Nothing adds personality to your deck like some bright, cheery flowers. Even just adding green plants will make it seem more tropical and inviting. The good news is that plants are an easy and affordable addition that can turn your deck into a party place or a private oasis depending on which plants you choose and where you place them. Here are five ways to add plants and personality to your deck:
Create Groupings
Don’t just add a pot here or there. For real impact, group two or three together. Three pots of the same color in different heights is much more interesting than one larger pot. Vary the shape, color, and height of the pots, but keep something cohesive to tie them all together. For instance, keep them all the same color, but different shapes. Or all the same shape, but vary the heights. If you want a calmer feel, consider keeping the pots neutral or have them complement the overall color scheme (furniture fabric color, rug, or shade umbrella). Vary the sizes, heights, and colors of your pots to create the look you want. You can even create a privacy wall with larger plants like the tall ferns shown in the picture.
Grouping your flowers creates a much more dynamic vibe and gives the space a decorator touch. You can even group herbs together for an impromptu herb garden right outside your back door.
Stack ‘Em High
A great way to create height is to stack your pots. If your deck features a large exterior wall of your home that looks a little plain and empty, that’s the perfect place for a tower of flowers. Choose three pots of a matching design in small, medium, and large sizes. The secret is to place an upside down bucket in the medium and large pots to give the top two pots a solid base to sit on. This keeps them from looking crooked or tilting if the soil shifts. Fill the pots with soil and add plants. Trailing plants work great in these vertical gardens and a spike or something tall in the top pot will add even more height if you need it.
Ride the Rail
Don’t forget about your railing. Many planters are designed to hang off the deck railing or sit on top of it. You can add as many as you like to surround your deck with colorful plants. The railing is a great place for plants because it automatically raises them to eye level versus pots on the ground. Railing planters look good with both mounding plants and dangling varieties.
Climb the Walls
Climbing plants can be the perfect way to add some privacy. Consider climbing vines to cover lattice walls. You don’t even need a wall for climbing plants. You can string some twine and they will follow it up. Just make sure you choose something strong enough to support the plant as vines can get heavy as they grow. A privacy wall or pergola is the perfect place to train climbing vines. Pergolas are very versatile and affordable and can add a lot of personality or privacy to your deck.
Hanging Around
Hanging plants are a great way to raise the color up off the ground as well. Having plants at different heights makes it seem like you are surrounded by flowers and nature. A simple hook screwed into the wood beam of a pergola covering your deck is the perfect place to hang potted plants. Posts are ideal for supporting baskets on post hangers. Many privacy walls are designed with openings specifically for adding hanging baskets. There are even stand-alone supports for hanging plants. No matter where you hang them, they add a very visible pop of color and shout a cheery “hello” to your guests.
Spring into Action or Fall into Savings
We hope we’ve inspired you to add some colorful plants and personality to your deck. If you’re reading this in the springtime, plants are plentiful, so you’ll have tons of choices. If you’re reading this later in the year, now’s the time to look for great deals on larger pots and planters and save yourself some serious money versus waiting to buy them next spring.
Kansas City’s Custom Deck Builders
If you are planning to add a deck to your home soon, please give us a call. We’d love to hear your deck ideas – the more creative, the better! At Creative Concepts and Design, if you can imagine it, we can help you design it and build it. We’ve been building custom decks in Kansas City and we have plenty of satisfied customers you can talk to.
