Canadian summers may be short, but they are glorious. For a couple of brief, magical months, it’s your patriotic duty to spend as much time outdoors as is humanly possible. But winter is far too long for you to suffer with folding chairs and laptop speakers all through the summer. Instead, splurge, just a little bit, and bring your outdoor space up to speed with these essential accessories.
Tuning In
Though wireless speakers are far from perfect in the sound quality department, the weather-resistant Acoustic Research 900MHz tower will more than do the trick — and it’s a far more elegant solution than hauling out your old dorm-room boombox. Shaped like a patio-friendly arts and crafts-style lantern, the speakers boast a 2″ tweeter and a 3″ woofer (most other wireless options are all-in-one) and run on either AC or battery power. $169.99
Space Cadet
The Adirondack chair is a design classic, but one that can’t fit on the average apartment balcony because of its large footprint. PC Home’s well-priced Muskoka chair (pictured above) folds up when not in use, and comes in a funky turquoise that’ll give your outdoor space some personality. $99
Night Light
Standard-issue bamboo Tiki torches will get the job done cheaply, but without much style. We say, ditch the island kitsch and bring modern design outdoors with this sleek stainless steel version. $39.95 for 2
Water World
Zen out — and drown out traffic and loud neighbours — with this babbling, bubbling Tranquility Fountain. Unlike most others on the market, this ribbed glass number doesn’t look like it belongs next to your grandmother’s garden gnome collection. Plus: Its built-in colour-changing LEDs will put on an impressive late-night light show. $499
