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Putting a patio in your garden is a great way to get more use out of your yard. It splits the area into different zones and can sometimes give the impression that you have more space. It gives you a great area where you can put furniture out so you can relax in the sun or even eat meals outside.
But sometimes, it might seem like a bit of a shame to get rid of all of your nice plants and replace them with a patio instead because they can be a bit boring. However, they don’t have to be if you don’t want! Most people just put the patio down and stick a table and chairs out there and leave it at that, but there are so many more interesting things that you can do with a patio area. These are just some of the amazing ways that you can brighten up your dull patio area today.
Patio Plants
It’s the lack of greenery that really puts people off patio areas so that’s the first thing you want to remedy. A few smartly placed plants soften all of the hard lines and add a burst of color to an otherwise boring area of the garden. There are all sorts of different ways that you can add plants too.
Container plants are the most obvious one so put some around the corners and even on your tabletop. You can also get wooden beds and put them around the edges of the patio. The main benefit of using container plants is that you can bring them indoors during the winter if they won’t survive the cold.
As well as container plants, you should consider growing vertically. If the patio backs straight onto the house, hang baskets on the walls. There are some great plants that will grow out of the basket and hang down the walls so that your brick is now covered in beautiful greenery. You can also put up a trellis around the edges of the patio and grow some plants from that as well. Instead of a plain patio, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a secret garden surrounded by plant life.
If you’re trying to grow vegetables in the garden and that patio feels like it’s just wasted space which could be put to better use, I’ve got great news for you. There are plenty of edible plants that you can grow in pots out on your patio so you can get the best of both worlds, a nice deck that is packed with plants that are part of your vegetable garden and some gorgeous greenery too.
Most herbs work well out there too, particularly mint and basil, but there are plenty of other options. Spinach, although usually grown in the ground, can be grown in pots or wooden planters just as easily.
You can also grow a small tomato plant in a pot. Cherry tomatoes are the best variety to grow in containers, anything larger like beef tomatoes won’t work as well. Just remember that tomatoes need to be kept very warm so put them in the sunniest spot on your patio-a south facing position is best. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you might struggle to grow tomatoes outside of a greenhouse.
Heating
It also might feel like a dead space because you can only get use out of it when the weather is warm. But you can use it all year round if you put some heaters out there as well. Outdoor heaters are pretty powerful so you should only need one or two tucked away in the corner to keep you warm. There are some great tabletop ones available as well.
If you want a more natural look, you could put a brazier or fire pit out in the garden instead. It’ll give you the heat that you need and it’s incredibly relaxing and cozy to sit around the fire in the evening.
You should also think about cooling the patio area a bit in the summer because, if you live in a particularly hot climate, it can get a bit too warm when the sun is blazing. Putting a cover over the patio to get some shade is a good idea (this is ideal for the winter when it’s raining as well). Get some large outdoor ceiling fans out there as well to keep you cool. You can still sit outside and enjoy the sun but it’ll feel like you’re sitting in a nicely air conditioned building.
Lighting
If you’ve got a nice heated patio, you can then start using it in the evenings, which means that you’ll need lighting. This is also a great opportunity to make it look a lot nicer. If you put some nice fairy lights around the edges or maybe on that trellis you put up, you can create a lovely fairy tale atmosphere on your patio.
You can also get some nice hanging light bulbs around the cover on top of the patio to light the area as well. This is particularly important if you’re planning an evening garden party because you want your guests to be able to see each other, right?
Give It A Clean
Sometimes, the solution to a dull patio is a lot simpler. After you’ve had it for a few years, it’s going to start growing all sorts of moss and things on there and the dirt will build up. It happens gradually and a lot of people don’t realize just how dirty their patio is. But if you give it a proper clean, you’ll be shocked just how much difference it will make. Move all of the furniture out of the way and get yourself a power washer to blast all of that dirt off!
If you’re fed up with your patio and you’re thinking about getting rid of it, try some of these simple ideas to brighten it up first. You might find that it makes all of the difference and you fall in love with your patio again.
