• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Berries and Bergamot
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Breakfast
    • Other recipes
  • Cutting patch
  • Kitchen garden
  • At home
    • Homemade gifts
  • Travel & campervan adventures
  • About me...
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Breakfast
    • Other recipes
  • Cutting patch
  • Kitchen garden
  • At home
    • Homemade gifts
  • Travel & campervan adventures
  • About me...
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
      • Lunch / Dinner
      • Breakfast
      • Other recipes
    • Cutting patch
    • Kitchen garden
    • At home
      • Homemade gifts
    • Travel & campervan adventures
    • About me...
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » At home

    Get ready for summer

    by Tori

    I love Summer - the weather, the long days, an abundant garden and more opportunity for days out and evening BBQ's. As summer approaches I can't wait to get ahead to maximise every drop of fun the season offers. Here are some of my favourite ways to get set for summer and to make sure I'm ready to make the moments count!

    Summer bunting

    Summer Bunting

    Bunting is one of the cheapest, easiest and prettiest ways to get ready for summer. It's pefect strung around the patio, deck or balcony. I am a complete novice when it comes to bunting but I had great success with our summer bunting this year! Choose several fabrics that blend in your preferred colour scheme - I went pink, green and a little tropical!. Cut your desired size of bunting triangle as a cardboard template. Then use a pencil to mark triangles on the fabric and cut out with pinking shears. Using the shears is a timesaver because you don't have to edge the bunting material by sewing. Then simply sew a line of ribbon in a coordinating colour along the top of the bunting triangles.

    Put the washing out on the line

    Get ready for summer peg basket

    Something about clothes dried outside brings the scent of summer into your wardrobe. String up a washing line or rotary (if it's allowed where you live). With rising energy costs, line drying helps save money too. One problem I've had was wet grass and damp collecting on my washing basket when I set it down to put out or bring in washing. So this year, I repurposed a small metal table as my washing line basket table. Voila, no more messy basket and no more bending down to the washing! Invest in a pretty peg basket so that even hanging the washing out brings you joy! Check old pegs for signs of rust which is practically impossible to get out of clothing. And remember whites love the summer sun as it's a natural bleaching agent!

    Set the stage

    Festival lighting

    You can never have too many outdoor lights! They set a beautiful atmosphere and gently light an outdoor seating or dining area encouraging you to stay out longer. There are some inexpensive and energy saving options around. Try the popular solar festival style lights which give plenty of light and are a good option for most sized spaces.

    Container for outdoor cushions and blankets

    Outdoor storage box for cushions

    Keeping outdoor cushions at the ready is a great way to encourage more comfortable time outside. We love our large plastic container that sits near the patio and keeps everything neatly stored and protected from showers. It's perfect for storing all our outdoor dining seat cushions, a few throw cushions for the outdoor sofa and even a couple of blankets for chilly nights.

    Ready Steady Picnic

    Get Set for Summer Picnic hamper
    Picnic Basket Get Set for Summer
    Wicker Dining Basket

    To make picnics even easier - get Picnic Ready. Dig out your hamper, basket, or a pretty container. Fill with a blanket, your picnic cutlery, plates and napkins. If you have it all ready to go in your hallway or boot-room, you will be much more likely to have more impromptu picnics!

    You can change up any weekday or weekend lunch by making it into a picnic! Why not surprise your family or partner by taking your regular lunch outside on a sunny day making the most of the season.

    I also love my little wicker dining basket. It's just big enough for cutlery, napkins and glasses and ready to go for a speedy breakfast, lunch or dinner al fresco.

    Almost any foods can be used for a picnic. Cut up some veggies ready to have with hummus or dips. Cook a quiche and cut into wedges ready to pack up. Make a fruit salad and serve into individual portions ready to go. Oven bake some chicken thighs or breasts, cool and cut into slices to add to any picnic. Try my jerk seasoning recipe as a tasty marinade for the chicken - find the recipe here jerk chicken seasoning

    Get ready for summer by setting up an evening campfire

    Get ready for summer firepit lamb

    One of the most fun summertime activities is a campfire or firepit night. Make a cozy firepit area with seating, cushions and rugs around a central fire area. Use a traditional tripod cooking set for some authentic outdoor meals or use it at the end of the night for toasting marshmallows.

    Bring summer flowers and grasses in

    Cow Parsley
    Peonies
    Summer Grasses

    There's so much to choose from at this time of year in the garden and in the hedgerows, lanes and fields - so why not bring some of the beauty inside. Simple grasses look wonderfully stylish or enjoy the simplicity of frothy hedgerow cow parsley in a simple cream jug. Then there are seasonal spectaculars! I love to treat myself to a bunch of billowy peonies in a tall cylindrical vase as they are such a showstopper on my kitchen island.

    Cooling Summer Waters

    Orange Lemon and lemon balm uncut

    Summer activities in the garden can make for thirsty work so try having some summer flavoured waters on hand. Fill a big glass container and refresh every couple of days - then just pour over glasses filled with ice. Change up the seasonal flavourings and enjoy experimenting to find your family favourites.

    Here are some ideas:

    • Orange, Lemon and Lemon balm - cut up the fruit, tear up the lemon balm leaves and infuse in the water.
    • Rosemary and Lime - throw in some sticks of rosemary and 1 - 2 limes cut into wedges.
    • Strawberry and Basil - cut up the fruit, tear the basil leaves and infuse in the water.
    « Homemade Jerk Seasoning

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Berries and Bergamot

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Please visit our Privacy Policy for more details.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Pinterest