Summer in Georgia can be brutal on a landscape. From the intense heat to the not uncommon drought conditions, keeping a lush summer landscape can be difficult. However, there are a number of things you can do to along with such landscape maintenance tips ensure that your Atlanta landscape looks inviting.

Summer Landscape TLC

• Trim : Take a walk around your landscape and note any shrubbery, trees or vines that have become unruly. Then, pull out the garden shears and trimmers and cut back any excessive growth. Not only will this make your yard look better, but it will help the plants be healthier.
• Trellis: Do you have vines near your house? Consider adding a trellis. Trellis come in a variety of sizes and styles, or you might want to have a custom design that suites your style. Either way, a trellis can keep the beauty of vines without risk of your landscape being overtaken or damaging your home’s foundation.
•  Driveway Dress Up: Often, the driveway area gets overlooked. Consider lining it with a colorful flower garden, or shrubbery to add a soft yet finished appearance. Another great way to spruce up your driveway is to install driveway lighting!
•  Water: We all know how quickly a water shortage can occur in Georgia. If you have an irrigation system, be sure that it is set for optimum times such as early morning or late evening. Also, ensure that it won’t turn on, after, or during a rain to prevent overwatering.
• Pay Attention: Because summer sun and harsh weather can be damaging to your plants, be sure to periodically peruse your yard. Bolster struggling plants where needed, while removing those plants that may have died.
•  Weed: It often seems as though the weeds thrive, while the wanted plants can barely survive. Be vigilant in your weeding or let us do it! Proper weeding can get rid of unwanted plants that are pulling nutrients away from the desired plants.
• Fertilize: Give your summer landscape a boost, by spreading a layer of fertilizer. This will help trap in moisture and protect it from the sun’s harsh rays.
• Plant Tropical Bulbs – Consider plants such as caladiums, elephant ears, cannas and gingers. These plants thrive in high heat and provide a beautiful garden area.
• Aquatics: Consider adding in a water feature. This will not only add curb appeal but provides a place for you to unwind. It also gives area wildlife a place to hangout, which means everyone wins.
• Be Personal: Don’t forget to show off your style! Be sure your landscape includes a structure such as a pergola, gazebo, or shaded area. Outdoor entertainment spaces, such as a pool bring, bring fun design elements and seating for staying cool this Summer!

You don’t have to be a master landscaper or have a perpetual green thumb to have a beautiful lawn. Instead, contact our team at Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces. Our landscape experts will work with you to create and maintain a beautiful landscape for summer and beyond!

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Upping the Wow Factor of Your Outdoor Living Space You may feel like your outdoor living space is lacking in that special "wow factor" or maybe you feel like it's missing that certain something extra. This is nothing to be embarrassed about! Every homeowner feels this way at one point or another. In today's world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with so many landscaping trends or gardening ideas thanks to the Internet but really there is no reason to feel overwhelmed. There are some trends that never go out of style and will up the wow factor of your outdoor living space.

1. Outdoor lighting: The best way to enhance any mood in your outdoor living space is to bring new outdoor lighting into the mix. While string lights add a unique spin to your lighting, advancements in technology now allow people to have fully equipped light fixtures (including dimmers) to their patios and outdoor living areas.
2. Parabolas: If you want to add a stand-out aesthetic to your garden area, try installing a parabola. These tall structures are perfect for framing your garden and with careful assembly, they can even be a fixture for your garden to grow around so that it gives off the appearance of being enveloped in natural beauty.
3. Shaded patio: Long gone are the days of patios strictly being an outdoor addition to your home. In today's age, many people are opting for a patio that feels more like a separate living room. Patios can now be shaded and even have such amenities as an outdoor kitchen area or even a television all while allowing homeowners to enjoy the openness of their backyard living area.
4. Outdoor fire feature: Creating memories by the backyard campfire has always been a staple for families. That idea has grown up a bit with the evolution of the outdoor fire feature. Campfires can no be more controlled with man made fire pits or fire places. While being safer than its predecessor, man made fire pits also allow homeowners the opportunity to create bright and happy memories with their friends and family while adding a special aesthetic to your outdoor living space.

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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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The first day of summer is officially upon us and that means unlimited pool time. It's a known fact that pool time is the most popular summer time activity for all age groups during the summer. And with the Atlanta heat being particularly scorching this summer, a pool is the perfect outdoor living space accessory. While the pool may be the more popular summer activity, homeowners might ask themselves if there is anything they can do to enhance the aesthetic quality of their swimming pool. The answer is absolutely. There are lots of creative ways to make the most of your pool area.

• Step one: Add extra water features. Sometimes adding an additional water feature, such as a small waterfall or water jets, can enhance the atmosphere for your outdoor living space. A waterfall not only enhances the aesthetic of your pool but also creates the feeling of being in a more tropical oasis setting than in your own backyard. It's also been proven that the sounds of nature, i.e. running water, can reduce bodily stress.
• Step two: If you're wanting your pool area to be less traditional, you can go with different poolside landscaping ideas. Yes, adding stone walls and pathways around the pool can create a more natural atmosphere. Stone and rock walls have become more popular in outdoor construction due to the fact that it's a simple design that can add depth and character to any outdoor living space. The more you incorporate nature into your pool area, the less it will appear man-made and you'll be able to escape from everyday life more thoroughly.
• Step three: While hot summer days may call for a jump in a cold swimming pool, some may be more inclined to enjoy the warm jets of a jacuzzi. A jacuzzi also has the added benefit of water jets which are good for sore muscles and ideal for relaxation time. With the proper construction team, a jacuzzi can be incorporated into the floor of your outdoor living space and provide you and your guests with the sauna-like steam from the hot water. Similar to a sauna, the heat from a jacuzzi causes individuals to sweat out toxins in the body which also reduces stress in the body.
• Step four: The perfect addition to any pool party is of course music. Adding an outdoor stereo system to play music can be the cherry on top of a perfect summer get together. If you're afraid of a stereo system disrupting the "nature escape" that you want your pool to provide for you and your guests, you needn't worry. Many stereo systems can be routed through your outdoor living space so there's no sign of actual technical equipment. At Outdoor Makeover and Construction, our Atlanta designers are fully equipped to bring out the best in your pool area.

Check out our gallery and contact us today to begin construction on your dream swimming pool! Learn More

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