I don’t know about you, but work has been very busy and now that summer is here I want to get out of my home office and enjoy the outdoors. I haven’t seen my friends or family since the last holiday and I am ready to entertain. With that said, my contemporary home plan is in need of a little TLC (tender loving care). I need to get busy and clean up my deck and porch area. Right now they are both covered with leaves and I haven’t even cleaned up the outdoor furniture.

I want to make the outside feel like the inside so everyone is comfortable and can relax. I had a break at work the other day and visited my local garden center and they gave me some great ideas to spruce up my backyard without spending too much of my hard-earned money.

I plan to open the French doors from the screened porch that lead to the outdoor dining area. Right now the décor is very neutral and needs some color. I would like to find some bright pillows and chair cushions for the summer and then change them out to cool tones when the fall comes. But for right now I think I will go with bright aqua, orange, red and green. A great suggestion the store gave me was to hang some party lights in the trees that will really add a festive feeling to the outdoors. I also have some stepping-stones that weave through the garden and lead to a beautiful arch that vines have intertwined through. I think I will illuminate the walkway and also add a spotlight on the arch to create a dramatic effect that will highlight the backyard. Another great tip to bring light to darker parts of the garden was to add mirrors. I have never heard of that but I think I will try it out.

While I was at the store I also looked into other types of plants and flowers that will accent my existing landscaping and don’t require too much maintenance. I have decided to plant some perennials so that they will come back each year. I will also add some nectar-filled plants so that butterflies and other beautiful winged creatures will come and visit. Down the walkway and around the lounge area I want to add some pale colored flowers or even white so that when the moonlight hits them it will bring light to the backyard.

Last but not least is to uncover my furniture, do a little powerwashing and place seating areas to create conversation pits. They say not to place chairs more than 8 feet away so guests can easily converse and not have to yell.

I think that with these simple steps I can give life back to my overgrown backyard. I want to keep things simplistic in style so it will match the sleek look contemporary home plans need, but add enough variety to make it exciting. As long as everything is trimmed and the weeds are pulled, I know the landscaping will look beautiful. Now all I have to do is shut down my computer, close the office door behind me and look forward to sitting back and having fun with family, friends and neighbors.