Outdoor Spaces

I have been dusting off the patio furniture lately and am looking forward to warm summer nights, outdoor BBQ's, and pool parties. I work hard every spring to make sure that my outdoor spaces are comfy and cozy all season long. I have a large patio area to work with so I can basically start with a blank canvas every year. Looking at what we did the most in the previous season, I customize my "rooms." Giving more space to greater used areas, possibly changing furniture locations to optimize their use, and creating new spaces as the budget permits.

The functional furnishings that we purchase for our outdoor spaces have come a long way from the plastic tables and chairs but with style can come price! There are now outdoor sectionals that look like they could live in your home, bar tables with fire pits built in, and chairs that move like a high end glider. If you are in the market for

some new furnishings some of my favorite resources are www.potterybarn.com, www.target.com, and www.grandinroad.com.

You may not have the freedom to re-do your outdoor space. It may be just a small deck or patio that does not give itself well to changing the arrangement of the furniture. An easy and fairly inexpensive way to create a large scale impact and change the look of your outdoor space is using container gardens. Often, plants can do the work of sectioning off spaces and creating the definition that we see in many of the upscale catalogs and outdoor television shows on HGTV. Where building a wall may not be an option, a cheap trellis planted into a couple containers with morning glory climbing up will give the look you are going for without the large price tag. Another great thing is that if you decide you don't want that much separation you can simply take it down or move it, no harm done.

Traditionally, we have a tendency to drop a few pots onto the deck or maybe hang a couple plants from the ceiling of the porch and call it a day. A trend that I personally employ in my outdoor spaces I like to call "cluster gardening." I read an article last summer about the subject and it amazed me the beauty that came from a handful of pots artfully arranged at differing heights. The key being placing the pots, baskets, and other containers at different heights to create visual interest.

The first step is finding the containers. Fortunately, you do not have to run out to the nearest garden center and spend your paycheck to get a multitude of containers. As you are pulling your mower, tools, toys, and furniture out of the shed and garage look for options. Not every container will be highly visible, as they will be layered behind other containers. So even something as simple as an old bucket could be an option. I use a lot of the larger containers that I have gotten when putting trees and other large plantings in my beds. Although they are often just simple black plastic and n

ot very pleasing to the eye, I keep them behind another, more attractive, container. As the plants grow in, the black plastic becomes all but covered. I also use these, turned upside down, to lift other containers up in the back of the display.

If you happen to be a clean and organized person who doesn't have a lot of things lying around for use yard sales are another great option for inexpensive containers. Another great and unusual place to find inexpensive pots is at Jo-Ann fabrics. This time of year they are often having 30-50% off sales so wonderful deals can be had.

So cluster some pots around your seating area, into corners, and on the side of the grill. Think vertically, not just horizontally. If you put in a little work over the next month you will be patting yourself on the back in June and all of your friends will be complimenting your "outdoor room!"