4 Simple Ways to Update Your Deck for Summer

This post was sponsored by Lowe’s Canada; all opinions and styling are my own.

Canadians sure do appreciate the great outdoors and I've found if we have the chance to create a welcoming outside space to enjoy the summer months, we will. I've been working on a whole home renovation inside, so it was really important to me to create a little oasis for myself outside to escape the mess and dust a reno brings.

By Erica Cook

With a little time and effort, it's amazing what new plants, accessories, and lighting can do to transform a space. I'm sharing a before image (below) for you to see what I started out with. The accent cushions had seen better days and the space needed a little personality and warming up.

 To achieve my finished look I started with the existing planters.

Lowe's has an amazing selection of tropical plants, so I picked out two giant palms to give them some height and substance. A staff member (thanks Kai!) helped me pick the perfect annuals to fill the rest of the pots. Once home, I transplanted the palms into the planters and then did what I'd refer to as a test run or placement of the little plants before I actually planted them. This ensured the right balance and spacing. For these planters I went with wave petunias in white, white begonias, sweet potato vine, limelight helichrysum, and dichondra.

I also spotted some amazing patio decor pieces. I love a good exterior area rug! Not only do they warm up the space but also add that necessary touch to ground the furniture. Plus, they just feel nice under your feet. There was a great selection of toss cushions that coordinate perfectly with the area rug so I loaded up. I then added some lanterns, a tray, flameless candles (with timer setting), and real candles.

The rest of the planters get full sun, so I picked out Russian sage for the centres. Not only do they also provide some height, but they also smell great and I love the silvery foliage. The plants surrounding the sage, sweet potato vine in dark plum shade, limelight helichrysum, and wave petunias, are all annual trailing and flowering and able to take full sun. 

For this little spot I added a larger timer candle and a succulent, as well as the same plantings as mentioned above for full sun.

Pulling together the necessary items plus setting up and planting only took a day to complete and has already made me so happy!

About the Author

Erica Cook

Moth Design Blog

Erica Cook, a trained Interior Designer, got her start working with Sarah Richardson Design in her private firm as well as on her HGTV shows, Design Inc. and Sarah's House. Erica later ventured into blogging and social media in 2009. She established Moth Design sharing her design expertise and has since become known as a lifestyle and entertaining expert as well as a source for simple and stylish DIY projects. You can follow Erica on InstagramPinterest, and Facebook.

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