Summer is here and what better time is there to throw a little party for all of your friends and loved ones? You don’t need an occasion: the good weather and the need for a proper catch up are more than enough of a reason to get everyone together. So, for the perfect get-together, it’s time to start prepping for the ultimate garden party. Here’s everything you need for the best event of the summer.

[Photo courtesy of Gergő/pexels.com]

Prepare Your Garden Space

First things first, you need to make sure that your garden is neat and tidy. Most of us neglect the space during the winter months, as we don’t get much use out of it. So it’s time to start making up for lost time! Get your gardening gloves on and start mowing the lawn, pulling weeds and tackling those long bits of grass in the corners with a strimmer. It shouldn’t take too long but face this task sooner rather than later. You want to go at your own pace, rather than rushing about hours before the guests are due to arrive.

[Photo courtesy of Christopher Craig/flickr.com]

BBQ

Your guests will be hungry throughout the day, so make sure you’re ready to cater to their needs. A BBQ is the best option, as it means that you won’t be stuck inside, chained to the oven while everyone else is out back enjoying themselves. Barbequing is an immersive experience. You can share cooking responsibilities and be right in the middle of the action while turning hot dogs and flipping burgers. Remember to ensure that there’s something suitable for everyone to eat with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options for those with special dietary requirements. Make sure that there are plenty of drinks available too! The hot weather will get everyone thirsty. Squash or fresh juice is great for the kids. For adults? Make a huge bowl of punch with plenty of ice. This will keep everyone cool and refreshed.

Seating

It’s easy to forget that people will need somewhere to sit. Nobody wants to stand up all day and evening and most people will want to avoid sitting directly on the grass or decking. Invest in some high-quality outdoor furniture that can be used time and time again. This can be stored away in a shed when not in use. Throw some blankets out on the ground for little ones to sit or lie down on. Some will appreciate a little nap in the shade.

Entertainment

You’re going to need some entertainment. This doesn’t necessarily mean hiring out a band or magician, but some music and games will usually suffice. Invest in some good speakers that will project the sound around your garden. All you will need to do then is set up a little playlist on your iPod and plug it in, ready to go. Kids will appreciate games like twister and some adults might even join in too later in the evening! Paddling pools often go down well too, as an option to cool down in the heat of the midday sun.

Not enough people appreciate a good garden. Even those that do often don’t have the time to actually work on their garden themselves. But if you even have a garden then you should consider yourself lucky! Not only are gardens adding more and more to real estate value, but they’re somewhat of a rarity for many people these days. To some, a home with a nice garden is the ultimate life goal.

[Photo courtesy of ricoeurian/flickr.com]

So let’s say you’re someone who does appreciate a good garden. Let’s also say that you don’t really spend that much time on your own. What are some simple ways to spice up your garden to add some life and luxury to it? Here are some quick tips.

Fountain

There’s nothing quite like walking out into a garden and hearing the faint trickle of water in the summer. It’s relaxing, luxurious, and classy. This can be attained via pretty much any water feature. But perhaps the most famous, and the most elegant, is the garden fountain.

[Photo courtesy of Elliot Brown/flickr.com]

Fountains make for an amazing focal point in any garden. Putting one in the middle of your lawn could be enough to add some class to your property. You can read about professional installation at https://www.outdoorfountainpros.com/, as well as seeing just how many different designs you can get for your garden. Remember that all eyes will be drawn to it immediately;  add some beautiful flora around it for extra effect.

Stone pathway

A beautiful stone pathway encourages guests to explore your garden. It defines a walking area, so you don’t end up trodding over all your grass. While you may not care too much about flattened grass, having a given path for roaming makes the roaming all the more pleasurable.

[Photo courtesy of caryn516/pixabay.com]

It’s easier than you think to get one of these in. You can read more about the required landscaping at http://www.hightechlandscapes.com/. Take a walk around your garden, trying to envision a path. What route or walking style do you like best? You should also consider the other features of your garden. You could have your pathway lead to a fountain or your favourite flower beds. And once a stone pathway is set, you can decorate it further. Nothing compliments a stone pathway more than a trellis with cascading vegetation!

