I don’t know about you, but it’s around this time every year that I start pining for outdoor life again.

It’s mid-winter, I’m fed up with hibernating indoors and I find myself fantasising about lazy barbecues and long afternoons spent lounging around in the backyard. Then I look out at our backyard, and my heart sinks. There’s so much work to do, I don’t even know where to begin. “It will never be ready for summer, let alone spring,” is usually my next thought, before I give up on the idea of ever having a lovely outdoor area.

But not this year (she writes, triumphantly!). Earlier this year, hubby and I realised our limitations and stopped kidding ourselves that we have the time or the ability to take on big projects. We started researching ideas, browsing through back issues of Home Beautiful and calling in quotes from the pros. Eventually, we hired a landscaper to do clever things with difficult spots in the garden, and a builder to pull down a dingy balcony and replace it with the entertainer’s deck we’ve always coveted. And, wonder of wonders, it’ll all be done by spring, just in time for us to move our winter-weary selves outside and enjoy. The best part? It’s so much cheaper than moving house to get a backyard we can actually use.

If your garden or courtyard requires some maintenance or a makeover in anticipation of the warmer days ahead, take a wander through the 28-page special section starting on page 191. I’m sure you’ll find inspiration to get you thinking about what you can do at your place. And then, repeat after me: “Bring on spring!”

See you next month,
Mara
Acting editor