Landscaping & Outdoor Decorating Blog

Placing plants at doorways is a rather simple matter. In most cases where the front door is flush with the face of the house the entrance planting can consist simply of one plant on either side of the doorway.

Where the doorway projects out a foot or two, or even four or five feet, and a stoop intervenes before the step is reached, a situation arises where three plants might be used. If, of course, only one were used, it should be a rather large one.

Climbing Roses and Vines

Climbing roses and vines can be grown over doorways or on blank wall spaces of houses, but you must use discretion. It is best to place them over doorways that include lattice work. Another good place for a climbing rose is on the corner of a garage (Fig. 213), or between a garage and a house where there is not enough room for a specimen plant.

When using such a plant it is well to attach it to a trellis that is fastened with hinges. This makes it easy to lower the vine when it is necessary to paint the house.

Termite Danger

In areas where termites are prevalent it has sometimes happened that, although a house was constructed so as to be termite-proof, later the owner attached a wooden trellis that had its base sunk in the soil. Termites then entered the wooden base, worked up through the trellis wood, and finally entered the house where the trellis was nailed to it. Watch out that you do not bring about this sort of disaster.

Unbalanced Facade

Now that we have covered corner and entrance plantings, we can tackle bigger things. Take the sort of house which, viewed from the front, seems much heavier and more important at one end than at the other. In such a case, try to balance the appearance of the house by putting a heavier mass planting of some sort at the end of the house that is weak in architectural weight. This is another situation in which we employ the occult balance described earlier.

Balanced Facade

To set off a perfectly balanced facade use a perfectly balanced landscape planting.

However, you will find houses where the main section has a balanced facade, but a wing or some other construction detail has been set back a little from the main section. In such cases, the balanced section should be treated as one unit and landscaped with a balanced planting, and the remainder should be handled by itself as a second part.

Locating trees for such a building is highly important; they should be arranged as though the house were completely balanced; that is, you should try to focus the observer’s attention on that part of the house which is completely balanced as planned by the architect.

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Seasonal care is a very important part in maintaining your patio furniture cushions. With the Spring and Summer months ahead, now is the time to formulate a cleaning regimen to keep them in great shape. The added benefit is that you will prolong the lifespan of your patio furniture cushions for years to come.

Bringing out your patio furniture cushions from storage is the first step. Make sure that you clean them thoroughly with a mild detergent. If you have cushions with removable zipper covers, then remove the covers and wash them in the washing machine on a low cycle.

To avoid causing mildew, do not wash a cushion’s polyester or foam insert. If an insert does get wet while you’re cleaning a cushion, don’t put its cover back on until after you let the insert air dry thoroughly. Prior to using the covers, you might want to think about buying some protective sealant. It sprays onto patio furniture cushions and protects them from damaging spills and exposure to the weather.

You will be able to make your cushions look like new again, even if they were not stored for the winter and their appearance is not the best. Although you might need to scrub the covers with a stronger detergent, just follow the same steps mentioned above.

You can buy cleaning products that are specially formulated to reduce dirt and mildew while not damaging the fabric of your outdoor cushions. Maintain the look of your patio furniture cushions by hosing them down whenever they begin to look dirty.

If you flip your cushions over every so often, it will even out the wear and exposure to ultraviolet light on both sides. It is best to rinse off any sunscreen on your cushions as soon as possible because sunscreen will eventually damage the fabric. You should do the same thing if anything spills onto a cushion.

When it comes time to store the patio cushions for winter, you will be following similar steps as you did when you first brought them back out for Spring. Remove the covers and wash them thoroughly and then let them dry in the sun before replacing. Make sure the foam or polyester inserts are dry as well.

Store the cushions in air tight containers instead of wrapping them in plastic, the reason being because mold and mildew will only grow when air becomes trapped in the plastic. To help keep the cushions smelling fresh and to ward off bugs, drop a few cedar balls in the containers.

