Bring Nature into Your Backyard!
Walkway Ideas
Walkways provide convenience of movement throughout
your yard, yet they are also an artistic element that should
match the style of your home and the intent of the space you
are creating. Some ideas to consider for walkways are:
•
Brick,
•
Pavers,
•
Flagstone,
•
Mossrock,
•
Stepping stones,
•
Concrete with variations of color, stamping, and
texturing,
•
And of course, combinations of the above.
How do you choose amongst these ? Match style of your home and intent of the particular space in your yard to
adjust feel. Common local styles are Mediterranean, Southwestern, and Spanish.
Driveway Ideas
Most driveways we see are regular gray concrete for a good reason - it is easy and fairly inexpensive; however, it
doesn’t stand out and convey your personality or add to the uniqueness of your home. Because these
structures will last a long time, it is worth investing a bit more to make sure they significantly improve the value
and functionality of your home.
•
See our Driveways, Walkways, and Sidewalks page for details.
Hardscaping Ideas
Hardscaping are those larger structural elements of your yard that endure
without water and maintenance associated with living plants, trees, fish,
etc. Examples include patios, shade structures, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens,
driveways, sidewalks, boulders, fencing, and many other elements.
On the other hand, landscaping includes living plants, grass, trees, water
features, and gravel. See our Landscaping Ideas for more about these items.
Mountain Paradise believe hardscaping is a critical for you to invest in because
it:
•
Adds enduring value to your home - even if
your plants were to die from disease or lack
of watering,
•
Frames the remainder of your yard
landscaping with elegance and style,
•
Sets the tone of your landscaping and matches or complements your home style, and
•
Represents functionality of gathering spaces and movement throughout your yard.
For these and other reasons, careful consideration, planning and investing in quality hardscaping. Mountain Paradise is an expert at
creating artistic and functional hardscaping that will increase pride in your yard and enjoyment for you, family, and friends.
Look through these ideas, our Image Gallery and our Video Gallery for other ideas.
Custom Fencing & Walls Ideas
Walls and fencing control where
people, vehicles, and pets travel.
They keep things in and keep them
out. While their functionality is
critical, don’t forget the artistry they
lend to your yard and impression
they give to those who pass by your
home. Walls can also be used
within your yard to separate spaces,
provide privacy, frame a beautiful
distant scene of nature and thus pull
it into your back yard as a backdrop.
•
See our Custom Fencing &
Walls page for details
Kiva Fireplaces and Fire Pits Ideas
Kiva Fireplaces create an intimate gathering space that can draw people to enjoy the fire, especially at night.
The structure of the kiva embraces the occupants in its reach and the glow of the fire.
•
See our Kiva Fireplace and Fire Pits page for details.
Patios and Gathering Spaces Ideas
Patios and other gathering spaces are usually the focal point for activity in your
backyard. Consider their design and look and nearby placement other features like
shade structures, pergolas, indoor kitchens, fire pits, and kivas.
•
See our Patios and Gathering Spaces page for details.
Sports and Recreation Areas Ideas
Consider placement of activity areas for sports and recreation in your yard.
These are useful for active families and families with children. Examples
include tennis courts, bocce ball courts, basketball courts including goals
and painted lines. Whatever activity area you need, Mountain Paradise can
construct and make sure it flows well into the rest of your landscaping.
Animal Runs and Kennel Ideas
Hardscaping isn’t just for humans! Pet owners may want to consider creating hardscaping elements for their
pets or other animals, particularly if they need to be separated from other landscaping, but enjoy their own part
of the backyard. These areas can be separated from the house and other gathering spaces or placed nearby for
convenience or access. Design of these spaces can be created to help with maintenance, cleaning, and drainage.
A common examples are dog runs and horse corrals, but spaces can also be designed for other animals.
In addition to hard surfaces, these areas can be fitted with “Canine Turf” a robust form of artificial grass or
synthetic lawn. See our Landscaping Ideas page for more information.
Why is Hardscaping & Landscaping Important?
In our experience at Mountain Paradise, landscaping and hardscaping shows your style to those that see and
visit your home. It sets first impressions to people coming to your home and increases your property value.
