Archive for the 'Garden Decor' Category
There are a variety of reasons why you might consider using a garden sprinkler system on your property. Just about anyone will love the sight of brightly colored flowers around a home. Taking the necessary steps to maintain you garden flowers is an important task and gives a good first impression to anyone that visits you home. Part of this maintenance program should involve a good sprinkler system for the garden.
Firstly, there is the important matter of giving an attractive first impression. Having a healthy flower bed simply makes your property so much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The garden often helps to show a dwelling that is lovingly maintained, while at the same time it softens the often-severe angles of the average home. With the assistance of a sprinkler system will help you to achieve the enduring beauty that you would love your visitors and passers by to admire.
Secondly, using a sprinkler will make the job of constantly watering your garden area so much easier. If you select a system that incorporates a timer, this will be especially helpful in this matter. By scheduling the timing of the sprinkler to activate, you are completely free to concentrate on other matter around the garden that needs you attention. Just image if you where no longer required to remember when to water the garden. Also, if you plan on going away for a few days, you will not have to have someone care for your garden.
Lastly, you should not have any trouble in finding a sprinkler for the garden that can also be an attractive feature of your landscape plan. Long gone are the days of the unsightly systems sitting on your lawn that only spewed out streams of water. If you have a look around you should discover several excellent sprinklers for the garden that are available today. These come with heads that are designed to look like such things as a graceful flower in bloom to a mini-sculpture. By taking the time to strategically place the individual showerheads at your flower garden, you will be able to create a misting effect that is not only gentle for the blooms, but will also add to the overall effect of the garden itself.
If you are looking for inspiration on decorating your garden, and how to place the systems properly, visit your local nursery or home store. Make the most dramatic effect that you can with your garden whilst still utilising tools that will allow you to maintain the space with a limited amount of labor is what a garden sprinkler system is all about.
Adding patio furniture to your backyard is a relatively cheap and popular way to include some interest to your surrounding, also it can easily accommodate guests of all ages. The intention of including the grass, plants, and trees to your garden, is to make it more attractive, but if you purchase some nice patio furniture, it will make you yard more user friendly.
When is comes down to making that final decision though, there are literally hundreds of excellent designs and materials to pick from, which makes it s tough job of purchasing that perfect patio chair, table, or bench set.
Nevertheless, when you start you search, remember to determine the budget that you can afford, and also make sure to choose furniture in a material that will match your home’s style. If you are currently limited with funds, consider wholesale patio furniture for the absolute best deal.
On of the major decisions when it comes to furniture is deciding on the material to use. One design that has gained popularity recently, is concrete patio furniture as it has a built in option for a seamless flow form you house deco to your patio. If you are after a more natural look, why not consider a teak patio furniture or redwood patio furniture. Also, plastic furniture is not just of people that are on a limited budget anymore, as you are able to purchase your outdoor furniture in a variety of faux designs make out of plastic.
Once you have made the final decision on that perfect set of patio furniture for you garden, you may be wise to order at the same time a patio furniture cover for your new furnishings. This is a great long tern investment, as it will protect to furniture from the various weather elements. With a good cover and a little time and attention, your furniture should last you for years to come.
Climbing vines could be the plants for you if you are looking for a gardening choice that requires literally no effort to make them grow. These wonderful and unique types of plants can be ideal for people that don’t have much spare time in the day and to dedicate to making their outdoor plants grow by the use of constant care and fertilizer.
Further to that, you can make use of your vines to easily cover any unsightly areas of your garden such as horrid link fences or some unfinished areas of your home. There are two options when it comes down to purchasing vines, as you can choose either the non-flowering vine option or the flowering vine option. It is even possible to purchase vines that are capable of producing fruit, such as vineyard vine.
If you looking for an excellent alternative to bushes or tress, than why not go for a flowing vine, which have certainly gained popularity over recent years? The trumpet vine is one of the most popular flowering vines. Also known by the name hummingbird vine, this plant will develop large, colorful flowers which as a good food source for hummingbirds. If you on the hunt for a flowing plant that is not so audacious, discover the corkscrew vine. It has flowers that are uniquely shaped, smaller in size and generally only arrive in more muted colors.
Other popular flowering vines that have their own unique style of growth and delightful flowers include the kudzu vine and the Black Eyed Susan vine. As a point to remember, the kudzu vine will generally grow very quickly and extremely well, and can quite easily cover a house within just a few short years.
