Enjoy summer without spending it looking after the backyard

One of the biggest joys of retirement village life can be saying goodbye to the hassle of backyard maintenance and embracing the best parts of outdoor living.

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22 October 2026

Stories | Retirement Living

Summer and spending time in the backyard tend to go hand in hand. Long lunches outside, a shady spot with a good book, family barbecues and an afternoon of enjoying the fresh air – it’s all part of what makes Australian summers so iconic.

Of course, keeping that backyard looking its best can be another story.

There’s the lawn that seems to grow faster than you can mow it. The plants that need watering, outdoor furniture that needs cleaning, and the weeding battle that never seems to end.

And if you have a pool, that’s a whole other to-do list.

As the weather gets hotter, tending to the garden is sometimes the last thing you feel like doing.

For those considering retirement living, leaving behind all the tiresome aspects of backyard maintenance – while keeping those that you enjoy - is often found to be one of its most attractive prospects.

Keeping the best parts of summer

Many people love tending to their garden – especially in retirement. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your plants thrive, spotting a bird nest in maturing trees, picking homegrown herbs, or watching the grandkids play on a freshly mowed lawn.

But the work that goes into this can be laboursome, and summer is always the busiest time of the year.

Having the option to keep the jobs you like, while leaving the less appealing work to someone else might just be the perfect compromise.

For example, if you enjoy pruning your shrubs just the way you like them, continue doing that, whilst someone else does the weeding for you.

Do you enjoy relaxing whilst tending to your homegrown herbs and vegetables? If so, continue doing that while someone else mows the lawn.

Picking and choosing the best parts of gardening is something our retirement living residents tell us time and time again is one of the real joys of village life.

 

Outdoor living, without the upkeep 

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Moving to a retirement village may mean leaving behind a large backyard, but it doesn’t necessarily mean giving up outdoor living.

Depending on the village, there may be shared gardens, courtyards, barbecue areas, outdoor entertaining spaces or other communal facilities where you can enjoy the warmer months.

Some villages may also feature a swimming pool, offering somewhere to cool off on a hot day – and all the more relaxing for not having to worry about its upkeep. Or there might be a shared vegetable patch, where you can enjoy tending to plants alongside neighbours and friends.

Whatever amenities are on offer in the retirement village you choose, there’s never any major upkeep or maintenance to worry about, with shared areas being maintained by the village provider.

It means you can enjoy sitting outside with a neighbour for coffee, taking a stroll through village grounds, or inviting family over for a barbecue – all without the worry of having to prepare the space in advance, or thinking about the jobs you’ll need to do afterwards.

Summer’s often better with company

The warmer months have a way of bringing people outdoors, and in retirement villages, shared spaces are often the place where residents gather, perhaps meeting for the weekly happy hour, or stopping for an impromptu chat.

You’ll always have the privacy and quiet of your own home, but in a retirement village, there’s the knowledge that company is close by whenever you feel like it – and importantly, without the need to spend hours getting the backyard ready.

Find the village that suits you

Every BaptistCare retirement village is different, so it’s worth thinking about the kind of summer lifestyle you enjoy as you explore your options.

If you love gardening, consider how you can stay involved. If outdoor entertaining matters to you, look for barbecue areas and shared spaces. And if a summer swim sounds appealing, find out whether there’s a pool.

Booking in for an in-person tour always helps. Walk around, look at the communal areas and picture how you might use them day to day.

 

A little less work this summer

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Leaving a big backyard behind can feel like a significant step, especially when it has been part of home life for many years. But it can also mean freeing yourself of all the work that comes with it.

There can still be gardens to enjoy, places to sit outside and spaces to gather with family, friends and neighbours. You just don’t have to be the person who manages their upkeep.

On a warm summer afternoon, that leaves you with a much nicer decision: how would you like to spend the rest of the day?

Thinking about retirement living?

If you’d like to learn more about our retirement villages, an initial conversation comes with no pressure or commitment. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and can even arrange a tour of your local community, if you’d like.

Please call our friendly team on 1300 275 227 or drop us a line via the online enquiry form below. We’d love to hear from you.

Make an enquiry

If you would like to know more, please complete the form and one of our retirement living specialists will be in touch.