By Nanette Wiser
OUTDOOR KITCHENS
With more meals prepared at home, why not take the cooking al fresco and go beyond the grill? Today people are using outdoor air fryers, pizza ovens and new grill accessories as well as throwing theme parties such as Hawaiian Luau or Gilligan’s Island with pineapple drink holders and tiki décor. With an outdoor kitchen, you can set up a cocktail cart with ice, store beers in your outdoor refrigerator or Yeti cooler and enjoy the entertaining without running back into the house. Granite is the most ideal for outdoor kitchen countertops with durability against stains and the elements. You can build with new materials or work with salvaged materials (reclaimed wood, recycled stone, and brick). Add Adirondack chairs from St. Pete Beach’s Island Time for a pop of color and comfort; they are unique, top quality and hand crafted. An arbor, gazebo or sunshade, outdoor lighting, whimsical décor, firepits and fans/misters also help set the mood. Add bocce ball or croquet to the festivities and your backyard will be the most popular in town. Cultivate an edible garden and landscaping where you can serve farm-to-table meals, garnishing your drinks with fresh basil and muddling mint right from your garden. Outdoor kitchens, complete with storage for grill accessories, dishes and bar accoutrements also increase the value of your home. Woody’s Kitchens, Granite Girl, and Van Selow Design Build can help build your dream.
GARDEN SAVVY
If you don’t have a green thumb, you might consider drought-resistant indoor houseplants. We like the snake plant’s sword-like, dark green leaves that can go weeks without water. They tolerate low to bright light and can grow up to 4 feet tall. Other good choices? Aloe, bamboo, jade, pothos, dragon tree and ponytail palm are also easy to care for. (If you have fur babies, check to be sure the plants you choose are pet safe.) Summer gardening in Florida heat is challenging. Pots make it easy to move around with the sun to shade as needed. Mulch helps retain moisture but needs refreshing to prevent weeds. Plan to weed in the cool of early morning. After the first flush, deadhead your flowers to keep them blooming. Plant heat-loving plants, such as Angelonia, lantana, ageratum, coleus, pentas, salvia, sweet potato vine and zinnia. Publisher Renee Roos likes to use ladybugs to deter aphids in her lush garden.