Summer-Ready Gardens: The Best Features to Install Before BBQ Season 🔥🍔🍹

Is your garden summer ready?

From Patios to Privacy, Here’s What to Consider

As the Cornish sun starts to stick around a little longer each evening, thoughts naturally turn to the garden. Maybe it's a cuppa on the steps, a BBQ with friends, or the kids racing barefoot across the lawn. Whatever summer looks like for you, now is the perfect time to ask: is your garden ready to enjoy?

At ML Rashleigh & Son, we’ve been helping people across Cornwall make the most of their outdoor spaces since 1979. Here's our guide to some of the best features to consider installing before BBQ season truly kicks off.

1. A Solid Patio = A Solid Summer

If there’s one feature that can completely change how a garden is used, it’s a patio. A good patio gives you a solid, clean, low-maintenance space for everything from morning coffees to evening drinks. Whether it’s natural stone, porcelain slabs, or classic concrete, patios offer a real return on investment—not just in property value, but in quality of life.

A patio built to last. Summer after summer.

2. Paths with Purpose (and Personality)

A beautiful path does more than just guide you from A to B. It adds structure, shape, and flow to your garden. Whether you’re after a rustic cobbled look or a sleek modern walkway, a good path links spaces and gives the garden a polished feel.

Bonus: it keeps muddy feet at bay during the Cornish showers!

3. Lawn Goals

There's nothing quite like a lush green lawn underfoot in summer. Fresh turf brings instant charm and is a quick win when time is short. But if mowing’s not your thing, a low-maintenance lawn setup—with tidy edges, proper drainage, and drought-resistant grass—can make a huge difference.

We're here for both. Whether you want the perfect putting green or a no-fuss family patch.

A lush green lawn provides so much pleasure for the eyes.

4. Planting for Privacy

Sometimes you want to enjoy your space without feeling on show. Clever planting—combined with strategic fencing or trellis work—can turn a garden into a true sanctuary. Think climbing jasmine, ornamental grasses, or even a simple run of hit-and-miss fencing to gently screen without blocking light.

Privacy doesn’t have to mean a fortress—it can still feel open and inviting.

5. BBQ & Outdoor Dining Zones

Planning a garden with life in it means thinking about where the BBQ will go, where people might gather, and how it’ll all flow. A raised area, dedicated dining space, or even a simple corner with some paving can completely transform summer evenings.

Need inspiration? We’ve helped install everything from built-in BBQ pads to dreamy stone terraces.

Your outdoor living space becomes well used in the warmer months. Spend a little extra time on creating it!

6. Steps, Levels & Slopes

Cornwall’s landscape is full of slopes, dips and natural changes in level. Instead of fighting them, we work with the land—using steps, terraces and smart design to create usable spaces. Done right, levels add character and a lovely sense of discovery to a garden.

7. Smart Drainage (Boring but Brilliant)

It’s not glamorous, but good drainage is one of the most important things you can do in a Cornish garden. From permeable patios to well-prepped lawn bases, proper water flow means fewer headaches down the line—and a longer-lasting finish.

We’ll always guide you through the best approach for your garden, so things look good and last.

The ugly work is imperative to get right.

8. Storage with Style

If your garden tools, bikes, or bins are getting in the way, it’s worth investing in a neat and durable storage option. We’ve helped clients install everything from sleeper-built bin hides to full garden sheds that blend beautifully into the backdrop.

Practical can still be pretty!

9. Lighting That Works (and Wows)

Long summer evenings deserve to be stretched out—and that’s where lighting comes in. Whether it’s solar path lights, integrated step lights, or simple festoon lighting across the patio, a little bit of glow goes a long way.

10. Local Know-How Makes a Difference

Every garden is different—and Cornwall has its own quirks, from coastal exposure to clay soil. Working with local, experienced landscapers (like us!) means your garden gets the benefit of knowledge built over decades.

We don’t just bring tools—we bring a love for the land we live and work on.

Rashleigh & Son have been creating garden dreams for over forty years.

Ready to Make the Most of Your Garden?

We’re not here to do the hard sell. But if you’ve looked outside lately and thought, “This space could really be something”, then we’re always happy to chat. Whether it’s a big dream or a simple refresh, we’ll guide you through it—step by step, tea in hand.

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📍 Based in Falmouth | Serving Cornwall with pride since 1979