Patio Pictures
Leslie & Steve's Wooded Retreat

I so love landscape design. Here are some patio pictures from Leslie and Steve's patio transformation. When they first called me, they had a blank slate (fun!). A lush backyard lawn surrounded by beautiful Wisconsin woods.

My design called for even more seclusion. Plantings disguise the backyard from the driveway. More plantings separate the backyard from the front.

When they relax back there, I want the worries of the world to drop away!

Because of the surrounding landscape, I added native Wisconsin Witchhazel. They are plants that will bring the birds even closer. The small upper deck is the perfect vantage point for Leslie's bird watching.

The deck is just large enough for a bistro set. It's nice to have a landing outside a patio door. That way, if you're bringing things out for the grill, you're not precariously perched on a step.

The raised circular patio is my favorite -- and Steve's, too. When he first saw it, 'Sweet' was his description. I set it off with a bench seat -- perfect for entertaining.

Multiple paver patterns are a subtle, but beautiful texture throughout the patios. This is something you could easily use in your patio transformation. I used the 1) the circular patio 2) running bond 3) random pattern.

Oh, new innovation -- I used the cap block from the retaining wall as a border for the lower patios. This is definitely an advanced technique, but it turned out beautifully. Love it!

Finally, the show piece of the garden (besides the patios) is the boulder fountain. This is almost as low maintenance as you can get -- yet it still provides tons of drama. Tons.

Leslie and Steve love to get their hands dirty in the garden. They've got a detailed Planting Plan from me. The last I heard, they had a truckload of plants ready to be planted. Yay!

Your own patio pictures can turn out this great -- it's all in the planning.