I know I got a little excited back in April. We had some beautiful, sunny days that really got me revved-up for summer. I even called the farm store to pre-order some annuals and the nice woman in the garden center talked me off the ledge. “It really isn’t warm enough for plants to stay outside.” she said. Harrumph! I hung up the phone and turned my face to the sun. And then I went back inside for a sweatshirt.
Five weeks later, and it’s another story entirely. We still have sweatshirt days, it is the Pacific Northwest after all. But we have some of the most beautiful, sunny and WARM days too. Our family has had a few dinners out on the deck and I’m dreaming of ways to make it a little more comfortable out there. Cue these new outdoor chairs. We got some birthday money and decided to spruce up our eating area. Our old chairs were Costco specials, cheap and easy. Perfectly fine for an hour of outdoor dining, but not for lingering and laughing and talking for a good long time.
I did lots of research while looking for the perfect chairs. We wanted them to be wood to warm up the metal table. Ideally they would stack for easier storage during the off season. They would need to fit adults comfortably. We hoped they would be durable to last for several years and still be affordable enough for our budget.
We found these beautiful stacking wood chairs and we are so pleased with the purchase. They arrived well packed, and they’ll be perfect with both our deck table and the long outdoor table Roland built for me a couple years ago. The chairs are pretty enough to have inside the house if we need extra seating. The old chairs will still get plenty of use around the yard and fire pit.
What else is happening in the yard? The hardest work in the front yard is done. I just have a couple small things to plant and some weeding. Roland is making great progress building the fence. Our wood supplier had almost all the cedar we needed to finish, so he’s on a roll. I created and planted a bean teepee for the first time ever. I’ve purchased a couple Annabelle hydrangeas and will plant those in shady corners of the yard. Our vegetable garden is growing pretty well, the sunflowers are taking off and I have to figure out where to plant our pumpkins for the year.
Comment below and let me know how your yard is looking this year! Are you ready for outdoor living? I’m not a gardening or outdoor design expert, but I’d love to see your successes and encourage you through your struggles. I’ll be doing a Facebook Live event this Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. Join me over there for a few minutes of encouragement, tips and tricks to making your house a home.