Outdoor spaces grow with every season, as homeowners create alfresco dining spaces with picnic tables and outdoor napping spots with swing beds.  However, the greatest opportunities can sometimes serve the greatest challenges.  I love the limitless prospects of decorating without walls or ceilings, but creating distinct spaces can be difficult without these go-to dividers.

Many people want a space for dinner parties as well as space for casual socializing.  Using creative barriers can help define spaces and communicate an open, yet structured outdoor space design.

Pathways: Often, space can be the best friend to the outdoor decorator.  If you’re lucky enough to take advantage of an expansive backyard, don’t feel pressured to pile your outdoor rooms on top of each other.  Housing your living space in a gazebo and your dining area under your porch (near the kitchen!) will clearly delineate your outdoor rooms.

To propel guests toward different outdoor rooms, use inviting pathways.  Paver stones and brick walkways work well, but treated pine roll-up walkways are an economical and portable option. Laying out pathways and walkways clearly tells guests where to explore!

Structures:  Using backyard structures like gazebos, pergolas and pool houses is another easy way to clearly separate outdoor spaces.  If you’re back deck is lined with patio chairs and chaise lounges, make your backyard gazebo a destination spot for dining.  Using structures not only adds dynamic architectural elements to your landscape, it creates more covered areas for relaxing and entertaining.

Flora: Using vertical gardening techniques can also create private spaces and living walls between outdoor rooms.  Growing wisteria or trumpet vines up a trellis or garden arbor will develop colorful, living and growing walls that will make guests feel at home in a secret garden.  Using garden arbors with gates and softening the latticed edges with growing morning glories will let beautiful color spill over into every available outdoor space.

Separating living, dining and lounging spaces within your outdoor rooms will make your backyard areas seem larger and more encompassing.  Group your outdoor furniture and patio furniture into outdoor rooms and make entertaining easy by cuing your guests around your outdoor living spaces.

Have Fun!

Hazel.

Classic Adirondack furniture is a traditional component of the American backyard.  The clean lines of Adirondack furniture have made it a popular outdoor furniture choice for more than a century.  Since the introduction of the simple Adirondack chair in the mountain communities of New York, the rustic Adirondack style has grown in popularity and can now be found in a wide variety of furniture pieces.  Adirondack style rocking chairs, porch swings, chaise lounges and dining chairs are just a few of the options now available.

The original Adirondack chair had slanted back legs that allowed it to be used on sloping ground.  Adirondack rocking chairs replace the slanted legs with a pair of rocker rails.  Combining the wide Adirondack seat with a rocking motion creates a supremely relaxing outdoor chair.  Adirondack dining chairs, on the other hand, replace the traditional slanted legs with taller straight legs, retaining the slanted back that is a hallmark of Adirondack style.  They are the perfect choice for stylish outdoor dining.

The porch swing is another traditional piece of furniture that’s associated with comfort and a simpler way of life.   Adirondack porch swings feature the slatted back and wide armrests of the Adirondack chair.  Whether suspended from chains or built with its own stand, an Adirondack porch swing will be the focal point of any porch, patio or yard.   An    Adirondack chaise lounge offers the ultimate in summer relaxation, allowing its occupant to stretch out in comfort while reading, napping or tanning.  Adirondack chaise lounges are the perfect poolside or patio addition.

The original Adirondack chairs were made from woods that were commonly available in the Eastern U.S. woodlands.  Today’s Adirondack style furniture is constructed from a wide variety of traditional and exotic woods, including cedar, pine, cypress, teak and eucalyptus.  You can also find Adirondack furniture made from polywood, resin and recycled plastics.

The wide variety of Adirondack style furniture pieces that are now available allows any homeowner create a backyard patio setting with all the traditional style and charm of the original Adirondack chair.

