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Think of a patio as your own private oasis. Most patios are surfaced with something hard like bricks, cement, treated wood or paving stones. Most homes that have patios in towns and cities have enclosed patios. This keeps the world out of your garden, allowing you and your family to enjoy the privacy of your outdoor space.

Patio designs are better if they’re simple. This is a small space and too much clutter not only detracts from the peace and calm of a patio but from its attractiveness. A patio should be designed like a room. You don’t want to sit in a room packed with as much furniture as possible and you don’t want to sit on a patio that’s crammed full of every plant imaginable, hordes of lawn gnomes and seating for twelve.

Patios are wonderful planting areas. Small trees, herbs, fruits and vegetables and all manner of flowers do well in containers on patios. Raised beds are nice ways to border patios and to have more space for planting. Don’t forget to check out the availability of light on your patio before buying plants for it.

Patio trellises offer even more privacy to a patio. As the patio is separated from the outside world, so can it be separated from the rest of the garden. Creeping vines planted on trellises offer a semblance of privacy and a visual separation from other spaces. Think about the flow of space on your patio before selecting trellises.

Maybe you’ll want to install a hot tub on your patio. This, of course, depends on many things from whether you enjoy hot tubs to whether you want to pay for a hot tub and keeping the water hot to how much space you have available. Hot tubs can be lovely additions to a private patio, especially during cool times of the year.

Put some time into your patio’s lighting. You will undoubtedly want some candles and lanterns. But what about other types of artificial lighting? Do you want a stronger light so you can read in your favorite chair in the evening? Would you like to enhance some part of your patio - perhaps a container of flowers or a lovely seating area, with lighting? Is there a place you’d like to keep in shadow? Think about these things before you purchase lighting.

A great looking patio should be a private place for your family to enjoy the calm of the day and evening. Before you jump in and build a patio, take some time to reflect on how you’ll use this space. When all is said and done, you will be the proud owner of just the kind of patio you always wished you had.

Tags: garden, landscaping