When Rami and I moved into our home, we had no idea what we wanted to do with our outdoor space. We had a patio that had been neglected for over two years and, as a result, it was full of overgrown and unkept plants. You know, that as a millennial, gardening does not come naturally to me, so I decided to ignore it for as long as I could. And then, the pandemic hit. All of a sudden home projects and patio makeovers became the rage and I too, jumped on the bandwagon! However, we did not have a huge budget for our patio, so I looked for the most cost effective ways to vamp up my outdoor space, without breaking the bank. I think I did a good job, considering what was once a daunting task, blossomed into a charming patio of my dreams! Here are my tips on how vamp up your outdoor space on a budget.
Work With What You Have
The first thing I did was cut back the plants and clean up the flower beds. Honestly, the difference was night and day! I wish I had taken pictures to document the before (bad blogger!), but I was too preoccupied with the clean up. Once I had trimmed all the plants and disposed of the ones that were dead, I knew exactly what I was working with. The only plants that survived were a beautiful Wisteria vine over the pergola, and two crepe myrtles.
Tip: It’s crucial to do the clean up first so you know exactly what you need to get. This way, you can be cost effective without over buying, and have a clear direction for bringing your vision to life.
Pick in Evergreen Plants
The number one priority for me, when buying plants, was to make sure that they were low maintenance and preferably something that flowered year round / were evergreen. When I visited Garden Center, the sales assistant recommended Radicans Gardenia as they are perfect for Texas weather. They grow as low border plants, flower for months at a time, thrive in sun and partial shade, and omit a lovely fragrance and most importantly are low maintenance. I was sold. I chose white flowers to line the border of my fence and they turned out perfect!
Tip: If you want a high end, professionally landscaped look, choose one flower color so when they are all planted together, they look uniform and abundant. I’ve noticed from hours of research Pinterest that, that is the way to go. When in doubt about what color to pick, I would advise to go with white as you can never go wrong with a classic color palette. Chances are, white will look good with your existing home exterior colors. It’s a no brainer!
Invest Classic Patio Furniture
When selecting outdoor furniture, my criteria was that it had to withstand the weather and it had to a be a classic set that would stand the test of time. I found this set at Ikea and it is one of the best investments that I made for my home. If this was my forever home, I would have gotten a more expensive set, however I was still pleasantly surprised with the quality of this one. I opted for the set with matching light grey cushions and have gotten so many compliments on it! Bear in mind, I do store the cushions indoors after I use them, I’ve realized this will make then last longer. If you don’t want to store them indoors, I would suggest getting a cover or a storage box. I’m linking a few more of my favorite outdoor furniture sets in this post. For accessories, I kept it simple with these tea light lanterns and string patio lights. Don’t forget the citronella candles, to keep the the mosquitos / bugs away — as they have been a life saver for me during Texas summers.
Tip: Select furniture and accessories (like this washable rug) that will stand the test of time!