Deck

People love a good patio. But timber decking is even better! With elevated, high-quality wood beneath your feet, a strong deck is the best way to enjoy your garden on those sunny summer days.

[Photo courtesy of JDoorjam/wikipedia.org]

You’ve probably seen an elegant garden deck before, so you know what kind of benefits they can bring to you. If it’s well-designed, it makes your house look amazing (and adding to its value in the process!) You can help ensure your decking meets that particular criteria by visiting http://www.americandeckbuilder.com/ and working with experts in the field. With a safe cooking area installed, you can get a classy BBQ with friends and family going. You can consider it your home’s “hub” of outdoor entertainment during the warm weather.

Do you love hosting garden parties for your friends and family during the summer months? Would you like to ensure they go off without a hitch this year? Then you need to consider some of the tips and advice on this page. You can have a fantastic time without breaking the bank if you just take some simple steps. Nothing in this article will take a long time to complete, and so you could have everything ready in less than a week. Once that’s done, you just have to set a date and send your invites. With a bit of luck, this year’s garden parties will go better than any you’ve held before.

Build a brick BBQ so you can cook outside

Before you do anything else, it’s sensible to make a BBQ so you can cook lots of food outside. The last thing you want to do is stay in the kitchen when your friends have come around to a social gathering. Thankfully, the process should only take a couple of hours, and you only need some basic materials. Thirty or forty house bricks should be enough for you to complete the structure. Of course, you can add grills and other things like that to ensure it functions in the best way possible. You’ll find guides online and videos on YouTube if you get stuck.

[Photo courtesy of Dick Knight/flickr.com]

Create an outdoor shelter

You never know when the heavens will open and all your guests will get wet. For that reason, it’s sensible to build some shelter outside. If you don’t have much money to spend, you could purchase a portable gazebo or something similar. Those products are available for reasonable prices from your local home stores. Of course, those who want to go a step further have other options on the table. Patio roof awnings are an excellent choice because they’re semi-permanent. However, you don’t need to seek planning permission or anything like that. So, take a look online at some of the most relevant suppliers.

Install an outdoor audio system

You’re going to want to entertain all your guests with some music. While you could traipse wires from your stereo outside, there are better solutions available. Waterproof outdoor speakers have come down in price considerably during the last few years. So, maybe you should get some and screw them to your exterior walls. You can then link your stereo and play music outside without having to work too hard. In some instances, you can get systems that use a remote control. That’s perfect because you can swap and change the music while you’re outside cooking the food.

Now you know how to get your garden ready for its next party, we hope you will make improvements this year. The best thing about building a BBQ is that you won’t have to keep buying those disposable products. The outdoor shelter will keep everyone dry, and the speakers will entertain. Sure, there are more things you could do. However, I just wanted to show you the fundamentals and point you in the right direction.

For most people, the size of the garden is a huge selling point if they are planning to buy a property. It’s not just the idea that if you have a garden, children have a place to play. A little bit – or a lot – of land that you own is something to be proud of, and you want to be able to maximize on the space you have and not let it go to waste. There are so many ways you can use a garden and stripping the whole thing back to basics and starting from scratch is the smart thing to do. It’s your piece of private outdoor space to do what you want with and that begins from the ground up. Doing up the garden can be as fun as doing up any room in the house, but are you ready for the challenge?

[Photo courtesy of ADD/pixabay.com]

Some people decide to fully landscape their garden into one that is low maintenance. This generally is for those who have no real interest in gardening but still want to use the outside space for children, barbecues and generally having the outdoor area to entertain friends. This can be anything from laying patterned gravel like this to tarmacking the entire area so it’s got a slight bounce – great for children to play. Low maintenance gardens are great for people who don’t have time for the upkeep of planting flowers or vegetables and generally want to be able to tidy the space up quickly.