It’s a most unusual day; in fact, it’s been a most unusual week.  Although November is nearly halfway over, the sun has been shining relentlessly for days, and the temperatures have been hanging around in the 60’s.  It has given me the chance to get some more use out of my patio chairs, before I have to put the outdoor furniture covers on them and store them in the storage shed for the winter.  I’ve also seen many others sitting on their porch swings and porch gliders, and even sunning themselves in chaise lounges, as if it were still July.

Indeed, this is a spectacular day.  The sky is a bright blue, the birds are busy at the birdfeeders, and even a few bees are buzzing by; but, it is becoming a bit breezy.  This is, obviously, making it difficult for the trees to carry on that game they like to play, where they try to see how long they can fool us into thinking that it really is still summer.  Every time there’s a burst of wind, their charade is diminished, as they are forced to relinquish more of their leaves.

While that may thwart their attempts to keep up convincing fronts, it certainly creates some heavenly scenery.  That’s because all of their remaining leaves are a vivid yellow; and, illuminated in the intense sunlight, they appear to actually be glowing.  Thus, with every gust, the resulting cascades of gleaming gold are magnificent to behold.

So, my advice to the trees is to just let go; and there couldn’t be a more perfect time to do that than right now.  After all, there’s no percentage in holding onto something lifeless and lackluster, when they can dazzle the waiting world with a whirlwind of golden brilliance.  Not only will they be a lot happier, but they will be much more appreciated; and by a wider audience, at that.

That often happens in life.  We stay with the familiar, avoiding change, and then, when it comes, we wonder why we ever resisted it; and it generally turns out for the best.  That’s kind of the way that I feel right now.  Like many others, I’ve had a sense of trepidation about the approaching winter.  Oh, sure, I enjoy the cooler weather; but I cannot stand how quickly the year passes.  Furthermore, there are some things, such as higher utility bills, that I could live without; so, yeah, I’ve said that I wouldn’t mind prolonging the season slightly.

On this gorgeous autumn day, however, that’s no longer the case.   I’m truly excited about the shifting weather patterns, no matter what course they may take.  What’s more, I think that everyone is feeling somewhat giddy today.  Awhile ago, a friend called and invited me to a cookout this evening!  Apparently, she, too, has been inspired by the recent sightings of people relaxing on their patio furniture, and has put together an impromptu, outdoor party, in November.

All right – something strange, different, and wonderful!  Tonight, just two weeks before Thanksgiving, I’m going to be sitting at a picnic table with a bunch of friends, eating hamburgers off the grill.  Hey, I can handle that!

Still, there’s no doubt that the winds of change are beginning to blow; and I can handle them, too.  In fact, I’m gonna saddle ‘em up, and ride – and the sky’s the limit!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

If you put up some nice, just-plain-fall adornments in September, and added a Halloween theme later, at least, you won’t have to spend a lot of time on decorations in the next few weeks.  Because Thanksgiving is, of course, an autumn celebration, all you have to do is to de-spookify your landscape.

So, just take the fake spiders and webs off the trellises, pergolas, and arbors, and leave the sparkling, orange miniature lights.  After that, simply clear porch gliders, patio chairs, and chaise lounges, of all werewolves, mummies, and pumpkin-headed creatures, and put on the outdoor furniture covers.  Then, it’s only a matter of chasing a few ghosts and rubber snakes out of the yard, and you’re back to your beautiful fall outdoor décor, which is appropriate to the holiday at hand.

Leave the Christmas stuff for after Thanksgiving; and don’t let anyone pressure you into putting it up too soon.  Heck, you’ll need all of the extra time that you can get, in order to finish preparing your house and garden for the winter.  After all, some of those outdoor chores can be demanding, and, in many cases, very unpleasant.

Dealing with all of the fallen leaves, for example, can be a disagreeable job.  While, not long ago, they were still on the trees, in all of their brilliant, breath-taking splendor, they are now piling up on lawns, walkways, and roofs, causing all kinds of mischief.

One of their favorite pranks is to clog up gutters, and, thus, prevent the adequate drainage of water from the roofs of houses and other outdoor structures.  Although cleaning them out is a detestable duty, it’s something that must be done before winter arrives.  Otherwise, ice jams can form, and cause water to back up and, perhaps, seep into the house.

