At Home: Patio season

Patio season is in full swing. To create your perfect outdoor space, consider shade, screening, ambience and flow, says Lucy Hershberger, owner of North Liberty-based landscaping company Forever Green.

Here comes the sun

'Consider the afternoon sun, when most people are sitting outside,” Hershberger says.

She recommends planting a tree either south or west of the patio, but not so close the branches will interfere with the space. In time, you'll have a nice, shaded spot to relax.

Room with a view

Think about the view you want. If you're looking straight into your neighbor's yard or at an alley, you may want to shrubs to act as a screen.

'For the most part, you don't need tall bushes, since you'll be sitting down,” Hershberger says. 'Another thing to do is low bushes with an ornamental tree behind them - that will give you the height without feeling closed in.”

Think about what you do want to see as well. Shrubs planted at the property line instead of next to the patio allow your yard to stay in sight.

sensory experience

When choosing shrubs, Hershberger recommends flowering ones. You can also plant flowers around the patio edges, or brighten the space with flowers in containers. Some color and fragrance will draw you outside, and plantings will attract birds.

'It changes it from just being a chair outside to being a chair in a beautiful outdoor paradise,” Hershberger says. 'It becomes somewhere where you want to entertain.”

Go with the flow

Patio fire pits are all the rage right now, Hershberger says, as are free-standing seating walls. Both make great space for private or bigger parties.

If you plan to have gatherings on your patio, think about how to make the space flow into your yard. Bring the grass right to the edge of one side of the patio, or include stepping stones and wide pathways into the yard.

'People should feel invited into the yard,” Hershberger says. 'You want people to be able to move back and forth comfortably.”

' 125 Forevergreen Road, Coralville; (319) 626-6770, Forevergreengrows.com

Forever Green's trained, certified and experienced staff creates landscapes that suit your needs, reflect your lifestyle and blend with the environment. Visit the garden center for plants, supplies and advice for DIY projects.