Well-designed outdoor social spaces are a great extension of your home. They create a place where family and friends can get together, enjoy parties, and play in the fresh air. Whether it’s a patio, a deck, a gazebo, or a fire pit, creating an outdoor living space can add to your home’s comfort, enhance your lifestyle, and extend your entertaining area so you can invite more guests. But how do you design, maintain, and improve your outdoor social space? Here are some tips and ideas to help you out.
Designing an Outdoor Safe Haven
The first step to creating an outdoor social space is to plan the layout, theme, style, and design. A well-organized outdoor living space invites people to spend time in it. Your outdoor living area should feel like an extension of the interior of your home. Above all, make a space that is comfortable, functional, and inviting.
One aspect you should consider is privacy. You don’t want your neighbors or passersby to intrude on your outdoor gatherings, so how about using a backyard fence to provide security and seclusion? A backyard fence can also add aesthetic value to your space, as you can make it from different materials, colors, and styles. It can become a focal point of your overall outdoor space design.
Choose your garden furniture carefully. All furniture stores now have a section dedicated exclusively to garden furniture. These days, modern pieces look so good they could be placed in your living room. The modern materials used to make garden furniture make them durable, weather-resistant, and easy to clean. The style of the furniture you choose should complement the style of your indoor living room, giving the impression that it is an extension of your indoors.
If you don’t have a budget to spend on a new garden suite, don’t worry. You can save money by updating and repurposing older pieces that are lying around gathering dust, or hit the garage sales, where you can pick up amazing chairs and tables for a fraction of the price. Put on your creative thinking cap and upcycle your heart out. Whatever furniture choices you make, just keep in mind that the overall look should feel cozy, comfortable, and inviting.
Decorate the space with planters, lights, or art to make it more attractive. If you have the space, consider adding a hammock, the ultimate luxury lounging spot. Add eye-catching cushions, pillows, rugs, or blankets to create a cozy atmosphere.
Ensuring Your Safety
It may seem odd to talk about safety when designing a backyard outdoor social space, but even public park landscapers put thought into how a public park or green space should be designed and maintained to create an environment that keeps visiting folks safe. Let me tell you, it is more than just planting a few shrubs.
Beautiful trees in your garden will provide a visual focal point, create shady spots for picnics, and act as a windbreaker. However, one of the potential hazards of socializing in an outdoor space is being hit or injured by a falling tree branch. If you have trees in or near your garden, inspect them regularly for any signs of damage or disease. You may need to do periodic tree trimming to stop them from growing too large and interfering with power lines or structures. If you notice any problems with your trees, such as cracks in the trunk, decay, or leaning, you need to call a professional for emergency tree work to remove or stabilize any dangerous trees before they cause harm.
If you have pets or children, make sure that you don’t accidentally plant poisonous plants in your growing beds. While some plants and flowers are visually appealing with vibrantly colorful flowers and enticing berries, they could be toxic if eaten. You may be tempted to think they would make a beautiful focal point in your garden space, but if your loved ones (human or furry) eat some of the poisonous plants and get sick, you won’t be so happy. Prioritize the well-being of your family by asking the nursery or a garden center owner to supervise your choice of plants before buying them to avoid mishaps.
Another safety measure you need to take is fire prevention. If you have a fire pit, a grill, or any other source of fire in your space, you need to follow some basic fire safety rules. Keep flammable materials such as dry leaves, paper, or fabrics away from the fire. You also need to keep a fire extinguisher or a bucket of water nearby in case of emergency. Always keep an eye on the fire once it’s lit, and never leave it unattended. When you are done with it, make sure all the embers have completely extinguished and cooled down.
Maintaining the Space
Once you put all this effort into designing and creating your outdoor social space, you need to keep it neat, clean, and beautiful so everyone can enjoy it. It means regular maintenance. Yes, unfortunately, all that beautiful furniture and patio spaces need regular cleaning.
You need to sweep or vacuum any dirt, dust, or loose debris that accumulates on and around the furniture. You must also wipe or wash any stains or spills from the surfaces. It is best to use household cleaning products that contain bleach to sanitize any items that come into contact with food or drinks, such as tabletops, plates, cups, utensils, or napkins. Don’t forget to thoroughly clean your grill to remove all the food scraps festering in the crevices.
If you have loose cushions on your furniture, it is best to store them inside while not in use. Exposure to sun and dampness outside will damage the material, and you will need to replace them often. Modern fabrics intended for outdoor use are more durable and resistant to weather exposure, but still, to preserve your soft furnishings and help them last longer, take them inside.
Another maintenance task you will need to do regularly is lawn maintenance and weeding your garden. A manicured lawn is a delightful spot where children and pets can run and play. Your beautiful flower beds will also need regular work. Remove all the dead flowers, trim and neaten overgrown plants, and pull out all the weeds.
