Considering our challenges struggling through a typical winter, we New Englanders feel rightfully entitled to enjoy our summers outdoors as a reward.
Most every suburban home offers opportunities for creating private outdoor spaces to appreciate the pleasures of nature during these warmer months. Outdoor rooms present exciting options for enhanced enjoyment of many family activities we usually associate with the indoors. They also provide the privacy and tranquility we need to escape from the stress that dominates our work weeks.
Particularly in challenging economic times, developing pleasant areas around our homes can be a rewarding investment. And, sometimes, we can utilize features and resources already at hand, so it doesn't need to cost a lot of money or time.
Simple outdoor rooms provide space for relaxing, summer reading, conversation and numerous passive activities. Active family spaces are used for grilling, enjoying the pool, lawn sports and to provide a safe place to play with pets.
Functional uses include vegetable and herb gardens, an outdoor "fix-it" or craft area, even a fruit and berry orchard of your own. So many activities around the home can be done outside with a bit of preparation, and many of them can be more enjoyable outdoors.
Some natural locations for outdoor rooms come to mind right away. Areas like the back or side yard, terrace, porch or patio are typical choices, and some may have the fundamental structure already in place. Utilizing your lawn spaces - under your favorite shade tree, at the edge of the woods, next to that stone wall - are all possibilities.
Some creative designs enhance special areas with lighting, appliances, furniture, grills and decor, some of the fanciest including features found in the most luxurious settings. Outdoor living magazines, home-and-garden TV programs and local garden tours offer valuable ideas and inspiration.
Fences and walls generally separate one area from others, although, I prefer the natural feel of living plants to define the rooms. A line of upright growing evergreens like arborvitae, hollies, cypress or shorter ones such as boxwood or yew are attractive. Deciduous shrubs are fine for separating many areas, and they tend to be less expensive and faster growing - choose from forsythia, lilac, rose-of-Sharon, privet and numerous others. Tall growing herbaceous plants like Miscanthus grass, plume poppy (Macleaya) and Autumn Sun coneflower (Rudbeckia Herbstsonne), or annuals like sunflowers and even corn can be effective.
