Let’s talk about patio decorating ideas and making a romantic sitting area in the garden or on the porch! There’s just nothing like being ‘one with nature’ and if you can’t get out into a woods and walk a woodland path now and then – a relaxing porch or patio area – is just about the next best thing.
I think every porch – if it’s big enough at all – should be used for a little outdoor living. A warm breezy evening on the porch or patio – listening to the sounds of nature and watching the lightning bugs flutter about – now what in the world – could be better than that?
Our home really is my hobby and I tend to get a little carried away in explaining how I do things – but let me tell you – making a home warm and cozy is one of the grandest things you can do for your family. SO if you’d like your home to be your hobby – bare with me on this – ok? 🙂
Pick out outdoor patio signs on Amazon! “This is my Happy Place” signs on Amazon!
Patio Decorating Ideas – Before You Start
First and foremost before you start any decorating project – you must clean. When I was a little girl growing up – we were always told “You don’t ever want to put a clean blouse on with a dirty neck.” That old saying holds true for everything in my opinion. I would never ever consider decorating an area without first clearing and cleaning it and starting from scratch even if every single thing you just took out – is going back. 🙂
One of the most used quotes in our home when our kids were growing up was “Don’t put it down – put it away” Everybody should brand that quote into their minds. It just makes for more peaceful living.
1- First – clear your porch, patio and yard of all clutter. If it isn’t part of your decor – it needs to go.
2- All work and gardening tools should have their own home and should be kept there until needed.
3- All bicycles and tricycles need their own parking spot in the back yard along with little wagons and smaller toys.
Everything needs to have a place and everything needs to be ‘in’ that place when not being used.
Another quote we’ve always used often through the years is “A place for everything and everything in it’s place.” It’s the only way – because CLUTTER – clutters your MIND. And life is busy enough – so who wants to struggle through their days with a cluttered mind?
So – you’ve decluttered, cleaned and scrubbed if needed and now you have just your basic porch or patio furnishings, plants and candles and maybe a few outdoor patio signs.
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I want even the outside of our home – to say “WELCOME – You’ve come to a HAPPY place and you’re surrounded by love and people who care about the simple things in life.”
We have a sign are you come into our lane and it says “Relax – You’re on Country Time”. Sometimes – just a simple quote – can relax a person. Do you realize that? We’ve had so many people comment on that sign when they’d get down to the house.
And we’ve even had several people actually want to buy or order the sign I made and put beside the front steps 20 years ago and it just says “This Place is the Scrapbook of Our Lives” – and it really is. It only takes one quick glance around Round Knob Canyon to know what kind of goo-ins’ the old geezer and the katydid are made of. Now there’s nothing special looking about this sign. It was hand painted by me just very roughly and quickly and I probably dreamed it up in my head and nailed it together and even painted it in about 20 minutes – because that’s just the way I do things. But it’s us!
Flea Market Gardening, Amazon or Major Chain Stores –
If your home and surroundings are clean and neat – that says “We Care About Our Home”!!!
I LOVE to go junking to find a few “new to me” good/old pieces for our porch each spring and I love signs – so we have signs here and there throughout the whole canyon – even along the paths of the Secret Garden.
Even in our Secret Garden – which very few people have ever even seen – because I don’t have that Secret Garden and those old things for ‘show’ – I have them for ‘us – but you’ll find old birdhouses – signs – old garden gates – an old Paul Bunyan swing that Geezer made me 30 years ago – and no telling what else. And I have many treasures that others have discarded and I’ve brought them home to love and cherish in the canyon. I LOVE decor with a history and with it’s own personal story of where it came from and a hint of how it ‘lived’.
Patio Decorating Ideas – Patio Seating Ideas
Small Table and Chairs
Find a table and chairs set on Amazon!
Where to find a small table and chair set
Ice Cream Parlor Table and Chairs Set on Amazon
Antique Reproduction
Ice Cream Parlor
Table and Chairs Set
The small table and chairs pictured below is a bistro set I picked up several years ago at a junk store near La Center, Ky. I actually saw this posted on this junk store’s facebook page and bought it right then through private messenger – and just ran down and picked it up. To me – it was just calling my name that day – and it just looked like it should belong – on the back porch of Round Knob Canyon.
