Imagine a cool fall day on your beautiful terrace as the grill sizzles. The hills of Pittsburg are awash with color beyond your own, beautifully landscaped yard. Maybe the kids are out there in the trees, or maybe they're married and now it's all for you. The biggest challenge is deciding how to find the people who make this dream come true.

Help is on the way with experts at making gardens in the Ohio Valley. They really know what you want. While Pittsburgh Botanical Garden is young in terms of large public gardens, it's growing into a first class example of what you can do and grow sustainably. There's more to discover at the Phipps Conservatory where high quality horticulture classes in design and plant identification can help you create a truly fabulous landscape tailored to the local environment.

The forests of Pennsylvania make this a lovely area at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers where soils of the flood plain are rich and fertile. Such ground makes beautifully planted landscaping a requisite. With frequent rains, swaths of lawn frame your house with beds of abundant foliage and flowers.

For anyone lucky enough to enjoy steel industry architecture, like a vintage Victorian, Craftsman and traditional American homes, sky's the limit with your landscape. But take care when selecting a designer because older homes deserve attention to detail. When adding major amenities such as an outdoor kitchen, swimming pool or gazebo, style integration is essential. Only a good designer can ensure there's no risk of spoiling its original beauty.

Outside the city in suburbs like Mt. Lebanon, lots are large and views of the rolling countryside may be the site of your future dream home. Those who live in the streetcar suburbs of Baldwin, Penn Hills and Monroeville, post war homes offer great bones for upgrading the outdoor space into a family playground or a secluded oasis for two.