While the most common grills these days are gas, cooking with hardwoods or charcoal can produce better tasting results. To start a charcoal or wood fire, use starter sticks (rather than lighter fluid) to keep chemical tastes out of the food.

Ceramic charcoal cookers, like the Big Green Egg, can be used for grilling or slow cooking.

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When designing an outdoor kitchen for your home, be sure to provide a way to vent the smoke from the grill out of enclosed areas.

Cabinets for an outdoor kitchen should be made from materials that resist the elements—such as pressure treated wood or plastic—even if they will be covered by a roof. Perma-Panel cabinets from Atlantis Outdoor Kitchens are made from a polymer material.

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The soothing sound of falling water coming from a fountain, waterfall, or other water feature can help turn your yard into a peaceful retreat. While ready made fountains are available, you can also construct your own custom built water feature for your yard.

There are a number of considerations to keep in mind when deciding on a water feature for your yard, including:

• Style: Choose a water feature that goes with the style and décor of your home.
• Size: Select a water feature that is the right size for the area it will occupy.
• Material: Consider the type and weight of the material for the water feature. Options include heavy materials like cast stone, as well as lighter ones such as cast aluminum and fiber stone.
• Wiring: Water features require electricity to power the recirculating pump. Since water and electricity can be a deadly combination, be sure to follow the instructions carefully or hire a qualified electrician to do the wiring. A solar powered pump, which use a photovoltaic panel to generate electricity, is another option.
• Maintenance: It’s important to keep a water feature clean and free of debris as well as maintaining the proper water level for it to work properly.

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Whether it’s cooking on the grill, planting a garden, or simply relaxing in a hammock under a shade tree, homeowner’s love their yards. Here are some tips and cool products to help you get the most out of the great outdoors at your home.

Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen is perfect for entertaining in your backyard. If your grill will be used under a covered area, include a power vent hood or other method for venting the smoke.

The cabinets for an outdoor kitchen should be built to resist the elements. This could be custom cabinets, using treated lumber and plywood, or ones made from a weatherproof material such as the polymer based Perma-Panel cabinets from Atlantis Outdoor Kitchens.

Choosing a Grill

Appliances and grills for outdoor kitchens are usually made from stainless steel to make them weatherproof as well. While most grills today are gas fired, cooking with hardwoods—like hickory, pecan, or oak—can produce better results. Using starter sticks, rather than lighter fluid, to light a wood or charcoal fire can improve the taste of the food.

The insulating qualities of ceramic charcoal cookers, like the Big Green Egg, allow them to be used as a conventional grill or as a smoker oven for slow cooking.

Grill Maintenance

Use a wire brush to clean the cooking grate after each use. Once a year, disassemble the grill and clean it thoroughly.

• Remove cooking grates, soak in liquid grill cleaner, scrub with a wire brush, and rinse.
• Take out the ceramic plates or briquettes and clean them with a wire brush.
• Remove the burners and use a wire brush to take off residue and rust.
• Clean out the burner holes by inserting a toothpick into each hole.
• Use a wet/dry vac to vacuum out the inside of the grill.
• Reassemble all the grill components.
• Light the grill and leave it on for a few minutes to burn off any remaining residue.

Keeping Cool

Shade is essential for summer backyard activities. Popular options include:

• Shade arbor: An outdoor arbor covered with vines makes a cool retreat on a hot summer day. Watch our video on How to Build a Backyard Arbor Swing to find out more.
• Extended Roof: Extending the roof of your house to cover a patio works well, though it can be an expensive option.
• Awning: A retractable awning, such as those from SunSetter, is a great way to create shade when and where you need it.


DIY Misting System.

• Misting System: Outdoor misters keep you cool by spraying a fine mist of water in the air. Since cooling occurs when the water evaporates, misting systems work best in climates with low humidity. Misting systems are available as inexpensive DIY Outdoor Cooling Kits as well as portable misting umbrellas that hook to a garden hose.
• Water Feature: The soothing sound of falling water from a fountain or waterfall can make your yard feel like an oasis during a summer heat wave. Premade water features are available, or you can build your own custom water feature for your backyard.

Outdoor Sound System

Speaker disguised as a rock.

A custom outdoor sound system with hidden speakers, like those from BSUN Media, can add a touch of class to your outdoor environment. Use weatherproof speakers dispersed around the yard, alternating between the left and right channel. Speakers can be disguised as rocks or other natural features to blend in with the outdoor environment.

Mosquitoes

ThermaCELL Patio Lantern.

Mosquitoes are not only annoying, they can carry serious diseases such as the West Nile virus. While spray on repellents work, they can be messy to use, have an odor, and bring strong chemicals in direct contact with your skin.

To keep mosquitoes from ruining your time outdoors, consider an area mosquito repellent like those from ThermaCELL. They are available as a patio lantern or appliance. Simply insert the butane cartridge and repellent pad, then turn it on. They provide a 15’x 15’ odorless, mosquito free zone that can keep your outdoor activities bug free for hours.

Green Lawn Care

To make taking care of your lawn easier and more eco-friendly consider:

• Robotic Lawn Mower: Battery powered, rechargeable unmanned mowers, such as the LawnBott can cut 3,000 sq. ft. or more on a single charge. When the battery needs recharging, the mower automatically returns to the charging station, recharges itself, and resumes cutting.
• Eco-Friendly String Trimmer: The Lehr Eco Trimmer has an efficient four-stroke engine that runs on propane. It produces zero emissions and is much quieter than gas powered trimmers. Since there’s no gas tank to fill, it helps reduce the 100,000 gallons of gasoline that are spilled every year filling gas powered engines.

