Before you know it, winter will be behind us and spring with all its beauty will be here. Of course, it also the time many parents are ready to have their kids spend more time outdoors. But, not every yard is designed to entice the kids outdoors! Sure, there is something to say for a child using their imagination, but why not do your part to encourage it? After all, if you grew up playing in the backyard and discovering all the fun summer offers, then you know the importance of a yard that makes you want to run, slide, swing, climb or perhaps just curl up in a hammock with a good book. But with room for the kids to explore, comes a need for room for parties and get-togethers for friends of all ages.

Ideas for the Family Friendly Backyard

So, if you are looking for a way to make your backyard a space where your family comes together and the kids are excited to explore and play, now is the time to begin working with a design team and determining what features will amp up your space. Here are a few to get you started.

Especially for the Kids:

• Water Features: From a soothing koi pond to a natural area that invites turtles, frogs and other wildlife or a splash pad complete with water sprays and fountains, water elements add fun to any backyard design.
• Space Maximization: Just because you don’t have a large yard, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun play space. Think about swings, slides, sandboxes, seesaws, sawed off tree stumps securely placed as a walking route, balance beams, and other items that encourage exploration and adventure.
• Climbing Wall: These have become quite popular in recent years, and are great for encouraging strength building and coordination.
• Sensory Garden: Have a space that stimulates your children’s senses. Include elements such as marigolds, sunflowers, Swiss chard, sage, strawberries, and other plants that encourage them to taste, touch, and smell.
• Blackboard: Turn a fence space or wall into a blackboard, add a bucket for chalk and let your kids show off their creativity.

Especially for Dad & Mom:

• Patios, Porches, and Pergolas: You need the perfect place to unwind with a glass of something cold after a long day. Design a space that lets you relax in comfort.
• Grill: Be it a custom fire pit, a built-in grill space or an outdoor kitchen or fireplace, making the outdoors more functional for entertaining is the perfect addition to a family-friendly lawn design.
• Movie Night: Convert an area of your yard into your very own outdoor theatre. Whether you paint the side of an outbuilding or clear a space for a movie screen, the backyard movie is a winner for everyone!
• Light it up: Make it easy to make family memories by adding outdoor lighting. Be it tiny twinkling lights in the shrubbery or tree, can lights or spotlights along walkways, or rope lights along the porch banisters, lights make every space more welcoming. Your home’s backyard is not just about the kids. Sure, you want it to be an area that encourages their imagination, but you also need a place where you can hang out with your friends, throw a steak on the grill or just escape for a few minutes. So when you plan your perfect backyard, be sure to include yourself in the fun, too. Now is the time to start designing a family friendly backyard where the kids can play and you can relax. Contact the Outdoor Makeover Design team to get started on the perfect design.

Also Read: Eco Friendly Options that Enhance Your Landscape

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When it comes to outdoor landscape designs, there’s a feature that has always been a favorite amongst outdoor designers: the water feature. Water features such as fountains have been a commonly used aesthetic throughout history. Some of the most ornate architectural designs around the world have some sort of water feature attached: The Taj Mahal has a reflecting pool outside its doors as does the Lincoln Memorial; in Las Vegas the famous Bellagio Hotel may be known for its casinos but tourists wait for hours to see the Fountains of Bellagio. Not only do water features provide an original aesthetic to your outdoor living space, they serve many a useful purpose. Here are a few reasons that you should install a water feature today.

1. Stress Relief: According to Sciencedaily.com, sounds from nature (such as running water) can help reduce stress and boost your mood. Just imagine coming home from a rough day at work and adjourning to your outdoor living space to listen to the calming sounds of a small waterfall or fountain. While one could argue, “But there are CD’s with outdoor sounds on the playlist,” the sound from a CD player doesn’t compare to hearing real running water outside on your deck.
2. Fun with Nature: When I was little, we had a water fountain that also served as a bird bath. One of my favorite things to do after school was watch the birds splash in the fountain. My mother decided to use it as a tool to teach me about nature and animals so we would often look out at the fountain and animal watch. It was simultaneously a great bonding and educational experience. Families with small children can watch as nature responds to your pond area or fountain and it makes a great way to introduce children to nature.
3. Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me: If one of your bigger outdoor pet peeves is bugs, a circulating water system outside can serve as a helpful solution to your winged pest problems. Most bugs like mosquitos and gnats prefer still water so having a water feature that requires rushing water (a fountain or running stream) can repel those nasty visitors.
4. Flower Friends: Depending on the specific type of water feature you install, it can be more than helpful to an avid gardener. Many water features are designs to provide your plants with a healthy dose of H2O and can keep your grass and flower beds healthy and alive, even during colder months. It’s important to discuss with your landscape designer the many different styles of water features so you can find one that fits your specific needs. Many people would be surprised to know at how many diverse types of water features there actually are and that each one can be designed especially for you. It’s also important to have a consultation before any rash decisions are made so your contractor can make absolutely sure that a water feature won’t upset any underground pipes or wiring leading to your house. Give us at Outdoor Makeover Atlanta a call today and we would be happy to help you install your new water feature!

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Everyone makes New Year's Resolutions. Whether we like the idea or not, everyone likes to think of the new year as a clean slate, and it's understandable why. We spend the year thinking about all of the things in our life that we want to change, whether it's our diet, our work habits, or how we treat people. It's the time of year where people line up for gym memberships or buy software for learning a new language. But one resolution that is often undervalued is the resolution to take care of our belongings, ideally how we treat our living space. It's easy for people to change things about their appearance or to pick up a new hobby, but some people neglect the fact that their home and outdoor living space could use some changes as well. Simply updating your backyard could even help you progress in your personal resolutions. It's a fact that your surrounding environment plays a big role in how we feel and treat ourselves so it's important to keep your living area bright and fresh. It's important to have a place you can relax and unload after experiencing the day's stresses thrown at you. March is officially upon us in 2017, which is a perfect time to start reflecting on changes you want done to your outdoor living space. Spring is right around the corner and you'll want an open space to enjoy the warm weather. Here are a few of the most popular landscape ideas to consider in 2017 that may pair with your resolutions:

1. Conversation Area: Maybe your resolution is to be more social, and if that is the case you're going to want to have an area where you and your friends can congregate and enjoy the scenery. The best place to do so is on a patio area, either connected to your home or maybe set in the round of your backyard area so you can enjoy every angle of your outdoor landscape. Contacting your contractor about installing a patio or an outdoor kitchen is the first step in achieving your ideal conversation area.
2. Garden landscapes: Having a brightly colored garden can do wonders for the soul. Gardening is immensely therapeutic and being surrounded by floral accents such as lavender or mint have been known to lower stress and reduce tension headaches. If you're wanting to have a garden landscape, however, it's important to make sure you have a walkway through the garden so you can fully enjoy the view. Many homeowners are installing stone walkways/steps that not only serve as convenience but also serve as an aesthetic contrast to the bright colors of the flowers.
3. Mood lighting: Believe it or not, having some artificial lighting can enhance the aesthetic value of your backyard living space. When most people hear "outdoor lighting" they usually think of flood lights, which can be very harsh and blinding in what is meant to be an open conversation area. Some contractors even suggest light dimmers so you can adjust the lighting based on your mood or the setting you want to provide for you and your guests. Whatever you want to do with updating your outdoor living space, it's important to have an outdoor contracting company that wants to provide you with your ideal landscape design. Your vision is important and in the end, you are the one who has to see the landscape everyday so it's important to have a contractor that works with you to give you the best design imaginable. Contact us today!

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