People flock to Cape Cod in the summer for a getaway experience, enjoying the beaches, ponds, wild spaces and towns. Those who are fortunate to live on Cape all year not only have access to these same attractions, but also to garden getaways in their own backyards. In the month of August this blog will explore ways to improve your staycation experiences with yard and garden tweaks that will keep you smiling, even as the roads and restaurants are filled with summer visitors.
Use furniture and plants in pots to create outdoor rooms.
One of the fastest ways to create a new area for yourself and guests is with seating areas. Placing a bench and some potted plants in a previously unused area is one way to expand outdoor living areas. Small trees can be grown in containers for several years, and shrubs can be transplanted from smaller pots into larger, winter-proof containers to create a garden right on top of hardscape.
Comfortable furniture will be useful on a porch or patio whether you are entertaining or taking advantage of a shady spot to read or sip an iced tea.
Use pretty glazed pots to add color to bare or shady areas.
If there’s a spot where plants have dried up, or finished their early-summer flowering, add color to those areas with ceramic pots. These can be filled with fresh, blooming annuals, grasses, or flowering shrubs.
A fire pit creates instant spaces for gathering.
Fire pits that stand above the ground can be placed in a lawn, on a patio, or even on part of a driveway. Circle the fire pit with chairs, and you’ve got an instant #gardengetaway location. Be sure to have marshmallows and sticks for roasting available, and a hose or bucket of water nearby for putting out the fire when you’re ready to go inside.
Use tubs or flower pots to hold ice and beverages.
There are several metal and plastic containers throughout the garden center that can be used to hold ice and beverages when you entertain. This is just one example. From contemporary styles to rustic and rural, there is an attractive container that’s right for your outdoor entertaining areas.
Define a space with archways and privacy plantings.
You can create an instantly private area with some lattice work and attractive shrubs. Grow a clematis or other vine on the lattice for softening without hindering air flow. Such screening can create a private space on the side of the house, turning an area that was once just a corridor into an outdoor room.
Will you have a walk and talk or zoom on annuals for late summer to replant in pots?
The Walk and Talk on August 11th will cover this.