Autumn Garden Decorating

Do you want 2011 to be the year you enjoy the beauty and bounty of your most outstanding garden ever? Are you dreaming of a crop of beautiful, sweet tomatoes or to improve your display of autumn color? If so, now is the time to start planning. That's right, deep winter is when it all starts. Maybe you're snow bound or wiped out from the holiday season and the peace and tranquility of the garden seems light years away - but the seed catalogs have arrived and the stirring in your soul is rising. You have a vision in your mind of all your garden ideas come to life; color, fragrance, flavor and form. All gardeners are artists at heart and whether you plant a pot of petunias on your condo balcony or have an acre of valley bottom soil to cultivate, the stewardship of Mother Natures' beauty lies in your hands. Now is the time to begin the upcoming masterpiece!

As in life, your garden needs a plan. So where to start? The first thing to do is to have a look back at last years' garden and ask yourself a few quality questions - and please, please do this on paper. Don't just let it roam around in your head; get out a notepad and pen, maybe some of last summers' photos and this year's catalogs or magazines, then settle in to get excited! Let's begin:

1) What were the highlights of your garden last year? What were the aspects that you loved? What were the successes and triumphs? Have you identified the "sweet spots"; the beds, plants, groupings and unexpected delights?

2) What were the failures of your garden last year? What were the duds and disappointments? What did you say you were going to do, but never did? What aspects were frustrating for you? Did you have the physical strength and stamina to do what you desired to?

3) What did you learn from these experiences? Have you determined to be rid of the under-performers? Do you have a better feel for what your low and high maintenance plants are? What are the areas where you need to improve your knowledge or skill set?

4) What are your gardening goals for the upcoming year? Write out a list of at least 10 gardening goals for the upcoming seasons and then decide which of these 10 goals are your top 3, and then write out a paragraph or two on why you want to accomplish these goals. What will you get from it? How will it make you feel when your project is finished? The idea here is to get emotionally connected to your goals as this will give you the drive to commit to your goals and follow through until completion.

The next step is to work out your plan. Start with the final outcome you desire for each of your top 3 goals then work backwards to determine what steps and actions will be required for each goal. Will you need to budget finances? Or find a book on deck plans or how to build a compost bin? Will you need a helper or a contractor? Do you have all of the tools, equipment, material and resources necessary?

Once you have your plan outlined, schedule the actions into your calendar when each of these steps needs to be done. And do it in writing - a short pencil is better than a long memory! Now post your calendar where you're going to see it daily and the vision of your goal is going to excite you.

Finally, what can you do right now to get started to achieve your gardening goals for this year? It doesn't have to be big, but do something now to get going and begin building the necessary momentum to carry you through. If you follow these steps, you'll achieve your goals and reap the rewards of watching your visions ripen into fruition for a beautiful and bountiful garden!

Choose the Most Suitable Outdoor Furniture

One of the most fun parts about having a home is decorating. Interior and landscape design can be an ongoing project that changes with the season. While the décor around you is changing, some things will rarely change in your home. For example, you may have the same bed or couch for ten years before you decide it is time for a change. Another thing that rarely changes is your outdoor furniture. A house can have the same porch swing throughout its lifetime, and patio furniture rarely is changed out. Here are some benefits and uses of having custom outdoor furniture for your home.

Custom services are always the best way to go when decorating your home. They give you endless options when it comes to matching your specific needs. You may search all the outdoor furniture stores in your area and still not find exactly what you were looking for. Why settle for a piece when you can have it made professionally to your liking? For example, you may want to put a porch swing on your porch but you have an odd shaped space to work with. A custom design will adapt to your dimensions and make it look like the swing with built right along with the home. You can voice your vision to the furniture designer and they will match your goal to the best of their ability.

Custom wood designs for outdoor furniture are always a handsome choice. Not only do they give you room to paint or stain the pieces to match your home or wooded deck, but they provide a high level of durability and comfort. Wooden outdoor chairs have design options that provide maximum comfort as they take advantage of sculpted seats and curved back slats. Not to mention, they can last for unheard of amounts of time. A lifeline of custom wooden outdoor furniture may be over 100 years, and they undergo heavy testing to guarantee not only safety but a long life time. For example, they go through temperature tests ranging from as low as -40 and going up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You won't get even close to these benefits when you purchase just any piece for your outdoor decor.

When it comes to decorating your home, keep in mind the option to have your pieces custom made. Outdoor furniture does not get replaces often, and it doesn't have to when purchasing something as beautiful, durable, and comfortable as a custom wooden outdoor set.

Suitable Fence Material for Your Climate

Do you live in a cold and dry climate?

