Curate an outdoor lounge space

Had to cancel a beach vacation you planned for spring break or summer? Set up an outdoor lounge space on your patio or in the yard to give your outdoor space a tropical feel. You can either scour the internet for lounge chairs, chaise lounges, hammocks and outdoor sectionals, or create your own, like a one-of-a-kind outdoor lounge bed. All you need to complete this project is a platform bed frame, a futon mattress and outdoor fabric to cover it. (If you’re not handy with the sewing machine, this would be a simple task for a local upholsterer to tackle.) Plop some outdoor pillows on top for added comfort and style.

To complete your lounge, add in some side tables, a few candles and maybe a glass of wine to create that all-inclusive atmosphere.

DIY outdoor movie theater

The movie theaters may be off limits for now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t re-create the experience in your own private outdoor space. Though you’ve likely seen elaborate backyard movie theater setups, it doesn’t have to be complicated: All you need is a white sheet that can be tautly mounted on a flat surface (a shed or siding on your apartment patio will do just fine), a projector and your phone to play movies, TV shows or whatever else you’re binging these days.

Don’t have access to a projector? It’s surprisingly simple to make one out of a shoe box, some cardboard and a magnifying glass. Round up your favorite patio chairs or arrange your outdoor cushions, make some popcorn and enjoy your movie with the background noise of the crickets chirping.

Create an outdoor bar

It may be a while before you can go back to your favorite dive bar or swanky cocktail lounge, so why not create your own for your outdoor space? You can, of course, buy a bar online, or you can repurpose an old table or desk — or even get crafty with some cinder blocks, concrete glue and a few 1 x 6 boards to create your very own. Gather your Bluetooth speaker, your favorite cocktail ingredients and a few glasses to get the ambiance of your favorite bar right at home. Here are a few ideas for inspiration, including bars you can squeeze into the smallest of outdoor spaces.

Beautify a barn or shed

A barn or a shed is a utilitarian structure, but that doesn’t mean it has to be an eyesore. Spruce it up by painting it a bold color, attaching some shutters, adding some flower boxes, installing a stone path or even stringing up some lights to zhuzh up that forgotten space in the backyard.

DIY fire pit

Just because many of the state parks or campsites are closed doesn’t mean you have to miss out on everyone’s favorite camping activity: the campfire. You can easily create a DIY fire pit for your backyard in seven steps, which only requires a few supplies you can pick up curbside at your local home improvement store. Not a big DIYer? You can always buy a prefab fire bowl that’s just as effective at creating that warm, cozy campfire glow.

Make an al fresco dining destination

We’re all getting a little tired of eating in our kitchens (or, maybe in front of our televisions) night after night. Mix it up a little by making an al fresco dining destination in your backyard or patio. In addition to an outdoor dining table and chairs, lay down an outdoor rug and string up a strand of lights or craft yourself an outdoor chandelier to transform your evening meals.

Create a meditation zone

Missing your yoga studio? You can still do a restorative practice and a shavasana at home — and make it even better by creating a meditation zone in your backyard. Plant a garden with calming scents like lavender or jasmine, create a stepping stone path to your meditation spot or even build yourself a standing tent or cabana with curtains that blow in the warm, calming breeze.

Do you want a flower garden, vegetable garden, outdoor living space? Here are some amazing balcony garden designs. As you look through them, pay close attention to the designs you are drawn to. It may be helpful to have an idea of how you want to use your balcony space.

Some balconies are created to complement the existing home design and decor. One factor to consider is your available budget. With many balcony garden ideas, you can create a fabulous space without spending much money! Another thing to think about is how much sunlight your balcony receives. This can help determine the plants you choose. Finally, what time of the day will you use your new space? For a balcony used mainly in the evenings, you may want lighting on your balcony. With adequate planning, you can create a beautiful balcony garden designed to serve your gardening needs.

1. Sunny Side

This balcony garden is sunny and bright! Citrus trees love the sun, making a sunny balcony the ideal location for growing your own fruit. This creative balcony garden proves you do not need matching pots to be a stunning area. The plants are offered protection from the sun by the white umbrella secured to the balcony railing. From the collection of play toys to the red and white striped fabric shade, this is also a space to share with a child. The addition of the hanging light over the café table allows this balcony to be used even at night!

2. Scrap Wood

Simplistic and rustic describe this balcony garden. Using the vertical space, this garden combines rustic wood elements with light creating a cozy space. This design can be replicated with two wood pallets or even scrap wood from previous projects. Simply repurpose the wood for flower boxes! Since this design uses only the wall, it allows the balcony floor to stay clean and saves valuable floor space. The tea light candles invite warmth and romance into an otherwise boring space. Depending on your skill level and home decor, this balcony garden may be the perfect design for your home’s balcony garden.

3. Micro-Park

Is a tiny yard and garden on your balcony possible? When creating a balcony garden design you can have both! Using AstroTurf on your balcony floor, you are able to create a yard in the city or on your apartment balcony. Colorful, yet edible kale is showcased in wooden crates. Hanging garden boxes provide additional growing space on the balcony railing in this design. With the predominantly green landscape, the pop of fuchsia color from the flower is a nice addition. Even the tiny herbs have a home in the small terra cotta pots lining the side of this balcony!

4. Vertical Terra Cotta

Never underestimate the power of hooks when balcony gardening. They are great for hanging baskets or hanging terra cotta pots. This design uses simple eye hole hooks and connects the pots using metal rods, washers, and bolts. The beauty of this design is found in staggering the pots to add visual interest. The metal rods create a sort of rain chain between the pots allowing the water to flow from the top down. Therefore, by watering the top, you can save water from draining out onto the ground. This design would work equally well for flowers or herbs.

5. Modern Comfort

Modern meets comfort in this beautiful balcony garden decor. Elements of home design have been carried through to this balcony. When combining home design with the outdoors, it’s important to bring home décor to the space. With the pillow, blanket, and serving tray this balcony garden has done just that! Aside from the wicker chair, this space doesn’t feature typical outdoor furniture. A stool is used as a plant display and a rope covered ottoman keeps the home décor feel alive. Keeping with the theme, the rug breaks up the modern gray on this balcony adding yet another visual element of comfort.

