The Backyard Living Experience
Articles and Advice for Creating and Maintaining Your Outdoor Living Space
Alternatives to Grass in Your Yard
A nice green grass lawn is still a priority with a lot of homeowners. In 2019, the National Association of Landscape Professionals released a study that said 79% of Americans believe a lawn is an important feature when buying or leasing a home. However, sometimes a...
Pavers for Pools? Yes!
With average temperatures in the high 80s and nighttime temperatures that rarely dip much below 70 all summer, the Charlotte area is a great place for a pool. Over the last few years, pool construction has increased in the metro area. A survey by FIXR showed that...
Why We Enjoy Fire and Fire Features in Our Yards
There is something magical about fire that makes us want to include it in our outdoor spaces. Fire features, like firepits, fire tables or outdoor fireplaces generally top the list of most wanted features in a backyard living space. For 2022, fire features rank second...
Yard Drains and Catch Basins to Stop Puddles
If you've ever asked yourself, why won't my yard drain after a rainfall, then you need some help with yard drainage. There are a number of ways to improve drainage, some more complicated than others. If water is standing along a structure, like a garage or your house,...
Retaining Walls as a Tool to Improve Your Charlotte Yard
Retaining walls are a useful tool to improve the usability of your yard, especially here in the Charlotte area. With so many sloped yards in the region, retaining walls can be successfully used to provide more flat space in your yard or keep a patio level. It was once...
Rules for Designing Your Charlotte Landscape
Landscapes come in many different shapes and sizes. Some people have just a small space in the backyard to work with, while others have acres. Some companies will try to sell everyone the same landscape design, while those with a little more imagination...
6 Questions about Outdoor Lighting
We're always trying to be as helpful as we can with answering customer questions. We do get some good questions about outdoor lighting. There are far too many questions and possible answers to put on this page, but here are some common themes that we get asked....
Dog Friendly Backyard Landscaping
Nobody knows exactly how many dogs there are in the Charlotte area, but we know that they can have an impact on what you do with your yard. And we know a lot of you have dogs. Best estimates come from the American Veterinary Medical Association, which surveys for pet...
Outdoor Living Design Guide
The sounds of a rippling waterfall, the crackling flames in a fire pit and the colorful sight of flowers and plants around you. These are the images you've seen in a magazine or on television, but are not certain they could ever be in your backyard. You've found the...
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Charlotte Yards
Outdoor LED lighting is a terrific way to enhance your home's beauty and add security during the evening hours. Outdoor living can be a lot more enjoyable when you can use your space longer each day. Here are a wide range of landscape lighting ideas that accomplish a...
Backyard Landscaping Ideas for Charlotte Yards
Do you want some backyard landscaping ideas to transform your yard into a place you want to spend time? There are many different backyard ideas including ones for patios, green space, play areas for kids or even a nice flower garden. While hiring a company to design...
5 Ways to Use Your Charlotte Outdoor Living Space More in Winter
We're fortunate to live in an area where temperatures can be quite nice during the day, even throughout the winter. Still, with less daylight and chilly temperatures rolling in after dark, there is a tendency to abandon our outdoor living spaces all winter long. But...