Brian Minter: Personalizing your patio

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Whenever we can catch a little downtime, it is so pleasant to relax outside on our patios or balconies, especially during the warm summer months. With all the stressors we face each day, making our patio experiences more enjoyable and relaxing should be a top priority. Personalizing your patio is key to enhancing the level of enjoyment, and one of the first considerations should be creating a sensory connection.

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What colours do you most enjoy? During warm weather, anything blue, green or soft pink has, psychologically, a cooling effect of about 8° to 10° Celsius. From furniture, pillows and throws to plant containers and flowers, all of these should be coordinated with the colours that make you feel most comfortable. Using analogous colours (those colours next to each other on the colour wheel) will create the most harmonious combinations.

Our sense of smell is one of our most important senses. Do you have fragrant heliotrope, rosemary, lavender, long-flowering ‘Eternal Fragrance’ daphne and scented roses on your deck? If not, why not? The beautiful, natural perfumes of these and many other flowers and plants will help you relax and will often bring back fond memories of other times and other places.

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What does your patio sound like? Today, there are many jarring sounds outside, like sirens, car alarms, lawn mowers and your neighbour’s loud music. The sound of water, however, is very soothing. Much background noise can be muted by installing a small or large containerized waterfall. Before buying, listen to it first to decide if it has a pleasant sound you’d enjoy. The new, nicely toned windchimes can also add a comforting element.

If privacy is a concern, a beautiful potted tree, such as a green Japanese maple, can be espaliered to maximize the screening effect, while minimizing the space needed. Depending on the variety, you can also achieve year-round enjoyment. LED lights wound through the tree would create a cosy ambience in the evening.

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There are many other ways to personalize your patio. A hummingbird feeder or a hanging feeder that attracts only small birds will add interest. Containers planted with pollinator- and butterfly-attracting plants, like compact butterfly bushes, cupheas and long-blooming red salvias, would create a source of living entertainment all summer long.

By creating a more sensory patio, you will be adding huge value, perhaps more than you ever imagined, to the time you spend outdoors.