29th Year Anniversary
Serving the Naperville Community
Serving the Naperville Community
 Summer is coming soon and you’ll want to be ready to get the most out of your backyard all season long. Gathering with loved ones in your backyard is best enjoyed with an elegant patio that’s adorned with a gorgeous fire pit made from stone masonry. As you set up contracts with landscaping professionals this spring, make sure you’ve got a fire pit in mind. Here are the benefits of making sure your landscape design includes both a patio and fire pit in Naperville, IL.
Related: Designing a Brick Patio Around Your Fire Pit In Hinsdale, IL Designating Space Even if you use an open plan as a patio design, you should still have some space set aside for different purposes. A communal gathering place is absolutely essential for summer enjoyment in a backyard. Everyone needs a place to rest, and everyone needs a central hub where they can gather and share conversation. The heat of the summer is fleeting and can even disappear on the calmest nights, so it’s best to center your gathering space around a masonry fire pit. Permanent Elegance A fire pit prominently placed in your patio will give your backyard a strong sense of intent. Using masonry for your fire structure is not only practical, but it sends the message that warming up by a fire in your backyard with loved ones is a long-standing practice in your home. The stones, blocks, or bricks used to build your fire pit will last for generations and continually beckon friends and family as the years go on. Pairing With Pavers The stones used in your fire pit could and should pair with your patio pavers, the home, and the surrounding landscape as well. The color scheme used in your overall landscape can guide the look of the fire pit, though there’s always room for a little contrast and juxtaposition. Whether the look of your home and landscape is rustic or contemporary, fire pits can be built from any natural or manufactured stone that fits. Your fire pit will only enhance the atmosphere. High-Backed Seat Walls Further emboldening your patio’s sense of permanence, high-backed seat walls will make an elegant impact on your entire landscape. Fire pits are commonly built in the form of a circle, not only to allow everyone to gain equal access to the warmth but for giving everyone a common purpose of gathering together. High-backed seat walls will complement your fire pit and patio, creating a structure that defines the space, shields the area from harsh winds, and helps keep the warmth inside the circle. The seat wall can also offer a substantial amount of storage space for blankets, cushions, pillows, firewood, and more. Surrounding Additional Features The construction of a fire pit and adjoining high-backed seat walls on your patio will give you the opportunity to further bolster the area with conscious design choices. This could include stunning native shrubs and flowers, water features such as gentle fountains or waterfalls, and a more strategic lighting program. As the fire pit helps bring loved ones to your patio more and more often, you’ll have more inspiration for what to build next. Let the refined space inspire you to keep dreaming; it’s just the beginning of the rejuvenation your backyard needs! Related: Warm Up Your Wheaton IL Brick Patio With a Traditional Fire Pit
0 Comments
 Your patio is an extension of your home and bringing a feeling of outdoor living isn’t possible without proper nighttime lighting. Using certain lighting techniques, you’ll be able to evoke different moods for you and your loved ones to have the best experiences in your backyard. You can include strategies such as spotlighting, moonlighting, backsplashing, submersible lighting, and string lighting to create these moods. The best idea for lighting your patio, however, is by using a combination of these tricks. Here’s how to extend your Wheaton, IL patio time with these six outdoor lighting ideas.