You can often find these at a home improvement store or a Walmart or a Target in the garden department.
As with everything, we love the idea of getting it on Amazon and having it come right to the very patio we’re going to be relaxing on. I use amazon for a LOT of the things I would normally have to get in the car and go get – because I’m just not a shopper.
3 piece wooden bistro setSundale 3 piece Steel Frame Bistro Set (Red)3 Piece Resin Wicker Bistro Set
Patio Decorating Ideas – Decorating with Ferns
Fern Growing Tip
To really get your ferns growing ‘feed’ them a glass of diluted sweet tea morning and evening
in addition to your ‘regular watering’!
Where to Buy Ferns
Like many of the other items needed for giving your patio a freshening up – you can buy ferns at your local nursery, Walmart, your local home improvement store and even sometimes at the grocery for anywhere from $8 to $15!
You don’t have to get a big one – because using the Fern Growing Tip above – you can have a little one grow into a HUGE one – in about 3 weeks.
Just pick out the healthiest one or ones you see. I’m in the process of doing a section of woods beside our home and building an Enchanted Garden path – and I plan to buy 1-2 ferns and just break them apart and put them along that path and see what happens. HEY!!! If I hunt real good – that little experiment will cost me about $8. 🙂
Boston Ferns are super popular and if you can’t find them locally they and most anything else – can be ordered from Amazon
Massac Nursery just outside of Metropolis has some fantastic looking ferns and they were $11 last year! Now you can buy much cheaper ferns at Walmart – maybe. But they won’t have the ‘storybook look’ of the ferns from Massac Nursery. Here’s a link to the Massac Nursery website!
Patio Decorating Ideas – Setting the Mood with Candles and Lighting
Candles really set the mood of any space! You can go out and buy expensive candles – they are available everywhere – but you can also fill your patio with candles very inexpensively!
I use quart or pint fruit jars and I tie rag cloth bows around the tops – but just down enough that you don’t have to worry about the flame. And the tall tapered candles put out the best light, so that’s mainly what I use.
I also use a lot of the utility candles – which give about 4 hours of light. Just be sure your flame is just below the top of the jar so the breeze doesn’t blow it out. I LOVE candles in fruit jars and probably have 6-8 scattered around our porch right now.
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Set of 12 Glass Canning JarsBall Green Glass Jars – available individually or in a 3 packBall Mason 8oz Quilted Jelly Jars – set of 12Ball Quart Jars – Blue – Set of 4Quart Mason Fruit JarQuart Ball Jar – Purple
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Set of 12 Long-Burn Emergency CandlesTaper Candles 7 Hour Box Of 45 Household CandlesVotive Candles – Unscented – White – 12 Hour – 30 piecesStonebriar Tealight Candles, 6 to 7 Hour Extended Burn Time,(Pack of 200)
I also love to change things around on our porch. You may come today and the swings and chairs will be loaded down with old quilts and ruffled pillows and the tables will be covered with vintage linens here and there – and tomorrow you may come back and there won’t be a piece of fabric anywhere 🙂
Now how do I find time to DO all of this? Well – I’m a devout homebody. I go to the grocery once a week and always to church and run a mercy mission now and then – but other than that – you can usually find me foo fooing around the canyon – inside or out.
I LOVE changing our porch around now and then. I have lots of old quilts and vintage linens so I even change colors and patterns. I LOVE – LOVE – LOVE the shabby chic look – but I also love the neat and tidy and simplistic look without all that fluff.
Any evening you’re liable to drive up and I’ll have lighted candles all around the porch in my fruit jars. And you won’t find even one – expensive candle in our canyon. And I know how to time them to light them so they’ll burn out just about 10 p.m. – before we head off to see Mr Sandman … and I have little lamps on the porch that stay on 24/7 and all year long.