Don’t forget to trim your trees. Regular trimming of unruly branches will help keep your trees in shape. Remove dead or diseased branches to improve the overall health and appearance of your trees. Tree trimming can also prevent your trees from overgrowing and blocking the sunlight or the view from your windows. To do the job, you can hire professional local tree trimmers to do the trimming, or you can do it yourself if you have the right tools and skills.
Adding a Little Color
Color is what makes your outdoor social space pop. The best sources of color are flowers.
When designing your space, plant colorful plants that will provide swathes of color, fragrance, beauty, and even food. Choose different types of plants, such as flowers, herbs, vegetables, or fruits, and create separate spaces for them or mix them together.
According to landscapers, there are many ways to combine plants to create an overall harmonious effect. You can arrange the flower beds using complementary colors to assemble an eye-catching display, like pairing purples with yellows or pinks and blues. You can also choose plants according to their height. Place taller plants at the back of the bed and shorter ones in front. Layering adds depth and visual interest to your flower beds. Aim for balance and symmetry in your design. Symmetrical arrangements are thought to be soothing for the soul, while asymmetrical arrangements add excitement to a space. You can also design your outdoor space by making use of different ways of planting, such as planting your plants in pots, planters, hanging baskets, or beds.
One of the best places where you can find plants for your space is local nurseries. Local tree nurseries specialize in growing and selling trees and other plants that grow well in your area and climate. They can also offer advice on how to care for and maintain your plants. Local tree nurseries can also help you select plants that match your preferences and needs.
If you don’t have any tree nurseries near you, go to your local garden center. Garden centers are stores that sell various gardening supplies and products, such as seeds, soil, fertilizer, tools, pots, etc. They can also offer a wide range of plants for different purposes and tastes. The garden center can also answer all your gardening questions or advise you on solutions to all your gardening problems.
Brightening Up the Area
Another way to create inviting outdoor social spaces is to add lighting. Lights can create a warm and cozy atmosphere, especially at night. Adding lights also extends the hours you can spend enjoying your space.
Well-placed light fittings will highlight your garden’s features and design elements, such as the fence, furniture, or plants. Play around with different types of lights to incorporate into your design, such as string lights, lanterns, candles, or solar lights. They all come in different colors, shapes, and styles to suit the mood and theme of your garden space. You may need some help getting them connected to your electricity supply, so keep that in mind when planning what will go where.
If you feel that choosing lighting is too confusing and you just cannot make up your mind, consider hiring a professional landscape lighting service. It is a professional service that focuses on designing lighting systems for outdoor spaces. They design, install, and maintain lighting systems. They also supply quality and energy-efficient lights that are durable and weather-resistant. You can purchase what you need and do all the installation work yourself if you prefer. Landscape lighting service can also help you with any issues or repairs you may need down the line.
Preventing Erosion and Runoff
Most of the time, creating outdoor social spaces brings joy. But as with most things, it can also create a downside. One of the challenges of having an outdoor social space is the unexpected creation of areas within your garden prone to soil erosion and runoff. Erosion is the process of soil being washed away by water or wind. Runoff of soil is caused by the excess water that flows over the ground’s surface, usually at a high speed. Both erosion and runoff can damage your space and the environment by causing soil loss, flooding, or stormwater pollution.
One of the solutions to prevent soil erosion and runoff from happening in your garden is to stabilize the soil surface with properly installed manufactured pavers. Unlike bare soil, which can easily erode, pavers lock into place and provide a solid foundation for your garden paths, driveways, and patio areas. They can also reduce erosion and runoff by allowing water to infiltrate through the gaps between them. Manufactured pavers come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns that can match the style of your outdoor social space and preference.
Another solution to prevent soil erosion and runoff into storm drains is to strategically plant your trees, shrubs, high grasses, and perennials. These buffers slow down, capture, and filter runoff water, therefore minimizing its impact on stormwater pollution.
If you are worried about pollution from your garden reaching the stormwater drains in your town, you could implement eco-friendly growing methods. For instance, you could choose to plant only native plants in your garden. They are already adapted to local conditions, and their roots stabilize the soil and prevent soil erosion. Another idea is to install rain barrels to collect water from rooftops. It saves you money by reducing your water bill and minimizes the amount of natural runoff from your garden.
Creating and maintaining outdoor social spaces can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Take your time to design a space that meets your needs and provides comfort and privacy. Keep your space safe and clean by caring for all the plants and trees. If needed, install measures to prevent runoff and soil erosion. Let’s hope that the above tips have given you ideas and sufficient guidance to help you transform your outdoor social spaces into a peaceful oasis where you can play, rest, and recharge to face the world again.
