The Back Garden Rituals

If some of your favourite memories are set in the back garden, you are certainly not alone. This special place is more than just a grassy plain; it is an exterior extension of your home. And it’s the perfect scene for many magical moments with your family.

What rituals come rushing to your mind when you think about the backyards of your past and present? Hold that thought so you can share it in the comments. But first, take a look at these four backyard events and see how many strike a chord with you.

The No-Special-Occasion BBQ

Is it Christmas? Did someone graduate from school? Is it Grandma’s birthday? No, no, and no. The family’s just having a Sunday afternoon outdoor feast because… well, why not? The weather is lovely, the mood is relaxed, and the food is delicious. Dad’s cooking up a storm on his favourite grill and you can see the neighbours peeking enviously at you from behind their curtains.

The no-special-occasion BBQ is a ritual that never gets old – if only the equipment was so timeless! If old or outdated cooking gear is souring the experience for your family, don’t postpone the feast. Just grab a new modern grill from a specialist brand like Ziegler & Brown and keep the tradition alive; click here to get an idea of the features and prices you can expect when buying a new grill.

The Test Match

Welcome to backyard cricket, where the equipment is often improvised, the field is somewhat unconventional, and the rules regularly change to suit the most assertive player. Is it fair? Nope. Are people playing properly? No way. But – be honest – you wouldn’t have it any other way. The important thing is that everyone has a go and the game is fun.

And if cricket isn’t your family’s casual sport of choice? The description above could just as easily apply to backyard soccer, rugby or hockey.

The Tearful Farewell

Many people remember a the back garden as the setting of their final goodbye to a beloved childhood pet. Whether it’s Nemo, Felix or Rex you’re sending off, the garden is an ideal place for a furry friend’s funeral. This is a sad ritual, yes, but it’s a very important one. It allows us to pay a touching tribute to an adored member of the family and remember them fondly whenever we pass by their resting place.

The Sprinkler Run

For those infrequent days when the temperatures soared finding inventive ways to keep cool was always a mission.  If you didn’t enjoy the luxury of a swimming pool out in the garden while growing up, chances are you have done the sprinkler run once or twice (or many more times). It’s a surprisingly elegant solution, really. You beat the heat, burn up some excess energy, and hydrate the grass all at once.

So which is your back garden ritual of choice? What special memories spring to mind when you picture the backyard of your childhood? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below. You may discover the ritual you believed was unique to your family might actually be more common than you thought!