Bring the Family Together Under Outdoor Lights

July is National Family Reunion Month, and family reunions usually mean outdoor parties. This year don’t just cut the grass, impress your family with your backyard by planting flowers, plants and trees, providing comfortable lawn furniture, and adding outdoor lights in just the right places.

Which flowers you plant depends on the time and care you plan on putting into taking them, and how much experience you have with growing flowers. Flowers that require less care are perfect for beginners and those with not much time. Some low maintenance flowers include Coneflowers, Sea Thrift, Siberian Irises, Black-Eyed Susans, and Stella D’oro Daylilies. Search the internet or visit your local greenhouse to discover more low maintenance flowers. You can also ask about shrubs, bushes and trees which don’t require much care.

The next thing you’ll want to think about is lawn furniture. When choose furniture for your backyard or patio consider how many people you’ll be accommodating, the amount of time you’ll be spending on the furniture, and whether you’ll be eating meals outside or not. For a family reunion, we suggest a picnic table. Picnic tables provide seating for about eight people, 10 if you add a chair to each end of the table. Shop around; picnic tables are sold in different sizes and are made from different types of wood. As for patio furniture, choose furniture that would be comfortable to sit on for extend periods of time.

The last part, our personal favorite, is the outdoor lights! Here are a few things to take into mind when selecting your outdoor lights.

• Illuminate pathways with lantern path lights, or area lights. This will allow you to move safely and easily in the dark. You should also light stairs with post lights.
• You can also add post lights to the railings on your deck. These outdoor lights will create a fantastic atmosphere for a nightly snack or card game.
• You can illuminate parts of the yard by adding a spotlight to the house or a tree.
• Brighten up the barbeque or grill with a wall light, so you can provide those evening card players with a snack. 

After all of that work, take some time for yourself to enjoy your new backyard paradise. Have a great July, and happy National Family Reunion Month from all of us here at LightingConcepts.com!