It always feels exotic to prepare food outdoors, whether you're cooking on a gas grill, roasting skewers over a campfire, or arranging a platter of vegetables picked from the garden. Maybe one reason it feels liberating: In summer, we keep it simple. (Plus there's the fact that men like to grill.) Here are some ideas to help you keep it simple.
Monday
Above: When the owners of a townhouse in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood hired New Eco Landscapes to overhaul their backyard, they asked for "a showstopper." See what they got in this week's Landscape Architect Visit.
Tuesday
Above: Kendra pays a Garden Visit to illustrator Celia Hart in Suffolk, England, and finds flowers that reach to the sky and chickens living in a rather stately henhouse (along with Cheep, the rooster).
Wednesday
Above: In Bouquet of the Week: Hydrangeas Gone Wild, Justine accepts an assignment that turns her opinion around.
Thursday
Above: "For me," says Michelle, "the perfect summer kitchen is one I barely see." She's rounded up five of her favorite garden-to-table recipes for summer salads; no cooking allowed.
Friday
Above: Could this kitchen look any more summery? It's tucked into our Outbuilding of the Week, a summerhouse in the backyard of a grand brick house in South London. The doors open wide onto a dining deck surrounded by flowers. Heaven.
Over on Remodelista, the editors are also looking into Summer Kitchens. Too bad they have to be indoors.
And don't forget: Voting is now underway for the 2014 Gardenista Considered Design Awards. You can vote for the finalists every day until August 8th. The winners will be announced August 9th.
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