Getting Ready for Your First
Summer Backyard Party
It may be too early to start thinking about a backyard party depending on where you live, but I know for me I can’t wait to have my first party of the season. Winter has seemed exceptionally long this year and my thoughts have turned to spring and summer and everything that goes along with the coming warm weather. My mind is already churning with ideas to wow my friends and family. I want to kick off the summer with a bang!
The first order of business is to do a little spring-cleaning of your outdoor space. Here are a few tips to get you started. - Clear the space of any clutter and sweep or rake old leaves, hose off dirt and stains away from concrete or wood patios. Flagstone patios may require a cleaner made especially for this type of stone. Look for non-toxic type cleaners to keep kids, pets and plants safe.
- Remove any old plants from last season, pull dead plants out of planters, trim any perennial plants, shrubs and trees of dead limbs, leaves, etc.
- Clean up flowerpots by dumping old soil and cleaning with vinegar-lemon solution. For stubborn stains on clay pots use a wire brush and a paste of baking soda and water.
- It’s a good time to clean up the grill too. If you have a gas grill now is the time to take it apart and inspect it for clogs, empty grease pans and replace lava rocks or ceramic briquettes if you have them. Warm up the grill and use a strong wire brush on the grate for any leftover food remnants.
- Dig out the patio furniture, if it’s wood, consider staining it to spruce it up, if it’s metal it may need a new coat of paint. Maybe it’s time to replace those patio rockers. Cushions will need to be cleaned by using a teaspoon of detergent and borax in a spray bottle. Saturate the cushion and let sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. If the cushions are torn, you may need to replace them or recover them.
After cleaning comes the fun part...Decorating for your backyard party!- Refill flowerpots with fresh soil and add your blooming plants for a splash of color. Flowers such as geraniums, petunias, alyssum for sunny areas and impatiens, begonias or coleus for shady areas.
- Add some outdoor candles, tiki torches, strings of white lights around the perimeter of an umbrella, or solar patio lights for some ambiance.
- Think about adding some garden art such as brightly colored birdhouses, metal sculptures or harmonious wind chimes. These can be great conversation pieces.
Are you getting excited yet? Maybe you’re creative at drawing and you can put your design on paper, which would really get the ideas flowing. This is the time of year where you can find numerous suggestions and images for decorating your outdoor space by perusing magazines, Internet sites or local garden stores. Whatever way you get your inspiration, it’s time to take action and start planning that first backyard party of the season!
About the author of Getting Ready for Your First Summer Backyard Party - Kimberly Aardal is the publisher of EveryDayRockingChairs.com and lives in the gorgeous mountains of Southwest Colorado with her husband Jon and their loyal companion Ginger. When she isn’t writing about the value of relaxing in her glider rocking chair she is exploring the mountain trails and towns of Colorado.
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