Tips for rekindling your backyard love affair

Jamie Durie, host of HGTV Showdown and others offer a variety of ideas for homeowners interested in rekindling their backyard love affair.

Start with the grill

"Clearly (the grill) is the base of an outdoor kitchen or outdoor room," says Deidra Darsa, public relations director for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. Research what grill best suits your cooking needs in terms of burners, controls and size. "People are not just grilling meat anymore - they're cooking pizzas, vegetables - you can do a whole meal from appetizer to dessert."

Watch the wind

"Create a space that has insulation from wind," says Durie. "Sometimes changing levels to get a sunken effect provides more protection from wind; or use garden walls and plants that surround those outdoor spaces to give yourself protection or a microclimate, if you like." The right plantings can "extend living time for two months in outdoor space."

Warm it up

"People can have a lovely outdoor resort in their own backyard with firepits or outdoor fireplaces," says Darsa. An outdoor pizza oven becomes not just a cooking tool but a warming device. Some homeowners are even installing underfloor heating outside.

Light the night

Grill lights - standard on some high-end models - lighted tongs or properly positioned yard lights extend the grilling day and compensate for shadows. Lights are an essential but often neglected element in proper barbecuing, says Raichlan.

Furnish for comfort

The grill may be the centerpiece, but a patio needs outdoor seating areas for dining and conversation, with a nice flow so people can get around. Companies like Summer Classics, Montevallo, Ala., are producing an increasingly broader array of furniture that looks like it came right out of the house. Even rugs and throw pillows are finding their way to outside rooms.

Think green

Use Forest Stewardship Council stamped lumber and solar panels to offset electrical demand from lights, underfloor heating or outdoor sockets.

Be adventurous

The American grill has simultaneously globalized and rediscovered its own roots, says Raichlan. Today, people are grilling everything from Indian tandoori to Jamaican jerk to Korean kalbi kui, coupled with a traditional regional American barbecue.

"Ten years ago, brisket and pulled pork shoulder were pretty much specialties only of Texas and North Carolina, and rarely made at home. Today, the whole country has embraced them," says Raichlan.

Accessorize

The industry has spawned a vast array of accessories to help people become more adventurous with the types of meals they're preparing outside. "Every year something comes to the mainstream. Popper racks (racks made to roast stuffed jalapeños) are the buzzy new thing this year," says Raichlan.

Consider the investment

"If you spend between 5 and 7 percent of the value of home, you will never overcapitalize," says Durie. "A lot of real estate brokers are using outdoor spaces to market properties - saying, 'Imagine being out there entertaining friends and family, sitting around the dinner table and enjoying yourself.'"

Take it slow

Tackle a project in stages over the period of a couple seasons, says Durie. "Then come next summer, you'll be living outside more than you ever did."

Become a benchwarmer

Furnishing your outdoor space should be one of your largest investments. Placing furniture in your garden encourages you to use it more, says Judy Nauseef, president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

"A bench can be the focal point - you can arrange an entire garden around it, even in the front yard," she says.