Garden Tools & Tips, Storage Solutions

Why Cedar Is the Best Choice for Garden Sheds

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Cedar Garden Sheds

Outdoor storage sheds are an essential accessory for today’s homes. Whether you wish to store yard tools, gardening supplies, or pool chemicals, outdoor storage sheds (also known as garden sheds) provide additional space for your outdoor equipment, making it much easier to access and freeing up your garage for vehicles, bicycles, and the spare refrigerator.

Traditionally, though, outdoor storage sheds and garden sheds have been made of metal, vinyl, or plastic, and they are often less than attractive. As a result, sheds tend to be tucked away in some dark and hidden corner of the yard, away from direct view. Wood sheds, on the other hand, specifically cedar wood sheds, bring a natural and beautiful appearance to the backyard. Thanks to the durability and versatility that cedar wood sheds and garden sheds offer, using the shed for more than just storage is an attractive option for creative home owners.

Why cedar? Cedar is an all-weather wood that can withstand decades of harsh weather conditions, including icy winters, wet springs, and hot, sunny summers. It can be stained or painted to complement your existing home decor, and it is naturally resistant to mildew, rot, and insects, making it virtually worry-free. As an added bonus, cedar looks beautiful and smells fantastic. Because of these benefits, cedar is a natural choice for outdoor storage sheds.

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining

Swing Set Updates That Keep Kids Interested

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The backyard swing set you bought for your kids when they were small was probably filled with challenging and fun equipment just right for their age and size. Bucket swings for safety, a short ladder leading to a scoop slide, and maybe even a club house for hours of pretend play. As kids grow older, though, their ideas about what’s fun and challenging evolve. Making sure that the backyard swing set doesn’t become an unused eyesore means keeping up with your children’s changing interests and abilities. By updating the swing set periodically with equipment and accessories that meets your kids’ current needs, you can ensure that the swing set continues to appeal to your kids over the course of many years.

Alternative Swings

Swings are an affordable place to start when it comes to updating a swing set’s accessories. If you haven’t done so already, swap out the bucket swing or half-bucket swing with a traditional belt swing or two.  Don’t stop there, though. Swings come in all shapes and styles, and a little variety adds a lot of appeal to a backyard swing set.

Belt Swing  Buoy Ball Swing  Pine Wood Chair Swing

Slides

Swing sets generally come with a standard scoop slide, which is straight, smooth, and adequately thrilling for little ones. As kids get older, though, they tend to prefer a more exhilarating ride. Replacing your original slide for a spiral slide can offer that extra bit of thrill to older kids. Spiral slides are often completely enclosed tubes, too, similar to what you find on commercial or public playgrounds. The enclosed spiral brings an additional measure of excitement to the sliding experience.

Super Wave Slide  Super Tube Spiral Slide

Climbing Accessories

Climbing equipment offers growing kids a fun way to challenge their bodies’ developing abilities. While not usually appropriate for young children, climbing accessories help older kids gain confidence, strengthen muscles, and refine gross motor and motor planning skills. Monkey bars may be the most common type of climbing accessory found on standard swing sets, but they can be added to an existing swing set that doesn’t already have them. Rope ladders and rock wall climbing kits are available, too, and are exceptionally appealing to adventurous kids.

Rock Wall Climbing Kit  Rope Ladder 

Making small but meaningful changes to your backyard swing set over time will not only encourage years of continued interest by your kids, but will also reinforce the value of your initial investment in the swing set.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips, Outdoor Living Spaces

Welcoming Our Feathered Friends

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This Bird Needs a Birdbath

As I write this, I’m taking glances out the window in front of me, which gives me a lovely view of our backyard.  What I see are the busy activities of sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, and other birds — eating seed, bathing in a small puddle of melted snow, burying bits of suet in the bark of our ornamental pear tree.  What I don’t see is a lasting water source for the birds.

Once the puddle of melted snow evaporates, there won’t be any consistent source of water in our yard where birds can quench their thirst and clean their feathers.  We like to pride ourselves on being a bird-friendly family, so rectifying this situation is of the utmost importance, especially as spring migration is just around the bend.

Bird Bath with Solar FountainAn outdoor birdbath with a fountain feature is the ideal addition to a backyard bird pit stop.  In fact, more birds are sure to come check out the fountain since they’re attracted to running water.  My choice would be a solar birdbath fountain.  Solar birdbaths and fountains require no special wiring and cost nothing to run because they are powered by an associated solar panel that absorbs energy from the sun.  As long as the solar panel is placed in a sunny location, the birdbath fountain is sure to accomplish its task of bubbling and gurgling for the birds.

With a consistent water source in place and a continuous supply of seed and suet, we’ll be prepared to welcome more feathered friends to our backyard this spring and beyond.

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