Outdoor living spaces have become increasingly popular as homeowners aim to maximize use of their property by entertaining family and friends on backyard patios, cooking in kitchens as functional as the ones they have inside and swimming in their own swimming pools. Nothing new here. But what is new is: today, these outdoor structures are coming via landscapers with strong design/build backgrounds. Homeowners are increasingly looking toward landscape companies as a place to service all their outdoor needs and desires. This is evident by the amount of requests I receive and projects I complete. And it only makes sense, especially in creating outdoor rooms, because they are an integral part of the overall landscape. Using a landscape designer ensures the end result is an area that blends seamlessly with its surrounding environment.
For almost every outdoor living space we install, stone and skilled masons are key ingredients. There a number of reasons: stones require little to no maintenance, they retain their value for years to come and they age with grace and character. As far as what types of stone we use, that varies with each project. For instance, Fieldstone might be chosen for a patio wall to match the façade of the front of a house. Travertine, a stone found in Turkey that is porous and stays cooler in the summer, might become a patio floor. For step treads and wall caps, granite and bluestone are particularly good choices. These products are consistently-sized, smooth and easy to walk on.
We also consult the homeowners themselves to discover the kind of atmosphere they would like to establish. Even when it comes to something as simple as a walkway, homeowners can tread on mortared brick walks lined with boxed evergreens or irregularly-shaped flagstone paths with mossy green cracks peeking through. Both settings evoke different images, with similar added value.
Color is an important part of the process, as well. Even within a specific kind of stone, colors will vary. We often visit local quarries to get as close as possible to matching the architectural details of a house. Each local quarry taps their own “veins,” and thus offers their own unique set of colors.
For Main Line projects, Wissahickon Schist, containing flecks of glittery mica and gray, brown, tan and blue colors, is particularly popular, since many Main Line houses were built with this stone. Another popular choice is Fieldstone. Fieldstone makes a welcome appearance in all types of gardens and patios, whether in walls, borders or just placed throughout. Both Wissahickon Schist and Pennsylvania Fieldstone, our local Fieldstone, are especially breathtaking when lit up at night. With spotlighting after dark, you can see the stone’s inherent textures, its hills and valleys, so to speak.
While bricks don’t appear to be as “in vogue” today as they have been in the past, they are still a durable material to consider for many types of projects. They make especially attractive borders on flagstone patios and edgings on pathways. Brick masonry can last as long as 100 years and requires very little maintenance.
And lastly, pavers come in handy for large-scale projects where stone proves too costly. Because pavers are made to fit together, the labor costs are much lower.
Whether part of an outdoor kitchen, a waterfall, a pool or a garden, it is clear to see stones are a natural fit. Is it any wonder when they hail from the ground themselves? Or is it just what they evoke in our souls -- a classic timelessness -- a connection to Mother Nature -- that makes them perfect for the job?
