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By David Bare
Media General News Service
If the tomato is the symbol of the summer
vegetable garden, the sunfl ower is its fl oral
counterpart.
Big, brilliant and over the top. It’s large,
very large. Th e world record belongs to a
grower in the Netherlands who had one 25 feet
tall. It is not uncommon to see sunfl owers that
are 12 feet tall. Th e width of the fl ower, referred
to as a “head,” is another hotly pursued record.
Th irty-two inches across is the record, but a
third of that is considered extreme.
Th e sunfl ower is a native of the western
half of North America. Seeds
have been found in archeological
remains dating to 3000 B.C. Th e Incas
are credited with developing the fi rst
large-seed sunfl owers, and the Spanish introduced
the plant to Europe by the 1500s.
Just as there is little subtlety to the sunfl
ower, there is little fi nesse to its culture. Th ey
like lots of everything: sun, water and fertilizer.
Prepare a site by digging deeply and amending
the soil with composted manure or slowrelease
fertilizer. Sunfl owers are heavy feeders.
Th in the seedlings to about a foot and half
apart. Spacing that is too close will make for weak
plants that are more susceptible to toppling in
high winds.
If you know you can
aff ord it, fi gure out
where to put it
Homeowners looking to add
pizazz and extend their living
spaces to the outdoors routinely
turn to outdoor kitchens to
achieve their goals.
At its simplest, an outdoor
kitchen can include some
campsite cooking stoves and a
picnic table. However, most
homeowners are looking for
something a little more functional
and impressive. It’s not
uncommon to fi nd everything
from refrigerators to pizza
ovens to granite-topped prep
stations.
The outdoor “leisure lifestyle”
industry now brings in
$6.2 billion in annual revenue.
And according to a third-party
survey conducted for Weber
grills, purchases on outdoor
appliances is up by 8 percent, a
telling fi gure in an economy yet
to fully rebound from the recent
recession.
Homeowners hoping to add
an outdoor kitchen to their
spaces have to address some
factors fi rst. Naturally, budget is
one of the biggest concerns.
Once the fi nancials are ironed
out, location is the next factor to
consider.
There are advantages and
disadvantages to having the
outdoor kitchen located close to
the house. Some of the biggest
advantages include reduced
costs running water, plumbing,
electric, and natural gas to the
outdoor kitchen. There’s also
the convenience of proximity to
the house for carrying food
items outside.
On the other hand, having
the outdoor kitchen located too
close to the house could make it
feel like the rest of the house.
And if the outdoor kitchen is too
close, contractors might be
Powhatan Today, June 23, 2010 Page 9A
YOUR GARDEN
Sunny side up
Considering an outdoor kitchen? You’re not alone
forced to factor an exhaust
system into the design to draw
heat and smoke away from the
house.
Location of the outdoor
kitchen will also have to take
into consideration the size of the
yard. Those with a large property
can have an expansive
kitchen. Individuals with a
smaller yard may have to scale
back and ensure their cooking
and lifestyle habits don’t
infringe on the neighbors.
Whether the kitchen is
located near or far from the
house, homeowners should
think about some sort of protection
from the elements. Ashelter
can include a buffer wall to
ward off wind and weather and
some sort of overhang for shade
and other weather protection.
This way the outdoor kitchen
and entertaining spaces can be
enjoyed even if there is light
rain or blazing sunshine.
It’s more than simply cook-
ing outside, too. Outdoor
kitchens are about bringing the
entertainment experience
outside. The kitchen is the
central gathering point of the
home; therefore it makes sense
to offer a similar space the
family will enjoy outdoors.
With this in mind, many
homeowners are choosing
weatherproof cabinetry, lighting,
storage, fi replaces, music,
and other accoutrements to
make their outdoor kitchens the
epitome of luxury. Ice makers,
deep-fryers, smokers, wine
coolers, and so many other
accessories are routinely
showing up in outdoor kitchen
designs.
Gone are the days of a
simple charcoal grill and a few
patio chairs. Outdoor kitchens
are revitalizing al fresco entertaining
and adding considerable
value to homes across the
country.
Contributed content
Patio: Q &A
Continued from page 9A
choices available to us,
we tend to want to
overcrowd our spaces.
We want to include
everything. It’s extremely
important to
have a strong design
statement. You can
adhere to a theme, but
that doesn’t mean that
the look can’t be
eclectic. It just means
that everything doesn’t
have to be in every
room all of the time.
Do the same rules
apply for interiors
as well as outdoor
spaces?
“Yes. I think you can
use as an outdoor room,
just as you would an
indoor room. So, I want
durability, to be comfortable
and have
seating that moves in
some way. It may rock,
turn, or swing like a
hammock.
What are some tips
you can offer for
designing for the
outdoors?
A key point to
remember is to use a
strong combination of
materials- stone,
brick, clay, slate,
and woods –materials
that are impervious to
moisture, and that are
durable, so that you
won’t have to repaint or
repurchase.
Spend the money on
what you will be using
the most, don’t scrap on
your seating and the
furniture. Don’t get the
cheap lawn chair and
think you’re going to be
happy.
What are some
popular color trends
for outdoors?
Turquoise was
chosen for the 2009
season. It looks good
with cooler greens and
complements orange
tones. You can also put
it with brown. Antique
Brass is trending now.
How do you keep
the space cool in the
summer?
It’s important to
create breezes (and
have a cool beverage
handy), especially in a
locale where there’s
heat and humidity,
ceiling fans are essential
and can be incorporated
into the design.