Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Summering up the Deck 2013

So last year I posted about summering up my deck...this year is no different.  I started many of the plants myself from seeds and used things I had and repainted or recycled or reused things. 

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I love to make an outdoor room outside with comfortable seating and pretty things to look at and touch.  A place comforting and welcoming to make you want to stay a while.  An escape area…

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Love me some beautiful begonias! I love angel wing begonias the most…and they are so easy to grow!

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I spray painted this old wooden bench to perk it up a bit.  I had previously lacquered it with a clear finish, but that was peeling off.  So out came the power washer and the lacquer peeled right away. It looks a bit like old barn wood now, I didn’t completely cover the wood so it shows through.

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The sounds of water running into the fish pond are very relaxing and the pond makes a great place for the pets to drink from all summer.

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The weather is so unpredictable as spring weather is…these two pictures were taken within 15 minutes of each other!

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I love these blue chairs from Target.  I just had never wanted to pay for $20 each (on sale) for them.  So, I was at an auction last week and purchased these for $2.50 each!!  They were dirty so I power washed them and they look brand new!

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The metal glider is still in decent shape so I didn’t even have to repaint it this year…

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This white bench (I paid $32 for it) from the same auction…it was one of the reasons I went to the auction.  I love the style and thought it would look great on my deck!  The cement garden balls look great there.

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My house from the hammock…

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The hammock is a great place to relax after a stressful day.

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The hydrangea came back this year. I was very happy to see that!

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This has been so far one of my favorite planters this year.  It is a giant flat pot that was given to me…actually I received two of them.

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I set the pot on a stump in the yard close to the hammock.

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I added some petunias, geraniums, creeping jenny, and tall foxtail grass.

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And the great news is the curly willow survived the winter. 

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I try to add pops of color to every container I plant.

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My cats or dog are always photo bombing my shots!

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The blue bench looks great too! 

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I planted this old wooden tool box with dianthus and some ground cover…

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The umbrella that I made last year was torn up in the hail storm last September; it had multiple holes and tears in it from the giant hail. So I repaired it and sewed some grossgrain ribbon around it to hold it together…funny, but I love the way it looks and I can get another years worth of shade. 

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The umbrella adds a lot of shade…

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It still looks pretty good.

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I bought another $3 umbrella at the auction but don’t have a stand yet, so it’s not up yet.

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I love seashells….

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The garden frog keeps watch…

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Another bargain from the same auction…a Weber grill in great shape for $12.50!  Looks like it was used very little…we have used it every weekend so since I bought it!

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Everyone in the family seems to be enjoying getting outside more and hanging out on the deck!

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I might be linking to these great parties!

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28 comments:

Rustown Mom said...

Your deck looks like a great place to hang out with a glass of wine (:

September Violets said...

Your deck looks fantastic! I love that shade of blue you've used on your glider ... so vibrant! You've done a lot of work, and found some great pieces. Popped over from Fishtail's Garden Party :) Wendy

ingrid@nowathomemom said...

I really like how your deck looks & how you used everything! WOW! only $2.50 for those pretty blue chairs; great deal you had! :-)

Unknown said...

Lovely! Your property and your porch are beautiful.

Crafts a la Mode said...

Thanks so much for showing your pretty deck!! Best wishes, Linda

Larry said...

Very inviting... I love rich dark blues in the gardens... in fact, I painted our house that color because of how it goes with our gardens!... Larry

free style creating by Villy said...

Amazing place..I love your old wooden tool box with dianthus!!!
http://freestilcreatingbyvilly.blogspot.gr/

Paula Parrish said...

Your deck looks fabulous and inviting. Enjoy your outside spaces. ;o)

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Love the blues and aqua colors used on your deck!! So bright and vibrant the I adore that photo of the rainbow!!

Hugs,
Debbie

Natashalh said...

Beautiful photos! I love all the blues. I'm visiting through the What to do Weekends Party!

Natashalh

J said...

I found you at Say it Saturday and need to follow! I love your house, your photos, your bargains, and your pets! Fun!

Shelly said...

I love all the Blues, they stand out!!!

Visiting from Party Junk!
Shelly- minettesmaze.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

You have a wonderful yard and I love what you've done with your deck. Thank you for sharing! Just stopping by from the Say it Saturday Linky Party. Hope you get a chance to do the same!

Jill said...

Your garden and deck look beautiful Ellen! and I'm so envious of your hammock. We have one but don't have anywhere to hang it here! :(

Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a fabulous week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

Donna Wilkes said...

I love your container gardens and the water feature. This looks like the perfect place to spend a summer day.

SwedishCorner ~ DownUnder...Pernilla said...

What a cozy spot for relaxation :) Greetings from Australia♥ ~Pernilla

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

I love that little blue bench and the photos were the cats pops in are so funny.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Great deck, so pretty in blue and so inviting and your gardens and the water feature are lovely. I would love for you to link up to my Inspire Me party at - -http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/05/166th-inspire-me-tuesday.html. Hope to see you there. Hugs, Marty

Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life said...

Everything looks so lovely. You've inspired me to think through our back yard and patio and make it pretty.

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

Your garden looks so lovely against the background of the cool green trees. A very relaxing place..Happy Wednesday..Judy

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Lots of comfy places to sit at your place and enjoy the container gardens you created.

Stan and Jody Gabara said...

What a beautiful outdoor room. So inviting and cozy!
Would love for you to share at Simple & Sweet Fridays.

Hugs,
Jody

Jeannie and Linda said...

Wow. Lovely. Can I come over?

Have a beautiful weekend!
Linda at The French Hens Nest

Connie Nelson said...

Oh my what great pics! I love those cement balls and I really love the look on your dogs faces as they peer into the fish pond! thanks for linking with me :)

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

A beautiful and peaceful deck to enjoy the summer! Love your blue bench and your sweet furry friends! xoxo

The Tablescaper said...

I host a weekly link party called "Seasonal Sundays". This week, in honor of my fourth blog-a-versary, I'm having a giveaway of a $100.00 gift certificate to HomeGoods/TJ Maxx. I'd love to have you join the fun!

- The Tablescaper

Fishtail Cottage said...

oh, how i'd love to hang in that hammock! thanks for linking up to Fishtail Cottage's Garden party! hope you are having a great weekend! xoox, tracie

Susie @bowdabra said...

Hey there! Thanks so much for stopping by and linking up your cool project! Stop by again next week and link up another awesome project!

Have a great week!
Susie@bowdabra
http://bowdabrablog.com