Outdoors
Good Plants For Beginners
So how green are your fingers? If you have no knowledge of gardening at all and the nearest you have ever come to growing something is leaving the grass too long before you mow it, all is not lost. The key to starting to learn about this part of gardening is to start small and build your knowledge and confidence as you go.
If you have decided you want to add some flowers and plants to your garden, the best way to start is by visiting your local garden centre. There will always be helpful staff on hand to give you the assistance you need, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just let them know you are a beginner and you want something that is easy to maintain.
It is no secret that a veranda or other outdoor space can look sensational when various different plants are added to it. They certainly soften the overall look beautifully. Don’t aim for too much to begin with though; start with just two or three plants and see how you get on.
The best plants to try will vary depending on several things, including where you live, the type of soil you have in your garden and what type of weather you generally get. You also need to bear in mind which direction your garden is facing in, since this will affect how much sun it gets during the day in the summer months.
Organising Your Outdoor Furniture
If you have a veranda or a patio, you will probably have some furniture that you use in that area as well. There is no doubt that you have a wide choice of furniture for your garden to choose from, and sometimes it can be difficult to get it all organised in the best possible way.
We’ve all been out shopping and spotted something for the garden that we really like, and so we buy it on the spot. Unfortunately we haven’t taken the time to measure it or really think about where it will fit in! The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen to you is to plan your furniture carefully before you buy it.
The first consideration is how big your garden is. Do you have more than one area that you could use to place furniture in? Some people like to save their bigger pieces of furniture to use on their veranda or patio, as well as keeping another area of their garden free for something a little more intimate and peaceful.
In this case you might find that instead of going out and buying a brand new large garden table and chairs, what you actually need is a small bistro set for the bottom of the garden. By considering what your needs are you will find it much easier to organise your furniture in a way that will ensure it is used much more often.
Outdoor Dining In Style
When the weather is good there is nothing to match the experience of eating outdoors in the company of friends and family. And there is no doubt that having a veranda or patio area big enough to accommodate everyone is the ultimate in luxury.
But if you are fairly new to the idea of dining outside, how do you really make sure it goes with a swing?
Let’s assume first of all that you will be accepting your guests during the early evening. That means it may be light when they arrive, but dark by the time the meal is finished. Lighting is therefore a top concern, as you don’t want to be caught out running around trying to find some candles while the sun is going down!
Choose some elegant candles of a colour that matches any table linen you are using; white or cream always looks good if you are unsure. It also pays to choose ones that have a long burning life. Cheaper candles don’t tend to last as long and you don’t want to be up and down replacing them the whole evening.
If there are children present make sure the candles are well out of reach. The same applies with any patio heaters you might decide to use if it has a tendency to get a bit chilly as the evening wears on.