With Covid being part of our lives for the foreseeable future there will have to be changes made to our outdoor spaces, indoor spaces, and spaces that adjoin the landscape. We will have to think of how to embrace the seasonality in our design of outdoor spaces so that we can meet with people at a safe social distance.
Imagine the future of your landscape not just tomorrow or the next year but 10 years or more. You have to be open to looking at the broader picture in both how people behave now and evolve over time. We have to be flexible to changing conditions socially and in times of COVID and after it is over. Also, you have to think if there are kids/animals that will use the space differently. Understand, landscapes can be an investment in your social and emotional wellbeing, add value to your home, and save money in energy costs in the meantime.
Patios and areas of interaction will be bigger with smaller areas that have room for small groups of people. Each of these areas will have use protection from the wind but still, let airflow movement happen. The ideal product to accomplish this are Shade Sails. They are so versatile to protect from wind or sun if designed and installed properly. You can use them as screens to block views you don’t want to see and overhead structures. There are many different options and are easily installed with cedar timber posts put into concrete and carabiners.
Fire pits and heating elements will become a major part of being able to extend our time in the landscape to be with people. I recommend Solo Stove Bonfire pit. It is easily movable and can be used in a front yard if you meet with people or bring it to the back patio. It is virtually smokeless and is made from stainless steel. Heating elements such as propane heaters can extend your time being outside longer.
Front yards are going to be used to entertain as a flex space. Your driveway can be designed to be used way more than just for your cars. This space can be changed into an area to enjoy with outdoor rugs that you can find Here. I highly encourage movable chairs that are lightweight and individual tables for your guests to enjoy their meals and drinks. The Garage can be used as well for staging food or needed area out of the rain but still has lots of air ventilation. So Get your Garage organized so that you can use it more with INNovation STUDIO ORGANIZE.
Get everything lit up with outdoor lighting so that you can keep the gathering going at night. In flex spaces, the lights should be able to move. So the lights if you need in the front yard can move from the driveway or garage to the backyard or patio, I would recommend doing movable posts and string lights that can hold up to the elements.
Outdoors will also be a great place to work if you want to have workers over that you would normally see in an office setting for meetings. In order to work, you will need Wi-Fi so you could use an Outdoor Wifi Extender to reach your whole yard and seating areas.
To have an outdoor movie theater you could use your garage door or side of your house for projecting movies. This way so the whole block could come and socially distance and watch a movie! They have made lots of improvements to projectors but this one is reasonable and functional, find it Here.
Gardening is a wonderful way to be socially distanced from people but still enjoy their company and get some exercise. I recommend making tools available if needed to plant planters, vegetable gardens, and smaller perennials. This hand shovel I have used for years and has done a great job!
Water features are amazing at making you feel refreshed and your visitors will feel a sense of calm and can enjoy their time with you all the more. I recommend a movable Aquascape Feature. It is so that it is easily transitioned to different areas of your yard, patio, driveway, or deck/patio, or indoors when COVID is a thing of the past! If you are looking for a more permanent feature for your space that is lower maintenance and still creates wonderful noise You need to check out the Slate Stacked Sphere or Slate Stacked Urn Fountain. They are easy to install in a day or two depending on your experience level. Visit INNovation STUDIO LANDSCAPE if you need help or want a free consultation!
Landscape beds can create wonderful spaces to be socially distanced in. Perennial design can be done by a landscape designer or architect but if you are looking to do some plantings in the midwest I would get this book to get you going. The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik is Great for understanding concepts that help reduce your time tending to your garden and has many concepts that can be applied to many climates, not just the midwest.
Kids should be spending more time outside away from screens. There are many different activities and games to do but think about how they might outgrow the different things. An example is how you can create a patio that can hold a trampoline so it doesn’t kill the grass but you can take it off so you can have a fire pit area or dining area. It could also be used for drainage from downspouts if you use gravel to infiltrate the water. Also, there are opportunities with sandboxes such as eventually turning them into Glow Bocce Ball courts, 4 way volleyball, or spike ball courts. Finally, there are lots of options for turning it into comfy seating areas so you can be on the beach at all times!
COVID has changed our lifestyles but it is amazing if you are able to adapt your landscape to being properly designed. Also, with specific products, you can make it an opportunity to be even more social than before COVID. We wish you all the best in these tough times but get outside and enjoy your landscape!
Written By Jay Holinger, BLA, ASLA Member
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