Living with nature

Making the most of your outdoor spaces 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY LAURA C. MARTIN

Given the choice, I’d always rather be outside than inside. If it weren’t for limiting factors such as heat, humidity, bugs, rain and cold, I suspect I’d happily live out of doors.

Even with the reality of the elements, though, I manage to spend many hours a day outside, and part of what makes this possible is adjusting my outdoor space to be more conducive to indoor activities. We cook and eat on the patio whenever possible, I work on the deck outside my studio (thank goodness for laptop computers), and whenever I can, I’ll take a book to read or art supplies out to sketch in the garden.

I’m not alone in my love of being outdoors. Especially for people who go from a car to a building and back to a car for much of the day, the feel of cool grass underneath bare feet and a soft breeze blowing through the hair is magically healing.

Even if you don’t have a big yard or garden, a little planning can make the most of the space you do have. The first step is determining how you want to use your outdoor living areas. You might want to create outdoor “rooms” for cooking, eating, entertaining, playing, working, meditating or simply for sitting still and allowing nature to soothe your soul.

Once you’ve determined how to use your landscape, the next step is making the space work for that particular activity. For example, areas for cooking, dining and entertaining are more effective if located close to the house. This makes both serving and cleanup easier.

If you don’t have an outdoor space adjacent to the kitchen, you might want to consider building an outdoor cooking area. This can be as simple as a barbecue grill or as sophisticated as a complete galley with warming trays, convection grill, refrigerator and sink.

On the other hand, if you create an outdoor space for reading or meditation, you’ll probably want it as far from the house as possible, reducing the distraction of noise from phones and television. A feeling of isolation is enhanced with pleasing noises like those of moving water or wind chimes. Include comfortable chairs and a small side table, and face these away from the house to increase that feeling of distance. Trees, such as maples, oaks and tulip poplars are wonderful for making a shady haven.

An outdoor workspace should have a stable work table that can withstand the weather. Having electricity available also enhances an open-air work environment, allowing for ample lighting. However, in the evening, mosquitoes can be a problem, so come prepared by covering up with lightweight clothing or having bug spray handy.

However you use your outdoor living spaces, there are a few rules that make them more pleasurable:

• Define the outdoor living space boundaries. A fence or tall hedge offers not only boundaries but also privacy. Use evergreens such as boxwood, hollies, azaleas or, if you need something taller, Leyland cypress or arborvitae.

• Provide a smooth, even surface underneath your feet. Outdoor furniture is more enjoyable if it sits on a flat surface. A tipsy dining table is almost as annoying as a wobbly work surface. The surface can be created from many different materials including stone, brick, closely cut grass or even swept dirt (as our Southern ancestors did).

• Use furniture that fits the space and withstands the weather. Just as you would in an indoor room, make certain you don’t cram too much furniture or furniture that’s too large into a small space.

• Make the space pleasing to the eye by coordinating colors, contrasting textures and using interesting accents, not only from textiles but from plants as well. For example, roses, in a pot or container, add brilliant seasonal color. A hanging basket or window box can be filled with annuals in colors that match your favorite cushions.

• Make it feel like home. Use weatherproof fabric on pillows for chairs and benches, bring out a footstool and include knickknacks that say, “welcome home!”

—Laura Martin, of Atlanta, is the author of 26 books on gardening and nature crafts.