This year’s patio garden is basically a whole new one because of the move. It’s exactly the same size but it gets more direct sunlight for longer in the day and there was nothing growing naturally. It was all bare dirt with a few large rocks sprinkled around. I decided to spend a bit of $ and really make an effort so I could have a patio I could enjoy as more than just a pretty view through my sliding glass door. I edged with bricks and filled in around the plants with rocks. It definitely looks better than bare dirt!
If you want to see a “before” picture, check out MY PATIO GARDEN 2017 – 1 OF 4
On the left side and middle, I’ve done it up in my regular spazzy whimsical fashion. I went for mostly flowering plants and a few herbs with fun decorations scattered around. I also added a bunch of different styles of solar lights so it would look more interesting at night.
Left: I made two cute bird feeders out of thrift store china cups and spoons. I glued one to a plant spike. Right: My sweet pea plant has come back for the second year. It hasn’t flowered yet though.
Left: My pink geranium is bigger than ever, and this year’s basil is doing better than any other so far. Right: I can’t remember what this plant with little yellow flowers is called, but I love it. It’s doubled in size since I got it so it seems to love me too!
Left: I bought a small plant at Costco, it turns out it’s a white carnation. It was a nice surprise.
Right: My begonias are still with me and larger than ever. My granddaughter made that little birdhouse for me.
On the right side of my patio Chance’s Ficus is still alive, mostly. Ok, 1 out of three is doing really well, but the other two are a little iffy. My rosemary plant I’ve had going for nearly 3 years now, and my little bird bath broke but I glued it back together and it looks fine.
Left: This is the other thrift store teacup bird feeder I mentioned. I made a beaded hanger for it and used a garden stake hanger so it’s low to the ground. Right: I bought a strawberry plant last year. Nothing much happened with it and I thought it was dead but it came back strong during the early hot spring we had and it looks like it’s going to kick out a good bunch of strawberries this year.
Same old patio chairs, but I got a table that looks like it matches (it doesn’t but it LOOKS like it does) and we invested in some paving stones to extend the paved part of the patio into the corner. As well as an umbrella for shade. It was 106f (41c) today. In fact, it’s 7:15 pm as I write this and it’s still 105f! So yeah, the umbrella was definitely an investment. I leave it closed most of the time so the plants get sun, but it’s nice to be able to sit outside without frying or waiting until it’s dark.
Left: I repainted this little guy and made him a new swing. He looks happy about it, doesn’t he?
Right: I made some plastic bottle flowers with my granddaughter to add some color behind the chairs. In case you were curious, I’ve got that project coming up as a craft post for July.
Every year I’ve had the chairs in front of the sliding glass door. Since I put the chairs in the corner I a place to put a few more decorative planters on the concrete. The coffee one is an old mug & plate stand, the watering can was my grandmothers, and I picked up the little wire bench on sale at a drugstore of all places. I made a bird bath out of a large vase and a bowl but I accidentally cracked it so I’m going to wrap something around it to stabilize it. I’ll get a better picture after I do that. I also haven’t quite finished with the two plants on the far left. One is going to go live with my granddaughter after we decorate the pot it’s in, and the other one is going to have a new pot once I find one I like.
These last two are pictures I wasn’t going to use but I took them and so here they are! I’ve still got a few more things I want to do with this year’s patio garden so I’ll have a few new things to share next time, as well as an update that I’m planning for August.