Creating the Perfect Summer Backyard
Each season comes with unique sights, smells, and moments that are nostalgic for so many of us. Winter means brisk weather, hot cocoa, and bright Christmas lights. Summer means swimming, fresh fruit, and spending hours in the sun. Since you and your family are going to be using the backyard quite a bit this summer, you might as well make the most of it with these simple updates.
Light up Your Outdoor Living Space
The sun may set later in the summer, but that’s no excuse to go to bed when it gets dark. So much fun in the summer happens at twilight: bonfires, fireworks, night-swimming in a pool filled with colorful lights. If you truly want to make your patio and backyard an inviting entertaining space, it will need warm lighting that makes it feel cozy in the dark. Who said Christmas lights can only go up after Thanksgiving? They can illuminate your patio year-round. String lights are perfect for your patio, but solar yard lights are ideal for lighting up the far corners of your yard or a garden path where there’s no wiring.
Create a Gathering Area
One of the major keys to setting up an outdoor entertaining area is to define the space, to mimic the comfort and flow of the indoors. In your house, there’s most likely an area where everyone automatically knows to gather. Setting up a similar area outside will allow for easy conversation. And in any season, a fire pit is a perfect feature to gather around.
Go Bright
Summer is the perfect time to update your home decor with some cheery colors that might be outside of your normal comfort zone. Throw pillows are an affordable, easy way to tie these colors into your patio space. Mix patterns and solid to add a little more visual interest. You can also string up multicolored lights for an extra splash of color.
Make a Peaceful Meditation Spot
Summer is usually pretty eventful with vacations, outdoor activities and, for parents, a billion different ways to prevent kids from getting bored. It can be hard to find time for yourself, so make the time you do have count by setting up a peaceful area for one in the shade.
Start a Simple Garden
There a few things as rewarding as eating food that you’ve grown yourself. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, and herb garden is a great place to start since herbs are fairly low maintenance. You can grow them out of recycled items like coffee cans, water bottles, or mason jars. Try herbs like mint, basil, parsley and lavender—they’re easy to grow and make perfect seasonings for summer dishes.
Set up an Obstacle Course
Obstacles in life can be pretty discouraging. Obstacles in the backyard, however, can be loads of fun. Keep your kids (or fellow adults) busy with timed races. Try tying ropes or strings between trees, creating your own mud run, or adding a rope swing over an inflatable pool full of water balloons. Get creative with garage items, while making sure it’s safe for everyone.
