Jazz up your outdoor living space
By: Garden Gate staff
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Backyard getaway
Turn your backyard into a relaxing retreat, no matter how much space you have! This simple escape has clearly defined areas, or rooms, that don’t take a lot of effort to create or maintain.
Just keep clicking to find out more about the easy elements you can use in your own yard.
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Separate with stone
Each room in this backyard has its own unique look and purpose, but it all has the same “floor” surface: Bluestone.
Cut squares work well for the dining area because of their smooth, even surface — it’s easy to pull chairs in and out at mealtime. Irregularly shaped stones, edged with woolly thyme, work better in the seating area at far left, giving that room a laid-back feel.
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Low-maintenance lawn replacement
Instead of a lawn that demands extra attention and care, the green space here is created by sun-loving lilyturf (Liriope spicata). Just tidy its evergreen foliage once in early spring, by mowing it back to the crown. And lilyturf doesn’t have any pest or disease problems to worry about.
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Easy-care plants
Save even more time by using easy-care plants throughout your space, such as the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) and boxwood (Buxus hybrids) here.
Water regularly in the first year to get these plants established, but after that, they won’t need a lot of watering to stay healthy.
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