6 ways the right landscape updates can make Dad’s outdoor living even better

This piece is sponsored by Landscape Garden Centers.

Whether the dad in your life is a grill master, a gardener or just enjoys spending time outdoors, you can make this his best Father’s Day yet with the right approach to upgrading your landscape.

Start things off with Landscape Garden Center’s special Father’s Day BBQ from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15. The team is partnering with BBQ Heaven at Fireplace Professionals to serve complimentary lunch grilled to perfection by the pros on their featured grill. Snap a free polaroid with Dad, plus get 20 percent off all trees and shrubs.

Then, consider these six ways Dad — and the whole family — can enjoy improved outdoor living the rest of this season and beyond.

Create — or upgrade — an outdoor kitchen

Let’s stick with the grilling theme to start — but expand the idea.

“You can take your kitchen to the outdoors,” said Sam McInerney, senior residential landscape designer at Landscape Garden Centers. “Whatever you can have on the inside for your kitchen, you can have on the outside.”

It goes beyond spaces for grills, refrigerators and sinks, he added.

“We did a giant pizza oven last year. You can do heating drawers, ice chests, you name it.”

Often, designs “will include cooking prep space, and then the kitchen moves into a bar-top seating area with an elevation change,” said Trenor Javurek, residential landscape designer.

Landscape Garden Centers also can help connect you with appliance experts around town as you design your dream outdoor kitchen.

Enhance evenings around a fire

When it comes to firepits, “people are going more for smokeless,” Javurek said.

“So we’re seeing interest in things like the smokeless Breeo firepit and the Solo Stove. We’re helping build permanent seating around these or designing a way to designate part of your outdoor space as a firepit area.”

There are custom options using a steel insert and masonry or precast block surrounding it as well.

Fireplaces also are popular in landscaping, with gas and wood varieties as options.

Cool off

Swimming pools saw a surge of popularity in recent years, and demand is still consistent.

“It’s a big investment, but it’s also a big part of your backyard, and people still value it,” McInerney said.

Many projects now include “sun shelves,” or an area of shallow water that allows you to put in a chair and lounge.

Add a little light

Lighting is an easy way to update your landscape with big impact.

“We do a ton of lighting,” Javurek said. “I think it’s like the cherry on top. If you have nice landscape and you had a project done, adding lighting is one of those subtle pops.”

Look at options for path lighting, up-lighting and moon-lighting, the landscape pros suggest.

“There are more creative ways to hide lighting, whether it’s embedded in a paver or buried in the ground,” McInerney said.

Tackle the unfinished projects

Most dads have them: that list of projects he started, plans to do or wants to do and isn’t sure how to tackle. Now is a great time to take that weight off and bring in the experts.

“That’s one of the most common calls I’m fielding now,” Javurek said. “It’s an area of the yard or even the whole yard. Maybe they lost a tree and had it taken out and need to redo it or just one area got away and is overgrown, and they want to start fresh.”

There’s no shame in some DIY work that didn’t quite turn out as planned.

“As dads, you have limited time, and you might start a project like a patio or firepit and not have time to finish it,” McInerney added. “That’s where we’re there to help move things along and buy time back for you.”

Free Dad from maintenance

Once your landscape is looking first-rate, help free up your family’s time, and ensure your yard is being cared for by the experts.

The services department at Landscape Garden Centers is there to help with ongoing maintenance, whether it’s weekly or seasonally.

“You can build a sweet landscape project, but if it doesn’t get maintained, it gets out of hand,” Javurek said.

“As outdoor living space, we want to build it for you and for you to enjoy your time outdoors — not be thinking about the maintenance you need to do or didn’t get to.”

You even can plan ahead and tell Dad he’s off the hook for holiday lighting.

Here’s a look at the many services Landscape Garden Centers can handle:

• Mowing program.
• 4-step turf fertilizer program.
• Tree and shrub trimming and pruning.
• Bed maintenance program, biweekly or monthly.
• Fall core aerifications.
• Tree care treatments.
• Spring and fall property cleanup.
• Exterior holiday decorating.

Learn more on options for servicing here.

Reach out

Landscape Garden Centers offers personalized, custom service that starts with a free consultation.

Some projects can be completed in a matter of days, while others can still be scheduled later this season.

“It never hurts to reach out and ask us, pick our brain and let us see how we can help,” McInerney said.

“Not everybody wants to be out landscaping after work and on weekends, and the right project can make a huge difference in how you enjoy your time outdoors. We’re here to help everyone — moms as well as dads.”