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If the sun is out and the weather is pleasant, odds are good that Cindy and Pat Rizzolino are in the backyard of their Bushkill Township home. They might be engrossed in the usual rigors of landscape maintenance—mowing, watering, raking, pruning and the like. Or perhaps they’re planning a new addition (another “love shack”?) to freshen up the space. Maybe they’re relaxing in one of the nooks that’s already there, like the pavilion they’ve nicknamed the pool house. The possibilities, it seems, are endless within the boundaries of this verdant sanctuary that has been an ever-changing, ever-evolving work in progress for the Rizzolinos over the past two decades.
Pat and Cindy, both Lehigh Valley natives, have the Palmer Park Mall in Easton to thank for the first chapter of their love story. Cindy (née Santee) was working at the mall during her college years when Pat came in to buy a gift for a wedding. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. They married in 1990 and settled in Wilson. Cindy was beginning her career with the Nazareth Area School District, and Pat worked in a nursery and landscaping business with his brothers. They dreamed of one day building a new home, and eventually procured a plot of land in Bushkill Township, where those dreams became reality in the year 2000. Since they were starting from scratch, when they turned their attention to the exterior, they were truly working with a blank canvas. “It was just a completely vacant lot,” says Pat. Fortunately, both Pat and Cindy were eager to get cracking on turning that vast nothingness into an outdoor oasis. “We both enjoy doing yard work,” Cindy says. “Even though [Pat] did that as a career, he loves landscaping. He finds it very relaxing. I love flowers and plants, so we do enjoy our outdoor space.” The in-ground pool, which was installed in 2007, was the first major addition the Rizzolinos made to the backyard. A lot more would follow. The structure they call the pool house went up in 2008. It’s more like a massive canopy, providing shade and protection from the elements for the generous seating area below.
It’s just one of the many places on the property that invite reflection and relaxation; each spot has a cozy vibe and provides a different vantage point of the backyard. And many are adorned with personal touches that conjure up memories that are special for the family. Meaning, it’s not just “stuff,” says Cindy: “We like putting our own stamp on something so it doesn’t look like it’s from a showroom.”
A wooden play set, outgrown many years ago by the couple’s three daughters—Taylor, 30; Madison, 26; and Macy, 24—became the foundation for a potting shed. A nearby stone bench that anchors another alcove was made from a sidewalk that was being ripped up near Cindy’s childhood home in Tatamy. A milk can left over from her father’s days as a milkman is now part of the décor. “We feel like everything has a second purpose,” Cindy says. “It’s an eclectic mix of different items.”
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The repurposing isn’t always personal, though. It’s not unusual for the couple to see potential where others may not. “I’ve been fortunate to be in the landscaping business for many years. A lot of material left over from jobs I’ve been able to reuse,” says Pat, who now works primarily as a property manager for his family’s real estate company, Rizzolino Associates. He also has a brother who works in demolition. “I drive him a little crazy when I’m working with him on a job because I’ll see something and put it off to the side. He wants to throw it in the dumpster, but I say, ‘no, I can use that,’” Pat explains. “I can just envision doing something with it. Some type of metal sculpture, or an old piece of farm equipment.” Adds Cindy: “Sometimes we just see something and bring it home. We might have it for three or four years before we decide where we want to put it.”
For example, metal triangular frames now play the role of trellises in one of the flower beds. In another section of the yard, concrete grinding stones once destined for the dumpster line a stone bed where a pond and waterfall once flowed. An old animal feed bin salvaged from a barn was transformed into what they kiddingly call the “love shack,” a covered porch with seating for two. The Rizzolinos added the roof and wooden beams, the latter of which are a unifying element in many of the backyard’s features. “I love that old wood barn look,” says Pat. “It breaks my heart every time I see a barn coming down, or an old barn falling down. I just want to go there and take out as much wood and stone as I can.” Some of that wood has made it inside the home as well, to add what Cindy describes as “warmth” to the overall motif. “We’re a big fan of natural design,” she says. “Wood, stone and some industrial vibes.” With the exception of the three contractors (framer, stonemason, electrician) they enlisted to help with the pool house, the Rizzolinos have done most of the work over the years themselves, including coming up with the overall design. “We kind of just wing it as we go,” says Pat. “We don’t draw up plans or anything like that. We just change things as we go along.” They do draw inspiration from their many travels. The idea for the entryway came from a trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Potted ferns descending via metal chains from a maple tree was a California thing. Cindy also cites Los Angeles, New York, Charleston, Denver and Nashville as some of the other cities that have provided insight on blending rustic and industrial influences. “I’m sure the more traveling that we do, we’ll get more ideas and inspiration from other parts of the country and we’ll bring those home to Bushkill Township,” Pat says.
Although the upkeep on the property may be daunting (“We welcome the winter breaks,” Cindy says), the payoff is in the pictures; the Rizzolino backyard has served as the backdrop for countless special events and gatherings over the years. It was the place where all three Rizzolino daughters snapped their prom pictures. Last August, middle daughter Madison, who often marked her summertime birthday with a backyard picnic at the house, even opted to have her wedding there. (She and her now-husband, Jean Carlos Falcon, allowed Lehigh Valley Style to feature their big day in the January edition.) Cindy also recalls hosting an event for her side hustle, luxury picnic business Penn Picnics, that honored an employee of an Allentown architecture firm. Cindy didn’t know it at first, but the honoree just so happened to be a friend of oldest daughter Taylor, and had been a frequent guest for summertime swims when the girls were growing up. She could have picked any local scenic spot for the picnic, but she chose the Rizzolino backyard, of course.
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What’s next on the Rizzolinos’ wish list? To be determined. There’s talk of replacing a heavy travertine table. Or maybe they’ll fiddle with the flow of the space. Again. “We kind of rearrange the backyard sometimes like it’s furniture in a house, even with plants,” Cindy says. They’ve relocated various perennials, shrubs, flowers and ornamental grasses. They may create more cutting beds for floral arrangements and greenery. Regardless of what the project is, there will always be something new to draw Pat and Cindy out into the yard. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. “As long as we are finding pleasure in entertaining, creating, maintaining and relaxing in our yard with family and friends, we will be here,” Cindy says.
