Easy Summer Garden Patio Ideas + Outdoor Summer Blog Hop

If you are looking for some Easy Summer Garden Patio Ideas then you are in the right place. 

I have shared all the photos from our recent garden makeover. There are lots of easy budget-friendly ideas to inspire you + an additional bonus On this Summer Outdoor Blog Hop

You will find heaps of inspiration to get your garden and outdoor spaces ready for the warmer months so get a coffee and enjoy all the ideas that I and the other ladies have shared.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which I think you may find useful – any purchases made via these links provides a small commission to me at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep the blog up and running.

Last year I enjoyed taking part in The Great Outdoor Experience Blog Hop so much that I have decided to team up with some of the ladies again to take part in this year’s Summer 2018 Outdoor Blog Hop.

There was soooo much inspiration and I really loved seeing all the different garden designs and styles that everyone was sharing on the blog hop.

Last year, I shared the transformation of our little backyard and showed you how we turned it into a beautiful modern, and functional outdoor patio area where we could sit and chill during the summer months.  You can read about this and see the before and after pictures here: Small Garden Patio Makeover

This year I wanted to show you how the planting has grown a bit and share some of my ideas about how to decorate a small garden patio on a budget.

Perennials

On one side of the garden, I didn’t have to do much this year apart from tidying it up.

In one of the raised flower beds, I have a big rhododendron bush, a couple of round Buxus bushes, and an apricot tree.

Time Saving Tip

Although if you saw my Instagram feed you will have seen that I was a bit miffed that I forgot to put a sheet down to collect the leaves before clipping my Buxus bushes.  Big mistake!  I hate having to clear up the clippings!

So if you don’t do it already, I would really recommend that you do it from now on because it saves you LOADS of time.

To cover the ground I have various types of grass and some Laucheana Armeria (the grass-like clumps with bright pink flowers).

I have also planted a clematis, which I had for mother’s day, next to the wood store but I am afraid that it’s probably not the best spot because it is too close to the conifers.  But me being me planted it there anyway because I thought it would look nice there.  It’s early days but I’ll let you know if it actually survives and thrives.

Bedding Plants

When it comes to choosing bedding plants I often return to my old favourites every year simply because I know as long as I keep deadheading them they will continue to bloom the whole summer long.

Last year on one side of the garden I filled the raised garden bed with red and white impatiens (in Dutch vleitig liesjes).  I actually planted them in a bed that sits in the shade of a conifer hedge and I was amazingly surprised as to how well they did.  The small plant plugs that I planted grew and spread out to completely cover the bed and the blooms lasted the whole summer long.

This year when I went to buy my bedding plants I couldn’t find them so I went with mixed calibrachoa (mini petunias or million bells) in purple, pink, and white.

I also added some white Sutera Cordata (snowflake or snowtopia white) and Sweet Alyssum.

I was a bit late this year and have only just planted them, so they haven’t had a chance to grow yet, but I will post another photo here once the bed has filled out a bit.

Hanging Baskets

Because our garden is totally paved with grey slabs, I like to use bright flashes of pink to brighten the place up.  I have also carried this through to the hanging baskets which are filled with bright pink petunias.  I really love petunias as they make a great impact and as long as you keep deadheading the fading flowers then they also keep on going right through the summer.

Garden Seating

I mentioned in last year’s blog hop about needing a new lounge set.

We threw the other broken one out because it was dangerous but have still not gotten around to replacing it.

So for now, we just have the dining table set and my big black garden chair which I love.  With lots of bright cushions (that I found in good old Action – a Dutch home discount store) and a spot in the shade, it is my favourite place to while away a few hours and read my book.

Garden Patio Decor Accents

I pride myself on being thrifty and like to scour the junk and thrift shops for bargain finds and add recycle or upcycle the stuff I already have.

These concrete stone look planters caught my eye straight away and I snapped them up for €3 for the pair.

I love the contrast of the bright pink Fuschia flowers against the grey concrete.

I like to incorporate lots of pots and baskets to soften the hardness of the slabs and raised beds.

My garden seems to be following a bit of a romantic theme as I collect more of the rustic-looking willow hearts that I have got dotted around the place.  I come across them every time I go to the Kringloop (thrift shop) and because they only cost a few cents they very often end up coming home with me (if you can not find them in the thrift store you can also buy similar hearts and wreaths here: Grapevine Heart + Willow Wreath)

Garden Patio Lighting

I love the garden at night when it is all lit up!

In the flower beds, I have crackled glass orb solar lights, these can change colour but I prefer the white light setting (although my other half likes the coloured lights and keeps switching them – grrr!)

On the fence, we have 3 really easy-to-mount solar-powered lights with crackled glass globes (these are very similar – Crackled Glass Ball Lights).

We have a string of coloured lights again on the shed (my other half again – although I must admit they do look pretty!)

And last but not least candles – lots of them!

Now that you have had a good look around my little garden make sure that you carry on and hop over to the next blog on this Summer Blog Hop.  With so many gorgeous garden patio ideas you’re in for a treat!

Click on the links below:

Summer Outdoor Blog Hop

Mommacan    Semigloss Design    The Project Pile    JenRon Designs

A Happy Home in Holland    House By The Bay Design    Eclectic Twist

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