So, get the ladder out of the garden shed, and rise to the task; and don’t forget your heavy-duty work gloves and your scraper.  You can also make another helpful tool out of a plastic, gallon jug; just cut off the top half, hold it by the handle, and use it to scoop the leaves from the gutter.  Take out as much debris as possible by hand, before using the scraper to remove any built-up dirt and gunk; then rinse the gutter thoroughly with a hose.

While you’re up there, inspect for leaks, dents, and crooked pipes, and see that the gutters and downspouts are fastened securely to the house.  Furthermore, make certain that the downspouts are directing the water at least five feet away from the foundation of the house, and that they are not blocked.  To ensure that a downspout is operating properly, put a hose into the top, run the water, and check to see if it is running out at the bottom.

If there is a blockage, you may be able to break it loose, by packing rags around the hose at the top of the spout, to seal it off, and then running the water at full power; and if that fails, try using a snake.

Uh, a plumber’s snake, that is.  Not one of the rubber specimens that you drove out of your yard.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Around here, it has been unseasonably warm since late last week; and, this past weekend, it was downright hot, and relentlessly sunny.  In fact, the weather was so deceptively summerlike that people were dressing in shorts, tank tops, and sandals, and relaxing on their porch swings and gliders, drinking ice-cold beverages.

There were also many outdoor parties going on, as yards were filled with folks sitting on outdoor furniture, gathering around picnic tables, cooking on grills, and playing lawn games.  Moreover, with the temperature only a few degrees cooler today, it continues to feel like July.

Undoubtedly, it can be easy to forget how far autumn has progressed; and even the leaves are unreliable gauges, because the trees enjoy playing the game of stealth changing.  It’s kind of a combination of make-believe, and strip poker, wherein the goal is to keep up the pretense of summer for as long as possible.  The trees score points for every day that they can trick us into thinking that it’s still summer, rather than well into fall; and the last tree to lose all of its leaves is the winner.

Naturally, their success depends upon various outside factors, including having the weather as an ally, and getting full cooperation from all trees, plants, and shrubs.  Because there are so many types of them, a number of which are certain to be dissidents, it can be a challenging, unpredictable game.

Yet, it seems that the trees manage to fool us, to some extent, every year; but often, it’s because we don’t want to acknowledge what’s really happening.  I mean, even those who love this season, and prefer cooler weather, don’t like to see time passing so quickly.  Therefore, we tend to go into a short period of denial; and that always tilts the odds in their favor, even if some of the young, inexperienced trees start dropping their leaves too early in the game.

Truly, when we look up at the trees, from our hammocks and chaise lounges, if the big picture hasn’t changed much, we can ignore a brief, mysterious shower of leaves, now and then.  When eating at our outdoor dining sets, we can pretend that we’re using our patio umbrellas for protection from the sun, and not to keep leaves from falling into our food.  As long as the trees are standing around, acting all casual, as if everything is fine, we’re willing to play along with them.

Of course, this game has many exciting twists, and some spectacular turns, especially when, one day, we wake to find the trees sporting cloaks of magnificent colors.  Then, though we can no longer deny the calendar, we don’t care, because having such breath-taking scenery makes us feel triumphant.

That is, until the inevitable time when the north wind finally prevails, dropping temperatures sharply, launching blustery barrages of freezing rain, and stripping the defenseless trees of their remaining leaves.

Although that may seem a humiliating ending to the game, we can be sure that the trees will not stand bare for long.  No-o!  Indeed, they will soon be covered in blankets of snow.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

For much of the country, the outdoor living season is coming to an end.  But, for the millions of people enjoying warm weather all year long, it is prime time to get started on a fantastic outdoor living area.  Plus, for those that are already hankering for the dawn of spring… now is the time to begin planning large scale outdoor structure projects.  Saving your logistics and design considerations for spring will mean that projects may not be completed until the season is already well underway.

