Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer in New Jersey—which means it’s time to fire up the grill, chill the beverages, invite friends and family over, and soak up every second you can spend outside. Hosting a backyard BBQ is a fun and refreshing experience when you do it right. The key is to let your landscape do most of the hard work, so you can enjoy the time with your loved ones.
Spruce Up the Patio
Every winter is a long winter when you live up north. If you spent the cold months planning for the warm months like we recommend doing, go ahead and skip to the next section. If you’re only realizing in May that winter did a number on your yard, we’re not going to lie—you’re a little behind. But that’s okay! Focus on cleaning up first, and then get ahead of your summer landscaping.
Bring the Kitchen Outside
Carrying food back and forth between your kitchen and yard adds a lot of mileage to your day. If you really love to BBQ, consider investing in an outdoor kitchen. High Tech Landscapes can design and build a custom outdoor kitchen based on your preferences, so you can focus less on logistics and more on being the grill master. See outdoor kitchen options and examples here.
Let Your Guests Relax
A cookout is laid back by nature; don’t worry about keeping everyone engaged and entertained at all times. Besides, you have the grill to attend to. The more important thing is that everyone feels comfortable, so make sure you have ample seating and visually pleasing surroundings. Water features—such as a pond, fountain or waterfall—can add an extra sense of serenity. Choosing your plants thoughtfully is, of course, a must, along with insect control to keep summer bugs away.
Move the Party to the Pool
If you’re fortunate enough to have a pool in your backyard, it’s safe to say that everyone attending your BBQ is going to want to jump in (or, at the very least, lounge poolside). Turn your pool into a poolscape with the right combination of constructed and natural features. If your pool and outdoor kitchen are adjacent to each other, we’ll just say you’ve really got it made in the shade.
Wind Down by the Fire
What’s better than summer days? Summer nights! Keep your get-together going strong—albeit inevitably slowing down, perhaps—with a bonfire. In order to do that safely, you’ll want a fire pit. The benefit of owning a fire pit is that you can have a relaxing evening by the fire any time of year. Our fire pit designs include propane, brick, wood and covered patio firepits.
If you love spending summer outside, there’s no better place than home to soak up the season. Contact High Tech Landscapes to bring your landscape to life and make your backyard the ultimate summer hangout.
