Tips for creating your own backyard oasis

Quarantined since March, I’ve decided to make the most out of my outdoor space as best as I can under the circumstances. I find myself appreciating my previous years of thrifty-ness and well-timed sale finds, so much so that I think its important to share some tips on how to get the most bang for your buck when decorating your outdoors.

1) BUY OFF SEASON, ALWAYS

I never buy anything before or during spring or early summer. It’s when all outdoor furniture, decorative pots, and all the rest for outdoors are at their most expensive. Wait until late August / September.

Great websites to check out: WAYFAIR, Home Depot, Lowes, World Market, Crate & Barrel.

Great stores to check out if they’re open in your area: Same as above home improvement stores, plus HomeGoods, Home Sense, plus check your local nursery as they too often have some really great deals/finds.

2) PATTERNS, COLORS, TEXTURES

Pinterest is a great place to gather ideas on an outdoor space that would make you feel like you’re perpetually on vacation. I chose bright colors but the primary color pallet is a cobalt blue to play off of the terra cotta color which I painted our somewhat-old decking. It brought the deck to life and its a color that pretty much every plant color pops against. Green leaves against the terra cotta color are just stunning.

Don’t be shy - you can do no wrong here. If you really want to go bright - Go Bright!! If you prefer natural colors, go for it. Let it reflect your tastes.

A great patio or outdoor living space has:

• Some Sun…

• Some Shade…

• A few flat surfaces for drinks and decoratives

• Different level heights of decorative elements; Hanging, floorstanding and somewhere in between.

• A mix of colors from nature

• Lights for evening hangouts.

3) PLANTS, PLANTS and MORE PLANTS!!

Plants, and lots of them (did I mention I recommend a heck of a lot of plants?) fill the space with color and life and bring in some beautiful nature. A friend of mine planted nothing but plants that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The result was absolutely gorgeous and was always a treat for the kids to check out in the morning.

4) HAVE A GOOD PLAN FOR STORAGE:

I’ve had the same patio furniture for 7 years which I purchased on sale from Sears.com when Sears.com was a thing. I have deck boxes that I store our cushions when it rains which I do believe has extended their looks and overall quality this long. The furniture itself gets wrapped under a tarp for winter so it doesn’t get direct exposure to freezing water.

Our nice perennial plants in pots get wrapped up and either put in the garage or I keep them in a safe area under the eaves of the roof. This is hit or miss but I’ve been able to keep a few plants for 3 yrs in a row which is nice.

The morale of this story is: Treat your stuff nice and it’ll perform year after year. If you don’t have a real good way to store away your outdoor decoratives, figure out a way to protect them from harsh elements. Look for seat covers or outdoor bags you can use to protect your precious items. Lowes, Home Depot, Wayfair and Amazon all have some good choices for outdoor furniture and pot storage.

**NOTE: Terra Cotta pots CANNOT stay outside in cold temps. They crack and burst, no matter what you spray them with or try. Good thing they’re cheap!

5) TAKE PICTURES:

I wish I took pictures of the decorative elements and plants I put together every year. Often I ask my husband, “What was that weird yellow plant we had that year??” and of course how should he know? So make a record of what you did every year so you can build on that the following year.