Related: Rethinking the Traditional Brick Patio in Wheaton and Naperville IL Areas Spotlighting Surely one of the more dramatic lighting strategies, spotlighting creates sharp and striking visuals by placing a light directly at one of your patio features. If you have a statue or a gorgeous gnarled old tree, this is a great tactic to create visual texture at night. Since the direct light of spotlighting can be very intense, it’s best to ensure that the feature isn’t in the center of the patio so those walking on the receiving end might receive some harsh flashes at night. Moonlighting This wonderful lighting tacting is perfect for creating soft shadows on the ground as if it were filtered moonlight. By placing a single bluish light within a tall tree and pointing it towards the ground, you can mimic the tranquil blue light of the moon. The light will shimmer down through the branches and leaves to create dancing shadows in the slightest breeze. This also makes the tree seem larger than life, creating a truly dramatic atmosphere for your patio and outdoor living area. Backsplashing This lighting technique is perfect for creating an ambient light. Pointing a bright light source at a blank wall or solid, flat object and allowing the light to bounce off will wash the patio and surrounding area with soft light. Depending on the color of the wall and the light source, this will let the area glow in warm or cool light. It is possible to combine this technique with spotlighting to achieve a similar effect of showing off a striking feature that’s attached to the wall. Submersible Lighting Every water feature should utilize lighting to come alive at night. This type of lighting is especially useful in pools where any illumination improves safety. The underwater lights create a soft, ethereal blue glow that washes over any nearby patio surfaces. Any ripples on the surface create dancing shadows that provide a dramatic visual texture to enhance a calming environment or bolster a fun gathering. String Lighting This technique is relatively simple to install but makes a huge difference in the ambiance of your patio. Typically they’re for a more fun atmosphere, as everyone cheers the moment they come on at night. String lights are unobtrusive and can be easily concealed when they’re not in use as they typically consist of LED lights. Install them along the border of the patio and possibly crossing through the center at a height of about 12 feet and you’ll quickly create a festive environment. Combining Techniques Again, your best option for enhancing your patio experience is combining several of these techniques. This will give you a varied atmosphere with a lot of visual depth. You’ll avoid the harsh contrasts that come from the shadows of a single bright light source and the safety concerns that come with these contrasts. You’ll have a carefully calibrated lighting strategy that ensures your patio will be the center of all the fun. Related: Why Adequate Outdoor Lighting for Your Naperville IL Driveway and Front Yard Is So Important  With the first crocuses peeking out of the snow, you and thousands of other homeowners in the area are getting excited about spring landscaping projects. Whether your landscape needs a minor spruce-up or a major remodel, here are 6 inspirational landscape design ideas to elevate your landscaping in Wheaton, IL.
Related: 5 Spring Landscaping Tips for Your Naperville IL Front Yard 1. Keep It Local There is a growing trend away from high-maintenance, thirsty lawns to more sustainable landscaping that is just as attractive as a landscape made with exotic imported plants. Native plants, ranging from ground covers to deciduous and evergreen trees, are the best choices for a water-wise landscape that rarely needs supplemental irrigation or fertilization. Natives are also much more resistant to local varieties of pests. This strategy of reducing the size of your lawn and introducing more native plants will reduce your water bill, puts fewer chemicals on your landscape, and allows you to spend more time with your family and friends. During lockdowns, more people than ever discovered the restorative effect of nature. Today, there is a growing emphasis on “rewilding” or creating natural landscaping that provides havens for birds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. These habitats center around native plants and include sources of fresh water, as well as shelter. 2. Outdoor Living Perfectly Designed for You Many homes feature a concrete slab outside the kitchen, just big enough for a grill and a few lounge chairs. If you felt cramped on your patio last summer with the lockdowns, this year is the perfect time to add to the space and make it more usable. Whether you opt for a new paver patio that’s one main area that comfortably fits an outdoor cooking space, dining area, and relaxing area - or create a series of interconnected outdoor “rooms” that extend out into the landscape - either way, you will have plenty of space for comfortable outdoor living. Even if your backyard is small, your landscape designer can create an amazing outdoor experience that uses every inch of the backyard while still maintaining a gorgeous natural feel. If your patio is adequate but you want to add a few amenities such as a fire pit or pergola, even these relatively minor changes will give it a fresh feel. 3. Smart Technology Nearly everything in your home can now be controlled via your smartphone, and the landscape is no different. Lighting, irrigation, water features, and of course entertainment can be adjusted at the touch of a button. No more over- or under-lit areas; no more over- or under-watered lawns; no more blasting your music to have it heard in the farthest corner of your landscape (like lighting, outdoor audio systems can be zoned). 4. Neutral, Natural Colors Part of the back-to-nature theme is toning down the brightness and boldness of hardscape materials and accessories and choosing soothing neutrals. 5. Multi-Level Living Multi-level outdoor living is a staple on sloped lots; however, a pancake-flat landscape can be made so much more interesting by creating multiple levels. Even just one step up or down helps to create visual interest and define spaces and allow for creative expression using different materials. 6. Luxurious Simplicity Less really is more. Narrowing down the list of amenities and features to ones that actually bring joy and get used, means you can allocate your landscape renovation resources to better materials. Related: 4 Landscape Design Ideas for Tranquil Landscaping in Hinsdale IL  Gathering with friends and family around a fire pit in your beautiful backyard can create some of the best memories of anyone’s lifetime. The fire pit can be a design centerpiece for your entire landscape and should be aesthetically integrated into the surroundings and general theme of your home. Since the fire pit is a focal point it makes sense to design a brick patio around it to create a cohesive and memorable space. This partnership between fire pit and patio will make your backyard one of the best places to gather. Here’s a guide at designing a brick patio around your fire pit in Hinsdale, IL.
