Plant Walls For Your Outdoor Patio Deck

Sometimes you want a deck that serves multiple purposes. This one offers room for reading, relaxing with a glass of wine, and sunbathing.

Use a tropical container garden to add personality to any deck design. Keep in mind that plants may require regular watering. Choose ones that are easy to maintain.

1. Plant Walls

Even a few plant walls can make a deck feel less like utilitarian outdoor furniture and more like a retreat. Incorporate a wooden lattice wall that you can hang plants from, such as clematis and climbing roses, to fill the space with vibrant blooms.

Another option is to use a living wall system with pockets that can be filled with greenery for a lush, cascading effect. Be sure to consider light requirements, such as sun exposure and watering needs, when choosing plants for your planters.

If you want to keep the party going into twilight, try this easy and budget-friendly idea: Use lanterns that can be placed on the floor or hung from a railing to add warmth and ambience to your deck. You can also decorate with a few pieces of colorful, conversation-starting art to elevate a simple deck.

2. Plants

Some plants bring color, while others provide fragrance. Flowers like roses and daisies add a pop of summer, while perennials like lavender offer lasting beauty. Foliage provides texture and contrast, and it can also hide the unsightly edges of a deck or patio.

Both a deck and a patio can be improved with planting, but a ground-level patio typically requires less maintenance than a wood composite or stone deck. In addition, a deck requires annual staining and painting, while a patio does not.

Planting around a deck softens the view and connects it with the garden beyond. Fill borders even if they’re narrow, use climbers to cover walls, and include trees in containers. Robert suggests multi-stem river birches (Birch occidentalis) for their slender shape and lovely exfoliating bark, which can be enhanced with up lights.

3. Furniture

Invest in durable, fade-resistant patio furniture to help maintain your deck’s comfort and style. Luckily, top brands offer many stylish and affordable options that are designed to hold up to sun and rain.

Create a lounge area with classic sofas and armchairs that tie your seating space together. Add cozy throw pillows and a centered coffee table for added comfort.

Choose a material like rattan for modern outdoor furniture that resists mildew and requires little maintenance. If you prefer a rustic look, metal furnishings like wrought iron and aluminum are long-lasting. They’re also lightweight enough to move around your deck for easy rearrangement.

4. Swings

Imagine relaxing in a swing while the breeze gently caresses your face. That vision can become a reality with an easy-to-install swing from Trex.

If you have a large outdoor deck, consider using Trex composite fencing ideas to help ensure privacy. Here, a checkered circle built from two different types of Trex Transcend decking doubles as both design element and helipad.

Add a fire pit to your patio deck and you’ll be able to use your outdoor space even when the weather turns chilly. A fire pit also helps you keep socializing outdoors into the chilly winter months.

Personalize terra-cotta pots to complement your patio deck with a variety of colors and textures. Just make sure to dry-brush them with acrylic paints made for outdoor use.

5. Pots and Planters

Planters are a great way to incorporate plants into your deck’s design. They also help protect the soil and surface of your deck from weather and moisture.

Stone and concrete planters integrate well with natural, rustic or even modern environments depending on the texture and finish of the containers. They are usually quite heavy and may require some effort to move, but wheels can be added.

Hanging planters can add a dramatic look to your deck’s design and allow you to grow vines or cascading foliage. Fill this three-container display with ‘Liberty Classic Yellow’ snapdragon, ‘Bouquet Rose Magic’ dianthus and ‘Tickled Pink’ veronica, and add sedum ‘Lemon Ball’ in the front to trail over the edges of the large container. This combination is lush, colorful and fragrant.

from The Decking Perth Specialists https://ift.tt/FGnlTzy
via IFTTT