Daily Handy Tips

Posts Tagged ‘garden’

A piece or two of wicker furniture can be found in almost every home, not only in the U.S. but all over the world. The Egyptians started this trend many years ago and it has barely lost any steam at all in its popularity. While this is predominantly an outdoor style for most people, there are a few who see the benefit of using it inside.

Some of the pieces that are available do look like they belong in the backyard for the most part, as they are designed for leisure living and exude this. They are designed and treated with polymers and sealers that help them withstand the rigors of being outdoors on the hottest of days and through inclement weather. The sealer is designed to be both waterproof and mold resistant to add to the life of the furniture.

Moving indoors, the wicker pieces have become more and more preferred by many people for their intricate weaves and unique patterns. These can be accent pieces or can be used to create a unique look in any room. Imagine bringing a little slice of the outdoors right into the living room, or even the bedroom, to create a relaxing atmosphere that brings to mind a spring day in the backyard.

One nice feature of wicker is that its color can be changed at the drop of a hat. Should a homeowner decide to change the look of a room using this, it is a simple matter of repainting it to match the new dcor. The stain is a bit more difficult to obtain and should be found through a manufacturer or supplier.

White is probably the easiest color to find any piece of wicker in but again, with a coat of paint, the color can be changed to whatever the owner desires. There are a few basic steps to remember when repainting wicker and the first is to add a good coat of oil based primer before painting. The second is to put at least two coats of paint rather than just one to ensure a good seal and coverage.

If a stained color is more to the homeowner likes, the manufacturer should be turned to for this. The process of staining wicker is a detailed one and more than most homeowners are equipped to handle. There are many suppliers who do offer unstained pieces that will allow the homeowner to finish the project on their own and get the exact effect they are looking for.

The popularity of wicker furniture indoors is becoming more and more prevalent in many homes. The styles and sizes make it a perfect choice for creating a unique look in any room. This lets the homeowner bring that relaxed feeling of patio living inside to enjoy year round.

Read more about Wicker Furniture from Jimmi at his hub.

Are awnings important? Are they something that you want? Many individuals do not know what they are, especially if they are not familiar with decorating. So, what are they? They are used by men and women to stay out of the sun or to stay out of the rain. They are attached to the dwelling, kind of like a miniature porch. The one you choose should match the area around it. You do not want to choose a bright colored one if you do not have bright colors around it. Let’s move on and tell you more about the awning.

They are overhangs, which can be included on any structure. They can sometimes constitute textile, acrylic or perhaps metal. When you install it, it is important to make sure it is secure. If you do not want to install it yourself, then there are many companies out there that will help you out.

As more men and women are discovering the color “green”, they’re going to sites where they can find these. There are both metallic and material ones. When you are shopping online, you are going to come across so many different ones that you can choose from. We admit that this can become a bit confusing, especially for those individuals that are not familiar with them.

Should you choose the attractive fabric awning displayed in a catalog on a particular website or should you choose a metal ones? That is the question! Metal ones tend to exist as going to be made of copper and aluminum, and fabric awnings are usually made of acrylic or canvas. You can get a wide-ranging choice of acrylic ones, which are definitely likely to become cheaper than metallic ones.

Nevertheless, canvas ones, need regular maintenance, because they usually get dingy and dusty really soon as well as bleaching in the sun. Metal ones tend to exist as the better choice, for something which you want to on a long-term basis. They might be more expensive, but the maintenance costs are minimal. They are also more sturdy and elegant.

As we previously stated, before you make your final decision, it would be a good idea to do your research and make sure you are getting the one that will suit you the best.

Understand more rollup awning and deck canopies.

Many of us have gardens. We like our gardens but they’re usually there because they came with the house. Unlike those gardens in the United Kingdom or in Europe, our gardens don’t really serve a grand purpose but there’s no harm in listing them down for a home improvement project.

We don’t call on our friends or our neighbors to come into our gardens for high-tea in this part of the world. We call them in for pot-luck lunches, grilled steak luncheons, and children’s parties; we ask them to proceed to our lawns. All is just as well if you’ve got a garden, there’s always room for something hip and new out there. That’s always a good part of who we are, being hip and in style.

Now, for those of us who don’t own gardens which are as big as our houses and aren’t quite as big or large enough to boast about; they remain parts of our houses just the same. It won’t hurt us to add some garden decor here and there now, would it? It sure wouldn’t hurt and there are many enjoyable ways to do that.

For those gardens which begin in front the house and end where the lawn starts, why don’t you start with a special arrangement of thin stones with designs painted on their smooth surfaces? You can paint a whole bunch of things on these stones though this idea is freely given for you to use.

Take a flat stone, it could be white or black, and start painting the end parts of a bumblebee’s stripes. Continue with this pattern until you’ve finished with a set that will look like a bee when the stones are put together. When you’re done, put them in your garden in half circles like a necklace, from right to left.

You can have as many rows as you like. Just don’t place them beyond your garden’s border and out into your front yard or lawn. You may paint on these stones using acrylic paint, too. Don’t forget to glaze your garden decor stones with a coat of clear varnish so that the rain does not get to the designs of your painted patterns.

