With harsh weather and wind being a characteristic of Long Island, NY, winters, it is important to choose the right architecture options to keep your home’s yard functional and beautiful. Thankfully, you have a wide variety of options to accomplish this without compromising on either aesthetics or practicality, keeping you cosy in winter and letting you take full advantage of the great outdoors in the summers.
Structures
Landscaping structures such as gazebos, pavilions and pergolas play an instrumental role in making your yard usable through the cold winter months. Each has their own unique traits, and the choice and dimensions of your particular structure will be highly dependent on the proportions of your yard.
Pergolas are an excellent option for a good compromise between winter functionality and summer airiness. Their louvered roofs can be mechanized to seal tightly during the winters to provide cover from the snow and wind and can be just as easily opened in the summers to let in the sun. However the flat roof can require maintenance especially during the snow season.
Domed gazebos are also an excellent choice given their traditional design which suits the overall Long Island architectural style. More importantly, they are more substantial than pergolas and hold up much better during heavy snow.
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Pavilions are usually much larger than the other two options and ideal for hosting parties in large yards. A slanting roof is optimal especially given the heavy snowfall we have been seeing in the last few years.
Fire elements
A perfect addition for a wintery backyard, fire pits, fireplaces and fire tables are a must-have. Not only do they provide a focal point for people to admire and gather around but they help keep your yard usable during the colder months. Fireplaces are more in-line with traditional architecture that has been a mainstay of Long Island construction while fire pits can give a more rustic outlook and are far more simpler to construct. Lastly, fire tables are an unconventional choice but highly functional and work very well with modern landscaping design elements.
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Plantations
Flower beds, vegetable gardens, trees and shrubs: all of these are viable additions to your landscape. It is important to consult a local contractor or arborist to get the ideal plant species for your area. Functional plantations are in vogue these days with vegetable gardens, fruit trees and berry bearing shrubs and bushes quite popular.
Planting patterns should be well thought out to remain aesthetically pleasing and sustainable, especially when it comes to water usage. Lining small bushes along walkways while separating the more distinct flower and vegetable gardens with hardscaping features can be just a few of hundreds of design possibilities that blend vegetation and hardscapes.
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Pools and water features
Small pools and water features can prove to be excellent additions to pull your yard away from banality. Small water features are easily installed and require little to no maintenance while small pools can be a more intensive investment but far more rewarding in terms of the wow element. Water features especially play well if you have fire elements such as fire tables and fire places, while pools work well with fire pits given the common rustic design language.
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