Backyard Beautification

Just because you live in a rental, doesn't mean you have to forgo having a nice backyard space for entertaining. With just a few touches, it can go from fugly to fabulous!

Our backyard in the rental house we live in is, well, rather boring and small. However, though it be tiny, we have managed to squeeze in quite a few dedicated spaces. We have a chicken coop, vegetable garden boxes, a deck with a full-length bench on one side, dining table, intimate seating area, grilling space, outdoor fireplace, and potted plants galore, along with those trendy outdoor string light things.

But there are still areas for improvement. For instance, we had this lone large pot of flowers along a fence that is practically in invisible from the deck even though it is only about eight feet from the edge. To add a little flare, I bought some cheap terra cotta pots, mixed acrylic paint until I got my desire color of aqua, then haphazardly painted them, purposely leaving some of the terra cotta exposed for a rustic touch. Thank you, Pinterest! I then filled them with flowers that will make the area stand out even further, so when you are seated on the deck and look out, your eye catches those pops of color and entices you to explore further. 

Also, the side of the deck that butts up to the house was just wasted space. We have a whiskey barrel pond on the opposite side to view from the kitchen, but nothing on the other side of the sliding glass door. Well, a recent trip to Target to look at what they had led to a "Buy all the things!" spree. I bought two bright orange metal chairs and aqua cushions and lots of throw pillows to spruce up the dining chairs and bench as well. I also got a side table just large enough to fit a pot of shade plants and drinks for when you sit there. 

Now, if only there was a way to spruce up the black tarps garden stapled into the ground that take up half the backyard?