As the days get longer and the sun shines hotter, nothing beats entertaining friends and family outside. The patio can be your perfect haven, with the sky overhead and the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze.
Get ready to fill a glass with ice, pour in your favourite selection, and lay back to enjoy some R&R. Here are some suggestions to make your patio have everything you need.
1. Have patio vegetables or herbs on hand
Simple ingredients like fresh herbs or vine-ripened tomatoes can elevate any meal. Grow some patio-friendly items so you can have fresh items like sage or mint leaves on hand.
“Rosemary is pretty easy and very hardy for our climate,” said Natalie Foofat, owner of Patio Gardens. “Basil is a little bit harder to grow because it’s an annual-type herb here but sages and thyme really like our hot summers. For vegetables, I suggest everyone tries tomatoes because nothing tastes better than a homegrown tomato. It’s a huge difference than what you can find in a store.”
And if you’d rather do more eating than deciding what to plant, Patio Gardens sells edible garden hanging baskets that include lettuces, herbs, cucumbers and peas, all in one. Plus, the basket also contains natural pest deterrents such as marigolds or nasturtiums, which are also edible flowers.
Before you decide what edible plants you want to go with, consider that vegetables and herbs typically need lots of sun for higher yields. Foofat said if you have about six hours of sun, or just early morning sun, broccoli, kale and leafy greens will still do okay.
2. Get your patio plants ready
To make the patio a really gorgeous place to relax, one thing helps – plants. And there are more benefits than just the bright colours and fragrance.
“Anybody should try gardening so they learn how our food system works, how plants work and really, any vegetable or herb grown on your own patio or garden does taste a lot better than in store,” said Foofat.
If you have a patio with partial sun to mostly shade, consider plants like begonias, impatiens, fuchsias, coleus, lobelia and nasturtium. A lot of popular summer flowering plants, like petunias and dahlias, require full sun.
3. Find the right accents
Adding design accents is one way to instantly transform your outdoor living space. Jennifer Etherington, owner of Avenue B, suggested thinking of your outdoor space as an extension of your indoor space. “Bring the indoor colours outside, this will make your space feel cohesive,” she said.
“Create a cosy space by layering textures and colour – outdoor rugs, add baskets of blankets/magazines, pillows, warm lighting and pretty drinking glasses.”
4. Think about lighting
During the day, you might want to consider options for having shade whereas at night, lighting can really create an atmosphere. Hang some outdoor twinkle lights for a pretty nighttime effect.
When creating an exterior lighting plan, Etherington suggested layering lighting with ambient, accent and task lighting.
Use ambient or functional lighting during the longer days of the summer and consider changing the outdoor light bulbs from 100w to 60w.
Solar lighting for pathways, lanterns and candle holders on tabletops, and string lights to warm up a space make great accent lighting.
And adding an outdoor lamp or chandelier to your covered spaces will provide perfect task lighting.
5. Figure out the best seating
Think about how you want to entertain to determine what the best furniture is for your patio. When choosing the pieces, create pockets of space for comfort, dining and entertaining that work within the room that you have.
“With patio spaces getting smaller, a high-top table for dining and a small four-piece conversation set both make for a warm, inviting space. Resin patio furniture holds up well in our West Coast weather and is easy to care for,” Etherington noted.
And caring for your furniture will ensure you can enjoy it for years to come. Etherington recommended covering furniture when it’s not in use and sweeping off dust and debris. She also recommended using a storage bench or deck box to store cushions.
If you don’t have the space for an outdoor bench, take the cushions indoors to help extend their life.
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