6. Culinary Creations

This balcony garden idea proves you can grow a wide variety of edible food and herbs in a small space. Using a wooden pallet and chalkboard paint this culinary creation can be at your fingertips. When planning a vertical balcony garden, be sure to drill holes in the bottom of each level to allow water to pass through. This simple revision will keep your plants from developing root rot and prolongs the life of the wood. Also, when using pallets for edible gardening, make sure the wood hasn’t been treated with a wood preservative as this can leach into your plants.

7. Tiny space, Big color

Bright colors bring emphasis to this tiny balcony garden design. This bland wall was transformed into a creative work of tangible art using well placed colorful pots. Matching plant markers keep the plants organized without attracting too much attention. The wood on the balcony floor visually blends with the home’s wood floor bringing the home’s design outdoors. A brightly colored ottoman blends perfectly with the pots further enhancing the home’s décor. Furthermore, a net around the balcony allows the door to be open ushering in fresh air and an unobstructed view from the home, without the fear of birds or leaves flying in.

8. Private Oasis

This private oasis was constructed using a creative balcony garden design. Placing the plants around the balcony edge in taller pots creates privacy while taking advantage of the existing tree. By bringing floor pillows and a blanket into this design, this balcony becomes an extension of the home. The rattan rug and rope covered ottoman compliment the bamboo chairs. Using these complimentary pieces conveys an island feel in this secluded balcony space. The wood has been stained a dark gray providing the perfect canvas for the balcony garden decor. And, of course, the water pitcher is an invitation to sit and relax.

9. Upcycled Garden

A raised garden is created here using a repurposed wooden crate. The height allows for easy care of the plants without bending. With a few simple modifications, you can have a nice raised garden on your balcony. To find free wood crates you can check with small automotive, motorcycle, lawn and specialty shops. They usually have parts shipped in them. Grocery stores also use food crates for produce and wine. By filling the lower half of the bed with empty milk jugs, two liter soda bottles, or unusable pots, you can save money by cutting down on the amount of dirt you need.

10. Home Extension

Functionality at its best describes this balcony garden idea. Bringing traditionally used indoor pieces to this space gives this balcony an indoor room feel. Flowers are grown in baskets as well as garden boxes. A citrus tree is growing in a metal bucket and flowers are blooming in the recycled wooden crate. Herbs and flowers are decorating wooden shelves and an old wooden chair seats a beautiful pink flower in the corner. Small home decor touches such as the tablecloth and vase of flowers give this balcony a café feel. The extension of the awning adds to the tearoom ambience.

11. The Secret Garden

Sometimes you need a retreat you can escape to. This serene balcony garden is reminiscent of a secret Victorian garden with the ivy growing along the stone wall. Including a stone angel statue further confirms the feel. Growing trees in pots is a great way to add vertical elements. This design also incorporates stacking pots for added height. In this balcony garden design, rosemary is in bloom creating a delightful smell as well as adding a touch of purple color. The modest café table ensures a nice place to sit for coffee, tea, or simply a place to rest.

12. The Hanging Garden

Garden balconies do not require a large footprint to be effective. When creating a balcony garden in a narrow space, hanging pots and baskets are key. This design allows many plants to grow in often neglected overhead space. Attaching planters to the balcony railing is another brilliant idea as it doesn’t require additional space. The end of this balcony has been reserved for floor space with a few pots on the floor. Because most of the garden is grown above and on the side of this balcony, there is room for a set of chairs and table maximizing the usefulness of this small space.

13. Italian Flair

Inspired by an Italian window garden, this colorful balcony proves you can make a dramatic impact in a small space. Although there isn’t enough room for a table or chairs, this beautiful display of showy petunias is a showstopper. Window boxes are hung on the outside of the balcony where they can easily be seen from below. This design incorporates smaller pots on the inside of the balcony floor to grow greenery. By adding the greenery, a nice backdrop is provided for the petunias creating a seamless flow. Even the wall behind the balcony was used to display the beautiful flowers.

14. Deck Balcony

If a deck is what you desire, consider adding wood deck tiles to your balcony garden design. This can be installed over your existing balcony floor with relative ease by a DIYer. Using neutral tones and different textile textures maintains the integrity of this peaceful, low key space. The patio fruit tree growing out of the galvanized can proves everyday objects can make fabulous planters for your balcony garden decor. By adding only one shade of purple flower to this design in matching galvanized containers, this balcony garden has a light and airy feel to it.

15. Rail Garden

If instant color with minimal work is what you are hoping for, you may want to check out the balcony rail planters. They use no tools or skills to install and are available in different colors. Simply decide on what flower, herb, or vegetable to plant and you are done! Besides the ease of these planters, the next best thing is their portability. If you have an area that receives too much hot sun mid afternoon, you can move the planter to the other side of your balcony. You also have the ability to bring the planter indoors to water it.

BEFORE: Forgotten About

During the chillier months, blogger Kristen mostly used her patio as a catch-all space. Her worn furniture didn’t inspire guests to gather outdoors.

AFTER: Outdoor Oasis

Patio furniture turned this space into the perfect spot for summer get-togethers. A subdued color palette keeps the atmosphere serene, while darker elements, like the wicker chair and table, pop against the patio’s light color.

BEFORE: Weathered

While a stone fireplace makes a bold statement outdoors, the furniture on Courtney’s patio was worn from years of being exposed to the elements.

AFTER: Soft & Feminine

Trading dark chairs for whitewashed wicker makes this patio feel softer. To complete the look, this blogger opted for pillows and a rug with subtle patterns.

BEFORE: Cluttered and Generic

Generic outdoor furniture pushed into the corner makes this space look abandoned.

AFTER: Full of DIY Charm

This patio may be small, but it’s filled with furniture that tells a story. “The coffee table we built from old barn beams pulled out of our barn,” explains blogger Liz, who also built the white potting bench to double as a serving cart for entertaining.

