Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside and stop enjoying the outdoors.
There are advantages to being outside in the fall. No more standing next to a hot BBQ in the blazing heat, and no pesky insects!
You can still enjoy your backyard well into the fall season. Here’s how:
Fall Backyard Furniture Should Be Comfortable and Suitable for the Season
You can take furniture from indoors and put it outdoors! Set up a sofa or chaise lounge outside and cover up with blankets and throws to keep warm. Cushions and pillows add comfort and style, and using different textures and colours allow you to showcase your personal taste and flair.
It gets dark earlier in fall, and hanging up string lights will add another style element and allow everyone to see.
A Firepit Provides a Place to Gather and Tell Stories
Position your furniture around a firepit. Remember to check with local authorities and make sure you aren’t breaking any bylaws.
Setting up a built-in fire pit can be a do-it-yourself project, or if you don’t want a built-in, you can purchase a portable one. Another option for heat? Patio heaters.
Throw a Backyard BBQ
The person grilling can certainly keep warm in a fall backyard BBQ, a welcome change from grilling in the summer heat! Just remember to take extra time to preheat the grill because it will be colder when you start.
You can stick with the classics and grill hamburgers and hot dogs, but fall has its rewards when it comes to grilling. It is a time of harvest, after all.
Autumn produce is hearty and colourful. Pumpkin and butternut squash are plentiful, and other vegetables like brussel sprouts, cabbage and leeks mean a great selection of things to grill.
Meat is subject to seasons as well. Fall is a good time to buy beef and pork.
Handy Backyard BBQ Equipment
To really celebrate Thanksgiving, you can BBQ a turkey and side vegetables on the grill and leave more room in the indoor kitchen for any other side dishes you want to prepare.
The best way to BBQ a turkey is to grill with a rotisserie attachment, which includes a spit, spit forks to hold the turkey in place, and a motor that keeps the rotisserie turning.
Make sure you check that the turkey fits your BBQ and that it turns freely before preheating the grill. Apply indirect heat and put a pan in place to catch any drippings.
Grilling gloves are recommended equipment that is inexpensive and convenient and allows you to position meats on the grill or touch hot surfaces without being burned.
Another important piece of equipment that will make things easier is a thermometer. It takes away the guesswork when the thermometer tells you exactly what temperature the meat is at so you know it is done.
Summer may be over, but BBQ season can still go on into fall!
