Landscapers Near Me Suggest These 3 Ways to Prepare for Winter Weather in Middleton and Sun Prairie, WI

Preparing your landscape for winter can make welcoming spring much easier. As you look for “landscapers near me,” consider these three ways to prepare for winter weather in Middleton and Sun Prairie, WI. 

Related: Why a Patio May Not Be Complete Without a Pavilion in Madison, WI

A Fire Feature

Is there anything like fire to make being outdoors comfortable in any weather? If you don’t have a fire feature on your patio, you’re missing out. Imagine gathering with friends for mulled wine or hot cider or cocoa around a fire table—with lots of holiday goodies gorgeously displayed beside the flickering flames. Or picture the fun of warming up beside a roaring campfire-style fire pit after a snowball fight. Or even relaxing together with your special one under a cozy blanket next to your majestic outdoor fireplace as you admire the stars twinkling in the sky.

Customize an outdoor fireplace by adding a wood-fired pizza oven. There’s perhaps no better way to warm up on a chilly winter afternoon than with a fresh hot bubbly pizza!

A Pavilion

Adding a pavilion to your patio can significantly extend your enjoyment of your outdoor spaces—well into the winter months—making it one of the best investments you can make in outdoor living.

A pavilion, with its solid roof and open sides, could be considered one of the ultimate outdoor structures. It gives you the feeling of being outdoors but protects you from the elements. A pergola, by contrast, tends to be useful only in summer when you want to beat the heat. Its open rafters won’t offer protection from cold December rains or snow.

Just imagine how cozy an outdoor structure can be with the addition of fire, as long as you’re protected from the elements. A fire pit is a wonderful solution for a fire feature located within your shelter structure. Make it a gas-fueled fire feature, and you’ll be able to warm up quickly. Another alternative is a full outdoor fireplace, which can do double duty as a windbreak if positioned on the windward side of your shelter structure.

Other ideas for a windbreak include a lattice screen covered with climbing vines or secured outdoor curtains.

Updated Landscape Lighting

As the days get shorter, you’ll want to ensure that your landscape lighting strategy is in good shape. A layered look and a zoned approach creates the right mix of safety and ambience—including not over-illuminating the landscape and destroying the magic of the night. 

A zoned approach gives each activity zone in your patio the right amount of lighting: task lighting for your outdoor kitchen; soft ambient light to set the mood in an outdoor dining or seating area; and of course, pathway lighting. The key is to use multiple small, low-wattage bulbs rather than a few higher-wattage bulbs. Place more light fixtures where you need more light, and space them further apart where you don’t need as much illumination.

While solar lights are great, they’re not considered the best choice for winter lighting. Constant cloud cover or a blanket of snow will render them useless so hard-wired landscape lighting for security and ambience is the way to go. Use them as accent lights throughout your landscape to add dimension, but don’t count on them for your main lighting source along your walkway.

Related: How Landscapers Near Me Create Showstopping Nightscapes With Outdoor Lighting in Sun Prairie, WI