Outdoor Dining.
Some of the best gardens I have seen and enjoyed are those that can be shared with others. And what better way of doing that, than sharing a meal outside? At the same time you want the “chef” to be able to enjoy the company of the guests and the garden too.
It could be an impromptu casual breakfast or a more formal alfresco dining experience, but you want your surroundings to be just right. Treat your outdoor space just like any other room of your house and consider the floor, walls, roofing, and lighting fixtures.
Whether you have a small balcony in the city or a large outdoor area, enjoying meals outside is a summertime tradition that is eagerly awaited. And it takes very little work to convert your patio or backyard into a dining space. The idea is to provide an attractive and pleasant outdoor dining area.
Planning Your Outdoor Dining Area.
Flooring
First off, you’ll need flooring for your outdoor dining area that can handle a lot of furniture. It will also need to handle your pizza oven or grill, so pick a functional, long-lasting surface that is hard, even, and smooth (to prevent accidents and stop table and chair legs from sinking into the soil).
For the ideal indoor-outdoor integration, your outdoor flooring should be similar to the flooring indoors in terms of style, color, and finish. If your kitchen has wooden flooring, decking is a terrific option. If you have floor tiles, however, consider your paving options. Go online and look at some different styles and see which ones catch your eye. Remember that wood is a bit more forgiving if you drop your favorite glassware on it.
Lighting.
Even though it may not be visible during the day, outdoor lighting is a crucial component of your home’s exterior. From decorative purposes like highlighting architecture to practical purposes like increasing safety and lighting up a stairway, there are plenty of ways to improve your outdoor spaces with lighting.
Additionally, outdoor eating spaces need lights in order for you to use your garden well into the night. Because of this, think about all your choices. Let’s examine a few quick and affordable steps we may take for outdoor lighting.
String Lights; solar ground lights and halogen wall-mounted flood lights, all of which are easily installed and will come nowhere near breaking the bank, with each of them coming in at under $20.00.
No matter how you illuminate the exterior of your home, make sure you’re not contributing to light pollution. Light pollution makes it impossible or nearly impossible to see the night sky in populated areas. Plus, too much artificial light can affect human health, and wildlife and is a waste of energy.
Table and Chairs
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of choices of tables and chairs when it comes to outdoor dining. Will you go formal or informal, metal or wood, chairs or benches? The wisest idea is to look at the space available and your budget. Then answer these questions.
How many people will use it? Is it just for you and your partner, or for your family, or for friends, family, and others?
Size and Shape.
What shape do you prefer?? Most tables are either square, rectangular, round, or oval.
The size of the table ought to accommodate your outdoor eating space. Before you start furniture shopping, measure the area that will be your dining area.
Are you seeking peace and comfort? Consider comfortable chairs with cushions if your outdoor space’s dining chairs will serve as the main seating arrangement.
Do you have a preferred look in mind? Outdoor furniture can complement the design and color scheme of your home’s exterior.
Rustic or retro to country or modern, there are once again a hundred different styles to choose from. When you have chosen your style and shape for your setting you still have all the accessories to wade through. So take your time to choose wisely as you will be looking at it for a long time.
You can check out my previous blog about “durable furniture for your garden” to look at tables and chairs.
Or you can look at Etsy which has unique pieces (example below) at very affordable prices.
Planning Your Outdoor Cooking Area
Most of your outdoor dining areas have a barbecue for looking after most of the cooking. However, I want to step up the “pizzaz” a bit with a modern functional pizza oven. Not only will it be a great conversation starter, but the new models are also both functional and sexy to look at.
Would you rather look at something like this…
Or something like this……… Or this…………..
Functionality meets Form.
I have chosen the four best, I believe, Pizza Ovens that tickle my fancy. What do you think? I like something that looks good and does the job. When it comes to cooking I think I know a bit. My mum was a cooking teacher in New Zealand (They were called Home Economics teachers) and off her own bat, she studied “Cordon Bleu cooking. Not a major thing these days, but back then it was an achievement.
And I learned at her side. Burnt fingers (me) and new skills learned.
My Top 3 Pizza Ovens.
1. “Ooni Fyra 12” Outdoor Wood Fired Pizza Oven. $349.00
.
Pizza Oven with Hard Wood Pellets, Portable, Perfect for Any Outdoor Kitchen.
Everyone deserves delicious pizza.
DONE IN 60 SECONDS – For simple cooking, the innovative pellet hopper mechanically feeds through hardwood pellets.
In just 15 minutes, the Ooni Fyra pizza oven will reach a whopping 950°F (500 °C), making an authentic stone-baked Neapolitan-style pizza in just 60 seconds.
This will give you more time to kick back and relax in your backyard while savoring delicious pizzas!
2.” Ooni Koda 16″ Gas Pizza Oven – Outdoor Pizza Oven. 5 options from $594.99
It is ready to go straight out of the box. Simply unfold the legs, insert the pizza stone baking board, connect up to a propane gas tank and you’re ready to go. Featuring instant gas ignition, you will be cooking your favorite pizzas in no time – Or maybe you want to roast some meat, fish, or veg? Because if you combine the Koda 16 with one of the Ooni cast iron cooking accessories, it becomes more than a pizza maker!
Done in 60 seconds and reaching temperatures of up to a massive 950°F – twice that of a normal domestic oven. The Koda 16 outdoor pizza oven will be ready to go in 15 minutes and can cook authentic stone-baked pizza in just 60 seconds. This gives you more time to sit back and relax in your backyard while enjoying great pizzas.
3. The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven.
The Camp Chef is 15 inches by 26 inches by 16 inches and has a maximum temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is excellent for making pizza, obviously, as well as for roasting meat and baking bread. Due to the double-layered ceiling, it can bake like a brick oven. In just 15 minutes, the oven will be preheated and you can start cooking. You have complete control over the flame, allowing for minute adjustments that lead to flawlessly cooked pizzas.
Grow Your Pizza Garden.
One of the joys of cooking pizza in the great outdoors is the ability to be able to say, I grew that, that, and that. And the only thing that would top that is being able to say “my child grew that”.
Growing a pizza garden is a simple method to encourage children to enjoy gardening. It is a garden where popular ingredients for pizza, such herbs, are produced. Let’s examine how to teach your children to grow pizza herbs in the garden.
A pizza herb garden needs at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day for plants to thrive, so keep that in mind as well. If you give the plants less, they can become stunted or produce badly. Growing pizza herbs along with kids is a terrific approach to get them interested in gardening.
When you get to eat the finished product, nothing makes a project more enjoyable. And when you are enjoying the “doughy” fruits (or herbs) of your labor with your friends, all your (or children’s) work is suddenly worthwhile.
This Video will help show you how to plan and construct your “Pizza Garden”, that kids will love.
Herb Kit.
Or you may want to consider growing “Pizza herb Kits” from Amazon. This is an indoor “Herb Garden Kit” with LED grow lights, there is no soil needed, and it includes grow pods and all accessories needed. Find out more about hydroponics in my post “How to grow your plants hydroponically“
A great kids’ educational gardening tool for anywhere around the home, in the kitchen, on the desk or on the windowsill.
From $38.00 for 6 options.
Final Stuff.
Fun, form, functionality, and feasting. What more can we ask for? We can introduce our children to the garden in ways that are fun for both them and you. “How to get Your Kids in the Garden” is another post that gives ideas to pry your children away from the TV.
At the same time we can enjoy our garden with our friends for only a small outlay. Let us make the most of our garden and enjoy it with our family and friends.
Stephen.
