Using Garden Accessories to Invite Friends Outdoors

(Note: This article was written in early September originally, in case the weather references seem strange to your neck of the woods!)

Ah, the hot summer days are starting to leave us. -- The nights are getting a bit cooler and the mornings are becoming crisp. It’s still not too late to create, and enjoy, an outdoor living space utilizing garden decor. Many people have started creating outdoor living spaces using garden accessories, patio furniture, and fancy grill set-ups. It has become quite fashionable to take things outside rather than keeping to the confines of the walls of our homes. Being able to enjoy the outdoors is not something that is reserved only for the rich and famous anymore. Enjoying an evening with friends on your patio or in your backyard builds memories as well. There is just something about good friends, good conversation, and the smell of the outdoors that just registers within our souls. So let’s begin creating in our minds that cozy, friendly atmosphere we want for our outdoor living space. br>
Start off by deciding where you spend most of your time outdoors. Do you enjoy sitting on the patio or do you find yourself gravitating to the yard? You want your space to be in an area that you already enjoy being in or would enjoy being in if a place was created. Keep in mind too that you will be having friends and family over to enjoy this extended part of your home as well. You want to keep things open but well defined and easily accessible. You want to create an atmosphere that beckons people to stay and visit and enjoy the natural surroundings. Keeping it simple and easy to maintain is important too. What good does it do to have a getaway area if you’re constantly keeping it up? When decorating our area, keep to things that are easily rinsed off and can be left outside year round.

Now that you have an area in mind , let’s start defining it. Begin with the entrance to your outdoor space. Visualize using garden decor and outdoor furniture to invite people to come in. Utilizing things like stepping stones and wind chimes, rather than the old standby welcome mat, gives a cozy feeling that says welcome. This is your space to be as creative as you want. Using stepping stones as well to create a pathway to the main area is a wonderful touch. These garden accessories don’t just come in plain concrete anymore. There are many vibrant colors and designs now to suit your taste. Another nice touch is to put decorative garden stakes and small planters along the side of your pathway. These small additions will make quite an impression to your visitors.

Let’s take a look for a moment at your main area. Unlike your house, we don’t have walls to define our room. Using garden accessories like hanging planters, small and large statuettes, or even iron statues will not only define your area but be pleasing to the eyes. Adding a small birdbath within your area creates a Venice like ambience to your space. Using wrought iron and wood furniture keeps your quaint outdoor theme going and provides for comfortable seating for everyone. With the days beginning to become shorter, we need to think about lighting as well. You can always use the tried and true tiki torches or you may choose to pizzazz it up a little. There are now, on the market, beautiful solar powered lanterns that will bring a uniqueness to your outdoor living space. They give off a wonderful ambience and don’t need electricity either. Then there is also the fire pit that you can incorporate that not only will give you light but warmth as well on the cooler evenings.

So there you have it. A nice little blueprint to get your creative juices flowing so that you can create your very own outdoor living space. Utilizing garden accessories in different ways, you can create a unique and usable area to enjoy for years to come. Garden dÑBr is not just for the garden anymore. Adding an outdoor area will bring you lasting memories of friends, family, and good times. There is still time before winter comes to create and enjoy your outdoor home. So get out there, start creating and let your imagination go.

Copyright Liz Hekimian-Williams