Every garden, backyard, or patio, no matter how small, can be redesigned in such a way that it becomes an oasis for you, your family, and friends and a definite source of envy and inspiration for your neighbors. All you need to do is change or improve on some of the key elements that can be found in every garden. The process is not long, complicated or costly, as long as you follow these easy steps and patio garden ideas.
#1. Choose a design
Before you actually set out to work, choose a design. You can be creative and think of one yourself or you can get inspiration out of magazines, blogs, or sites such as Pinterest, where you can find real DYI and design treasures. Make sure it’s a design suited for the space you have, the home and area you live in, the weather you normally have, and your budget. Some designs might be spectacular, but they also might not be for you.
#2. Start at the bottom
This means re-flooring or re-paving the patio. You won’t believe how much this is going to change the atmosphere all around. When you are finished with this step, it will already look like you have a whole new garden. There are a lot of different ideas to choose from.
- You can cover everything with grass or turf, to be closer to nature.
- You can use concrete slabs for a more industrial and urban look.
- You can use cobbled stone, for that simple, UK countryside garden look.
- You can even use sand all over the place, to give your patio a by-the-sea feel.
#3. Work some new furniture into the design
Regarding this step, you have two options:
- Refurbish the furniture you already have and try giving it a new look, according to the design you have in mind. You can achieve this by repainting it or by simply adding some cushions and covers on it, which will surely give it new life.
- Find replacements. Patio furniture is not very expensive and it’s also very sturdy, being made especially for the outside. This means you can easily buy it second-hand. You can find entire sets for very reasonable prices and in designs you may never find somewhere else. Wicker chaise-longues, vintage tables and chairs, or wrought iron classics will make your patio truly unique.
The well-loved brands are the Garden Oasis patio furniture, the Garden Treasures patio furniture and the Garden Ridge patio furniture. Every single company sells its products via Walmart and Kmart.
#4. Select Functional Lights for a Cozy Atmosphere
Lighting plays a very important part in a garden, especially on those long, summer nights when you want to stay out there as much as possible. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot, though. Just like with the other steps, you can search for lighting ideas on the web as well and fine some amazing DIY solutions, like:
- candles in mason jars, placed directly on the ground, along alleyways or suspended from branches,
- re-purposed Christmas lights,
- gas lanterns,
- wall mounts.
You can find photos online of them being used in other gardens and you can get your inspiration from there. Also, they are available for purchase almost anywhere, including the big online retailers like Amazon or Ebay, which have all the top products and your local Walmart for objects on sale and clearance. Set as many as you can to create a cozy and heart-warming atmosphere in your patio.
#5. Group flowers, plants, and vegs in different areas
One thing your patio will never have enough of is plants. If you already have plants in your garden, you can always remodel the landscape to fit the new design, meaning relocating some of the vegetable patches or flowers bushes, or group your greens by their type.
Try to have all your flowers in one area, all your vegetables in another, and the same for your herbs and shrubberies. Not only does it look better, but it will also be easier for you to care for them and it will be better for the plants. Keep in mind that some flowers, like lily-of-the-valley, for example, are highly toxic and kill every other plant in their vicinity. So, it’s not a good idea to place them next to your cucumbers or tomatoes.
Vegetable patio garden example.
If you don’t have any plants in your garden, this is the right time to start planting some. You can have a bit of everything, as mentioned above, or you could build yourself a little flower garden, vegetable or herb garden. This will all depend on some objective criteria, such as the time you are going to invest in this, if you are willing to put in the physical and manual work required by patio gardening and, especially, a patio vegetable garden, the budget you have, how much of your garden is lying in the sun and, of course, your local weather. Patios that also have a material gain to them are very rewarding.
#6. Select Decorations
After you’ve been through all these steps, what will really tie your garden together as far as design goes will be the decorations. Search the internet for pictures and models or roam flea markets for good deals on heaters, umbrellas, pots, paintings, containers, planters, watering cans, lawn ornaments, jars and boxes for tools and knick-knacks and every little trinket you can think of for decorating and landscaping your beautiful patio garden. This is what makes the décor a truly dreamy one, featuring your preferences.
#7. Build fences
The last step in designing your very own oasis is building a fence. You can either build a high one, meant for complete outdoor privacy, you can go half-way, or even build just a tiny one, barely above the ground for some delimitation between you and your neighbors.
There are several materials which you can use, depending on your needs and your budget. You can make it out of wicker, for example, if you want that English country-side look, or out of stone, brick, or classic wood. This last one is a very important step, because it will set the boundaries to both your design and your property, so don’t overlook it.
These were the 7 easy steps for transforming your backyard into a brand new, mesmerizing patio garden, complete with new furniture, fences, and a stunning design, no matter the type of house you live in or your experience level.
