5 Tips to Make Your Backyard More Enjoyable During the Winter

Spending time outdoors has a multitude of benefits, boosting our mood, creativity, and vitality. During the winter months, however, most people tend to spend more time inside their homes, neglecting outdoor activities. A simple and convenient way of incorporating more outdoor time in your everyday life is to take advantage of your exterior living areas. Here are five tips to make your backyard more enjoyable during the winter.

Install a source of heat to create warmth

Let’s address the main issue: the cold! Yes, in many parts of the country, temperatures plummet drastically, making spending time in your backyard the last thing you’d want to do in the winter. Installing a source of heat, such as a patio heater or an outdoor fireplace, will make your space much more inviting and provide you with warmth at any time of the day. A hot tub can also significantly increase the appeal of your backyard during the colder months.

Incorporate winter plants to add greenery and color to your backyard

There is no denying that a yard devoid of plants and life doesn’t quite lift the spirits in the same way as one with blooming flowers and fluttering butterflies. But, there is no reason to despair. The good news is that there exists a multitude of plants that can resist, and even thrive, in the cold. Visit your local nursery and ask an expert which flowers and shrubs you can grow in your area in the winter. Adding them to your garden will add oodles of vibrancy to your yard, increasing your enjoyment.

Make your yard appealing to birds

We’ve addressed how to bring life to your yard by adding greenery, but what about the liveliness that the birds and little critters produce by their mere presence and activity? While the greenery will go a long way in making your yard more appealing to these wonderful creatures, there are many other ways to attract birds, including installing a bird feeder or a heated bird-bath.

Plan fun backyard activities

There are many ways to have fun with your family outdoors in the winter. You can plan a fun evening of hot chocolate and smores around the fireplace. Everyone can grab a cozy blanket and gather in the garden or on the deck for story time. What about a dip in the hot tub to spend a few hours relaxing outdoors? And if you’re lucky enough to have snow in your backyard, what better way to have fun than spending the day building a snowman and making snow angels? The options are endless!

Use outdoor lighting to extend your enjoyment into the evening

Since the days are shorter during the winter, many of us often only have a few hours, if we’re lucky, to enjoy the daylight after a hard day’s work. Outdoor lighting can not only increase visual appeal and safety of your property at night, but it can also enable you to spend more time outdoors. Installing a combination of garden lighting, directional lighting, path and area lighting, well lighting, and deck lighting allows you to extend your enjoyment well past sunset.

We hope you enjoyed these ideas. Tell us what you plan on doing to spend more time outdoors with your family this winter.

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