Related: Warm Up Your Wheaton IL Brick Patio With a Traditional Fire Pit Visuals - Colors and Patterns A brick patio and a fire pit go hand-in-hand due to their timeless appeal and beauty. The visual aesthetics of the brick should be tied directly to the hues used on the outside of the home. Since bricks are composed of earthy tones – mostly reds and tans – consult a landscape designer or visit a supply yard for some brick samples to take home, that will give you a good idea of what looks good in your backyard. Bricks also come in a wide variety of shapes that can create complex or simple patterns to your preference. Seating Options There are two big choices to make when designing the seating around your fire pit and patio. You can either set an open plan with temporary seating like Adirondack chairs or you can install permanent seating such as high-backed seat walls. The advantage to an open plan is that you can have whatever size gathering you want without obstructions and then you can change the seating arrangement as you wish. The advantage to high-backed seat walls is that you will always have gorgeous brick structures that help keep the heat around your fire pit and create a sturdy yet comfortable place to gather. The seat walls also provide ample space for storage of blankets, pillows, and more. Arrange your seat walls in a half-circle around the fire pit with the backs facing the direction of the wind so they block the breezes during the cooler nights. That way you also have a half-circle of an open plan to put chairs in or take them away as you wish. Location Another decision to make is whether you want the fire pit to be your hub of activity during parties or a secluded little area away from the crowds. Both of these choices have advantages. If your fire pit is the hub of activity, your friends and family will surely flock there as night falls and the bonfire provides light and warmth. On the other hand, creating a quiet little brick patio and fire pit at a distance gives that perfect escape and an opportunity for quiet conversation. Orientation Always make sure that your fire pit takes advantage of any views that your landscape has to offer. If there aren’t compelling views, you could place the base of the fire pit a few steps below the grade of the patio, creating a sunken area to help protect from the wind and create an intimate environment. The seat walls should be placed facing the most advantageous views, though wind should always be factored into any fire pit decision. If possible, landscapers can design the fire pit so one side facing the seat walls is more open than the other, blocking wind from taking heat away from the patio area. Related: Rethinking the Traditional Brick Patio in Wheaton and Naperville IL Areas  Spring has sprung and it’s time to get going on landscaping projects you’ve been thinking about all winter. Landscaping professionals can help you launch projects that will transform your front yard into a welcoming yet private, open yet secure, and gorgeous yet reserved masterpiece. Focusing on a welcoming entry, various features and landscaping strategies can help increase curb appeal and safety. You can gather inspiration from some of these five spring landscaping tips for your Naperville, IL front yard. Related: 4 Landscape Design Ideas for Tranquil Landscaping in Hinsdale IL A Welcoming Entry Updating your hardscapes and adding plenty of greenery that fits in with a modern design will make an incredible impact on your home and the neighborhood. Making the most of your front yard begins with focusing on the entry of the home. Some may want to have a more welcoming front yard than others – hinting at various levels of desired privacy, but the simple fact is that the front yard is the main entry to the home. What folks see of your home’s entry from the street and the sidewalk affects your home’s curb appeal. A more welcoming entry has an open feel, a clearly defined path to the front door, attractive and carefully maintained vegetation, and accent features that improve the visual landscape. Safety is the Priority Safety contributes to the sense of welcome. Security could simply mean a clear visual line to all parts of your front yard if you have security cameras. It could mean doing away with thick foundation plantings and instead, placing more open landscape plants a bit further from the home. And, it means adequate landscape lighting that ensures safe passage at night. Create a Focal Point The front yard needs a focal point to draw the eye of visitors as they approach your home. This could be a dazzling feature such as a fountain or an ornamental fruit tree. Create Balance Balance doesn’t mean perfect, formal symmetry. While symmetry is pleasing to the eye, you can use a combination of visual weights to create attractive balance: for example, a visually dense spruce tree or large boulder can be balanced by a multitude of more open shrubs, ornamental grasses, and flowers. Updated Hardscapes Nothing is visually more boring than a straight concrete walkway leading to the front door. Updating your walkway to an attractive paver or natural