outdoor composite decking with decking planter growing colourful flowers - deck planter ideas

Adding plants to your decking is a great way to brighten up your outdoor space. If you’re looking for inspiration on decorating your deck with plant life, you’re in the right place!

When it comes to deciding what plants you want growing on your deck, there are so many different options it can feel pretty overwhelming at times. To help you make a decision, we’ve put together a list of things to consider when deciding what to plant around your deck. More...

what to do with leftover decking boards

When you complete a garden renovation, you can sometimes find that you have materials left over at the end! If you've spent a lot of time and money choosing composite decking that you adore, it seems a shame to let the leftover deck boards go to waste. Don't worry, there are a lot of practical and innovative ways that you can use your leftover deck boards to further enhance your outdoor space. So, if you're wondering what to do with your leftover deck boards, just keep reading.

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Can you believe we're almost at the end of February? We're definitely starting to see some longer, brighter days creeping in, which means spring is well and truly on the way! With drier, warmer days just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about getting your garden ready for spring 2021. 

If you've taken a look at the Prime Minister's roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions, you'll notice that two households (up to 6 people) will be able to meet outdoors by the end of March. That's not too far away! We're sure you'll want to welcome your friends and family into your garden after months apart, so it's important that your garden is looking its best. Here are a few things you can do to get your garden ready for spring 2021.

deckplus composite decking

Upgrade your old deck

Many homeowners in the UK have an old timber deck that's been quietly rotting and warping in the damp weather for years. People lead busy lifestyles which means sanding, staining, and sealing a timber deck falls to the bottom of a very long list of garden tasks that need to be done. As such, there are a lot of old wooden decks that could be replaced with composite decking to clean the garden up in time for spring. 

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By installing a deck to your property, you introduce a myriad of endless possibilities that you can use it for, as well as gaining a host of benefits that come with it. These include adding value to your home, creating an additional space to relax, entertain guests or dine with the family and making your outdoor space look more homely and inviting. 

However, just like any other type of interior or exterior design, the look of your deck needs to be the right one and match the rest of your home. For those of you who lean towards a more modern-looking home and outside area, installing a contemporary deck is what you'll want to go for.

Now, some of you may be wondering what a contemporary decking design even looks like. So, to avoid any confusion, we're going to run through a few contemporary decking ideas that you can use to take your outdoor area to the next level. 

 

Covered decking 

The first contemporary decking idea that you can add to your property is a covered deck. This is, of course, a traditional decked area which is covered by an outdoor structure such as an awning, veranda or sunroom. For us that live here in the UK, this offers a great way to enjoy your garden throughout the whole year, as a suitable cover will help to fight against the elements when needed. Whether that's shelter from the rain during the winter or shade from the sun during the summer, a well-designed covered deck can allow you to enjoy your garden all-year-round.

 

Combining paving with decking 

Another creative way that you can create a contemporary decking area is to combine paving with deck boards. Typically, you'll find a garden has either a deck or a patio area, but very rarely do you see the two combined. This can be a result of either a lack of imagination from homeowners or simply down to simple reasons such as space and budget. However, by installing a decked area in your garden that doubles down as a patio, you are guaranteed to catch the eye of anyone who comes to visit. 

As our composite decking is the perfect low-maintenance deck option, it would make sense to choose a similar paving product. Porcelain paving is a perfect choice here as it also offers extremely low upkeep requirements with high resistance to fading, scratching and abrasions. Meaning your new contemporary deck will last a long time without the need for constant care and attention.

 

Deck planters 

For those of you who enjoy gardening and caring for plants and flowers, there's a simple way for you to incorporate your hobby into your deck's design and that is through planters! Deck planters use the same deck boards that you install for your main deck, to create beautifully-matching spaces where you can grow flowers, plants or vegetables. This is a nifty contemporary decking idea that aims to combine your outdoor design with an element of practicality, providing you with an extra reason to spend more time in your newly-designed outdoor space. Even though planters are often planned in the initial deck design, they are also a great way to make use of any extra deck boards that you have laying around once your main deck is installed! 

 

Multi-level decks 

The final contemporary decking idea that you can utilise to bring some life to your garden is a multi-level deck. Here, your deck is designed to incorporate multiples levels as opposed to just one, which is what you would typically find in a garden that has a deck. By adding a multi-level deck, you create a somewhat optical illusion in that it adds to the aesthetic paradigm of your garden, making it look multi-faceted instead of plain and simple. 

A great benefit of a multi-level deck is that it creates an opportunity for you to house different areas of your garden. For example, when you walk out of your home and onto your deck, you can have an open area that spills onto the rest of the garden. You can then add a set of deck steps which takes you to a lower level where your main seating area or even a pool or hot tub. The ideas are endless! 

These are just a handful of contemporary decking ideas that you can use to inspire your new, modern-looking outdoor space! You can even combine them to create the ultimate contemporary garden. 

Create your contemporary decking today! 

If you'd like to take the first steps to create your contemporary outdoor space with a new deck, then please do not hesitate to contact the DeckPlus team. Our experienced and professional decking experts can help you every step of the way. From initial ideas to planning and installation, we are only one call away from bringing your garden dreams to life! So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today. 

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We love seeing creative uses of our composite decking products, and this one's a humdinger. You've probably seen gardens where a series of stepping stones are laid across a lawn or gravel path; this customer had a similar idea, but they used our gorgeous weathered-effect deck boards instead of stepping stones!

Decking path

Pictured: WeatherDek Aged Oak composite decking

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