The patio is the one area of your property where you can let your imagination run wild. There is no fixed way of landscaping a patio. The only two requirements are that your patio should be functional and appealing.

You may design your patio with comfort or low maintenance in mind. But Volusia County Property Management advises that whatever you do, it should make your home more enjoyable and improve its value. To achieve these objectives, you want to consider some aspects of patio landscaping. Here are 14 landscaping ideas for a captivating patio.

1.    Choose the right trees

Being the largest category of plants in landscaping, trees can impose their presence in a good or bad way. When selecting a tree for the patio, ensure it only grows to intermediate height if you want it for shade. Choose trees that don’t make a mess. Avoid trees with aggressive root systems.

2.    Add container gardens

Container gardens offer an easy way to incorporate plants into the patio. They let you create a relaxing ambiance without the need to remove the old patio. If the weather in your area is freezing, you may also use them to grow tropical flowers.

3.    Prioritize privacy

It doesn’t matter how lovely the patio is; if it lacks privacy, you won’t enjoy it as much as you could. However, a privacy fence may not be the most aesthetic option for the patio. Instead, you may want to use a formal hedge to shield the patio from unwanted attention.

4.    Coordinate the colors

You can use a color combination between the patio and plants to improve the allure of your space. For instance, if bluestone pavers are on the patio, you may add Bluestar juniper to match them or Chocolate Drop sedum to complement a brick patio.

5.    Make it 3-dimensional

Including vertical elements in the design will make your outdoor space more exciting. You can add an arbor next to the patio and plant flowering vines close to the structure.

6.    Add a pergola

You may also add a vertical element by including a pergola in the design. This will not only serve as shade for the patio if it is covered, but you can use it to create a trellis or as a frame for hanging potted plants.

7.    Incorporate annuals

Annuals, although short-lived, help spice up the patio. Not being present year-round, they help create diversity and focal points of interest. Their transient nature also allows you to vary the appearance of your landscaping from year to year.

8.    Plant perennials

Adding perennials, especially long-blooming perennials, means you will have at least one plant in bloom for most of the year. Perennials soften the hard edges of hardscaping structures on your patio and will do this for longer than annuals.

9.    Add a pool or outdoor kitchen

Swimming pools make your outdoor space more enjoyable. A pool massively expands the range of activities you, your family, and your friends can do around the area. If the pool feels like a lot of work, you can add an outdoor kitchen instead.

10.    Install water features

You can get some of the benefits of water without the installation cost of a pool. You may do this by adding a water feature. Granite, ceramic, or clay-pot fountains offer the refreshing presence of water without the safety issues associated with pools.

11.    Create a vertical garden

If the property’s fence is near your patio area, it can deduct from the overall ambiance of the patio. But you can incorporate the fence as part of the patio design by making it a vertical garden. Do this with a wall planter, and there are many plants to choose from.

12. Add a plant border

To mark the patio as a distinct space, you can build a plant border around it. When choosing edging plants, you should be mindful of a few things. You want to consider how much sunlight or shade you want and the height of the plants at maturity.

13. A lawn to walk in

A lawn helps to create an attractive backdrop to the patio. It gives you a space where you can take leisurely walks. But do note that adding a lawn to your backyard will increase the amount of weeding you have to do. Your water, fertilizer, and pest control costs may also rise significantly.

14. Beautify with rocks

Whether you are edging flower beds with a rock border or placing boulders to inject character into the area, using rocks in the patio adds dimension to your design. Since they don’t need maintenance, stones also offer a low-cost method to reduce the amount of space that needs to be covered with plants. There are also various ways you can use rocks in the patio such as using it as ground cover instead of mulch or as stepping stones.