Everyone should love spending time in the backyard with friends and family. The outdoor living space is a dedicated area of the backyard that combines the beautiful environment surrounding your home as well as some of the creature comforts you need to make the space feel like an extension of your home. In this sense, the patio is a transition between the indoors and the outdoors. To keep the transition smooth, check out these six ways to blend natural elements into areas surrounding patios on Long Island, NY.
Emphasize Natural Curves
When it comes to a natural landscape, there is no such thing as a straight line. The curves are much of what makes the natural environment beautiful and you can use this to your advantage in the design of your patio. Instead of adopting rigid, straight lines, set the boundaries of your patio as well as the components within to a more freeform style in keeping with a natural design. This goes for both your horizontal and vertical surfaces. There are plenty of pavers that allow for seemingly random patterns, and choosing smaller wall units lets you create curved walls, fire features, and more.
The Perfect Plantings
A successful landscape design is likely to include barriers between different spaces of use. These barriers can likely be made of masonry materials, but some of the best barriers are those that continue to grow. Shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, or a trellis with climbing vines can provide definition of space as well as barriers between different spaces of use within your patio as well as on the outer edges. You can even use raised masonry planters to act as an anchor for your plantings. The beautiful opportunities for natural barriers between the spaces of use will create outdoor “rooms” for all of your favorite activities.
You can go even further with the concept of natural barriers by constructing a series of vertical gardens around your patio. These gardens not only help the space feel more cozy and visually appealing - especially if the surrounding views are less than beautiful or your patio lacks privacy. They also provide an opportunity for a more expansive gardening hobby. A vertical garden can be home to all sorts of beautiful flowers as well as vegetables and herbs for your outdoor kitchen.
Stone Surfaces
One of the most powerful ways you can form an effective transition between the natural and the man made is with natural stone. Much like the native greenery of your area, natural stone will seamlessly integrate your patio into the environment. Natural stone surfaces are random and stunningly gorgeous and they guarantee a completely unique space. If you prefer more consistency (as natural stone can have a lot of variation in color and patterning) there are plenty of pavers inspired by nature. You can find pavers inspired by flagstone, granite, limestone, and more. Be sure to choose a color palette that complements natural stone in the area to make your patio look as though it’s always been a part of the surroundings.
Fire and Water
A fire feature such as a fire pit or outdoor fireplace is another way to incorporate masonry that fits in with the surroundings. Not only that, but fire produces a wonderful warm glow and dancing flames that people love to gather around.
A water feature such as a fountain or waterfall adds a moving element to the setting. Water features produce plenty of beautiful visuals as well as sounds that can help promote a feeling of tranquility (although waterfalls can be majestic too), the white noise of moving water will wash away your worries and make spending time in a backyard as relaxing as possible.
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