Midsummer Nights
Midsummer! The gardens are heavy with greens and lush with ripe tomatoes, peppers, and grapes clinging to the vine; the scent of jasmine hangs delicately in the warm evening air. These are the nights to enjoy with family and friends or with total self-absorption! Get outside and stay outside until you hear your bed calling you in.
Make your patio, yard, deck, or balcony more enticing by adding some seating or lounging pieces during the summer months. Nothing is more tempting than an empty hammock in the dappled shade on a lazy Sunday afternoon. That same hammock can be very comfortable by night! Using an extension cord, plug in a reading lamp nearby and hunker down with a new novel.
And don't forget the kids! They can be lounge hounds too! Set up the tent in your own backyard. A small table and chairs set on the patio can mean board games into the sunset! Have a night-time scavenger hunt with flashlights! They'll love it! Some glow-in-the-dark items would be encouraging!
Pipe some music outdoors! A couple of extra speakers and voila: symphony under the stars! If you're in a busy urban area, play nature sounds! Even the smallest source of trickling water gives that zen feeling to your outside place.
Create your own constellation by arranging mini lights in your outdoor living space. They truly add a touch of magic to the night scene. Sprinkle tea-light candles around to add a romantic ambiance. Burn some citronella to ward off mosquitoes! Invest in a little wood stove so you can sit around with friends making "smores" while the neighbours enjoy the sounds of people talking, laughing, and enjoying life.
Relish the summer months from sunrise to sunset and later. Create the ambiance with the natural beauty around you and your imagination.
