Enjoy Fall Al Fresco

5 Delights of an Outdoor Thanksgiving

November 2021. By Oscar Ortega: Having discovered the delights of al fresco Thanksgiving, many of our clients report hesitation to go back to the heavy-lifting of indoor entertaining. We get it! We’d rather be outdoors too! Now that it’s safer to be inside, here is the case for staying out.
 
 

Less Prep

While we use a detailed Thanksgiving Checklist to ensure our clients’ gardens are on point for holiday hosting, things can be quite simple. This is particularly true if you already have dedicated outdoor kitchen and dining space. Your California native garden will do the decorating for you as it fills with seasonal color and fragrance.
 
 
 

More Play Space

There are few things more delightful than a house filled with kids running and playing… one of them is a garden filled with play! No lawn? No worries! We find the gardens that really inspire play don’t need them. Boulders, lizards and changes in topography can actually compete with Minecraft!
 
 
 

Destination and Conversation

Let’s face it, we have a lot of catching up to do! While many of us are craving the camaraderie of having our whole family at one table, it’s easy to forget that people have always craved small-group space for those more intimate conversations. Outside, as we tend to stay in visual range while out of ear-shot, it is a bit easier to step away from the main gathering while still feeling part of the party.
 
 
 

More Movement

It’s not just kids who move more out-of-doors, adults do too, particularly when a sense of destination can be created. That is something our designers work to do. If you have a more traditional space with a large lawn, you can create a sense of destination simply by placing a small-group seating area at a bit of a distance from the main gathering space. Fire pits create a natural draw, as do cocktail bars, and areas that feel protected by tree canopy or even strategically placed container gardens.
 
 
 

Less Clean-Up

Oh, did I already say that? It’s worth repeating! Perhaps the best part of hosting outside is that it saves effort when it comes to post-meal clean-up too. You’ll not need to vacuum that decomposed granite trail or meadow after a day full of play, and the squirrels won’t mind you leaving a few crumbs on their living room floor… in fact, when the lights go down, you could be excused for thinking there is nothing left but perfection.

Wherever you host Thanksgiving this year, know that we are grateful for your friendship and wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend!