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Outdoor Living – Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

Nothing says outdoor living like a multi-functional patio. Grills, fire pits, swimming pools, decks, and patios are the norm for outdoor living. However, some fun, exciting, and long-lasting trends continue to emerge and quickly gain in popularity.  Let’s look at some of these fun outdoor living ideas.

Water Features

Water invokes feelings of peace and energy while enhancing the appearance of your landscape.  It adds sophistication and character to outdoor living spaces. Depending on your available budget and space, a pondless fountain or a cascading waterfall makes an appealing addition to your backyard.  Glass, stone, concrete and other materials can all be used to create the tranquility of water in your landscaping while adding value and curb appeal to your home.

Outdoor Kitchens

More and more people love the idea of bringing the functionality of inside, outside. Families who spend a lot of time outdoors love incorporating outdoor kitchens into their landscapes.  Moreover, it’s perfect for people who like to entertain in general.  An outdoor kitchen serves as the artistic focal point of your outdoor living space. The hardscaping that adorns the kitchen area add pleasing aesthetics for all to admire. If you choose to add an outdoor kitchen, consider using material finishes that either compliment or match your home’s exterior. Thankfully, there are numerous finishes for outdoor kitchens available. The most common finishes include stone, brick, or stucco. The architecture of your home as well as the cost of the material play a large role in determining the finish of your outdoor kitchen.

Lastly, an outdoor kitchen provides an inviting place for backyard barbecues, outdoor dinners, as well as entertainment for people of all ages.  Imagine the fun of cooking Thanksgiving dinner outside and enjoying it in the beauty of fall foliage.

Pergolas

Everyone loves the beautiful shade of a pergola. The also provide a variety of fantastic uses, it would be hard to pick just one unless you have something specific in mind.  For example, build a pergola with an outdoor great room in mind.  Moreover, design it with your style of furniture and you have yourself an outdoor living room. Enjoy it alone or entertain others underneath it.  Another trendy idea for a pergola is to house a hot tub in it.  Add some decking and relax and enjoy the hot tub no matter what the temperature is outside.  Your imagination is the only limit when it comes to the use of a pergola.

Retaining Walls

 There are numerous benefits of adding a retaining wall to your landscape.  Some of these benefits include:

  • Increasing your home’s value
  • Create visual effects
  • Manipulate existing spaces into usable outdoor spaces
  • Low maintenance and durable
  • Highly functional when constructed properly

Retaining walls last for decades when constructed properly. In addition, they also withstand tons of weight – including soil or water.  This proves a great advantage, if you have a prone-to-flooding area in your yard.  Additionally, retaining walls can be used to separate a fruit and vegetable garden or create attention-grabbing vertical gardens.  With the wide array of scale, color, texture, and style available, your outdoor living architectural and design needs can be easily met.

Outdoor Living – Hardscapes

From patios, decks, and walkways to retaining walls, pergolas, arbors and water features, adding an outdoor living hardscape to your landscape will increase your home’s value and improve the aesthetic appeal.  For all of your outdoor living needs, contact Hyatt Landscaping, Inc. at 704-888-5390 or fill out the free estimate form.  For over 30 years, we have created landscapes and outdoor living hardscapes with a solid reputation based on dependability, honesty, and fair, reasonable prices.

 

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The Differences in Pergolas, Arbors, and Trellises

One of the best things about landscaping structures is the choices you have.  That having been said, many are confused about exactly what pergolas, arbors, and trellises are, and often use the terms interchangeably.  The first step in designing the exact landscape structure you want is knowing what it is called.  Pergolas, arbors, and trellises each have their own unique features and can be clearly identified with some tips.

Pergola

By definition, a pergola is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice.  It can be free-standing or attached to your home or other structure.  Today, a pergola consists mainly of four posts or columns and is used to define a space.  It can be topped with beams, retractable canopies, pergolaor woody vines.  Another option is open rafters.  A retractable canopy provides protection from sun and rain.

A pergola can add architectural interest to a flat landscape and provide shade during the summer.  Fruits and vegetables can be grown on a pergola or you can string up a hammock and relax.  You can also add lights, heaters, and sheer curtains to create a type of outdoor room using a pergola.  There really is no limit to how you can design your own pergola and, best of all, it is easy and inexpensive to build.

Arbor

arborAn arbor is typically an open, free-standing structure using interwoven lattice pieces and sometimes having an arched top.  It is common for arbors to define an entry point such as the entrance to a garden.  Arbors are also used as dividing spaces along a pathway or simply erected over a walkway.  The main difference in a pergola and an arbor is the size.  An arbor is usually much smaller than a pergola.  Additionally, a pergola usually has open sides, although some have curtains or lattice work.

Arbors can also be incorporated into hedges (as shown) using wood, metal, stone, or a mixture of materials.  Topped with flowers or climbing with vines, an arbor can be truly stunning regardless of its size.

Trellis

 A trellis is a one-sided piece of woven latticework that is typically built to support climbing plants, vines and flowering foliage allowing them to grow longer, higher, and fuller.  As it has no roof or sides, the sunshine is always able to penetrate the foliage.  It does not provide trellisprotection from rain.

The versatility of a trellis makes it very attractive. It can be attached to the side of a house or building, but it can also be freestanding in a yard or garden.  Today, trellises are made of many different materials, including treated lumber, wire, copper, and even the side of an old crib.  A trellis is usually not placed in the ground and can be relocated if you choose to do so.

Hints to Help

Now that you know the difference, here is an easy way for you to tell the difference. Memorize a word that fits each one.  Here is a simple way to remember:

  • Pergola = people
  • Arbor = arched
  • Trellis = less

When you think of a pergola, remember that people can fit under it.  Typically, an arbor is arched.  A trellis is less because it is one-sided.  There you go!

Pergolas, arbors, and trellises add beauty to your landscaping. If you need help designing or building a pergola, arbor, or trellis for your landscape, contact Hyatt Landscaping, Inc. at 704-888-5390.  With 30+ years in the landscaping industry and an outstanding reputation based on trust, dependability, and superior work, we are more than happy to help you design the landscape structure that is perfect for you.