Get Ready...It's Patio Time!

It's that glorious time of year ago. It's time to set up that patio and get it ready for many hours of summer entertaining, and more importantly, lounging. Do you have all the furnishings to make your patio fabulous? If so, it's time to pull them out. Give all of your sunbrella slipcovers a wash, scrub down your wooden furniture, and you may want to give your metal furniture a fresh coat of rustoleum paint. If you have an outdoor rug, think about having it dry cleaned. If your planters are bare, head to the nursery and get some new ones. Remember to treat your patio as another room - this will help you with space planning.

If you aren't fully furnished, here are some items you may want to pick up.

1) First and foremost, a piece of furniture to relax upon! This can be a hammock, cushioned settee, rocker, porch swing, Adirondack chair complete with ottoman...whatever makes you comfortable.

2) If you're a sun worshipper, find a lounge chair that can resist some greasy sunscreen.

3) If you need some shade, consider an umbrella. Lots of patio tables come with a hole in the center for an umbrella.

4) Lighting. If you like to enjoy your patio after dark, have it wired for electricity, or simply enjoy the light from a fire pit, tiki torches or candles. Candela lights from Vessel are also perfect for patios - they are rechargeable, wireless, sleekly modern portable lanterns.

5) Speaking of candles, you'll probably want to load up on some Citronellas to keep the bugs away.

6) Do you enjoy dining al fresco? If so, make sure you have a good weather resistant table and chairs. Hand tablecloths are low maintenance way to hide any schmutz that collects on the table.

7) How about storage? You may want to carve out some storage in a mudroom or have a bench seat built to house cushions that you won't stand up to the elements.

8) Extra plants. Oversized planters and planters are a great way to bring plants up onto the patio. If you are starting from scratch, you can build a patio around existing trees. Personally, I like to grow mint so that I can grab a leaf right off it and throw it in my iced tea. Planters are great for mint plants, because when you plant them in the ground, they spread like wildfire, and no one needs THAT much mint.

9) If you are going all out with this patio thing, start looking at the big-ticket items that are so popular right now like outdoor fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, and fountains.

10) Extra decor: Get creative. You can always add yard art sculptures, trellises, and even paintings to the exterior walls.

Oh, and one more thing, mix up the sweet tea, some Arnold Palmers, or preferably, margaritas!