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Posted on 20/03/2018

Top tips to keeping warm in your garden this autumn

Top tips to keeping warm in your garden this autumn

Autumn doesn’t have to see you move indoors and forfeit outdoor relaxation and entertaining.

This is the time to adapt and tweak your spaces to make them right for the season and to keep maximising their potential, says Matt Leacy from Landart Landscapes.

Leacy shares his top landscaping, styling and construction tips for creating the perfect autumn outdoor surrounds – that work year-round.

Warmth is key

Consider enclosing walls around some key areas including outdoor living rooms and kitchens, and patio areas, which often get used less in the cooler months. If you’re considering built forms at the bigger end of the spectrum, backyard pavilions can be a great option, offering loads of covered space for tables, chairs, pots and plants – and lots of protection for outdoor entertaining. Covered pergolas, retractable awnings and gazebos can also be really good autumn additions.

Colours and materials

Bring lots of warmth into spaces by introducing warmer colours, especially browns, darker reds and blues. I like to do this with cosy coloured cushions, chairs and blankets. Introducing timber into your spaces is also a great way to enhance warmth and organic tones. You might look to add some timber to part of your bench seating or your fire pit area. Exposed brick is another great material with an abundance of warmth and texture and stacked firewood is one of the easiest ways to add the appearance of warmth, as well as serving a practical purpose as you start using the fire pit again. You can also use plantings to team with the autumn theme – deciduous trees provide some spark as everything else is turning and a beautiful red maple in a small courtyard can make a world of difference.

Heating

As autumn sets in, fire pits provide a functional and stylish way to warm your outdoor spaces and keep them suitable for entertaining and relaxation. The warmth and light generated by the pit means you can continue to make use of all your beautiful outdoor furniture pieces in autumn. They’re a great addition to a backyard, deck or patio and they’re far superior in ambience to portable heaters and lights. It’s important to ensure the style and size of the pit suits your outdoor space and aesthetic. The classic campfire atmosphere is always a hit, and there are lots of different options on the market. You could have a fireplace or a built-in fire pit that doubles as a coffee table beyond the cooler months or just a basic iron or steel bowl.