Your patio is a part of your home, but it’s also a completely separate world. During a time when travel isn’t really possible, having a yard to retreat to is truly a wonderful thing. While it’s great to be able to simply step outside, take in a breath of fresh air and feel the sun on your face, it doesn’t take much to turn your patio into a space where you can truly relax and “get away” from it all. Here are a few styling tips for upgrading your patio design into a staycation destination!
The goal of a staycation is to mentally transport you to a new place, even if you’re physically right where you started. An assortment of tropical plants to decorate your patio makes it easy to trick your mind into thinking you’ve touched down on a Caribbean island. It’s also the easiest, most beginner-friendly way to change the look of your outdoor space. Better yet, many tropicals can be overwintered indoors as houseplants, which lets you bring the vacation indoors when the frosty weather starts lurking again.
In particular, large-scale foliage plants are some of the trendiest options right now. Big, bold foliage makes a statement and creates a focal point in your patio design. In my opinion, the more lush foliage you can fit in your patio space, the better. Mix bigger tropicals, like colourful Cordyline, Banana Palm, or Bird of Paradise, with finer-textured choices like Oleander and Hibiscus. Add flowering vines like Mandevilla, Passion Flower, Jasmine, and Bougainvillea. Some tropical plants, like Triostar Stromanthe, make great choices for adding colour to areas with indirect sunlight, like a gazebo, sunroom, or pergola.
While most pots can act as suitable homes for your plants (provided they have sufficient drainage), not all of them add a lot to your patio design. Real pottery truly makes such a difference for pulling your design together. Some of the pots you can find these days are true works of art, and they lend so much personality to your space.
Your pottery choices are more impactful than you might expect, and they’re a great way to carry a theme. From coordinating dimpled pots in a variety of sizes to handpainted pots with striking black-and-white patterns, your pots express your style and enhance the look of your floral container arrangements.
Even if you change nothing else, updating your patio furniture can make you feel like you’re in a completely new yard! If you plan to invest in high-quality furniture, choose timeless designs and neutral colours that will stay in style for years to come. This way, you can change your accessories to freshen the look as trends come and go, but you’ll always have a beautiful and comfortable foundation for your patio design.
This is THE year for water features. Perhaps it’s because so many of us are at home right now, but we’ve noticed an amazing number of birds visiting our water features. They’re probably the parts of our landscape I love the most, and this year I love them even more!
I know I’ve said it before, but water features are among the best investments you can make in your landscape. There’s a mountain of evidence to show how important it is to human beings to be near water. We relax at the lake or the beach, we travel to destinations with white sand and blue waves, and we build our major cities as close as possible to large bodies of water. Even if you can’t swing a full-blown pool, installing a pond or fountain is an affordable project that will bring you years of enjoyment.
Water features do require some maintenance throughout the year, but the benefits they provide far outweigh the costs. Make sure to install your water feature close enough to your patio seating area that you can listen to its soothing sounds. A water feature at this proximity will also help to filter out noise from outside the property, all while attracting birds and other wildlife, which is always a pleasure to watch!
While styling your patio, don’t forget these landscape design principles!
With these tips, you won’t have to go far to take a break from it all. Need some fresh eyes on your space to help you take it to the next level? Contact our Landscape Design team to book your consultation today.
