Deck and patio home project: doldrum patio to garden retreat

You walk out the door and overview the patio. No two ways about it - it's just plain and boring. The fence seems to loom far above the heads of the little flowers you planted in the bed, drawing your eye to splinters instead of splendors. And then there is that one bed directly in the hot afternoon sun. You've tried everything, and nothing will grow there. You sigh and walk back indoors. It would cost way too money to fix up such a loser of a patio.

Wrong.

1. Tackle the fence with paint and a stencil. There are some really popular designs: English ivy, grapevines, tall sunflowers. You don't have to be an artist to use a stencil. You just spray a little of the tacky adhesive made for stencils on the back of the plastic pattern. Then determine where you want your design and stick it there. Work with an almost dry stencil brush, remembering that a little paint goes a long way. Too much paint will run under the sides of the cutout and smear the design. As you stencil, use short quick strokes to fill in the area. Then gently remove the pattern and admire your work.

2. For that flower bed where plants don't grow, consider cement stepping stones instead of dirt. They come in squares that are 12", 18", and 24". You can measure and plan to fill in the bed completely with the squares, or you can opt to strategically locate a few cement stones with wood shavings around them. If you use the stepping stones to create a spot that is totally cement, be sure to place stones evenly. Work at leveling the dirt underneath to be sure that squares are the same height from the ground. Then fill the cracks with a commercial ready-mix cement powder. Work with the powder dry, filling cracks to a point level with the cement stepping stones. After you are sure that you have everything the way you want it, water the area thoroughly using a garden hose. Allow ready-mix cement to cure 48 hours before walking on the cement terrace you have created.

Now there are several options for usage. You can set stools or a bench there with potted plants strategically placed in the shade created by the patio furniture. Or you may decide you want plants on a baker's rack or other shelving that will create shade for the plants by the very nature of the shelving itself. You may also opt to place some potted plants there and move them back into the shade in the times when the region in which you live experiences a drought. Roses do really well in large pots and flourish in full sun as long as they are watered regularly. If you don't have money for patio furniture, barrels make cute seats or use large plastic cubes found in discount stores. Crating is a rustic look for tables.

3. Potting takes on new interest when unusual items are transformed into homes for flowers, bushes, and even small trees. Old paint buckets offer excellent possibilities, once they are thoroughly washed and aired. They are fun to spray paint to match your patio furniture or even in colors that match your flowers in bloom. Be sure to punch a hole or two and put gravel in the bottom for drainage. Flea market finds like teapots, metal bowls, and wooden or clay pots are also conversation starters. With metal, be sure to watch overwatering and give plants plenty of sunlight as metal does not "breathe" and will hold moisture longer than other pots.

4. Choose plants that are hardy. You may wish to plant a bush such as a green-leaved euryops or other evergreen that stays green year-round. The euryops makes tiny yellow daisy-like blooms. Flowering plants that live from year to year are called perennials. Examples are the black-eyed Susan, dianthus, and daisy. Other flowering plants are annuals, and although the original plants do not return the following year, they often leave seeds behind that push through as new plants in the spring. Petunias and impatiens are annuals. Bulb plants such as caladium return the next year, although they lie dormant through late fall and winter.

5. Appeal to the senses. Hang a wind chime in a potted tree, on your roof's overhang, or from a ledge. You'll be surprised how often it will tempt you with its musical invitation to enter your patio retreat. Plant flowers that produce sweet scents. They will entice you to sit and drink in the atmosphere. Plants with interesting textures appeal to the curious to stroke or touch them as they grow and change. From cacti to pansies, there is a myriad to choose from. Remember to draw attention to focal points that are eye-level, not just on the ground. Just as the stenciled ivy trails up the fence, consider hanging baskets, honeysuckle, or climbing roses on trellises to give your patio a spatial feeling of a garden.

Enjoy your garden retreat. Take an early morning cup of coffee outside to watch the flowers lift their heads and drink in the dew. But be forewarned: Part of the fun is in the creation. You may find yourself forever looking differently at cast-off items to see how they might be adapted to host plants. Don't be surprised to find yourself "hooked" on improving, changing, and growing right along with your garden flowers.