When looking to create a vacation at home, great inspiration can be drawn from hotels, resorts, and destination spots.  After all, they’re the experts in crafting spaces that exude the luxury of a summer holiday.  Whether or not you live in the tropics, you can design an outdoor space fit for relaxation retreats.

Recently, a Bermuda resort created a combined pool structure using a gazebo and two pergolas. The 14x 18 treated pine rectangular double roof gazebo was simplified by removing the floor and railings while larger custom posts were added to create drama.  Two attached treated pine pergolas expand the space while adding a dynamic architectural element to the gazebo. The perfect blend of shade and style, a similar structure would do very well poolside in a residential home as well.  The resort created a small grilling and cooking area, but it could easily be expanded to a full outdoor kitchen.

The resort decked out their structure with an outdoor dining set, two chaise lounges, and some extra patio chairs.  However, adding a swingbed, porch swing, and a deep seating collection would add another level of relaxation for entertaining.

If you’re interested in creating an at-home oasis, don’t be afraid to take tips from the professionals.  Plus, start planning, designing, and thinking now when many outdoor furniture retailers are running discounts and sales so you can start the first warm day of spring in your retreat!

Have Fun!

Hazel

For many gatherings in which food is featured, the table on which it is served is central to the ambiance; so, basically, setting the table is setting the tone for the evening.  At your autumn outdoor dinner party, however, it will be a slightly different situation; but that doesn’t mean that the appearance of your picnic table or outdoor dining table won’t matter.  No-o!  In fact, because your outdoor décor will sweep your guests into a celebratory spirit the moment they arrive, it will be even more important to add some knockout special touches.

Indeed, in this case, you’ll have to see that your dining area is as brilliant as the rest of the landscape, lest mealtime be anticlimactic to the cocktail hour.  Luckily, this will not only be easy to do, but it should be a lot of fun, too, because all you have to do is to play around with the season’s colors, textures, fruits, flowers, and vegetables.  Furthermore, because you can use them to create the simplest, or the most elaborate, decorations, they’ll be appropriate for anything, from a burgers-on-the-grill cookout, to a formal, seven-course-meal affair.

Whatever type of get-together you’re hosting, the basis of your table décor will, naturally, be the tablecloth.  Therefore, right from the start, you’ll have tons of options, from the homemade, to the store-bought; and this goes for all of your other embellishments as well.  Moreover, no matter which you choose, the first rule to remember is that there are no rules.  Certainly, there are all sorts of fabrics and paper that can serve as tablecloths.  So, look around and see what you have, that can be fashioned into a unique covering; and don’t worry if you’ve never seen it used for that purpose before.  Heck, that will make it all the better.

Obviously, if you’re going to buy a fall tablecloth, you’ll have thousands to choose from, as they’re available in endless colors, color combinations, and patterns, with some of the most popular designs featuring leaves, pumpkins, and gourds.  Although many of these are stunning, and nearly irresistible, before you select one, forget how gorgeous it is on its own.  Instead, try to imagine how well it will go with everything else on, and around, your table.

Besides the tableware and napkins, envision it with the outdoor furniture cushions on your outdoor dining table chairs, and any patio chairs, porch gliders, or chaise lounges that are nearby; and don’t forget to put outdoor throw pillows, outdoor rugs, and patio umbrellas into the picture.  If it’s going to make things look too busy, distract from the coordinated colors of your outdoor furniture group, or get lost among them, you may be better off going with a solid color, and dressing it up with accents and accessories.

Actually, if you decide to do this, there’s a better chance that you’ll be able to use something that you already have in your home.  Even a plain, white tablecloth will work; you can top it with a burgundy, russet, orange, red, or yellow runner, or add a bit of shimmer, by using a shiny fabric, in gold or bronze.  In any case, whatever you use will be covered by the palette of colors in your table décor.

