Making the Most of Your Garden – Patio Equipment and Furnishings
Not too long ago a garden was something that you looked at out of a window and kept tidy so that the neighbours and passers by had something to make small talk about.
Those days are however long past and now the garden has become a mix of a quiet retreat and an area used for socialising, eating and partying. In fact many people now see their garden as being nothing short of an extension to their home and they take every opportunity to use it.
So how can you make the most out of your garden?
The first challenge that most people face when it comes to maximising garden (back yard) use is the climate.
For all but the lucky few, a four season climate sees cold and often wet weather dominate major periods of the year. This means that the garden can appear to be a cold, muddy and inhospitable place – not the kind of environment that you want to spend time in, let alone invite friends to.
There is however a solution, or rather a number of solutions, that can make any garden a warm, friendly and sociable place to be and all are affordable and practical.
Keep a garden warm
The big problem with using a garden out of season is warmth, so the solution to this problem is to buy a garden heater. These heaters can be gas burning tower heaters that use butane or propane, or electric heaters that produce infrared rays.
If you want something more interesting, then you can go for a traditional terra cotta or wrought iron chimenea (wood burner) or even a fire pit. Ether way, there are a number of options and all will add interest as well as some much appreciated heat.
BBQ
The best way to entertain and satisfy most groups of people is with food and drink and therefore having a barbeque is a great idea. BBQ’s can burn wood or BBQ coals, or they can be powered by gas or even electricity.
If you want to combine the two, then the chimenea and fire pit, although often used as garden heaters, are actually really intended for cooking and they work very effectively.
Hard landscaping
If you want to use the garden when the lawn is wet and muddy you will need a dry area and this is where a patio comes in. The patio can be constructed out of just about anything that is solid, level and resilient, so pavers, paving slabs, loose gravel and timber decking are all ideal.
The patio area then becomes the centre of any garden activities and the area where the heater and barbeque are placed.
Furniture
Even with a solid floor, heat and food you still need somewhere to sit and somewhere to put down plates and drinks. The answer is garden or patio furniture.
Garden furniture sets come in wrought iron, wood, plastic and metal and fabric combinations and they can convert your open patio area into an outdoor room. The only possible problem that you can now face is rain and inclement weather and even then there is a solution.
Cabins and summerhouses
If your garden is big enough you can always add a summerhouse or log cabin. These outdoor buildings can be big or small and you can use them as store areas, or as outdoor rooms with light and electricity supplied to them.
Having a summerhouse gives any guests or family members the choice of staying outside, or going indoors, but without actually leaving the garden environment.
