Archive for the ‘Garden Decor’ Category

How To Use Garden Décor

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

How do you use garden décor so that your garden does not end up like a junk heap?  How do you tastefully decorate your garden?  What should be put where?  Can you use a trellis in the front of the house or should it stay in the back?  What size ornaments should you use and how many?

Less is definitely more when it comes to garden décor.  Drive through any neighborhood and you will see gardens that look as if the people who own the house decided to jam in as many ornaments as possible on the lawn.  They spent a fortune on these items and in return…got an eyesore. 

Before you start using garden décor, have a plan.  Take a look at some home and garden books and at some gardens that you admire.  You can ask people if you can take pictures of their gardens so that you can get some ideas.  There are very few people who would turn down such a request as most would be flattered. 

Once you find what you like, start coming up with a plan on paper.  It is a good idea to jot down what you want on a piece of paper and map it out before rushing off to build it.  Interior decorators do the same thing.  You will not see them “winging it” when they are planning to decorate your house.  They will have a design in mind before they even begin.  So should you. 

You can be flexible with your garden décor, but try to stay on the same course.  Do not move from English Garden to Oriental Garden because it will look cheap and thrown together.  You want to create a theme as well as have a focal point in the garden.  If you  have a small garden,  a gazing ball can be the focal point, or a bird bath.  In a larger garden, a small pond with a mini fountain can be the focal point.  You have to be willing to work with what you have as far as the size of your yard. 

Do not put as many ornaments as you can think of buying into one place in the garden.  Put one at a time and let it settle in the garden before adding anything.  Your garden will not look nice with a bunch of ornaments all over the place but cheap and gaudy.  Choose your garden décor carefully and make sure that it is quality merchandise. 

Your garden décor will be used in the front of the house as well as the back.  You can create a path to blend in these areas.  If you have children or pets, make sure that you leave an area for them to play and romp.  A garden is beautiful, especially one in which the owners took the time to choose the right garden décor and grow the most beautiful plants and flowers.  But children and animals need a place to thrive.  If you do things the right way, you can have both in your garden. 

Achieving That Perfect Look with Your Garden Trellis

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Some plants just don’t belong on the ground, and you don’t necessarily want them climbing the walls of your house, either. Still, you need an organized look for those climbing plants, not a random set of posts for them to crawl. You may have overlooked the very obvious solution of using a garden trellis to tame your climbing plants and ivy into an attractive, manageable design. Whether angled or standing straight up, garden trellises can really make your crawling plants stand out aesthetically so that you can be proud of your overall garden design. A garden trellis can be installed just about anywhere, even flat to the ground if you so desire. You can use them to hang plants from, or you can organize your climbing and wandering plants with these devices. Most trellises have a basket weave appearance, through which you would feed your vines in a weave pattern, facing the direction you wish them to grow. They make great tools for forcing a certain pattern within your garden, forcing plants to grow in the way you desire rather than wildly. You can actually affect a design with trellises. In many cases, people opt for a cedar trellis because of their great natural look, as well as their overall durability. Cedar is the perfect material for outdoor use because it is weather resistant and will last for years. You can paint it, stain it, or leave it untreated, giving you great flexibility of design so that you can work it into any previous garden décor that you’ve already worked with. A trellis can be located almost anywhere, including attached to the side of your house so that you can have vines climbing the walls in an organized fashion, off the patio so that you can display flowering vines in front of your home, or even from garden benches and other items throughout the lawn and garden. You can even choose to have trellises flat to the ground, simply keeping an order to the growth of your vines so they don’t tangle and intertwine too much. As you work out your garden décor, you’ll find a number of uses for garden trellises of all sizes, and you’ll begin to plan for them throughout your yard. There are few items that can organize typically rowdy and radically growing plants than to feed them through a cedar trellis and let it work with gravity and the laws of science to keep your garden growing straight and beautiful.

Defining Your Yard With a Garden Arbor

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

Though they may appear a little out of date in style, garden arbors still appeal to certain buyers who want comfort. The arbor’s simplicity of design leads some weekend warriors to draw up plans and create their own. High-end wood arbors are always a popular part of to a family’s garden or backyard, regardless of décor. An arbor has a desirability that can be attributed to its long-lasting nature and warmth together with its utilization of green materials. All-purpose wood outdoor furniture can be purchased in a variety of cuts, from complexly adorned to simple and modern. Buyable in a variety of types, garden arbors are desired for finish, weather resistance, or the creative styles many types of wood can be bent into. The benefits of wooden garden arbors override the weak points, which may include a higher initial expense as well as the weight of the items. Garden arbors can be practically maintenance-free, a convenience for the industrious homeowner. While virtually maintenance-free, outdoor wood furniture does require nominal work including an annual cleaning to wash away any buildup of dust. Though they can be considered a bit old in style, garden arbors still manage to appeal to today’s buyers looking for value. Wood outdoor furniture’s appeal is in its strength and warmth as well as its advantage of natural materials. Arbors can be found in a variety of designs from crude to classic, making it easy to find pieces to match your personal style. Garden arbors can enrich a deck or front yard while giving additional stylistic selections. The advantages of wooden garden arbors exceed the disadvantages, which can include a higher price as well as the unwieldiness of the pieces. Arbors can be a valuable part of one’s garden or backyard, whatever the décor. Warm-looking wood outdoor furniture, widely considered more attractive than wrought-iron porch furniture, can be found in hardware stores, on the Web, and at mom and pop stores.

Choosing the Perfect Centerpiece for Your Lawn

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

You’ve completed the design for your backyard, and now you’re looking into lawn and garden décor for the front yard. However, you can’t seem to pick out a centerpiece around which to build a garden design. In the backyard, you used a beautiful garden bench with attached trellises that centered the garden and allowed it to branch out from there, but you don’t want to repeat the same design in the front – it should be unique. In the front, consider using a wooden garden arbor from which your entire design will flow, locating it right in the middle of your walkway as a centerpiece for your lawn. A garden arbor can make a huge difference in the way your lawn looks, and if planned correctly, it will add beauty without taking away from the rest of your design and color. Locating it in the middle of your walkway as a arch across is a great way to bring it front and center within your design, allowing you to simply build around it and make sure it doesn’t overpower other important design aspects, yet still draws attention. Of course, there are different types of arbors from which you can choose, and one great option is a window arbor, where you can peek right through the sides and find a picturesque view of the rest of one side of your lawn and garden. However, with so many different styles of wooden garden arbor from which to choose, this is just one suggestion, and you can get creative with your selection of arbors around which to plan a design. Depending on the size of your lawn, garden arbors also come in an array of sizes, so you should measure out the area and decide what is proportionately appropriate. The many styles should also be considered, since this is meant to be the centerpiece of your entire design, and you want to create a theme from which the rest of your ideas can grow. Choose your style, color, and material, and you’ll be on your way to the completion of the perfect garden design, ready to build a beautiful, noticeable, and creative garden site that your friends and neighbors will envy, every season. Your wooden garden arbor, especially a red cedar choice, will be perfect, weather resistant, and sturdy, lasting you through thick and thin and always making you proud.