Because of the near perfect climate here, outdoor kitchens stay open year-round. Further encourage their use by adding more beauty nearby from pergolas, trellises, and arbors. It makes sense to upgrade outdoor rooms, adding more comfort and direction to encourage easy access and use.

Adding such hardscape features works well with many existing designs. Fill an empty space, create an entrance to the outdoor kitchen or provide a space for climbing vines to grow. The addition of a well-conceived, quality structure makes the landscape more complete and often worth more, raising property values.


Adding Hardscapes to the Yard

Consider the landscape surroundings. Does it feel like something is missing there? Envision a slatted pergola with fragrant, flowering vines delicately creeping upward filling the void. Add seating inside the structure, if desired, to offer a hide-a-way and a private place of retreat. Perhaps there is a spot to attach the pergola to the home. If new construction is underway, such a structure fits right into the design plans and can increase the overall value of your home.

Use a pergola to cover an existing patio. The options are numerous, and styles are limited only by the imagination. Attach a matching trellis for the ultimate in vertical growing, giving a unique perspective to the grounds.


Use a Trellis with the Pergola

Trellis structures come in different forms and designs and are used as both functional and decorative elements in the landscape. The trellis, in any form, directs the growth of both ornamental plants and edibles. Adding a trellis to a pergola can afford more privacy inside the pergola. The trellis functions as a wall when located at the end or side of the pergola and serves a variety of purposes that can add to the benefits of your outdoor kitchen.


Perfect Addition to the Outdoor Kitchen

Utilize the trellis inside the pergola as a support for twining vegetables. Not only will this create a lovely display, but you will conveniently have fresh vegetables growing near your outdoor kitchen! Some varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, and even melons can grow on a trellis; however, it should be constructed with materials that are sturdy enough to support heavy harvests. Use the trellis as a base for a living wall, filled with other vegetables and herbs to harvest right from the comfort of your outdoor kitchen. Trellis can even support grapes and other fruiting vines.

Plant vines that climb on the outdoor structures are a popular way to create a hassle-free decorative display. Annual flowering vines add a special touch to the pergola wall and provide shade for plants growing in the interior. This enables the gardener to grow shade-loving plants that might not otherwise survive the hot summer afternoons here. Dappled or filtered sun inside of the pergola encourages growing many different kinds of flowers and foliage plants, much to the delight of any gardener.


Blooms in the Landscape

Display hanging baskets inside the pergola, or from the top of the trellis. Fill them with fragrant, cascading foliage, such as jasmines or the Moonflower whose blossoms open in the evening. Coordinate flowers and vines with hanging baskets. If you want to add a special touch to you outdoor kitchen, go exotic with tropical plants such as the Plumeria. Commonly called Frangipani, or fragrant flower, this blooming beauty is low-care and tolerant of poor conditions and neglect. This small tree propagates from cuttings and is a fun undertaking for homeowners interested in this type of project. Use the umbrella shape of the Plumeria to provide summer shade near the pergola. This beautiful display is sure to impress your neighbors and wow your guests.


Don’t Forget Arbor Entrances

Add coordinating arbors to mark the entrance to the outdoor kitchen. If not yet added, lay a beautiful walkway or scenic garden path to go through the arbor. Pathways can lead to secret spots in the garden, or guide new guests where you want them. Arbors, of course, are a beautiful means of supporting flowers and climbing vines. Use them as exits, as well, or pass-throughs to other outdoor rooms.


If You Don’t Want to DIY

Perhaps planting and growing is not an agreeable chore or something for which no time is available. Yet there is a wish for a manicured landscape with flowing beauty in a way that raises property value. Count on the professionals at K&D Landscaping, Inc. for all of your planting and hardscape needs. Years of experience allow familiarity with local soils, temperatures and what grows best where. If an addition to the landscape is desired, count on K&D. If a new landscape needs structures and a master design plan, K&D has expert designers. Whatever the outdoor need, don’t neglect to call K&D Landscaping, Inc. Browse our previous work and give us a call to learn more.

 

K & D Landscaping
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