What’s more important is that creating a quality landscape allows you to enjoy your yard and relax with family
and friends. We suggest you brining the breadth of New Mexico nature that you enjoy into your backyard so
you can enjoy it every day. Where do you enjoy time spent throughout New Mexico? Bring your experience of
the mountains, springs, rivers, and plant life back home. Need ideas about how this can be done? David at
Mountain Paradise has a passion about helping his customers enjoy their time by brining nature into their
backyard.
What should be considered in Hardscaping & Landscaping?
We suggest you look at your outdoor areas like another living space - with rooms and regions that interact
themselves and also interact with various parts of your indoor home. Consider these areas from inside to
outside in order to make the outdoors an extension of your home and help draw you to the outdoors. When we
visit with you, we’ll help you consider these options if they are important.
Considering how you will maintaining landscaping is critical. Consider maintenance before you install flowers,
trees, plants. Each owner may have different interest in maintaining their yard. If you can’t take care of your
landscaping by picking up leaves, fertilizing, weeding, and tending to, then you’ll have to pay for maintenance.
Low maintenance options with evergreens and other plants may help.
Buried or hidden infrastructure is also important to consider. Irrigation is always suggested to lower
maintenance. You may wish to install electrical power, lighting, and low voltage services such as phone,
security, and Internet.
Of course, the particular elements of hardscaping and landscaping should be considered in terms of function
and artistry. Look at the ideas below for some options.
Outdoor Kitchen Ideas
Outdoor kitchens consist of one or more
cooking surfaces, preparation areas, and
optionally other resources like small
refrigerators. They are a great way to focus
use of outdoor cooking and add personality to
a landscape.
Many options for materials exist for
constructing outdoor kitchens including
stucco, stones, and moss rocks that match or
contrast other elements of your yard design.
Positioning of an outdoor kitchen is important
for convenience between other gathering and
eating areas inside and outside the home. Consider that smoke is produced in the cooking areas and could
cause inconvenience with other nearby areas.
Boulder and Moss Rock Ideas
Large immovable boulders are part of hardscaping that can add structure
and visual appeal. They can be set apart, or built into and merge with
other hardscaping elements such as walkways, outdoor kitchens,
fireplaces, pools, and patios. By merging and blending these elements of
nature with other structures, you truly show brining nature into your
backyard.
There are many varieties of boulders that can be transported to and
placed in your landscaping. Consider the types that add the style and
look you want.
Moss Rocks are a very popular type of rock from boulder to smaller sizes.
They give a very natural character to a yard and add color interest for
design in your landscaping. Moss on these rocks is fairly robust and
enduring because it comes from New Mexico. Some areas used in
constant flowing water may wash off the moss.
Outdoor Room Concepts and Ideas
“Outdoor Room” is a term that various contractors may use
differently. At Mountain Paradise, we consider an outdoor room as
an outdoor living space used for a particular purpose. It may or
may not have walls or structure separating it from other spaces. It
may or may not have a roof or shade structure. Examples include
a patio, an oasis area, outdoor kitchen, a Kiva Fireplace area are all
examples of outdoor rooms.
Sometimes this term is used to describe an outdoor area covered
by a shade structure that is almost surrounded by half-walls,
seating, fireplaces, and the like where you almost feel like you’re
inside, except some wall areas are open to the outside. Whatever your definition is and whatever your vision of
outdoor room is for your home, Mountain Paradise can help you create it!
Steps with moss rock edging
Bocce Ball Court
Bring Nature into Your Backyard!
By Appointment
everyday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
#MountainParadiseLandscaping
Inground (In-ground) Trampoline Ideas
Hardscaping can help with kids, big or small! Trampolines are
favorites with active children and provide great exercise and skill-
building opportunities. They can also pose a few problems. They can
be hard to get on and off. They can damage landscaping by creating
shade or through the stands. They can also be very unsightly, not
fitting into your landscaping plans.
Some people think they are a bit safer because distance for falls to the
ground is reduced. We do not recommend you consider in-ground
trampoline installation just because of safety. You should also always
have a netting around any trampoline, even when they are in-ground.
Creating an in-ground trampoline may increase use of the trampoline
because it is easier to get on and off. Aesthetics of your landscaping will improve with an in-ground installation.
Mountain Paradise will create the pit, retention wall, and ensure proper drainage of your inground trampoline.