Have you ever visited a friend’s house for a cookout and as you entered their backyard it’s as if you’ve entered an entirely different world?  This is the impact that a properly remodeled backyard can have on homeowners and visitors alike.  The alterations that need to be made to a backyard go well beyond trimming the trees and planting new flowers.  It’s a detailed process in which many elements require evaluation and deep-thought in order to achieve homeowners’ desires, and more importantly, to be long lasting.

Remodeling for the Right Reasons

So what prompts a backyard remodel? A backyard remodel can be both a want and a need.  Plants, like humans, do age and lose their beneficial properties, requiring a ‘refreshment’ of sorts.  In fact, the experts at LandPatterns, a landscape company based in Dallas, advises clients to revamp the landscape every 7-10 years in order to maintain the landscape at its full potential.

As Marc Funderburk, president of DFW-based LandPatterns explains, “There is no level of remodeling too big or small; it’s ultimately based on the homeowners’ needs and wants.”

A beautiful backyard serves as not only an aesthetic pleasure, but also an environmental benefit in many ways.

Sustainable Plant Life

It’s essential that the landscape architect know what’s important in terms of which plants and soil to use based on the location and surrounding habitat, as this can make or break a backyard renovation.

One of the recent shifts in sustainability has been the focus on native plants; particularly in areas like Dallas where the weather can be harsh and rapidly changing. Surprisingly, native plants haven’t always been widely available. Nurseries would more commonly carry exotic plants; unfortunately, these plants would more frequently die and need replacement.

“As society became more progressive and became more aware of sustainable practices, we realized what a waste of resources and money it was to attempt to use more exotic plants. Today, we design landscapes that are going to be conducive to a longer term solution by embracing plants that are native to the North Texas area.” says Marc.

Know Your Surroundings

One important aspect of the backyard renovation is acknowledging which combination of plant life and other backyard additions work best together. Marc tells us that, “More people are gravitating towards a xeriscape type design, but you have to be careful with the plants you choose to accompany rocks in your backyard garden. It comes down to knowing how the plants are going to be used. While the maintenance of inorganic materials is easier, it can be detrimental without the proper pairing of soils and plant life.”

The longevity of the gardens existence is affected by every pairing decision made. Every aspect of our lives require the proper balance of resources, and a backyard renovation is no different.

Valuable Landscape

Your backyard and your property will increase in value on so many levels if a suitable renovation is applied.  Each plot is unique and requires its own level of analysis and questioning. When we assess a project, we ask questions such as:

• What is the site telling you?

• What soils are present?

• Which plants thrive in that particular type of soil?

• Do surrounding objects inhibit sunlight?

It’s not just monetary value that is affected through a backyard renovation, but also an increase in overall human health. Marc has seen that one of the most common reasons individuals are investing in backyard renovations is because they’re “beginning to see the immense health benefits that come from the state of their surrounding environments.”

Every backyard renovation project is unique and deserves meticulous analysis and design. After all, it’s no easy task to turn a backyard into an outdoor oasis.

Are you ready to turn your house into a home? Let us help you transform your backyard into a backyard utopia today!