Patio Refresh: Hydrangeas, Planters, and a Little Ceramic Turtle

It’s been a while since we shared any gardening updates (over a month, actually), but that doesn’t mean nothing has changed. We’ve been working away, waiting for things to fill in a bit so we could take some photos. If you remember, we recently transplanted some bushes to brighten the area behind our patio.

That transplant improved one side of the patio, but it left a rather empty, unattractive gap on the other side.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to revisit the area. We picked up two hydrangeas and a pot of petunias from Home Depot and planted them to bring that side of the patio back to life.

Adding fresh mulch and flowers made an immediate improvement, but our hope was that the hydrangeas would fill in the space over time—and thankfully, they have.

Fast-forward to this week and the corner is already looking much better, with blooms in full force and a new ceramic garden friend (Sherry spotted him at HomeGoods). We also finally cleared away the garden stones that had been cluttering the brick steps for over a year. Some neighbors bought them from us for their garden, so we made about $90 and cleared the clutter—win-win.

The little green turtle cost $16 and Sherry convinced me it was worth it—our outdoor ceramic animal collection was basically non-existent. She’d loved a white stone turtle that had been here when we first toured the house, so this one felt like a fitting replacement. Clara adores him almost as much as she adores Sherry.

The hydrangeas wasted no time showing color. We expected both to be blue, but one developed a slightly more purple tone—likely influenced by the soil conditions under that plant.

I know the internet has plenty of dreamy soft-focus flower photos, but I had to include this one because someone adorable blurred himself into the background.

Burger was on the lookout for his latest—erm—best friend, a tiny lizard that suns itself on those brick steps but scurries away whenever Burger gets close. He tried hard, bless him.

We joked that maybe Burger should take up hunting turtles. This ceramic one would be a safe target, at least.

While refreshing that patio nook, we also tackled a set of black planters that have been migrating around since we moved in. Surprisingly, the boxwoods we planted in them back at our old house are still healthy and thriving.

Since those sturdy boxwoods weren’t contributing much in their current spot—and since Katherine The Landscape Gal had recommended boxwoods for the empty planters flanking our front door—we decided to move them to the porch where they could be more visible and better used in the entryway.

We carefully lifted each boxwood from the black planters…

…and replanted them on the front porch in the wooden containers that previously held seasonal mums. Fingers crossed the move wasn’t too stressful for them; those wooden planters haven’t always been the most forgiving in the past. This time, though, we promise to stay on top of watering.

The black planters were now empty, so we brought home a couple more white petunia pots and set them in place. It’s a simple solution, but the petunias add a cheerful touch and help balance the patio’s overall look.

These small changes—fresh mulch, two hydrangeas, a ceramic turtle, moved boxwoods, and a few petunias—did more than we expected. The patio nook now feels inviting and lived-in instead of neglected.

One last floral shot for the road—because who doesn’t love a little backyard bloom therapy?

How about you—are you still in full outdoor sprucing mode, or are you starting to lose momentum as summer approaches? We’d love to hear what small updates have made the biggest difference in your outdoor spaces this season.