With summer on its way now is the time to start thinking about your garden and patio. Spending time outdoors with friends and family is always a great thing to do, but are you ready for those warm evenings in the garden? You might want to check your patio furniture if you are considering having people around or thinking about getting outside more often. Many of us have old and tattered patio furniture that we still stick to years later, but perhaps it’s time to invest in some new furniture for the garden and patio?”
If you click here, you’ll see that the world of patio furniture has come a long way in recent years. Some of those designs are seriously beautiful and would look stunning as a set on your patio or decking, or in the garden itself. If you are yet to create an ideal garden area for seating and relaxing you need to find one that gets the sun but can be provided with shade, as you don’t to be exposed to the sunlight for too long on those hot days. So, the next question: do you buy a full set or sets of furniture, or do you mix and match?
Matching or Mixed?
When all is said and done the best of 20th century design often came in the form of furniture, both for indoors and out. Modern outdoor furniture draws a lot of inspiration from the designers working in the USA, UK and Europe during that century, with plenty of emphasis on clean lines and modern styles. This sort of uncluttered look lends itself perfectly to the patio suite, chair or table, as it is neat, tidy and practical as well as being useful.
Where do you start? We suggest you begin by reading the website we linked you to earlier and also check out home and garden magazines for inspiration. Next, go to your local garden centre or store and have a look what is in stock right now, and you’ll get an idea of what you may want to look at further. When considering mixing and matching – which can be a great way of creating an interesting and attractive result – think about how many people would usually be in your garden normally, and also consider the space you have available.
In fact, the latter point is one of the most important of all if you are creating a new recreational space or patio. The more space the better, but it’s also true that even the smallest and least obvious spaces can be a great choice for a patio, especially in windy areas where you can erect windbreaks or utilize existing walls to create the same effect. Garden design publications should help you see how this can be done, so don’t forget the practicalities of your patio location. Start with the big picture, such as choosing between wood, PVC, and composite, and end with the small details like deciding the type of decking plugs to cover fasteners on your patio furniture.
Now, you may have decided on the sort of patio furniture you want, but what else is there to think about? Let’s talk about some gardening trends that might interest you.
Garden Design Ideas
If the weather is good this summer you need to be making the most of your outdoor space as often as you can, and this means planning your garden to be usable and practical as well as enjoyable. If you already have a patio then new furniture will give it the lift it needs, and as we have shown above the modern look is very much in vogue this year. Let’s talk more about some other trends that might complement your patio and its new furniture, such as:
– Water features are popular once more, whether as a full pond or perhaps a repeating waterfall that you can instal among a rockery. These can also be lit for great effect and make a fabulous decoration when darkness falls.
– Lighting is a must for any patio as the way light fades in the evening can render even an open space dark very quickly. We recommend you check out deck lights that fit flush within the deck and light upwards for an affordable and rather impressive result.
– Vegetable towers can be grown on patios and are a great idea if you have limited space. They can be used to cultivate certain types of fruit or vegetables, are easy to maintain and fun for the children too.
– A hot tub is a big thing these days and need not be expensive with many affordable designs available and make a great addition to your patio.
That’s just a few of our ideas for choosing your new patio furniture and getting your garden spruced up and ready for summer, and you’ll find plenty of inspiration when you start looking into what’s available and see just how garden design is moving forward.