You can buy cedar balls at your local home improvement store. They don’t have the peculiar smell of moth balls, but they serve the same purpose. When you keep up with the seasonal care of your patio furniture cushions, you will be able to enjoy lovely cushions throughout the year.

Everyone of us at creativeoutdoorfurniture.com would like to assist you with information and resources on Patio Furniture Cushions, Patio Furniture Covers, Patio Furniture Sets so that you can make a great choice for your outdoor deck decor this season.

Landscape lighting is an excellent way to enhance the beauty of your home and illuminate your property. Lighting can be used to brighten walkways, front entrances, flower beds, and patios. With outdoor lighting, you can use your yard during the evening hours, long after the sun goes down. Landscape lighting comes in a variety of sizes, styles and finishes. If you are interested in outdoor lighting that is environmentally friendly, LED landscape lighting is a good choice.

Today, people are concerned about the environment. Because LED lights are energy efficient, they are becoming more and more popular. Individuals, families and businesses choose LED lights to save money on their energy bills as well as help the environment.

The term LED is an abbreviation for light emitting diode. A light emitting diode is a device that uses electrical energy to produce light. The invention of the LED is not new. However, the use of LED technology in light bulbs is a fairly new concept.

LED lighting has very low energy consumption. These lights require a small fraction of the power required for standard light bulbs. In comparison to conventional, less efficient lighting, LEDs can cut your exterior power consumption by as much as 90 percent. With less energy consumption, you can do your part to help save the planet. LED lights do not contain mercury, and they are free of hazardous chemicals.

LEDs are also great because they have an exceptionally long bulb life. The average life of a standard halogen light bulb is about 3,000 hours. You may be able to find brands that offer as much as 12,000 hours. But none of these options compare to the bulb life of an LED. The bulb life of an LED light is at least 40,000 hours. This means you will not need to change your bulbs for several years.

Today, homeowners are building creative outdoor spaces that allow them to spend more time in their yards. LED landscaping lighting is the perfect solution for brightening up these exterior areas. LED lights come in a variety of styles and finishes to suit every practically taste. They are also available in different lighting colors for those who want to add a dramatic touch to their landscaping decor. Landscape lighting comes in different voltages, which allow you to select the brightness and intensity that best suits your needs.

If you are looking for ways to go green, consider LED landscape lighting. Eco-friendly LEDs are a safe, reliable option for lighting outdoor areas. LED lights are highly efficient, they conserve energy, they save money, and they have a long bulb life.

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Are you staying at home for long and you now have the time to investigate the yard and think about the way to make it stunning and attractive? Do you understand that you haven’t given this part of your home the time that it wishes to add the glow and beauty to the totality of the home? It is a good thing that you are now prepared to make the yard become more guest-friendly and you are ready to make your hands feel the plants, flowers and the soil which make the plants grow healthy.

Before getting those tools for gardening, you should first consider the things that you’ll have to do. Do you already have a plan? To steer you in this project, here are some tips and ideas that you can consider in your landscaping activity

Tip #1 – Consider the seasons of the year when you select your plants.

You should generally bear in mind that the full year has different climates and seasons. The commonest mistake that gardening enthusiasts commit is that they select the plants that grow in their garden with only one particular season in mind -either summer or spring. They forget about the other times of the year and they just feel bad that they see their yard or garden not awfully attractive in the other seasons that were not considered. Get the plants that may grow in the 4 seasons. You have got to research on the types of plants that will grow best for each. Hence, when some plants are not blooming during a certain period, the others are giving the color and glow that your garden or yard needs .

Tip #2 – Layer the flower beds.

Show unity of your flowering plants by layering them in rows. You may stress on the organization of your plants with consideration on their sizes. The shortest plants should be in the front row and the tallest at the back row.

Tip #3 – don’t neglect the evergreens for continuity purposes.

The majority love the color and variety given by the deciduous plants and trees but the continuity and glow of the evergreens have an effect in your landscaping. Ensure that you have the balance that is obligatory for the best appeal of your garden.

Tip #4 – Maintain a year-round color and glow with the annuals.

