If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, barbecue is perhaps the first idea that comes to mind. We cannot deny that grilling meat and veggies in an outdoor kitchen can be wonderful.
During the day, your children and pets probably use the backyard the most, running around and getting dirty. Many backyards in America also function as opportunities to display carefully curated patio furniture. As an extension of your home, it makes perfect sense to give your yard the love you keep for the indoors.
However, your backyard has the potential to be so much more. We have collected three splendid ideas that will take you by surprise.
Relieve Mental Stress with Backyard Astronomy
Have you ever noticed how staring at the night sky makes you feel dazed and lost, your current problems fading in comparison to the endlessness of the universe? Mindful stargazing is a real hobby – and more Americans are integrating it into their unwinding routine after work.
The Office of Astronomy for Development finds that astronomy can support mental health and cultural preservation while conferring therapeutic benefits to many. Moreover, backyard astronomy does not need much gear.
Outside Magazine suggests preparing for stargazing with binoculars, a comfortable mattress or outdoor bed, and a smartphone to access a stargazing app. Your backyard can let you reap the benefits of this activity in summer all through fall.
Depending on your location, you will face more or less light pollution that obstructs views of the Milky Way. However, on clear-sky nights, you should be able to see the Orion nebula, Venus, and the Andromeda galaxy.
Occasionally, planets like Mars and Jupiter are also visible. Your home is a stargazer’s delight if you live near Florida’s Everglades National Park, about an hour from Miami.
Experience Seaside Therapy with Dock Nets
A wholesome draw of a beach holiday is relaxing in lounge chairs and dock nets, listening to the sound of the waves, and feeling your worries washed away. However, holiday plans take ages to materialize, don’t they?
A unique approach to recreating the seaside experience in your backyard is installing architectural netting. You can lie down, lounge about, read the new Emily Henry romance, or watch your children have a tea party for their stuffed animals.
The aesthetic of such netting will transport you to the seaside or a yacht. It can also be a great draw when entertaining guests – who can resist good old seaside therapy?
If you implement this backyard upgrade, look for sturdy nets suitable for different weather conditions. The weave pattern should suit your family’s needs (think small children and curious dogs). Sunrise Yacht Products observes that the result will be airier if you install open nets with rope borders. However, tighter designs can let you emphasize the color to complement the rest of your outdoor decoration.
Look at it as a fun way to transform your backyard: artsy architecture, if you may.
Ground Yourself by Growing Backyard Wheat
Most of us love looking at flowers but feel anxious about nurturing them. Off the record, many Americans have probably killed houseplants unwittingly. And here we are, upping the ante on gardening: growing your grains.
Before you chuckle, look at it like this: since the beginning of recorded history, people have spent hours cultivating grains and fiber crops. Our children don’t often know where bread comes from and are oblivious to the hard work it takes. A feature on the Rochester Beacon observes that growing backyard wheat is an excellent way to make “tastier” pancakes and muffins for the kids!
To start this project, you can rope in a family member with green fingers. Spring wheat seeds of hard red varieties may be easier to deal with. You’ll also need help with testing the soul and keeping pests away. Small yards won’t need much equipment beyond standard garden shears, rakes, and buckets.
The children can join in for harvesting, grinding, and baking. Let them decorate the backyard farmland patch with scarecrows, signage, and posters. You’ll never run out of afternoon projects.
Security: A Key Consideration for Backyard Edits
In modern-day America, considering security is essential for making backyard edits. These deliberations have picked up steam due to rising aerial surveillance through drones. It sounds like a sci-fi movie plot, but paranoia deters many from spending time outdoors.
Consider architectural components that enhance privacy, like screens and fences. It can let you relax outdoors without worrying about peeping Toms. Overhead shade sails are ideal for homes with patios visible from taller buildings.
Backyards can be serene outdoor spaces on lazy afternoons, transforming into animated playgrounds come evening. These places have so many possibilities that using them only for run-of-the-mill activities would be a waste. As the year ends, get the heads in your family together to elevate your backyard to its full potential.
