Are you looking to add some unique landscaping features to your patio but are unsure of where to start? There are countless ways you can upgrade the patio on your own, which can make the choices difficult. In this article, we will look at some beautiful and fairly simple patio landscaping ideas to make your patio and yard into your personal haven.
Patio Plants
A great way to make your patio look more inviting is by adding some plants to it. You can use them to soften some of the harder lines and give you a colorful and inviting place to relax. You can add the flowers in little pots sitting on the patio itself, hanging them, or even planted in the ground next to the patio, giving you a softer transition from the patio to the rest of your yard.
If you have a bee allergy, choose foliage plants instead of flowers. These can still be beautiful and colorful, and they are not going to attract as many bees as flowers will.
Pergola or Gazebo
If you have a large patio, you can add a pergola that is covered to give you shade, and if you have a bigger yard, you can add a gazebo instead.
Pergolas have slated roofs that allow the sun to go in, but you can add a clear cover to the pergola to give you shelter from the rain. They are most often used to give shade to a garden or to cover a path, but they can be added to your patio landscaping.
Gazebos have a fully covered roof that does not allow the sun to filter through. They are beautiful and can be separate in the yard or on the patio. When they are over the patio, gazebos are often referred to as pavilions.
Fire Pit
Fire pits are a fun addition to a yard or patio. They give you a place to gather and stay warm on cooler summer nights, and if you loves mores, this gives you a place to make them at home. If you choose to add a fire pit to your yard, stick with foliage instead of flowers so that your guests can focus on the fire and each other more.
Create a Border
Borders can add interesting features to your patio landscaping too. You can add a border of flowers around the patio or line a walkway with them. Small retaining walls between your patio and yard also look beautiful, and they can double as bench seating.
Add a Tree or Go Around One
Trees can be huge, which is why they often are not included in patio landscaping, but they can be a beautiful feature in any yard. When selecting a tree for your yard, try to avoid one that has an aggressive root system. If you want a tree that can give you shade now, you will want to get one that is mature or nearing maturity. Look for trees that go well with the color scheme for your yard and that are relatively easy to maintain.
If there already is a tree in your yard, landscape around it. You can build a patio or deck around the tree or design some plants to go around it that complement it.
Add Lighting
There are countless options for lighting for your patio. You can string up lights over your patio to give it a beautiful and unique look. You can also line a walkway with lights, which is highly recommended anyway — since it makes walking around your yard at night much safer. Another way to add lighting is to create a border along the edge of your patio with lights. There are many lighting options that are solar-powered too, so they can turn on automatically as soon as the sun goes down at night.
Small Water Features
Water features can add a unique and classy look to your patio landscaping. The sound of water burbling is soothing to many people, so adding it makes your patio an even more relaxing haven. There are countless fountains to choose from, including ceramic, granite, and clay pot fountains. You can coordinate your fountain choice to match the color scheme of the rest of your patio and even update home siding with faux stone to make it match better.
Splashes of Color
If your patio does not have much space for flowers, you can add some splashes of color to it. Hang a few planters with colorful plants in them, add some bright patio furniture, or even add colored lighting to the patio. This will bring a little bit of life to your patio, and the colors will draw the eye.
Go Vertical
When working on patio landscaping projects, it can be easy to forget to think in three dimensions, but the vertical space can add some touches of beauty to the yard and make it more interesting. You can add something for shade, grow cascading vines or flowers, string up lights, or even add a vertical garden. Once you remember to think three-dimensional, your patio and yard can come to life.
