How Do You Decorate a Garden Deck With Plants?

On its own, a well-designed deck can transform any space into a beautiful and rustic setting. However, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your outdoor design. Choosing the right furniture, painting the walls, and other improvements can make it drastically better. But one of the best pairs of garden decking is plants. The question is, how do you design a deck with plants?

Tips for Designing Decks with Plants

Landscaping has always been a crucial part of designing an outdoor space. When used together with beautiful garden decking boards, it can create some of the most beautiful and luxurious outdoor areas you can have. But as with any design element, you will have to plan it carefully. Here are a few tips on how you can pair your outdoor deck with some landscaping. 

 

Don’t Overdo It

One of the many mistakes homeowners make when using plants to design outdoor spaces is overdoing it. While it may work in some cases, putting too many plants around or on your deck won’t do much good. Not only will it look chaotic rather than appealing, but it can also affect your outdoor flooring negatively. Too many leaves, debris, and dirt due to the surrounding plants will mean you will need to maintain your deck more often. If not, accumulation of these can promote mould and mildew growth. Instead, add a few plants little by little. When you feel the design is lacking, you can add a few more. 

Add Some Planters

Plants contribute to the overall beauty of your outdoor space. But so as the planters you put them in. Using planters that complement the plants and your outdoor patio creates the best outdoor designs.

With so many designs available to your choosing, picking one can be tricky. For outdoor decking, you will want to use wood containers to match the aesthetics. Some even use the same material to create their very own planter boxes. For instance, if you have composite decking, consider getting a few boards to design or customize a planter box if your budget permits. If you have some DIY skills, feel free to create and design your very own plant boxes. 

Naturally, you will have to consider what plants you will be putting on the container, whether it will be a small tree or a shrub. You’ll want to keep in mind the room for the plants’ growth. 

Choose a Theme

Choosing a theme when decorating a deck can help you decide what plants to use. It will give you a clear direction for your intended design choice. When designing with plants, choose colours that will compliment your home’s exterior, floor colour, and outdoor furniture and fixtures. 

For a pop of colour, mix and match flowers and plants with vibrant colours such as roses, geraniums, and poppies. For a more subdued colour theme, you can try out using primrose, lavenders, and delphiniums. You can also mix and match an assortment of plants with various heights. 

 

Pick Low-Maintenance Plants

When choosing plants for your deck, it is crucial to pick low-maintenance ones. Why spend so much time and effort on plants if you can use that time to relax in your garden decking? Not only does it affect your enjoyment, but high-maintenance plants can also become an issue for your deck. 

Despite what many people may think, there are so many attractive and eye-catching low-maintenance plants you can pick. Dahlias, geraniums, and topiaries are a few examples of hardy plants that you can choose. Succulents also are an excellent choice, and they come in various colours and textures. If possible, minimize the use of annuals, as they are the highest maintenance plants.

Use Tall Plants for Added Privacy

Providing a unique and beautiful design to your outdoor living space is not the only benefit of using plants for decorations. It can also give you added privacy from your neighbours. 

Tall growing evergreen trees such as cypress and junipers work well for this purpose. You can also find various tree forms of different shrubs such as hibiscus and lantana. Some homeowners also make use of tall bamboo. 

Don’t Forget Your Landscape

When decorating your garden decking, the surrounding lawn and landscaping are as crucial as the plants you place on top of the deck. If you want to protect your deck, you could add mulch to your deck. Not only does it provide benefits to your plants, but placing them around your deck protects it from moisture and weed damage. 

Maintaining a healthy grass lawn also goes a long way in creating a beautiful outdoor space. While it may seem troublesome for its worth, you won’t regret keeping a beautiful and lush lawn. You can try using low-maintenance alternatives, such as fake grass or carpeting. However, most won’t match the aesthetics of the real thing.