A hot tub is an ideal addition to your lifestyle. It can become the center of your outdoor living or just provide a relaxing getaway. Adding a hot tub to your patio or yard is relatively easy, since it's a self-contained vessel with all the plumbing and electrical components located in the cabinet. Now it's just a matter of dressing up your hot tub to integrate it into your outdoors.

Plant a Foundation Garden

If your hot tub is in the yard, you can integrate it with the rest of the space by designing a foundation garden. Add a raised planting bed around one or two edges of the hot tub – just make sure you don't impede access to the tub. Choose a pretty array of flowers or other plants for the planting bed. Choose plants with sufficient height and width to break up the profile of the hot tub base, giving it a more natural look. You can also plant trailing filler plants at the front of the bed to further blur the divide between the landscaping and hot tub.

Build a Pergola

If you want to enjoy your hot tub at any time of day, you may want to build a pergola over it. This works whether your hot tub is on the patio or in the yard. Design the pergola so there's plenty of space around the hot tub for walking and even sitting. You can train climbing plants to grow over the structure for added privacy and beauty. However, for even more privacy, consider hanging weather-proof fabric panels or reed screens. Be sure to install a few hooks onto your pergola posts for hanging towels and robes on.

Add a Patio Screen

If your hot tub is on your patio or deck, consider building a privacy screen. The screen can be made of the same material as your patio or deck for cohesion. Alternatively, consider customizing one. For instance, you could erect a trellis and train plants to grow up it or hang fabric panels. A screen is also an option for adding built-in seating.

Integrate Several Elements

If you want your hot tub to feel like a backyard getaway, consider integrating several décor elements. For example, you could plant a foundation garden that's tall enough to serve as a sort of screen and still cover the scene with a pergola. It's still possible to add built-in seating as well. Basically, think of the kind of ambiance you want while enjoying your hot tub, and build to create that vision.

Use your new hot tub as the centerpiece of your outdoor getaway.