Transform Your Yard This Summer

You work all year to sustain your home, so enjoying it should be a priority. In the warm southern states, yards are the perfect place to create a personal or family oasis. There are many options for relaxing, dining and connecting – you can create the stay-cation of your dreams while in the comfort of your American Dream. Never before have there been more options for outdoor furnishings, lighting and accessories to create outdoor rooms that can help transform your yard from blah to bliss!

Family Time

Yards and decks are the perfect places for a family to connect. Spend an entire evening each week al fresco, beginning with a grilled dinner. Include some physical activity to burn off the meal with a game of badminton, bocce ball or croquet. Following that, you can settle into a family game night or each family member can kick back in their own space and read, listen to music, converse, or play video games – while still being in the same shared outdoor space as a cohesive unit.

Related Read: Fun Summer Crafts to Keep Your Kids Engaged

Community Time

Engage with friends and neighbors by rotating afternoon or evening visits in one another’s yards. This provides built-in friends for the kids, who can play sports and games while the adults coordinate meals and bond in their own area of the yard or deck. These gatherings are a good place to share favorite dishes and recipes, without putting all the pressure on any one family to entertain many.

Think Multi-Function

What does your family like to do? If you are all athletic, you might want to invest in installing a great surface to shoot some hoops. If music is a shared passion, consider a sophisticated outdoor music system. If technology is your thing, creating a waterproof seating area with plenty of media plug-ins might be your family’s priority for spending time outdoors together. Finding comfortable furnishings that provide a perfect place to read a good book just might transform into a popular spot for everyone.

Outdoor labyrinths and meditation spots with statuary might be just the thing your family needs to unwind from the busyness and stress of the week. Fill your outdoor space with some beautiful art that engages nature such as birdhouses and birdbaths.

Lighting

Ever notice how a simple strand of miniature white lights can create a serene feeling or how multi-colored lights immediately make for a festive setting? Lighting that runs along the landscaping or under benches can create an inviting and elegant space. Whatever your budget, there are lighting options to choose from to create your vision. Illuminating your yard can make it usable around the clock without disturbing the neighbors.

Delineating Space

Gates, pillars, and paving, combined with lighting options, can be implemented to break up your outdoor space into “rooms” for different activities and uses.

Flowers and Landscaping

Blooming flowers provide beauty and color, while native plants and shrubs can be used to create a sense of privacy in your outdoor oasis while celebrating nature. Choosing native plantings will cut down on required maintenance and usually net you a better performing plant. Instead of having a huge cutting or vegetable garden that may need hours of toil, consider building them into your space in a more accessible and organic way that does not require as much labor. Place plants in colorful pots instead of putting everything in the ground.

Related Read: Summer Maintenance Tips