My LIttle Patio Oasis, I Mean Maple's
Posted by Carrie Hannegan on
I recently downsized and I'm renting a little townhouse and missed my large garden so I decided to get some flower boxes, chairs and a tiny grill.
With inspiration for a recent trip to Charleston, SC, I decided to do the "Thriller, Filler and Spiller" concept.
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I started with a series of sketches. This was two boxes and some planters. Still trying to put an idea together... Eventually, I might add trellises to the bigger planters so the jasmine can grow up. |
| ChatGPT didn't understand what I was trying to do at all... but it was entertaining to see. | 
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I bought more boxes than I had intended, but I think it worked out well! The back of the patio faces the parking lot of the subdivision so I wanted to create as much privacy as I could... |
| The boxes create a little cubby and it's great to sit and hide in there while Maple splashes and makes a ruckus. |  |
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I got all of the planters on Amazon... these rectangular ones are currently $375 for two of them. They also come in gray and black. I love them! They have a drop-in planter that is about 13" deep and I put cinderblocks on the bottom to give them weight. One isn't centered, but it's not going anywhere. |
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And then I got two of the more square tall planters on Amazon, too. These are currently $256 for two of them. |
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I put the other cube box by the front door to hide an outdoor outlet. It's only been a couple of weeks and already these plants have taken off!! |
I went to the Raleigh Farmer's market to get a variety of unusual plants that are all native to the area. I was looking for color and texture. And I wanted to stick to greens, whites and purples. So let's take a look at the plants!
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I'll start with the box by the front door. It gets partial morning sun. So I picked plants that would work here, I mostly used succulents. I've never been a fan of succulents, but these are cool! Thriller: Not very fancy, but French Lavender. It was tall and whimsical and takes up the back space. Also in the back in a succulent that is getting tall and I think that's called Lamb's Ear. Filler: Another lavender, that puffy baby's breath looking plant is Euphorbia Diamond Frost and it's HUGE already. There is a gorgeous purple and green variegated plant in the front right that is hiding - that is inch plant or wandering jew. Spiller: Variegated Baby Sun Rose, String of Bananas and Tradescantia in Pistachio White. A lot of these are dought tolerant so I added sand to the potting soil so they wouldn't sit in as much moisture. |
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The rectangular boxes are PACKED with flowers. I may have overdone it! Both boxes have the same plants, just mirrored in placement. Thriller: the Confederate jasmine. It smells SO good and I got a GREAT deal on them at the farmer's market, $20 each! Those came with bamboo to climb on, but I think I'm going to build a trellis. Fillers: Starting from the left:
Spillers: One succulent, Sedum lineare, Purple Sweet Potato plant and sagey green Helichrysum Petiolare or licorice plant. |
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The last box was filled with what I had left. This was a mishmash for sure... Thriller: Angelonia Angustifolia or Summer Snapdragon, the bluer flower is Balloon Flowers. Then another lemongrass to help with the never ending battle against the mosquitos. Filler: Sage (which is already taking over) and Lanceolate or Egyptian star cluster or star flower. Spillers: Creeping Jenny, although it's struggling there for some reason. |
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And because I went CRAZY at the Farmer's Market, I had to get another pot because I wanted to try to plant a Eucalyptus! Of all things... I put a lot of sand in here just because every Eucalyptus tree I've ever seen has been near the ocean... I added a lavender, a creeping Jenny and some seashells that the prior tenant left everywhere. Let's hope she lives, I love these leaves! |
I was obsessed with the idea of copper pots, because they were all over Charleston and show up in Southern design boards. But they are so expensive!! So I opted to add a pop of faux-copper by painting these tables copper...
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Behr makes a spray paint and they looked pretty good at the end. It sort of reminded me of the Star Wars land at Disneyland... you know, the dystopian future where everything is a metal with an unrecognizable finish? I welcome my Ewok overlords to my patio garden. |
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Here's Maple McDerp inside the cubby with one of the Ewok tables. Oh! And these chairs!! I scoured the internet looking for something that was natural, had some wicker, but weren't huge because I lacked space and I have to say... these are awesome. And easy to put together AND not that expensive. Boo they are currently out of stock. I almost want to order them wholesale because I love them so much! Ya'll would love them, too! |
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Last but not least, I got this cute little portable grill. I wish I got the one with the lid (they may have one you can buy sold separately... ) But the chicken turned out really good and I can store this in a cabinet in the kitchen. I also put those grates through the dishwasher. They aren't perfectly clean, but close enough. I grill so infrequently that this will work great! And I can take it with me... to where people grill outdoors for one or two people? lol? Where is that? I still love it, though. |
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So there you have it, Maple's little Flower Cubby! Thanks for reading!