After all, a patio is easier to install when you have more flat land. Because a deck has an elevated post, you can live on a hill or uneven land and enjoy outdoor living space. Maybe you live in a flood-prone area. Having an elevated deck can also further protect your outdoor space and interior home from the ravages of a flood.
3. Invest in a Pool
There’s nothing like a dip in the pool, especially when it’s hot outside. However, building your pool at home can protect yourself from swimming in other people’s bacteria at public pools and swim year-round. Call an inground pool contractor so you have another way to enjoy constant family time from the comfort of your backyard. Custom backyards with pools are a great source of entertainment for everyone. You can invite other family members, friends, and neighbors over for parties, get-togethers, and dinners. After all, swimming is still a popular activity in America and other places.
If you or someone is dealing with an injury or decreased mobility, having a swimming pool in your backyard can make therapy easier. In other words, you could benefit from aquatherapy right from your residence. Water therapy is a great way for people to heal because water swimming is a low-impact activity that benefits from the buoyancy of water. With this therapy, your muscles and ligaments have the perfect amount of resistance without getting strained. You’re able to grow stronger and burn calories while having fun.
Speaking of burning calories, swimming is a great activity, whether you’re using it for therapy or not. Because swimming is so much fun, you, your kids, and other friends can swim in a pool for hours without it feeling like a chore. So, if you don’t enjoy going to the gym too much, you can always get a good workout from your backyard pool. According to Healthline, people should get at least 30 minutes or more of activity daily. Why not make swimming the one of your main sources of daily activity?
By calling a local hardscaping company to install your inground pool, you’re also taking another step toward stress reduction. Unfortunately, depression, anxiety, and stress are still rampant in society. Many jobs can be stressful , especially if working with the public or cramped in an office all day. There’s nothing like coming home or taking a break from your home office to relax in your pool. Water has shown to have natural relaxation effects on people. Custom backyards that include swimming pool installations provide a great way for people help reduce blood pressure, fatigue, and other signs of stress.
4. Pave Your Driveway or Walkway
Have you looked at your driveway or front or back walkway? Your driveway and related walkways are vital parts of your home. You should call a residential paving contractor if that area is beginning to look worn down or cracked. A driveway is a major part of your home’s curb appeal as it’s one of the first things people see when they arrive on your property. Remember, you and others have to drive a car up the driveway before it reaches the garage, so if the surface is damaged, it can also wreak havoc on your tires. Plus cracked pavement is also a liability when it comes to trips and falls. If you have frequent visitors at your house, you don’t want to be liable for them hurting themselves.
Do you live in an area with a lot of inclement weather, such as heavy snow, storms, or hail? If you currently have an unpaved or damaged driveway or walkway, it’s never been a better time to call an asphalt paving contractor. Asphalt pavement can absorb heat due to its dark color. As a result, it can melt snow and ice faster and provide a safe environment. If you want an installation that won’t take too long, asphalt only takes a day or two to complete. Then you’ll be using your driveway or strutting around on your walkway in no time.
5. Take Care of Your Lawn
Having vegetation around your home is a beautiful thing to see. Don’t make the mistake of taking your grassy lawn for granted. Keep up with regular lawn mowing by calling local landscapers who can keep the space cut on a regular schedule. Some home developments may also have a rule about the grass not getting too high. A professional contractor also can take care of your lawn by using the right fertilizer. Fertilizer not only makes your grass look greener than ever but also can help prevent weeds from sprouting. Why is this important? Getting rid of weeds quickly can help prevent your grass from becoming dried out and yellow. It could also prevent other plants from having the life sucked out of them by weeds.
Are there any trees on your landscape? Do you have one but crave more? Custom backyards can always stand out by having trees around. Trees are not only beautiful to look at, but also improve air quality since they help clean the air of contaminants. These statuesque plants bear fruit and nuts such as apples, pears, lemons, grapefruits, pecans, figs, and so on. So if you’ve ever dreamt of going into the backyard to fetch apples from your tree to make that Thanksgiving pie, you can do so with the right updates. Do you sometimes find too much noise coming from the back of your house? Planting trees in the right location helps with noise reduction. According to the National Sleep Foundation, healthy adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. One of the best ways to ensure you get the proper rest you need is to create a quiet environment.
Custom backyards with a retaining wall also have taken a step further in preventing erosion on the property. If you live in an area with a lot of rain, your property can be susceptible to excessive runoff. That runoff can contaminate clean water and impact the local wildlife. If there are a lot of storms, a retaining wall can also redirect water away from your property, so your basement and other parts of your foundation are less likely to flood and suffer the resulting damage.
6. Add a Gazebo
In addition to a patio or a deck, custom backyards can also feature another outdoor structure, such as a gazebo. A gazebo is a beautiful standalone structure that’s often in the center of a backyard. It can come in different styles such as Victorian, Rotunda, Pergola, Asian, and more. Customize your gazebo by adding furniture and enjoy the cool air in a protective environment. You’ll have shade in the summertime and protection from snow or rain during other times of the year. Add a gazebo that matches your existing home aesthetic, or how one that completely stands out as a unique design feature in your space.
7. Plant a Flower Garden
Can you imagine sitting or standing around your gazebo or entertaining on your patio as you’re able to observe or chat with your friends and family about the beautiful flowers you’re growing? If you have a green thumb or want to learn how to have one, you can start by planting a flower garden. Having flowers around provides many psychological effects, such as happiness and stress reduction.
Flowers also cater to several of our senses. They’re extremely visually alluring due to their color and shape. When you touch them, you experience the feel of beautiful soft petals that can transform into prickly stems, such as those on roses. Let’s not forget about the smell. Can you imagine waking up in the morning and sniffing your beautiful rose or lavender bush on the way to work or when you come home? The more flowers you plant, the better your custom backyards can smell, which can add to the experience you and anyone else will have in that space.
8. Build a Fence
Are you considering building a backyard fence? If so, it’s a good idea to add one to your landscape. Custom backyards with fences provide a safe space for kids and pets to play safely. After all, it’s no secret that kids and pets don’t always stay in the area that they should. Therefore they often need site boundaries so they don’t run into the neighbor’s property or even worse, the street. Speaking of boundaries, your new fence will set clear property boundaries to prevent issues between you and your neighbors. If you have some neighbors or people passing by that are relatively nosy, adding a high enough fence can create the privacy you and your family need. So have fun enjoying festivities on your patio or tea in your gazebo without prying eyes.
As you can see, there are many ways custom backyards can bring life to any property, If you were struggling with ideas of what to do with your green space, this list provides some of the main ones you should start with. Whether you want to do outdoor entertainment and cooking on your patio, have privacy with your fence, or try your green thumb with a rose bush, these custom backyard ideas can help.