BEFORE: Hole in The Ground

This outdoor space had one saving grace—the fireplace that anyone would be happy to congregate around.

AFTER: Cozy Sitting Area

Now, it’s a delightful place to spend time whether the fire is blazing or not. But honestly, this patio had us hooked from the moment we spotted that farmers’ market pillow!

BEFORE: Basic Deck

This deck has always been a great spot for hosting outdoor meals—just look at that waterfront view!

AFTER: Outdoor Dining Haven

With the addition of dark furniture, this beautiful deck is now just as inspiring as the serene water it looks over.

BEFORE: Worn Out

A canopy shaded this patio from the harsh sun, but years of wear and tear had it looking drab.

AFTER: Cute and Cozy

New drapes were a must, but colorful accent pieces now supply the wow factor.

BEFORE: Empty Space

Simply an open grassy area, blogger Jen’s recently refreshed backyard served no real family function. “It took us a few years, 4 to be exact, to really be certain about what to do back here because it’s a long, narrow space,” she explains on her blog.

AFTER: Functional Patio

The decision to install a pea gravel patio opened up the space for outdoor entertaining, whether for a family dinner or a night sitting under the stars.

BEFORE: Overgrown

Blogger Jenna Sue decided to give her parents’ back deck a much-needed refresh. “Between the uneven and overgrown sloping ground, the outdated dining set, and rusty fire pit, this neglected space was not exactly the setting they’d envisioned to welcome guests,” she writes on her blog.

AFTER: Relaxing Retreat

A sturdy wicker table set now immediately catches the eye when guests go outside, inviting everyone to dine al-fresco.

BEFORE: Deserted For Winter

Winter in New England means snow and bitter cold—it’s no wonder this patio looks unused, we wouldn’t want to venture outside in those temperatures either.

AFTER: Welcoming Spring

Blogger Jenni took the first signs of spring as an excuse to makeover her outdoor space. A few cozy seating options and a fire pit make this space appropriate for spending a summer day—or a chilly New England night.

BEFORE: In Need of Repair

The major crack in this patio needed to be addressed before the outdoor entertaining season.

AFTER: Multi-Use Space

In addition to transforming the concrete with a bold pattern, blogger Susan wanted to take advantage of the empty space between the back of her garage and neighbors. It’s now a seating area with lights that create a serene atmosphere.

Some of the best concepts include using pallets in your garden. This could be using them as your personal miniature garden, complete with built-in rows, or as an ideal backdrop for starting your family’s herb garden. And the creativity doesn’t stop there!

From chairs and couches to tables and serving bars, you can’t go wrong with any way you choose to use pallets in your next DIY project.

1. Easy DIY Outdoor Pallet Couch with Chaise

Comfort and style collide on a shoestring budget with one of the best DIY pallet garden ideas for custom outdoor furniture. Not only will your patio get the much-needed seating it demands, but you’ll find a new favorite spot to relax with the chaise at the end of this comfy couch. Use removable cushion covers for easy washing and cleaning up. Add some decorative accent pillows for a decorative element to this cool pallet couch. It makes a unique way to incorporate pallets in your garden since they effortlessly transform into savvy and budget-friendly outdoor furniture.

2. Repurposed and Reclaimed Wire Spool Outdoor Table

Featuring a shabby chic white-washed finish, this wire spool table gives your outdoor space a nice table while adding lots of style and character. The round design adds a visually interesting and cool look to the traditional square shapes of tables and other furniture pieces. Nestled between two chairs, this repurposed table offers a wonderful platform for setting drinks and snacks as well as some decorative elements. An accent pillow below further embellishes the cozy and comfortable conversation space surrounding this reclaimed wire spool outdoor table design.

3. Extra Long Pallet Picnic Table

Here’s one of the best DIY pallet garden ideas you’ll enjoy with all of your family and friends. This extra long picnic table provides more than enough table space and seating for a large gathering of family and friends. Add a couple of umbrellas and your dining experience can be enjoyed out of the sun’s reach. Since a picnic table is a near essential backyard piece of furniture for summer, why not use your resources wisely and construct this large concept from some unwanted pallets?

4. Reclaimed Pallet Turned Wooden Planter

Give a brand new life to an otherwise useless pallet as you reimagine it as a gorgeous wooden outdoor planter. You can add a beautiful place to plant your annual flowers to put some much-needed pops of color onto your porch or patio space. This is one easy pallet outdoor furniture idea that can be completed in an evening or afternoon. Constructed on short legs, this wooden planter adds some height and dimension to your gardening scene as you can show off your favorite budding beauties at counter height to be easily seen.

5. Classic and Simple Traditional Chairs from Pallets

Imagine a superior set of outdoor chairs that closely resemble the classic and traditional design of the ones in your dining room. Now picture them being crafted from repurposed pallets. This amazing and earth-friendly concept shows an easy pallet outdoor furniture design that makes the perfect cozy seating for your fire pit area. Each guest will enjoy having his/her own seat providing him/her with the personal space needed to completely relax and enjoy the warmth of the fire. Choose a rich, dark stain to really emphasize the beauty of simple wood. Pair these great chairs with a side table or two and you’ll have a complete outdoor fire pit gathering place.

6. Perfectly Potted Pallet Vertical Herb Garden

Standing tall and proud, this pallet transforms into an amazing and perfectly practical herb garden. Plant your most loved herbs in your small terracotta pots and organize them in this vertical herb garden that’s a great wood pallet idea for gardens. Everyone wins with this pallet herb garden from tree huggers to dining guests. The enhanced flavors in your alfresco summer dishes will be embraced by your taste buds as you utilize this incredibly organized and easy-to-use outdoor pallet herb garden.

7. Upright Pallet Shallow Backyard Bar

If you’re tight on space you can still add some repurposed pallets into your design. This single pallet stands upright to take up less surface space. At the top, a slender tabletop creates a bar space with just the right amount of counter space for a miniature bar area. Set up a serve-yourself bar or use it as the condiment station for your party. Guests will meander throughout the night to find your confined space offers adequate party essentials that are easy to use.

