Ever since 9/11, there has been an ever growing trend to spend more leisure time at home with friends and family. Traveling is still great, but many people are spending more of their expendable income on improving their quality of life at home by creating some great backyard landscapes rather than taking expensive vacations. The hottest landscape trends among homeowners recently has been water gardening and outdoor kitchens.

Water gardening can as simple or dramatic as you would like. It can be a do-it-yourself small rubber lined pond with a few goldfish to dramatic professionally installed gunite ponds as big as swimming pools with multi-level waterfalls filled with Koi and water lilies. For do-it –yourself ideas, visit Nelson Water Gardens in Katy or if you want a pond professionally installed, visit www.embarkservices.com.

Designing and building outdoor kitchens is the hottest trend right now. These can get as complicated as you desire or your budget allows. Components include grills, ovens, refrigerators, icemakers, bar, sinks, drawers, storage, etc. If you have it inside in your kitchen, it can be done outside as well. Hardscape components can include brick or stone facing, flagstone or other paving, granite countertops and if really want to be dramatic, don’t forget to include a firepit or fireplace.

Just about the most relaxing thing in the world is to sit down with a cold one and feed your own fish right at dusk just after eating dinner out on your patio that was prepared in your outdoor kitchen. How cool is that? For ideas how to make this happen, here are helpful websites or visit www.embarkservices.com for professional installation.

www.aquascapelifestlyes.com
www.pondlifestyles.com
www.watergardennews.com
www.gardendesign.com

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