Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

It’s no surprise that outdoor weddings are more popular than ever; in fact, it seems only logical.  After all, millions of backyards have been turned into luxurious exterior rooms, complete with outdoor sofas, loveseats, lounge chairs, outdoor dining tables, and other comforts.  Furthermore, many people also have gazebos and pavilions, which are perfect settings for weddings and receptions.  With all of these amenities, who wants to go anywhere else?

The trouble is that insects also enjoy hanging out in these backyard havens; and they wouldn’t think twice about crashing an outdoor wedding.  So, if you’re planning one, take all possible measures to prevent them from ruining the occasion.  You can begin by spraying the area the day before the ceremony.  Using citronella candles is also a must; and, fortunately, they’re much more attractive than they used to be.  No longer available only in big, silver buckets, they now come in all colors of votive candles, which can easily be worked into any centerpiece, or used separately, in decorative holders.

Of course, taking steps to reduce the insect population is a good move anyway, because, aside from being mere annoyances, they can sometimes even be deadly.  Such is the case with mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.  Luckily, you can control them by eliminating their favorite breeding grounds, which are pools of stagnant water.

Don’t leave anything lying around outside that will collect water, such as empty buckets, flowerpots, planters, wheelbarrows, sandboxes, sandbox covers, wading pools, waste receptacles and lids, or old tires.  If you’re not using these items for their intended purposes, bring them inside, put them in your garage or shed, or get rid of them.

If you have any low spots in your yard, where puddles remain for days after a heavy rain, build them up with topsoil.  If there are sunken areas on hard surfaces that cannot be raised, put a few drops of dish detergent into the puddles.  This will make them uninhabitable by mosquitoes, and kill their eggs as well.

Keep wasps away by destroying their nests, which are usually found under the eaves of houses, sheds, and garages.  Just wait until dusk, when all the wasps are tucked in for the night, and squirt them with wasp and hornet spray; it shoots a steady stream that travels 20 to 30 feet, and kills on contact.

To get rid of maverick wasps, fill some margarine containers halfway with sugar water, cut tiny holes in the lids, and set them around the outskirts of the yard.  The wasps will go into the holes, and get stuck inside the containers.  Yellow jackets often nest in the ground; so, wait until after dark, pour boiling water down the hole, and you’ll wipe out the entire colony.

As for flies, well, they’re really tough to control.  I mean, they can certainly be trapped on fly paper, but it’s never a pretty sight.  So, I guess you’ll just have to do something creative, like having fly swatters for favors.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: Gazebos, lounge chairs, loveseats, outdoor dining tables, outdoor sofas, pavilions, Planters, shed, Sheds, waste receptacles

If you’re having a picnic in your backyard, it’s no big deal if you forget something when you’re setting up your picnic table and grill.  In most cases, you’ll either have it in your house, or you’ll simply have to go to a convenience store and get it.  However, when you’re going to a park, or out to the woods, you will have to be extra careful not to leave anything behind.

Just for starters, make sure that you not only have the right containers for transporting everything, but that you have enough of them.  I mean, one picnic basket is rarely sufficient for all of the food that you’ll be taking (and that’s not even counting the stuff that will have to go into coolers).  You can use a couple of baskets for food, and another one (or more) for carrying the dishes, glasses, utensils, and napery.  You should also have coolers of all sizes, whether they’re the regular, old-fashioned kind, or the newer ones that are like combinations of coolers, backpacks, purses, briefcases, and luggage (some of which even have wheels).

The type of tableware that you’ll use will largely depend upon the occasion, and the location of your picnic.  For casual get-togethers, regular paper plates and plastic tablecloths and utensils will do just fine.  If, however, you want to dress things up, you may decide to use one of your better tablecloths; but if you do, bring an old sheet to put under it as a liner to protect it from snags.  You can also find festive-looking, heavy-duty plates and napkins, as well as multi-colored plastic dishes and glasses that look just like the real things.