Of course, that will be before dinner; afterward, it will also be covered by the colors of whatever you’re serving.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Certainly, the more you investigate the assortment of outdoor furniture that is available, the more you realize just how many options you have for decorating your outdoor (or indoor/ outdoor) living spaces.  When you get right down to it, you probably have just about as many as you do when you’re selecting indoor furniture.

Yesterday, in comparing the two types of furniture, I mentioned the huge variety of patio chairs, outdoor sofas, loveseats, settees, porch swings and gliders, garden benches, and outdoor rocking chairs, which can be used to create spectacular outdoor living rooms.  Of course, there are also millions of outdoor kitchens and bedrooms to be furnished as well; and, luckily, porch furniture, once again, stacks up favorably against its indoor counterparts.

Naturally, there are several pieces that can cross over from room to room, just as daybeds, pull-out sofas, and chaise lounges do in our homes.  In fact, the outdoor chaise lounge is a good example, as it can be used for sitting, reclining, or sleeping.  Undoubtedly, lounge chairs are as important to outdoor furniture collections as they are to living room suites; and they are just as comfortable, as they have adjustable backs, wide armrests, and seats that are raised in the middle, to keep knees elevated.

When it’s time to lie down and take a snooze, truly, hammocks rival the comfort of even the softest beds.  Among the most popular pieces of outdoor furniture, they come in all colors, and can be made of canvas, rope, or mesh; and many of them have attached pillows.  They can be used anywhere, because, if you don’t have a place to hang one, you can always get a hammock stand; and the same goes for hammock chairs.  Swingbeds are also great for sitting, swinging, or napping.

As in indoor rooms, end tables are integral to the décor of all outdoor rooms; and they’re available in choices that are nearly, well, endless.  You’ll find an array of accent tables, such as outdoor coffee tables, terrace tables, and conversation tables, in cedar, pine, oak, cherry, teak, and polywood, in all colors and styles.

As for the eating arrangements, there’s no denying that, in most homes, picnic tables have always ranked right up there with kitchen tables.  Furthermore, because they have undergone such impressive changes over the past several years, they feature more styles, sizes, colors, and shapes than ever.  Along with the traditional rectangular picnic tables with attached benches, you’ll find hexagonal, octagonal, trestle, and extra-wide picnic tables with backed benches.  If you want something a bit more contemporary, you can get an outdoor dining table or a bistro set.

Indeed, whether in an open area, or an enclosed porch, patio, or gazebo, you can create any motif imaginable, as today’s patio furniture comes in such a wide range of materials, styles, and colors.  Moreover, the countless colors, color combinations, and patterns available for outdoor furniture cushions, patio umbrellas, and outdoor throw pillows, give you even more artistic opportunities for your outdoor décor.

It’s no wonder that we’re so crazy about outdoor living!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

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Naturally, most of the people who are hosting Labor Day cookouts will have made meticulous preparations to ensure that there will be ample food, drinks, and tableware for everyone.  They will also have music and lawn games planned in advance; and if people are going to be swimming, they will have lounge chairs by their pools, and extra towels in their pool houses.

Undoubtedly, they will also have places for everyone to sit and eat comfortably.  If their picnic tables are not large enough to accommodate everybody, they will surely have outdoor settees, Adirondack chairs and chaise lounges with wide armrests, outdoor accent tables, and even ottomans, where people can set their food and drinks.

While this is the ideal scenario, in reality, there will be many not-as-well-put-together get-togethers, because a lot of people will decide to have parties at the last minute.  After all, there are those who like to, uh, fly by the seats of their pants, as I believe the expression goes (you know, I’ve never quite understood where that saying came from; but one of these days, I’ll get to the bottom of it!).

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with doing things on the spur of the moment; actually, sometimes, that’s when you have the most fun.  So, if you suddenly decide to invite people over this weekend, don’t worry about things being unplanned.  Even if you never entertain, and you don’t have a lot of outdoor furniture – or even a picnic table – you can always use a table from your house, and scrape up some folding chairs.

