Let NativeScapes help you create the perfect summer oasis, being aware of water conservation and using the resources available on your property!
When it comes to relaxing and enjoying the evening breezes a flagstone patio is the perfect place to do it! This mortared flagstone patio is part of an outdoor living area that offers another place to enjoy the outdoors off an already existing covered back patio. There is limited turf and plantings which makes this oasis environmentally friendly as well.
In constructing this exterior living room NativeScapes used native rock from the River Chase property to create the retaining walls for this patio. The ground is sloped so to create a level patio walls were necessary. We made sure to work with the grade to keep the drainage correct for the overall space but the patio itself is almost level. As a rule, we use at least a 10% grade for all impermeable patios so they shed water when it rains.
We used decomposed granite to create a large walkway space off the porch steps which leads to the flagstone patio. Large flagstone slabs were set in the granite as stepping stones which allow for easy access to the patio and to either end of the gated yard. The use of the decomposed granite makes for a very low maintenance, low water usage landscape.
We did add turf to the area but used drought tolerant Zoyisa Palisades and only in limited areas. Native as well as drought tolerant non-native plants were used as accents along the foundation and in groupings in the granite. Both the turf and the plantings add a much-needed cooling element to the look of this landscape but without adding a lot of maintenance or water usage.
Since much of the original land was boulder covered we made good use of them not only in the retaining walls but as accents in the landscape and even for a step down from the patio into the lawn.
