Now all you need are some ideas for ways to use your outdoor living space this summer. Following are a few of the Big Bend Landscaping team’s favorites!
Cookouts and Cold Drinks
Whether you have a grill or an outdoor kitchen, cookouts are the best kind of outdoor fun. Food just tastes better outside! There are lots of picnic and outdoor -friendly recipes sure to make your family and guests come back for seconds.
Simple can be beautiful. If you don’t enjoy cooking beyond throwing meat on the grill, then these suggestions are for you. And it will look like you went to a lot more trouble than you did. Think finger food. Sliced veggies and fruit spread out on platters with dips for each in colorful bowls in the center of each looks fresh and inviting, and doesn’t require a degree in culinary arts to create. Simple potato salads, and baked beans can all be put together with very little effort. Homemade ice cream made the old-fashioned way can be a fun, old fashioned group project, with everyone taking turns at the churn.
When you have a large gathering, consider setting up different “stations” where people can mix their own drinks, build their own burgers or put toppings on their individual (grilled) pizzas, or even desserts. Kids especially like this setup and it makes cleaning up and keeping track of what you need to refill a breeze. Of the ways to use your outdoor living space this summer, this one is the most popular.
If you entertain more than occasionally, an outdoor kitchen is worth its weight in gold. Not only do you get a large, outdoor grill, you get a fridge, prep-space, and a sink for easy cleanup. Having an outdoor kitchen means you can visit with your family and friends while preparing food. And afterwards, cleanup is a snap. Just fill trash bags, wipe down and spray down surfaces, and pick up clutter and you’re done! Your indoor kitchen will be ready for you to return to your normal routine after the party is over.
Big Bend Landscaping can build you the outdoor kitchen of your dreams! And since we’re a one stop-solution for all your outdoor living space needs, all you have to do is say yes, pick out the design you want, and we handle it all—from permits to subcontractors to construction.
Firepit Fun
People are just drawn to campfires. They can’t help themselves. It’s primal and goes back to our early days in caves and cabins. It’s where everyone goes for warmth, even when it’s not cold. When you light up a fire pit at any gathering at any time of the year, people will naturally encircle it, sitting or standing, just to talk or enjoy companionable silence.
Firepit parties are one of the best ways to use your outdoor living space this summer. You can make it the focus of a gathering, or light the firepit up and let people wander over on their own. They are great places to play campfire games, start deep discussions, and enjoy romantic moments.
And one of the best things about firepits is that you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to use it. You can light it up and enjoy it by yourself, too. And with so many options for fuel sources, it can be as simple as turning a knob, or as earthy as building a fire.
Big Bend Landscaping builds a lot of these! We offer three fuel sources —
- propane: easy to find and burns clean: no soot and no debris.
- natural gas: if you already have this at your home, it’s a simple matter of tapping into your existing gas lines. You will have constant access to it without having to worry about gathering wood or purchasing more fuel. Like propane, it burns cleanly.
- wood burning: which offers the additional advantages of cooking over a grill, burning deadfall, and being a teaching tool.
Firepits are one of our most popular outdoor living features. They come in many sizes and can be tailored to fit into any setting. Like a clean, modern look? We’ve got that! A more rustic looking stone? We can do that too. If you like large gatherings, we can build you one large enough to accommodate a dozen or more people. And if you prefer smaller gatherings or just want a place to sit by yourself, we can build that too.
Since we are a one stop solution, if you want built-in places to sit, we offer beautiful seating walls of all sizes and shapes. This is a permanent solution to the question “Where will everybody sit?” and will give you and any guests a comfortable place to relax.
Arts and crafts
When you’re thinking of ways to use your outdoor living space this summer, consider adding arts and crafts parties to the list. Outdoor arts and crafts can be fun for “children” of all ages, from 3 to 80 years old. Creative projects that require a lot of clean up are great on the patio! Try Tie-dying t-shirts or scarves. Or try your hand at wind chimes, painting flowerpots or river rocks, or make mason jar herb gardens, and more! If you have an outdoor kitchen, you can make soap or pour candles without it interfering with mealtimes. As an aside, your kids and grandkids want you to know that they LOVE Messy Parties! And your patio is the perfect setting for one!
Tell your guests to wear old clothes and come prepared to get dirty. This is about having a good time and making something they can take home as a memento of the day. Set out the materials and a few snacks and let everyone go to it. We suggest offering more than one craft (three to five are ideal) so that everyone can either try them all or settle on the project that they’re the most comfortable with.
This is something you can do with just your immediate family or by yourself. It’s good for your head to create things!
Fun & Games
Your outdoor living space is more than just a place to sit in. It’s a space to interact in and one of the best ways to get people to relax is to play games. You can pull out the board games for an evening of fun on the patio, or play games sitting around the firepit. If your yard is large enough, you can play traditional games of frisbee or even frisbee golf. If it’s going to be a gathering of adults, here are some great suggestions for the grownups.
Be Cool
Summer in St Louis is almost invariably hot. So when you are thinking of ways to use your outdoor living space this summer, you have to take this into consideration. Fortunately, there are many options.
If you have a swimming pool, then you’ve got an obvious solution available. But if you don’t, you can still get wet enough to benefit from the cooling effects of water. Be honest here—water balloon fights are fun for everyone, no matter how old we are. And none of us really outgrows playing in water.
Play in the sprinkler! Think you’re too old? Guess again.
Adults like wading pools, too. We might not be able to swim in them, but we can soak our feet in one. OR if you’ve got one that’s large enough, you can soak in it. The kids won’t mind sharing—especially if you provide more than one.
Ready to call now that you’ve learned about the best ways to use your outdoor living space this summer?
Big Bend Landscaping is always delighted to help people like you with creating the outdoor living space of your dreams. It is as exciting for us as it is for you!
And we want to make it as simple as possible for you by being the only place you have to contact when you need a hardscaping feature of any kind, whether it’s a patio, firepit, fireplace, outdoor kitchen, retaining wall, walkway, or driveway. From start to finish, from the moment we accept your job, we handle everything. That includes all the paperwork, permits, and subcontractors if necessary. And we only work with the best hardscaping materials on the market, include: Pavestone, Romanstone, and Belgard products, BP, Unilock, and Romanstone. They all offer lifetime guarantees, which means that if something happens to a paver during normal wear and tear, they will replace it free of charge.
Big Bend Landscaping We are BBB, Unilock, OSHA, ICPI, CMA, and Techniseal Certified. We also have a Level 1 Certification from the National Concrete and Masonry Association. We’ve taken the time to ensure that we are using the most up-to-date methods and materials available on the market. Our crews are always on time or early and you can expect them to be professional at all times. And we pride ourselves on never leaving messes behind on our job sites. We guarantee all our work; this includes parts and labor. If for any reason you have a problem with any work we’ve done, contact us. We will make your satisfaction our priority.
Do you live in the St. Louis area and want to know more about how we can help you create the outdoor living space you’ve always wanted? Check out our gallery and the work we’ve done for other happy customers. And give us a call or contact us for an online estimate!