Garden Patios

noreply@blogger.com (S Peterson) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:52:00 +0000

The Internet's Best Source of Information on Garden Patios! If you are looking to make a beautiful garden patio, you have come to the right place.

One of the first concerns of course will be making sure your garden is not environmentally dangerous, including not using harmful pesticides, using natural compost and much for planting and avoiding toxic potting soils. If you live in an area where people have pets, you'll also want to take steps to avoid having plants that are toxic to them.

First, we'll discuss how to prevent harmful pesticides and still keep your plants pest free on your patio. When you begin preparing your garden, look for plants that naturally repel pests (a good list of these can be found in various places on the internet) which may include onion, garlic, and chives which repel mites. Nasturtiums and marigolds which make great 'patio plants' are also known to repel whitefly's while pennyroyal, spearmint, southernwood, and tansy plans will repel ants, a problem no matter where you live!

Other environmentally correct ideas for your garden would include creating a compost pile for the purpose of fertilizing your patio garden. For instance, food waste while it can be a source of methane in dumps is perfect to start your composting pile. Most compost piles would take on average 12 - 24 months before you are able to actually start using them for fertilizer, however including worms (red wigglers preferably) or adding other non-toxic materials can help move the process along.

The next step you will want to take is determining what type of potting arrangements you want to have. While some of this will be determined by space, an attractive patio garden can be designed by using various sizes and shapes of containers, while adding to the overall appearance of your garden.

Pots may be varied in size from very large oversized pots to smaller 'teacup' sized pots and should be of a variety of colors. This will keep your outdoor garden looking bright and fresh year round. You can also use pots upside down as a mount for other sized pots, adding depth to your patio garden. This will allow you to create extra depth in your display as well as add additional color.

If you have any type of rails on your patio, look for garden boxes that are self watering and will help maintain your plants in beautiful form without a lot of extra care from you. Keep the overall theme of your garden in mind when selecting boxes for rails, you want to keep the colors and textures of your containers as varied as the plants that you are putting in them.

Using Ivy plants can help fill in the rungs in the corners of your patio, fill in 'open space' via hanging pots and create a warm and welcoming blanket of color for your guests as you relax and enjoy the outdoors on a warm spring or cool fall evening. Ivy comes in a variety of types including plain leaf, variegated leaf and those with berries. Be sure to determine exactly what effect you are trying to create when selecting ivy as each of them grows slightly differently and you may get some unexpected results! Ivy can grow quickly out of control so you will want to keep monitoring the process to achieve the results you are looking for.

Mixing up colors and types of plants will ensure that you have colorful blooms year round. Mixtures of greens can enhance the beauty of your overall gardening techniques and use of various textured plans and flowers will add to the overall ambience of your garden. Proper use of planters', stands and color will make your garden a showpiece.

Hanging plants are a wonderful way to decorate your patio, and can be plain greens or brightly colored flowers. Again, take a look at the potting arrangements and you're sure to find colors and shapes that will complement your perfect garden arrangement.

The violet is a very sturdy plant that when mixed in with ivy that is growing upwards on your patio, they provide color and variety. They are available as annuals, or as perennials and have beautiful heart shaped leaves. They are from the viola family which also includes the common pansy (which is very colorful, easy to grow and can be used in boxes, pots or as a bedding plant. The Common Blue Violet Viola sororia is the state flower of Rhode Island, Illinois, and New Jersey. They have the added benefits of attracting certain moths which can be delightful to watch in the evening, the leaves (and flowers) may be used for certain foods as well. The violet is a very versatile plant and can offer not only beauty but the ability to use parts of the plant in food and teas making this plant very environmentally friendly. Keep in mind that the pansy is part of this family, and are available in a wide variety of solid and mixed colors.

Petunias are another plant that will make a wonderful addition to your patio garden. These bright and beautiful flowers require full sunlight however they are a sturdy plant that do not need a lot of attention to grow. Pinching off the dead flowers allows them to re-grow in the pot you are using. These are a great addition to any patio garden as they take up little space and they provide beauty for several weeks at a time. The greens that are part of this plant often far outlive the flowers and will continue to provide a nice covering well into early fall. In warmer climates, petunias are perennials.

With beautiful flowers each year, catnip is another wonderful addition to your patio garden. These plants have sturdy stems with opposite heart-shaped, green to grayish-green leaves. The flowers may be white, blue, pink, or lilac and occur in several clusters toward the tip of the stems offering you the ability to plant several different colors in various pots all over your patio.

Bathroom Gardens: Ivy looks great in bathrooms and it thrives in a moist environment. You certainly don't have to worry about your steam shower doing any damage to it! Green plants and colowerful flowers do wonders to mask old toilets and bathtubs, and they can help with smells, too.

