Home Decor: Porch & Patio

Despite the regular freeze warnings we've had this week, it's starting to feel like spring in Virginia, and that means I want to be outdoors as much as possible.  The problem?  My outdoor spaces are not nice places to be right now.  Due to the location of our townhouse at the end of the lot our complex is on, we kind of got gipped.  The townhouses on the sides have nice wooden decks.  The townhouses on our side have one long, short concrete patio.  Even though the wooden decks aren't "private," there's a division there between YOUR deck and your NEIGHBOR'S deck.  The patios kind of blend together, with only a little crack to show where our space ends and our neighbors' begin.

Consider this a "before" picture.

The mister and I both enjoy a little gardening now and then.  My family has kept some sort of garden for as long as I can remember, my father grew up on farms, my mother loves landscaping with flowers and tress, and I'm certified to teach forestry at 4-H summer camps.  The mister used to work as a groundskeeper at a golf course.  Between us, we can name most plants and love to have growing things around us.  The mister had the bright idea to line our little patio with planters to give it more of a defined border.  We also want a nice patio set with a table and chairs and perhaps even a cute umbrella.

For the front porch, my wish list is a welcoming wreath, a new welcome mat, and- this is the ambitious part - a comfy bench that would also hide our recycling containers.

Basically, we're tired of our outdoor spaces being boring and want to add some life to them!  Here's some of the inspiration I've found for the porch and patio!

Container Gardens:

Addicted 2 Decorating || LLH Design Blog via Baby Gizmo Blog

Better Homes and Gardens || Bay Village Garden Club

Strawberry Planters and Herb Gardens:

Bed Bath and Beyond || Crate and Barrel (out of stock, similar here)

Chez Pim

Storage Glee

DIY Tables and Benches:

Apartment Therapy

HomeDIT

French By Design

Funky Junk Interiors

Spring Wreaths:

My Blessed Life

Sandy Sewz

How do you "spring up" your outdoor spaces?