I always loved the commercial by Motel 6 – where they said “We keep the light on for ya.” SO I do that TOO in Round Knob Canyon. IN FACT – those lights – lit up a burglar in the late winter of 2016. HIS light was on – but nobody was HOME – because WHO tries to prowl a home that’s lit up on the outside? FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!!! He is now resting peacefully in jail with even more serious charges against him – But he terrorized this end of the county for 2 months. Miracles happen – for those who believe. 🙂 I feel we all NEED porch lights and candles – and this is the warmest and neatest and most economical way.
Just give me some old rugs and ruffled pillows and a few vintage linens and my world just turns magical …
Would you like to make a romantic setting on your porch or patio this spring? Do you need advice? I’m just a facebook message away. And if you DO have a garden or patio you love – send us some photos and we’ll share. OK?
More to See!
Keep reading for more Remedies for the Home!
You’ll find great home decor – patio and otherwise – at our affiliate, Antique Farm House!
I love the idea of planting sweet things right outside the kitchen window. Love it —
My patio has the typical table with a few chairs on it along with a grill and a few potted plants. Other than that, though, there isn’t much decoration and so I am hoping to change that. Unlike you, I don’t usually keep quilts or linens outside, because I am worried that they may get weathered or ruined by a random rain storm. What do you do to take care of the quilts and linens that you keep outside on your porch?
Hi Faylinn – The quilts and old linen’s I use on our porch – are yard sale finds and nothing that I’ve paid any money for to speak of. I would never pay over $20 for an old quilt and most often – am able to find them in our area for about $10 or even less. I buy old cutter quilts and vintage table cloths. An old comforter would do. I’ll often alternate during the summer and one month I’ll have very vintage and frilly decor and the next month just very shabby chic. Right now I have the ‘peaceful’ setting out there.
I’ve even used old bed pillows just wrapped in a cheap fabric to use as cushions in our swings and chairs. I go to no expense whatsoever to decorate … I’m in the process of doing our porch and cottage garden decor now for a blog and I’m working on doing it by spending no money except for the ferns. Why don’t you send me a friends request on facebook and send me a photo of your porch. I can help you make an absolutely breath taking porch that people will stop and take photo’s of … lol and you shouldn’t have to spend a dime. I’m sure you have TONS of things that you never use – that will make beautiful and breathtaking decor for your porch. Here’s my facebook link – and I’d LOVE to connect with you there … https://www.facebook.com/kay.comer.5
You have no idea how much I need this now! We’re starting to remodel our garden/backyard and are looking for ideas! Love the ice cream parlor table and chairs!
We’re constantly working on ours – so I know the feeling 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
I love sitting outside with my husband! These are beautiful settings!
Thank you Reesa and thanks so much for stopping by.
These are some great ideas. I need to get my patio together. Lol
I hope you do it soon Michele – you’ll be so glad you did 🙂 And thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
I started decorating my patio with Boston Ferns a couple of years ago! I love them! They really pull the entire patio together!
It’s a fairly thrifty way to make a huge impact 🙂 Thanks for stopping by 🙂
We really need to do something with our patio – it rarely gets used! There are some lovely ideas here to set a romantic scene 🙂
Louise x
I hope you do it and do it soon Louise. We’re 70 and 71 and still very active with our home and gardens – but we come together each afternoon thru spring and summer to set for an hour or two on our big porch and swing and gab 🙂 If you already have a little seating (swing or lawn chairs or whatever) – just adding a couple ferns will make a HUGE impact 🙂 I checked out your blog too and love it and LOVE the name “With Love From Lou” 🙂
You are totally right about the ferns and plants making a difference. Because of the hot summers, it’s not as easy for us to grow ferns, but we actually have some nice heat resistant tomatoes and pepper plants. They look pretty on our patio as they are blooming, and then eventually we get some nice fresh vegies.
Thanks for sharing the idea about the small table/chair set as I hadn’t thought about that.
We LOVE tomato and pepper plants and put them out each year 🙂 And yes – we need a nice place to set out there. We love having morning coffee or afternoon iced tea on our back porch while we watch the wildlife … Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you stop in again soon!