Summer is almost here and it’s time to start spending time in our outdoor gardens and entertaining spaces. While many of us enjoy a beautifully landscaped yard and stylish patio area, very few people enjoy all the work that goes along with maintaining outdoor spaces. Even if you love gardening or working outdoors, you might just not have the time to devote to keeping up with a lot of extra outdoor patio chores. Today I am sharing five tips for  designing low maintenance outdoor entertaining spaces.*This post contains affiliate links.

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1. Consider Artificial Grass

One of the hottest outdoor design trends is to incorporate faux grass in an entertaining space. Today’s artificial grasses have come a long way from the plastic-like grasses of the past.

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Faux grass looks amazing next to stone, brick or concrete, and best of all, you will never need a weed eater!

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If you have a troublesome spot in your yard where shade prevents grass from growing, consider faux turf.  Or if you simply want a neat lawn but don’t want the upkeep, check out artificial grass as found at www.expressgrass.com. You’ll never have to mow it or water it – it will always look lush and green, and may even add value to your home. You can install artificial grass with custom measurements allowing you to fit the exact dimensions of the area you want to cover.

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2. Use Sealants On Decks And Patios

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Natural stone and brick patios or even wooden decks can also become low maintenance outdoor entertaining spaces when they are properly sealed.

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Sealants will make these surfaces easier to clean preventing you from having to use a pressure washer as often. Sites like wondaseal.co.za sell sealants that are perfect for keeping decking free of wear and tear. You can buy separate sealants for patio stones that can prevent  discoloring as a result of rain and sun.

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Although it is a bit more costly, long lasting composite decking is another great choice for low maintenance outdoor entertaining spaces.

3. Choose Low Maintenance Plants 

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Beautify your outdoor spaces with low maintenance plants in gravel beds or containers. Succulents are a great choice. They are members of the cacti family and therefore do not require much watering. They are very hardy, easy to propagate and require little soil.

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There are so many beautiful and elegant varieties to choose from and they look gorgeous in urns and containers on a patio or deck. If you are looking for low maintenance plants, succulents are the way to go.

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Of course there are as such plants  as lavender, ornamental grasses, evergreen shrubs and herbs that grow well with little care if you prefer traditional landscape plants.

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4. Install Solar Lighting

Solar lighting is by far the most convenient form of outdoor lighting. By relying on the energy of the sun, you don’t have to worry about hiding wiring, replacing batteries, or relighting candles – you simply position the solar light where you want it and it will illuminate itself. 

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Today there are many beautiful and stylish solar lighting options including candle lanterns and mission style lamps.

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Some solar lights have a longer lifespan than others so it’s worth shopping around to find lights that are durable and long-lasting.

5. Purchase Long Lasting, Easy Care Patio Furntiure

I recently shared a post of Porch and Patio Furniture Inspiration, and I always tend to lean toward metal patio furniture as my top choice. High quality metal furniture will last for years. A few of my metal porch chairs are nearly 100 years old, only needing to be touched up with Rustoleum metal paint every couple of years.

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If you are looking for furniture that requires no maintenance, polywood is amazing! It is beautiful and durable, and never needs to be repainted or stained. It is even eco-friendly!

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Well, are you ready to get started on designing some low maintenance outdoor entertaining spaces using any of the five tips I shared today? I am definitely going to be using a lot of containers of succulents this year, and I love the idea of using elegant solar candle lanterns too.

If you are looking for more ideas for designing beautiful outdoor entertaining areas, you might enjoy this post too. Do you have any other ideas for designing low maintenance decks, patios, lawns and gardens? I love hearing from my readers!

Thanks for visiting today!

Amber