Now, if it’s going to be really fancy, and you’re bringing the good tableware, pack it in with the blankets, which are also prerequisites for any cookout.  Even if you’re going to be eating at a picnic table, you’ll want to have a place to stretch out and relax afterward; and don’t forget to pack some plastic sheeting to put under the blankets if the ground is moist.  You can also bring along a hammock, and, just in case the trees don’t line up right, a hammock stand.  For extra seating, load up some outdoor folding chairs or steamer chairs as well.

If you’re cooking out at a park, you’ll probably be in a pavilion with a nearby park grill; otherwise, you’ll have to bring a tent, if you want shelter, and a small charcoal grill or a fire ring for cooking.

Leaving the area spotless is a must, too, so pack paper towels or cloths that you can use to clean the picnic tables, and put all of your trash into waste receptacles.  If you’re going to be in the wilderness, where no trash cans are provided, bring some large garbage bags.

Of course, in the latter case, it’s extremely important to make sure that any fires that you have built are put out completely.  In fact, it is, literally, a matter of life and death.  So, since Smokey Bear isn’t here to write this himself (he’s terrible at typing, anyway!), I’ll say it for him: “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!”

Wow!  I just realized that’s the second blog in a row in which I’ve quoted a bear!  Quoted a bear?!  Even that sounds crazy (well, if the quote fits)!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: charcoal grill, fire ring, hammock, hammock stand, outdoor folding chairs, pavilion, picnic table, steamer chairs, trashcans, waste receptacles

Well, last Thursday was Earth Day; but I’m just getting around to writing about it.  That’s because I was off last week (way off!), and, like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder, I got a little behind in my work!

I really wanted to acknowledge it, though, because it was the “Big 4-0” for the Blue Marble’s celebration, which was established on April 22, 1970.  Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to say “Happy belated Earth Day!”  After all, even though it’s official on only one day, its purpose is to make us all more aware of the many ways in which we can be kinder to the planet throughout the year(s).

Furthermore, many areas observe Earth Week, during which, they sponsor environmentally-beneficial activities.  For example, a lot of communities organize volunteers to clean and beautify their neighborhoods.  In fact, I was a part of one of these groups in my town last Saturday.  Every year at this time, we meet at the gazebo in the main park, then go around picking up trash and putting it into waste receptacles.

We also sweep sidewalks, clear rubbish from the river banks, paint, and plant flowers and trees.  Because these tasks are spread over several weekends, it’s more like Earth Month.  No matter how you look at it, working for the welfare of this world is always a timely thing; and there are countless measures that we can take to improve its status, many of which are nearly effortless.

For example, take litter (please!).  There’s just no reason for it.  It’s the easiest problem to solve, yet garbage is everywhere – on city streets, along highways, and in wooded areas; and, now, it seems that even public parks are getting messier.  Instead of having a relaxing cookout, you often have to clean up the picnic tables and pavilions after reckless revelers have left their trash lying around, even though the entire area is surrounded by waste receptacles!  In many cases, you’ll also have to clean the grills before you can use them.

Recycling is also simple, yet very important.  It includes not only disposing of garbage properly, but buying things that are made from recycled items; and there are all types of goods in this category.

For instance, polywood outdoor furniture, which is absolutely stunning, is constructed largely from recycled plastics.  Polywood outdoor dining tables, porch swings, patio chairs, porch gliders, and other pieces of porch furniture, look remarkably like real wood, but come in dozens of colors, and are practically indestructible.  You can also find hammocks made from Envirope, which consists of 100% recycled polyester fiber that is derived from discarded pop bottles, yet is as soft as cotton.

The list of eco-friendly merchandise gets more impressive every year.  These days, you can even find all sorts of stylish clothing that’s made from hemp, soybeans, water bottles, tires, paper, cardboard, foam cups, and tons of other stuff.

Just think – there may even come a day when everybody will be running around in their Earth Day suits!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: gazebo, grills, Hammocks, patiochairs, pavilions, picnic tables, polywood outdoor dining tables, polywood outdoor furniture, porch furniture, porch gliders, porch swings, waste receptacles