Tips to Improve the Functionality and Atmosphere of Your Patio with Plants
When I began to create planting plans for clients in the mid 1990's one of my main concerns was, how will this collection of plants; the greenery, the flowering, the size and the shape grow together to create an aesthetically pleasing arrangement that feels right in its proportion and scale. If you are looking to create a planting plan for your patio or small outdoor space, the same concerns need to be addressed. Keep in mind that small spaces require great restraint, with a plan towards bringing together a cohesive look. Plants for small and large patios will still be used for similar purposes: decoratively, to create a focal point, add privacy, screen out unwanted views, and to create shade and such. No matter what your objectives, plants can play a significant part in enhancing your outdoor d?cor.
Take a look at the tips and information below before you get started. Hopefully this approach will take you from buying plants impulsively or obsessing over a single plant and move you towards creating a sensible and aesthetically pleasing plan for your outdoor space. See plants in a new light and show restraint Your outdoor patio is an additional room and with a nice set up you will be able to relax, cook, entertain and enjoy spending time in your outdoor garden room. To get the most out of your outdoor room with plants, begin thinking about plants as structural elements that can help you to create a ceiling and wall planes, similar to the foundations inside your home. By thinking in these terms, you will begin to see plants differently and hopefully be inclined to choose plants based upon form and growth habit rather than a single factor such as "It's a pretty plant." The problem with this approach is that it doesn't help you to put together a unified look, or to create an effect.
Showing restraint is one of the most challenging aspects of using plants to create pleasing effects outdoors. It is important however, that before another lovely plant makes its way into your shopping cart, and later home, you head to the nursery with a clear vision of what you want. Create a plant wish listConsider the size of your patio, it's not endless real estate after-all, and plants and planters should be chosen thoughtfully. If you or anyone you know just can't say no to another plant or needs to take in all the homeless, tired plants out there that's fine, but be careful not to clutter up your patio with all of them. A helpful approach to selecting plants for your patio area is to take a good hard look at your space, and put together a wish list of all the realistic things you want plants to help you achieve; for example: to create greater privacy and to screen an unsightly view.
Some people will want a way to create shade or to add dimension to a planting bed; others will want to soften an area, or create a focal point. Whatever your objectives or constraints, this will get you heading in the right direction.No two patios are exactly alikeWhile it is very common to find a patio directly off the back of the house, there are no rules or regulations that make this the ultimate location. Also, patios come in various sizes and shapes and may contain any number of hardscape materials: flagstone, concrete, tile, brick, pebbles and such. As for layout, a large patio may include definition and enclosure with low walls and planting beds; while a small patio may have just a ground plane dressed in flagstone with enough room for a table and chairs (see http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com) and some planters and pots. Each patio example can take full advantage of plant forms to create pleasing effects that will maximize every ones pleasure outdoors.Small patios: Designing with plantsSmall patio spaces rely not so much on the horizontal plane as on the vertical plane where the greenery of plants can produce handsome walls, create a sense of enclosure and privacy, and, screen out unwanted views.
Vines are very useful in small spaces, and garden structures such as trellises and pergolas can assist them to grow upward without claiming too much valuable patio space. This is especially true if plants are grown in the ground versus being planted in pots which will likely take up more room. For certain climates, evergreen shrubs such as boxwood and privet provide permanent architecture year round and can be clipped to maintain the right scale for your needs. To find comparable plant choices for your zone consult with local nurseries and landscapers. Ask for recommendations of upright or vertical shrubs and trees that don't take up a lot of horizontal space and/or can handle being pruned to keep them upright.With all of the nice plant choices available, make use of perennials, shrubs and trees to create inviting effects.
A patio shining with beautiful hardscape is wonderful, but dull without the bountiful greenery of plants to balance..
Nicole Martins is a contributing author and publisher to http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com, an online resource that provides you with great information, articles of interest and reviews of the best selling outdoor furniture and patio accessories online.Secrets of Discount Patio Furniture ? An Easy Way to Get the Best
By: Buying discount patio furniture can be a very economical way to obtain quality furniture for your patio ... if you know how. Many department stores offer patio furniture at discounted prices towards or at the end of the summer season. Many people can obtain quality teak or cedar furniture to enhance their patios by watching the advertised sales from department and hardware stores. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars by just waiting a month or two for that special piece of patio furniture you have always wanted.
You don't have to buy the cheapest furniture just to be able to enjoy your patio. There are disadvantages to buying discount patio furniture. Ensure the quality of the workmanship of the pieces you buy so that you are not buying junk furniture that will fall apart the first time anyone sits on it. When shopping for discounted patio furniture, you should always look for chairs or benches made from solid wood. This kind of patio furniture is durable and well worth...
Secrets of Discount Patio Furniture ? An Easy Way to Get the Best
Patio furniture > Secrets of Discount Patio Furniture ? An Easy Way to Get the Best
Outdoor Patio Heaters
Outdoor Patio HeatersAlmost everybody enjoys spending time outdoors, and that's why most houses have an outdoor terrace or patio. People living in northern climates, however, can only use their patio during the pleasant summer weather. If you wish to extend your patio season, outdoor patio heaters can be used to enjoy your patio or terrace in the early spring and late fall as well as during the summer.An outdoor patio heater is perfect for people who like to entertain outside. It can make the difference between being able to relax and being uncomfortable. Your guests will appreciate being able to enjoy the outdoors with you thanks to your patio heater.There are many styles and colors to choose from when buying a patio heater.