stone walkway will allow you to complement your home’s aesthetic and express yourself creatively. Whether you admire the look of bluestone or the chic elegance of granite, you could opt for either in its natural form or in a concrete paver alternative. Some concrete pavers are permeable, which allows surface water to seep into the ground below; it’s better for the environment and helps reduce slipping hazards. A low seat wall that runs along the outside of a front walkway immediately offers a warm “embrace” to visitors as they approach your front door, along with a place to rest. There’s the choice of natural stone blocks, concrete wall blocks, or concrete blocks faced with either a natural stone or manufactured stone veneer. New Lighting Techniques The best feature for a nighttime landscape is the right amount of tasteful lighting at night. A well-lit front yard will greatly enhance curb appeal and dazzle folks as they walk by. LED (light-emitting diode) lighting is an optimal decision for any landscape illumination as it uses far less energy than traditional bulbs and it’s possible to place them in hard-to-reach places. They also have adaptability for different colors and automatic timers. Updating the lighting of your front yard will make a welcoming and attractive statement. Related: 4 Eco-Friendly Landscape Design Ideas for Naperville IL Homes  As winter bears down on the Midwest, spending time outdoors can be pretty unbearable; and yet, it’s nice to get outside for some fresh air on milder days. During even the coldest days, a fire pit can be your ticket to keeping your outdoor living space alive. These wonderful structures built from long-lasting brick allow for one of the most primal of human experiences: gathering around a fire and sharing conversation with loved ones. Brick structures will be around for generations as is intended, so it’s time to warm up your Wheaton, IL brick patio with a traditional fire pit.
Related: Rethinking the Traditional Brick Patio in Wheaton and Naperville IL Areas Finding the Warmth The location of your fire pit should be in the least windy part of your patio. In the unfortunate case of a patio that is consistently battered by wind, a privacy wall will do the trick of blocking frosty breezes. You also want to consider how large to make your fire pit space, as best defined by how many people with whom you want to gather. Placing a fire pit directly in the center of a patio might hinder how people move about the space, so slightly off-center in a low-traffic area would be the best bet. Once a location is determined, it’s time to plan the size and the style. Sinking Into Comfort Stay out of the cold wind and create a cozy haven by setting the fire pit a few feet lower than the grade of the rest of the patio. This is especially advantageous if the patio sits on a flat area with a downward slope on one side, where you can create a cozy little area that allows gatherings to feel even more warm and intimate. The Right Presence Even the most minuscule fire pits can become a focal point of your brick patio. Matching its style to the aesthetic of your home is important and can be achieved by choosing either a round fire pit or a square one. Round fire pits provide a relaxed “campfire” atmosphere, while square fire pits offer a touch of more refined elegance. Sturdy Design Another great addition to your brick patio and the fire pit is the high-backed seat wall. It’s an excellent source of seating and storage. This sturdy masonry feature provides a physical barrier between the fire and the wind. However, it’s important to remain a little versatile in planning permanent seats. Some guests may prefer to stand instead of sit, so it’s a good idea to leave an opening, for example, a half- or quarter-circle around the fire pit, where folks can stand or sit as they wish. Then, it’s important to plan the seats to cover the direction of the wind in order to keep the most amount of warmth in the fire pit as possible. Additional Features Your fire pit is simplistic in nature but it can be adorned with various other features to your heart’s desire. Adding built-in landscape lighting to the fire pit itself, or to any permanent seating, can be a wonderful strategy to add ambiance. Hanging string lights around the fire area encourages a more festive atmosphere. A small cocktail bar may be built into the brick structure next to the high-backed seat walls, eliminating the need to go back and forth and keep the drinks coming. The more you customize, the more personal and cherished your fire pit will become. Related: 2 Outdoor Design Ideas for a Cozy Brick Patio in Naperville and Hinsdale IL Areas  For many homeowners, the backyard is a sacred place of tranquility - one that must be designed and kept in the most peaceful manner. This respect and need for an outdoor living space can be achieved by selecting a few landscape features that bring peace and tranquility to a backyard. You can achieve your dream of a peaceful oasis right in your backyard with a few key design techniques. Here are four landscape design ideas for tranquil landscaping in Hinsdale, IL.
