Make the most of our short summers by
expanding your home beyond the back door.
Words and photography by Kristy Elik

It’s August: the days are noticeably shorter and the cicadas are about to start their sad lament. But as the moments tick away and the summer of 2011 begins to wind down, it’s not too late to make the most of every second of these precious, fleeting warm days and cool evenings by spending as much time as possible in your own private oasis.

With our short Canadian summers, it’s no wonder more of us are trying to make the most of our real estate to create a dream backyard, either with or without the help of a professional landscaping company or architect.

“The popularity of ‘staycations’, initially driven by economic forces, has led to the desire to expand the interior home sanctuary beyond the back door,” explains Gary van Eijk of Uncommon Ground Landscape Design & Outdoor Living www.uncommonground.ca.

“Homeowners are now designing and creating lush, relaxing, resort-like exteriors furnished with high-end outdoor all weather furniture, high performance outdoor flat screen televisions, fashionable accessories and rugs, pro-level outdoor kitchens, and outdoor lighting—all of which rivals indoor furnishings for beauty and functionality.”

These extensions of your home unite dining, lounging, cooking and waterfront areas to create a lovely outdoor space you’ll never want to leave, a virtual oasis to come home to after a long workday. And depending how you choose to look at it, this short-term financial bite may wind up a long-term win. Many homeowners, in lieu of a cottage or camping getaway, are opting to invest in their properties to create a vacation-like scenario—minus the hassles of traffic and the costs and headaches of a true vacation retreat.

“Instead of fighting traffic every weekend to get to a cottage, which requires year-round work and upkeep to maintain, we decided to create a space here at home that we can truly relax in,” explains Lorne Park resident George Love, who opted for a hands-on approach when designing his oasis.

What’s the plan?

Whether you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a complete facelift for your space with the help of the pros, or are opting to take the project on yourself and tackle it little by little, the first and most essential step is to create a plan.

Love, a bit of a do-it-yourselfer, had a vision in mind when he was faced with the blank palette that was his backyard. “I took a big piece of paper and played around with the ideas in my head,” he describes of the planning process. “I had a list of the elements I wanted to include in our backyard, plus a wish list of things that would be nice to have someday.”

Included in Love’s list of must -haves? “A pool for sure, and some kind of a change room slash shed, with a nice stone interlock and some maintenance-free landscaping,” he says. “Plus comfortable, good-looking furniture that could take some punishment. And a fire bowl.”

And on the wish list? “A hot tub, built-in barbecue, and a bar.”

After you’ve decided on the elements of your backyard oasis, think about how you want to use it. Will it be for entertaining, cooking, dining, lounging or all of the above? Is shade a concern? Do you have young children who will need a play area with swings and sand?

And think about where people will gather. “You might have people congregating up on the deck having quiet conversation and others on the patio gathered around a fire pit,” suggests van Eijk.

If you’re DIYing, it’s still a good idea to have a pro help with project plans. You can pay a professional landscape designer to do drawings; some building centres will create a plan for you for free if you buy your materials from them.

Bedecked

There’s nothing wrong with a simple, one-level deck with enough space for entertaining. Depending on space and money, though, a deck can become quite elaborate, with different levels and sections for cooking, dining and lounging.

If you’re putting in a railing, consider tempered glass instead of wood pickets, so you can enjoy views of your garden in all its glory.

Neighbours a bit too close for comfort? Create privacy screening. A line of narrow columnar trees works well, says van Eijk. Cedar and spruce trees are well suited for narrow spaces, too. If you don’t have room for plantings, build a wood wall.

In addition to planting trees, a water feature is a good way to drown out sound, whether it’s from neighbours or a busy road. “An ambient water feature, like a fountain, will deaden a lot of noise,” van Eijk says. And it’s soothing to the soul.

Noshing in the great outdoors

Fabulous food and its preparation should be the focal point of a great outdoor space; as in the house, where the party always ends up in the kitchen, guests tend to migrate toward the spot where meals are being prepared. To welcome them, place your barbecue next to a patio set. Or go all out and install a complete outdoor kitchen, with a grill built right into a stone counter and a fridge and wine cooler to keep your visitors happy.

The extras

Lighting: On a deck it’s important to light grade changes, van Eijk notes, if only so little guests—or those who may have enjoyed a wobbly pop or two—can navigate their way around. Lights can be installed between treads, on railings, or underneath benches so they flood the deck surface. Use creative lighting to showcase your garden, highlight a tree, or bounce light off a fence to bathe the yard in a softer light.

Heating: Considering how short our summers are, heating your back deck or patio can go a long way towards prolonging the season. “People are spending big bucks on landscaping and this allows them to get as much out of it as they can,” says van Eijk. You could use a heat lamp, or go with a more traditional fireplace, fire bowl or natural stone fire-pit.

Hot tubs

Jacuzzis help you stay warm, too, and offer a great wintertime escape. Choose a fibreglass tub that sits above grade, suitable for a deck, or a custom-designed concrete bath that’s built into the ground. The difference is price: An above-ground hot tub will cost under $10,000 and a concrete tub could run you $50,000-plus.

Technology: Wanna watch the big game or a movie or two under the stars? Install a large TV on your deck or patio, complete with outdoor sound system compatible with your IPod or MP3—no patio or deck would be complete without one.

What it’ll cost you

The price tag for a new deck or patio depends on how high-end you go and how many features you want to include. A ballpark figure? Budget between $15,000 to $20,000 for a professionally done job. You can save up to half of that by doing the work yourself. If you’re hiring a pro, ask for recommendations and check references.

“We went around to all of our neighbour’s yards to see how they liked the work they’d had done,” says Love. “In the end, it was mostly word-of-mouth that led us to make the decision about what to hire out and what we could do ourselves.”

Whether you start to create your dream backyard this summer, or just spend the winter of 2011 fantasizing about summer 2012, your own private oasis is within reach.

POPSICLES FOR GROWN-UPS
While the heat’s still on, why not whip up these delectable cocktail-turned-popsicle versions of that summer classic, the cool and minty mojito?  We found this recipe—and many more—at www.endlesssimmer.com. They’re featuring a new cocktail on a stick every Wednesday until Labour Day. Enjoy!


Watermelon Mojito Popsicles
Makes 12 2.5 oz popsicles
· 8 oz. watermelon juice (2 ••• cups chopped watermelon)
· 2 oz fresh lime juice
· 1 oz. simple mint syrup
· 8 oz. light rum
· 14 oz. club soda
Instructions:
1. Place chopped watermelon in a food processor or blender and process until watermelon is juiced (will be slightly pulpy).
2. Combine watermelon juice, lime juice, mint syrup and rum in a shaker and shake well. Fill popsicle mold 3/4 of the way up with mixture. Fill remaining popsicle mold with club soda and stir to combine.
3. Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for 2-3 seconds.

Mint Syrup 
(You will have more syrup than you need.
Save for other cocktail uses)
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/2 cups sugar
· cup mint leaves, loosely packed
Instructions:
1. Place sugar and water in a pot over heat until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature and place mint leaves in mixture and muddle. Allow mint leaves to steep for 20 minutes. Strain and discard leaves. (Depending on the fineness of the sieve tiny pieces may remain).