Archive for February, 2008

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.