Believe it or not, we’ll be celebrating Memorial Day at the end of the month. The spring has been cold, so it’s hard to imagine bringing indoor celebrations to the outdoors, but the weather will soon warm up to enjoy the time outside.
It may be too late to add a fireplace, pool, wall, or outdoor kitchen to your landscape in time for Memorial Day, but right now is the perfect time to start planning a hardscape project for completion by 4th of July or Labor Day.
A landscape design-build company can help you make your outdoor living dreams come true. But first, you need to do some homework to figure out what you really want in your outdoor living space:
- Observe: Keep a diary of your observations when you watch HGTV; when you surf on Houzz; when you read Better Homes and Gardens; and when you visit your neighbor’s house. What parts of their outdoor living space do you love? What parts don’t you love? What is the purpose of your outdoor living space? Write down what you like when you have the opportunity to visit someone’s home.
- Brainstorm: Write down what features you want to add to your outdoor living space. Do you want a total renovation where you’ll add a pool, fireplace, kitchen, and living area? Or will you only be adding a patio with a fire pit? There are so many possibilities to choose from, such as outdoor kitchens, retaining walls, fireplaces, water features, patios, steps, and outdoor lighting.
- Think about your entertainment needs: Do you love having people over for a barbeque? Or do you prefer a quiet dinner with a couple of close friends? Will your children be celebrating milestones where you’ll host big, lavish parties? Or do you have small children and need a place for them to play? Think about your entertaining needs so a space can be created to accommodate those needs, and maybe make you the envy of the neighborhood.
- Hire a landscape design-build company with 3-D design capability: 3-D design is all the rage now in outdoor living design. A landscape designer can take your ideas, along with your house’s measurements and lot dimensions, and put them into an interactive software program. Your designer can actually walk you through your design so you can add or delete features to meet your needs and dreams.
If you live in the Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York regions, and you want to bring your indoor living outside, sit down with Brad Groff of River Valley Landscapes and Pools. He will meet with you to discuss your ideal project. His team will then design it in 3-D; build it; as well as provide maintenance services once the work is complete.