Transforming the humble backyard into glammed-up outdoor rooms
stories by Judy Ross
photography by Derek Trask
Until recently the backyard represented work – a place where the grass had to be mown, the flower beds had to be weeded … and if we were lucky we got a few minutes to sit on the deck on a sunny afternoon.
Much has changed. With our short summer season we want more time ‘outside’ to enjoy our outdoor spaces. Most of us want less mowing and weeding, and more relaxing. And we’re finding that outdoor rooms can be just as much fun to furnish and decorate as any room inside the house.
“Almost everyone considering a backyard makeover thinks low maintenance,” says Lynn Barnes, owner of Gordon J. Leece Landscapes, the firm that designed two of the backyards that overlook the Lora Bay golf course. Barnes says the first request of almost every client is easy care.
Just like fashion, landscaping goes through trends, and today’s trend is low maintenance. “Everyone is so busy,” notes Barnes, “they just want to enjoy their outdoor spaces, not work in them. We think of them as Zen landscapes that offer serenity. They are very easy to live in. We often put in a water feature for the calming aspect. And then instead of lawns we use lots of structured gravel and stone.”
Privacy is another key to enjoying outdoor rooms. Unless your backyard is out in the countryside or backs onto a forest, a privacy screen of some kind may be necessary to create an outdoor room you will want to use. A lattice fence with fast growing ivy is one option. Clumps of emerald cedars can provide an instant green fence. Ornamental grasses have become a mainstay of garden design. Some of the new varieties like Giant Silver Grass can grow to be 10 feet tall. “Ornamental grasses are very popular because they’re so easy,’ notes Barnes. “We used a lot of them in the gardens at the Lora Bay Club to screen the sitting areas from passing golfers.”
The big revolution in outdoor living comes from major changes in the furniture industry. Not long ago our choices were limited if we wanted furniture that could be left outside in all kinds of weather. Almost everything would either rot, rust or get moldy. The only options were teak or cedar chairs, folding aluminum chaises with crisscrossed nylon mesh, or heavy iron tables and chairs. And cushions were out of the question before the invention of true weather-proof outdoor fabric.
Now, new materials like resin allow designers to create wicker-look furniture that is more durable and fade resistant than real wicker. It comes in many styles and it doesn’t rust. Then there’s the new plastic lumber made from recycled plastic milk containers and fashioned into Muskoka chairs, benches and patio tables. It’s eco-friendly, it looks like wood, it brings a rainbow of colours to the backyard, it can be left out all year, and it’s heavy enough that it doesn’t blow away.
“The best thing is that prices have come down for outdoor furniture,” says Christine Pritchard, whose retail store, Habitat Interiors in Thornbury, supplied furniture and accessories for many of the homes on last summer’s Backyard Glam tour sponsored by On The Bay. “Now you can get good quality at reasonable prices. Even the high-end companies have introduced certain lines that may not have a custom look and may only come in two or three colours, but they are affordable.”
So many new products allow us to create amazing outdoor rooms. Carpets provide a colourful anchor for an outdoor sitting area and are now made from materials that can be left out in the rain. Greatly improved battery-operated candles can be placed on tables or in hurricane lanterns, put on timers and left outside. And, finally, the biggest change is that comfort has come to outdoor furniture in the form of ‘cushioned’ sofas, chairs and sectionals that are the equivalent of indoor furniture. This comfort is possible because of new outdoor fabric that will never weather or fade.
Being able to add light and heat has also allowed us to extend the usage of our outdoor retreats. Patio heaters have come down in price and are more effective and less obtrusive. Fire pits, outdoor hearths and high-tech fire features add both warmth and an attractive glow to outdoor settings. And cooking outdoors is no longer restricted to the barbecue – outdoor grills and pizza ovens, not to mention complete kitchens, make backyard entertaining a breeze.
With summer on the horizon there is lots to consider if you want to get full use of your backyard this season. ❧