If you are interested in a vine that does more than just look attractive, consider purchasing a muscadine vine. The vines are both practical and pretty, as they are capable of producing great fruits that may be eaten or used to produce your own in-house brewed wine. It is, however, extremely important that you understand the basics of pruning a grape vine, so should certainly do some research on the techniques by simply browsing around on grape vine pruning websites.
The orchid is perhaps the most unique and beautiful plant on this planet. They are offered in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging form the simple to the incredibly complex and ornate. The types of orchid that may be purchased on the market today are simple stunning, and will definitely make a wonderful addition to anyone’s garden or home.
Coming from all locations around the world, the various types of orchid plant grow in a wide selection of climates, making them the ultimate plant for anyone that may want to plant something other than the more typical lilac plant or rose bush. Further to that, the orchid flower is well understood in gardening circles and orchid show destinations as one of the most delightful flowers seen on any plant in any corner of the world.
Learning the basics to growing orchids is not in fact that difficult a task as many people seem to give this impression. All that is necessary to take care of the orchids is just a little love and the ability to follow some simple instructions. To start with, orchids are not that keen of direct sunlight, so be sure when placing your orchid pot to a location around your garden or home that does not received too much direct sunlight.
If you intend to plant the orchids outdoors in your garden, locate them under a tree or a large shrub, in order that the plant will only received approximately two hours sun light each day.
Next, it is important that you visit your local garden center or nursery to pick up some orchid food and a suitable soil (rocks) that will prompt the orchids to grow to their full capacity. If you locate a wholesale orchids supply store, the will generally stock everything that you need to grow your very own plants, so make sure to grab all necessary items when you first order your plants. Finally, orchids do not generally tend to require trimming or pruning, making them rather easy to maintain. If preferable, you can trim off certain stems of flowers to create orchid bouquets ever now and than.
Garden statues and stepping stones can do a whole lot to your backyard space or your garden. When planning a garden or landscaping makeover, consider using garden statues and stepping stones. They come in many different forms, shapes, sizes and colors. Here you will learn of different kinds of garden statues and ways to incorporate those and stepping stones in your garden or backyard to enhance your lawn décor overnight!
Some popular garden statues you see are garden gnomes. Many gnomes are silly little old men doing things such as mowing the lawn, sleeping in the grass while while ‘working’ or holding their grand – baby in his arms. Garden gnomes are a great way to add some color and humor.
Another form of garden statues you’ll find are the very popular cherub(s) garden statues and little boy/girl garden statues. These garden statues are popular because they are so cute! You can add them anywhere in your garden and they are sure to look inviting.
Some other fun forms of garden statues can be Disney characters, solar light garden statues, frogs and other kinds of wild life garden statues. Some garden statues come in the form of welcome signs or yard markers (for example by the mailbox, the corners of the driveway, etc.). Have fun with your garden statues; the possibilities are endless!
Stepping stones are another great way to add a personal touch to your backyard. You can use them functionally as actual paths to walk on or you can use them to purely decorate an area that may be difficult to do anything else with . Stepping stones are great because they are so easy to decorate with; you just place them where you want them and that’s it, you’re done! You can put stepping stones right in the grass to make a path or in an already landscaped area of rock or wood chips. Either way, stepping stones are surely easy to deal with.
Stepping stones come in different sizes and materials. They are often made of concrete, natural stone, resin and /or polyresin. Some garden stones come versatile with a hook to hang as a plaque. You may choose to do this when choosing d ecorative stepping stones. For example, some decorative stepping stones come with a beautifully painted picture of hummingbirds or butterflies on them. When using these decorative stepping stones for your backyard you may want to consider using them for decorative purposes only or where they will be stepped on very little . When choosing stepping stones for the sole purpose of walking on from a day to day basis then you might want to choose stepping stones that are smoother on the surface than the pretty textured and painted ones to avoid damaging them.
Incorporating stepping stones with garden statues in your backyard is easy and easy to maintain. No watering, no staining, no maintenance. Once the stepping stones and garden statues are in their places, you’re done! You can now enjoy the beautifully landscaped garden you have always wanted for little or no up-keep at all. Garden stones and statues also make the perfect gift for a friend in need of a landscaping makeover. With the selection made available today, you will find something for anyone!
Your vegetable garden layout will depend upon what vegetables you intend to grow, the planting space available and if you would like to opt for companion planting. When I first started growing vegetables, I planted my sweet peppers in between my tomatoes and cucumbers. Well, I ended up having to supply extra water to my peppers because the tomatoes and cucumbers stole all the water due to their larger root system. Peppers have smaller roots.. So here are some helpful tips on how to layout your own garden and start planting vegetables.