The perennial flowers give their color for a certain period. When this period has passed, you’ve got to ensure that there’s still another source of color in your yard or garden. This is the role of the annuals. They give the constant color the whole-year thru.

Tip #5 – Consider hardscape in your design.

Maintaining a tasty yard is not complete if you only have plants and flowers. You also need some design elements that will add to the beauty. These include fences, deck, terrace and arbor. These add to the total elegance of the landscaping effort that you are putting in.

Consider these ideas and with your creativeness, you are prepared to do the work and be prepared for a fulfilling result which will make you feel proud and satisfied.

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If you have ample property on one or both sides of your house, extend the corner plantings so as to improve appearances even more. You might call this “adding living architecture” to the house in order to make it look lower and wider. With geometric figures and illusions created by horizontal lines breaking vertical lines. We want our homes to look low and wide because that gives a feeling of stability. Hence, as a general rule, the more we avoid sharply pointed plants the more attractive our planting will be. Tall, columnar plants and those of sharply conical form are properly used in foundation plantings only when the house has tall narrow windows and doors and sharp pointed gables. It is also desirable that if you use them, some of the plants native to the area be of the same character. Plants can become rather incongruous in different surroundings.

Concealed Front Door

Many modern homes are so designed or placed that the front door does not face the street but is tucked in around a break at one end. Here we try to make the entire house a pleasant picture as seen from sidewalk or street, but at the same time attempt to frame the front door as seen from some other point.

Placing Corner Plants

Plants at the corners should be placed either at a 45-degree angle from the corner of the building, or directly in line with the edges of the building, or a little off from the corner. Which one of these positions you will choose will depend on the point from which you wish your house to look its best. Many times the ideal solution is not just one plant but a group of plants which will make the house look attractive from more than one angle.

Desirable Shapes

Plants with a square or rounded outline and with distinctly horizontal branches are more desirable for the majority of foundation plantings. Upright or accent plants should, as already noted, be used very sparingly and judiciously.

One of the chief reasons for using an accent is to break the long low line often seen in the ranch home.

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Bollard lights are outdoor lights that are enclosed in cylinder shaped posts. Those posts were originally all in a cylinder shape but today these lights are also created in square shapes. Bollard was the name of the posts where you tied the boats when you came to dock. They are made of metal, concrete or weather resistant plastics.

Designed with the purpose of being able to withstand any weather conditions, they should last for a long time if properly installed. You can also have them electrically wired, battery operated or solar driven. Your landscape will determine which type will work best for your situation.

The lighting elements will be positioned near the top of the post protected by slats or grates. The lights can be positioned to point directly towards a structure or to light up your walkway or a gravel path in your backyard. You can also post them at the bottom and top of the stairway to your front door.

Some units are designed to be attached to standing structure while most are place directly on the ground. Usually our backyards can be pretty dark let these lights line your sidewalk to the storage shed like an airport runway or a gravel path to the beautiful stone waterfall you created one summer so you will be able to fully enjoy your yard both day and night.

Use them as barriers in your front yard. Fill them with sand to slow down vehicles that may have made a wrong turn. It will give you a better sense of security knowing your family is protected against these unexpected possibilities.

Bollard lights come in different shapes and sizes. You need to decide which one would look the best in your yards. Which ever one you choose it is going to make you happy to come home every night and witness the elegant style your home reflects. Not to mention the safety reasons and how they enhanced the beauty of your yard.

To get the newest on LED landscape lighting, you can look on the Internet. Bollard lights will provide a excellent source of lighting for the entire yard.

The landscaper must decide whether deciduous plants (those that drop their leaves) or evergreens should be used in the foundation planting. Your taste and your climate will be the key factors. But remember that a mixture of the two is rarely, if ever, desirable – although an evergreen ground cover can well be used with whichever type of plant you decide on. Indeed, such a ground cover might be even more useful and effective around deciduous material than around evergreens. It will keep the planting from looking sparse and bare after the shrubs go dormant and drop their leaves.

