Summer is officially in full swing, which means we’re spending more time outside than ever—even in a heat wave. As you ready your patio for the height of outdoor entertaining season, you may be thinking about all the upgrades—big and small—that you can make to ensure your space looks beautiful and functions well. If the prospect of improving your outdoor spaces feels overwhelming, have no fear—I’m here to help. As Country Living’s Deputy Homes Editor, I spend a lot of time studying the most beautiful backyard spaces and what makes them work. Below, I’m sharing three designer-loved updates you can do this weekend to turn your backyard and patio into the outdoor oasis you deserve.
Surround Your Patio with Natural Landscaping
Let’s start with the area around your patio—aka your backyard. (It’s really the view from the patio that counts anyway.) Over the last few years, we’ve seen renewed interest in naturalistic landscaping and gardens—in fact, meadowscaping was one of last year’s biggest gardening trends, and it doesn’t look like this approach to landscaping is going anywhere in 2026.
When thinking about updating your backyard, designers and expert gardeners alike are frequently turning to environments that look of the land, not separated from it. “Gardens will become more and more attuned to the landscape that envelops them, blurring the line between gardened space and nature at large,” say Country Design 100 honorees Alan Calpe and Christopher Crawford, the creative minds and gardeners behind cult-favorite Gardenheir.
And in 2026, data shows that homeowners are thinking about ways to upgrade their landscaping. According to Houzz’s 2026 Outdoor Trends Study, landscape lighting—such as uplights aimed at trees—is one of the most popular backyard upgrades. As interest in string or bistro lights wanes, according to Houzz, strategically placed lighting that highlights landscaping features will give your backyard—and patio—that high-end luxe feel.
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Color Drench Your Space
Once you’ve got the area around your patio sorted, it’s time to turn your attention to the patio itself. You’ve likely heard of color drenching—the design method that wraps an entire space in one color via paint and textiles—but have you ever considered trying it outdoors? Perhaps you should.
“In design, we often hear about bringing the outdoors in, but lately I’ve loved seeing how interior trends are influencing our outdoor living spaces,” says Anna Miller, director of trend and design for The Home Depot, who thinks it’s high time to go all in on color drenching outside. “Think metal-frame outdoor furniture in earthy greens, deep reds, or dusty blues with matching upholstery and cushions. Match your flowers to your planter for a color-drenched, coordinated look [or] update a classic wrought-iron patio set in fresh, sage green and add a coordinating cushion for an updated, charming refresh.”
RELATED: See Inside the Color-Drenched Chicken Coop That Proves You Can Never Go Too Far
Build a Shade Structure
Yes, yes: Umbrellas do well to keep your patio party going strong even under the hottest of suns, but they lack the old-school charm of a good pergola. Designers love these architectural additions because they bring style in spades, but also because they are supremely practical. Not only will a pergola cool off your sitting area, but it also provides structure for climbing vines or a place to add a hanging basket. It also can extend the life of your outdoor-grade upholstery by providing some protection from the ever-changing summer elements. Plus, it seems to be one of the year’s most coveted backyard features, according to Zillow.
Don’t have the space for a pergola on your existing patio? No worries! You can still bring the charm of a wooden structure to your backyard. A standalone dining pergola, like the one seen here, is a perfect complement to any farm’s sweeping backyard. You can also use it to shelter a fire pit or install one in your garden to create a secondary sitting area.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
