How do I landscape to make this little patio look more appealing ?
I can't afford to replace this ugly awning so I have to make do with what I have. Someone also stuck that cute little arbor in that corner and cemented it in place. Not the best location in my opinion. Nevertheless, I have to beautify my space. Help!
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id trim the bush down. put a little path thru mulch to the grass yard from the concrete patio. remove the white lattice from the pergola and paint it , maybe white. clean the edges off of the roof. plant some irises in the mulch. (you can find them anywhere cheap, from friends normally) put up some short of shade on the far left side, and plant some kind of vine on the gutter. place some sort of edging around mulch bed. colorful pillows, and some chairs..or use pallets and make some sort of seating on the left side, conversation area..just off top of my head.
You have a great patio already. It just needs a little tweaking. You could begin by washing the patio. The pergola and awning could use a coat of paint. If you have paint left over, paint the door and window frame. Get a sheet of lattice and put it on the left side all the way down to the ground to match the right side of the pergola. That would make a perfect spot for a swing or a hammock. Afternoon naps, here we come! The furniture you have looks like it's in pretty good shape. Put it up on the patio and get some outdoor pillows for it. Scatter a few large pots with big large plants in them. And, last but not least, lay some concrete pavers or flag stone across the front of the patio. I hope this helps you. Good luck with this project.
Across the front of patio, you may plant some large leaf Hostas, and some ground cover. Make a nice garden bed there. Plant some morning glories seeds on side of lattice. They will come back every year -reseeding.
Good luck.
I would suggest extending the patio using cement block squares under the pergola, spaced far enough apart to fill in the cracks with river rock pebbles for drainage. Paint the whole pergola white to match the house trim, and place your seating bench and low table in it to give yourself a quiet shady retreat. Clean and repaint your existing patio cover with the left over white paint, and maybe use hooks and old sheets with a nice rope cord tie to create the illusion of airy curtains around the two outer edge posts. Ask at your local bakery for their plastic icing containers, and recycle them into planters by drilling drainage holes (one center bottom and 4-5 about 1 inch up on the sides) to create a container garden of herbs at the edge of the patio front and left side. Climbing flowering plants that work well in your area for the side of the pergola, or if you want, grow cucumbers and/or peas.
Tear down the whole back porch thing and build a large percula. Pour new cement and start over. Get rid of the little percula and put in a barbecue or outdoor kitchen. It doesn't have to be large. Get some nice outdoor furniture. You will enjoy it much. The lighting looks great for this idea. Good luck. Twenty feet of cement will look good stained under the nice percula. You can add accents with plant and outdoor curtains in the corners.
Remove all the clutter, trim down the overgrown bush on the left, trim the tree branches that are hitting the roof line, pressure wash area, dig a garden bed and add low plants/bushes and mulch. You need some colorful plants and a little TLC.
A lot of great ideas and here is one I did on my patio It atached to the deck and the beam above. Take a pallet and cut out the centre for a plexiglass window. Attach a 2x4 on both sides that is the height of deck to ceiling. It adds privacy and warmth and still lets the light in. I built mine to keep out some of the wind so I can use it year round. We also have a propane fire on the deck.
Evelyn, you say you can't afford a lot so I won't suggest concreting, rebuilding etc. I would just like to tell you that my eye goes straight to that ugly bush and all the clutter in your space. I would either trim the bush (only take off a third), or replace it with something more appealing, get rid of all that unwanted stuff except the bench and repaint the awning white. As you say, the little arbor is cemented in so can't be torn down. I would remove the lattice and use the arbor for bar-b-queing. Take your lovely bench onto the porch and buy some colorful cushions, and maybe buy a little table too and put a cloth on it to match the cushions. A few colorful plants in the bed would look very nice.
Already, you will have a great improvement without spending a lot of time, energy and money. With a few, inexpensive changes, I can see this would be a very nice place to sit and while away the hours. Enjoy a cup of coffee and be proud of what you have achieved.