8. Stacked and Painted Pallet Crates Outdoor Storage

Stacked and stoked, this pair of painted pallet crates adds additional storage and a little style to your back porch or patio area. You can customize it in your favorite bright summer color or brush on a traditional neutral tone. Now you’ll enjoy a place to store some summer staples like gardening gadgets or sunscreen sprays and lotions. With the wall mounting capabilities, your extra storage solutions won’t crowd your walkway. Keep sharp trimmers and hand shovels out of reach from tiny fingers. This is simply another way to utilize these crafty crates that seem to pop up everywhere in the design world nowadays.

9. Gorgeous Stained Outdoor Pallet Herb Garden

Grab that pallet and slap on some stain to create this incredible wood pallet idea for gardens. You’ll love the beauty it provides to your back patio while everyone seated around your table will enjoy the fresh taste of the seasoned meal. It’s easy to keep it organized with labeled popsicle sticks as your green-thumbed beauties grow in their designated rows. Kids will want to dig into this easy garden concept as well so be sure to include them in the planting and harvesting of these fresh herbs and spices.

10. Freestanding Outdoor Cushioned Pallet Swing

Give your backyard another fun place to hang out with this freestanding pallet swing. A sturdy, thick cushion makes this one of the best places to kick back and read a good book during a summer afternoon. It’s a new spin on the classic hammock and offers a gentle swaying motion that blends in with a summer breeze. Kids and grown-ups alike will enjoy spending a few hours in the splendor of this backyard swing. Place a pair under a big shade tree for an enjoyable time for friends to catch up and relax.

11. Tile Top Pallet Outdoor Serving Bar

Entertaining makes its way to the great outdoors as the temperatures rise, so be prepared with plenty of designated spaces to make your next backyard party a success. One great wood pallet idea for gardens is to incorporate an outdoor serving bar so guests can enjoy your backyard garden while sipping a refreshing beverage. This slim vertical pallet transforms into a unique outdoor bar where anything from drinks to appetizers can be served on its tiled top. With its vertical design, it takes up minimal floor space giving you the extra gathering space for friends and family to enjoy.

12. Large Wooden Pallet Planter Box with Back

Add a little privacy and a lot of planting space to your backyard with this interesting and creative pallet planter box. The addition of the pallet back on top of this planter box gives your conversation spaces a little more privacy from nearby neighbors while also providing your lovely climbing plant friends a place to vine out. The box has plenty of space for showing off your collection of seasonal flowers. You’ll love the way this planter box adds a whole new dimension to your outdoor space by defining a specific nook for friends to gather and enjoy a relaxing night under the stars.

13. Rustic Pallet Outdoor Grill Table

If you’re using a smaller tabletop grill, this rustic pallet table should be on your must-have list for summer. Under the covered porch or on the patio, this outdoor grill table is just the right size for grilling and all the supplies it includes. A little below the top, you’ll discover an amazing storage solution for housing your tongs, spatulas, spices, rubs, and other essential grilling tools. Creating a special space for your family grill master is easy with this simple pallet table that makes mealtime more fun.

14. Distressed Wooden Outdoor Pallet Coffee Table

Getting together with friends and family during the summer months usually means spending special time together in the backyard. While entertaining in such a way, be sure to create some convenient and cozy conversation stations throughout your space. One way to do so is by defining areas and that’s easy to do with essential living room pieces like a coffee table. Since people tend to gather around tables, this outdoor pallet coffee table offers you the same atmosphere as an interior one snuggled within the perimeter of your couch and chairs. It gives guests a place to rest their drinks and a designated space to arrange their outdoor furniture too.

15. Repurposed Pallet Raised Garden Bed

One of the best DIY pallet garden ideas has to be this essential backyard gardening piece- the raised bed. It’s perhaps the most productive and resourceful way to use pallets in your garden. No more sore knees from tending your veggies as the raised bed allow you to work from a standing or seated position. Including more than one in your backyard allows for separate garden beds to make the most of your space. Try one with herbs, another for varieties of lettuce, and one for your favorite collection of tomatoes. You can’t go wrong with the natural goodness of fresh garden veggies and adding this repurposed pallet raised bed is the best way to go!

16. Outdoor Living Room Pallet Furniture

Create a dreamy and comfortable outdoor living room with easy pallet outdoor furniture. Crafted from leftover pallets, your outdoor living room can boast the same cozy feel of your indoor space complete with an oversized coffee table and couches. The addition of a glass top makes the table feel a bit more refined and polished while a large set of cushions makes the couches ever so inviting. Now you can designate a corner of your patio or porch space as your second living room where great talks with friends can linger long after the sun goes down.

17. Pretty Painted Pallet Outdoor Garden Center

Check out this small and quaint outdoor garden center that’s been created from a pallet. A distressed coating of paint gives it a vintage vibe as it transforms from the shipping department to the lawn and garden section. A hefty shelf underneath the tabletop further adds the extra storage space you need for plants, pots, soil, and seeds. On top, the counter space gives you the room you need to sow seeds and arrange plants into different pots as well. Its small girth allows it to be a perfect fit for any sized space, so if you’re tight on room in the backyard this is a cool way to add a garden center to your own backyard.

18. Rainbow Pallet Porch Planter

Birds of a feather flock together and so will all of your favorite potted annual flowers with this spectacular rainbow pallet porch planter. Each strip features another painted color of the rainbow from red to violet. Planting pots are secured to give you lots of vertical space for adding several flowers at a time. From pansies to geraniums and many petals in between, you’ll cherish the simplistic beauty of this cheap pallet flower planter concept. Prop it up against the backyard fence or rest it on a side of your porch so it can bring that splash of color that your outdoor decorating scene needs for summer.

19. Painted Black Outdoor Bar from Pallets

Another spin on outdoor pallet decor is a painted backyard bar. With room overhead to hang a strand of lights and a small counter space at hip level, this backyard bar is the place to serve up some cocktails or a little tailgating food buffet. Your guests will form a line and wrap themselves through your mouth-watering display as they enjoy a backyard barbecue like no other. Create a designated beverage bar on one end and house all of your serving ware on the other. Designate an amateur bartender to keep the party going and serve up some special gulps this summer.

