When we were designing our backyard patio, we took a lot of inspiration from first of all pinterest, and then from our experiences dining al fresco at some of our favorite restaurants. One of the things we noticed that made an outdoor dining patio absolutely beautiful was when they built the stones and pavers around trees. When using trees as accent pieces almost, it provides a sort of “in-nature” feel, with the trees acting as small umbrellas of scattered shade. The types of trees we observed to be the most appealing in this type of setting were usually the ones that were not tiny but maybe 6-8 inch thick trunk that did not grow too tall but could be trimmed to create a sort of wide and low reach, mimicking an umbrella. When taking into account how were were to design our patio, we definitely wanted to include one or 2 beautiful low trees that would create a lovely natural and curated ambiance to our backyard. We are still in the planning and saving stage, but at least we have this one part decided! Tree selection is going to be a challenge, and we have to take into account that any tree will probably grow a bit, so stones must not be placed too close to the base of the tree, possibly even build a small wall around to protect the tree as well. A good tree service near me will probably help give good input.
We took a trip out to wine country in California a few years back, and there were many beautiful courtyards and patios there with amazing landscape and hardscape ideas that were almost reminiscent of Tuscany with the use of vines, small trees, stonework, and shrubs to create lovely and inviting spaces outdoors that would make you want to sit and sip wine and enjoy the view for hours on end. What better way to spend a weekend than in your own slice of heaven.