Just in Time For the Fourth of July: Make Your Outdoor Space an Organic Haven

During these times of social distancing, the space we have outside has become more important than ever. The Fourth of July is almost upon us, and with it comes the urge to frolic outside with friends and family. To eat and drink, perhaps to dance and sing. While we must be mindful of this very human desire, there still exists the real danger of spreading the virus unwittingly.

There are a few ways to make our space an organic haven of love, camaraderie and safety if we do it right.

You may inhabit ten acres of forest, a plot of grass, an opulent garden or a simple balcony. It may be so hot that even the pigs are bacon. However, you may have the space, it may be neat and tidy and it could even have real potential, but how do you make it a more usable area of your home?

There are simple ways to encourage your family and friends to spend more time together outside and remain healthy.  Here are a few suggestions.

Create safety zones that differentiate areas for people to rest and stay cool

If you’ve only got a deck or balcony to work with, invest in an umbrella and a few chairs and place them six feet apart. Make sure you’re wearing masks when sharing food and drink.

If you have a front or backyard, manage it using organic practices, so it’s safe for kids and adults to roll around on.

The Organic Center highlighted a survey published in the Journal of Environmental Protection that found the top reason people adopt organic lawn management is their concern over the environmental impacts of conventional pesticides.

And with a lawn, you can get really creative by mowing visual barriers of different lengths of grass that show what six feet away really looks like.

You may want to invest in a lawn mower or find lawn mower parts to fix your current model so that you can start to create a neat area.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, it can be a food haven. If managed organically, it can be a haven for pollinators and insects, too!

Did you know that controlling garden pests using synthetic insecticides can harm non-target insects that are natural enemies to the bad pests?

The Organic Center highlighted a study published in the Indian Journal of Entomology that shows organic farm and garden practices protect important insects. These bugs provided more natural pest control.

Take the kitchen outdoors!

I have been baking focaccia like a mad Italian auntie because, well, that’s how I roll these days. I am certainly not loafing around when I concocted a fresh cherry, goat cheese and caramelized onion focaccia. Yum!

But the weather has been so hot, it feels like chickens could lay boiled eggs. So, my little toaster oven sits outside on the deck, pumping out beautiful, adventurous focaccia for friends and family to share.

My husband barbecues fresh organic veggies and meat, but my dream is to have a small kitchen outside.

However, a BBQ can just be the start of your outdoor kitchen, and people now love the idea of creating outdoor work surfaces, adding on things like a pizza oven, an open fire to keep you warm and even an outdoor sink to keep things clean and tidy.

Whatever your budget allows, taking the cooking outside can allow your friends and family to participate in ways that keep social distancing in mind. It also keeps the house a cool haven to return to.

Whatever ways you intend to make merry and socialize this July 4^th, let’s celebrate our democracy and freedom by being safe and smart.

Your outdoor space can be an organic haven with just a few ideas.

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