Seasonal Changes

Deciduous plants grow much faster and larger than most evergreens so you need to know more about plant habits generally to use them properly. As to which type offers the greater interest throughout the year, it may surprise you to learn that the deciduous plants lead. In many parts of the country such plants go through four seasonal phases in each of which they take on different characteristics.

As an example, imagine a high-bush blueberry growing near a window from which you can see its branches. In the spring it is decked with attractive creamy-white lily-of-the-valley-like flowers, a beautiful sight to behold. By mid-summer it has picked up its full foliage and also a crop of cool-looking blueberries which attract birds and add life to the garden. In the fall, few plants can surpass the brilliant foliage coloration of this species. And, finally, in the winter, the zig-zag growth of its bare twigs is attractive, especially when sheathed in ice during a sleet storm.

Evergreen Phases

Most evergreens, on the other hand, have but two phases which are not too strikingly different. In the late spring and early summer the new bright green growth contrasts pleasantly with the dark green older growth. After a few months the two blend into one more or less uniform greenand that is the extent of the seasonal change.

Of course, they present a beautiful picture when covered with snow, but if the snow is heavy it may split off branches or bend them over and permanently spoil their looks. Give that aspect of the situation some consideration in your planning if you live in a region subject to ice or snowstorms. Look around and see how evergreens on properties in your locality have fared.

In case you are unaware there is many more topics to cover like indoor plant diseases and treatment for example. Beginners and experts alike refer to us as their source for information on www.plant-care.com.

If you’re looking for a ceiling fan to finish off your outdoor space, look no farther than Hunter outdoor ceiling fans. Reliability, style, and energy efficiency are just some of the benefits of these unique fans from Hunter.

It all began in 1886 for the Hunter brand. For more than a few decades, this company has built a reputation for its pretty and high quality products. Only Hunter offers a Quiet for Life guarantee for its fans. This means all your Hunter fans will run silently in the background as long as possible, and not wobble and squeak with every turn. Hunter fans also comes with lifetime motor warranties and rust free warranties. These fans are also damp rated, and perfect in almost any setting or space, which makes designing as flexible as possible.

The styles available includes rustic, country, traditional, modern, nautical, tropical, and more. With a plethora of metal finished and blade styles, Hunter fans will blend right into your outdoor space effortlessly. The fans are also easy to install which means the average Joe can get the ceiling fan installed and running in just a few simple steps. There are also three mounting options – flushed, standard or even angled.

These fans are also energy efficient and affordable for everyone. From the most basic model to the most exquisite, there will be a model for you that suits your taste and budget. Regardless if you choose the traditional Grandview or the tropical Seascape, you will be satisfied and never disappointed. The fans are also easily adaptable to new styles, as the fan blades can be switched effortlessly. That means you no longer have to spend hundreds just to update your decor.

As soon as you’ve finished with your outdoor space, fluffed your pillows, switched on the lights and hold back the curtains, all that is left is to install a Hunter outdoor ceiling fan for that finishing touch. After that, just sit back, relax and enjoy the cool breeze from your unique fan for years to come.

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There are many benefits and advantages when an individual decides to take on the challenge of growing their own herbs. Besides the fact that you will have wonderful fresh herbs for cooking and salads, you will also be able to enjoy the wonderful fragrance that aromatic herbs provide. Some herbs are very difficult to grow, however growing Rosemary herb plants are extremely easy.

There are several different types of Rosemary herbs. Most people are familiar with the three types of Rosemary used in Mediterranean cooking these are the Miss Jessup, Tuscan Blue and Spice Island. These Rosemary plants look like a bush or shrub, and have tall stocks. In most cases the stocks are a blue or violet color. As with all Rosemary plants both the leaves and flowers can be eaten. These herbs, however, are the tastiest and food dishes and the most aromatic of the different varieties of the herb.

