Cedar
Patio Furniture
Cedar Patio Furniture: Backyard Makeover
By
Ivallage.com
This backyard had a lovely lawn, but the homeowners (my friends)
felt that overall it lacked charm and character. "It's just
boring," said my friends. "The kids play out there, but
we never invite guests. The garage wall is chipped, the plants are
struggling, and we have no place to entertain." With the  challenge
on the table I sat down to design the yard. I wanted to add color,
create a fun atmosphere and define spaces for parties, play and
hanging out every day. Coming up: a yard they would be proud of!
Many people have a plain garage wall serving as the side of their
yard, as did my homeowners here. A wall can actually be a wonderful
canvas upon which to style. Any wall looks more inviting when it
has an entryway, even if it's false as it is with this trompe l'oeil
entrance (the technical term for faux architecture). Finish off
your entrance with a front stoop made simply by laying used bricks
over gravel in a basket weave pattern.
Search the garage, basement and flea markets for shutters and doors
to create your trompe l'oeil entrance. I found this old mirrored
door at a salvage yard. The shutters were hidden in the homeowner's
basement. If the wall doesn't have a window, hang up an old one,
paint a ragged technique over the panes so that it looks aged and
no one will ever know that it's not real. Hang shutters and doors
using molly bolts and a power drill.
This yard lacked even the most basic space required for entertaining.
To define this outdoor "room," I looked both to the ground
and the sky: I created a quick mortarless patio underfoot and then
put up a canvas pergola overhead to provide shade and define the
entertaining space. To create the patio, I removed the grass and
put down a layer of gravel. I then dusted off a bunch of old brick
that was lying in a corner of the yard and nestled it in.
To create the canvas pergola you'll need to sink four posts at
the corners of your patio, anchoring them either in concrete or
in post stakes with additional anchor stakes. Then stretch rope
between the posts to form an X. Lay a canvas over the rope, tie
it to the top of the posts and then down to the anchor posts. I
used a painter's cloth painted yellow to create a sunny "sky"
and to help pick up the color scheme of the garage wall.
To create this simple patio, I used enough gravel (regular or pea)
to lay a two- to three-inch base and fill in the cracks between
the bricks. Here's how to create your own instant patio:
- Mark off your patio area and dig up the grass, removing any
large rocks and roots.
- Spread a layer of gravel about two to three inches thick as
a base to completely cover the area.
- Lay the bricks in a basket weave pattern of perpendicular pairs.
- Spread more gravel between the bricks to fill in the gaps and
create a flat, even surface.
I wanted this garden to have a feel of the south of France, so
I filled it with tones of blue, yellow and white. Just like they
used to line the kids up by height at school, you want to put taller
plants in the back of the bed and work your way forward as they
get shorter. My annual-perennial mix included:
- Clematis: A climbing vine with abundant, decorative flowers
to clothe a wall, trellis, arbor or pergola.
- Calendula: Its bright yellow and orange blossoms flower long
throughout the season.
- Delphinium "Magic Fountain": A perennial favorite
with large stalks filled with small purple flowers.
- Alyssum: A favorite among annuals and perfect for ground cover
with its mounds of tiny fragrant flowers.
Other plants I used were:
- Happy Returns Daylily: An easy-to-grow perennial with large
yellow flowers.
First Love Gardenia: Larger than any other gardenia, this beautiful
blossom has incredible double blooms.
- Silvery Sunproof Lilyturf: Its variegated foliage and spikes
of soft lilac flowers are great for borders.
- Royal Cape Plumbago: Thriving in Zones 9 through 11, huge clusters
of vivid blue flowers cover this shrub most of the year.
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