As spring rolled around in March, I found myself with four plain white metal DWR chairs and one bleak aluminium table on my patio.

Nothing but a little table and chairs

Back in St Louis, I spent little time outside and the table and chairs were pretty much the only outdoor accessories that made it to Spain with me.

Xavier, my husband, on the other hand, loves the outdoors and launched a campaign of pestering and beleaguering me about choosing an umbrella for the table way back in January.

After the huge move last spring, we both decided any type of terrace decor would need to wait until next year. The umbrella, of course, was the exception to the rule.

Anyone who has spent even 10 minutes in the searing Spanish sun between June and September will understand. Quite frankly, it's hot as hell and without an umbrella, you're Texas toast.

So off we drove to the garden centre in Cubelles to check out the umbrella options.

It took a little while, but I found a charming striped pastel umbrella to accommodate our needs. It was the last in stock and to our delight we received a 15 percent discount since it was a floor model.

With a little pleading and prodding from Xavier (this man LOVES LOVES LOVES flowers), I ventured to the outdoor Jardiland shelter to check out pots and plants.

Neither of us had any idea how inexpensive terracotta pots and wild flowers were in Spain, and we decided to stock up. We buoyantly loaded up the jeep with all shapes and sizes of the terracotta pots, and made a second round for all the good-looking flowers, herbs and plants.

Flowers on the patio

We later decided it would be a shame to have such a beauteous group of flora and greenery, yet no place for guests to relax and enjoy it.

We didn't bother going back to the garden centre. Not only was the outdoor furniture way out of our budget...it was also pretty cheesy. We made a few rounds to the local consignment shops and antique stores but couldn't find a thing.

On the way home from Cunit I spied a tiny hole-in-the-wall antique shop and pulled over to check it out. We strolled the showroom floor, but nothing held any appeal.

On the way out, one of the delivery men told us to check out the attic area of the store.

I'm glad we did! I found an adorable four piece 1970s wicker set for less than the price of one cheesy chair (sans cushion) from Jardiland. Xavier hated the old set, but I urged him to give it a chance. The astute Spanish shop owner offered to throw in free delivery and a bamboo cocktail cart (she must have sensed that the Americana likes to get her drink on!).

!VOILÁ! The deal was done.

The wicker set - one of the best buys ever. I am still waiting for the cushions.

For the seats, I ordered some amazing powder blue French toile cushions and a few peach throw pillows from Rosas in Vila Nova. Rosas fabric tienda is the best! I love hanging out there almost as much as I enjoy my weekly chocolate shop visits.

Rosas has been around for more than 100 years and it's the Candy Land of fabric shops. It's not a typical vacation stop, but if you love textiles, it is a must-go in Barcelona and prices are within reach.

It's going to take a while to pot all the plants and have the cushions made for the wicker set, but it's worth the wait.

I must say, this is the first spring I'm actually looking forward to spending time outside. I see a blissful season filled with flora, sunshine and sangria – and perhaps a few American friends coming to visit us as well.

24 April 2009

photos and text by Brandyce Briggs Pinol