How to Create Safe and Functional Decorated Outdoor Living Areas
Firstly you need to define how you will use the outdoor living space. Is it going to be a static area, purely for aesthetics or will you have children playing there? Will you be using it at night, or solely during daylight hours?
These factors will determine what you need and what you can actually place in your space.
For a static space, sculptures and water features work well. The provide a focal point and can be the source of the theme of your garden. The water feature also creates movement into a space that is static and creates a quiet calming sound of water flowing.
For an interactive space, pots are great as they keep the plants and flowers off the ground and are less likely to be trod on. The flowers are probably more likely to be picked, but they will survive. Bench seats and seating sets are ideal in these areas as you can sit and enjoy your garden. The ideal situation for these seats is to have a solid ground, paving or concrete so the table and chairs remain level and don't wobble. Make sure that you select a material that weathers well like cedar or teak timber, wrought iron.
Think about how you will move around you space. You want it to flow, if you are going to buy a table and chair setting, ensure that you select one that allows for people to move around the outside and push back their chairs without landing the legs of the chair in the garden and toppling back. I have seen this happen many times.
If you have a table a centre piece is a great focal point. This can be as simple as a vase of fresh cut flowers, a pot with spring bulbs, a pot of succulents, a prickly cactus, or a small sculptural piece.
If you will be using the outdoor space at night then you will need lighting. You can either use permanent wired light fittings fixed into the ground, these look spectacular and provide a great deal of light but it is the most expensive option. You can use solar lighting, but in my experience the glow is very dim. Candles or lanterns work well.
If you are going to be cooking, then you need to ensure that you have a safe place, free from dry tinder type garden, in case of fire. A solid surface under if you have a mobile BBQ, or if you have a fixed hot plate built in then you need to ensure that there are solid non combustible materials around it. Situate it away from any windows or doors of your house, so that any food smells or smoke down go straigt inside. Make sure that the hotplate is high enough to stop any little fingers touching it and allow some lay off space close by to place your food before and after cooking.
This topic is extensive and we have only covered the basics, so look out for more in the near future!
