Living in a state with a climate as comfortable as Florida’s, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the outdoors. In addition to nearby beaches, nature preserves and theme parks, homeowners in Tampa Bay can enjoy outdoor activities from the convenience of their own backyard.
Many Tampa Bay homeowners view their backyard as an extension of their living area, where they can enjoy everything from a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning to a backyard barbecue with friends and neighbors.
With summer on its way, now is the perfect time to transform your simple backyard into an outdoor oasis. Here are a few features you can add to your yard to make it a functional and appealing outdoor living space.
Florida-friendly landscaping
Vibrant landscaping is one of the easiest ways to upgrade an outdoor area. In addition to adding color and texture to your backyard, flowers, shrubs and small trees can be used as barriers to create separation between neighboring outdoor “living rooms.”
When done strategically, landscaping can also help provide shade for outdoor spaces. Fast-growing trees such as crape myrtles, maples and birch trees are great for creating a shady canopy over your backyard. As an additional benefit, landscaping helps you conserve energy. Low-lying plants help to keep the ground cool when planted along the exterior walls of your home, and broadleaf trees can help block the sun’s heat from passing through east and west facing windows.
In each of Lennar’s Tampa Bay communities, homes come with a Florida-friendly landscaping package designed to thrive in the sub-tropical climate while accentuating the individual style of the home.
Sparkling swimming pools
While Floridians don’t have to deal with icy roads and snowstorms, the summer heat can become overwhelming at times. When temperatures reach their peak, a refreshing swimming pool provides a way to beat the heat without hiding indoors all summer.
Many Lennar communities in Tampa Bay offer sizable homesites with room for custom in-ground swimming pools or have a resort-style pool nearby in the neighborhood clubhouse.
Outdoor cooking and dining spaces
When the weather permits, outdoor living spaces can serve as a welcome change of scenery instead of the dining room. And with the right fixtures, your backyard can also serve as an alternative to the kitchen. Alfresco cooking and dining spaces are becoming more popular, as homeowners outfit their patios and porches with full outdoor kitchens, which can include everything from a built-in grill to a pizza oven.
Many of Lennar’s floorplans include spacious covered patios that allow for open air-cooking and dining, as well as other activities. For example, models of the Orleans floorplan, available at Waterleaf in Riverview, and the Brandywine floorplan, available at Concord Station in Land O’Lakes, feature screened-in lanais with tropical landscaping, swimming pools, and plenty of space for cooking, dining and gathering.
