Living in Alberta means making the most of every warm and sunny day. While Edmonton’s summer season can feel short, the right backyard design can help you spend more time outside during spring, fall and even the early parts of winter.
Extending the outdoor season does not necessarily mean installing one particular feature. The most effective outdoor spaces combine warmth, shelter, lighting and functional gathering areas to make the backyard comfortable in different conditions.
If you are planning outdoor living in Edmonton, here are seven features worth considering.
1. Add a Fire Feature
Few things make a cool evening more inviting than a fire.
An outdoor fireplace, fire pit or fire table can create a natural gathering point while bringing warmth and atmosphere to the backyard. Surrounding the feature with comfortable seating can turn an ordinary patio into a place where family and friends want to spend time.
A fire feature can also become an important visual element in the landscape. Even when it is not being used, a well-positioned fireplace or fire pit can help anchor a seating area and establish a focal point.
The key is incorporating it into the design rather than treating it as an addition after everything else has been built.
2. Create a Covered Outdoor Space
Shelter can make a major difference in how frequently you use your backyard.
Pergolas, covered patios and other outdoor structures can create more comfortable gathering spaces while helping define different areas of the yard.
A covered seating or dining area can become an extension of your home when it is paired with features such as lighting, furniture and nearby heating or fire features.
Shelter also gives the backyard more structure. Instead of having one large open area, homeowners can create recognizable outdoor rooms for dining, relaxing and entertaining.
3. Incorporate Landscape Lighting
Summer evenings in Edmonton offer plenty of daylight, but that changes quickly as fall approaches.
Strategically placed landscape lighting allows you to continue using your yard once the sun goes down. Lights can illuminate pathways, stairs and entrances while highlighting plants, retaining walls, architectural details and other landscape features.
Good lighting also changes the atmosphere of an outdoor space.
Rather than relying on one bright fixture, different layers of lighting can help create a warmer and more comfortable environment around patios and entertaining areas.
Lighting is particularly important when planning landscape design in Edmonton because it can make an outdoor space both more functional and visually appealing during Alberta’s longer evenings.
4. Make the Hot Tub Part of the Landscape
Some backyard features become even more enjoyable as temperatures fall, and a hot tub is a perfect example.
Instead of placing a hot tub wherever there happens to be room, consider how it fits into the entire backyard.
How far is it from the house? Is there a comfortable path leading to it? Does the area have enough privacy? Is there suitable lighting? Could the surrounding patio or deck make getting in and out easier?
These questions become particularly important when it is cold outside.
Integrating the hot tub into the landscape can make it feel like a natural part of the backyard instead of a piece of equipment placed in an unused corner.
5. Create Protection From the Wind
Sometimes the wind is more responsible than the temperature for sending everyone indoors.
Privacy screens, fencing, pergolas, walls and carefully positioned landscaping can help create areas that feel more protected.
These features can serve several purposes at once. A privacy screen might reduce exposure while separating one part of the yard from another. Trees and shrubs can provide screening while also contributing colour and texture.
When designing the backyard, it helps to think about where wind generally comes from and where you are most likely to sit during cooler weather.
A protected seating area may remain comfortable much longer than an exposed patio elsewhere on the property.
6. Build an Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining Area
Outdoor kitchens are not only useful during the middle of summer.
A well-designed cooking area gives homeowners another reason to spend time outdoors during spring and fall. Built-in grills, counters, storage and seating can make outdoor cooking more practical while keeping the person preparing food connected to the rest of the group.
Outdoor kitchens become even more useful when incorporated into a larger entertaining area.
Pairing the kitchen with a patio, covered structure, lighting and nearby fire feature can create a backyard gathering area that remains appealing long after peak summer weather has passed.
7. Design the Backyard for Multiple Seasons
Perhaps the most important way to extend your outdoor living season is to think about seasonality before construction starts.
Your patio, deck, landscaping, lighting, shelter and entertainment areas should work together.
Consider where sunlight reaches the yard at different times of day. Think about where shelter would be most useful, how people will move around the property after dark and which areas you are most likely to use during cooler months.
A professional Edmonton landscaping contractor can help bring these considerations together as part of one complete design rather than treating each feature as a separate project.
Greentree Outdoor Living provides landscape design and construction services for projects that can include patios, pathways, decks, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, planting and other exterior features.
Make More of Alberta’s Outdoor Season
You cannot control Edmonton’s weather, but you can design your backyard around it.
A fire feature can make cool evenings more comfortable. A pergola can create a sheltered gathering area. Lighting allows the yard to remain functional after sunset, while thoughtful placement of hot tubs, kitchens and seating can make the entire outdoor space easier to use.
Most importantly, designing these elements together helps create a backyard that works as a complete outdoor living environment.
With thoughtful planning, a short Alberta summer does not have to mean a short outdoor living season.
This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com