PROJECT OF THE MONTH
A Place to Gather
First, identify a place to gather. Make this area as generous as your property allows. If it is not possible to locate your gathering place off the kitchen, site it as close to the kitchen as you can. Create a sense of "flow" by having a generous opening lead to your gathering place. French doors or sliding glass doors are traditional, but sliding barn-style or retractable garage doors are more contemporary and superior for integrating indoor and outdoor environments. If you can, provide a pass-through between your kitchen and gathering place, or a counter or bar outside the kitchen window where guests can visit with those inside.
Essential Elements
• Enclosure. The "walls" that define the gathering area might comprise one or a combination of the following: a formal hedge, built-in planters; a meandering plant border that varies in size, texture, color, and bloom time; groupings of planted containers; a fence or rigid wall; rock outcroppings, dry streambed, or water channel; or a fixed edge from which to savor near or distant views.
• Floor. Create a level floor plane with materials such as wood or synthetic decking, concrete or stone paving, or compacted gravel.
• Surfaces for eating or setting down plates and drinks. An outdoor dining table allows a group to share a meal or celebrate a special occasion. Drinks and appetizers can be placed on ledges and small peripheral tables.
• Seating. The more inviting the seating, the more relaxing the gathering. In addition to comfortable chairs for dining, consider accessories such as pillows, cushions, and footstools for peripheral seating.
Places to Scatter
If you have room, identify satellite areas for guests to disperse. A few chairs can be tucked at the end of a meandering path or in the middle of a home orchard or vegetable garden. Set a firebowl in gravel and surround it with sections of cut log for seating. Locate a children's play area distant from, but within view of, the primary gathering area.
Provide as many secondary gathering areas as you have room for. When planning for them, think about who and how you entertain, and dedicate different areas to different functions. Consider where the sun will be in spring and fall and where you can find shade on hot summer days.
• Barbecue. If you barbecue, be sure to accommodate your unit when planning. Ideally, the BBQ can be tucked into its own alcove so as not to clutter the floor plane. Staging surfaces should be adjacent to it or nearby.
• Outdoor kitchen. This feature might seem impossibly decadent, but if you have the means and the desire you are free to explore it. After all, you have to cook somewhere, and if you entertain outdoors, you might consider cooking there too. If you want an outdoor kitchen, the spaces need to be planned just as carefully as for an indoor kitchen.
• Plantings. Plants are among the most evocative but least straightforward elements in a landscape. Elements to consider are seasonal interest, variety, repetition, texture, color, scale, and fragrance. Know your microclimate and consider soil, water, and sun needs when selecting plants.
• Ceiling. A ceiling plane will complete your outdoor room. Possibilities include a vine-covered arbor, a tree canopy, a retractable awning to shade a baking sun, a tin roof to stay dry while enjoying the sound of a summer rain, or a sky full of stars on a clear night.
• Lighting. If you enjoy summer evenings long into the dark night, you'll need lighting for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Professionally installed landscape lighting will enable you to move safely after dark and highlight special features in your landscape. Informal and much less expensive alternatives include candles, lanterns, and strings of lights threaded through trees and arbors or running along the top of a fence.
• Audio. Music is often part of entertaining. If appropriate for your neighborhood (and your neighbors), installing speakers outside can enhance the pleasure of your gathering.
Keep in Mind
Like other elements of your home, landscapes require maintenance. Make a wish list, then see what your budget will cover. Consider engaging a professional landscape designer to assist you in creating a plan. Investing in a thoughtful, quality installation that includes features such as irrigation, landscape lighting, electrical outlets, and utility screening helps make the enjoyment of your landscape more carefree. Although such a financial investment might be painful in the near term, it will reward you for years to come and distinguish your property from that of your neighbors when the time comes to sell.
© Copyright 2012, AROUNDTHEHOUSE
