We had a pergola built over our existing Trex deck that has made it more usable during the sunniest part of the day. It replaced an old awning that had served its purpose but when it came time to replace it we bit the bullet and spent the dollars.
The Trex deck is over 10 years old and still looks great. It isn’t slippery when wet and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.
The furniture we like and bought a few years ago is Yardbird.
The pergola is from Azenco.
As for potted plants I like plants that attract hummingbirds. We haven’t bought this year’s yet…waiting for warmer evenings in our area.
Has still been too cold to do much outside. S gave me a hummingbird feeder for my birthday - looking forward to getting that set up and hopefully seeing some birds this year!
We replaced the windows on the sunporch this spring and added a new piece of furniture as a drop zone. We’ve been using the sunporch for the past month. This weekend we are planning on putting out the outdoor patio furniture and setting up our fountain. Still probably three weeks away before I can start adding annuals.
On a whim I got a red hummingbird feeder at target for $10. I have not had one in years. In a few days it started attracting a black-chinned hummingbird. Also, I read not to get the ones with yellow as they attract bees.
I used the free app from the Cornell Lab Merlin to ID the chirp sound. When we take walks I use it to ID the bird sounds. It’s really fun and has upped my ID of birds which started at just about zero.
Last year we had a new covers made for our outdoor seating group. The blue fabric I picked matched my Costco patio umbrellas. (The original fabric was a taupe) I picked up a few weeks ago at Costco several chaise lounge cushions in the same Sunbrella fabric. The area looks so nice with the blue.
Any ideas as to how to spruce up an outdoor sectional that has been ruined by a dog. My daughter has a sectional that was at one time an off white color. Her dog has pawed through several of the covers plus it’s beyond cleaning. At this point the only one sitting on it is the dog.
I love a good egg chair - especially the hanging ones. Personally I would use one in an outdoor space if there was some type of covering - an awning, a covered porch, a really thickly covered gazebo, trellised archway. Unless you’re in an area where it’s quite dry and little rain, I think this out in the elements of rain, sun, wind, etc. - might take a bit of a beating - or just not last years and years! But absolutely love the look!
Our entire outdoor space was updated! All 1700 sft of deck. New frameless glass railings are amazing… one benefit we never thought about is that birds don’t sit on them… so no bird crap. And also no wasps making nests inside the railing frames.
I can’t speak for @BunsenBurner but we also have frameless glass railings and they’re easy to keep clean. I hose them down and do and do some minor wiping in a few places once or twice a year and let them air dry.
Today I bought two big, deep 20inch hanging baskets that I’ll hopefully put two ferns I buy from Costco in tomorrow. The Home Depot lady said she didn’t even know they carried as big as 20inches!
They can’t be used without cushions. One is ripped but they all need replacements. She is going to contact the guy who did mine to get a price. She said this time they will use the covers. She might find it less expensive to just buy a new set.
Your post on updating outdoor spaces totally caught my eye! I’m all about making the most of my outdoor hangout spot, so I’m always on the lookout for fresh ideas. Adding some cozy seating, maybe a hammock or some string lights, can totally transform a bland space into an oasis.
New frameless glass railings are amazing… one benefit we never thought about is that birds don’t sit on them… so no bird crap. And also no wasps making nests inside the railing frames.