Patio landscaping and flowerboxes are key elements I include in every home I design. These extra touches make a home feel truly special, but they can pose headaches for the homeowner when watering becomes a burden. For my own home and for a recent client, I designed an irrigation system for flowerboxes that connects directly to the main sprinkler system as their own zone. We installed closed conduits (1” waterpex pipe) built into the exterior walls. Inside these conduit are ¼” feeder lines. Because the conduits are open to the outside, any leaks that might occur will do so on the outside, not in the home. Another method I use for watering potted plants on patios includes actually running the sprinkler system under the patio before the foundation is poured. This allows for sprinkler heads or other mechanisms to water the plants on a regular zoned schedule. As with most other elements in a new home, proper planning ahead of time is important to execute these techniques. With the patio, I not only provided a plan for where the pots would be located, but also a furniture plan for this outdoor space. For my favorite flowerbox resource, visit www.flowerframers.com.