Olioboard Inspiration: Creative Spring Outdoor Home Ideas

Entry #3371, March 28, 2014

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Before you were inspired by – ‘Preparing your Spring Porch for Enjoyment ‘ from Adele Baumann Healey. Today, I feature Shelley Harcar from the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she gives us creative ways to perk up our spring outdoor homes.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #70

Olioboard Inspiration: Creative Spring Outdoor Home Ideas –  Shelley Harcar

After an exceptionally cold and snowy winter in many areas, I believe it is safe to say most of us are more than ready to say farewell to Old Man Winter. No matter your location, welcoming a change of seasons can be a big project. It does not, however, need to be an unpleasant project.

Outdoor home spring tips

There are some important things to remember when getting your outdoor areas ready for a new season. Inspect fire pits, patios, porches & decks (as well as outdoor furniture, grills or play equipment) for signs of wear or damage that may have occurred during the colder weather. Repair or replace as needed.  Check for nests of bees, wasps and other insects. Consider calling a professional to remove, especially if these are large infestations.  Also inspect, tune up and fuel any yard equipment. If doing a garden bed, turn over the soil & consider enriching it with one of the many types of organic fertilizers available also remove weeds and dead plants from your garden beds.

When planning your outdoors for spring, you will want to think about what is already in your yard, many of spring’s greatest treasures were planted during a previous autumn. Also take into account you yard size and personal style. Some people want elaborate flower beds, others prefer a simpler and easy to care for design.  Options are almost limitless. Whatever type of garden you choose, remember to think about the amount of time and care you want to put into your outdoor surroundings.

Spring gardening ideas

A happy compromise between Spartan landscaping and high maintenance displays is container gardening. Choose decorative pots and containers and use them to create interesting groupings. While climate & sunlight will be considerations, you will be faced with fewer concerns about soil drainage and quality and containers can be moved to shelter during inclement weather. This method is ideal for all amounts of space and for a variety of settings. Porches, decks, patios, and balconies all are great places for container gardening. A wide variety of plants & flowers as well as some fruits and vegetables are well suited to container gardening. Don’t neglect your outdoor furniture. This can help to pull together a look while adding extra entertaining space.

In the designs which I created for this article, I have given some different examples of outdoor decorating. The design featuring the façade of a house shows off large garden beds and hedges. This would be rather time consuming to maintain, but definitely makes the outdoor area stand out. I’ve put together examples of container gardening as well. In an urban patio setting containers and trellises add color and style to a small ordinary patio. While there would be time required to water these plants, certain aspects of gardening, like weeding, are not a big factor. In my final design, a family patio space is transformed by numerous, colorful plants and flowers. The containers can be elaborate or simple, as the star attractions are the foliage and blossoms.

I hope I have inspired you to head outside and welcome spring by preparing your outdoor areas. You won’t regret the effort once you find yourself comfortably surrounded by loveliness in your own back yard.

About Shelley Harcar

I am a lifelong Ohioan and presently live in Stow with my family. I am a graduate of Youngstown State University, where I studied Social Work and Psychology. I am currently employed as a substitute teacher within my local school district. I also do freelance writing. My designing interest began over 20 years ago when I became a floral designer. In addition to making floral designs, we were invited into customer’s homes to assist with holiday and seasonal decorating.

I discovered Olioboard through a friend, and I quickly became caught up in the fun of the Olioboard Fan Room. It is a great escape from everyday life and I find a great deal of satisfaction in taking a blank screen and turning it into something lovely. When I’m not designing, I enjoy watching sports with my son, shopping, writing, and spending time with friends & family. You can read Shelley’s writing here.