20. Wonderful Window Box Pallet Planter

Add some instant curb appeal to your home with a window box. And while you’re at it, there’s no need to break the bank since an unwanted pallet and some paint is all you’ll need to create one. Measure your window and make your custom creation where you’ll enjoy a generously sized planting box that rests right below your front window. Use one or attach one to each and every window on the front of your home to make a more dramatic design. Neighbors and butterflies alike will delight in the beauty of your planted flowers as they spill over from these creative and low-cost pallet window box planters.

Thunbergia (Black-Eyed Susan Vine)

Commonly known as the Black-eyed Susan vine, thunbergia is one of the best annual flowers for pots where you can provide some sort of trellis or stake. (Alternatively, it’s a beautiful choice for hanging baskets.) The heart-shaped leaves are accented by five-petaled flowers in white, cream, yellow or orange with the deep-maroon central eye. Some rare varieties have rose or variegated petals. Thunbergia also makes a great flowering plant for indoor gardeners, so you may want to bring yours in for the winter.

Bacopa

This is a graceful, compact annual flower for pots, perfect for the ‘spilling over the edges of a container effect. Its foliage is strewn with petite white or lavender flowers. Once established it will flower until a hard frost. There are several cultivars available with variegated foliage, and all will grow well in sun to partial shade.

Fuchsia

A staple of hanging containers and other planters for many years, fuchsia is a hummingbird magnet. It boasts pendulous, bell-shaped flowers in rich shades of rose, cream and purple. The flowers are often bicolour. These annual plants do best in partial shade, as they don’t like overly hot growing conditions. If your climate is very warm, provide protection from the sun from midday onwards to keep your fuchsias happy. Deadheading spent flowers will prolong the bloom period until frost, especially if you fertilize every two to four weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer.

Calibrachoa

Sometimes called Callies, trailing petunia or million-bells, these relations of petunias have become a staple of many container plantings because they’re so easy to care for. Unlike petunias, you don’t need to deadhead callies to keep them flowering, as they drop their spent flowers and bloom until frost. There’s a veritable rainbow of flower colours: rose, red, orange, yellow, bronze, violet, purple, and many bicolours. Callies will grow well in full sun and don’t collapse in high heat conditions as long as they are well watered.

Ageratum

Sometimes called Floss flower, ageratum produces clusters of tuft-like flowers in blue, violet, white, or burgundy (a newer colour introduction in the past few years). Well suited to full sun or partial shade, most varieties are less than 12 inches tall, making them great candidates for window boxes or fillers in larger containers. If you find your ageratum becoming untidy, cut back your plant to a third of its height every couple of weeks. This will generate sturdy new shoot growth and plenty of new flowers.

Osteospermum

If you have a nice sunny spot, you can easily grow Osteospermums, a type of African daisy. Once established, they will bloom until frost with regular deadheading. They come in a rainbow of colours from soft yellow and peach to deep purple, with some blended colours in newer varieties. If you’re looking for something a little different, one specialized line of osteospermums has petals that are spoon-shaped instead of the standard daisy shape.

Nemesia

An ideal annual for sunny containers providing you keep it well watered, nemesia grows less than a foot tall and is a great annual flower for pots because it bushes out well. This plant has many shoots bearing sprays of delicate flowers in a rainbow of shades and colour combinations. Nemesia grows easily from seed. You can also purchase the speciality cultivars to get unusual colour combinations. Some varieties are fragrant, which makes them a great choice for containers on decks or along walkways where everyone can enjoy their scent.

Heliotrope

If you love scented plants, you’ll adore heliotrope. Its fragrance ranges from a light baby powder scent to sweeter smells like cream soda, vanilla, or cherry pie. The plant’s glossy, deep green foliage is topped by clusters of tiny florets in dark purple, or (less commonly) white. This compact (15-inch maximum) annual resents soil that is too dry and will be chilled by cool nights, so keep it well watered and don’t plant it outdoors too early in the spring.

1. Sleep Off the Ground

The more air can circulate around your body, the cooler you’ll be overnight. Lying in a sleeping bag or on a mat on the ground isn’t ideal in hot weather. Sleeping on a thin camping cot or even in a woven hammock should leave you minimally sweaty by morning.

2. Bring Giant Ice Cubes

Standard ice cubes will keep your cooler cold for a day. By day two, all your stuff is warm, including your drinking water, and everything is waterlogged. Next time, freeze plastic bottles or gallon jugs of water. (Let a little water out first so the plastic doesn’t explode when the water expands.) Use frozen bottles in place of ice cubes in your cooler. They’ll melt slowly and create cool drinking water for you as they do.

3. Set Up a Sunshade

If the sun beats down on your tent all day long, climbing in at night is like climbing into a hothouse. In the morning, the sun’s rays may wake you long before you want to rise. Keeping the sun from baking your tent is as easy as setting up a sunshade. Buy one from a camping retailer or DIY a sunshade by using ropes to tie a tarp between two trees.

4. Live in Light Colors

Before leaving home, scan all the clothing you’ve packed for your hot-weather camping trip. The best items are lightweight, breathable fabrics that stand away from the body and are light shades, like white, pastels and pale gray. Darker fabrics will absorb heat and keep you hot all day.

5. Plan No-Cook Meals

When the forecast calls for scorching weather, you can anticipate that you probably won’t want to be anywhere close to a campfire until it cools off after dark. Pack s’mores supplies and maybe some hot dogs to toast for an evening campfire snack but focus on cold foods for daytime meals. Sandwiches and salads are the way to go in a heatwave.

6. Dismantle the Tent During the Day

A sunshade can help keep it cool, but a tent may still be uncomfortably hot at the end of a steamy day. Consider taking down the tent and stashing it someplace shady during the day. Depending on how easy it is to put up your tent, the effort that this requires may be worthwhile if it means having somewhere cool to sleep.

