Outdoor Summer Living: Lovely & Versatile Patio Oasis Ideas

If you’re looking to spruce up your patio, here are budget-friendly ideas to transform it into a relaxing oasis! Lots of ideas & tips to create a home outdoor area you’ll love all summer long!

Summer Patio Oasis, Coming Right Up

I’ll be honest upfront. My deck is (was) my favorite space outdoors. I say ‘was’ because earlier this year, a storm came through, knocked down an enormous tree which ripped off the top deck and crashed it into the lower deck.

We’re in the process of working with insurance to have it rebuilt, but we’ve had to kind of reconfigure our outdoor areas to find a place to hang out this summer.

We have a patio right past our carport that was the only spot we had to work with. Over the years, we’ve used the space for various things, but since we prefer the deck, we didn’t do a whole lot with it.

This year, I decided to show it a little love and share with you some ideas of how you can put together your patio for a mini summer oasis.

It’s something of a rustic garden theme (which is code for ‘lots of imperfections’!) – but we are doing what we can with it to add charm and give us a relaxing space to be together.

And that is the point of a patio, after all, right?

You don’t need to have a perfect spot or perfect furniture…just do what you can with what you have or can afford, and remember it’s about WHO you’re with on the patio.

Factors to Consider When Decorating Your Patio

There’s always going to be variations whenever you read ideas for decorating. Interestingly enough, the factors are typically the same, regardless of what space you’re decorating.

The 3 basic things you’ll need to consider when decorating your patio are:

Size

What kind of size are you working with?

Budget

How much can you afford to invest in the space?

Function

How are you planning to use the space?

For relaxing? For entertaining? Just to keep things aesthetically pretty? A garden space? Or just your own personal area to retreat from the world?

I’d add in a 4th one if you’re decorating outdoors for summer:

Sunlight

How much sun does this area get and how much do you want?

Does this area get a lot of sun or shade or a mix of both? And how much of each do you want – do you want a primarily shady area? Or do you want sun?

If you’d like some protection from the sun, do you want a permanent solution (like a gazebo) or one that can be adjusted, such as a retracting pergola or an umbrella?

Those are some things you’ll want to consider first.

What to Add to Your Patio to Make It a Summer Oasis

This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosures for full details.

As I said above, the way you answered the 3 (well, 4) questions above will determine how proceed with the suggestions below. Be sure to take those tips and apply them to your patio specifically!

Plants and Flowers

The lighting on your patio will determine the plants and flowers you choose for your patio. But decorating with flower and plants in a pretty variety of planters is really just about all you need.

You can also opt to create a vertical garden on a privacy fence or an actual garden in some flower beds or bordering paths.

Flowers that Love Shade

If you have a lot of shade, be sure you choose plants that thrive in shade. Plants that do will in the shade are azaleas, boxwoods, ferns, hostas (my favorite), begonias, primrose, bleeding hearts, and impatiens. Hydrangeas also do well in the shade and are gorgeous!

I especially love to use hostas and hydrangeas in pots during the summer, and then plant them in the fall! They are fabulous budget savers because they are perennials and while make your yard beautiful every year!

Flowers that Love Sun

If flowers need full sun (at least 6 hours), make sure you can accommodate those. Some flowers that thrive in the sun are petunias, geraniums, zinnias, black-eyed susans, delphinium, hibiscus (another one of my favorites!), lantana, marigolds, pansies, peonies, poppies, snapdragons, violas… there are no shortage of gorgeous flowers that love the sun!

Most nurseries will have them clearly labeled for you!

Part Shade vs Part Sun

If your patio is sunny for part of the day, you’ll want to pay attention to how many of hours of sun and shade you have.

If it’s more hours of sun than shade (4-6 hours), you’ll want to get plants that like ‘partial sun.’

If it’s more hours of shade than sun, you’ll want to get plants that like ‘partial shade.’

For these flowers, 3-4 hours of direct sunlight, ideally in the morning is ideal (afternoon sun is usually too hot).

My patio is partially covered by trees, so I had to mix it all up! I used zinnias, ferns, impatiens, hostas to try to mix things up and accommodate varying amounts of light.

Seating & Furniture

I use the word ‘seating’ loosely here, as a patio can have many uses – entertaining, lounging, eating – even napping!

However, you do want to think about the function of your patio first, and then arrange your seating as needed.

