Summer is mere days away and with the equinox comes backyard barbeques! The sun is up well into the evening, causing the kids—and the grown-ups—to be up well past their bedtimes. Grilling smells from all the neighbors’ houses float and swirl together through the trees making even the squirrels salivate. Alright, let’s not get carried away. It makes all the humans around the grills really happy that they are about to be eating soon, while the squirrels go about their business as usual.

We at MDG believe that there are some crucial elements for the perfect al fresco dining experience. Below, you will find our tips to keep your guests coming back for more.

1. To be the ultimate host, one needs to be prepared for anything. Whether you’re serving kabobs, grilled pizzas, veggies, or good old burgers and dogs, get all your grill accessories cleaned and seasoned.

2. Fresh-squeezed lime in a margarita, grapefruit in a mimosa, or lemonade for the kiddos will set the tone from pre-dinner drinks to way-too-late dessert cocktails.

3. Backyard frivolity is all the more reason to dress up your table with pretty plates and dishes. Mix and match patterns and colors, high and low.

4. Yard games allow you to play for fun, play for the win, or play for the rights to host next.

Click here for more of MDG's favorite backyard essentials

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Spring has arrived and—if our allergies are any indication—is in full force. What does this mean for us at MDG? Why, spring is the start of porch season! That means we are sipping our coffee on our front steps in the still-chilly morning air. We are having our weekly phone conversations with mom while curled up on a porch swing. Hyacinths are blooming, baseball is on 24/7, and the remnants of last year's brown leaves are swept from our stoops.

As the days get longer, we're soaking up as much time outside as we can. We are remembering that our front porches are more than places to kick off our snowy boots and that it's time to give this part of our home a little love. We've gathered a list of our front porch essentials and invite you to take a look below. We'll see you outside.

Check out our favorite picks for a front porch and then click here for Marlena's help in creating your own look.

1) Depending on the size of your space, you could add anything from a garden stool to a bench to a bistro table to accommodate a party of any flavor.

2) During the tricky weeks of spring, it can be eighty degrees one day and fifty the next. Temperatures can also drop drastically once the sun goes down. Keep a blanket handy to prolong your porch-sitting.

3) How do you want to illuminate your porch? A ceiling-mount pendant, side lanterns, or sconces will welcome guests into your home or invite them to linger on the porch with you for a glass of after-dinner wine.

4) As you move from the outdoors to inside, why not include a flower pot on your porch? Fill it with seasonal flowers, herbs, succulents, or, if you don't have a green thumb, umbrellas.

5) Are you a wreath person? Do you have candles in every room of your house? Are you a fan of little ceramic creatures? Do you crave a pretty place for your mail to get delivered? Accessories are the easiest to change and most fun to buy (or DIY!)

6) Take in the newly warm weather and your people-watching with a yummy cocktail. Try two parts whiskey and two parts ginger beer in a copper mug. Add ice and a lemon slice!

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Click here for more of MDG's favorite backyard essentials

Check out our favorite picks for a front porch and then click here for Marlena's help in creating your own look.

marlena design group llc - 100 S. Madison St. Denver, CO. 80209