Deck/Patio #Garden for a #GardenParty! #lilies #begonias #geranium

Why Build a Deck/Patio Garden?
Plants help soften the lines of a deck or patio. Plants add colorful interest to a deck or patio. Plants help beautify a deck or patio.
Plants add to your deck or patio experience by drawing your attention to colorful arrangements. Relaxing on your deck or patio, and admiring beautiful plants, reduces stress. Plants on a deck or patio are protected from deer, rabbits, and other rodents such as voles and groundhogs.

What is a Deck Garden?
A deck garden is simply a set of pots or containers of your favorite plants strategically placed around the deck. If the plant likes full sun, like our Red Geranium, find a sunny spot on the deck, which receives 6 or more hours of sun per day. If the plant likes partial sun, like our Salmon Geraniums, find a location that receives a few hours of sun, but is shielded from the hot afternoon sun. If the plant likes a shady location, place it in a location where the sun is blocked by an object such as a chair, bench, table, or other plants/containers.

Where Do I Begin?

Choose a Color Scheme – Some gardeners like various colors and textures of plants, and some prefer color and textures that complement one another. We prefer to choose plants that complement one another. this year, we chose variations of pink and salmon colors for our deck garden. Pink and Salmon are different blends of the same color. The size, color, and texture of a plant’s leaves also adds interest. Therefore, this year’s color scheme included various leaf shades and textures. For instance, our begonias were light pink and dark pink, however their leaves were bright green and green with a deep burgundy tint.

Consider Maintenance-Free Plants – If your deck is in a sunny location, your plants will receive full sun. If you don’t mind watering every day or two, that’s fine. If you would rather water every week or so, choose drought-tolerant or maintenance free plants. Examples of maintenance-free plants are lillies, sedum, and begonias. For more information on maintenance-free plants, subscribe to our Free Newsletter on our homepage.
Assemble a Collection of Pots or Containers (in Varying Sizes) – If you have different types of plants and colors, then you may want your pots and containers to be similar in color and style, which provides consistency. If your plants are similar in color, then you can vary your pots and container colors and styles. Consistency of color and style will keep your deck garden pleasing to the eye. For our deck garden, we have green, white, gray, and clay-color pots, but since we have similar plant colors of pink and salmon, we still maintain consistency.

Arrange Plants Based on Sun Requirements – After planting, fertilizing, and watering your plants, arrange your plants based on their sun requirements. If the plant likes full sun, find a sunny spot on the deck, which receives 6 or more hours of sun per day. If the plant likes partial sun, find a location that receives a few hours of sun, but is shielded from the hot afternoon sun. If the plant likes a shady location, place it in a location where the sun is blocked by an object such as a chair, bench, table, or other plants/containers. Bonus tip for beginner gardener: They key to gardening is knowing how much sun a plant likes! Experiment with various locations. The plant will let you know whether or not it’s happy!

Enjoy! – After all of the fun and rewarding work, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your deck garden! Take a few deep breaths, exhale, and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Enjoy the birds chirping, and the butterflies floating by. Even enjoy the bees buzzing, but just make sure to stay out of their way.

Check your local Home Depot, Lowes or online Burpee Gardening for their selection of lilies, begonia, salvia and geraniums! To see more gorgeous flowers, watch our Gorgeous Flowers playlist on YouTube!
To learn how to plant, fertilize and prune your way to a gorgeous garden, subscribe to our YouTube channel!