7. Bring an Inflatable Kiddie Pool

What feels better to hot, aching feet than a soak in cold water? It’s enough to cool down your entire body. If you’ll have access to water at your campsite, pack a small, inflatable kiddie pool to fill with just a few inches of water at the end of the day. Put just your feet in or if you get really desperate, climb in and splash your entire body.

8. Pack Portable Fans

The invention of battery-operated fans is one of the best things that ever happened to camp enthusiasts. On a hot night, opening your tent’s ventilation flaps may not be enough to get air moving through your space. Portable fans will do the trick. The type that is designed for camping even attaches to hooks so you can hang them overhead at night.

9. Shift Your Schedule

Are you normally not a morning person? A sticky summer camping trip is the perfect time to become one. Rising with the sun allows you to enjoy hiking, biking, cooking, and other activities that would be too hot to attempt once the sun is high in the sky. Relax or swim in the hottest part of the day and resume more strenuous activities in the late afternoon. You’ll be ready to crash by evening.

10. Cool Your Head Before Bed

After a long, hot day, lowering your body temperature before bed should help you sleep comfortably. Even if you’re traveling light and can’t carry portable fans or a kiddie pool to your campsite, you can probably find space in your pack for a few clean washcloths. Soak them in cool water and hold one on your forehead and one on the back of your neck. Chilling the skin should help you feel cooler all over.

1. Sage protects against mosquitoes

This advice is absolutely perfect for those who enjoy hiking. All you need to do is throw bundled sage leaves into the fire, and the mosquitoes will forget about you for a long time.

2. A container for contact lenses to store cream

Even if you don’t wear contact lenses, you can buy a container in any pharmacy for a small price. It takes up very little space, but you’ll have enough cream for several days, and you won’t need to worry about it leaking. It’s also a good way to store toothpaste.

3. A bay leaf to avoid motion sickness

If you feel sick when you travel – no matter if it’s a plane, train, or car – a bay leaf is the perfect solution for your problem. All you need to do is put it under your tongue. Don’t worry about the taste: it’s actually pretty nice and will remind you of chewing gum.

4. A pillbox to store jewelry

A pillbox is the best container for jewelry. It occupies minimum space and gives maximum convenience: your necklaces, chains, and earrings will be neatly organized.

5. A Tic Tac box for bobby pins

Store bobby pins and hair clips in a convenient Tic Tac box while you’re traveling.

6. How to avoid clothes creasing in a suitcase

To prevent your clothes from becoming wrinkled in a suitcase, you should roll them instead of folding them. If you want to be sure that your clothing won’t unroll, you can secure each roll with a rubber band.

7. Hiding the extra key in a flowerbed

A foolproof way to hide the extra key from your house so that no one would find it: instead of putting it under the doormat or on the door head, place it in a pillbox and stick a stone to its lid. Then dig a small hole in a flowerbed or a plant pot near your house and put the pillbox inside. Now anyone who looks at it will only see a stone.

8. CB radio

If you travel mostly by car, you can buy a special radio to communicate with the truckers. You can be sure that they’ll help you in a difficult situation, and you’ll always know all the necessary information about traffic, potholes, and even food at the roadside motels.

9. A clean solution

Cover the kitchen utensils you cook on with foil: you’ll get meals without dirty dishes. The foil won’t make frying more difficult – on the contrary, it’ll help to distribute the heat properly.

10. Popcorn in a bag

Here is an extremely convenient and unusual method of cooking popcorn. Take a disposable foil pan, and mix together some vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of popcorn grains. Cover the container with foil so that it forms a dome. Fry over high heat for about 8 minutes, shaking until the corn grains cease to pop. Enjoy!

11. Keep your shoes clean

In order to save your shoes from sticky burrs and other stuff, wipe your shoes with paraffin wax before going into the woods.

12. Chips in a fire

Chips can become perfect kindling. Set them on fire, and put them between some branches.

13. Follow the trucks

When you decide to have a snack on the road, choose a place with a lot of trucks next to it. The truckers usually dine in one place they know, and you can trust their experience.

14. A selfie with a stranger

If you decide to hitchhike, always do your best to protect yourself. If you get into a stranger’s car, talk to him about his travels, hobbies, or something else. You should offer to take a photo together, and then post it on social networks.

15. OK Maps

OK Maps will save an image from Google Maps, and you’ll always have offline access to it. Just tap ‘OK Maps’ in the search bar, and Google will do the rest for you.

16. Pack a jacket in its hood

This is a really convenient way to carry your jacket. When rolled this way it takes up less space and can serve as a comfortable pillow. It’s better than puzzling over where to put it, right?

17. Deodorant to cure an itch

If you want mosquito bites to stop itching, take some deodorant and rub it over the bites.

18. Careful clothes storage

If you want your clothes to stay clean and not absorb smells from the suitcase, put antistatic wipes on the bottom and sides of the suitcase.

19. A different meal on a plane

Most airlines are ready to provide their passengers with a number of different foods. You can choose between a vegetarian, kosher, halal, Hindu, and Lenten meal. Why not try something new? As a rule, you don’t need to pay extra for it. The only thing is that you need to choose the type of meal at least 72 hours before the flight.

20. ‘Fragile’ stickers

The airport staff transports the luggage with these stickers really carefully, and, by the way, they also unload it first. You can ask for a sticker at the reception desk, and you won’t need to worry about the safety of your luggage.

1. Remove Sand With Baby Powder

Did you know that baby powder makes it really easy to get sand off your skin? Carry a small bottle of baby powder with you to the beach this summer. It’ll help everyone get sand-free before they climb back into the car.

2. Keep Mosquitos Away

Before your next outdoor cookout, buy a couple of extra limes. Slice each lime in half, and press a few whole cloves into the flesh. Place the clove-studded limes around your food table to help keep mosquitos at bay!

3. Keep Mosquitos Away

Another natural way to repel mosquitos is to use citronella candles! You can find them in stores and online, but you can also make your own easily. They’re inexpensive to make, and smell lovely too!

4. Make Your Own Fire Starters

Need a cheap, quick, and easy way to start a campfire? Use dryer lint! It catches quickly and you’ll have a roaring fire in no time.

