The bad news: Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog, saw his shadow earlier this month. So, we apparently will have six more weeks of winter.
The good news: you have six more weeks to plan your spring and summer landscape project.
But, since Phil’s accuracy over several decades is only 36 percent (according to Weather Underground), you might want to find inspiration sooner than later.
If you don’t have any spare time for inspiration, don’t fret. We can find inspiration for you! Just email us at info@newvistaent.com or call 216-291-1100.
Tip #1: Pinterest Can Be Your Friend or Enemy
How you search on Pinterest matters. You can use vague terminology such as “outdoor kitchen.” But beware. Half of the search results will show DIY projects that may look okay upon initial glance but are not structurally sound to stand the test of time.
Try being a bit more specific — but not too specific. For instance, try “outdoor kitchen natural stone” and your results will be more promising. So, instead of just searching the name of your project, try a key descriptor in front or after the keywords for the project. For example, try “paver stone patio” instead of just “stone patio.” One other successful way to search on Pinterest is to add “top” before the project name. More often than not, you’ll have quality boards for inspiration!
Good ‘ole Instragram — the social bastion of photos, some meaningful and some meaningless.
A quick trick for searching Instagram via hashtags is to place “best” in front of your project name. For instance, use #bestoutdoorkitchens instead of just #outdoorkitchens. If you aren’t having any luck using a superlative before your project name, then try inserting “outdoor” before the project and “design” after. For example, try #outdoorfirepitdesign or #outdoorpatiodesign. When you add the “design” at the end of the hashtag, this will sift from the DIY patios that are not of the best quality. Finally, if you aren’t sure what outdoor project you want to start, then a good bet is to start your search with #outdoorlivingspaces.
Tip #3: Check Out New Vista’s New Gallery
We recently revamped our website to include many more photos to help inspire you. The easiest way to check out some of our work is to go directly to our gallery page. And, if you feel inclined, you can start your project from our website.
If these tips don’t help, remember you can contact us directly for more inspiration at info@newvistaent.com or call 216-291-1100.
Mike Supler is co-owner and president of New Vista Enterprises. Founded in 2000, New Vista designs, installs and maintains breathtaking outdoor environments for clients throughout Northeast Ohio. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Landscape Horticulture. Connect with Mike via LinkedIn.