What are the Different Options for Patio Landscaping?

Deciding to landscape a patio may improve the value of a home while adding a serene place to enjoy the great outdoors. Homeowners may want to add a garden to dress up their patio, using colorful potted plants, trees, or shrubs. Patio landscaping may also include installing a gazebo or trellises, which may be a handsome addition to almost any outdoor area. Stonework often lends a unique flavor to a patio as well, using the muted colors of pavers, bricks or flagstone. Water may also be used to complement an outdoor area, with a babbling brook, waterfall, or pond.

Quite often patio landscaping involves the use of stone materials, which may be used for custom-designed retaining walls, outdoor fire pits or edging. Pavers are often a popular alternative to traditional plain asphalt or concrete, with their interlocking pieces adding old world charm to a patio area. Other rock uses include outcroppings designed as a border or a custom-built wall to enclose an outdoor grill. Smaller rocks can also be used to create borders or fill in a walkway.

Plants are often found on patios as well, adding color, texture and fragrance to just about any patio landscaping design. Popular choices for patios tend to vary but may include daisies, oleanders and gardenias. If the weather allows, even orchids can be striking on a patio, and Japanese maple trees with their dark colored leaves can lend a dramatic flair. For homeowners who are inclined to grow their own vegetables, container gardening may be a practical and aesthetically pleasing choice. Some homeowners opt to grow tomatoes, basil, and herbs on their patio, which may make for good eating and wonderful smells.

Water is sometimes used as a centerpiece for patio landscaping, providing soothing sounds to create a peaceful setting. When a waterfall is combined with the right plantings, the effect may create an almost woodsy feel in the most suburban of backyards. Another water idea is the addition of a patio pond. Ponds come in different sizes and shapes, may or may not include fish and can be lit up to provide a nighttime refuge.

Usually, several different ideas are combined to create the right flavor when embarking on renovating a patio. For instance, rock outcroppings may blend with a flagstone walkway, leading to a gazebo that sits next to a custom designed waterfall. The addition of a few well-placed shrubs and ferns inside the gazebo may bring a sense of peace and solitude to a sitting area.