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Tips & Tricks
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The word “summer”, for many people, conjures up images of having fun in the hot sun and longer days to go with it. Summer’s a time for unwinding and letting loose, whether in your own back yard or on your favorite beach.
As far as vacation season goes, some cities virtually become no-man’s lands as folks hit the road for family getaways. There will always be some people, though, for whom summer means staying put and enjoying their own back yard. If you’re one of these people, it may be high time to kick things up a notch to make your yard even better this year—better for lounging, better fo entertaining with better outdoor furniture on the best patio or deck.
Dream of a Summer Oasis
What would it take to make your back yard into a five-start getaway? Would simply sprucing it up with new furniture do the trick? How about remaking your flowerbeds and adding a few new shrubs or trees? Is a more dramatic upgrade in order? Maybe you’ve been yearning for a swimming pool or better barbecue area. Could this be the year to transform your space?
Every fabulous yard begins with dreaming and scheming. You can begin developing your dream yard by picturing these scenarios:
1. While your workmates are busy drinking Margaritas on the beach and catching fish at their favorite vacation spot, you’ve been left to mind the store. After a long hot drive through a mess of traffic at day’s end, what would you like to come home to? What would even the score?
2. Picture yourself entering your updated back yard that’s been filled with your wish list items. What do you see? Lush flowerbeds? A set of deck chairs alongside a gorgeous pool? A breathtaking pond filled with friendly goldfish? A welcoming hammock swaying in the breeze? More adequate shade beneath a new canopy roof you’ve added to your deck? What beckons you?
Making your back yard into the oasis of your dreams all starts with a vision followed by a plan.
Move Forward on a Plan
Your desired changes might be as major as installing a swimming pool or as minor as adding new lawn furniture. If the world is your oyster, hire a landscape architect to do your makeover. If you want to start small and do it yourself, look at how you can upgrade what you already have. Simply changing the shape of existing flowerbeds and adding new plantings can add a bold new punch to a boring yard quickly. If you don’t have enough space for a pool, or if gaining access for digging equipment is complicated, you might want to add a spa, hot tub, pond or other water feature instead.
Is this the year to refinish the deck in a new shade, add a stone patio, extend your existing deck, or define a barbecue area? It’s not unheard of to break your yard into zones that serve varying purposes. Diving walls can be created and finished with stucco, cultured stone or brick veneer. Consider finishing your barbecue area with solid wood cabinetry, a porcelain back-splash, and granite counter-tops.
Rearranging a back yard can be very challenging and time consuming without the aid of professionals. Be alert, however, that even the best professionals may take several weeks to complete a retaining wall, lay a stone patio or build a deck to completion. Start planning early. You’ll need time for finalizing a plan, ordering materials, coordinating equipment and establishing a work team. If multiple trades or suppliers are involved in the project, scheduling becomes more complicated. Everything, of course, is also dependent on the weather. A few days of hard rain can set back everything.
No matter what your dream is for your back yard, you can begin planning now. Set aside a small budget for the project and start gathering ideas. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect right away. You can always add to your project year upon year until it is just perfect for you!
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