Your stone decor arrangement can be patterned from this design or you can choose one from the seemingly endless list of choices out there. You can choose a pattern of flowers, or marble colored swirls, curvy waves or even polka dots.

Let’s give you another design idea. Want your garden decor stone to be really eye-catching? Dress them up with photo transfers. There are shops which specialize in this. Find one that’s near you and tell them that you’d like them to print famous oil paintings on your stones. If you’d like to be lots more creative, print the photos of celebrities. You can also simply choose to print your favorite album pictures on these stones. Again, it’s all up to you and the theme you’ve chosen. You can even use this idea without having a specific theme in mind.

These photo transfers may not come cheap and are a little bit heavy on the pockets but think of how you’ll have a whole lot more to talk about with you neighbors, relatives, and other house guests, once you’ve finally set up your new garden decorations. Now, that’s priceless.

Ready to upgrade your garden decor, remember that there are lots of choices when it comes toyard art christmas.

Sowing hardy annuals - If you read in a book or magazine that hardy annuals should be planted just before the ground freezes so that they will not germinate until spring, remember that this advice is not for the South. In the Mid-South and southward hardy annuals are planted as early as September, though October is the main planting month.

Sowing the plants early in the fall results in the development of vigorous young plants before winter arrives. Along the Gulf Coast and in Florida some species will bloom in midwinter. Here in my garden, situated about 150 miles from the Coast, English daisies and pansies will bloom by Christmas if the winter is mild and the plants are heavily watered and fertilized. In some areas a freeze will sometimes injure the early-planted seedlings, but this is the chance that must be taken.

Caring for chrysanthemums - In the Middle South October is a critical month for chrysanthemums. Early varieties are opening now and mid-season kinds will be open by the last of the month. The large exhibition kinds should be properly staked or tied up to insure straight stems; and, of course, the side shoots should be pinched off.

Look out for the cucumber beetle, the chrysanthemum’s worst insect enemy in the South. This insect, yellowish-green with twelve black spots, multiplies at an astounding rate and, if not checked, can destroy a crop of flowers in a few days. My strategy in controlling these pests is to begin weekly applications of a sevin-malathion spray when the flower buds are well developed. The plants would be damaged if I waited for the insects to appear before beginning the spray program. Only the tops should be sprayed, for insects attack only the flowers.

When color begins to show in the buds, fertilize the plants and water them well.

Protecting chrysanthemums from frost is a perennial problem in the Mid-South. People have even erected frames over the beds. These are covered with polyethylene or sheet plastic. The frames are constructed so that they can be dismantled and stored easily when they are no longer needed.

Do not wait until frost threatens but prepare some type of protection now so it will be ready. I usually dig some plants with balls of earth and move them into the garage. Late varieties will continue blooming for weeks. The garden types can be potted up and moved indoors for home decoration. This will provide plenty of indoor color for Thanksgiving and maybe some for Christmas and a good time for christmas cactus propagation.

Protecting Chinese hibiscus from frost - I have noticed that gardeners who attempted to protect their Chinese hibiscus by pruning, packing with straw etc - lose many of their plants. In areas where hibiscus needs some winter protection it is perhaps better, when practical, to dig and store the plants where they won’t freeze, such as in a basement or heated garage. In spring the plants can be placed in the garden again.

Recommended grasses for Southern lawns - There is no perfect lawn grass, but for sunny areas in the South Bermuda is great. St. Augustine and centipede are both good for sunny and shaded areas. Spot burning or dying out of areas in the lawn is probably due to a deficiency of iron; as a remedy try applying iron sulfate at the rate of one teaspoonful to a gallon of water.

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There are hundreds of Daffodils varieties to choose from, and the range of color is also extensive. Personally, I will always plant some ‘King Alfreds’ as an old tried and true one - introduced in 1899 in fact. ‘Unsurpassable,’ another large trumpet yellow, is just what its name implies, while ‘Mount Hood’ is hard to beat as an all white. For the real specialist, there are all the various species kinds. Many cities have clubs that specialize in growing all kinds for an educational display at spring shows. Plant now so that the bulbs may become established before extremely cold weather sets in.

This group of bulbs may be used in front of, or as a part of, the perennial border as facing-down plantings in front of shrubs; in rock gardens; in beds; or naturalized. In fact, they seem to grow and produce flowers with very little effort just about anywhere. When flowers decrease in size and number, it is usually time to dig and reset. October is also the month for this. In replanting, follow the same procedure as for planting new bulbs.

Tulips - These beautiful flowers have a fabulous history that is paralleled by few garden flowers like aechmea fasciata. They have even provided food in times of depression for certain peoples of the world. Generally speaking, the tulips are planted in about the same manner as the narcissus and aechmea fasciata. However, a sand cushion under the bulbs will insure less loss by rotting.

In planting, mass colors are usually more effective. In planting beds for mass color, remove all the soil to the desired depth and place the bulbs on even spacing, usually four to six inches. Then fill in the soil around and over them. An inch of sand over the planting area as a cushion before placing the bulbs will eliminate air spaces under them and insure good root development for the bulbs.

A simple method to get uniform spacing of bulbs is to use an inverted flower pot as a marker for spaces. All gardeners have their favorites.

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