If You Can't Predict the Future, Make Your Landscape Adaptable

As you work through your master plan for your yard, you will need to try to evaluate what your needs are and how they will change over time. The only problem is that we cannot predict the future perfectly!

You may start with a wish list that includes a patio with a fire pit and pizza oven, or maybe even a full outdoor kitchen, but how much of that will be used on a regular basis, how much will it limit other uses of your yard? It is hard to say.

It can be quite stressful to figure this all out, to make guesses as to what your life will look like in 10 years, to know what will work for you and your family.

One solution is to make it adaptable

Make it possible to add to it. Make it possible to reconfigure it. Choose features that have many uses.

A simple, unadorned patio may be the best solution.

Patio surfaces are timeless, enjoyed by many generations with many lifestyles. A patio allows you to relatively cheaply and easily change furnishings over time to adapt to changing tastes, lifestyles and phases of life.

And in the areas not covered in patio, choose grass. The possibilities for the use of a grassy area are endless.

An example of this whole concept

If you are considering a fire pit, you can start with an inexpensive portable version. If that gets a lot of use and you have found that the portable one has found a natural spot in your yard, you can replace it with a beautiful, permanent fire pit later. You can act with confidence knowing that this is an essential feature and you'll know exactly where to place it.