5. Flip Your Hamburger

When you’re eating burgers this summer, try eating them upside-down instead. The top of a hamburger bun is usually a bit thicker than the bottom part, so it will hold up better to all those toppings and sauces. No more struggling with crumbling burger buns!

6. Be The Hostess With The Mostess

We love dining outdoors during the summertime, especially when friends or family are visiting. I have a few clever hacks that I like to use to make my summertime entertaining easy and stress-free! You can get all my best summertime entertaining hacks at the link below.

7. Make Some Sunscreen

Get the scoop on SPF from my blog post all about sunscreen by following the link below. You’ll learn what ingredients to look for, what to avoid, and even how to make a homemade sunscreen with zinc oxide!

8. Protect Your Phone

Protect your phone from water, sunscreen, and all manner of other hazards by keeping a small ziplock bag with you. That way, whenever you find yourself in an environment that’s probably not great for phones, you’ll have something to keep it safe. (And don’t worry, you can still use the touchscreen when it’s in the bag!)

9. Fold Bags Into Bowls

You can turn a bag of chips into a simple serving bowl with no extra materials needed! Push the bottom of the bag into itself, moving the chips towards the top as you go. Then fold the top of the bag down to give the top a nice, clean finish. Tada! A simple solution that won’t dirty another dish.

10. Grill Without The Mess

Grilling outdoors is a summertime tradition, but it’s also a pretty messy affair! You can keep the mess to a minimum by using a grill and oven mat like this one. You can place them in the bottom of a gas grill to catch drips or use them right on top of your grill grates on any type of grill. Just toss the mat in the dishwasher to clean it.

11. Hide Valuables In Plain Sight

There’s a simple way to know that your valuables won’t get swiped at the beach or pool… hide them in a diaper! Just place your valuables inside a clean diaper, then roll it all up and secure it with the tabs. No one wants to look too closely at a rolled-up diaper, so you can rest assured that your valuables will stay hidden in plain sight!

12. Camp Like A Pro

Going on a camping trip this summer? There are plenty of brilliant tips and tricks that can make it a great experience for everyone! Check out the link below to learn great hacks for meals, camp decor, activities, battling bugs, and more!

13. Shoot Stunning Sparkler Photos

Still, have sparklers leftover from your Independence Day activities? Now is the perfect time to learn how to snap the perfect sparkler pic. Learn how to master a long exposure that will perfectly capture a message “written” in the air with a sparkler. You’ll be Instagram famous before you know it!

14. Get Smooth Summer Legs

Feeling a little wary about baring your legs this summer? You won’t be after you try my secret method for silky soft legs! Once you see how nice your legs look with a close shave and your softest skin ever, you’ll be ready to rock those shorts, no problem!

15. Freshen Up Musty Beach Towels

We put our beach towels through a lot during the summertime, and they can start to smell a little funky after a while. If your beach towels could use some freshening up, never fear! There’s a simple process that will strip that smell out and get them smelling good as new again. Check it out at the link below!

16. Clean Grill Grates With An Onion

You can clean the grates on your grill with just half an onion and a BBQ fork! Just stick the onion half onto the fork, then rub it along the grates of the grill. It’ll pick up all the gunk without the need for harsh chemical cleaners.

17. Catch Popsicle Drips With A Cupcake Liner

Frozen treats like ice cream and popsicles can melt fast under the hot summer sun! Keep the messy spills and drips contained by threading a cupcake liner or plastic lid onto the stick.

18. Learn The Best Corn-On-The-Cob Hacks

Everyone’s got their own methods for buttering, serving, and eating corn on the cob. It’s one of the trickier summertime staples, but well worth the effort in my opinion. I’ve shared all of my best corn on the cob hacks in the post at the links below:

If you are into making meaningful memories this summer in a digital-free way, take some inspiration from these ten ways to cook outside without a grill.

Why not use a grill?

A grill is the most ubiquitous way of cooking outdoors and there are plenty of websites dedicated to the subject.

While grilling is perhaps the best way to cook a steak or to make a burger, it’s not the only way.

So, let’s go back to before the grill was born and look at some alternative options for cooking outside.

Cooking Over an Open Fire

It may take some practice to light a fire if you haven’t started many. With practice, you can even do it with your eyes closed. (Though I can’t recommend that.)

You need to choose the right wood, you need to know when to add it at the right time to get the right heat to cook whatever it is that you’re cooking.

To bring something to a quick boil, use a fast, hot flame.

For stewing, use a low flame with plenty of coals.

And for frying, you’ll want no flames at all. Frying is best done over a glowing bed of coals. Depending on the dryness of your wood, it could be about an hour before the fire is heated and the embers ready to go.

In the meantime, you can cool yourself down with a switchel or a hard apple cider.

First, a few campfire cooking rules:

• Someone is wearing thick leather gloves and they are holding wood spoons and stirring a pot of chili being cooked over an open campfire.
• Always make sure it is safe to build a fire – check the wind direction, have a bucket or other source of water nearby, don’t build a bonfire for cooking.
• Use cast iron pans and pots or other heavy cookware that can withstand the heat without cracking.
• Never use plastic utensils or pans that have plastic handles as they can melt as the fire changes direction.
• Be sure to use wooden or metal spoons for stirring, and have thick leather gloves handy for removing pots from the fire.
• Use extra care around a fire, especially if children are around.
• Never leave a campfire unattended.

Of course, you can always opt for a camp stove if you’re in an area where building a fire is not permitted.

1. Grate

Cooking over a grate is akin to cooking on a grill.

The only thing is, that a fire is more unpredictable. Heat intensity will fluctuate, the wind will whip the flames and smoke around. It’s wild and needs to be honored.

Use a long pair of tongs for flipping meat and vegetables that are grilled directly on the grate.

Just be sure not to grill something too fatty, like bacon, which will sizzle and burn.

A grate is also great for setting pots on, for example, if you’d like to make a soup. You can also use it to boil down your apricots for homemade jam.

2. Tripod

I was first introduced to the fine art of using a cast iron camping tripod for outdoor cooking when my husband and I moved to Hungary.

