Patio Landscape Design

With such a variety of plants and flowers to suit moods and complement the house, patio landscape design is easy. Great patio landscape design can be enjoyed as a view from your patio, but you must first understand the kind of landscape that you want. If you enjoy gardening and horticulture, you will be happy with several kinds of plants and a very lively patio landscape. If you would rather keep things simple and low maintenance, or are not much of a garden person, minimal designs can work for you.

Following these simple steps, you can easily plan a wonderful patio landscape design to enjoy with your family and friends:

1.    When selecting what flowers to place in what area, it is best to consider the lighting in the patio. Study where the sunlight hits in the morning at 8am, at noontime, and at four o’clock in the afternoon. This can give you an idea of how to evenly spread plants and flowers so that at all times of day there is something blooming in your patio.

Also, remember that since patios can be a place for play, if you have children around it would be a good idea to avoid planting poisonous plants for safety reasons.

2.    Select a focal point in the patio landscape design. Focal points can be naturally occurring, such as abundant and colorful plants and flowers in one area, or strategically placed furniture such as fountains, trellises, statues, birdbaths, or a little pool or artificial lake, if you have the space.

More naturally occurring focal points can be plants that are taller than the rest of the garden. Focal points serve as a highlight in the patio landscape design, and draw the eye to them. These are usually placed in the corner of a garden, or if you have a round garden, right in the center.

3.    Choose a theme to plan your patio landscape design on. You may want to choose a complimentary motif with your existing patio. The theme you choose will be the basis of all the planning of your patio. In selecting a theme, you should consider the following factors:
a.    The style of your own home. Since the patio is an extension of your home, choose a patio landscape design that is complimentary so that the colors and materials you choose will bring about harmony in design.
b.    The theme will be the overall feel of your landscape. For example, choosing a Mediterranean style, or Victorian landscape.

4.    For larger patios that are disconnected from the house, you may want to add a walkway to make the walk more dramatic. Simple walkways made out of wood and have ivies growing also add a natural feel.
5.    For edges in the landscape, you can use the space for flower beds. Also remember to consider the theme and feel you are looking for when planning the flower beds. The flowers that you choose can instantly change the mood of your patio landscape design.

6.    Planning your landscape around curvy and round shapes add grace to the whole landscape. You can soften up sharp edges with plants, flower beds, and focal points.

Now that you have the basics set, planning your patio landscape design is easy. It is easy to build the landscape that you want, and you can always make changes whenever you deem necessary.