Once you have your friends together, simply add some food and a grill, and it’s a party.  But, wait!  What if you don’t have a grill, either?  That’s okay, too, because you can make one on the spot.  Just take some cinder blocks, and stack them, at least a foot high, in the shape of a ‘U’ on a patch of concrete or bare ground; then put a rack on top of them (your oven rack will do), and start cooking.  In a pinch, you can also use an old, metal wheelbarrow with a rack across the top.  That should really get things rolling!

Just as there are several creative ways of getting the festivities started, there are many techniques for getting the fire started.  For example, a half-gallon waxed milk or juice carton makes an excellent disposable starter.  Just fill it with charcoal briquettes, and set it aflame; the container is easy to light, and will heat things up quickly.  You can also use a brown paper bag, filled with charcoal, twigs, and pieces of paper.

To make a reusable starter, use the sharp end of a bottle opener to punch triangle-shaped holes around the edge of a large coffee can, and remove the bottom with a regular can opener.  Then, place the can in your grill, open side up, put in some scraps of wood and paper, fill it to the top with charcoal, and light it through the holes at the bottom.  After the briquettes get hot, use tongs to lift the can and spread the coals.

In any situation, there are ways to improvise.  Mind you, I’m not saying that they will always amount to gracious living; but they don’t always have to.

The important thing is to have a fun – and safe – holiday weekend.

Happy Labor Day!

Kathy

While umbrellas are commonly associated with rain, they are also used to shield us from the sun.  In fact, the latter is the larger, nobler purpose, as it is more important, health-wise.  After all, getting wet in a cloudburst is not going to hurt anyone (except, perhaps, the Wicked Witch of the West, but I believe she’s dead, anyway).  On the other hand, as we all know, if we’re exposed to them for long periods, the sun’s rays can do a lot of damage to our skin and eyes.

Actually, that more dignified use is the one that served the members of nobility so well, centuries ago.  Back then, the original umbrellas were carried over the royals, not only to keep them shaded and cool, but to protect their skin as well.  The same was true of the early patio umbrellas that were used in ancient Rome and Greece.

Even now, staying out of direct sunlight seems to be the bigger concern for many of us.  For example, when looking for a seat on a restaurant’s patio during the day, most people will avoid any outdoor dining table that doesn’t have a patio umbrella.  When we take our beach umbrellas with us to the shore, it’s generally not because we’re afraid of rain, but because we want shelter from the sun.  That’s also why street vendors have market umbrellas over their carts.

Undoubtedly, there are even more, very gallant, acts that these outdoor umbrellas perform, besides simply safeguarding us from rays and rain.  Remember, there are other things that can fall out of the sky, which would be quite unpleasant to have land on our skin, clothes, picnic tables, food, or drinks.  Naturally, I’m talking about the leaves and sap that often drop from the trees.  I certainly can’t think of anything else.

Now, I am absolutely not downplaying the importance of the patio umbrella in keeping things dry.  That definitely is a great thing, as outdoor party plans don’t have to be canceled just because there’s a chance of rain.  I mean, it’s quite comforting to know that you won’t have to endure the disaster of having your hair get all wet!

Of course, like outdoor furniture, patio umbrellas have undergone significant improvements over the years.  For one thing, you can get one that features a tilting mechanism, which lets you adjust the angle of the umbrella’s canopy in accordance with the sun’s position, so that you will always have full coverage.

Another wonderful thing about today’s outdoor umbrellas is that they are available in every color imaginable, as well as scores of patterns, and endless color combinations.  Therefore, you can match them with your outdoor décor, as well as the outdoor furniture cushions on your patio chairs and chaise lounges.

Among the greatest attributes of an outdoor umbrella, however, is its aptitude for providing privacy, whether your picnic table is set up in your backyard, or on your patio.  Even if you have fences, walls, trellises, arbors, or garden screens, a nosy nearby neighbor may be able to look down on your outdoor living space.

On the other hand, if you have a patio umbrella, you’ll block the view from above; and, no matter how valuable it is in any other area, its ability to foil a prying neighbor’s curiosity is priceless!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy