Summer Party? Quick Fixes and Garden Improvements

If you are having an outdoor gathering this summer, you’ll want the area to look its best. Chances are your goal is to spruce things up without much upheaval in the landscape, or spending too much time working in the hot sun as well. So here are some tips for creating order, improving gardens and fixing problems in the yard, patio or deck.

1. Weeds!  If the front of your beds are filled with weeds, use a tool and some mulch to quickly neaten the area. A hoe can cut off small weeds, or you might use a string trimmer or mower to trim down large ones. (Note: be careful that your trimmer doesn’t get too close to the stems of perennials or the trunks of shrubs and trees.) Once the weeds are cut down, cover them and the front of the beds with two or three inches of bark mulch. No, it’s not a permanent solution and perennial weeds will regrow from the roots, but it will make the area look better for your event and can discourage the weeds until you have time for a more long-lasting solution such as planting ground cover.
2. Dead Plants! If there is a shrub that has died or is in the process of declining, cut it off at ground level and pretend it was never there. Mulch over the old trunk and stick a large pot or ornament in that area if it seems too empty. You can deal with digging out the roots and replanting another shrub later. In fact, if you know what shrub you want to ultimately plant, get one and place the plastic pot in a larger, attractive ceramic container and place that on top of the mulch. After the event is over, dig out the old roots and place your new shrub in that spot. Dead perennials can be dealt with in a similar manner.
3. Stumps! You say a tree came down and you haven’t gotten around to getting the stump removed? Either turn it into a stand for a sculpture, large bird house or container, or place a piece of furniture in front of it. Furniture “stops the eye” so people will look at the chair or bench instead of the stump.
4. Bare Spaces! Maybe you have a bed where nothing has been planted, or where the deck isn’t very attractive. Groups of containers are perfect for making such areas seem purposeful and colorful. Use pots of various sizes and fill them with assorted plants in a variety of heights, colors and textures. (If you need assistance, call the store and ask to speak to our design specialist, Bridgette. She can help you choose plants and pots, or fill them for you and arrange for delivery.)
5. Create an Outdoor Room! Adding a weather-proof rug, such as one or more of the Mad Matts we carry, and placing furniture around it, will create an instant outdoor living area. Other accents such as containers, wall planters or other decor can instantly make a patio, deck or gazebo more inviting.
   

   The Mad Matts rugs are weatherproof and can be used on patios, decks and even at the end of a driveway to define an outdoor living area.

    

   

   Country Garden carries assorted outdoor accessories that make it easy to decorate your yard.

    

6. 

   A bench and a colorful pot fill this bare, gravel area.

    

   

   A colorful bench “stops the eye” when placed in front of problem areas. These are super comfortable as well! We have them in three different colors.

    

   

   A group of colorful plants can fill spaces that would otherwise seem unfinished or unattractive.

    

   

   Containers can be filled with assorted shrubs and perennials that can decorate in the short term and be planted into the landscape come fall. Two for one!

    

   

   Turn a stump into art or something that will make people laugh!

    

   

   Some outdoor furniture can be used to lift colorful planters so that they are more visible. Take the hanging hook off a hanging basket, for example, and place it on a plant stand or stool in the shade garden to provide instant color and a focal point.