When it comes to outdoor entertaining, making sure your space is ready is critical for enjoying summer – from its “unofficial” start over Memorial Day weekend all the way through Labor Day.
Lowe’s recently partnered with Julia Engel, lifestyle influencer of Gal Meets Glam, to style her new Charleston porch with affordable, effortlessly chic accents so it’s ready to welcome family and friends. The result is a cool, refreshing space to entertain and show off her home’s curb appeal.
If you’re getting ready to celebrate the weekend like Engel, follow these simple tips to turn your backyard or patio into the perfect, affordable, outdoor oasis you can enjoy every beautiful day of summer.
Get the furniture right
Finding the right furniture for your outdoor space can be tricky. Striking the right balance of ample seating while not overwhelming a space is key. Engel opted for a table that was big enough for four, but not so big that she didn’t have space for other entertaining items, like a bar cart and bench with plenty of potted plants. If you’re having trouble piecing together a patio look, Lowe’s has plenty of patio set options to choose from, including three-piece and five-piece sets, as well as trendy daybeds, conversation sets and more.
Choose your landscaping
Landscaping is crucial for upgrading your outdoor space as it brings a necessary curb appeal or “wow” factor to your patio or backyard. Most people have a lot of work to do in their backyard to make it their own space that they can enjoy for many years to come. Hiring a contractor to help you with your garden designs may help to get what you’re envisioning in your head out into the world. Some people may also have to bring in other professionals such as Certified Sacramento Tree Service Experts in order to get rid of trees that could not only be a danger to the property but may be damaged or overgrown in the backyard. In Engel’s front porch, she added boxwoods in varying shapes, sizes and placement patterns. For added interest, she included variegated pittosporums spaced between the boxwoods for some leaf color, and agapanthus for their lovely blue flowers in early summer. These plants all love well-drained soil and bright full-sun exposure. In the more shaded areas, Engel planted pink hydrangeas, acanthus and African iris, all lending foliage and flowers to the garden. If you’re not sure what to plant in your outdoor space, live nursery specialists are available at your local Lowe’s to help you get started.
Select the right containers
A container garden is an easy landscaping solution that can be transported place to place, and is completely customizable. On Engel’s porch she used a variety of pots to include some more seasonal plants that can be changed out through the seasons, but anchored most of the pots with at least one evergreen so she wasn’t tied to re-potting every time the seasons change. When the tree-form hydrangeas flanking her front door in square planters are done with their spring and summer bloom, Engel plans to transplant them out into the garden for their permanent home – that’s the beauty and ease of container gardening!
Bring the outdoors, indoors
For the outdoor dining portion of Engel’s patio, she wanted a natural transition from inside the home, so she added details like an outdoor rug and outdoor lighting, plus some more homey accents like a table lamp to style her bar cart, bringing indoor elegance to her outdoor entertaining space. By giving your outdoor space a cozy touch of home, it will quickly become your favorite spot to relax in the morning with coffee, or with a glass of wine at the end of the day.
This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.