Just because it’s getting to the end of August and the beginning of September doesn’t mean that Garden Fun is over! In Fact it’s a great time to make your yard an outstanding place to be!
As a matter of fact, this month is one of the nicest to be in the garden. There’s the smell of the Sweet Autumn Clematis and the scent of Hostas, the mosquitoes are all gone and life in the garden is wonderful. Now I’m not saying that you can go out there in your shorts and t-shirts, but there is no reason not to go out there! With a little planning and some extra help from the sun that has now slipped from sight, the garden can be a magical place, full of whimsy and fairies. But only if you pay close attention. Candle light and solar lights placed strategically in the garden can cast shadows and highlight areas where there are sure to be some twilight creatures stirring.
At supper time every night,
when the weather is nice, it’s great to have somewhere to set down a plate and enjoy the great outdoors. Make your patio or deck a gathering place for your family and friends. It doesn’t take much, to turn a plain area into a wonderful entertainment area. A few well placed chairs or a nice table and chairs with some accents added, will make for a lovely area to be. Evenings we are serenaded by the crickets that just love this time of day. It’s cool and dark enough for them to come out and play.
And play they do, sometimes quite loudly. In our yard the crickets are joined by the sounds of water falling into the pond. Cascading over the rocks and spot lit so that it looks like diamonds are falling into the pond.
Warmth and Light
There’s a bit of a chill in the air, but that is easily taken care of with a patio heater or a fire pit. Make sure that you can have one of these in your area. Some bylaws will not allow open fire pits. So before you buy this for your garden space, make sure you can enjoy it in your yard. Making the most out of our yard is something that my sweetling and I try to do as much as possible. Once the winter sets in, we are not as likely to be out there for any length of time. So we are making the best of the late summer and early autumn. We have longer nights and so by lighting up our yard, we can enjoy it even in the dark! It’s also a great time to buy those extra things for your patio area. Serenity Health and Home Decor has some really great items that will make your space perfect and at this time of year, many are on sale too!
Some nice additions to make your yard a beacon for evening enjoyment.
I love to add bird feeders and wind chimes to my garden. Both of these add to the ambience of the great outdoors. Birds are a joy to watch and they will come to your yard all year long. In the winter, many cardinals and little wrens and sparrows will be looking for food. Make your backyard a gathering place for all these lovely little creatures. You won’t regret it when those birds come calling. They are beautiful and a delight for all the senses.
Bird feeders and Windchimes
Windchimes don’t scare the birds away, but they help to drown out any traffic noises that are not as pleasant. There is something about windchimes that soothes the weary spirit. The only time I don’t like them is if we are in a heavy wind situation, which in my yard doesn’t happen very often. There are several different kinds of windchimes available, from copper tubed pipes, to glass pieces tinkling against each other to bamboo pieces. The choice is completely up to you. There are all kinds of windchimes and in all price ranges on Amazon and here a just a few for you to consider:
Where there is light, there will be time to enjoy.
Without lighting, the yard becomes difficult even for those who know it well. Today’s technology and solar lights, brings the level of enchantment to its peak. Everyone is sure to enjoy these additions. If you want to hardwire your lighting, you can do that as well. There are some really pretty “fairy lights” that can be woven into your trees and bushes. Plug them in and watch your yard become a magical and enchanting space without too much bother.
Nightfall is lovely in the garden, especially when you’ve made it so nice!
A nice glass of wine and the sounds of nature, it is better than TV for helping you to relax. When the sunlight is gone, there are many other options to keep the evening in the garden quite comfortable. You will find that once September has come, people just don’t like going out into the garden as much. Now I must admit, I can be a little put off when my feet get into the grass and the dew has already made it quite wet! We are blessed with a fair sized patio, where there is room to sit and a table to put your food or drink on. There is enough lighting to make it easy to have a conversation.
The Great Beyond…….
Not to far from the patio, are lights playing in the trees! The pond and beyond, are filled with flitting moths and other creatures that come out to play at dusk. Quite often we can see the resident raccoons come out to dip their fingers into the pond. They are hoping for a sushi meal, but more often than not, they go fishing without results. If there are lots of people out talking and laughing, the raccoons usually go looking for somewhere a little quieter. That suits me just fine, but seeing their little masked faces is kind of cute too.
Hooking up for sound is Easy!
When I say “hooked up” I really mean that we have a bluetooth speaker. It can sit on the table and play all the songs on our playlist. Just push the button and the bluetooth speaker is connected. That’s all you need to do, so if you feel like dancing in the moonlight, bring it on!
No need to worry about having expensive stereo equipment that needs special care in the elements. You can have some wireless speakers and music is at your fingertips. It’s a great time when you can talk to each other and have some nice background music happening. We get so busy with work and stress, that our minds need to find a way to unwind. Soft music, a nice meal are wonderful, especially when you take them outside.
These additions to your yard space will make Some Enchanted Evening a reality!
What’s really nice is that all of this is not just for one summer! You will make use of these things for many summers and autumns to come. If you are lucky enough to have a covered area that is a little sheltered from the elements, using your outdoor area will be even better. Instead of 3 seasons you just might be able to increase it to all year round. Just add a Patio Heater and you could be spending some quiet moments in December enjoying the space you have created.
Life is Short! Make the most of your home indoors and outdoors and enjoy the fruits of your labors!
We sure do get use out of our yard. The blistering heat has kept me out of the backyard where I like to start my day with a coffee. But hopefully we get into the cooler stuff and that’s when the yard calls my name. lol. Just came in from puttering back there, and what a gorgeous day today! Perfect weather in the Toronto area – but I understand it’s not going to last, we’re getting the hot stuff again.
Yes Barbara that is for sure. Today was sticky in the high afternoon, but the evening is lovely, cool and a nice breeze is blowing. We have to take our hot days and enjoy them even though it’s hard sometimes, because we all know that sooner or later it will all be over. Fall and winter will come and we will look back on the hot days with fondness. In the meantime, let’s just enjoy what we have, while we have it!
Of course, all of your ideas are outstanding! Our wind-chimes “sing” to us all the time and I love that sound. I love it when the nights are cooler and it is pleasant outside. We enjoy what God gives us anew every night. Watching the sky and the sunset, is always a feast for the eyes. Even a stormy sky, like we had last night, is magnificent. Unfortunately, we rarely get to dine outside. The mosquitoes here are horrible and nothing we have tried has reduced them enough to actually sit for a meal. However, fall is coming and when it is fully here, the mosquitoes leave. Looking forward to that this year for sure!
I’m so glad that you get to enjoy the out of doors for a while without the bugs to bother you. I personally love my outdoor space and could live out there day and night. We are lucky we don’t get too many bugs up on the 18th floor…..that said, we do get flies, but they are easy to swat away. Enjoy your autumn!
I can’t remember the last time I went out back and sat on my deck. it seems every time we go out back, our annoying neighbor decides to crank up his lawnmower or do something else equally obnoxious, regardless of the day or time we go out. It does make me sad, because I’ve wanted to build a koi pond in the backyard.
Stacey I feel for you, invite the gent over for some nice tea in your yard, maybe the barriers can be broken and he would realize his actions are not kind. Treat unkindness with kindness and see if that helps. Build the Koi pond you won’t regret it.