The most popular style is the freestanding patio heater, which provides a heating diameter of about 20 feet. There are many manufacturers who make this type of patio heater, so you have a large variety of models to choose from.When buying a patio heater,...
Outdoor Patio Heaters
Patio furniture > Outdoor Patio Heaters
Outdoor Patio Heaters
Outdoor Patio HeatersAlmost everybody enjoys spending time outdoors, and that's why most houses have an outdoor terrace or patio. People living in northern climates, however, can only use their patio during the pleasant summer weather. If you wish to extend your patio season, outdoor patio heaters can be used to enjoy your patio or terrace in the early spring and late fall as well as during the summer.An outdoor patio heater is perfect for people who like to entertain outside. It can make the difference between being able to relax and being uncomfortable. Your guests will appreciate being able to enjoy the outdoors with you thanks to your patio heater.There are many styles and colors to choose from when buying a patio heater.
The most popular style is the freestanding patio heater, which provides a heating diameter of about 20 feet. There are many manufacturers who make this type of patio heater, so you have a large variety of models to choose from.When buying a patio heater,...
Outdoor Patio Heaters
Patio furniture > Outdoor Patio Heaters
Tips to Improve the Functionality and Atmosphere of Your Patio with Plants
When I began to create planting plans for clients in the mid 1990's one of my main concerns was, how will this collection of plants; the greenery, the flowering, the size and the shape grow together to create an aesthetically pleasing arrangement that feels right in its proportion and scale. If you are looking to create a planting plan for your patio or small outdoor space, the same concerns need to be addressed. Keep in mind that small spaces require great restraint, with a plan towards bringing together a cohesive look. Plants for small and large patios will still be used for similar purposes: decoratively, to create a focal point, add privacy, screen out unwanted views, and to create shade and such. No matter what your objectives, plants can play a significant part in enhancing your outdoor d?cor.
Take a look at the tips and information below before you get started. Hopefully this approach will take you from buying plants impulsively or obsessing over a single plant and move...
Tips to Improve the Functionality and Atmosphere of Your Patio with Plants
Patio furniture > Tips to Improve the Functionality and Atmosphere of Your Patio with Plants
A Guide to Patio Awnings
In many homes, especially in suburban and rural locations, the patio is one of the most cherished places in the home. Patios remind us of good times with friends and family, as the kids play and the ribs sizzle on the barbecue. Many of us also spend a considerable amount of money on our patio furniture and equipment to make it a more inviting and charming location.
Patio awnings are one way to increase the enjoyment of your patio experience. Patio awnings provide shelter from summer heat and provide much-needed shade on those sweltering evening cookouts. Patio awnings are increasing in popularity and are available in an endless variety of styles, colors and options.
Some people like the fact that patio awnings seem to add space and square footage to a home. A patio in itself is an attractive feature of any home. When you add patio awnings, however, it seems almost as if a room has been added to the home.
A patio awning seems to almost enclose...
Patio furniture > A Guide to Patio Awnings
Tips to improve the quality of your outdoor space and patio
It's easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out just how to bring an outdoor room together to make it a peaceful spot to relax or enjoy quality time with friends and family. But if you think of it as yet another room to decorate and furnish, the space will come together more easily.Measuring and a simple site analysis Just as you would for a room inside your home take the measurements of your patio or outdoor room area. This most important step is essential for scaling in comfortable sized outdoor furniture, patio accessories, planters and such. The next step is to conduct a simple site analysis. For this you will want to jot down factors such as the direction (north, south, east, west) your patio is facing, prevailing winds, if any; areas in sun or shade and any other relevant observations that will impact the quality of people spending time in that space.Now for the fun part, create a realistic wish list beginning with how you would like to use your patio: to relax, to entertain...
Tips to improve the quality of your outdoor space and patio
Patio furniture > Tips to improve the quality of your outdoor space and patio
The Advantages of Poly Outdoor Furniture
Imagine owning outdoor furniture that you don't have to spend your time maintaining. Just set it outdoors and enjoy using it. That is the major advantage of poly outdoor furniture.Poly Lumber is a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic derived from post-consumer waste such as milk jugs and plastic packaging that would otherwise end up in a landfill. This material is then cleaned in a decontamination process to a high purity level. This purified recycled plastic is formulated with Ultra-Violet (UV) stabilizers and color pigments, and then formed into various shapes and profiles used to create beautiful and maintenence-free furniture.So let's list the advantages of poly lumber furniture:- Environmentally Friendly : Because it is made out of recycled plastic, it helps reduce waste and also saves trees from being cut down.
That's great for our planet.- No Painting, staining or oiling : You can spend those hours you would have spent painting or staining, relaxing on your poly furniture....
The Advantages of Poly Outdoor Furniture
Patio furniture > The Advantages of Poly Outdoor Furniture
Choosing Garden Furniture
No matter how pleasant a garden is, it is not being enjoyed to its full extent if there is no where for visitors to sit and admire the beauty of the garden. Luckily, few gardeners are willing to sacrifice design for comfort and with the wide choice of garden furniture available today, it is rare to find gardens bereft of furniture. Garden furniture will if anything look great with just about any style of garden. Indeed, many gardens will provide several different items of furniture so that people have the flexibility to enjoy the garden from a variety of positions. So how does the gardener decide which of these many types of furniture you should be added and to which parts of the garden ? Firstly, they should decide how the garden will be used - formally or informally.
Some people entertain a great deal and would use their patios or decks as an extra room for entertaining, while others just want to enjoy the peace and quiet of their...
Choosing Garden Furniture
Patio furniture > Choosing Garden Furniture