Howdy! This upcoming weekend is the unofficial start of summer and my head is in the game! I spent a large chunk of my Saturday sprucing up my patio — cleaning, swapping a few pots and plants, and planting some new things.
Sunday, I woke-up so sore from a hard day’s work, but you know what? It was worth it, because even just walking my by patio door and seeing everything so neat and tidy makes me happy.
Plus, now I get to spend time out there — I have a little table that’s the perfect height for my laptop. Last year, I took so many calls and did hours of work out there, especially in the early morning when it’s quiet and not too hot.
Here’s what I did:
Cleaned the patio and everything on it
Most years, when the seasons change, I close my patio door and pretend it doesn’t exist until spring comes back around, but since we had the big freeze this year, I had to bring all of my plants inside. When it was safe enough for them to go back outside, I cleaned things up a bit.
However, there was still lots of sweeping and cleaning to do. I had a giant mess from an ant attack that I had to scrub off, and it felt nice to rinse everything off.
I have an egg chair that has a cushion, lots of pillows, and a light blanket, that all stayed out there… so I washed ALL of it… yeah, I literally put it all in my bathtub, sprayed it with cleanser, and turned the shower on to rinse – ha! While everything was in the dryer, I wiped down all the little slats in the chair… yeah.
Moved a few plants around in hope for growth
Last year, I had to buy lots of new plants to replace ones that died. But this year, I am shocked that nearly ALL of my plants survived, even after such a hard winter. Some of them look better than before!
I did have one small cactus that didn’t make it, but I bought a replacement and another succulent to add to my collection. If you’re into succulents, checkout Leaf & Clay. They have some funky ones, and this is the second year I’ve purchased from them and have not been disappointed.
I put my Holly bush in a new larger pot in hopes it’ll grow and moved a succulent I planted last year into a bigger pot as well.
Slapped some paint over the rust
I have a pot that sits in a gold stand, but the stand was completely rusted. So, I spray painted it with some gold paint I had under my sink! Problem fixed.
I also have a little metal table I bought from Five Below two years ago… the top of it was a little rusty so I painted over it with some bright pink paint from my bucket-o-craft-supplies… it looks so cute.
Planted seeds for Blanche
I try to get some plants that are safe for my kitty Blanche to eat, mostly because she is always attacking mine! So, I bought some seeds for cat grass and catnip for her and planted them in two separate pots.
I did this last year, too, and the only problem is that she rips the sprouts out of the pot as soon as she sees them! If you need seeds of any kind, check out The Plant Good Seed Company.
Added a few details
Earlier in the year, I hung a strand of solar lights on my railing, but I picked up some mini lights to hand around my door for some added light. I do have a porch light, but I never use it… it’s like a bright white light… not a vibe.
And, I refreshed my supply of citronella candles. I love candles indoors, so I don’t go lite on the outdoors either. I have a few random jelly jars that I put them in, and it looks so cute when they’re lit!
And finally, I am always updating my patio playlist, but this is the time of year I get to really enjoy it. It’s a mix of new songs and really old songs… all kinds of genres. You can listen to it too — here — and I suggest putting it on shuffle and having a cocktail.
Who’s ready for summer?!
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