Sit Down and Plan
Before choosing a layout you need to decide on what type of vegetables you would like to grow and where you would like to plant them. Here are some other factors you need to consider for your vegetable garden layout:
* Garden Space * Amount of Light in the Space * Drainage System * Soil Amendments * Type of Vegetable * Additional Space (if needed) and of course the root system of the actual vegetable itself!
You should also think about whether you want to grow one type of vegetable like lettuce and tomatoes or if you want one type of vegetable with different varieties, such as romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce. Research the amount of light and space each vegetable requires for optimal growth.
Make a list of vegetables you want to plant and find out the plants requirements, then compare it with the garden space you have available. This should give you an indication of where you are able to plant each particular vegetable in your allotted space.
Choose your Garden Layout
There are three basic vegetable garden layouts: rows, beds and the “potager” style.
The more traditional layout style consists of planting seeds in a row. This type of arraignment would either mean planting one type of seed in a row or different seeds in a row. Regardless, the style is in a row formation.
A similar layout and a more popular approach is the raised vegetable garden beds. This bed type is similar to the rows style but on a smaller scale. The layout allows access to the plant beds from all sides. The beds are raised off the ground with some being as high as 3 feet. This is particularly convenient to avoid stepping on the beds which tends to pack down the soil, making it difficult to dig and aerate in the spring or fall. Plant beds are great ways to maximize a garden space and you can even use raised beds for easier gardening.
The most decorative style of layout is called the “potager” which means kitchen garden in French. This layout is described as geometric which allows you to layout your garden in circles or arrange plants by color or even food type. Gardens like these often contain vegetables, flowers and herbs planted together.
Companion Vegetable Planting
The idea behind companion planting involves planting different kinds of plants together so that they help each other grow. A perfect example of this is planting beans, corn and squash together which were commonly done by Native Americans. While the corn gives the beans a place to climb, the beans gives its three companions nutrients in the soil and the squash serves as a shade to the roots of the plants beside it. This not only prevents weeds from growing, it also saves up on water.
Other great companion vegetables are onions, which scares slugs and aphids away, tomatoes, which grow well with carrots and basil, which improves the taste of tomatoes. Another example is horseradish and potatoes which when planted together give your potatoes protection from disease.
Companion vegetable planting is certainly worth considering when vegetable garden planting. My new book, “Holistic Herbs~A Beginners guide to Herbal Gardening,” has a complete vegetable companion chart. You will get the chart for free along with 6 other bonus books when you order my book Here!
Successful Gardening!
Kali Winters
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placing elements in your garden to encourage the beneficial flow of Chi (Energy Force) to create harmonious change. It is believed this affects your health, wealth and relationships. Feng Shui is becoming increasingly popular in the West, and I hope to explain a few of the Feng Shui design principles that you can easily use when placing a trellis, water fountain, and lighting in your garden.
Create Harmony & Balance
Optimizing Feng Shui takes nature’s lead as much as possible with the primary aim of creating harmony and balance. Follow these fundamentals when you plan your garden, and take note if your health, wealth, and relationships do indeed benefit.
1. Curve the paths through your garden to encourage chi to move more slowly and freely. Straight paths cause chi energy to run too quickly towards your home. To slow the chi energy on existing straight paths, allow plants to grow over them so the chi can circulate freely around them.
2. Create ‘living spaces’ in your garden for friends and family to sit around, relax and enjoy the sunshine, along with your plantings, garden decor, and a gentle breeze. Stone, metal, or wood benches, rustic furniture, and patio chairs all offer different types of seating to work with your gardening theme.
3. Plant trees, large shrubs, and/or vines on a trellis to provide privacy and protection at the back of the garden. A clematis or other vine growing on a trellis could give the height and protection where space is limited.
4. Mix different sizes, shapes and colors of plants to enhance your Feng Shui garden so that no one species is overwhelmed by another. Diversity is the key to providing balance here.
5. Add fountains, pools, and ponds for their beauty and to encourage beneficial chi. Water features symbolize prosperity and create yin (feminine) energy.
6. Create more Yang (masculine) energy by using garden lights to brighten different aspects of your garden – a statue or stepping stone, the outline of a path, a lovely flowering plant on a trellis, or a water fountain or feature. These may include lighting accessories such as smaller solar lights, lights along a path or spot lighting.
