Having a patio or a decking area can be great for the summer months as it’s the perfect place for barbecues and a spot of entertaining in the garden. That said, we feel people can make good use of these areas in the winter months too, and here’s how:

Fight the cold

To still be able to enjoy the patio or decking area at Christmas time, you need a really good outdoor heater, and we know just the thing. A chiminea is a nice option and all you need is some dry wood to burn through and you’ll have a delightful heat in no time. Another option is to buy electric powered outdoor heaters and with these you can easily cover the whole area of a table and chairs, so every individual gets lovely heat to take away the bite from the cold British breeze.

Decorate it in style

Of course, with it being Christmas time, you’ll also need to make sure it has a bit of a Christmassy sparkle. One of the ways you can do this is to have fairy lights scattered throughout the garden, such as along the trees, fences and walls of your home. By decorating around the patio and decking area, you can create a delightful wintery ambience with a Christmas twinkle.

Think outside the box

Okay so you can’t have a barbecue on a cold winter’s night, and who would want to? That said, why not make homemade cocoa and marshmallows and then put on a thick fleece to unwind in the garden. It can be so peaceful with no neighbour noise to either side of your property, and you can just listen to the birds while you sip on sweet homemade cocoa.

Transition from the house in style

French doors are beautiful for patio and decking areas, and that’s because they open out with ease, so you can quickly come inside should the wind pick up too much or rain start to fall. With a nice transition straight into your cosy house, there’s an easy escape route should the weather change its tune. Whether you have an expensive patio with reclaimed slabs or a cheap decking timber, it is possible to create a superb Christmas ambience. With the right equipment and a positive mentality, you can make the most of your garden all year round. A big part of being British is keeping calm and carrying on, and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing rain or shine.

Maintenance is key

Another important aspect is cleaning and maintaining your patio or decking. By sweeping regularly and oiling your timber flooring and garden furniture, you can ensure it’s in the best possible condition all year round. Many people pack up their furniture and only bring it out in the summer months, but winter doesn’t actually do it much harm – so long as you are regularly cleaning and coating the furniture. Jet spraying decking and patios can help too, preventing the build up of dirt and grime, possibly adding many years onto the life of your patio surface.

Not many people would expect this, but a canopy can be a wonderful addition to your property, even during Christmas time when the weather is damp and icy. When you’re having family and friends over for a Christmas meal, you can always utilise the outdoor space so long as you have a canopy and a heater – oh yes and some warm jackets. Drinking mulled wine outside with twinkle lights attached to your canopy is a wonderful way to spend an evening on Christmas day, and just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t go outdoors. Why not get the chiminea up and running with it’s dancing flames warming you through? Even if you spend an hour outdoors you can soon start to feel cosy and enjoy looking up at the stars with a hot drink and the smell of the wood burning beside you. Canopies are cool additions to gardens all year round, even at Christmas, and they can be decorated accordingly too!

The cold winter weather can ruin your homes garden furniture, so protecting it during this season in vital. Garden furniture doesn’t come cheap, and that’s why letting the winter weather ruin is would be very foolish of you.

Wooden furniture can easily rot in wet weather conditions and metal furnishings can rust, making them hard to renovate come summertime.

The best way to protect your garden furniture is to bring them into a sheltered area, either a shed or garage. That way the weather should get to them and they won’t be affected by the poor conditions. If you like many of us, have limited storage space, bringing them inside isn’t an option.

You may want to consider buying protective sheets to cover the furniture from the damaging weather. There are many companies that can create bespoke garden furniture covers, meaning they will off optimum protection for your outdoor furniture items.

If you love spending time in your garden, creating the perfect environment for any weather is a great idea. You can create a sheltered area with a static canopy or in a summerhouse, this will protect you from wet weather and keep you dry.

Keeping warm is another important aspect to consider if you are looking to spend evenings relaxing in your garden this wintertime. There are a variety of heating options for the outdoors, depending on what you need. You can use an oil burning stove to heat up a small summerhouse and keep you cosy even in those frosty evenings.  If you have adequate ventilation to your outhouse you could light a log fire to keep you warm, and even toast some marshmallows and roast some chestnuts to get you in true festive spirit.

Don’t let the winter weather stop you from going out into your garden and get planning now so you can enjoy relaxing in your warm outhouse as the frost sets over your garden.

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