Spring has finally warmed enough that most everyone is now outdoors pushing mowers, raking leaves and thinking of yard improvements. This in turn generates new landscaping ideas for many people. Many of us love living here for the outdoors and creating outside living space is very important. More and more people are placing a high priority on fashioning their back yards into personal sanctuaries where they can destress and recharge. As traffic increases and summer destinations are harder to find and book, I am also seeing more people bringing the weekend or vacation experience to their back yard. For example, I know some customers who removed most of their lawn and put in fine sand. Further they added a Tiki bar, fire pit, raised pool and hot tub. Five o’clock on Friday when the rest of us are rushing to connect camp trailers and beat the mass exodus for the greater beyond, they have slipped into flip flops and a Corona has found its lime. Other folks I know have invested in large outdoor fireplace kits and paver patios. They removed several Ponderosa Pines in the central part of the yard to accommodate volley ball and other yard games. Other people simply want a small place of privacy where they can enjoy their morning coffee. The common theme that everyone has is making sure they create some screening for privacy. Screening can be from the neighbor’s buildings, windows, elevated lot position to light and sound pollution from roadways. The challenge however is to create screening from the things we desire to block, yet capitalize on sunlight, shade and keep the views we want. For a few weeks I thought we could camp out on this topic and address some basic concepts, ponderings and pitfalls I have seen. So, before you rush off to the landscape supply store, stay tuned for some topic related tips next week! And as always, for further questions, quotes or consultations, give us a call today.