There are those who want a fully green garden packed with seasonal flowers, lawn and a vegetable patch to grow peppers and onions. Generally, these gardens are very high maintenance and require a few hours work every week to maintain their colour. Sprinklers in the summer and watering cans for the hanging plants are a feature and the pride in the outdoor setting is obvious. A fully bloomed garden is beautiful and smells amazing in the summer months, and it’s also a very peaceful place to sit and just be. There are some amazing ways you can maximize on the space you have in your garden, whether it’s a tiny little patio area or half a football field attached to the rear of your home and with these three fab ideas, you can use the garden in the way you have always dreamed:

[Photo courtesy of Leonid Dzhepko/wikimedia.org]

Planting is one of the most popular activities in a garden. You could choose to landscape your garden with a lawn and edge the entire thing with border flowers that relate to the season. If your garden space is a little smaller than you would like but you have big dreams for it, don’t grow around, grow UP! Adding fencing and bamboo can see some beautiful climbing ivy and other plants through the year growing upward in your garden. You can also plant squash and variations of beans and cucumber if a vegetable garden is something that interests you. Making a tepee of climbing plants for your garden can give it a green glow all year round. Don’t forget to invest in the right equipment though, you’ll need mowers and tools for your garden to keep it in tip top shape.

[Photo courtesy of Kaboompics // Karolina/pexels.com]

Entertaining friends at home is always a pleasure, but being able to spill out into the garden is even better. If you have gone for a low maintenance garden, you’re likely to be lacking much in the way of greenery and colour outside. Adding solar lights, bunting and fake bushes like these ones can add some beauty to an otherwise plain garden. Build your own brick barbecue and think about having inflatable hot tubs on standby to get out when guests are over. Drinks on a chilly New Year’s Even can be so much better when you’re relaxing in the warm bubbles of your new hot tub and eating tasty burgers from the new barbecue! Maximizing your garden for entertainment is a way to make the space you have somewhere you want to be. There’s no use having extra land if you can’t use it to make yourself happy and entertaining guests in a unique way is the best. Invite them over and remind them to bring their swimwear!

One of the most popular ways to maximize the garden space is to build on it. Not just plant and flower boxes, but conservatories. When you have a lot of land in the back of the house, you have the opportunity to attach what ends up being an entirely new room onto the house. This not only adds value to the house as a whole, but it gives you that extra dining room/play room/craft space you’ve always imagined you could have. A conservatory is a fantastic idea if you live in an area that is heavy with rain. You can then use the rest of the outside space for entertaining and planting beautiful flowers. You can read more about installing a conservatory here.

[Photo courtesy of Literatirus/wikimedia.org]

Your garden is your own private haven to do with what you will. Add in a pond and some fish for a little touch of wildlife and hang bird feeders from the trees. You can even buy some fantastic garden furniture like this to make your outdoor area feel homelier than just a blank canvas to look at. Taking the time to make the most of your garden comes down to how busy you are and how much you care about the flush of colour that your garden has.

There are so many people who don’t have the time to maintain a garden but if you have the time, turn the garden from boring to brilliant. Make it an extension of your home and furnish, decorate and breathe life into it. You want to create a place you and your friends want to be; and your garden is that space as long as you take the time to make the most of the area you have.

The best part of the year is spring cleaning and that often includes the garden. The garden does often get neglected during the colder months as no one wants to spend time out there and it’s far too chilly for planting. Getting your garden summer ready is no easy feat, especially if the weather has been against you all winter. But there are some fantastic ways to get your garden looking beautiful, and it’s not all down to the plants either.

Most garden changes can be done yourself, especially if you possess a talent and a green thumb. Sometimes, some projects can include calling out a company to help and if you simply don’t have the time but want a summer garden, it’s a smart idea. However, if you have the right tools in place, you could have a beautiful, flower-filled garden with defined pathways and newly built garden furniture. Patio and garden furnishings are the pride of some gardens and if you manage to build them yourself, even better. If you are a novice with woodwork but fancy turning your hand at creating eye-catching garden furniture, then you should make sure you have every tool present in the shed! Creating garden beds is far easier on a mitre saw than a table saw so why not check out straightkerfs.com for some exciting reviews on the right mitre saw for your plan?

