Last updated: January 19, 2024
Summer evenings and nights are something special. There is a certain aura that quietly settles in after a long scorching day. Maybe it’s because days are quite long during the summer that makes nighttime special. Maybe it’s because we finally get some cooling-off time and can unwind in the privacy of our yard. Whatever it is, your backyard is there to offer privacy and recharge at the end of the day.
Whether you wish to provide a place for small talk that extends deep into the night or slouch back and nap, your yard needs to be equipped for the job at hand. With plenty of options to pick and chose from, it can be easy to get lost in them but we are here to help. Without further ado, let’s get started with the re-decorating!
1. Perk up the yard with a Pergola
Pergolas are the extension of your home that are perfect to adapt for your yard. Consider them as extra living spaces where you can do whatever you wish. Plant some crawling plants at its side or use hanging pots and let some vines dangle. With one extension cord or some fiddling, you can extend your electricity to it and start creating wonders.
Fans, water curtains, television for movie nights, whatever you can think of. Pergolas are there to break the monotony of your yard and provide a haven for you to relax and unwind. While many consider them a costly addition, they can also be viewed as a solid investment. Pergolas add to your overall property value, in addition to expanding your living space. Two birds with one stone.
2. Veggies and spices
Your yard can have additional utility with a small garden sector. Besides colourful plants, you can plant low maintenance vegetables and variuos spice plants. Oregano, spicy peppers, rosemary and sage require regular watering, and that’s pretty much it. These plants have fragrance and can be used in cooking, especially if you opt for an outdoor kitchen (we will cover this later).
Plants don’t have to be only for show, and with a bit of out-of-the-box thinking, you can implement and integrate one box for vegetables and one for spice plants. These can be relocated and put anywhere you wish, packed up before winter and deployed again when the time is right. Many items in life are used in a myriad of ways, and all it takes is a bit of change in perspective.
When you start cooking in your yard, you can now extend your hand and pick the freshest produce for your meals. It cannot come any more natural or fresh than picking fruits from your garden which you cultivated and grew from seeds. All it took was some creative thinking.
3. Fire elements
Fire is the most primordial aspect we know. Grouping around a lit fireplace comes naturally to us, as we have been doing it since the dawn of mankind. Creating a fire pit with some sitting areas around it makes for a perfect focal point for you and your guests to gather and roast some sausages, vegetables and marshmallows. Or relax, lay back and gaze into the night as the fireplace crackles.
Option number two for playing with fire is a BBQ pit. What better way to enjoy your yard than with some grilled meat, vegetables and beer? We couldn’t think of anything better to do on those lazy weekends. BBQs are always a great idea, whether you do them by yourself, your family or want to throw a party. Sparking the conversation and keeping the atmosphere going deep into the night comes naturally when you have a crackling fireplace. No longer do you need to take camping trips as you are bringing that exclusive feeling to the privacy and comfort of your backyard.
4. Light up the place
Various outdoor lights are available to set the mood and focus when designing your yard. From glaring to subtle, if you can imagine the light, it probably exists, and you are a Google search away from it. You can have subtle porch lights to set a dim and intimate mood or adjustable lights for any occasion. Creating a magical landscape comes easy with solar fairy lights, or you can go all out with some stronger lights for pergolas and porches.
LED and solar-type lights are there to keep your budget relaxed as you sit back and enjoy the light show. One great advantage to solar lights that we have to mention, is that you can place them virtually anywhere without the need for cable management, which makes them that much more appealing. Lights can be stretched out on your walls, and make your walls that much more appealing. Any surface can be a blank canvas for your future light-inspired project!
5. Water to the rescue
On the other side of the elemental spectrum, there are water elements for your garden and yard. Fountains and sprinklers are for the subtle addition or inflated, montage or permanent pools for that permanent solution to refreshment. Being near any body of water has soothing and therapeutic effects on our minds and health. Fountains can attract birds, and while they chirp and you hear the water running, it will be easy to doze away into dreamland.
Fairy tales start with less, and you can create a scenic display that represents the ancient gardens of Greece and Babylon if you add some crawling plants that will go around your watery sculptures. Creative ideas flow and blossom in such an environment, and with water and adjacent sculptures, you can create your dreamland. If you have that inner artist that’s seeking a creative outlet, then this type of yard design is right up your ballpark.
6. Outdoor movies
When it’s summer, it’s usually too hot to stay indoors for a long time. Yes, there is air conditioning, but we have all been cramped up inside for the entire winter, and God dam it’s time to get outside, touch some grass, breath fresh air and have an open-air cinema. We mentioned having a pergola but putting a TV on your porch or deck is equally viable.
With one cord you can bring the magic pretty much anywhere and enjoy the great outdoors alongside your favourite movie. Movie nights under the stary night sky are in a different league than regular indoor cinema. Or you can use your TV for background noise, decorative pictures or play some YouTube relaxing videos while you do other things. Outdoor cinema is there to enhance and be a great addition, not only a focal point.
7. Chill the nights with a Hot tub
Hot tubs and jacuzzies are items that people usually associate with indoors, luxury and excessive. Modern yard design changes all those prejudices and established norms as they are readily available for all to implement in their yard design. Doing a bit of online research can find you the perfect handyman to install and create this future bastion of relaxation. Both hot tubs and jacuzzies come with a wooden deck around them, so you can also include that in the overall design. Once all is done you can dive right in, and relax in bubbly and jet goodness. While your sight drifts among the stars, you will wonder how could you have ever lived without such an item.
Try to imagine a cold drink in one hand in this picture, and you will never want to leave your special place. They should, by all means, be the centerpiece of your garden as such an attraction is worthy of such a grand position. What you think is luxury is no longer attached to items like hot tubs and jacuzzies. The real luxury comes with utilising all the resources you have and combining them for wonderful results.
8. Living yard room
A novel and futuristic concept for sure, but it’s becoming more popular by the day. People are sick of being stuffed inside. Even more because of the past pandemic, and seek any opportunity to relax outdoors. Your yard is the perfect haven to realise such a project. Backyard furniture is essentially the same as its indoor counterparts, with a bit more ruggedness and endurance attached.
You can re-create an entire living room and move from inside to out during the hot summer period. If you have a BBQ or a cooking area, you are set to live outside for as long as you wish. Outdoor furniture can be moved and re-arranged at a whim and moment’s notice, so you can move around your garden whenever you get bored of your current layout. With some maintenance and proper storage during the off months, you will have them up and ready for each summer season.
Spending more time outdoors will do wonders for your mental and physical health, not to mention that the change in perspective will also have its positive gains. Your entire yard will become a green extension to your living space, and no longer will your way of life be tied up strictly inside. Utilising your yard to the fullest and making the most out of your property makes sense and we have collectively been ignoring the potential in yard life for far too long. Any investment in such an endeavour will more than pay for itself.
Making any changes to you or your surroundings requires time, elbow grease and some bravery! For when you are bored with seeing the same old design and layout, you need to take action and modify your surroundings to your liking. It’s your yard, after all, so your rules apply. Bit by bit, change by change, and you will see how your idea comes to life before your very eyes. There is no shortage of ideas on the net and all you have to do is do some Google or Pinterest diving to find out. Creativity comes suddenly, and you can get inspired while drinking coffee in your current yard and then envision something new, bold and different! Whatever your choice may be, we wish you all the best.
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