This summer, I have plans to return our deck—misused, abused and cluttered over the past two years—to an outdoor room. I want it to be an extension of our home, an outdoor oasis for relaxing, spending time together and grilling up some good eats.
New umbrella, check. Get rid of all the clutter and crap that’s been building up, check. And pretty soon comes the fun part: choosing flowers and herbs for my planters and containers. I love how they transform the space and change its feel; stark wood and metal are softened by texture and color. The right plants really do soothe your senses.
The other night I grilled some chicken and summer squash and took pictures to document the deck’s early spring state (post clean-up, of course). Just a few pansies; they’re not the most exciting thing I’ve ever planted, but they’re pretty. The resk is just starkness. It won’t be long until this deck is flowing with flowers and booming with life…and buzzing with butterflies and hummingbirds, I hope!
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| I can see the potential of this plain space... mostly because I remember how great it used to look in summers past. |
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| The view of my kitichen garden from the deck. It's ready to plant! I love that it's so close by -- I like to run out while I'm cooking to pick tomatoes or snip some herbs. How I can't wait for summer. It's a shame the AC unit has to be in the garden, but I had no choice. |
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| Are you hungry yet? Here's the Italian dressing marinade recipe I used. It was great as a marinade but too strong (both in vinegar and spices) to use as salad dressing. I'll dilute it more next time. |
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