Growing on your patio need not be limited to flowers. There are many vegetables which are suitable for growing in pots, depending on the availability of space on your patio. If you have space for large spots (in sunny areas) you can consider certain varieties of potatoes, tomatoes or even winter squash; medium sized pots will easily be home to such vegetables as cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and even certain variety of watermelon, or if you can only consider smaller pots, you can still grow lettuce and beets in containers as small as 3 gallons while carrots, shallots and other smaller varieties may be grown in containers as small as 1-2 gallons.

Recommendations for vegetables are beets which can be grown in a two gallon container and thin the plants out to approximately one every three inches; you can grow cabbage in a one gallon container (one plant per bucket please); two cucumber plants will do well in a one gallon bucket, while up to six lettuce plants will do equally as well in that same space. Tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, and a wide variety of herbs can also be grown in containers on your patio. Again, continue to focus on texture and color as you plan your garden layout. By doing this you will be able to offer a visually appealing garden and have it be functional as well.

Staggering pot sizes, plant sizes and colors can enhance the beauty of your patio garden. An overturned pot makes a great stand for another pot, or you can purchase staggered plant shelves. Using various color pots and other containers also adds to the beauty of your patio garden. A wooden wagon, a child's wagon, other similar items can be used to create a backdrop for plants that hang down. Don't forget to think about hanging plants as well. Many hardy varieties that are suitable for your patio are available in your local garden centers and enhance the beauty of your patio garden.
There is no reason that a patio garden cannot handle most plants that a regular yard garden can handle, you are limited only by your space and your imagination.

Create the look you want by mixing variegated leafy plants (such as coleus) along with flowering plants and you will have a beautiful background on your patio. Staggering the plants this way also will allow for easy watering and care of plants. Be certain to keep plants pruned and well cared for, remembering that just like your yard your patio may be the first thing that people see when they visit your home and your patio garden will welcome visitors. Be sure to consider the variety of textures in your plants as well as colors and size. This allows you to enhance the space you have and make it seem more expansive than it is.

Use of furniture for stands for your pots can also add charm to your garden. You can use chairs, ladders, wrought iron stands, and a variety of other items on your patio to hold your containers. Doing so creates not only depth for your garden, but also creates height and allows you to include a larger variety of plants, vegetables and flowers in your garden.

Coleus can be grown from seeds or cuttings, and typically will grow anywhere from 0.5 to 1m high. They prefer well drained soil – one of the cautions to use when placing coleus is that while they do not necessarily do well in full beating sun, they do not do well in full shade either. They do however make a great patio plant as they tend to do well in indirect sunlight and are perfect to add color. Some coleus can grow as large as 2 m in height. Some coleus flower, though since the coleus plant does tend to be ornamental, they are not typically known for their flowers. Coleus do have to be monitored and closely pruned or they can become quite leggy (and quite unattractive) as the plants mature. You can create new plants simply by cutting a few leaves and placing in water to root. These plants can then be replanted in boxes, pots, or other containers.

You may also want to consider some 'water' plants when you are creating your garden. Water container gardening is the use of plants that grow well entirely in water with no soil at all. Some plants that are suitable for water gardening include lily's, hornworts, cat-tails, elephant ears, some ferns and water hyacinths. Be certain that if you decide to use a water garden effect that you have the proper care cycle as otherwise they could attract insects to your patio. Snails can help control algae, and a small pump can help keep the water flowing in your water garden. Some people may not think this is suitable for use on a patio, however, there are many oversized containers (including old sinks and bathtubs) that would make wonderful backdrops for this type of a garden on your patio (again this depends on the size of your patio as well).

When you begin creating your garden, consider the size of the area you will be working with, how much sun the area will get as well as how easy it will be to care for. With careful planning, your patio garden can be the showplace of your home if you give it proper consideration and planning. Combining plants of a variety of colors, shapes, depth and size will allow you to have your patio garden be the showpiece of your home!

Consider items such as wooden wagons when putting together your patio garden. These add height and depth to your patio garden by elevating certain plants that you choose. Wooden wagons come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors and can be used to create a variety of looks. For instance, this wagon would lend itself to a group of bedding plants in the inside, small potted plants in the center and larger plants on the top shelf. This particular design also lends itself well to creeping plants as there are plenty of 'bony' parts that would cover up nicely with an ivy or similar creeping plant. This type of a planter could also be a centerpiece of your patio garden, by offering a real showpiece for your gardening talents.

There are a variety of plant stands that are more than suitable for outdoor use and allow you to mix and match plant types in a small display area. Whether you select a more traditionally grouping, animal shapes, tall shapes, your individual and unique style can come through in your plant display. A mix of green leafy plants and brightly flowering plants can provide a display that your neighbors will envy!

You may want to consider pre-planning either by laying your patio garden out on paper or even consider laying it out on your computer. By creating a visual display of what the final garden will look like, you will be able to determine if you want to make changes before you put your final garden together.

Regardless of what you finally decide to include in your patio garden, have fun putting it together and most of all take time to enjoy the garden once it is complete!