Archive for February, 2012

By Kyle B Brown

Tussey Mtn Mulch Design Consultant/Sales Associate

Are you tired of looking outside into your backyard to see the gloom of the dormant grass and the on again-off again winter?  Are you ready to fill your backyard with beautiful blooms, pleasant sounds of nature, and the warmness of family and friends gathering together. Are you ready to have a new outside entertainment area?  Well, these drab winter days provide you with the perfect time to start getting your ideas and inspiration for the nearing spring season!  Here are a few things to consider when designing your backyard getaway.

The first key point to consider when planning your project is: what are you going to be using the space for?  This will determine what features you will want to include in the landscape.  Some examples of this would include an outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, and patio area for outdoor dining or sitting walls and a fire pit or fire place for roasting marshmallows and sitting around a campfire.  One can also include several different features to really create a “backyard oasis.”

Another important thing to consider is how many people will be using the area.  The number of people you plan on entertaining will have an impact on how large your outdoor entertainment area will be.  If you plan on entertaining the whole community or your large extended family you will need a much larger patio area than you would need if you were just planning on entertaining your own small family.  This may be the one most important point that you should consider before you install your backyard paradise.  The proper sized area will provide many years of enjoyment for all those who use it.

One more thing to consider in your design is the use of landscape accessories.  The term landscape accessory can include many things.  Water features are an extremely popular landscape accessory.  Water features can fit in any size landscape and can range from beautiful ecosystem ponds to small, unique fountainscapes!  Another great accessory is the use of outdoor structures such as pergolas, pavilions, and gazebos.  These structures can allow you to use your investment in many different weather conditions and extend the useable life of your entertainment area.  Another accessory that will extend the time that you can use your entertainment area is the use of landscape lighting.  Landscape lighting allows you to use your patio and outdoor living space into the night time hours.  Landscape lighting options are nearly endless.  There are many different fixture styles and lighting patterns that will allow you to create an outdoor ambiance that you can enjoy when the sun goes down.

Make sure you consider all of these options when designing your new outdoor living area and you will be pleased with the outcome of your landscape construction project for many years to come.    Come into Tussey Mtn Mulch today and get inspired and we will put our professional design experience to work for you!  You can visit our website at TusseyMtnMulch.com or call us at 814-696-1920.