Mountain Home Ideas
The White Mountains of Arizona are home to thousands of retirees and fans of the great outdoors. The high elevation of the region creates desirable temperatures and snowfall in the Winter. Maintaining a backyard patio in this part of Arizona can be easy if you plant evergreen plants around your patio such as cedar and strains of pine. Poplar saplings can be transplanted around your patio borders to shield you and your guests from the high winds of the White Mountains.
Mesh zip-up canopies are extremely useful in the Arizona mountain ranges and when used over a backyard patio can protect guests and family from wind, rain, snow and insects. Fire risk is ordinarily high in all parts of Arizona, so using items like lit Tiki torches and lighting bonfires can be dangerous. Using an outdoor fireplace with adequate metal grating around it is much safer than a bonfire, and it creates a sense of elegance on your backyard patio.
Valley Home Patio
The region in Arizona known by residents as "The Valley" includes cities like Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. There are several golf courses and country clubs in beautiful neighborhoods with lush, green yards. Country club homes ordinarily overlook the community putting greens and water hazards, which can be a beautiful setting, but one lacking in privacy in some cases. Maintaining a backyard patio for privacy and atmosphere is a useful idea in this scenario.
Follow your Homeowner Association (HOA) guidelines for planting a security hedge surrounding your backyard patio area. Plants like juniper and jojoba are not only useful for creating a security hedge, they are also fragrant and thrive well in Arizona soil. Installing a long awning to hang over your patio is beneficial and highly recommended to prevent getting badly burned in the hot sun in The Valley, where temperatures rise as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a few large citronella candles in various spots surrounding your patio. This prevents mosquitoes from invading your backyard entertainment. Mosquitoes gather frequently near golf courses because of the standing bodies of water. Growing citronella near your patio can keep the insects away.
Adding Exotics
Backyards in Arizona are commonly decorated with beds of various rocks with sun-loving plants like aloe vera and palm grass. If your backyard patio overlooks a swimming pool, plant more exotic plants on the patio, keeping them near the moist warm air of your backyard pool area. Exotic plants like hosta, orchid and types of honeysuckle will add color and fragrance to your backyard patio.
About The Author
Writing since 1995, Chelsea Hoffman is featured on Travels, Golflink, Golfsmith, DoBeGreen.com and other venues. The author of "Planet Omega," "The Stranger," and the upcoming "Chloe's Journal," Hoffman devotes her life to writing about a wide range of topics from cooking and gardening to pet and health topics.