Backyard Decor Solution

Spring Cleaning can be both cathartic and frustrating. As you spend these next few weekends planning for your outdoor life, don’t get worked up about how you’re going to make your backyard look just right.  If you’ve considered refreshing your exterior decor, you’ve likely realized you’ll spend well into the thousands to do so. But don’t panic, I’ve got a solution for you. In an effort to find the right pieces for my own patio, I have searched high and low to find the right products for reasonable prices. Here’s my selection of eclectic & bohemian, yet classic backyard decor. Clickable links to each product below. Happy Spring!

Meredith McBride Kipp Backyard Decor Savvy Selects

1. Scalamandre Melamine Salad Plates
Set of four $24.50, FRONTGATE

2. Pagoda Umbrella in Maui
$199.95, Pier 1 imports

3. citronella grey candle
$19.95, CB2

4. Capella Island Deluxe Armchair
$379.95, Pier 1 imports

5. OUTDOOR IDRISS PRINT LUMBAR PILLOW
$59.50, Pottery Barn

6. chunky white block planter
$39.95, CB2

7. Classic Beach Fold Chair
$229.00, Navy/Sand, Ballard Designs

8. OUTDOOR LARACHE PRINT PILLOW
$49.50, Pottery Barn

9. Ceylon Whitewash Chaise
$549, Ballard Designs

10. Quinn Garden Stool
$119.95, Pier 1 imports

11. Farmhouse Hammock Cushion
$399, Canopy Stripe Taupe/Sand Sunbrella, Ballard Designs

12. dockside II dining table
$449.00, CB2

Fields of Gold

I visited my parents’ home today to pick daffodils (the daffodil window is only about a week long but definitely my favorite seasonal tradition). Much to my surprise, there are some incredible things happening in these 200-year-old daffodil beds. After tens of decades of cross-pollination and just a few years of bee-keeping (by my father), I am seeing species I’ve never seen in all my years of meticulous (and admittedly obsessive) harvesting.

Fo’ Rill…


I don’t know if it’s the pathetic excuse of a winter that we’ve had, but I am aching for Spring… just dying to tear into the cold, dormant soil to start beautifying our dead, gray backyard again. With the blank canvas we’re presented with every year, there are so many things to consider. One of my absolute favorite garden statements—real or (in my case) regularly dreamed about—is the RILL. They are so chic and simple.

Rills, or narrow canals, are water features that add dimension, ambiance and soul-pleasing sounds to any outdoor space. Formal rills are made of concrete or masonry and sometimes house beautiful water plants and flowers. In nature, rills—similar to natural brooks—are typically a narrow and shallow incision in topsoil, caused by surface water runoff. Historical origins of rills—seen in the designs of ancient Persian, Moorish, and Islamic gardens—were used as water transportation (from a spring or aqueduct) for irrigation of other daily uses.

Enjoy the gorgeous rills below!
For directions on how to build your own rill, click here.