Fall's shorter days and chilly evenings can signal an end to outdoor entertaining, but Jason Cross and fiancée Correna Bayrak aren't planning to move the party indoors any time soon.
Nor are they contemplating a laundry list of cleanup tasks that includes winter storage of their outdoor furnishings and accessories.
How is all of this possible when so many of us will be spending our time in the coming weeks cleaning up flower beds this fall and making room in our sheds for bulky tables, chairs, etc?
Let's start at the beginning.
When Cross and Bayrak went shopping a few years ago for a cottage retreat, it wasn't long before they realized it was possible to have the outdoor experience they dreamed of right at their residential East St. Paul property.
Their vision, though, was for an entertainment oasis that combined functionality and aesthetic appeal, but without the headaches of high maintenance.
Now, it has to be said the end result of their dreams and schemes is no ordinary landscape. Set against a dense backdrop of healthy, mature trees that include evergreens and specimens of butternut bordering the L-shaped property, today this exceptional landscape features all the bells and whistles of a luxurious retreat with the same sense of seclusion a lakeside cottage might offer.
But with none of the, shall we say, inconvenience of packing and unpacking, travelling to and from, opening up and closing down that a home away from home entails.
Three years ago, their bare-bones L-shaped backyard consisted strictly of trees and grass. The first decision was to install a sunken flagstone patio in the treed corner of their property with easy direct access to an adjacent deck and sunroom at the rear of their house.
The ambient patio area now includes a pond and quality outdoor furnishings that consist of two two-seater wicker-style sofas and matching club chairs arranged around a conversation-height (91 cm) rectangular fire table with an aluminum frame that conceals the propane tank, topped with porcelain tiles and outdoor grout that moisture can't penetrate.
This intimate outdoor living room is shaded by an expansive 12-foot cantilever (side post) patio umbrella in black weather-resistant Sunbrella fabric.
Let's stop for a minute and ask the obvious question. How does one store a substantial-sized outdoor living room for the winter?
Bayrak purchased the furnishings for the patio area from Wicker World. With the help of Phil Squarie, president and owner, she selected all-season furnishings with rust-free frames and water-repellent fabric. Everything stays outside year-round. Covers are available for winter but Bayrak hasn't always remembered to use them.
One would never be able to tell. Nor is there a trace of the wine spillage that occurred or the accidental smear of melted chocolate.
Just as gardeners trial plants to see if they will survive the elements, Squarie trials the products he sells.
"Stainless steel and high-density polypropylene materials weather very well," said Squarie who always jumps on his furniture to see how it bears up. His own set of furnishings has spent the past six years outdoors -- uncovered.
"Inexpensive materials are not built for our climate extremes," cautions Squarie who recommends investing wisely by choosing products for durability far beyond one season as well as aesthetic appeal.
With the patio area complete, the next addition was the installation, directly opposite the side of the house, of a rectangular-shaped inground swimming pool from Aqua-Tech. Its striking indigo blue mosaic-like pool liner shimmers in the full sun.
While the couple's vision was to provide many degrees of comfort for their guests and blended family of four children, both were drawn to juxtaposing that comfort with hardscaping elements of cool, contemporary steel and concrete.
Bayrak saw the floor of her outdoor space not as a carpet of grass, but rather smooth expanses of concrete walkway and seating areas. The backdrop of tall trees surrounding the landscape are the walls of greenery, providing all the colour Bayrak needs or wants as a complement to her preference for earthy blacks, charcoals and browns.
John Garcea, owner of S and J Construction, did all of the concrete work and, once completed, Bayrak conceived another idea.
With only a rough sketch on a piece of paper, Bayrak approached Jason Woznesensky, landscape designer and owner of Bedrock Custom Landscaping, to create an L-shaped berm around the pool area.
Bayrak estimate the drop from the top of the finished berm to the bottom of the property line is about 2.5 metres.
Creating it was no small task. Since the property line is far below grade level, Woznesensky brought in several truckloads of fill. The completed berm, covered in crushed granite, adds a distinct dimensional look to the landscape, distancing the backdrop of trees. This effect was heightened by the installation last summer of a row of newly planted evergreens appearing as an inner row.
A second linear-shaped fire table, this one in stainless steel, is sunk into the berm, and has the appearance almost of a buried treasure chest. The propane tank is located behind the berm.
The burner cover lifts to reveal layers of tempered glass rocks that glisten in the rain. Yes, it can even be used in the rain. Simply light with a barbeque lighter. No fumes or embers, only radiant warmth from the glowing fire to warm family and guests in cool weather.
Finishing touches in the area of the berm include bowls of succulents from Salad Bowl Greenhouses, outdoor lighting, and massive pool-side containers dressed in black and potted up with dramatic tropical arrangements wholly proportionate to the large, open space.
While none of the furnishings are stored indoors, the tropical arrangements spend the winter at Gauthier Cadillac Buick GMC where Jason Cross is vice-president.
Bayrak also created a living picture of assorted succulents, purchased at Sumka Brothers Greenhouses. Mounted on an outside stucco wall opposite the pool, Bayrak purchased a wall garden planter kit from Lee Valley Tools. The kit comes with an irrigation reservoir, water collector and mounting wall bracket, which Bayrak concealed with a wide wooden frame. The living wall also spends the winter at the dealership.
With the sunken patio and poolside areas complete, Bayrak and Cross decided upon the ultimate choice for outdoor entertaining -- an outdoor kitchen.
Again, they called upon the expertise of Squarie, who sells modular islands by Napoleon and says they are part of a growing trend. With built-in grill, single side burner, under-grill cabinet, three-drawer cabinet, waste drawer cabinet, fridge door cabinet and barbeque, Bayrak and Cross can prepare any dish they want.
They have also added a pizza oven, choosing to go with a Twin Eagles stainless steel model that heats up quickly rather than a stone wood-burning pizza oven that takes hours to heat up.
The countertop for the modular island is not included and materials must be chosen wisely. Granite or corian weathers well. If you choose tile, be sure to think in terms of cold-weather grouting, which is more resistant to water penetration and freeze/thaw damage.
"You can cook a steak outdoors in February so long as you are able to shovel a path to the outdoor kitchen," said Squarie. Everything is stainless steel and only the barbeque needs to be covered for the winter. Everything else can be hosed off in the springtime after the snow melts.
The outdoor kitchen, complemented by an outdoor dining room table that seats eight, has been situated on a large patio area adjacent to the garage with a large pillared overhang. A Rolltec retractable awning made with all-season water-repellent fabric on a rust-free frame extends out far enough to shade family and guests from the sun's heat and UV rays.
An infrared heater, mounted into the overhang, really throws heat on bone-chilling days. Squarie says these start at $299.
The urge to convert the adjoining garage into a man-cave was impossible to resist. Cross found an image on the Internet depicting a three-dimensional wine cellar, which Xtreme Sign & Grafix printed, laminated and installed.
With year-round furnishings and accessories that will spend the winter outdoors, Cross and Bayrak will wait until the snow flies before closing out the season, likely relaxing outside in a chair with a glass of wine before heading indoors.
For myself, I will be trying to squeeze one more non-winter-hardy item into my shed.
Squarie, though, has a wise word of advice.
"Longevity of use of a quality material has less of an environmental impact than disposing of poor-quality purchases every few years."
When investing in outdoor furnishings, always ask about the serviceable lifespan of the products you are purchasing.
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