Cedar Settee Furniture

A long time ago, sundials were used to tell the time.  They were used outside and when the sun hit the sun dial in a certain way, a person had a vague idea of the time.  Sundials are round and have a “hand” on them and almost look like a clock.  As a matter of fact, they are the first concept of the modern clock. 

Today, of course, we do not need sundials to tell the time. These garden ornaments are still used in gardens everywhere, however, as they are charming and decorative.  You can use a sundial anywhere in your garden.  Many people put them either as a focal point in the garden or next to another focal point, such as a birdbath, in the garden. 

Sundials go on the ground.  This is how the time is told.  It goes by shadows and the shadows will fall on the area on the sundial close to the time.  Again, these are decorative as they never did much good in the rain or on cloudy days. 

Most sundials today are made of stone or of resin, which is a hard plastic.  As stone will break down after a period of time, when exposed to the elements, resin is synthetic and will not break down.  The resin sundials, like most modern sundials are made to look like those of long ago.

There are also sundials that can be hung on sheds or walls of the house.  As sundials, again, are not used to actually tell the time, you can use your imagination when thinking of where to put these garden ornaments. 

Some sundials have fairies on them or other whimsical creatures  Others have nature figures carved into them.  Some are very ornate and others resemble very much the sun dials of long ago.  A true sundial that is an antique will fetch a good price online and can be a beautiful addition to your garden as well as a good conversation piece. 

Because they are usually heavy and embedded into the ground, there is no need to remove the sundial when a heavy storm comes along as it is unlikely to go anywhere.  Make sure that you dig it into the ground a bit so that it is secure and you will be fine. 

You should really only have one sundial in your garden décor as too many can make your garden look cluttered and unorganized.  Before deciding where you want to put your sundial, you should map out the use of your garden so that you have an idea of what ornaments you need, where you will put them and what you will plant in the garden.  If you are unsure of this and cannot visualize it in your head, you should sketch it out using ideas found in books and garden magazines. 

A sundial can make an old fashioned and very charming addition to your garden.  You can use it in a number of different ways and it will go well in just about any type of garden.  Take a look at the various designs before deciding on one and also look at prices both online and off so you can get a good deal on the perfect sundial. 

Did you ever to stop and think about where weather vanes got their origins?  Can you believe that historians can actually trace them back to the Vikings?  Or the Ancient Greeks?  Even George Washington? They all helped the weather vane develop into the decorative and functional items they are today.  The actual name comes from the Old English ‘fane’ which means flag.  They can be found in the writings of the Mesopotamians who lived on the Mediterranean 3,500 years ago.  The Chinese mention simplistic weather vanes that were made with strings tied to poles in order to tell what direction the wind was blowing in.

In their own way, weather vanes contributed to the development of modern day meteorology equipment.  They were very heavily relied on in ancient time and their use continued up until more modern equipment took over.  Truth be known, modern day farmers still rely on their weather vanes to tell them what the weather is going to do.  The need to be precisely balanced in order to work properly and one half of the weather vane must have more area then the other so that the wind can work against it to spin it in the right direction. 

The bronze image of the Greek God Triton that stood on top of the Tower of Winds in Athens around 48 BC had long been considered the first real weather vane.  Archaeological digs have discovered evidence that weather vanes adorned quite a few homes and buildings in Ancient Greece and Rome.  A rider on a copper horse weather vane was actually discovered in Constantinople.  Even the Vikings of the 9th Century AD used weather vanes, replacing the flags on their ships with quadrant-shaped pieces of metal shaped like a figure from Norse mythology.

The typical depiction of the rooster weather vane came from an edict handed down by Rome stating that all church buildings would sport one in remembrance of Christ’s betrayal by Peter.  When added to the directional markers to let everyone know which way the wind was blowing, the modern day weather vane was born. 

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the weather vanes become more unique as wrought iron one was created in shapes that included mythical creatures and other animals.  This is a clear Victorian tradition that came over to the United States with the people who immigrated here.  Many of the weather vanes that can be seen on old building in America today probably date back to the 1700’s settlers.  Both President’s George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had weather vanes on the buildings of their homes.

Hand shaped weather vanes can still be purchased today at many different stores and even online through a variety of websites. Although they are not relied on as heavily to predict the weather as they once were, they are still a beautiful addition to any farm or community building and can add an interesting conversational piece for anyone who happens to walk by it.

Gardeners sometimes have a difficult time trying to keep all of the material and tools they use organized.  They find themselves spending time sorting through their things to find the hand rake or the right pot.  Sometimes they even forget items in their garden and then can’t find when they need it again.  If this has happened to you on more than one occasion, then there’s a good possibility that you need the services that potting benches provide.

Potting benches provide the serious gardener with shelves and hooks so that you can store all the pots, bags of soil, and small hand tools in one organized place.  By hanging your small tools on the hooks that are located on the sides of your potting bench, they are easily in reach, but not in the road or in danger of getting left out in the elements accidently.  The shelves will allow you to store than many sized pots you use stacked neatly where they can be found without having to tear the shed apart.  The same can be said for your potting soil and loam.  Potting benches are extremely hand in keeping you organized at all times.

Individuals who garden can attest to the wear and tear on their lower back and knees.  A Potting bench can alleviate the need of having to kneel for long periods of time, sometimes painfully if you have arthritis in your joints.  You can stand or even sit as you work.  You will find that gardening is much more enjoyable when you do not have to try to crawl to get a tool you left a few feet away or struggle to stand to get more soil when your joints have stiffened.  Potting benches will help you keep fatigue at bay and you will be able to enjoy working with the soil once again.

Potting benches can even come with locking caster wheels so that you can move it into position where you need it.  If you have a garden path that it will roll on, you will be to work in the area of the garden that needs replanting without having to run back and forth to get tools or go looking for another pot.  Everything is there at your fingertips.  Plus, if your potting bench should happen to be made of cedar, you can leave it under an overhang and not worry about it getting ruined if you are a suddenly caught in a rain storm.  Cedar is very strong and weather resistant wood that can easily be stored anywhere no matter what time of year it is.

While you can purchase potting benches in just about any material, but wood benches match your outdoor wooden furniture and cedar one especially last for a long time.  Using potting benches will save you hours of work and they will save your knees.  If you enjoy wood craft, you can find a plethora of simple potting bench plans online for free.  And that’s definitely worth saving your knees.

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.