Flower Planting 101: Simplifying Your Planting Maps
Creating An Outdoor Space For Entertaining
Juanita Douglas
If you have the yard space, making a great backyard for entertaining may be a priority. The following are some essential elements to include in your plan.
Outdoor Furniture
The biggest expense and most important feature will be your outdoor furniture. It's a good idea to have a variety of yard furniture for people with different preferences. Some people may like a wicker chair with a cushion, while others would prefer a bench or rocking chair. Tables big enough to host potlucks are also a must. When you're choosing furniture for the patio, look for items that are weather resistant. Treated wicker or teak are good options, but basically anything with a polymer coating can hold well in inclement weather. You can buy outdoor furniture online for a much better selection.
Lighting
Safety is important; good lighting will pave the way. Make sure that all of your pathways are well-lit on each side. Track lighting is a good plan, but you could also go with candles or tiki torches that create a clear delineation of the roadways. Don't forget your mood lighting; candles or low-level light bulbs (such as Edison bulbs) provide enough light to see but also don't detract from the mood of being outdoors.
Kitchen Implements
What's a good outdoor party without food? When planning a barbecue, you'll probably want plates and utensils that you feel comfortable having left outside.
A Place to Store Everything
Of course, the weather can't always be great. So, you'll want a place to store everything when it rains or snows. Outdoor furniture is best stored in a garage. Sometimes, you can buy furniture that is resistant to the elements. So, you don't technically have put it away. But removing the cushions from chairs is a minimal thing to do when the weather is not so nice.
The same goes for lawn mowers and other lawn implements; they should be stored in a garage shed. Empty the gasoline out before you store these items for the winter. In short, as you plan your outdoor paradise, make sure that you have accounted for where these items can go when they're not in service.
Overall, building a great yard or patio can take some money. But it is a good way to extend your property; consider it as adding another living room to your home. Except, in this one, you can see the sunset, trees, and stars.
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One of the things that I always loved about spring as a kid was watching all of the flowers my mother planted suddenly come up from the ground and then bloom into vibrant, beautiful colors. When I bought my own house, one of the first things I wanted to do was plant flowers. What I didn't realize was how hard it could be to figure out what to plant where. From the sun demand to the companion planting guides, it was complicated. I created this site to help others just like me create the flower gardens they always wanted without the struggles that I faced.