Ideas for Patio Gardens

Try a taste of Provence
Create an outdoor living area for the summer months.
A fragrant lavender garden sets the French theme for this relaxed seating area set away from the house in a shady spot.
Mismatched painted furniture gives a shabby chic look, with a rustic wooden bench and old wicker chair as the focal point. Faded floral and toile cushions pull the whole scheme together, that’s reminisent of classic French style.

Make your own canopy
Enjoy lingering lunches on the terrace whatever the temperature.
Find shelter on sunny days with a simple home-made canopy providing shade over the dining area.
Attach a length of string to the hem of a plain linen tablecloth or length of calico and attach to four long lengths of bamboo to suspend it over your dining table.

Pretty up a courtyard
Use colour to bring an outdoor space to life.
Even if you have a small plot with not much natural greenery, you can create the look of a colourful garden with flower-filled pots and planters. Use a variety of containers, from buckets and pails to tubs and troughs to add character.
Go for a folding metal bistro set that takes up little space and is easy to put away. Add extra colour by painting French doors in a pretty shade of lavender blue.

Go for urban style
Update your patio with smart all-weather woven furniture.
Zone your space with defined areas for eating and relaxing. Position dining table and chairs close to the house so you can carry dishes in and out easily, with the barbecue set up close-by but downwind of the house.
Create an area for relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of the house, with sofa and armchairs anchored around a low-level coffee table. A parasol can be repositioned to provide shade as the sun moves around the garden.

Find a secluded spot
Escape from it all with your very own secret garden.
Choose a tranquil spot away from the main garden where you can create a hideaway. An ironwork arbour acts as a focalpoint to draw the eye in, while plants and shrubs help to enclose the area and give the feeling of seclusion.
Don’t overcrowd the space with furniture, just one or two old wrought-iron benches should be plenty.

Go for coastal style
Create a bright family-friendly outdoor plot with a fun nautical-theme.
It’s an easy look to achieve, simply start with whitewashed walls and ship’s style decking and the scene is almost set.
Add white painted garden furniture and introduce colour with nautical red, white and blue accessories, from seat cushions and parasols to tableware and planters. You can even look for hot tubs and spas to complete the coastal look right now.

Keep it natural
Create a secluded spot away from it all.
If you prefer an informal garden with a natural habitat, take the same approach when it comes to your patio. Natural materials like wood and wicker are easy on the eye and will blend with your surroundings rather than competing with them.
Go for a sunbleached wooden deck and timber-clad walls, teamed with an all-weather armchair in an open weave and a simple, unfussy design.

Make it modern
Find room for an outdoor eating area in the tightest of spaces.
If you’ve only got a small-scale plot to deal with, try not to overcrowd the space with too much garden furniture — go for a compact dining set with a circular table.
Slate bricks makes a striking feature wall, with surrounding walls whitewashed and decking kept pale to keep the space light and airy.

Perk up a plain patio
Bring some cheer to a small patio with just a few key buys.
Even if you’re faced with bare brick walls and paving, it needn’t cost a fortune. Start with a basic wooden bench — if yours is looking shabby, try revamping it with a fresh coat of outdoor paint — then pretty it up with a couple of floral cushions.
Make up for a lack of natural greenery with your own container garden. Fill a couple of large ceramic planters with flowering hydrangeas for colour, brighten up window sills with herbs grown in window boxes and then fill in any bare wall space with a couple of hanging baskets.

Party on with tropical brights
Entertaining outdoors? Why not give your garden a colourful update.
Bring your patio to life for summer parties with a zingy, tropical-themed colour scheme. Regular hardwood garden furniture can be dressed up in an instant with a vibrant tablecloth and bright seat cushions.
Layer up your tabletop with plates, bowls, jugs and glasses in shades of tropical lime, orange, fuchsia and azure blue. And for a special touch, make your own crepe paper flowers to tie onto chair backs.