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Step 1
Create a "blueprint" of your current outdoor spaces. What are the high-traffic spaces? Where are decorative flowers, shrubs, water elements and rock walls located? If the landscapes in your property are not already set in stone (literally, maybe), you may want to think about contracting a landscaper or gardener to help you design a master plan for the area. After you identify the various "staging areas" in your yard, you'll be able to identify the preferred areas for sun and shade. Where do you want your grill to be located? Seating? New flower beds?
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Step 2
Get a mental picture of your finished landscape. When the shovels, wheelbarrows, mulch bags and other equipment are put away for good, what pieces of the puzzle should be in place that currently are missing? Make sure you identify them now, because adding a fish pond or gazebo at the last minute might make your landscaper (or husband, as the case may be) break out in hives.What types of activities will take place in your yard? Do you want to include a play area for the children? See yourself serving drinks by the pool? Eating an intimate, romantic meal with your significant other? By gaining a holistic picture of where your landscape is headed, you'll find it much easier to choose the elements necessary to pull it off. These additions could include new lighting, flower beds, a deck, trees, privacy fence, rock landscapes or awnings.
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Step 3
Decide how invested in your outdoor property you want to be. Some outdoor elements, like annual flower gardens, well-groomed grass and water features, require a lot of upkeep and money to maintain. Other pieces of the puzzle, like patios, decks and patios, are a lot easier to maintain. On the very top of the efficiency grade are awnings, which require no maintenance and meet an important need in the designs of outdoor environments: regulating direct sunlight to eliminate scorching heat and UV rays. In addition, retractable awnings add value to your home.People are like lawns in the sense that overexposure to the sun causes wilting and exhaustion. Therefore, a carefully thought-out property will blend warm sunlight and cool shade for smooth transitions between action and rest. Awnings help to define the different spaces within your yard, and they have the potential to instantly transform a blazing surface into a cool oasis.
