Backyard Landscaping

Backyard landscape Design & Landscaping | Rochester NY

Your Backyard is where Life Happens

Turn the largest space in your home… into a daily vacation.

Backyards are so much more than hardscapes and plants. The backyard is the stage where our lives are played out everyday.

It’s the backdrop for time spent with the family, dinner conversations with old friends and it’s the place you escape to when you just need a little time to yourself.

Whether you want a family gathering place, a relaxing oasis, or a resort-like escape, we add value to your property AND to your lifestyle.

From custom patios to seating walls to inground pool design we work with you to build a customized hardscape or outdoor living space, just for you.

Landscape design for a backyard

Outdoor Living Space

Outdoor living areas are the #1 home improvement trend

Homeowners are paying more attention to the link between indoors and outdoors. Outdoor spaces have become an extension of the home and are now living areas, recreation areas, and more.

Having a great ‘Space to Connect’ with friends and family helps life decelerate, replenishing a sense of well-being. It’s what makes Outdoor living space such a big selling point for homes. 

It’s also why patios get such a high “Joy Score” (9.7 out of 10) from the National Association of Realtors, which measures the amount of enjoyment homeowners get out of a remodeling project.

The American Institute of Architects, which monitors home design trends, reports that outdoor living space & outdoor improvements continue to Rank as the #1 home design trend. For more specifics, follow the source links below to the actual studies.

Your Backyard is where Life Happens

Outdoor Living areas Add to the perceived living space of a home

Outdoor living areas will boost the perceived “living space” of a home, which in turn increases its value.

In a recent survey by Realtor.com, 51% of home buyers surveyed, said that outdoor living space was the most attractive quality in a home, over even open floor plans and curb appeal.

“If you’re spending money outside, you’re going to get a nice return on it says HGTV “Curb Appeal” host John Gidding….” having an outdoor living space where ‘friends and family can connect’ adds ‘real value’ to a home.
 
In fact, a mid range patio project, has a return on investment of 102%.”
 
Outdoor Living area with flagstone patio and landscaping

Backyard Design What to consider

Sometimes the architecture of the home really calls out for a specific way of designing and other times it’s not so obvious.

It can put a damper on the way a space functions if your guests can’t move around the outdoor and indoor areas in a logical way because it just doesn’t flow.

Consider issues that will have an impact on the function of your space, such as:

  • the distance from the cooking area to the eating area
  • flow and access to and from inside your home.
  • Light entertaining areas with Landscape Lighting.

"Today’s home buyers value well designed outdoor living space. Studies done by NAR show a high rate of return ....around 100% for outdoor living areas."

Backyard living area with landscape plantings and a paver patio

Water features for your outdoor living area

Water can be transformational in creating a mood and atmosphere that cannot be duplicated by any other outdoor feature.

N.A.R studies, lists a new pool as the most desired outdoor project for homeowners, with 92 % of consumers saying they want one.

That doesn’t mean you have to splurge for a pool. Just the sound of  water from a fountain or ‘Sheer Falls’ will provide your living space with…. “A sense of water”.

Outdoor living space where ‘friends and family can connect’ adds ‘real value’ to a home. In fact, a mid range patio project, has an average ROI of 102%.

landscape planting add privacy and softens hardscaping

Landscape Plantings soften and define space

It’s also critical to remember the importance of greenery in your outdoor Living area. Planting areas are used to:

  • delineate and reinforce the concept of space
  • softening and scaling space
  • Creating vital privacy
  • Privacy adds Home Value

  “……Privacy alone raises property values by 3.6%….” According to Smartmoney.com

do I need a landscape designer to plan my backyard

The short answer is yes. The benefits far outweigh the cost !!

Why you need
a Landscape designer

Landscaping Adds Value....But it has to be done right

Put simply, Landscape designers & Landscape architects can save you a lot of money over the life or your landscape.

A well-planned yard will look…..well… planned. When your Plantings and hardscapes are skillfully designed and integrated with your home’s overall architecture, your landscape grows and becomes an asset, adding Real Value to your home.

not everyone is a designer

Usually, when your design is handled by someone with mostly plant knowledge (Horticulture), but limited “design” knowledge, it ends up being the most expensive option. It’s Not expensive upfront, but in 7-10 years down the road, when the final “bill” comes “due” is when it gets expensive.

A common result of that “limited design” approach can be seen in most housing tracts.  The projects don’t hold up over the long haul composition – wise”. The plants on these projects are thriving, so that’s not the problem. What’s missing is an underlying framework that organizes a project into an aesthetically pleasing composition.

installing an
inground pool ?

What you should know before installing a pool.

If you are thinking about adding a pool, spend time planning your overall backyard. Decisions that are made during the pool build, later become the overriding criteria for the rest of the project.

What you should know
before installing a pool.

It still amazes me that such a large project, in terms of cost and impact on your property, is typically implemented with very little pre-planning.

On a majority of the pool installations, core elements that will impact spatial perception ( “feel” ) of your backyard & pool space are usually an afterthought.

Typically, the pool goes in without considering the rest of your yard, everything afterwards, becomes an afterthought.

Avoid a piece-meal approach

The problem with that approach is that it can create a very “piece meal” feel to your backyard.

I often see important design elements put together…on site… with some spray paint… as the project goes along.

Space design Core Elements include:

    • Pool height & grading
    • Layout of pool fence
    • Hardscape layout
    • Softscape layout
    • Pool Placement

Pool Design
impacts home value

Maximize your investment by changing the perception of your pool

When your pool is carefully designed to be integrated into your overall backyard living space, it becomes a valuable asset. Visually, it will “read” as a captivating water feature which is part of a multi functional backyard environment.

Then it is No longer Perceived as “just a pool”…

When you go to sell your house, that whole “Outdoor Experience” is seen as an Asset, not a Liability.

Create a breathtaking space your loved ones can enjoy…for life.

It can be tempting to rush to get your new pool in the ground, to be using it as soon as possible. However, the possibilities for the whole backyard become much more restricted once the pool is already in place.

The Benefit of working with a highly regarded landscape design/Build company, as opposed to your pool installer and then a landscaper afterwards, is that the designer will have the whole job in mind.

It’s an investment that is guaranteed to improve your end result. It ensures synergy in all phases of the project, not just the  pool portion of it.

Take that extra time for careful planning and you will get the right pool, in the right spot, with the right outdoor living area surrounding it.

No surprises. No guesswork, no worries!!

Pool fence for a pool located in Rochester NY
Landscape Design and installation Project Rochester NY
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Landscape Design and installation Project Rochester NY

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Vision | artistry | 25 Years of experience

Woodstream landscape

A design oriented landscape company in Rochester NY

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