Planning Tips For Landscaping Your Patio and Walkways
When you are planning the landscaping of your New England patio and walkways, your choice of materials will make a huge difference. It takes not only plants and trees, but also accessories, structures and pavings to complete the essential elements that enhance your total landscaping.
Several different materials are available for use on pathways and patios. Your budget will play a major part in what you choose, but remember also to choose a style that fits in with your total landscape plan. Paving stones, bricks, stone tiles, stepping stones and stamped concrete are among the more expensive materials. You can use different materials on walkways than patios, and this can lower costs considerably.
By using pavers along with greenery and plants, your total landscaping will look fresher and more natural. Stone pavers, such as flagstones, will add a casual elegance to a patio. They work well with borders of plantings, and with container plants. The more weathered and textured they are, the more interesting they will be.
Keep the size of individual pavers in scale with your house and yard size. Large slabs of flagstones would look out of place in a small yard or beside a small bungalow. Similarly, the width of your pathways and the size of your patio should fit with the yard size and house size.
As you plan your patios and pathways, picture how they will look from both inside your home and from the street. New England patios are generally in the back yard, but as you plan your front yard walkway, make it an inviting and interesting entrance to your home. By using pavers or bricks for the path rather than concrete, it will seem much more inviting.
Keep both the garden and front yard pathways interesting, with some dimensional changes and curves. Plan areas where you will be able to set attractive containers with colorful blooms or an interesting accessory like a birdbath or a small bench. Do, however, avoid the kitschy pink flamingos or garden gnomes.
Do not forget to add some type of landscaping lighting to both patios and walkways. Unless you plan on using low wattage lighting or solar lights along your walks, make provision for adding an electrical supply. For patios, lighting for evening use is an essential addition.
When adding the patios and walkways to your landscaping plans, bear in mind that the size and shape of your landscaped outdoors will either enhance or dramatically change the appearance of your New England home. Do your planning on paper. Research types of materials. And make sure that the patio and walkway landscaping looks fresh, uncluttered and inviting.