If you want to create a garden lounge oasis, you might aim for more relaxing & casual seating – such as Adironack chairs around a coffee table or fire pit.

A chaise lounge, anti-gravity chair, or outdoor bed would also be a beautiful choice for a relaxing oasis.

Hanging swing chairs, hammocks, and patio swings are a great choice for lounging, too.

If you plan to use the patio as your main outdoor eating area, then you’d want to include a dining table and chairs.

How you use it will determine how the seating you get.

I would recommend, however, regardless of how you use the space, to have ample end tables available. Whether you’re lounging on a chaise or sitting in an Adirondack chair… you always want a side table nearby to set down a drink.

As I explained earlier, our patio is sort of a temporary space while we have our deck finished. So we have both a lounge area with and a small dining table with chairs.

Ideally, with such a small space, I’d rather use it for one or the other – but you can easily use it for both, if you have the space for it!

Don’t forget to think about color scheme when choosing your outdoor furniture as well. The colors you choose will set the tone for the whole outdoor space!

Though I almost always lean light, airy, and neutral in my decor, I’m all about bright and vibrant color for summer.

Lighting

We primarily use our patio during the day and not so much at night, but we have added a few options.

Solar outdoor lanterns are a great option, as are battery-powered candle lanterns! Both provide a great ambience for the evening.

Outdoor string lights is one of my favorite ways to light up an outdoor area.

If the patio was one we were going to use long-term as a primary outdoor space, I would have definitely made DIY planters with wood posts to strings lights across.

Privacy

Depending on the layout of your property and where your patio lies, you want to consider your privacy needs.

There are many decorative ways to create privacy on your patio.

Natural Tree and Bushes

Using nature as a natural border is a fabulous way to beautify your patio as well can create privacy. Arborvitae are beautiful trees that work wonderfully as a natural screen.

There are also many beautiful flowering trees and bushes such as lilac and Rose of Sharon that would be beautiful. Oversized potted plants can also make the area private while remaining cozy.

Curtains

Chances are, if you have a way to string lights around your patio, you probably could use a similar configuration to hang curtains. Sheer outdoor curtains look gorgeous and have an airy, ethereal look.

You can even use mosquito nets as curtains.

I love these options because while they provide some element of privacy, they are sheer enough so that you don’t feel boxed in. And when they blow in the breeze, they are simply magical.

If you need a stronger barrier, you can always use thicker outdoor curtains.

Privacy Fence

A private fence is definitely a great option if you want more substantial privacy. Wooden fences are really popular, but you can also buy sections of decorative PVC that just stick right into the ground – no digging required!

My mother-in-law has these at her home and they work great!

You can also use lattice with trailing flowers and vines to provide privacy as well!

Although our patio is sort of one the side of our house and somewhat visible from the street, the trees and bushes surrounding the area provide lots of privacy.

We also have a privacy fence, which helps also!

Finishing Touches

This is the fun part, in my opinion. It’s where you really get to make it unique and all your own – the decorative accents.

Here’s where you want to think about your color scheme that you chose earlier for your furniture. I especially love bright colors for the summer. The citrus color palette below is genius!

To really bring it to life, think about outdoor rugs and pillows that can add some vibrancy. Contrasts work really well for accent decor.

You can also think about vignettes that you may want to create as table centerpieces. Or you can just keep it simple with a single lantern or candle.

Portable tabletop firepits are also a great idea and are so versatile, for just about any area!

A potting table or bench is always a fun addition to a patio area and doesn’t have to be used just for potting! I use the potting table I purchased for actual potting, but you can use it as a decorative piece or a bar cart!

And don’t forget about a cascading water fountain … that just puts it over the top for a zen space! And wind chimes are so calming, too!

cascading water fountain concrete structure for patio

Patio Shopping List

As you read the post, you may have realized you may need to make a few purchases. I know that can be overwhelming.

There’s no need to buy everything this summer or make it picture perfect. Just grab the essentials, hold on to your vision, and add to little by little each year.

The point is to feel relaxed, not stressed out by creating the ‘perfect’ patio. Our patio is old and has a lot of imperfections. I get it. It’s tempting to feel frustrated and dissatisfied.

But I’ve learned to be grateful for what I have, make the best of what I have, and remember that while I may care about all the details, most people care about just spending quality time together.

And if you’ve carved out a space to do that, your patio is a total success.

If you’d like to shop around for a few ideas, use the list below only if it will be helpful.