Author: Sara May

Garden Tools & Tips, Holidays & Gift Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces

Simple Ways to Keep President’s Day Pride All Year Long

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With President’s Day on the horizon, a feeling of patriotism fills the air, and a desire to demonstrate the love of country and its founders is overpowering.  You can keep that feeling all year when you bring subtle touches of patriotic pride to your outdoor spaces.

Top your garden shed, gazebo, or other outdoor structure with a charming and traditional weathervane that features an American Flag and high-quality craftsmanship.  This eye-catching embellishment can also be mounted on a garden pole or on a deck.

American Flag Weathervane

Add the durable beauty of an outdoor bench to your garden, and you’ll create an inviting focal point with a distinctly American flavor.

Outdoor American Bench

It’s easy to show your American spirit year round when you add one or two tasteful elements to your outdoor spaces.  I daresay that General Washington and Mr. Lincoln would heartily approve.

Holidays & Gift Ideas, Indoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

The Right Lighting Sets the Valentine’s Mood

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Messy Melting Candles

Candles are a traditional source of ambient light during romantic dinners, but, frankly, they’ve become rather cliché.  Besides being a fire hazard, candles can be stinky and messy.  A more modern approach to cozy meal time lighting comes from an energy-efficient, solar-powered source.  The Frosted Solar Lantern not only provides gentle, romantic lighting for the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner, it makes a beautiful centerpiece.

Place the solar panel in direct sunlight throughout the day, and the lantern will provide enough ambient lighting for a long, leisurely dinner, and more.  Different patterns etched into the frosted lantern panes cast a beautifully unique design on the table, helping to set the mood for the evening.

For a memorable Valentine’s Day, impress your dinner guest with something different, out-of-the-ordinary, and completely eye-catching to go along with your sparkling dinner conversation.

Frosted Scroll Solar Lantern  Frosted Dragonfly Solar Lantern

Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

If Only I Had More Light…

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Indoor Outdoor Solar Light

Finding what you need in the storage shed, garden shed, garage, or other dark space can be a challenge when you don’t have the benefit of light by which to see clearly.  Many homeowners simply live with the situation because the hassle and expense that comes with installing electrical wiring for outdoor light fixtures is not pretty.

Surprisingly, solar lighting can offer an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem of dark storage spaces.  The Solar Multi Light is one example of a solar-powered light that can be used in indoor spaces.  As long as the included solar panel is mounted in a sunny area outside, the actual light can be used in any indoor space where extra light is needed.  

Solar lighting, in general, is attractive to many homeowners because no wiring needs to be installed, and electrical costs are zero.  Solar lights have evolved over time, too, to provide more light for longer periods of time, making them ideal for any number of outdoor applications.  Homeowners concerned with appearance can also appreciate the many attractive styles in which solar lighting is now available.

 

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Solar Powered Chinese Lanterns Make Creative Lighting Year Round

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Outdoor Chinese Lanterns

Chinese lanterns make a colorful and distinctive addition to creative backyard and patio decor.  But, you don’t need to wait until Chinese New Year rolls around again to adorn your garden or patio with Chinese lanterns.  Fun and funky, solar-powered Chinese lanterns bring colorful illumination to any backyard gathering no matter the time of year.  Since they’re covered in a weather-resistant nylon fabric rather than fragile paper, they can stay in your outdoor areas indefinitely.  And,  because they are solar-powered, these energy-saving lights require no wires or cords, making them easy to hang anywhere.

Innovative Solutions

Hide Outdoor Eyesores with Natural Rock Enclosures

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Faux Rocks and Rock Enclosures

You tend your garden religiously.  You prune your trees and shrubs to maintain beautiful shapes.  You keep your yard tidy, grass trimmed, tools put away when not needed.  So, what do people notice when they look at your property?  The unsightly electrical transformers and septic system pipes that jut unceremoniously from the ground.

No matter what you try, it’s a challenge to hide the unnatural, but necessary, pipes, pumps, and utility hubs that take residence in one or more areas of the yard.  Blocking the view of these eyesores with shrubs works to an extent, until someone needs to access what’s being blocked.  Shrubs and other greenery can make working in these areas difficult.

Rock enclosures offer a smart solution that meets everyone’s needs.  Natural looking rock enclosures completely cover what you don’t want to be seen, but they can be easily removed to allow easy access to the hidden pipes and pumps.  With many shapes and sizes available, you are sure to find a rock enclosure that adequately fits the eyesore you wish to make disappear.

  DekoRRa Rock Enclosure - Low Profile  DekoRRa Rock Enclosure - Largest Rock