Remember how important balance and harmony are to A Feng Shui garden. Finding just the right the lighting accessories , water fountain , trellis , and other key elements is easy when you visit trellismart.com which provides a large selection of many of these elements for your Feng Shui garden design.
Planting a flower garden may be an overwhelming experience for anybody let alone a beginner gardener. The good news is there are easy ways to get around it by following these simple steps. Read on to find out what these simple tips are for planning your garden landscape and what lawn décor to choose to get what you want from the sweet escape in your backyard.
Before you head to a nursery or garden center, make sure you have a plan. Think about where you want to put your flowers and garden accessories, what colors you want where, how many and so forth. This will make your shopping experience much easier and faster and probably less expensive. Y ou’ll want to enjoy a garden that’s in bloom from early spring to late fall by choosing annuals ( plants that do not come back every year) and perennials (plants that do come back every year) based on when they flower. Refer to plant tags for specific information that pertains to your garden. When picking plants at the nursery pay attention to the height and width before assigning them a permanent home. When it’s time to divide your perennials, offer to share your extras with your garden-savvy neighbors in return for plants you don’t have yet. Make sure to observe your yard’s sun and shade areas. Look for wet or dry spots. Watch for sandy soil and dense clay. By knowing your garden’s conditions, you can plant flowers where they’ll thrive. For soils that do not produce thriving plants consider putting garden accessories such as garden statues, gnomes, wind spinners, wind chimes, stepping stones, mulch, rock, and other lawn and garden décor. When choosing garden accessories for additional lawn décor around your garden, consider potting perennials and/or annuals in containers and placing them around your yard. Garden planters are an easy way to create colorful accents. Many plants benefit from deadheading, when faded blooms are removed to encourage new growth. To deadhead, cut off the spent slower close to a bud that’s lower on the stem or above a leaf node. To enjoy perennials or annuals indoors, cut the flowers in early morning or late afternoon, submerge them in lukewarm water and add a floral preservative.
Garden accessories are a great way to add a little extra something to any outdoor space. The nice thing about garden accessories is that they come in all forms, shapes and sizes. Choosing the right lawn décor for your garden or backyard is always a fun experience because there is so much you can do with it. Garden stepping stones make transitioning from one place in your backyard to another very easy and it is also very decorative . Stepping stones can be anything from limestone rock, cement blocks or slates to flat plaques. Don’t forget about your avian friends. Putting bird houses, bird baths and bird feeders in a flower garden invites even more color and entertainment to enjoy. There are tons of different kinds of bird feeders out there; some are decorative, some are for specific kinds of birds and some are very plain-jane bird feeders. Which ever strikes your fancy your avian friends will be sure to re – visit your flower garden. Other garden accessories you can consider putting up in your flower garden are wind chimes and wind spinners. You can find many different kinds of hook stands out there for hanging these types of garden accessories as well as brackets for the side of a post or wall.
Your flower garden will look amazing after following these simple steps in planning for a garden. The nice thing about garden accessories is that they are versatile. You can put them almost anywhere and plant flowers around them or accent some already planted flowers and plants with the garden accessories. Whatever you choose to do you will be happy with the result it produces.
Decorating your lawn and garden space with lawn ornaments can be very enjoyable and rewarding . However, it may leave beginners overwhelmed or veterans stuck with what they have. In this article I’m going to share with you ideas you can use to spruce up that space again or start fresh with new lawn ornaments. In using these tips you’ll have your lawn and garden space looking just the way you want it in no time.
Anything you put in your yard for decorating is considered a lawn ornament. It doesn’t have to be store-bought or made by somebody else. You can create your own lawn ornaments by simply checking out your own resources. So if you think you have it all when it comes to lawn ornaments, the garden statues, stakes, planters, gnomes, flags, the cut-outs of people bent over in the garden, wind chimes, wind spinners , bird houses, feeders and baths, you name it and you are still not satisfied, try finding something lying around the house, garage, barn or other out-building. For example, an old paint can, tire rim, large milk jug, an old pair of boots, dresser drawers, tractor parts and old farm tools would make perfect lawn ornaments. They are just collecting dust anyway. Use your imagination to create something of your own by painting your home-found treasure (s) and using flowers and plants to decorate around it. I’ve seen lawn ornaments such as old claw-foot bath tubs, bed frames, toilet bowls, toilet seats and the like in a bed of flowers and plants or surrounded by other lawn ornaments. These can be creations of your own with literally endless possibilities. Make it a fun activity with your kids. Let them pick out the special lawn ornament of their choice from your stash and decorate away.
