Richard Vande Sompel our expert of the day, writes:

Very few decks are used for a single purpose. The wise thing to do is to plan for several uses before construction starts so that everyone involved in the process is content with the outcome. The trick is not to go to the extreme. Trying to cram too many ideas into one design can become a disaster. Instead begin by planning for 1 or 2 major activities that the family would enjoy doing on the deck and work out from there.

There are a number of design techniques that can be used in creating ideal multifunction decks:

1. A bench seating arrangement can partially surround a child’s sandbox area and provide a place for quiet play, reading and conversation. When the children outgrow the sandbox it can easily be converted to a firepit. The same seating arrangement can be used to partially surround the new firepit and transform the area into a place to get warm and enjoy the company of others. If a firepit is not in the budget or not an item on the family wish list, perhaps a water feature would be a better choice. Again the already built seating will permit quiet reflection and enjoymnet of the sights and sounds related to the water feature.

Eileen McAdam our expert of the day, writes:

Attractive landscaping is one of the best ways to make a solid first impression on prospective buyers, and to show that a home is well loved and cared for. Appealing landscaping can be simple or more complex, involving an intermingling of elements, from colorful flower beds and unique trees, to irrigation systems, hardscaping and thoughtful accent lighting. Home owners can transform their properties through informed choices– the benefits will be reaped whether they’re selling or have just moved in and plan to stay for years. Either way, it is worth taking the time to draw up a landscaping plan that will improve the resale value of your home, and your home’s overall enjoyment value.

Before jumping into any project, it is recommended that you have a general knowledge of the kinds of plants and greenery that will thrive in the area you are living in, and in the kind of soil you are planting in. You should do some research and learn about your yard’s various components:

Soil Condition:

Tango Pang our expert of the day, writes:

A luxurious lawn is one of the most inviting sights in the world. The pictures of beautiful homes in a wide variety of magazines usually include a beautiful, always bright green, lawn in the backyard or front yard of the property. The homes pictured in these magazines are often elegant mansions, but other photographs show a small patch of lawn off a patio. Dedicated owners or paid landscape professionals with an assortment of lawn care equipment produce and sustain the lawns in these pictures.

The typical pieces of lawn care equipment are necessary to create and care for a wonderful, green lawn. A knowledgeable gardener will have the lawn mover which will probably have some kind of mechanism for grooming the lawn to a perfect height. No skilled gardener will want to mow the lawn too close to the soil for this will result in an inferior look. A lawn that is left too long will not have the desired look of a smooth carpet of greenery. The lawn mower is the staple of lawn care equipment, but these machines come in a wide variety of makes and models which means choosing the proper lawn mower is an important decision. Manual mowers are still available and there are gardeners who still insist on pushing their mower around the property. Most gardeners choose a model with a motor to make the task easier.

Richard Vande Sompel our expert of the day, writes:

A small deck does not necessarily have to remain a small deck. There are a number of techniques to make that less than large area increase in size and become more comfortable. The key to small deck design is simplicity.

1. Create the illusion of one big area from 2 smaller spaces. If your deck is bordered by the backyard lawn then allow this outdoor living area to spill out into that open space and it will create the illusion of being larger.

2. Create colorful flower or garden beds on 1 or more sides of the deck so that it does not seem to float like an island in the grassed area of your backyard. Instead the multicolored flowers and greenery will work together to seamlessly blend with the deck and become an integral part of the backyard landscape.

3. Emphasize the deck and not the property line. Instead of letting the lawn end at the property line create perimeter planting beds that will turn any attention inward toward the deck. The careful placement of trees, shrubs and plants in these perimeter garden areas will lead the eye back to the deck which should be the focal point of the yard.