Other Tips from This Episode

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This easy to build wooden outdoor bench is made from a pressure treated wood and assembled using corrosion resistant screws to stand up to the elements. It’s perfect on a back porch for taking off muddy shoes before coming inside. Here’s how to go about making it.

Tools:

• Tape measure and pencil
• Square
• Safety glasses and ear plugs
• Circular saw
• Jigsaw
• Drill/driver (drill and screwdriver bits, countersink)

Materials:

• 1 – 2” x 12” x 8’ pressure treated pine
• 1 – 2” x 4” x 4’ pressure treated pine
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Corrosion resistant deck screws

Cutting List:

• Legs: 2 – 1½” x 11” x 16”
• Top: 1 – 1½” x 11” x 48”
• Brace: 1 – 1½” x 3½” x 39”

Building the Bench

Start by cutting the top and legs square and to length. Next, set your circular saw for a 14° angle, and bevel the top and bottom of the legs so they flair out from each end of the bench and rest firmly on the floor. The top and bottom cuts on the legs should be parallel with each other.

Reset the angle on your saw to square and rip 2” off the top edge of each side of the legs so they are 7” wide at the top and 11” wide at the bottom.

Use a gallon paint can to mark a semicircle on the center of the bottom of each leg, and cut it out with a jigsaw.

Use a quart paint can to mark each of the corners of the top and round them off with a jigsaw.

Measure 4” in from each end of the bench, align the outside of the legs to the mark, and attach the legs to the top from the inside using screws.

Cut a matching 14° angle on each end of the 2”x 4” brace. Fit the brace in place so that it’s centered between the legs and flush with the bottom of the top. Screw the brace to the legs and top, countersinking the screws so they are flush with the top.

Round the edges of the top with sandpaper or a roundover bit in a router.

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This outside planter is made entirely from pressure treated pine, so it will last for years. The sides are 17¾” wide on the front and 20¾” wide on the side, and the planter with mitered top measures a total of 24¾” high. It’s easy to build and is perfect for a patio, deck or porch. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Tools:

• Tape measure and pencil
• Square
• Hammer
• Safety glasses
• Circular saw, miter saw, or handsaw
• Drill/driver (drill bits, countersink, screwdriver bits)

Materials:

• 3 – 2” x 4” x 10’ pressure treated pine
• 6 – 1” x 4” x 8’ pressure treated pine
• Landscape fabric
• Corrosion resistant deck screws and nails

Cutting List:

• Legs: 8 – 1½” x 3½” x 24”
• Top and bottom inner frames, front: 4 – 1½” x 3½” x 11½”
• Top and bottom inner frames, sides: 4 – 1½” x 3½” x 17½”
• Mitered top, front: 2 – ¾” x 3½” x 18½”
• Mitered top, sides: 2 – ¾” x 3½” x 21½”
• Front and side boards: 12 – ¾” x 3½” x 20½”
• Top and bottom rails: 8 – ¾” x 3½” x 10½”
• Bottom: 4 – ¾” x 3½” x 17½”

Building the Planter

Follow these steps-by-step instructions to make the patio planter.

Measure the legs and cut to length, making sure both end are square.

Nail or screw the legs together at a right angle, using a scrap as support.

Measure and cut the pieces for the two inner frames. Assemble the inner frames, so that the outside dimensions of each frame measure 14½” x 17½”.

Attach the 1” x 4” bottom pieces to the bottom the inner frame. Screw the legs to the frame, supporting it with scrap, so the frame is 3½” from one end of the legs.

Turn the planter over, and attach the other frame flush with the end of the legs. Next, attach the front and side boards to the top and bottom frames so they’re flush with the ends of the frames.

Attach the top and bottom rails so they are flush with the top and bottom front and side boards.

Miter the four top pieces so the inside of the miter is flush with the inside of the inner frame and attach to the top of the planter.

Drill several holes in the bottom to allow for drainage, line the planter with landscape fabric, fill with potting soil and plant.

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This garden arbor is made from pressure treated lumber and fastened with galvanized nails.

• Dig the holes and set the 4”x 4” posts in the ground.
• Level the structure and secure it in place.
• Fill the holes with concrete and allow it to set.
• Attach 2”x 12” boards to the front and back with an inverted bevel cut at each end.
• Make matching cuts in the 2”x 6” rafters and toenail them in place.
• Add a trellis, made from 1” treated stock, to each end of the arbor. Treated lattice can be used as well.
• Hang a swing from the rafters for a perfect backyard retreat.

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The Nature’s Retreat collection of patio furniture from Thomasville is made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified eucalyptus and all-weather wicker. Since eucalyptus is a fast growing tree, it’s more sustainable than many other woods, making it an eco-friendly choice. It comes in a rich, dark Espresso finish that will complement any porch or patio and is available at The Home Depot stores.

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• Always use a grill outside in an open area away from the house.
• Don’t store a propane tank in an enclosed area.
• Come straight home after having a tank filled and remove it from the car immediately.
• Don’t use a tank that is dented, rusted, or otherwise damaged.
• Never buy or accept an exhanged tank if the brass valve has turned a blue or green color.
• Turn off the burners and close the cylinder valve after each use.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, bucket of sand, or garden hose handy in case of fire.
• Never leave a lit grill unattended.

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