Use your container pots and odd furniture or garden accessories to create inviting nooks and crannies for resting or just visual interest. Create compositions with your container pots. Vary height and color just as you would in a bed or border. A curbside treasure, a little red-painted oak chair, became a stand for a large galvinized bucket of geraniums in a friend's garden. She then set the chair and flowers beside the gate as a little welcome to her back yard.
Flexibility is key to planning outdoor spaces.
As much as I love terra cotta pots, I also use durable fiberglass or other lightweight containers for planting. Move your pots around just as you would accessories in your home. Have outdoor furniture that is also easy to move. Keeping in mind that summer sees a few baseball and badminton games in our garden, I like to use furniture that folds or is easy to move from one spot to the next. A garden bench is convenient next to a play area for those who would rather be spectators than participants.