Author: Sara May

Holidays & Gift Ideas, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

A Spooktacular Solution for Landscape Lighting

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Patio Lantern

How do you keep the walkways to your front door safe and well lighted, especially on spooky nights like Halloween?  Cute little ghosts and goblins will be more likely to come looking for tricks and treats if they can see clePatio Lanternsarly how to reach your porch.  There are any number of holiday-themed lighting options that would work for lighting the way, but if Halloween lights are only used for Halloween, what will you do for landscape lighting the rest of the year?

Patio Lanterns offer a different approach to landscape lighting than traditional path lights or garden lights.  Reminiscent of the decorative street lamps found in Paris and other European cities, patio lanterns bring old-world charm to a patio, deck, or walkway.  They dress up a home’s landscape much more effectively than standard path lights or garden lights, and they are easy to decorate from season to season.

Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions

Fresh Idea: Decorate Indoor Spaces With Outdoor Curtains

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Outdoor Curtains Indoors

Today’s outdoor curtains and drapes look as good as indoor ones and offer superior performance, so why wouldn’t you choose outdoor curtains for your indoor spaces?  Here are a few reasons why outdoor curtains are a good idea:

  • Indoor fabrics fade — The beautiful curtains you had custom made for your sunny living room may not look so beautiful in a couple of years as the sun’s UV rays do their darndest to fade the curtain’s colors.  Because outdoor curtains are intended for outdoor use, they are constructed with fabrics that resist those harmful UV rays and keep fading at a bare minimum.  Your curtains will look just as vibrant in ten years as they do when you first install them.

  • Protect indoor furnishings — Those same UV rays that fade your lovely indoor curtains can also do some serious damage over time to your other indoor furnishings.  Upholstered furniture, artwork, fabrics, carpets, and more are at the mercy of the sun’s UV rays.  Over time, these indoor treasures can fade, weaken, crack, and become otherwise damaged as a result of prolonged sun exposure.  The best quality outdoor curtains have a UV protection factor of 98%, so they block the bulk of the harmful rays that threaten to damage your indoor furnishings.

  • Durability and versatility — Outdoor curtains are made with beautiful, but rugged, fabrics that can take the worst of outdoor weather.  By using outdoor curtains inside, you can feel confident that they’ll stand up to everyday, and not so everyday, abuses.  Outdoor curtains make any room of the house look good, but, because they are so easy to clean, they are especially ideal for the busiest of rooms, like the kitchen, family room, kids’ rooms, play room, and laundry room.
Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips

How to Compost Autumn Leaves For Late Spring Use

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Compost Bins

Composting your autumn leaves is the best way to dispose of them.  Not only do you keep those leaves out of the landfill, but composting allows you to create nutrient-rich “black gold” that your garden plants will love.  Here are a few tips on preparing your autumn leaves for the compost bin:

  • Don’t bother shredding your leaves before you put them into the compost bin; whole leaves are better for compost.
  • Autumn leaves are high in carbon, but low in nitrogen; for balance, add to your compost bin two parts fresh, green grass clippings or other green organic matter to one part leaves.
  • Moisture is important for decomposition; be sure to add water to your compost initially, and then periodically check the moisture content to make sure that your compost is moist, but not soggy.  Add water as needed.

Turning autumn leaves into spring compost doesn’t require much time or effort.  If you prepare your compost properly, and check on it periodically over the late autumn and winter months, you should be able to look forward to using that compost when it comes time to plant your garden in late spring.

Overall, making your own compost is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your wallet because it saves you from having to buy compost from the local garden center.

Find out more about what can be put into the compost bin, and what should be left out:  Composting Basics.

Garden Tools & Tips, Holidays & Gift Ideas

Unique Gift Ideas For the Backyard Gardener To Fit Every Budget

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Solar Lighted Planter

You want to get a gift for that special person in your life, but the hard part is deciding what to buy.  Gift cards are an easy solution, but they tend to be a bit impersonal.  To find a unique gift that your friend will love and appreciate, spend a few minutes thinking about that person and who he or she is.  What does your special person do for fun?  How does he or she spend spare time?  What activities bring joy or contentment to your friend’s life?

Is gardening a favorite activity of your special person?  If so, here are a few unique gift ideas that would please any backyard gardener, and they won’t break your budget:

  • Garden Tools — Every gardener has a set of gardening tools, but having a spare set of tools on hand is a goodGarden Tool Set idea.  A unique twist on the gift of gardening tools is a gift that encompasses more.  A garden tool set that comes with a handy storage tote and sturdy folding seat offers multiple uses and adds value for the gardener.

 

  • Decorative planters — Every gardener has a stash of planters tucked away for use when necessary, but choosing a unique decorative planter for your gardener will ensure that it stays filled with beautiful flowers and plants year round.  Lighted planters are one example of a decorative planter that is affordable and serves more than one purpose — not only are lighted planters used to display flowers and plants, but they provide a soft, comforting glow at night.  Lighted planters are available in solar-powered or electric varieties.

 

  • Potting Bench — Does your gardener have a dedicated space for re-potting, transplanting, or working with plants and flowers? If he or she uses a random table top or even the ground to do this work, then a proper potting bench would make the perfect gift.  Choose a potting bench constructed of a hardy, weather-resistant wood, such as Western Red Cedar.  It should also have at least two shelves for storing potting soil and extra pots, and hooks for hanging gardening tools.  A feature much appreciated by gardeners is a lip that goes around the sides and back of the potting bench — this keeps the soil on the table top and makes it easier to clean up that spilled soil when potting is done.

Finding just the right gift for your special person really is possible.  With a little thought, the gift you choose can not only be unique, but affordable and practical, too.

Potting Bench

Insect Control, Storage Solutions

Store Your Firewood Properly Now & Enjoy Toasty Winter Days Ahead

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Fireplace Image

If you plan to chop and prepare your own logs for upcoming winter fires, or if you’re like me and prefer to have locally prepared firewood delivered to your door, you’ll need some place to store it.  Here are some tips for properly storing your winter firewood:

  • Keep it handy, but away from your house.  Firewood can attract pests, and if logs are kept next to the house, those critters may find easy ways to enter your home or cause damage to your home’s exterior.  The best place to keep your logs is near the fence or next to the shed or other outdoor storage building — close and convenient, but not so close that you’ll be inviting unexpected “guests” into your home.  Never spray your firewood with pesticides to deter insects because burning these logs in the fireplace will create harmful toxic vapors. 
  • Keep it protected.  In order to burn efficiently, firewood needs to stay dry.  One option is to store your firewood inside your shed or in another covered outdoor structure.  Or, you could do what I do and cover the wood pile with a simple tarp.  They are inexpensive and can be tied down to prevent them from blowing away.  If your firewood is stored in a place on your property that is not visible to passersby, then covering it with a tarp will not damage your home’s “curb appeal.”
    Log Rack
  • Keep it elevated.  If stored directly on the ground, firewood can soak up moisture and attract pests.  Storing your firewood in a sturdy Firewood Rack, or Log Rack, will keep your logs elevated, promoting air circulation and deterring pesky pests and wood rot.  Log Racks come in multiple sizes, so you should be able to find one that fits the space in which you plan to store your logs.

Properly storing your firewood now will ensure that you have enough good firewood to last you through the whole winter.  So, get ready to cozy up next to the fireplace with a warm buddy, and don’t forget the hot chocolate — extra marshmallows, please!