For those of us not lucky enough to have a swimming pool, DIY stock tank pools are a great way to cool off all summer long. Here are 16 ideas for your backyard.
Jacinthe Emond and her mystery plant. Source: Jacinthe Emond Question: Can you identify this beautiful plant? It appeared in my flower gardenContinue Reading
Embark on a journey with us as we explore 29 design products on Amazon that brilliantly streamline and simplify daily tasks. From nifty kitchen tools that cut meal prep times to cunning devices that declutter your workspace, we've got it all. These masterfully designed products are proof that simplicity doesn't mean compromise, but rather upgrading life's most mundane tasks to an art form.
Ginkgo (Gingko biloba) is known for its fan-shaped leaves. Learn how to care for the tree, and why you want a male and not a female tree in your yard.
MOSAIC Outdoor Living developed a unique design that was carefully planned to curve and nestle around the yard's existing trees and plants, so as to not disturb…
Think beyond the typical toolshed with these 20 ideas for creating a backyard sanctuary...
Wondering whether the types of trees you’re planting will grow fast? Want to just learn more about fast-growing trees in your area? Either way, this Master List of Fast-Growing Trees in Virginia is for you.
What does it mean when gardeners refer to invasive plants? Invasive plants have a quality that separates them from merely aggressive species.
Bees are scrambling like mad for space on my coneflowers (Echinacea). I never had much luck with perennial coneflowers when they got only morning sun. After moving them to the sunny side of this bed, there’s plenty for everybody! Texas Crescent butterfly, among many, zoomed in for dinner. A
Landscaping hillsides can be one of the most difficult parts of designing a backyard, but there are several tasteful ways to go about it: cr...
Labor Day weekend is often seen as the "Last Hurrah" of the Summer season. Enjoy your 3-day weekend with a successful party and these 9 great backyard games!
There is nothing quite like a secluded, shady spot on a blazing hot summer’s day. The perfect pergola will create an aesthetically stunning hideaway.
A flagstone and gravel walkway may be the right way to go when designing your yard, garden or patio, perhaps with a soothing fountain or a firepit too....
Metal yard decorations bring unique textures into backyard designs
If you're renting, it can be hard to make someone else’s house feel like your own, but for actress Jodi Balfour (you might recognize her as Jackie Kennedy
Here is an idea that might be fun for some of you to create in a fairly small space- a backyard Bocce court. We have little girls at home and my husband and I talk all the time about ideas to make our house the fun house. 😉 We love to entertain ourselves but...Read More »
Here is an idea that might be fun for some of you to create in a fairly small space- a backyard Bocce court. We have little girls at home and my husband and I talk all the time about ideas to make our house the fun house. 😉 We love to entertain ourselves but...Read More »
The following is a guest post from my wife, aka Mrs. MMB. I was whining like a spoiled child about how I needed to write up extra posts for when we’re traveling this week, so she kindly offer…
I traveled last month to Seattle’s fabulous Northwest Flower & Garden Show, spending a week in my beloved former city absorbing the magical effect of rare February sunshine filtered through a dewy atmosphere. Here is a field report of some of my favorite gardens at the show: Stained chocolate brown, a sleek, 10-by-15 foot “slat house” […]
Niner Winery in Paso Robles, California offers unique landscape architecture and contracting services by Fortini Landscapes.
We spend a lot of time in our backyard garden and as time goes by we continue to add fun little embellishments to the space. This year we wanted to add a fun little step stone path and decided this project would be the perfect opportunity to dig into our family shell and rock collection. The first thing we did was pull out all of our shells and pick select our favorites. Then using slices of a product called Quick-Tube, we traced circles onto an old piece of plywood. Quick-Tube is fiber building tube made for concrete columns but you can also slice it up and create really simple forms for stepping stones. (FYI- you can also use an old cake pan as a form) We had fun arranging our shells and rocks. Next, Andy mixed up the cement- we used Cement All and added a little bit of pea gravel to the mixture. Then we poured the cement into the forms and on top of our shells and rocks. Andy braced the forms with some 2 x 2 pieces of wood to keep things from moving around. Once the cement cured (we let them sit for about 24 hours), then we popped them out of the forms. I created a little path with our stepping stones and large river rocks. Needless to say, the entire project was a HUGE hit with Lucy! And I love that all those shells and stones that we have collected as a family are embedded into the path.
When Harriet sent pictures of her living willow structure, I was so impressed that I asked if I could put them on our blog. She not only agr...
It's an Irish themed pub shed based in South Wales, Friends come for a night of fun, karaoke, story telling, we help raise money for cancer research - Shenanigans Irish Bar , Pub/Entertainment from Bridgend #shedoftheyear
When the weather is friendly, the sun is up in the sky and your day is wide open, what could be more pleasant than relaxing outside? Of course, having a
This is the two stages of this flower.... The Platycodon ‘Sentimental Blue Balloon Flower’ OOPS! I made a mistake.... 'Astra Blue' Dwarf Balloon Flower Flor De Globo Azul De Astra Astra Blue' is a compact dwarf form of Platycodon grandiflorus hybrid Balloon Flower. It is at most eight inches to a foot tall but frequently remaines four to six inches tall, with a scant six to eight inch spread. Only the foliage is dwarf; the flowers are as large as tall full-sized cultivars. Native to east Asia, balloon flowers are also known as Chinese or Japanese Bellflowers, or Jie-Geng. In Chinese herbal medicine it is alleged to have healing value for ailments of the lungs & throat. Edible roots are valued in Oriental cuisine.
How to grow Chinese or Garlic Chives Allium Tuberosum Garlic Chives must be one of the easiest Herbs that we can grow in the garden and it always surprises me is that they are not grown far more as they have lots of culinary benefits and they can give you a great garlic flavour … Continue reading How to grow Chinese or Garlic chives →
China Asters are easy to grow and bloom when the garden starts to fade. Learn more reasons why these beauties are a great addition to the cut flower garden.
A spacious townhouse or villa near Oyster Pond Marina, with the option of a luxurious private pool Just beside St. Maarten’s famous Dawn Beach sits Coral Beach Club Villas & Marina, an assortment of capacious villas, condos and townhouses. Every abode here channels an apartment, while the property channels a resort, offering a full concierge service, fitness center, sea-to-table restaurant and spa treatments. One of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner’s most unique features, though, is its proximity to the Oyster Pond Marina, which parts of it face. This is where many boats moor, when not sailing around the Atlantic, making for picturesque views from common areas. Another highlight is the Club’s convenience relative to the rest of St. Maarten. This destination isn’t huge, a drive from one end to another taking only 30 or so minutes, but it packs in a lot of tropical fun. When not winding down, you can hit up a golf course or the butterfly farm, or take a day tour by sea, a kiteboarding outing or a sunset sail. In addition to giving you tips on where to go, the staff will pick you up at the airport, so you’ll feel from day one that it’s not just the marina that’s your oyster, but the entire island. Good to know Please note that there isn't a 24-hour desk, so flight details and arrival times need to be provided directly to the hotel in order to arrange your transfer from the airport.
Give me a quiet spot out in the garden and I'm a happy camper. We love being out here in our back yard garden so much, and if you've been following along this is the year that we've decided to give our beloved patch of land some extra fix-up love!
Gardeners who have a nodding acquaintance with clematis are often only aware of the big beautiful heart-stopping, jaw-dropping blossoms of late spring. As one becomes more and more enamored with c…
Tips on how to grow your own spring flowers, including cherry blossom, apple blossom, clematis and daphne...
