4H ❚ THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD
P
HOMESCAPE / ADVERTISING SECTION
Inspired Space: Easy to create
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2H
PHOTO COURTESY OF
NAKPHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES
Portable gas grill features large
cooking and prep surfaces, and
it is easy to transport and store.
outdoor rug. “I love these as they
add a splash of color, design, and
create a sense of an outdoor liv-
ing room,” said Giuliani. Variety is
endless, from the look of a woven
Persian carpet to natural sisal or
seagrass, and patterns for a more
contemporary motif, Paris added.
SHADE STRATEGY
No one likes sitting out in the
hot sun all day, so come up with
a shade strategy. Simple solu-
tions abound — from umbrellas to
awnings, pop-up gazebos to sail
install the low-voltage kind by
running wires a few inches under-
ground and attaching them to a
transformer. “You want to make
sure it’s sealed so the water
doesn’t get in,” he advised.
JUST RELAX
A bargain is a powerful motiva-
tor but when it comes to buying
outdoor furniture, think beyond
price. New furniture is pleasing to
look at and a comfortable invitation
to sit down. “Choose seating that
is durable, waterproof, and prefer-
ably with cushions, as relaxing is the
name of the game,” said Giuliani.
“Sunbrella fabrics are great for out-
door use, and they come in a wide
variety of colors and patterns.”
Allyson Paris of her epony-
mous Fair Lawn design firm rec-
ommended that furniture match
the family’s need and space: If
you’re building Barbecue Central,
then table space will be key. For
a conversation nook, seating in
a U-formation like in your living
room does the job.
“Usually the furniture will be
neutral … The color you get more
from the cushions or pillows. Keep
the color coordinated so it looks de-
signed and well pleasing,” she said.
Finish it all off with an indoor/
canopies. “Gazebos, huts, any kind
of tenting is great for shade,” said
Pagano, also suggesting cooling fans.
Giuliani likes the ease at which
gazebo tents can be assembled.
“Many come with mosquito net-
ting, and they are available in a
variety of colors,” she said. Or use
a patio umbrella over the table to
create a fun look that doubles as
a sun shield, she said.
LET’S EAT!
When the family gets hungry,
there’s nothing like burgers and
other fare right off the BBQ. To
do it with ease, consider investing
in a quality portable grill, like a
Coleman or Weber. Portable grills
can go where they best serve the
family, but Pagano suggests creat-
ing a safe distance from seating.
“Everyone loves a barbecue
so look for a well-made, afford-
able grill,” Giuliani said. “Bottled
refillable propane tanks are neat,
clean, and easily transportable.”
Not only grills, but coolers are port-
able and weatherproof, so you’ll
never be without a drink in hand.
To make the weekends special,
consider not only the menu but
what you’re serving it on. Giuliani
suggested, “Set up your table
with a festive cloth, napkins, and
colorful acrylic glasses.” For styl-
ish backyard living, Mango Jam in
A circular firepit and two Adirondack chairs overlook a backyard
landscape designed by CLC Landscape Design of Ringwood, NJ.
Ridgewood has dishwasher-safe
for the backyard. And for fun that
melamine plastic dishes and serv-
lasts well into the night, Cording
ing platters that can add a splash
considers a firepit an easy-to-install
of color or variety to your setting,
backyard hot spot. Buy one ready-
said owner Tony Damiano. It may
made or build a circular firepit with
be just family but who says it
rocks from the yard and gravel.
can’t be bright and happy?
“You put your Adirondack chairs
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
around it, and you’re done.”
Your staycation scene just isn’t
Truly, with a little imagination,
complete without entertainment,
your backyard can be trans-
said Pagano, and the board games formed into an outdoor family
that have been drawing families
fun destination, and you’ll never
together during this pandemic
have to fight traffic or shell out
come in giant versions just right
a fortune to get there.
Garden Getaway: Add an arbor with quick blooming vines
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To add interest and definition
to a small garden, pea gravel can
be used as a type of mulch around
shrubs and other plants. This type
of gravel, which is easier and more
economical to install than blue stone,
can be also used to create paths.
“I‘ve used pea gravel with
a steel edging so that the gravel
does not travel. The result is
attractive and a lot easier to man-
age than bluestone, especially
if it is a DIY project,” says Corhan-
Aitken. “All you have to do is clean
out an area, put down landscape
fabric to prevent weeds and just
dump the stones on top. The work
is a lot less backbreaking than lay-
chanting dimen-
sion to a garden,
but like many
other worth-
while endeavors,
they take time
and care.
“People
looking for vines
for their garden
have a lot of
good options,”
says Laura
Roberts, garden
PHOTO COURTESY OF BANEPX/GETTY IMAGES
manager, Van
Mediterranean-style arbor with vine and red flowers.
Vleck House and
ing bluestone or pavers.”
Gardens in Montclair. “For exam-
THE MAGIC OF
ple, if someone wants the look
FLOWERING VINES
of wisteria but without too much
Flowering vines can add an en-
growth, there is a native Wisteria
frutescens or American wisteria;
the plant has the appearance of
the Chinese or Japanese wiste-
rias, but it is less aggressive.”
If considering clematis, there
is a wide variety of choice when it
comes to flower color and shape
as well as general appearance.
Pipevine (Aristolochia macro-
phylla), has a large attractive leaf
and a unique flower, and is also
the food source of the pipevine
swallowtail butterfly. One down-
side to the vine is that it is some-
what aggressive, so it might take
a bit more work to keep in check.
A wonderful hummingbird
attractor is the coral honeysuckle
(Lonicera sempervirens). This vine
blooms through the warm months
and is not overly aggressive.
One thing to keep in mind is
that while some vines can establish
quickly, others might take years.
“A climbing hydrangea takes a
long time to establish, but once it
gets established it will bloom fre-
quently,” says Roberts. “However,
you might be looking at four or five
years before it begins to bloom.”
In contrast, coral honeysuckle
and clematis will start blooming
the same year they are planted.
Wisteria is also a quick bloomer,
but only when a mature plant
has been grafted onto rootstock.
“If you try to grow wisteria from
seed, you are looking to 14-20
years or even a lifetime for the
plant to bloom,” advises Roberts.
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