Related: 4 Eco-Friendly Landscape Design Ideas for Naperville IL Homes A Water Feature A gorgeous fountain or waterfall is a fantastic addition to any backyard. The gentle sounds of trickling or cascading water can make peaceful white noise that soothes and relaxes. A fountain can be designed in accordance with any architectural style, from rustic to highly ornate and formal, and from historical to ultra-modern. A beautiful Italian-inspired fountain that evokes dreams of Rome and stands proud in shades of white and beige… the quiet elegance of a Japanese fountain that inspires zen and harmony with your environment… or a naturalistic boulder-lined waterfall can evoke feelings of being in a remote mountain hideaway. A Curated Greenscape Plants can always bring relaxation, but overgrown plantings and backyards add more stress than they relieve. That’s why it’s important to carefully select plants that soothe your senses and don’t require much upkeep so you can spend more time relaxing than fussing over high-maintenance beauties. Plants do so much more than showing their natural beauty and providing wonderful scents. Colorful plants add a sense of vivaciousness. Trees and shrubs can be planted to make a tall privacy wall that keeps your backyard feel more like a well-kept secret. Flowers can make a wildly interesting color palette that attracts pollinators like bees and hummingbirds and keeps diversifying plant life. If you enjoy gardening, maintaining the greenscape will help soothe your mind and reassure that everything is in order… and if you don’t, you can outsource it to the pros and just enjoy your time outdoors. Minimalism One of the best ways to make a tranquil landscape is to design using minimalist styles. These include clean, wide spaces and long, straight lines. It’s also a movement against needless clutter which gets in the way of enjoyment and efficiency. There’s nothing extra in minimalist design by definition. So, consider how you best experience your outdoor living space. Then, prioritize those ideas, and get rid of any design elements that won’t constantly bring you joy (if you’re going to use it once or twice a year, you can do without, and redirect your resources and space to elements that will bring you joy on a daily basis. Do you feel most at home in a cozy space surrounded by greenery, and a simple fountain? Does gazing into a fire put you in a meditative state? Do you prefer to sit on a hilltop and soak in the grandeur of sweeping views? The cause for minimalism is simplicity and sometimes simplicity is relaxation! Patio Pavers The right patio pavers can make a difference in your patio, pool deck, or walkways. Subscribing to a tranquil design style can mean choosing large format pavers in neutral colors that blend in with the surroundings; and while this formal style can be appealing to some, others find formality to be stifling and not relaxing. Subscribing to a more rustic design might evoke feelings of nostalgia and a space being well-lived in, with a carefree vibe that invites relaxing in the hammock. Using patio pavers such as bricks on your patio will bring on certain feelings of familiarity and calm. Your choice of patio pavers can be one of the sources of tranquility in your landscape. Related: 3 Landscaping Tips to Refresh and Rejuvenate a Backyard in Hinsdale IL and Wheaton IL Areas Why Adequate Outdoor Lighting for Your Naperville IL Driveway and Front Yard Is So Important2/2/2021  You’ve already spent so much time making your home look beautiful like the way you imagined it. Yet there exists an entirely different perspective at night that you might not have considered as much as daytime. Lighting your home and front yard at night is absolutely essential to keeping your family safe and secure. There are also many different nighttime lighting strategies that make a home and landscape take on a completely new character once night falls. Here’s why adequate outdoor lighting for your Naperville, IL driveway and front yard is so important.