[Photo courtesy of maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com]

Planning out your garden for the summer takes some time so get writing a list of things you will need. Weed killers and edgers are a must to be able to get rid of overgrown plants that have spent months growing all over the place. It’s time to turn the soil over, too, and replace with fertile soil ready for planting. Taking a trip to the garden centre won’t go amiss to get those flower beds ready for a late summer bloom. If you have children, check out the range of garden toys you can purchase and if you are feeling really creative, why not build a barbecue at the end of the garden? Being fortunate enough to have a long garden means keeping smoke fumes away from the house, and building your very own brick barbecue could be the cherry on top of your garden planning.

A green, lush grass is great for most people in the summer but if you live in a rain-heavy area or simply don’t have the time to maintain it, then fitting artificial carpet or laying paving down is the best way to go. Easy maintenance and pretty to look at, artificial grass gives your garden a fresh look all summer long, without any yellowing! Your garden can be beautiful and summer-ready in no time at all, as long as you’ve planned accordingly to ensure that flowers bloom and you have all the right garden equipment. You can look forward to long, lazy summer evenings in your newly spruced up summery garden. It’s so easy, and it’s so time to get on with it!

The garden is, for most people, one of the most important parts of the house. It is certainly often the most beautiful, and knowing how to tend to it properly can be something of an art form. Keeping the garden aesthetically pleasing and relaxing to be in is one thing, but it is quite another to keep the place as healthy as it can be, and this usually takes considerably more understanding. It definitely takes more work, and perhaps that accounts for the amount of gardens that suffer terribly from not being cared for properly. Don’t let your garden become one of those – take a stand today and learn how to keep it healthy for longer. Take the following tips as a starting point.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pexels.com]

Watch Out For Pests

One of the most important things for you to do is to watch out for any pests that might be lingering around. No matter what kind of plants you do or do not have in your garden, pests are always going to be a potential issue. Therefore, learning how to spot them and deal with them is going to prove to be vital if you are dedicated to keeping your garden as healthy as it can be. Some of the more obvious signs of pests can be that your plants are being nibbled, or even that they look diseased. It is also worth getting to know the different bugs that abound in your part of the world; some will be friendly, and even useful to the gardener, and other will be a nuisance. Learning this is one of the most important steps you can take to looking after your garden more effectively.

Keep The Lawn Trimmed

There are a number of reasons why you might want to ensure you keep the lawn trimmed, some of them aesthetic and others related to the health of the garden. Above all, it is a good idea to mow the lawn every six weeks or so, no matter what time of year it might be, as this helps the all-round health of the garden to no end. This is one of those tasks where the quality of the tools being used really helps, so make sure you have a decent lawn mower before you get started. You might even want to take a look at some lawn mower reviews before you start, to ensure that you have the best one for your particular garden. With a well-kept lawn, often the rest of a garden seems to just fall into place.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pexels.com]

Check Plants Before Buying

Whenever you purchase plants to add to your garden, it is really in your interest to check them thoroughly before buying them, and definitely before planting them with your other plants. This is because they could be carrying any number of unpleasant diseases, diseases which could swiftly wipe out the majority of your garden. Check the roots, first and foremost, as this is one of the easiest ways to tell whether a plant is diseased or not.

You may think now that winter season is here, you can sit back and leave you garden alone. Unfortunately – that’s not the case. There are still a few things you have to do if you want your garden to survive this winter.

Lawn

Although it may be cold and icy, and you have perhaps even seen mini icicles on the lawn, this isn’t an excuse not to cut the grass. True – it’s not growing as it would in the spring and summer time. But there is still slight movement, and if you want to keep your garden looking fabulous, you need to keep looking after it.

[Photo courtesy of walkersalmanac/pixabay.com]

There are many ways you day decide on cutting your grass. But as it is the winter, a machine is best because it is the quickest and most efficient way. There can in all sorts of brands, sizes, and power, so get your own model that works right for you.