Unlike many herbs, the Rosemary does not require a lot of special treatment. It is relatively easy to grow in a sandy well-drained area. The plant likes warmer weather, 6 to 8 hours of sunshine, and low humidity. When grown in the right climate, these plants become very large bushes. Many people find him an excellent border plants because of their wonderful fragrance.

If you live in a region where it gets cold and frost, below 30 degrees, you will need to make plans to house your rosemary bush indoors during the winter. In general, these bushes do not like being indoors in the winter. The reason for this, is that they require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. If you are going to keep your Rosemary healthy, indoors, you will need to have artificial lighting for your plane. The bush does not require heat from the sun, but it does require light. For most people, keeping their Rosemary in a window will not give it the sufficient sunlight required to maintain good health when indoors.

When you are going to keep your Rosemary in a pot, you will need to make sure that there is good drainage and the pot does not absorb water and keep the plant too wet. Most people find that a terra cotta pot is an ideal home for a Rosemary.

You will also want to plant on re-potting your Rosemary on a yearly basis. Once they have taken root and started to thrive, a Rosemary will grow into a beautiful bush very quickly. They are incredibly fragrant and will add a beautiful display to any garden or home.

Each year, in the Spring, you should plan on fertilizing your Rosemary with a fish and kelp emulsion. This mixture is natural and provides important nutrients to the plant. Mixing this emulsion with water and spritzing your plant periodically will also help it to stay healthy.

A very common problem with Rosemary is powdery mildew. This is a white fungus that will take over the plant if not contained. While it will not kill the plant, it will reduce health. There are many treatments available to deal with fungus on your Rosemary that are available both on the Internet and locally. However, a very simple solution is to put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a spritzer bottle of water and spritz your plant on a regular basis until the fungus is gone. This is a very effective way of keeping fungus, mildew, and spider mites off your plant. When you start growing rosemary herb, you will find that it is an excellent plant in your home or garden.

Tony Stevens is an Herb Garden enthusiast. To find more about Gardening With Herbs Tips click the link. Please feel free to browse the site for more vital advice, You can recieve a FREE report and sign up to a mini course. Need more information on Growing Rosemary Herb then please click the link.

We recently bought a new spa for our home, which was a big decision when you consider the current state of the economy. We held off for a while to make sure neither of us lose our jobs or get laid off before the recession set in but we had been considering making this purchase. Having solid employment situation, we decided it was time to commence our original plan.

Because we are both in high-stress vocations, having an in-home spa became a priority for us. Since I am a TV new anchor and my husband is the head of a non-profit organization in our region, our jobs are pretty high-profile in our community.

While doing our research on the web to learn all about spas, we discovered 1800pools.com, which is an online retail store and got our spa. 1800pools offers choices and varieties that amazed us. We were impressed with their accessible toll-free number, 1-800-890-8185 and answered our queries promptly. We were thankful for their shipping policy for free perk for orders over $50 and we got our spa, chemicals, and accessories without shelling out any dime for shipping.

We did our homework before making this investment, and we learned a lot along the way. Here are a few things to think about if you are thinking about buying a spa for your home.

Would you prefer a portable or in-ground spa? Often less expensive than the in-ground version, choosing portable spas or hot tub considers this an advantage. We choose a portable spa from 1800pools.com because we plan to simplify our lives now that our kids are grown, and move to a smaller house. Since it is a portable spa, we can pack it up easily and take it with us to our new house or condo. Another thing to consider is whether you rent or own your home. An in-ground spa is simply not an option for some of our dear friends since they are renting their current house.

What about special features? Would you like for your spa to have holders for beverages, removable jets, a CD player, or contouring pillows?

Another important decision is the type of jets in your spa. If you are looking for a therapeutic experience, you should look for a spa with jets that focus on providing a shoulder and neck massage. For different strengths and kinds of pressure that these jets give your muscles, you can ask your dealer about it. The jets will not matter that much for those of you who just want to relax in the spa.

To bring you a large selection of products at great competitive prices, 1800pools.com benefits from its huge purchasing power. Check our web site for pool equipment, chemicals, spa supplies, and accessories of exceptional quality.