KAREN WIGHT -- No place like home

Living near the beach gives all of us a great excuse to prepare our homes

for summer. Slipcovers, sisal rugs, market umbrellas, sunflowers--all of

these elements say relax your body, renew your spirit, and rekindle that

youthful exuberance that is the cornerstone of summer.

Start with the garden.

Your efforts here will reward you 1,000 times over. What better way to be

greeted when you come home than with floral sentries at your front door?

No matter what scheme your garden has the rest of the year, summer is the

season for big, tall, colorful and fun.

Plant some delphiniums: the bigger, the bluer, the better. Clump them

together for dramatic effect. The giant Pacific hybrids grow up to 8 feet

high and come in colors that scream the season: “summer skies” is a light

blue variety, “blue bird” has medium azure coloring and “blue jay”

flowers are dark hued.

Dahlias are another garden giant that can grow more than 6 feet in

stature. They come in every color except true blue and have flower heads

that make dramatic displays of vibrant fuchsia, orange and chartreuse.

With blooms up to a foot in width, dahlias add bright splashes in summer

plantings.

Next come the seasonal standbys: sunflowers. As their popularity has

exploded over the years, so have the varieties and availability of seeds

and seedlings. You may make a garden almost entirely of sunflowers if

you choose.

They are tough plants and tolerate most garden conditions. Plant the

dwarf varieties in the front border and add the towering plants (reaching

up to 10 feet) in the back.

Sunflowers bring a sense of accomplishment with them. Few flowers are so

easy to grow and so mammoth in size.

Who can suppress a grin when spotting these garden giants smiling down

with a face that looks like sunshine? And you can roast the seeds and let

the kids enjoy this messy snack outside. Save a few heads for the birds

to enjoy in fall and winter.

Then, it’s time to prepare for relaxing outside so you are enjoy the

fruits of your garden efforts.

Wash off the patio furniture, get the cushions out of storage and get the

big umbrellas set up in their stands. Let your patio and outdoor area be

an extension of your home.

Hey, it’s summer; you can eat dinner alfresco every night if you wish.

Just make sure your outdoor furniture has had the appropriate tuneups.

And if you need to run to get another umbrella for shading your garden

bench--do it now.

Make the outside as inviting as the inside. Stock up on citronella

candles to keep the bugs at bay. Think about a hammock for lazy afternoon

napping. Get a new pool toy for the kids. Install an outdoor shower head

for rinsing off after a day at the beach. Keep an outdoor hamper for all

those sandy towels and dirty shirts.

Now for the inside.

Consider all the possibilities. I have always wanted to have seasonal

slipcovers and I think summer is a fantastic excuse for a splurge. White

canvas might not work for your home year-round, but it certainly works

for summer. Light, bright and washable--it gives any room a lift and

brings your furniture out of its winter doldrums. It also gives the

upholstery a break between seasons and, better yet, it’s just fun.

If white is too scary for you, how about red? Or blue-and-white ticking?

The point is to lighten the mood and change the atmosphere.

Then, the floors. I think any excuse to rotate the rugs or change the

status quo is a good thing. The natural-fiber area rugs and runners that

are available now are perfect for summer.

Sea grass bound with canvas tape has been a favorite of mine for years

and the market is flooded with great choices now. Take up those serious

wool rugs and replace them with sisal, sea grass or coir area rugs. You

can vacuum over them the same as carpeting, and the change may make a

room more festive, more casual, more ... like summer.

Get going! The lazy, hazy, crazy days are just around the corner. Plant,

plan and prepare for some hot fun in the summertime.