Related: 4 Outdoor Lighting Ideas to Highlight Water Features and Other Focal Points in Wheaton and Hinsdale IL Areas Safety: Always a Priority First and foremost, a properly lit driveway and front yard will ensure that whoever is coming and going after dark is walking or driving safely. The surfaces on which we walk need to always have an adequate brightness to avoid tripping or slipping. Likewise, there should never be any surprises on a driveway and no matter its length, there should always be full lighting at night. Keeping Secure Regardless of other security measures already in place, proper lighting must be present at all entrances to a house and any driveway or walkway entrances so that unwanted visitors will be deterred. Motion sensor lights can be useful in this area as well as in the backyard or side yards. Going Greener Using eco-conscious lighting design choices will not only cut down on your energy costs, but it will also create a more pleasing nighttime experience. Traditional light bulbs use far more energy than LED lights and old-school lighting usually meant a single high-watt bulb mounted on the house, driveway, or post - which created overly bright areas and simultaneously, harsh shadows. Lighting systems using LEDs get the same job done with much smaller light sources that use far less energy. They also allow for more creative expression in a landscape. LED lights are perfect for illuminating walkways when mounted low to the ground so that the illumination is concentrated on the path instead of in your eyes. Spotlighting Features Some of the landscape features of your front yard deserve attention at night. Whether it’s a beautiful statue, a single magnificent tree, or a series of boxwood shrubs that line a walkway, spotlighting is a way to amplify drama, create a sense of grandeur and add to the home’s sense of welcome. A few simple spotlights might be advantageous additions to a functional yet beautiful entry. Moonlighting in Trees Moonlighting is similar to spotlighting though it changes the location of the light source. In this case, a light is placed high in a tree canopy, so that it sends light cascading through the tree’s branches and scattering light on the ground that dances beautifully during a breezy night. It’s an excellent lighting technique for helping to illuminate a driveway by adding indirect light and texture. Defining Spaces is Everything Navigating a house you’ve never been to can be difficult, especially if there’s some rugged terrain. Using lighting techniques to guide a visitor’s eye towards the front door by defining spaces is a fantastic way to welcome your guests. Overhead floodlights already do a poor job of illuminating large spaces and cast harsh shadows that can confuse people who don’t see very well at night. Lighting should increase in brightness and frequency as your guests approach the front door, with the intent of minimizing shadows and highlighting any hazards. Using lights to illuminate certain areas more than others provides an important visual texture that not only feels welcome but promotes safety and security throughout your front yard and driveway. Related: 3 Historical Outdoor Lighting Options to Complement an Antiqued Brick Patio in Naperville IL  If the idea of a traditional brick patio has you itching for a change, you’re in luck. Today’s market offers a staggering array of choices that make rethinking the traditional brick patio a breeze in Wheaton and Naperville, IL, areas. Whether you want to use brick in innovative ways or freshen up the space with an updated approach, brick is still the “little black dress” of hardscape materials and you may be surprised at just how versatile it is.
Related: 2 Outdoor Design Ideas for a Cozy Brick Patio in Naperville and Hinsdale IL Areas What is Brick? What is “brick” exactly? Traditionally, the term referred to a block made with clay that was used to build walls, pavements, and other masonry elements. Today, “brick” also means blocks made using concrete. The traditional shape was rectangular but today, you can find brick in a variety of shapes. If you want to get away from a traditional herringbone, running bond, or basket weave pattern using reddish bricks, there are plenty of options. Because of the historical feel of brick and its timelessness, it’s one of the most versatile materials for modern hardscapes. Brick pairs with any architectural style including ultra modern. Think of it as a material that brings warmth to your outdoor living space, whether that space is formal or relaxed, dark or light, modern or rustic. The Various Color of Brick When it comes to color, traditional brick relied on the color of the clay it was sourced from. This meant that different regions of the country (or the world) would have different colored clay, ranging from near white to charcoal, but mostly reddish. This gives brick a wonderful depth of character since no two regions have exactly the same composition of clay. With concrete technology, the color choices are expanded to include bricks made with blended colors. If you still want to use traditionally shaped bricks but want to give your outdoor living space extra personality, you could blend two or three colors together randomly onsite. One or more of these colors could pick up colors on the home, or in the environment. Trends in Brick A modern trend is to use bricks in an assortment of sizes in random bundles, for example, bundles