Tips on Adding and Maintaining Plants on a Patio

There are a lot of benefits that we can get from plants in our patio. They can be used as additional decoration to the patio setup along with patio furniture items. With select plants we can create a really beautiful feature or focal point to the landscape. Plants are also effective in giving freshness to the ambiance. They can contribute to our wellness and to the environment even at a small amount.

Adding these life-giving elements might seem easy but there are some rules that we need to observe. These rules are simple yet have big impact in achieving great results and avoid problems.

Sunlight Needs
Plants are dependent on sunlight in order to live. They process their food with it. So when you add them to a patio, be sure that they can see the sun!

However, plants have different sunlight needs. Some can live with a little sunlight in a day and some needs more the whole day. So it is better to choose plants which are best suited with your patio design.

Before adding plants, it is wiser to determine their sunlight requirement. Determine the right plant selection according the type of environment that you have like the following.

• Open patio area
• Area with a shade or patio umbrella, and
• Close outdoor room

It is easier if you can use retractable sun shade sails or awnings or outdoor umbrellas that are easy to open and close so that it is less hassle to let your plants under the sunlight.

Water Needs
Plants also need water in order to live. The amount of water needed is different for each kind of plants though. Some need to be watered everyday, some a few days or once a week, and some need water occasionally.

Watering plants is easy to do for those planted on the ground but there are some limitations for potted plants. You need to keep in mind that you should give just enough water that the pot can bear. Some plants cannot live well with too much wet soil.

Do not forget that there is water spillage in watering potted plants. You can provide pots a basin for draining water to avoid your patio design and patio furniture items getting wet. This should be done especially if you have a wooden patio, wooden or steel outdoor furniture, and wicker sets to avoid deterioration caused by water.

Fertilizing
Part of plant maintenance is to supplement them with fertilizers. Because the plants are provided to help your patio decoration and design, they should look more alive and blooming. Fertilizers, whether chemical or organic can easily be purchased and are easy to apply. To determine the right fertilizer, just go straight to a store that sells them and tell the plant you have. They know the right choice.