Is your home in a humid area?

The climate that you live in affects the type of fence you should install. The cold winter months are the perfect time to prepare your yard for spring. While planning for a fence installation, take into consideration your climate.

Hot and dry climates may damage composite and wood fences. Consistent sunshine often fades materials and may warp wood. Metal and masonry fences withstand the heat well and will not lose their attractiveness due to the heat.

Damp environments are dangerous environments for wood fences because the humidity and rain can cause premature rotting. Some woods are more resistant to moisture than others. Humidity can also damage metal fences. Iron and chain-link fences may rust more quickly in a damp area than in a dry climate. If these materials are used in wet environments, they may require additional maintenance. Some alternative materials for humid climates are vinyl or bricks and stones.

In addition to climate factors, severe weather also affects the health of a fence. Wood fences resist intense weather, but bamboo is the more resistant fencing material. Bamboo is an environmentally friendly material that withstands earthquakes, resists rotting, and does not need to be painted.

Think about your climate as you prepare to invest in a fence. When you consider the weather patterns of your location, you are able to plan for a long-lasting fence that will enhance your home. The time it takes to plan will improve your decision and make your investment worthwhile.

How Bay Windows Make Your Home Nicer To Be In

Bay windows are the ultimate example of the glazier's art. There is no other type of installation that so perfectly matches the privacy, warmth and comfort of the interior of a home with the freedom and space of the areas outside that room. If the purpose of great architecture is to invite the outside in, without exposing the inhabitants of a home to the elements, then the bay window nook is surely the ultimate way of achieving that object.

When it is too hot, it is nice to sit in the cool of one's home: but not so nice to miss out on all the blue skies, the birds in the air, the plants blooming and growing. Bay windows mean you can genuinely relax in all that beauty - but with the shade of your home stopping you from becoming uncomfortable and ceasing to enjoy your own garden or vista. When it is too cold, staying indoors can become extremely depressing because it deprives you of real natural light, of the sight of the sky and the sounds of the winter birds. With a bay window nook in your home, you can read in warmth and comfort - whilst surrounded on three sides by that crisp, clean winter sky.

The whole point of a home is to make the most of its external aspects, its actual surroundings, as well as to offer a nice interior. Indeed, the nicest interiors are always those that have been framed and informed by the surroundings of your home. Bay windows allow you to use the views that you are blessed with as a living part of the decoration of the inside of your house - transforming any room, and every house, into the home that you have always wanted. You can make the most of the world outside without having to leave the comforts of your living room. And you can feel a connection with the inside of your home when you are in your garden.

The point, then, of the bay window is really to make sure that the home does not become a place that cuts you off from the outside world. No hum can be truly happy, and no home can be particularly nice, if it ignores the openness of the world outside. Bay windows are there to remind you that the world outside your window is a part of the place you live - indeed, that the place you live in, your home, is as much a part of the wider world as your street and your town.

All towns, cities, even villages can suffer from that "keeping yourself to yourself" syndrome, whereby everyone scurries home every night and never really sees their neighbors. In part this is a symptom of having homes that really do cut you off from the outside world. By installing a set of bay windows you can rediscover the world outside and feel much more like a proper part of it.

Complete Your Garden with New Zealand Flax

The New Zealand Flax grows sword shaped leaves from the base of the plant. The plant can reach a size of up to 3 meters in height, with the majority seen at 1 to 2 meters. They tend to reach around 1 meter in diameter. Colors can range from shades of green and yellow to pink, red and bronze.

The best location for this plant is full sun to partial shade. Bloom periods are around the middle of summer. While the plant is young, it will need some protection from harsh winds. When the plant has become established, it can tolerate most conditions. However, most potted versions of this plant will not cope well with frost.

You can also produce more plants from the parent by dividing the plants in spring. Be aware that the greatest threat to this plant is the common mealy bug. This is a difficult pest to remove from the long leaves, so it often becomes necessary to remove and destroy the entire plant.

Some examples of the variation of the flax include the "Bronze Baby" which has bronze foliage and grows to 1 meter wide and a bit less than 1 meter in height. This would be a great plant for containers. The "Sundowner" has green leaves with rosy-pink edges to the leaves. This will grow to about 1 meter in diameter and almost 2 meters in height. The "Jester" has bronze leaves with green striping and grows to about 1 meter in diameter and height.

I have personally had great success with the variations called "Thumberlina" and "Rainbow Queen". These have grown very well over the last two years. They were planted as a small 6 inch plant and are now well over 1 meter in height and diameter. I have only provided watering for the first few months and it has grown well ever since. A true low maintenance and great looking plant!