I found an interesting news story at The Daily Journal.  It talks about creating living spaces outside, including waterproof rugs and wall art.  One idea mentioned was making family photos waterproof to hang on the walls.  They suggested taking your prints to a local copy center and asking for them to be weatherproofed.  If the copy center does not offer that service, you can coat your prints with a thin layer of polyurethane.

Also, Joanie Richard wrote that we should embrace the outdoor living room.  I agree!  When the value of your home becomes less than you payed for it, you should maximize every inch of space that you’re paying for, including the outdoors.  And being outside lets you get to know your neighbors.

Is it even possible?  If you have a modern or playful style and need to conserve water, you might be interested in this neat little gadget.  This rain collector (RC-1) holds 45 gallons of rainwater.  You can also attach it to your gutter to collect the runoff, and it has a screen on the top to filter out leaves and such.

My favorite feature is a spigot on the front, which lets you pour the water into a watering can, or even attach it to your hose to water the plants.   Inhabitat wrote that “the RC-1 is the perfect example of an accessible and sustainable gardening tool.” 

They also make a drying rack (DR-1) which doubles as a garden screen.  I could see using it to cover your air conditioner while airdrying a few items, though it does not look like it would hold that much.

Photo by Randy Son of Robert

What do you want in your outdoor garden? Do you want a place to relax and unwind from a busy day? Would you like a place to entertain? Do you need space for children to play?

Your garden is yours and yours alone. Only you can decide how best to decorate and make it work for your family. But while you are planning out your garden, it can help to know what you are trying to accomplish. Once you know what you are going to use your garden for, it makes it easier to decide where to spend your hard earned money.

However, even a functional garden should still be a place to relax. You can make your garden patio a haven from the daily world by remembering the five senses in your garden décor: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Incorporating each of these into your garden will make it a more holistically pleasant place to be.

You can also choose to style your outdoor garden décor around a central theme. Some common themes include memory, celestial, fantasy, natural, and Japanese. It helps to look through some magazines and choose the style which most appeals to you. Even in the smallest space, you can express yourself through your chosen style.

What you put into your garden is going to depend on both your space and your needs. For example, do you have room or desire for a patio? If so, then you’ll need furniture, decorations, and maybe even some potted plants. You can also style your patio as an outdoor dining room, perhaps even with an outdoor kitchen. The possibilities are limitless!