My favorite place to be outside is on my back patio. It’s not fancy, but it looks on my garden, is surrounded by flower beds, and provides some shade. It’s a perfect spot to read, enjoy a cup of tea, and relax on a warm, sunny day.
What My Outdoor Space Looks Like
The back patio on my house is a simple space: a concrete slab covered by an aluminum awning. It’s a blank slate for creating a beautiful outdoor space. A sliding glass door opens onto the space from the breakfast room. To the right is a walkway to the driveway.
The patio is surrounded on three sides by flower beds and the lawn. In one large bed, I have a large rose of Sharon, daylilies, hostas, and sedum (and unfortunately bindweed). Another bed has more hostas and a lot of shade. The third bed contains spirea and my herbs.
On the patio, I have a table and chairs for entertaining. My favorite place to sit, though, is in my plastic Adirondack chair. I use one as a footrest and have a little side table to hold my drinks. It’s not a fancy set up, but it’s comfy and cozy. I have several containers with annuals to soften the concrete: impatiens, coleus, petunias, and begonias mostly.
How I Enjoy My Patio
Once the weather is warm enough, I like to drink my morning tea out on the patio with whatever I’m currently reading. I love to hear the birds chirping and enjoy getting away from the TV news, which is what I watch with my tea in the winter months.
An afternoon break on the patio is also a treat. I switch to herbal tea for the afternoon and watch the squirrels come in for a snack of peanuts, bird seed, or bread crusts.
I don’t always have time for evenings on the patio during the week, but on weekends, it’s where I prefer to be after dinner. A warm summer night outside is the perfect way to wind down, either with a cup of herbal tea””yes, I drink hot tea all summer long””or a beer or glass of wine. I read in the evenings or chat with my husband.
I love my outdoor space, and I wouldn’t change much about it. A screen might be nice to keep the mosquitoes out, but then I would miss my squirrels and birds. Some are even brave enough to take a walnut from my hand. Each year, I add more containers and flowers, though. That’s an update I can always work on.
