Summer is meant for the outdoors
Despite an uncharacteristically wet Spring, all this extra rain will be well worth it when we can finally enjoy those 80º, sunny days, complete with hiking, swimming, and, our personal favorite, backyard barbecues! Since we only get a few months of nice weather to enjoy being outdoors here in the Pacific Northwest, our backyard spaces need to be in tip-top shape for all that Summertime entertaining.
An entertainer’s space can make or break a party or gathering, and with nice weather, leveraging your backyard space is a no-brainer! With warmer days (and less rain!) finally on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get your yard ready to welcome friends, family, and guests soon enough.
While general cleaning is a great place to start (check out our blog on yard spring cleaning for some tips on this), there are a few major things to consider as you plan and prepare your space for Summer entertaining.
Make your patio comfy & welcoming
Depending on how large or small your patio is, picking the right furniture is an integral part of any great outdoor entertaining space!
If space allows, think about how furniture can help designate different spaces to have different purposes. Pick a nice, comfy outdoor couch or some nice Adirondack chairs for general lounging, and invest in a nice outdoor dining table with chairs for your guests to eat and drink the day away.
If you’re working with a smaller space, prioritize how you plan to use the space, and choose furniture to best serve that purpose! For example, if dinner parties are your jam, maybe choose a solid table and chairs over a couch. Or if you’re more of a happy hour kind of entertainer, a firepit with lounge chairs might be a better choice for your space.
Other than some good patio furniture, a grill is another staple of any entertainer’s backyard. A grill is a great universal appliance for outdoor living, but if you’re big into cooking, maybe an outdoor kitchen is right for you! Installing an outdoor kitchen will give you all the functionality of a grill with a little extra, like a stove, countertop space, and maybe even a pizza oven, if you’re feeling extra adventurous!
Get creative with lighting
While it gets dark significantly later in the Summer, sometimes those backyard gatherings just aren’t ready to wrap it up when the sun goes down. Thus, good lighting becomes incredibly important for a functional outdoor entertaining space. An obvious and easy option to bring extra light to your space is to install some lighting on the side of the house that shines on your patio, making it much easier to enjoy the space past sunset.
Lighting can also make a statement as a decor piece in your outside space. Adding some string lights over the dining table, some solar-powered lighting lining your paths or beds, or decorative fairy lights wrapping your trees and bushes can make your space feel elevated and beautiful while also providing some much-needed light at night.
Outside of making for a great entertaining space, outdoor lighting is important for a few other reasons, too, like safety and increased value to your home. Sounds like a win-win, to us!
Install a statement water feature
We can’t stress enough how much we love water features. They are not only beautiful and unique, but they provide a lot of other value to your backyard space, too. For example, a waterfall or fountain can help drown out unwanted noise from neighbors or nearby streets, and a pond is a unique talking point for your guests. If your yard has the space, adding a water feature is a great way to add extra value to your home, and water features are super easy to customize to your style and needs!
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Creating a beautiful and functional entertainment space can feel daunting, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. If entertaining is on your bucket list for these warmer months, let Greenhaven Landscapes help you create a space that you and your guests will enjoy all Summer long! Call us or contact us today.