5 Backyard Patio Ideas

Thinking of creating a new patio in your backyard? Need a few backyard patio ideas? Let us help. After a quick brainstorming session, we came up with these five backyard patio ideas that will be sure to please.

Combine Patios and Decks

Landscape Stone Idea

A common, yet still exciting backyard idea is to combine a patio built of stone, brick, concrete or other typical patio materials with a traditional wooden or composite deck. Or try building a wooden decked patio with a gazebo or observation area. This effect makes for a great private area to set up a dining or conversational enclave, really setting your patio apart from the rest!

5 Backyard Patio Ideas

The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

While not one of the cheapest backyard patio ideas, creating agourmet outdoor kitchen will be sure to impress everyone! Think about the perks and advantages of being able to entertain exclusively outdoors without even having to go inside. For the cook, there's a huge variety of grills and ranges specifically designed for permanent patio installation. We're not talking your ordinary everyday charcoal or gas grill here (although there's certainly nothing wrong with that either).

How about an outdoor built in refrigerator or wine cooler? Or design to built in ice pit to chill your favorite beverages on a warm summer night. Oh, and for those cool nights, to get some extra life from your patio, don't forget to add an outdoor patio fireplace. They can be had to burn wood or propane, or you can go all out and have a pro install a gas line foryou.

Old Fashioned Style and Charm

Bring back the Victorian age with a patio that is designed to fit the time period. Porch swings and old fashioned rocker chairs can help to evoke the feeling of a bygone era. Or perhaps you want something a little more modern, but still with a funky retro vibe. Find some old metal rocking chairs at an auction and build in an area for shuffleboard. Eclectic, yet fun backyard patio ideas!Soothing Water Garden

The idea for a backyard patio water garden can be simple to accomplish or can be taken to any level of extremes you desire. Put in a simple patio fountain to create the atmosphere of nature that only trickling water can do. Now combine that with a full blown water garden including a fish pond with a water fall.You decide how far to take this idea...

Nothing Wrong With Turf

For another unique backyard patio idea, think about inverting the whole layout. If you have a small back yard or area for your patio, install edging for your patio, backyard patio made of common materials like brick or stone. This will define the patio.

Then fill in the useable area of the patio with a thick and dense grass turf. This idea is sure to give you the feel of a traditional patio without giving away the luxury of still having grass in your backyard.

5 Backyard Patio Ideas

Waterfall Designs-How to Make Waterfalls Look Natural

When you look at waterfall designs, there are those that are absolutely beautiful and those that just don't quite make it. So, how do you create a spectacular one?

The key is to make it look as natural looking as possible. Observing those found in nature will allow you to see how those created in home landscapes should look.

Landscape Stone Idea

Although you will see some water features where the water flows gently over rocks, many have very dramatic waterfall spillways. A waterfall spillway often is created by a large flat rock, which is built up beneath it by smaller round stones. Picture in step with an overhang. The higher up the flat stone is from the level beneath it, the higher the waterfall.

Waterfall Designs-How to Make Waterfalls Look Natural

These flat stones might be pieces of bluestone. Theyalso might be thick slabs of fieldstone. There is no reason why you can't mix them as this might occur in our natural environment also. Another aspect of waterfalls in nature is that they generally will have more than one spillway.

The sides of the waterfalls are often made of different sized stones. Larger ones are mixed in with medium, small and even pebble sized rocks.

Plants are usually incorporated into waterfall designs. In the woods, soil deposits in and near the falls would have created pockets for plant seeds to lodge. Plants that are suited to the specific conditions of the area will grow well. If the waterfall is in a damp, shady area, you might find such plants as ferns. If the area happens to be sunny, those plants that like the sun will survive. Plantsthat are indigenous to the area will be part of the landscape as that is where they grow best.

All of these ideas can be used for various types of waterfalls. One thing that is good to remember is that all waterfall designs look best when it appears that water is tumbling down from a higher elevation. You don't want an unnatural mound sitting there. This is true whether you are creating a waterfall for a swimming pool, pond or stream.

If you are lucky enough to have property that slopes down towards the area you are going to be viewing the waterfall from, you will have the best type of water feature. Sometimes you can tweak your viewpoint to take advantage of this. For example, if your land slopes towards your house, you will be able to see the waterfallclearly from your home. However, if your land slopes towards the rear yard, this is not so. In this case, you might want to add a special sitting area in which you can view the waterfall from.

There are many different stone types and colors. Fieldstone, Some are found in the woods. Others come from mines. The mentioned above mixing different kinds of flat stones. Mixing stone types or colors can be done, although the majority should be similar. If you think about mountains and geology, similar stones collect in certain areas. Sizes, however, should definitely be mixed.

Waterfall Designs-How to Make Waterfalls Look Natural