of small rectangles, large rectangles, and medium squares; these are laid in an easygoing ashlar pattern. This approach gives your patio a relaxed look that lets you enjoy the earthy tones of brick without the traditional brick look. Another trend is to use large format brick pavers, for example, 24” square or 12”x36” rectangles. This gives you the warmth of brick in a less busy format. Fewer joint lines make your patio or walkway feel smoother and more like a solid surface, which helps to make small spaces feel larger. You can also use mixed materials for a fresh modern look. Mixing and matching hardscape materials such as brick and natural stone lets you get creative and play with patterns, abstract designs, or geometric designs. There’s something wonderfully appealing about mixing colors, for example, the reds of brick alongside the blues of bluestone or the greys of granite. Using Traditional Brick as a Border Traditional brick can also be used as a border or accent in virtually any surface including natural stone, concrete pavers, poured concrete. Since you can find a wide assortment of colors from a variety of “brick red” tones to soft tans, pinks, steely blues, and dramatic charcoal, you will be able to find the perfect match for any surface you’re considering for your patio, walkway, or driveway. Finally, traditional brick sizes lend themselves to unusual laying patterns including circular, fan, or freeform - this lets you create artistic inlays on a patio that uses different materials. And, it gives any space a custom feel. Related: How Contractors Turn the Fire Pit Into the Focus of the Patio in Naperville IL  The changing climate is one of the biggest problems in the world and individual humans can actually do quite a lot to help fix it. One of the most important steps homeowners can take is to adopt an ecologically-conscious landscape design. That doesn’t mean that anyone needs to turn their landscape into a barren moonscape filled with succulents. A few tweaks can make a huge difference. Here are four eco-friendly landscape design ideas for Naperville, IL homes.
Related: 4 Landscape Design Ideas for Warm and Welcoming Backyards in Wheaton and Hinsdale IL Areas Permeable Pavers for Controlling Runoff In a natural environment, rain seeps into the ground and any excess flows downstream on the surface. Solid surface driveways (asphalt and concrete) decrease the surface area of the ground that can absorb rainwater and increases runoff. Permeable pavers are a good solution for this issue as they let rain absorb between the joints into a special substrate so water enters the ground naturally. Permeable pavers can be used on driveways, walkways, patios, and pool decks, and come in a variety of gorgeous colors, textures, and styles. LED Landscape Lighting A few steps can dramatically reduce your electrical use while you enjoy an attractively and safely illuminated landscape. The first step is to replace incandescent or halogen fixtures with low-voltage LED lighting. The second step is to create a strategic lighting plan to illuminate an area in ways that don’t destroy the nighttime appeal, yet provide plenty of safety and activity-appropriate lighting. Old-school floodlights mounted on the side of the house produce a wide and inconsistent spectrum of light from bright and direct glares to harsh and contrasting shadows. However, strategically-placed LED lights along a path or set into a masonry retaining wall will never interfere with eyesight and create a safe and pleasing ambiance and completely change the feel of your backyard. Xeriscaping with Native Plants Xeriscaping is rooted in being in harmony with nature and making the conscious choice to populate your landscape with an array of beautiful native plants that are perfectly suited to thrive in your ecosystem. Native plants are adapted to harsh winter and summer conditions and don’t need more water than what the region provides in rainfall and snowfall. Many homeowners are replacing sections of their lawn with natives - effectively eliminating the “food desert” expanses of grass that provide no habitat for local wildlife. More Living Space, Less Work If you don’t have a need for a lawn - for example, if you don’t have kids or a dog - then you could consider expanding the size of your outdoor living space using permeable pavers and replacing part of your lawn with xeriscaping. First, you’ll use your backyard more if you have an attractive and functional space to hang out and entertain in; and second, you’ll reduce your water use as well as the time needed to maintain the landscape. As well, if you make your backyard an attractive place for local wildlife and pollinators, you’ll have a much more vibrant place to call your own. Professional Irrigation Decrease water use while encouraging a lush and beautiful landscape with a professional irrigation system. Automatic timers and settings can be calibrated for specific plants in each location, all in a system that stays out of sight, out of mind. This eliminates the need for waking up super early in the morning to water the landscape before the daytime summer heat bears down. While drastically reducing the amount of water needed for proper irrigation, you can sleep in or focus on the next great eco-project! Related: 3 Landscaping Tips to Refresh and Rejuvenate a Backyard in Hinsdale IL and Wheaton IL Areas |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2021
|
RSS Feed
