It's beginning to look a lot like summer, everywhere we go. Perennials poking up through the ground, daffodils and tulips blooming, and dull brownish grass coming back to shades of green. Along with all the fun things of spring, comes a new routine. It's also time to oil up the lawn mower, get out the fertilizer and weed killer, and the hand hoe to get rid of  those nasty weeds. Or you can embrace change and design your yard not just to be beautiful, but to be more relaxing, a place to relax instead of a place for doing weekend chores.

Here are some ideas for taking the work out of your backyard, while adding to the lazy days of summer:

Pave it: Who says you have to fill your entire yard with grass? In fact, it is more limiting if you do. By paving parts of your lawn with stone walkways, and patio areas, you not only add architectural interest, but functionality too, while eliminating the work zones of time consuming lawns and flower beds. You can create stable sitting areas, foundations for tables, and walkways that divide your space into mini rooms outdoors.

Turf it: Forget the hours of labor every week to water, mow, weed and fertilize your lawn. Replace it with artificial turf that looks and feels like the real thing. The only thing you need to do to enjoy artificial turf is simply walk outside. Nothing more is needed to experience the soft feel under your feet and the vibrant pop of color it adds to your yard.

Cover it: Rather than running inside your house ever time a rain cloud bursts overhead, get an umbrella; the really big ones. Pergolas, made for yards, come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, and can be easily installed over sitting areas, over patios, tables, and grass to enable you to stay outside in all types of summer weather and soak in the smells and sounds of nature, instead of being cooped up inside.

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Every family has their own Mother's Day traditions; some include making mom breakfast in bed or taking her to her favorite restaurant, bringing her a bouquet of flowers and a card that says, ' I love and appreciate you.'

But what better way to show how much you care than to break away from traditions by preparing a unique backyard getaway just for her. Take time freshen up the yard by sweeping up the dirt and debris on the patio, place new flowers and wipe down the patio furniture. Dress up your table with pastel linens topped with freshly picked flowers. Choose a family favorite meal to serve on her favorite china for a stylish celebration.

Trading the holiday crowd for quality time with loved ones on the patio will leave any mom satisfied on her special day. This will be a year she will never forget.

For other ideas on Mother's Day gifts, visit our gallery at: SystemPavers.com/Gallery.

It's that time again when we watch those April showers turn to May flowers and we start planning our home's landscapes for those wonderful summer days spent outside. What colors to plant where, which plants in which beds? And we watch for the perennials to pop back into our worlds. But after the flowers in the beds are thriving, there's much more to consider for your perfect outdoor oasis. for one, how can you create comfortable and function sitting areas amidst your beautiful flower beds?

Some ideas:

• Like sitting right in the midst of nature? Consider building paving stone retaining walls that include flower beds and extended surfaces that could seat two. Benches can also be built into flower gardens and dividing walls, creating a cozy look as well.
• No matter how high tech our homes or yards are, outside living in the spring time is made possible by something as simple as the umbrella. Outdoor umbrellas, or rather pergolas, are made in a variety of colors and sizes to create the perfect rain protection or shaded area over a dining table or sitting area.
• Want some added ambiance? Integrate a water feature into your garden wall, next to your budding flowers for the ultimate mood creator.
  
• Need a burst of color next to those purple pansies or delicate daisies? Line the areas surround your garden beds with turf that always provides a brilliant green contrast and doesn't need a bit of work to maintain.
• Want even more mood? Add an outdoor sound system that works through speakers disguised as rocks maintaining a totally natural setting in your yards.

Want more ideas? Visit our gallery at SystemPavers.com