Whether itsdying plants, a view of your neighbors garbage cans, or mosquitos that threaten to drain you before you can drain a beer, patios tend to develop some chill-disrupting problems. Heres some of the more annoying ones, and how to fix them.

Small Patio?

Train a vine to grow up a wall, hang plants from the roof, or set potted plants on shelves on the wall, helps to draws the eye upward which makes the space feel larger, Tying the patio space visually to your yard will also make it feel larger, too. Layer plants around the patios edge short ones at the front and taller ones as you get farther from the patio. Dont have planting beds? Use containers of plants to get the same effect.

Near street noise?

Nothing kills a patio buzz like a swarm of noisy traffic. A masonry wall is the best way block the car horns and sirens, of course, but thats a large and expensive project.

A cheaper, simpler option: Make a living wall of plants. A dense planting can cut noise by as much as 10%.

Or create your own noise.Try installing a fountain. Even though the sound of gurgling water wont drown out all the street sounds, it will mitigate them and soothe your noise-battered soul.

Playing music or white noise over an outdoor Bluetooth speaker can also knock down noise.

No Shade?

A sail shade is the simplest, fastest, and cheapest solution to provide shelter from the sun. It gives you shade where you want it, when you want it.

If you can wait a year for shade, train vines to grow overhead on a pergola, which is a more permanent (and value-adding) solution than a shade. Not only will the vine shield you from the sun, but also it will lower the air temperature, thanks to the magic of transpiration.

When the air heats up, the vines leaves release water into the air. Its natures air conditioning. The best solution: Keep that sail shade up until the vines have covered the pergola.

No privacy?

If your neighbors gaze is an uninvited guest at every patio party, put space between you and them with plants.

Install a sheet of lattice on the side of your patio closest to the neighbors, and train a fast-growing, leafy vine like ivy or jasmine to climb up the side of it. Looks like a garden, acts like a privacy fence.

Hows that for polite but effective? If you want privacy faster, line up a row of big planters filled with tall evergreens along the patios edge. Outdoor drapes work, too. Close them when you want some peep-proof outdoor time.

Windy?

A lattice wall or row of heavy planters filled with tall plantings can make a great windbreak as well as aprivacy screen.

If your nuisance wind comes from varying directions, put the containers on rolling plant stands and move them so they block the wind as needed. Another solution:heavy duty material used as curtains can be with weighted hems.

No view?

In a perfect world, a knockout view is just part of the patio package. In reality, you might be gazing at the neighbors swing set or the side of their garage. If painting a sunset mural on the garage is out of the question, adjust your gaze inward, rather than out with a focal point on your patio.

Hang an outdoor mirror, install a sculpture, or water feature, or create a wall covered in unique materials like stacked stone or painted a bright color, Even stringing twinkly party lights around theedge of the roof, or on your oversized plants, will make your patio more scenic and give you something to look at.

Bugs?

Your gentle breeze is an insects hurricane. Make your patio a permanent Category 5 for pests with an outdoor fan. At night, use an LED bulb with a Kelvin rating lower than 3,000. It produces a yellow light thats less appealing to bugs.

Or battle nature with nature. Invite bats and birds to your yard. Theyll eat the bugs that are trying to eat you. Hang a bird feeder and a bat house, and provide a source of clean water for them to drink. (Use a fountain to keep the water moving, so mosquitos wont breed in it.)

And dont be silly. Bats wont hurt you. Scare you maybe? But youll get used to them. The bugs wont. LOL.

When you are ready to buy or sell your next home, please call me, Marie McLaughlin 727-858-7569.