Archive for October, 2008
October 19, 2008
· Filed under Gardening, Greenhouses · Tagged Christmas, flower arrangements, flowering blooms, fresh flowers, garden greenhouse, greenhouse, Halloween, holiday wreaths, New Year's Eve, plants, Thanksgiving, traditions
One of my favorite things is to have fresh flowers throughout the holidays. I couldn’t do it without my favorite helper; my garden greenhouse. I have more fun in the fall pampering my plants and getting everything ready in the house to decorate with fresh flowers for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
I get more complements for the wonderful smells from the flowering blooms and the pleasure of using fresh cut flowers in the fall flower arrangements and holiday wreaths. It was something my grandmother always did when I was little and I am just so happy to be able to continue doing these time honored traditions the same way she did. Not living in the country and having the land to pull from because I live in the city, I would not be able to accomplish this without a greenhouse. I am just so grateful this time of year!
October 14, 2008
· Filed under Greenhouses, Patio Structures · Tagged cold frame, gardeners, Gardening, greenhouse, home garden greenhouse, winter gardening
Winters brings a stop to the bustling of gardening activity. People are left to browse through the catalogues of seeds and bulbs as they dream and make plans for their spring gardens. For those who are fortunate enough to have a home garden greenhouse, winter gardening becomes not only possible, but relatively easy.
For those who wish to grow something during off season but don’t yet have a greenhouse, you can make use of cold frames. There are many styles of cold frames and some use glass as a covering and others use different plastics. The underlying planter box creates ventilation for the plants to breathe. Some people grow plants directly in their cold frame while others use them to hold containers. The glass or plastic on top of the cold frame should be covered with a cloth if there is bright sunlight capable of harming tender plants. Gardeners can successfully grow their flowering plants and vegetables with the help of cold frames even during winter months.
October 12, 2008
· Filed under Garden Structures, Outdoor Living · Tagged cedar arbor, garden arbor, garden features, landscaping, lattice, wood arbor
If you’re looking out over your yard this fall and wondering how you can set it apart from your neighbors and friends, think about using a garden arbor. Cedar garden arbors can be used in conjunction with many types and style of fences and easy to incorporate both into a landscaping plan.
Features like arbors bring in a romantic feel to any garden or entrance that you want to set off as a special place. They are great for partitioning off small and intimate sections in a garden or yard where you can set up a small table and a few chairs or a simple bench.
It’s the flexibility of wood garden arbors in and around you yard that make them such a desirable feature to work with. When lattice is placed on the sides it’s a wonderful place for climbing vines and roses. As these plants grow in and cover the top with a canopy of colorful blooms, you will know the wonder of your arbor and be filled with enjoyment.
October 10, 2008
· Filed under Just Fun, Outdoor Living · Tagged exciting, fun, Halloween, Outdoor Living, Pergola
There is a neighbor down the street who creates one of the best home made haunted houses around and he uses his pergola as the entrance into his maze of madness. It’s all in good fun but it does raise some ideas about incorporating your yard features for fun and some mischief during holidays and party events.
Last year as you would go through the pergola, you would have these strings of goop that would attach itself to your face. I never was able to convince him to tell me what that was and don’t know what to expect for this Halloween but I can just imagine what he’s going to hang down for the pergola this year.
As much as I am looking forward to the upcoming haunting, the kids are all atwitter with excitement and anticipation. What great fun can be had by all when someone takes the time to plan a use what they already have. I just wish I had thought about it!
October 8, 2008
· Filed under Gardening · Tagged decorative planters, flower pots, Gardening, plant containers, window boxes
Decorative window boxes are a fantastic way to keep seasonal color close at hand, especially when going outside isn’t practical.
My aunt is home bound, and for many years, I have attended to her window boxes, planting geraniums in the spring, maybe mums in the fall, but always a splash of bold colors to keep her spirits high and her outlook, well, looking outdoors. From her comfortable chair, she can see the birds, butterflies and bees making their rounds, and the colorful flowers tucked into the wood window boxes bring an air of festivity and gaiety inside.
I always thought of planter boxes being more about curb appeal, but the truth is, there is even more to discover about them than I realized.
October 6, 2008
· Filed under Patio Structures · Tagged cedar pergola kits, garden pergolas
Having spent a few weekends under my new garden patio pergola, I must say I am thrilled with one of the unanticipated benefits it provides: a wonderful, dappled and soft afternoon light that isn’t too harsh or bright, not too sharp or glaring, and just the right amount of interesting to keep me looking forward to late afternoons underneath it’s partial shade.
I am a sensual being by nature (most writers are, though, right?) and the interesting patterns and creeping shadows cast by this cedar garden pergola kept me captivated, not in the every-sense-attuned-to-the-phenomenon sort of way, but just interested enough to let my mind explore some half-baked thoughts that only really ever occur to me when I have something else to stare at for a while, and enough time in which to allow myself the pleasure of my own company. You shoud really try it. Who knew my new pergola kit would end up being my favorite fall therapy?
October 5, 2008
· Filed under Gardening, Greenhouses · Tagged backyard greenhouses, garden greenhouses, greenhouse kits, hobby greenhouses, Outdoor Living
With travel becoming more and more expensive, the prospect of a quick weekend trip is growing rather bleak. So to help sort out the day-to-day stresses of our lives, nothing helps to set a mind straight like a few pleasant hours spent in one’s own backyard garden greenhouse.
Think about it ladies! For the same reason guys for years have had their own little workshops or garages to retreat to for mental sanity, we need our own little corner of the world, perhaps a green and quiet place to be with our own thoughts, and a small greenhouse affords us a veritable oasis of peaceful, oxygenated goodness. And, it has the built-in requisite excuse for being somewhere for a little while: growing healthy plants (and tending to our internal gardens).
I could site studies and research that shows how a regular dose of outdoor living regenerates us, but I’m sure you already have an innate understanding of the concept.
Consider so many gorgeous garden greenhouses to choose from, and many priced just right for a dollar-for-dollar tradeoff with that weekend in Vegas that you’ll never get back, and suddenly a hobby greenhouse looks very attractive.
This blog is going to cover many of the unexpected benefits of outdoor living, but consider for a moment just how a lovely fall afternoon spent planting a few herbs and baby greens from seed will make you feel.
October 2, 2008
· Filed under Outdoor Living · Tagged Decks, Do-It-Yourself, Fences, Greenhouses, grills, growing things, hobbies, Outdoor Living, outside, porch, projects, relax, Sheds, stress free, The American Way
There is nothing like outdoor living! Everything from starting your day with a cup of coffee out on your porch to outside do-it-yourself projects from sheds to greenhouses, fences and decks to ending the day grilling up some burgers and just kicking back and enjoying life. This is the American way and we love it!
Having hobbies that you can do alone, as a family or as a couple are important. It helps you to relax and melt away the stress of your job and it forces you to get your mind off your worries and concentrate on something that, for the moment, is much more important than yourself and your problems. There is something extremely therapeutic about being outside, growing things and accomplishing a goal. We love outdoor living and hope you do too. Let’s learn and enjoy it together.
