Temporary solution for patio that is "in between" updates?
Hey all! I actually originally made a post to the container gardening forum because I thought container gardening might be my only solution here, but now I'm wondering if I need to broaden my horizons a bit.
I have an unusual area of my patio that is in a half finished state, and won't be finished until some time next year. I'd still like to have my outdoor area feel cozy and beautiful, but I'm at a loss as to how to put lipstick on this particular pig :)
Basically we have a retaining wall that is "floating" on the edge of some unshaded concrete, with unfinished end caps. Eventually the plan is to build supports on either side of this wall and put a pergola over the uncovered pavement so we have a larger protected area for relaxing. Right now there are bare gravel "gaps" that I stuck a couple of planters onto to mask them. There is also a lot of empty space between the seating area and the wall, since there is no shade.
Today I spent some time doing a little cleaning up, filled the planters, added some shepherds hooks with more hanging flowers, and put a rug under the seating area. It is an improvement but it still just doesn't feel right to me.
I don't suppose anyone here can offer some advice as to how I can tie these two areas together a bit better? Or at least make the wall appear more purposeful? I'm at a loss!
Comments (10)
Leland Lehman
6 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (2)The suggestion to go to the landscape design forum is a good one. The folks there may or may not be tactful in their suggestions, but you will probably learn quite a bit. Start by doing a search for dog and dogs and earlier threads may pop up as I know landscaping for dogs has been discussed in the past. Here a few thoughts that occurred to me after looking at your photos and reading your post. - Whatever you plant will need time to get established before the dogs can have access, so you may want to put up a wire fence between the dogs and the hedge. You might even want to keep the wire fence as a hedge alone won't keep a determined dog in. - I'm not sure if you want to have plants inside your picket fence or not. Some dogs like to run along a fence as people and other animals travel along the sidewalk, and if your dogs do that, you won't be able to plant along the inside of the fence. If you want plants along the fence you will need to move the fence in and plant on the outside. - Where you want your dining patio is on the side with the garage? If so, I think that you will have a quite difficult time establishing plants growing along that property line as there are already well-established trees, so I would go for the option of the opaque tall fence to protect your privacy on that side with the parking lot. I'm not sure if you own only the lower level or if you own some of the upper level, but if the fence is on the lower level, you won't get as much shelter from the parking lot....See MoreNeed creative solution for outdoor space
Comments (20)Hi goldendoodle! I've seen some really cute lighting ideas for outdoor spaces on Pinterest. One clever pin showed heavy duty poles planted in buckets of concrete. When dry the bucket is cut away and the concrete bases can be painted or stained. Then you can string lights between 2 poles. I like that they're moveable and not permanently installed. This application is rustic but you could change that to a different style by using other materials. For temporary shade I agree with umbrellas but you should also get some trees planted. My favorite midsize trees are crepe myrtles but I'm not sure if they are appropriate for your part of the country.. good luck and enjoy your summer! PS - your name implies there's a goldendoodle in your life! I'd love to see and hear about him/her! Such adorable dogs....See MoreDistance between house and covered patio to allow sunlight into room
Comments (23)Bobblade 4862, sounds like a good plan and I considered the same briefly. For us, a motorized awning doesn’t work for miltiple reasons — we need more height than our fascia height provides, we will ultimately be screening in as our Florida location is miserable at night without bug protection, and we also desire a full cover to enjoy the space even in the rain, and heat levels almost require the fan placement. Motorized louvered pergolas, however, are attractive, even if they may not give the height, but i am pretty sure we would have to cage around that structure (over and around) rather than enclose it, which means duplicated structural cost and i think motorized louvered pergolas would be at least $25k on their own (if i am wrong, readers correct me please!)...See MoreTemporary solution ideas needed for patio
Comments (0)Hi everyone! I have a raised brick patio (around 10' of ground built up under it) that is at least a century old, if not almost 2 like the house. Over the years between the ground settling and use, etc. the bricks have gotten very uneven or displaced so it's not easy to walk on and very difficult to put furniture on. Within 3-4 years we will be ripping it out to put an extension on the house, but for now it would be great to find a low-cost, low-effort way to make it more usable. I would like to get a more level surface to put a patio set out there. My initial idea was to put down a pea gravel base to even it all out and then float deck tiles over most of that. I'm not sure if that would shift or move around a lot thought, so I would love to hear if there are any other ideas to accomplish this. Given the short lifespan we really want to keep it simple and cheap, but would appreciate any thoughts! Thanks in advance!...See More- PRO
Bag of Bees
6 years ago 
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoYou’re so welcome! :)
Funny about the bistro set, I did one like that and forgot to post it. I like it! (Sorry, scale is a bit off.)
l pinkmountain
6 years ago- PRO
Bag of Bees
6 years agoI think this might be about all I can do this year but I think it’s a huge improvement from where I started! I really wanted to find a more structural plant to put along the wall but I went to three different garden centers and nothing jumped out at me. Ended up doing three small planters with daisies and trailing sedum instead. The existing pots got reshuffled to the edges of the wall, which helps mask the unfinished ends I think. I added a couple of chairs and a small table as well. :)
Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions!
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6 years ago
PROFlo Mangan
6 years ago- PRO
Flo Mangan
6 years ago 
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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