A bogrács (kettle) is used for magicking up pörkölt (beef stew), paprikás krumpli (potato stew) and the traditional Hungarian gulyás (goulash).

There is no easier way to cook for a crowd than this.

3. Rotisserie Grill and Spit

While hunting for wild game is one thing, bringing your own chicken to the feast is another.

Either way, they are going to taste wonderful when roasted over the fire.

4. Sticks

Toasted marshmallows come immediately to mind, don’t they?

Let’s stick to some healthier options, ones that don’t require pots and pans, grills, or kettles. No washing of dishes after the meal is necessary.

All you need to do is head to the woods for the right sticks.

Which sticks are safe to cook on?

Those that are not toxic are the ones to harvest from the wild: willow, hazel, cherry, plum, pear, beech, birch, maple and so on. Be sure to know how to identify trees before you get hungry if you want to cook with sticks.

5. Pie Irons

I can’t tell you how many pie-iron pizzas and cherry pies I’ve eaten, simply because there have been too many.

Take a slice of bread, slather one side with butter and place it on the inside of one iron. Do the same with the other. Then place your toppings on one slice of bread, not too close to the edges.

Close it up and set in the embers until the bottom side turns a golden brown. Toast the other side, then slide it onto a plate. Blow on it fiercely, because it is too hard to wait for it to chill.

6. Dutch Oven

There are few things that can’t be cooked in a Dutch oven. This makes it one of the best camping investments you’ll ever make. It’s even a possession that can put your backyard grill to shame.

So, what can you cook in a Dutch oven?

• chili and cornbread
• vegetable stew
• red beans and rice
• chicken and potatoes
• lasagna
• enchiladas
• pizza
• garlic bread
• banana bread
• apple pie/cobbler
• bisquits
• cinnamon rolls and so on

7. Foil Dinners

If you don’t want to carry around a heavy pot, you can always make do with a roll of heavy-duty foil for cooking your campfire meals.

While I’m not convinced this is the healthiest way to cook a meal, there are worse ways (consider microwaves).

Looking on the bright side, cooking in foil is cheap, portable and mess-free. At the same time, it gives you so many options to choose from.

8. Building an Earth Oven

Having an earth oven in your backyard assumes that you have plenty of outdoor space. And that you like to bake. Or that you want to start baking.

Right from the start, I highly recommend that you participate in a workshop related to the subject, so you get the hands-on experience before building your own.

9. Digging a Pit Oven

How about an oven in the ground?

Long ago (some ovens are dated to about 29,000 BC to be more accurate), pit ovens were used to cook large amounts of meat for several people.

Now, you won’t be baking mammoth thighs for dinner, but you may want to roast several chickens at once.

10. Using a Solar Oven

With the strong appearance of the sun these days, combined with higher than normal temperatures, it only makes sense to utilize what is there. Not to fight it in any way. Just be aware and help to offset the changing climate by planting more and more trees.

A note of caution: out of all the ways to cook outdoors, using a solar oven has the least predictable outcome. If temperatures don’t get high enough, the food won’t be thoroughly cooked. Depending on what you are cooking, it may be destined for the compost.

The following DIY Raised Bed Gardens work when your garden does not have enough space for favorite vegetables and herbs. Even if you want to make your garden more modern and productive, these also help.

1. Simple Raised Bed Garden with 4×4 Posts

This simple raised bed garden surely works with beginning gardeners. You can use cedar and redwood for this project.

2. Super Easy Fabric Raised Planter

If you prefer new raised bed designs and ideas, these fabric planters are right up your street. This does not require any skill or budget.

3. Raised Bed Garden with Fencing and Benches

Fencing or a door added to your raised beds will keep it from deer and rabbits. Beautiful and fun to make, it’s enough for DIY.

4. Raised Bed Garden with Hoop House Attachments

This raised bed garden features a greenhouse tunnel on top! Love the addition of PVC pipes held upright to the inside of the bed with steel tube straps.

5. Easy DIY Raised Bed Garden Box Design

These garden boxes are made from 2×4 or 2×6 caps. They surely create a modern and effective garden.

6. Stacked Wood Raised Garden Planter Box

These garden beds are gorgeous. They are made from 4x6s or 6x6s, which is the same process.

7. Waist Height Garden Planter Idea

Another easy idea for raised bed garden is waist height garden planter. It will help those who have physical discomforts such as back or knee pains.

8. DIY Elevated Wood Garden Boxes

These elevated planter boxes are also easy enough for DIY projects.

9. Portable Raised Garden Planter

If you love something more attractive with your raised bed garden, you can add wheels or shelves to them. They’re more friendly.

10. Elevated Pallet Wood Planter

Pallets are not only great to make fences, but it also a useful and inexpensive material to make garden beds.

11. Simple Wood Garden Boxes

To make these raised bed gardens, you need 2×6 boards and 2×2 braces. The braces are optional supports that prevent the boards from warping or twisting.

12. Tiered Raised Bed Planters For Patio And Porch

Who does not love these raised bed planters for your patio and porch? This not only enables you to harvest plenty but also makes the space more beautiful.

13. Use Inexpensive Or Free Materials To Build Your Raised Bed Gardens

A DIY garden project that does not require a budget? Just make use of free materials. Logs, pallets, or bricks are all great to build garden beds.

14. DIY Galvanized Metal Raised Bed

You can also use galvanized metal to build raised garden planters.

15. Wood and Metal Raised Garden Bed

Another idea for a metal-raised bed garden is to combine metal and wood. It looks more gorgeous.

16. Galvanized Metal Garden Boxes With Trellis

Add a trellis to your garden boxes will make plants grow better. Tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers all love this.

17. Trough Raised Bed

A stylish garden that any would love.

18. Used Tires Upcycled Into Raised Garden Planters

One of the best things I love doing with old tires is turned them into raised bed gardens.

19. Concrete Block Raised Bed

Concrete blocks are great building materials for DIY raised beds.

20. Straw Bale Above Ground Garden Beds

I love doing natural things for my garden. So, I often add straw bale around garden beds. It works so well.