Davenport, Iowa spanning the shores of the mighty Mississippi is outdoor living country where family life demands a well appointed backyard landscape. Here in the heartland, traditional American architecture and larger lots with a swimming pool keeps everyone home during the long, hot summer days. Build a lovely shade structure for comfortable places for adults to lounge while kids play. For more upscale living, professional couples or those already retired can rethink their existing family yards into spaces tailored to outdoor entertaining. Add an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace to warm your favorite patio for use in the cooler months.

Perhaps the best place in Iowa to learn more about plants and design ideas that work in the local climate, take a short drive to Ames and the award winning Reiman Arboretum on the campus of Iowa State University. They hold many classes that can help you better understand a landscape project even if you're hiring a landscape architect or designer to lay it out. Sticking with local talent is essential because this is tornado country and all structures in your landscape must be built to withstand extreme conditions.

For those living in the "Quad Cities" area in towns such as Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, the opportunities for creating backyard playgrounds are endless. Larger sports lawns, sports courts and pools keep the whole family busy during the warmer months. Install a large grill and outdoor refrigerator into your patio to rustle up exotic new dishes. Take advantage of rich riverbank soils to create expansive home food gardens and orchards.

Due to the prevalence of both tornadoes and floods in these communities, it's essential to find local designers and contractors familiar with building to meet the strain of extreme weather. Knowledge of wind loading and 100-year flood plain limits are the foundation for creating that outdoor kitchen and dining area you've always dreamed of.