The best ultrasonic pest repellers for your outdoor space

When the seasons change, the air becomes crisp, and the mercury starts to fall, certain cravings start to well up. For some it’s football, or cozy clothes, or pumpkin spice. But let’s talk a minute about fire. Nothing else has the ability to bring people together and capture attention quite the way that a cheerful flame does. If you’re not so sure, try this experiment. Set up a fire pit on your driveway and, right around sunset, fire it up. Chances are, you’ll have visitors before long. As long as it’s not the fire department or your HOA authorities, it should make for some good conversation.

Whether you’re a long time believer in the power of a fire pit and need to replace one after years of faithful service, or you’re just looking for a good reason to be outdoors in the pleasant fall evenings, we’ve got a few suggestions. You could go with an easy to use gas burner, and forgo the smoke and ash, but then you would also miss out on the smell. We believe that a little bit of seasoned hickory, oak, or maple aroma is an essential part of the deeper fire pit experience. So, we’ve assembled this list of outstanding wood-burning fire pits based on durability, ease of use, styling, and price point.

Once you start to hunker down on the gardening life, you’ll eventually find yourself in need of space to store all of your planting tools. Luckily, plenty of garden storage sheds exist out there. Still, having a host of choices can be overwhelming, in and of itself! If you have limited garage space or don’t want to go back into the house every time you need to grab your supplies, an outdoor garden shed may just be what you need. Ahead, we break down three choices for the top picks out there and give them a good, better, best ranking to help you choose one that suits your home and needs.
Good: Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed
The Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed is a good choice when you’ve accumulated quite a few garden supplies but don’t need a full-blown shed yet. It has a convenient, horizontal size at 34 x 55 x 28 inches, the perfect dimensions for storing your fertilizers, pruning scissors, gloves, watering cans, sprays, and other tools. The construction is also high-quality—it’s made from a water-resistant resin material and features double-walled construction that resists leaking and denting.

Because it’s essentially plastic, this outdoor garden shed resists rot, mold, and insect damage as well. At $230, you get a high-quality product that can compactly store supplies for a small garden, and the assembly shouldn’t take you any longer than half an hour. The drawback is that it is relatively modest in size, so you’ll need extra storage when you expand your gardening toolkit. And while it can accommodate a lock and some shelving, you’ll need to purchase those items separately. Some reviewers have mentioned slight warping when you leave the shed outside for too long, so be careful about extreme temperatures!

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s time to fire up the grill in your outdoor kitchen one last time before it gets too cold for outside gatherings. Luckily, there’s no shortage of delicious recipes that take advantage of fresh autumn harvests. In addition to the herbs that you planted in the late summer, you can also whip up meals with all the gourds, leafy veggies, and fruits that you might have in your garden right now. From an herb-stuffed fish as your main dish to sweet grilled apples and pears as dessert, we’ve rounded up the most delicious autumn recipes to try in your outdoor kitchen this October.

Fresh salad with kale, spinach, and arugula
Veggies such as kale, spinach, and arugula do well for early autumn harvests, and they‘re also excellent salad bases. For some autumnal flair, chop up and roast root veggies such as sweet potatoes or beets. Pop in the protein of your choice—chicken breast and tofu are easy go-to's that you can heat up quickly on your grill. To use even more of your garden goods, add herbs such as tarragon and rosemary to enhance the dressing or vinaigrette for your fresh salad.
Barbecued carrots
Barbecued food doesn't only have to be summer fare. A great autumnal recipe for your outdoor kitchen is barbecued carrots with some toasted pecans. After coating your carrots in oil and grilling them for around 20 minutes, toss them in a dressing with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh herbs, garlic, and ginger. Add in toasted pecans or the nuts of your choice for extra texture and flavor. Obviously, carrots aren’t the only veggies that you can grill—you can try cooking broccoli, corn, and more! Grilled veggies make for easy and delicious side dishes that will surely win over your guests.
Grilled fish with lemon and herbs
Fish with lemon and herbs is one of the most laidback recipes you can prepare for your autumn soirées. It’s uncomplicated, but still filling and flavorful. All you need to do is stuff the fish of your choice with lemon, garlic, and herbs. Then, drizzle oil on your fish and leave it on the grill for six minutes or so on each side. Fresh herbs that work perfectly for this dish include parsley, thyme, and dill—whatever is handy in your herb garden!