To Help Your Out-of-Doors Living

By CHARLES SMITH

HAVE you a sun-trap in your back garden? Is the space at the rear of your house an invitation to outdoor living? If not, it could be made to be very easily.

No one will question the value of relaxation, but few of us do sufficient of it. If there should be an inviting spot, handily located, we would probably take advantage of it for the occasional odd moments of rest, but failing that we just keep on going. Every home should have a spot that invites relaxation. Look over your property and discover its possibilities.

If you lack privacy, do something about acquiring it. The practicing nudist will want a screening that is impossible to see through, around or over. Even if this absolute degree of privacy is not required, it is still much more pleasant to relax if you are not an exhibit for the curious folks who happen to be passing by. There are several different means of gaining varying degrees of privacy. There is always the hedge, of course, but this takes some time to grow to the required height. The Chinese Elm leafs out early in the spring and retains its leaves until late in the fall, and they have such a dense mass of twigs, branches and limbs that even when the leaves drop off they still make a very effective windbreak. They are extremely hardy and may be clipped to any height or shape desired. They grow eighteen inches to two feet annually and reach a maximum height of fifteen feet. The Clipped American Arborvitae (Thuya occidentalis) is the most popular evergreen shrub grown in this country. It is very hardy and may be trimmed to any desired height. The Ligstrum (Amur River Privet) is pre-eminent as a hedge. It grows to a maximum height of 8 feet but can be kept clipped at any height desired. A fuller and more compact hedge can be made by planting two rows zigzag with the plants at the apex of a nine-inch triangle. Its glossy, green foliage holds its color for a good part of the year, and it is fast growing. Lonicera (Pink Tartarian Honeysuckle) is a hardy, fast growing shrub which will reach a height of ten feet and is often used in hedges. The Caragana arborescens will reach a maximum height of fifteen to twenty feet. It is very hardy and requires little attention. There are many other shrubs useful for hedges — many of them slower growing and less hardy, but the above mentioned are the most popular ones.

Very often a combination of both fence and hedge is used, though this is hardly necessary. If a fence is used by itself, some effort should be made to have it, if not decorative, at least not an eye-sore. Corrugated aluminum, either painted or natural makes a good material for a garden wall. It is lightweight, easily erected, and easy to bend around curves. It is easy to erect wooden walls. Set treated posts in concrete, then nail on shiplap and strips. Split cedar and pine pickets make good walls. Cedar saplings are most generally used in making wattle fences where a rustic appearance is desired. The poles are cut straight across the bottom and are either pointed or cut at a slant on the upper end. The usual height is four to six feet, and the fence may be of uniform height or it may be left uneven. The poles are nailed, with no intervening space, to horizontal two-by-fours (or heavier poles) fastened to the fence posts. One nail at the top, and one at the bottom will be sufficient. If every other pole is placed with the butt end up, the posts will fit closely together. Or you may make a fence from 1 1/2 to 3 inch saplings split with a bench or band saw and nailed to supporting strips.

A doorstep terrace, or a terrace in a shaded, airy spot of your garden beside the house, will mean that you can spend more time out-of-doors free from wet grass and muddy shoes. The terrace will dry off much more quickly after a rain than the sod will, and you can use it much earlier in the spring. It is easy to keep clean, and makes a fine replacement for grass over a part of your garden. The terrace can be made with brick, gravel, concrete or wood. If you have a spot where grass will not grow — perhaps under a shady tree – a terrace will solve your problem. But do have a portion of it where the sun strikes, where you may take your sun bath.

You will probably have a shady spot in your garden. If not, plant a fast growing shade tree so that you may enjoy the sultry days of summer beneath its refreshing shade. Have some sort of plants or shrubs for beauty and interest. The extent of these may be influenced by the time and money which you wish to expend on them, but a little work spent on a garden will repay you in health and satisfaction. Some gay, comfortable garden furniture will add the final note of appeal. This need not be elaborate or expensive, but it should be comfortable and serviceable.

Have a table in your garden, so you may eat out-of-doors whenever you desire to do so. A sturdy table and benches or seats, either painted.or oiled, will be a great convenience. And you will really have fun if you can cook out-of-doors too. A portable grill will be a wonderful help when you get in a picnic mood.

There are so many little things that will help you pack more pleasure into your outdoor living. You will have fun thinking them up and working on them, and your out-of-door living will not only bring added pleasure into your life but it will bring added health and contentment. Begin now to make your out-of-door space a summer-time living room where the whole family will love to play and to relax.

Get back to nature and let her work her wonders on your mind and body. The opportunity to absorb both health and beauty is at your doorstep. Step out into the fresh air and sunshine, follow the naturists way of life and your life will be richer, fuller and better.