So.
As all of my projects are wont to do, my patio makeover went right to the wire. Ok, it's not absolutely 100% complete, but I'm claiming the win.
In April, having cleared the area, it looked like this.....
The first weekend PP was in hospital, my stepson and stepson-in-law came to put the gazebo together....
I wanted a focal point on the bare brick wall at the back, so I bought a piece of wooden trellis and attached tiles of faux greenery to it to create an exotic foliage screen....
With the foliage panel in place, it was time to replace the seating. I tried a different configuration to provide a length of seating where PP could lie down if she wanted a nap. The outdoor rug fills the floorspace perfectly.
In the cancer world, neuroendocrine tumors are the zebras because of their rarity and the NET cancer community has adopted the zebra as their 'mascot'.... so I just had to have one. I made her rather fetching floral headdress and positioned her to emerge from the foliage.
Each summer I ring the changes with a different trompe l'oeil shower curtain on the fence at the back of the patio. This year I've chosen an oval opening in a wooden fence leading onto a path with trees beyond. I'll be adding more foliage around the panel to blur the edges between it and the existing fence.
Colourful throws and cushions create a welcoming space to curl up with a book or a glass of something chilled. Those square mandala cushions are the ones which took me an age to make but I'm so pleased with how they turned out.
I fixed a string of hundreds of LED lights all around the inside of the roof and along the rafters and made a floral garland to decorate the front.
Of course it's not completely finished. I'm still making some curtains from waterproof fabric for the sides, as well as a little water feature and some hanging beaded lantern holders which will be fixed along the back edge over the seating area, but overall I'm really pleased with how it's turned out so far. Let's hope we get some lovely summer weather in the months ahead to be able to enjoy it!