Watering

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean we no longer have to water our plants. There may not be any bright, colourful flowers, but that is not to say that there is no life. Things are still growing, and they are going to get thirsty. So give some water! Do in during the day when the sun is up so they have no risk of freezing over.

[Photo courtesy of Antranias/pixabay.com]

Plant A Hedge

Hedges are a great alternative to fences as they effectively filter strong, damaging winds. A mixed variety of native plants provide the perfect habitat for birds, insects and small mammals such as hedgehogs, as well as giving year round interest from flowers, seeds, berries and colourful tones of foliage.

Eradicate Weeds

Weeds have been having a wonderful time during this mild winter, quickly germinating and getting ready to cause all the havoc again in spring. Hoe through the roots of annual weeds and dig out the roots of the more stubborn ones to stop them in their tracks. This will save a whole lot of time and effort in spring time.

Early Potatoe Chitting

Begin the process of chitting early potatoes at the end of the month. The best way to do this is to stand the tubers in a recycled egg box with the end that has the most buds uppermost, and place in a bright, cool, frost-free area.

After a couple of weeks, shoots will begin to sprout, get these to about three or four per tuber to get the most productive crop.

Prune Wisteria

As beautiful as this plant may be, wisteria can be a bit of a nightmare and needs pruning in summer and winter to keep it manageable.

If you don’t bother to do this, wisteria naturally produces a very messy mass of foliage and barely any flowers. So prune the whippy growths back to five or six buds in late August, and prune further in January or February to two or three buds. Don’t worry if you missed the summer prune, it’s simple enough to spot the elongated stems.

Spending time in the garden and relaxing is what summer is all about. But it can be annoying when your garden is overlooked and you don’t have privacy, when all you want to do is prance about in your bikini and sunbathe. Luckily there are a few things you can do to stop your garden being so easy to peer into!

Add Higher Fencing

If you currently only have low fences and hedges in your garden, adding taller fencing will immediately make it more private. Go with a fence that’s at least six feet tall, you can then add trellis along the top to heighten it further. Alternatively you could go with custom screen fencing from reputable fencing contractors for a more decorative and aesthetically pleasing look. If you only have one area which you need to block for privacy, you could opt for some lattice panels. They’re inexpensive, and climbing plants like ivy will soon cover them over if you carefully place some nearby.

Screens covered in climbing plants can be useful for privacy

Grow Trees and Plants

Trees, plants and hedges can be a good way to make your garden more private while still maintaining a very natural look in the garden. If privacy is an issue that you want sorting as soon as possible you’ll want to choose fast growing plants- bamboo, cypress and thuja are good options. They can grow a matter of several feet in the space of a year so can quickly grow into a great privacy screen. You could opt to buy fast growing plants that are already established, so that way you have less time to wait for them to grow as tall as you need.

Utilize ‘Blind Spots’

If only part of your garden is overlooked, consider moving the main seating area or garden furniture to a more private spot. That way when you’re sitting out there you have peace of mind that people can’t see in. You could even create a second patio or seating area if you have a ‘blind spot’ in the garden, and choose to sit there when you want more privacy.

Make Use of Furniture

Having a big parasol put up over your seating area will block the view from anyone looking down from the first floor windows. Alternatively you could opt to put up a gazebo or pergola and encourage climbing plants to grow around it, which will obscure the view for people looking into your garden. You could even go a step further and use bamboo screens or cleverly place tall pots of flowers or potted trees to give you even more privacy.

Try a gazebo for privacy

Next time you’re having a family barbeque, sunbathing or just relaxing outside there will be no need to worry about nosy neighbours using these tricks! Having a garden that’s secluded and not overlooked can even add value to your property too, so have a think about what you’re able to do in the space you have.

Do you have any tips for making your back garden more private?

Whether you want to add value to your home or want to grow your own produce, gardening is a fantastic hobby to have. It helps to make your backyard look amazing, and it can be an excellent stress reliever. Gardening has also been found to help strengthen and tone our bodies because of the physical activity it involves. But if you suffer from a bad back that causes you pain, you may find it difficult to complete a number of gardening tasks. Thankfully there are things you can do to reduce your back pain while still helping your garden to flourish. Read through these tips to get started.

