Summer is a great season to spend time outdoors if you have your landscape set up properly. Numerous features could make your backyard a perfect spot for cookouts, barbeques, dinner parties, or all-day hangouts with family and friends. For proper set-up, hire expert hands from companies that provide seasoned hardscape installation services along with softscape arrangements.
Northern Virginia Landscaping has been the best landscaping service provider in Alexandria, VA, and Northern Virginia for many years. We serve both homeowners and businesses by beautifying their surrounding landscape. Our team consists of dedicated professionals who create excellent flowerbeds, gardens, and lawns, as well as durable hardscapes like decks, patios, and fountains. Our customers refer and return to our services because we learn their preferences and needs then use our skills to fulfill them.
Here, we list some of the best hardscape features for summertime:
Patio/Deck
The basis for every other hardscape is a well-laid patio or deck. It defines an area in the backyard for lounging and entertainment, distinct from spaces for running around.
Most decks are constructed as raised platforms made from wood, metal, or composite materials. Patios, on the other hand, can be raised from or level with the landscape and are usually paved with neatly cobbled stones or concrete.
Your design preference makes the difference, but keep in mind that the one you choose makes up the rest of your landscape’s design as well as any additional features you’ll want to add along with it.
Outdoor Kitchen
The next must-have feature we recommend is an outdoor kitchen. This one can be simple- a nice marble counter outside with a built-in grill to act as a stove- or intricate- a counter with cabinets for storage, a built-in sink for quick dishwashing after an outdoor meal, multiple gas stoves and grills, and a minifridge for cool drinks.
Simply put, having an outdoor kitchen installed makes it easier to entertain family and guests, and makes preparing meals outside easier and more enjoyable. It also makes your backyard a space that’s more akin to the inside of your home, but outdoors, thus inherently causing you and your family to spend more time outside. In the end, that’s what makes it a must-have.
Pergola/Gazebo
Along with a patio or deck, one can easily see adding a constructed gazebo or pergola hardscape installation. Either one easily provides comfortable shade during hot sunny days, and much wanted privacy from neighbors and passersby.
Installing one practically certifies your backyard as a private outdoor space that you can spend time in entirely alone or with friends and family. To maximize your shade and privacy, you can add hedges along any side that suits you. A bonus is that they will also dampen the noise you make, keeping your neighbors from getting annoyed.
Any Kind of Fire Feature
Fire features are an excellent addition as it works well for any season. A crackling fire is a great place for family and friends to sit around and spend time reminiscing, whether it’s during summer or fall. Here are some excellent fire features to consider:
- Fire Pits – A classic that fits into any hardscape design.
- Fire Tables – A recent innovation with excellent function as well as form. Some have been made to produce heat to warm occupants’ legs while sitting around it while also heating surfaces for cooking and grilling.
- Fire Pillars – For smaller-scale outdoor heating, this fire feature is perfect for those seeking to create a laid-back sitting area for one or two people to enjoy.
Any Type of Water Feature
As with fire features, so too should you include any type of water feature in your backyard. This is especially true if you want to prepare it for summer. The presence of flow water is not only relaxing to hear and spend time around, but it also helps cool the area around it, thus making it an excellent addition for any hardscape to have. Here are a few that we recommend:
- Pond – A simple, quaint water feature that is an excellent centerpiece for a hardscape design.
- Water Wall – An excellent water feature that provides ambient sound and the cool chill of flowing water.
- Fountains – A wonderful addition that ornaments your landscape, and also provides ambient sound.
- Swimming Pool – A classic summer favorite of every household.
Northern Virginia Landscaping: Quality Hardscape Installation in Alexandria, VA
Include any of these features into your landscape and you will surely have a great place to spend the summer. Of course, putting it all together is difficult with the assistance of a professional, which is why Northern Virginia Landscaping is fully available throughout the year. Our seasoned team of landscape experts has performed wonderful hardscape installation projects for numerous residents throughout Alexandria, VA. We dedicate our work to creating the best landscapes in Virginia, ones that produce comfort and enjoyment for our clients. Contact us today at (703) 982-0100 and learn how we can help you transform your backyard.