As stated above, lawn ornaments can be anything and there are many choices of lawn décor to choose from. With that said s ometimes people tend to go, and I’ll use this term lightly, overboard with lawn ornaments in their yard. If this is you and you think maybe you have too many lawn ornaments, think again! It’s perfectly normal, and mind I say very easy, to go overboard with all the cute lawn ornaments out there to choose from. But if you’d like to change it up a bit try adding more plants and flowers in the mix. This will even out the lawn ornaments versus nature (plants, flowers, grass and trees) ratio. I’ve seen beautiful yards with tons of lawn ornaments that are beautifully intertwined with lots of plants and flowers. What a rich way to decorate your lawn and garden space by mixing lawn ornaments with nature.
Along with adding flowers and plants to your beautiful yard or garden full of lawn ornaments, adding the right colors will do wonders. If you have a colorful display of lawn ornaments try adding more green plants or small trees to the area. You can also incorporate one or two different color flowers. This will settle the color-tone down a bit and give it an even blend of lawn ornaments verses nature. And vice versa, if you have a garden full of cherubs or angels try including a colorful display of flowers and plants using garden planters. Beautiful yellow and red tulips or lilacs would bring those cherubs and angels to life.
Go ahead and take your kids on a scavenger hunt around the house; you never know what kinds of jumble you’ll find that will make great lawn ornaments. Your lawn and garden will be looking at its prime when you establish a good lawn ornaments verses nature assortment and determine the right colors to use. So if your garden and lawn ornaments are screaming for a makeover give it what it needs to create the story or theme you are looking to produce.
When designing a garden or landscape, it’s important to maintain a balanced color palette. Just as you wouldn’t want an entire house decorated in blue and yellow, nor would you want an entire garden of only blue and yellow flowers. For this reason, we try to design our gardens and landscapes with a variety of colors that complement each other. The most obvious sources of color in a yard come from plants and flowers; however, color in your garden can come from many other sources. When planning your garden design, don’t underestimate how other materials can impact the overall look of your landscape.
First and foremost, consider the type of garden edging or landscape border that you’ll use in and around your planting beds. The possible material choices are endless. A few of the more common borders used are pavers, black plastic edging, landscape timbers, and brick or stone edgers. Because edging varies so much in color and texture, your choice will have a big impact on the overall look of your landscape. You might also want to consider mixing a couple different types of edging materials to achieve an eclectic look with even more color.
Mulch or groundcover is another easy way to add color and dimension to your garden. Materials range from bark and wood chips to gravel and stone, with many other alternatives in between. Colors of these materials vary widely; it’s possible to find groundcover in almost any hue of the rainbow, as well as many colors that aren’t in the rainbow!
When planning your landscape design, don’t forget to include garden structures such as trellises, arbors, furniture, and more. Garden structures not only add color to your yard, but they also serve as an architectural element that can be used as a focal point in the garden, creating visual interest.
Trellises are probably one of the least expensive garden structures that can still provide a big visual punch. A garden trellis serves as a support structure for climbing plants and flowers, allowing them to grow upward instead of outward, and literally bringing your garden to new heights. Arbors and pergolas are the next step up in size and expense, but they also add a lot more height to your yard and can also provide shade, a place to sit and rest, or even a gated entrance into a back or side yard. Arbors, pergolas, and trellises are all available in a wide variety of materials and colors. If you want to color match the structure to your home, then you’ll probably want to choose wood that can be painted. For something that doesn’t require as much ongoing maintenance, consider a durable PVC vinyl that won’t require painting or staining. Just make sure the plastic has been treated with a UV inhibitor so the color doesn’t fade or change as exposed to sunlight.
Colorful outdoor furniture can compliment your design and improve the functionality of your outdoor space. Consider a well-placed bench in the middle of your garden, or even a pair of chairs and a table, nestled in a bed of daisies in the spring. Smaller pieces of outdoor furniture can be a good investment because they can easily be moved around and rearranged as desired. Like arbors, pergolas, and trellises, garden furniture also comes in a variety of materials and color choices. If you’re really picky about the specific color you want, opt for wood that can be painted. Otherwise, a rust free metal like aluminum or a UV protected vinyl will offer lower maintenance options that are still available in many hues.
As you create your landscape design, remember that plants and flowers are not the only way to add color and visual interest to your yard. By thinking outside the box and incorporating other garden elements like some of those we’ve discussed, you can create a garden that’s not only colorful, but also as individual and unique as you are.
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