An Outdoor Oasis

For Jarod Hynson, love means never having to leave his backyard.  

A landscaper since the age of 13, Jarod and his design team are industry leaders in precision landscape and hardscape designs. From fire-breathing pools to pavilions, fireplaces, kitchens and ponds, they do it all. 

However, it’s not just about having the “wow” factor, Jarod insists. It’s about creating memories that can last a lifetime.     

The Right Tools

For help with project ideas, look for ETW’s “Dreambuilder Workbook” about the process of creating your own backyard paradise.

The book, exclusive to Earth, Turf, & Wood, was developed by the company about seven years ago and is used as a guide; clients are introduced to budgets and building options that they may not have thought about on their own.  

A Pavilion for All Seasons

At the Hynson residence, ETW designed and built a large pavilion specifically to give potential clients the full experience of an outdoor living environment. The structure, a timber frame post and beam construction, was built to accommodate about 55 persons, and Jarod also utilizes it to host various non-profit and church functions. The area features a 1500-square-foot patio (made of natural cleft flagstone), a dock and a clay-lined pond filled with koi. Other additions include a slide, a diving board and a paddleboat. In the winter, when temperatures plunge, the pond transforms into an ice skating rink.

ETW also utilizes the pavilion to beta test and display the latest  A/V and outdoor living technology. The energy efficient area, illuminated with more than 60 synchronized low voltage LED lights, is easily controlled by light-management software.    

The pavilion features a one-of-a-kind, stainless steel kitchen equipped with three refrigerators, a 48-inch grill, a sink, an icemaker and a microwave. Other luxuries include watertight cabinets that unlock with a key card. The dining area boasts a weather-proof teak countertop that is about 12 feet long by 4 feet wide, Jarod adds.   

A sitting area, with a flat screen TV and 15-foot fireplace [made of Chardonnay Cobble Real Stone] provides all the comforts of home. 

“After the fire gets going for an hour or so you can feel the heat from 10 to 15 feet away,” says Jarod. “It’s a great spot for friends to enjoy a warm fire, hot chocolate and snacks.”

Great Bowls of Fire 

Nestled deep in farm country, this ETW client transformed their backyard from a sea of grass to a staged environment — complete with a pool that lights the night sky with fire.  

“Their 900-square-foot, free-formed concrete pool is unlike anything out there,” says Jarod, who selected Techo-Bloc Inca Victoria for the walkway. The product, he says, is made of concrete but made to look like flagstone.   

Aesthetically, the pool’s three large fire-pit bowls — opposite a diving board area — make a bold and elegant statement. They also act in unison to pump water, like three mini waterfalls, back into the pool.  

“The bowls are really neat,” Jarod adds, “but it’s something that has to be considered at the time of initial installation.”

A pavilion with a mahogany ceiling, recessed lighting and skylights offers a spacious sitting area in front of a stone fireplace and flat screen TV.

“It’s the perfect spot for the family to relax, watch sports and gather outdoors all year round,” Jarod says.  

A pair of black, rod iron gates designed to match a privacy fence, provide the homeowner a terrific outdoor entranceway. The area can also be accessed from the kitchen or master bedroom (down a spiral staircase!). Tall pines, in place prior to the project, are used as a natural border. “So many of the backyard environments we create almost become a private micro-resort of sorts,” says Jarod. “The more secluded we can make them, the better.”

Outdoor Add-Ons

“Instead of spending money on another house four hours away, ETW clients are asking for kitchens, pools, spas, pavilions, ponds and other backyard upgrades at their main residence,” Jarod says. 

Most projects require very careful planning. But no worries; they can be done in stages, Jarod shares.  For instance, five years ago the company was hired to design an outdoor kitchen and patio area. Two years later, the homeowner wanted to add a pool and free-standing fireplace. To achieve the look, ETW created an elevated pool area, a dry river bed (rock landscape with lots of plantings) and a stone bridge to link the two areas together.

The area, about 4,000 square feet, has four different vignettes or purposeful gathering places. 

In Good Hands

Obtaining a master plan is the surest way to achieve an effortless look, one that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. 

For instance, ETW will develop and oversee any necessary storm water management plans  — including seepage pits, water collection and rain gardens — in their designs. 

If the work is going to be done in phases, Jarod says, you don’t want your backyard to look like it was piecemealed together.

To help homeowners visualize their dreams, the company provides 3/D digital renderings in addition to the luxury of working with Mary Dresser, a licensed professional landscape architect with 28 years of design experience. 

“One thing we will never be accused of,” Jarod says, “is building the same thing twice! We are constantly working outside the box to come up with new ideas.”