Summer Cottage Garden Party: Pool & Patio Ideas

Today, I am joining in with a Summer Cottage Garden Party, hosted by Brenda at Cozy Little House. I am going to share some pictures of the most used area of our yard during the summer months, our pool area.  We always start by power washing this entire patio right after we open the pool.  It is crazy how much dirt collects over the winter and it all looks so much better after the washing.  

The very affordable "faux" wicker furniture we purchased at Lowes last summer is holding up well.

The outdoor rug and cushions were also affordable finds from Christmas Tree Shops last year.  The rug has faded from the sun, but we can definitely get another summer out of it.

We replaced an old outdoor dining table with this seating area and we have been happy with that decision.  We eat most of our meals on the deck just outside our kitchen so it made more sense to add a more comfortable seating area than a table and chairs here.

When we purchased this house 8 years ago, this pool area was completely overgrown (you couldn't even see most of the slate patio!) and we were advised to pretty much bulldoze this area and start over.  Since we didn't think that was necessary (or in our budget), we tore out all of the old bushes, added a new fence, and added new landscaping.  Lots of sweat equity has gone into this space, but it has been worth it.

As far as flowers, I like to add colorful containers full of annuals in this area of our yard.  This way, I can move the containers to a place where they will be watered by a sprinkler on a timer when we are away in the summer.

I love the look of the weathered wood on our pool shed.  My husband talks about replacing it every year, but so far he hasn't gotten around to that project.  

The hammock is one of my very favorite spots to read :)  It is shaded by a large tree and is the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon.

The view of our pool patio looking down from the deck off the kitchen.

I recently posted pictures of another one of our garden spaces, our covered patio.  You can find that post here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today :)  Please be sure to stop by to see the other beautiful gardens on the tour.

Cozy Little House

The Cottage Nest

Junk Chic Cottage

Aiken House & Gardens

Art And Sand

An Old Fashioned World

Butterfly & Bungalow

My 1929 Charmer

Blondie's Journals