Patio help please - how to make it lovely?

[Stealthynamechange]

Hi all

I live in rented, have a patio backyard, only plant is a creeper (poss weed) in one corner, rest is all paving stones. It's just me, my 4yr old & dog. I've got ds a playhouse & small sandpit. I really want to make the space lovely, somewhere i can relax & enjoy, esp on summer evenings when hes at his dads. Im hopeless with plants & home decoration!
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make the area lovely?

Fairy lights, some bamboo in a trough planter, some colourful bedding plants in planters, more fairy lights, some candle lanterns... I'm a big fan of garden lighting, as you can see!

Also give the patio a good scrub down, and get rid of the weeds. Can you paint the walls or fence?

Comfortable seating, small table
Lights along the wall, I put bamboo screening along the fence and then have lights strung along the panels.

Thank you both :-) lights are a good idea, not sure if i can paint fences - bamboo screens are good idea

Amazon have solar fairy lights. We have a fire pit which makes our patio warmer in autumn and spring. Def get some seating. Cheap outdoor speaker? I’ve got one which also lights up and is waterproof so great for barbecues.

Lots and lots of plants in any kind of pot you can get hold of. The more the better.

Ooh, little outdoor speaker is a lovely idea, yes. I have solar fairy lights from Amazon that cost less than £20, and look nice.

First of all sweep and use bleach in water to clean the slabs up.

Buddleja grow fast in pots, attract butterflies and are hard to kill.

Put my ex husband under it?!

Some Lavenders in pots or a single hydrangea, a really comfy bench with cushion, and some lights.

Bamboo is good too, makes a nice rustling sound in the breeze

In mumsnetland don't all patios need to be fertilised with the bodies of useless DH's?

@Fluffycloudland77 & @mintjulia thank you both really practical tips which i will follow was wondering how to clean & which plants have more chance of surviving!

@everythingbackbutyou & @justilou1 sorry i have my own exh! 😏

@LockdownCheeseToastie @funnylittlefloozie im definitely ordering lights!

Thank you so much everyone 😄 im going to make it my little piece of heaven

B&M have all their garden furniture in. I have my eye on a comfy egg swinging chair😄. Also, have lighting and colourful pots for the garden.

You can get nice outdoor rugs which would brighten up concrete slabs - IKEA, Amazon or eBay.

I think less is more, consider big pots and big plants, bamboo has already been mentioned, and gives a tropical feel, fast growing and easy to care for. Maybe a hardy fuchsia, which again are easy to look after. You might like to add a tomato plant or 2 for the summer. They can be grown in a grobag or a cheap bucket with holes in.

Whatever plants you get, with the exception of the tomato, check they are hardy, otherwise you will have to bring them in in the winter.

Geraniums also add a splash of colour but are not hardy.

Finally, if you have a sunny spot you might want to consider a solar powered self contained water feature. They do need more sun to power them though than the previously mentioned somar fairy lights.

Thank you all so much for the great suggestions. The patio gets full sun in afternoon, pic attached....

There’s YouTube videos on using bleach on patios, I use Aldi bleach diluted in watering cans. I’ve got concrete window sills I use it on too.

Herbs grow well in pots and smell nice too, Rosemary & lavender do well. There’s usually seed mixes you can buy to attract insects.

You can hang bird feeders in that tree down the bottom, it makes a huge difference when the birds come.

If money is tight you could make some low level pallet furniture (especially good for preschoolers imagine). Loads of pallets being given away free on marketplace and local groups. Agree with lighting and build up some container plants gradually... keep an eye out for large pots being given away for free and take your time. Yes to old rugs (sisal etc) to make it cosier. You will get there!

Can you borrow a jet wash from someone or get someone in to blast it? That will make a massive difference. Lots of colourful pots dotted around would look lovely.

What is under the raised area at the back? Looks like gravel and a membrane that is coming up? If it’s earth underneath that would worth digging over and using as planting. Much cheaper than buying pots. If you stand with your back to that fence, are you facing north, south, east or west? That will really determine what you can grow there - if the fence casts a shadow on the plants all day then you just need shadier stuff. Even some bamboo likes shade!

A big outdoor rug (Ikea) and some furniture will start it off, but if you want plants then I think you really need height. A row of small pots around the edges isn’t going to look good. I would look at finding climbers to cover the back fence and shed, to give quick greenery. Then tall pots for other areas - Whitefurze is a brand that do lots of big plastic planters. I just got some 40cm square and 55cm tall for £10 each, for planting bamboo in. Stacked the pots on some bricks to get a bit more height, and already the bamboo is above head height.

For second hand plants, try Facebook marketplace.

There are loads on mine, and they are so much cheaper than the garden centre. When they are little trees, such as a Japanese maple, they are often quite big already and sometimes come in a lovely pot, so I assume that are easier to look after than a small seedling.

Firstly, bleach is a faff. Get yourself a bottle of Patio Magic. Add it to a watering can and sprinkle it on the slabs. The stuff is witchcraft. You will literally watch them return to new in a few days (though it does say up to two weeks it's always been pretty quick here). I'd never have believed it had I not seen it.

Bamboo in pots is a good shout, couple of things to consider, bamboo roots grow like the clappers so dont buy expensive plastic pots as in two years time or so they will split it. B&Q have some nice little bell pots for about £8, cheap enough to replace. Also, in 2 years time in the winter, remove the bamboo from the pot and saw the root ball in half. Repot both halves. You've just doubled your crop.

Cheap gazebo's never have curtains. Amazon sell a 72x72 cream shower curtain that fits to a gazebo perfectly. You only need two sides really to make it feel homely.

I wanted an outdoor rug, but rather chose to stencil a square onto my slabs with masonry paint. It looks fab, really pleased with it, though appreciate in rented you probably wont be allowed to do this. Rugs are great again though for feeling homely.

Good luck!