Buy specialist tools

There are a number of specialist tools you can buy to make gardening work easier on your back. Trowels with long handles allow you to remain standing while still tending to your plants and flowers. The tools you currently use may have extension pieces you can buy that prevent you from bending or stretching too. Gardening stools that are portable and provide cushioning are another item you should buy.

As well as stretching you also need to be careful of lifting heavy loads, which can cause further back complaints. Trade in your watering can for a hosepipe to water your plants and invest in a lightweight wheelbarrow. Just remember not to put too many items inside the wheelbarrow at once and make multiple lighter trips instead.

[Photo courtesy of Ofer El-Hashahar/flickr.com]

Install raised flower beds

To prevent you from bending awkwardly or overstretching, install raised flower beds into your garden. These can enhance the look of your garden by making your plants and flowers more prominent. But more importantly, they allow you easy access to plant and weed from a seated position. This can give your back a much-needed rest, as well as being more gentle on your joints. There are many ways in which you can raise your flower beds and ensure they still compliment your yard. Head to your local gardening center and ask them for advice on how to get started. They may be able to build and install your new raised beds for you too.

Ask for help

If you find that certain gardening tasks such as mowing the lawn or weeding cause you significant pain, you should always ask for help. Even though you will want your yard to look its best, it’s not worth making your condition worse. Ask friends and family to assist you with these jobs while you continue you something less strenuous. Your neighbors might also be willing to do some gardening for you. Another option is to hire gardening or lawn services to help you with these difficult tasks. You can tell them which jobs you enjoy doing and which ones you would like them to complete for you. That way you can still enjoy spending time outside practicing your hobby.

So don’t let your bad back stop you from creating the garden of your dreams. You just need to be safe and smart about the tasks you can and cannot do. For more guidance and advice, talk to your doctor about how to control your condition more effectively.

Even though your home is your sanctuary and the nucleus of your home life, your backyard and front yard and just as important and necessary. We decorate inside of our homes so that our guests feel comfortable and so that you feel stylish. If you have already decorated your home to your perfect standards, maybe it is time to focus on your yard and its look.

Let’s say you have a front yard that is pretty vast and a decent size. If you want to just have green grass and nothing else that is fine. But there are so many things you can do to spruce up the space, just like in your home. Walkways are extremely popular and can be easily done yourself or with help from your friends or family. There is a multitude of walkway options and the most common and easiest are stone paths. If you are looking for a unique walkway, try something like a pattern of different variations of stones. This will also give an effect of a garden passage or castle walkway.

When choosing the landscaping design, you are faced with many options. Maybe you want a style to be based off of a certain culture, like Asian or English Formal. English formal is mostly known for maze-like design with a lot of shrubbery. Asian designs are common for pathways with a lot of plum trees and Japanese maples, for example. There are also a lot of fountains in the Asian style of landscape, which can take up a lot of space but makes for a very tranquil space.

Maybe you want to give your yard a face lift but do not have a lot of money to put towards the project. Simple additions, like the above mentioned fountains, can make for a new look for your yard even adding some flowers or a small garden. If you do not want to plant, you can add flowers onto your window sills. Even though this is not technically part of your yard, it still changes the look of the outside of your home.

The simplest way to change your lawn without much work is to install lights. If you cannot do a pathway of stone, make one from lights. There are dozens of lighting options just at a store like Home Depot to choose from. You can choose from posts, to stands, to lights attached to your home that create light onto your lawn. Placing a light to create a spotlight on plants and flowers makes your small presentation looking that much broader.

Author Bio:

Eagle Luxury Properties is a custom home builder that also does a lot of home remodeling in Paradise Valley. We manage the process from start to finish, and we can complete an entire home remodel, including landscape, without having to bother you with the minor details. A remodel can come with lots of issues, but we do what it takes to make the process run efficiently.