6 Stunning Ways to Enhance Your Backyard

At Kerr & Kerr Landscaping, we understand how enhancing your backyard can contribute to your quality of life. After all, you’re creating your own sliver of paradise for many years to come!

The following six backyard features will not only enhance your space for entertainment and relaxation, they’ll add significant appeal and resale value to your home — a win-win for you.

1. Natural Stone

A timeless and durable feature in any landscape project is the addition of beautiful, natural stone. Stone landscaping can be used to build backyard essentials such as seating areas, pathways, and stairs. It can also be used to add aesthetic touches to retaining walls, garden accents, natural slab steps, and decorative armour stone.

Whether choosing flagstone, cobblestone, veneer stone, or cut stone, the possibilities are endless. If you’re working with a landscaping team, be sure that the designers fully understand the scope of your vision and expectations for the project. The right team will offer stone that beautifully complements your house and seamlessly ties the other elements of your landscaping together.

2. Deck and Patio

A sure-fire way to turn your backyard into a desirable destination is the addition of a well-designed deck or patio. A deck will provide an ideal gathering spot for outdoor family dinners, while a patio can optimize your space for entertaining.

The team at Kerr & Kerr can explain the differences in cost and durability between the various materials available, including pressure-treated wood, vinyl, composite, interlock, flagstone, and more. A new deck and patio will help, you unlock the potential of your backyard for entertainment and relaxation for summers to come!

3. Outdoor Kitchen

Imagine hosting a summer dinner party in the comfort of your very own backyard, without the complexity or stress of running in and out of the house with plates and trays in hand. An outdoor kitchen space offers you the opportunity of marrying form and function, while enhancing your backyard experience.

Whether you’re looking for an outdoor stove, kitchen sink, mini-fridge, or a wood-burning pizza oven, the sky’s the limit. Your final design should incorporate aspects of your home and patio, while carefully considering elements such as lighting, shade, and the overall flow of your backyard.

4. Greenery

Much like the artwork in a room, your outdoor space may feel incomplete without a healthy dose of greenery and plant life. By adding plants, flower beds, trees, and shrubs throughout the design of your backyard, you’re adding colour and substance to your canvas.

Choosing amongst the myriad possibilities, however, can be overwhelming. Our team will work with you to understand your style preferences and will eliminate the stress involved in the decision, not to mention the regular maintenance.

5. Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting will add the finishing touches to make your landscaping project truly stand out. Lighting extends your opportunity to enjoy your backyard well into the evening and it also serves to accentuate features — like a stunning stone wall or a lovely pergola — that deserve to be showcased.

The lighting for your landscape design should be planned with your specific needs in mind. How many people do you normally entertain? What effect do you want to create? Are there changes in elevation, such as steps, to illuminate? These are all important considerations that can be customized for colour, intensity, angle, and safety purposes.

6. Outdoor Structures

Picture yourself sipping your morning coffee (or your evening glass of wine) in the comfort and shade of a custom-built outdoor structure. The addition of a pergola, a gazebo, a garden arbour, or trellises will add tremendous aesthetic appeal to your backyard. In addition, they offer shelter from the elements, shade from the sun, or privacy from the neighbours.

Outdoor structures can become the pièce de résistance that bring the whole yard together. They will help you create a social living environment that bridges the gap between your home and your backyard for years to come!