Summer is fast approaching and the season of barbecues on the patio, cocktails by the pool and warm summery nights is almost here. As soon as the weather clears up and the temperature starts to rise, homeowners across Australia will be heading out onto their patios to soak in the glorious sunshine after a miserable winter.
Get prepared for the social season and prep the patio now!
Patios can look a little bare without plants and decorations. Impress your friends with a touch of green on the patio – a garden is perfect for creating a fun, social atmosphere while creating an uplifting and relaxed atmosphere.
Need some inspiration? Keep reading!
#1. Create a rustic patio garden with a climbing plant or vine
Image: Lazy Tries
Dreaming of spending summer afternoons sipping cold beverages in a Tuscan villa? Bring the warm, romantic Italian holiday to your patio with a climbing plant!
Think jasmine, wisteria, honeysuckle and climbing roses, or even a passion fruit plant that climbs and produces sweet, tropical fruit to add to a cocktail.
These plants require minimal care (just some light water once a week) and grow to be a luscious cascade of leaves, creating a sweet scent and providing extra privacy on your patio.
Climbing plants can grow to cover metres of space and, as an added bonus, you can trim them back when you need more sunlight on the patio. Adjustable, flexible, and sure to catch the eye of your guests.
Plus, climbing plants add a rustic atmosphere to the classic Aussie patio. With a wall of leaves and spring flowers, you’ll feel like you have a French winery in the backyard!
#2. Add lots of succulents and leafy plants to compliment fairy lights on the patio
Image: Style Me Pretty
Succulents are the perfect addition to a patio garden. These tough but beautiful plants require little care – in fact, most succulents and cacti can survive drought conditions and grow extra roots when the soil runs dry, making it easier to cultivate more succulents throughout the garden.
It’s best to soak them with a hose once a week, but succulents and cacti can go longer periods without being fed. No weeding, no concerns about who will feed the plants while you’re away – just carefree greenery for your patio garden.
Match your succulents with more leafy greens and climbing plants for a jungle-like atmosphere, then add fairy or twinkle lights for a bohemian look. Simple, atmospheric lighting solutions that can be picked up from your local Kmart or Bunnings.
Looking for more outdoor lighting ideas for your patio garden? Check out our guide to the best outdoor lighting solutions to brighten up your patio.
#3. Grow your own produce with potted fruits and veggies
Image: Homesthetics
A patio garden can do more than just look nice – it’s the perfect place to grow fruit, vegetables, and herbs!
There are countless varieties of fruits and veggies that can be grown at home. Small apple trees, currants bushes, blackberries, lime trees and strawberries are common choices for patio gardens – they look lovely, taste even better, and are happy to grow throughout the year from a planter. So long as your fruits and veggies have access to some sun, you should be able to grow fresh produce on your patio.
Strawberries thrive in large planters and hanging pots, so these berries are more than suitable for your patio. You can hang your strawberry hanging planter from patio beams, or add a hook to the edge of your opening roof system. You can control the amount of sunlight reaching your fruits, veggies and herbs without disturbing your plants.
#4. Add potted plants for extra flexibility in your patio garden
Image: Homes To Love
Love big, green gardens but can’t commit to keeping them planted in one place? Whether you’re a nomad, a renter, or just someone who likes to customise their garden with minimal effort involved, potted plants are the best solution for you.
Potted plants can be moved around the patio with ease, from the outdoor table setting to the ground, or even into the sunlight for extra growth.
Think succulents, cactuses, fushias, golden cane palms, ferns and blueberries. Some require more care than others (blueberries, for example, can be hard to keep alive for more than a week) but most are happy to be moved around the garden from time to time, depending on how you want to decorate your patio garden.
Renting an apartment or townhouse? Consider adding a fake wall plant to your outdoor setting! Bunning Warehouse sells these lush, plastic plants that can be removed at any time, meaning when the lease runs out, you can take your patio plants with you.
Image: Bunnings
Improving the look and feel of your patio is simple with these low-maintenance plant ideas
Plants can create a whole new atmosphere on your patio. A touch of green leaves and the sweet scent of flowers can improve the mood of the afternoon – plants have been proven to reduce stress!
Aside from the positive mood effects and the rustic look of a patio filled with plants, a garden can increase the privacy on your patio, leading to more freedom in the great outdoors.
Need more advice about decorating, cleaning, or caring for your patio? Contact the team at HV Aluminium!
