Landscaping & Gardening Information | home | site map | contact us |
Decorate Your Outdoor Spaces on a Budget!
Many times when the weather becomes sultry, the only place we want to be is in our favorite chair on the porch, sipping ice-cold lemonade! So, if we are to spend our summer months languishing with Mother Nature, why not treat our "outdoor room" to a little freshening up, and make our time outdoors more enjoyable! Here are some great, easy ideas you can use to add your own personal style to a much used "summer home"! Treat your outdoor space just like an indoor room when you think about decorating it. Mother Nature has got the ceiling covered in most cases, but you should think about floors, furniture, accessories, color, and, yes, walls, just like any other project! Choose a theme, even if it's just color! Use existing fencing, tall plants, trellising, etc... for your walls, or just imply that walls exist by arranging your furnishings as if they did! Dress up old patio furniture with cushions (easily made out of leftover fabric), a little paint, and maybe some stenciling or stamping. Details bring that "homey" feeling to the space. If you don't have furniture, buy those inexpensive resin chairs and make cushions out of a bright cheery fabric. Tables can be made out of a lot of "junk." Stepladders make great little drink tables. I found one of those large "spools" used by the utility companies in my yard when I moved in - it's a bit weathered, but turned on its side, it makes a terrific table! Paint leftover squares of plywood and set them on top of unused large pots, or on a birdbath. Two pots and a larger piece of wood make a great coffee/breakfast table. Tiki torches are relatively inexpensive, and add great ambience! Forget that expensive outdoor lighting set! Make luminaries out of recycled cans to light a walkway. Remove labels, fill with water, and then put in the freezer for a couple of hours. When they're frozen, use a hammer and nail to poke holes in a pattern, similar to punched tin. Stars, hearts, butterflies, even just zigzag lines will let the light shine through in an interesting pattern. (The freezing of water prevents the can from denting when you punch it.) Thaw, drain, put some sand, dirt, or gravel in the bottom to anchor a votive candle - instant charm, for the price of the candles! This is great for a party or barbecue, by the way! Paint those boring planters! Once again, a few tubes of craft paint and a little imagination can make all the difference. Nothing fancy is needed- stripes, dots, squiggles, sponged-on shapes all can make designer accents. How about gluing on some stones or shells? Since we are already painting planters, how about free ones? I recycle kitty litter buckets, plastic ice cream buckets, coffee cans, etc... Just poke some drainage holes in the bottom, paint and decorate, and plant! Take the time to dress up your outdoor spaces?it doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and it will help create a relaxing sanctuary to wile away those lazy days! (If you actually have any of those!) Kathleen Wilson is an author, national columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. You can find hundreds of free budget home decorating ideas and sign up for her free online newsletter at her website at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Dill: Scandinavias Most Important Culinary Herb The ancient herb, Anethum graveolens or Fernleaf dill as it is commonly known, was mentioned some 5,000 years ago in early Egyptian writings. It is the most important culinary herb in Scandinavia, as popular as parsley is in other parts of the world. Plastic & Resin Patio Furniture - What You Don't Know What is the first thought that comes through your mind when you hear "resin patio furniture" or "plastic patio furniture"? Is the word cheap or flimsy? You are not alone. But what you may not know is it is the latest trend and spreading fast. Turn Your Patio Into A Voluminous Vegetable Garden My first apartment was a second-story condo in an urban complex, far displaced from the groomed suburban landscapes and sprawling gardens I had grown up with. My only connection to the outdoors was a small porch, surrounded by brown siding and a fading carpet of artificial turf. Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit Creating no dig gardens on top of the soil gives you many immediate advantages over the usual garden. It is quick and easyIt will improve the soil underneath the bedIt is weed free and organicWhile my site has concentrated on the vegetable garden, the same garden building techniques can be used for flower beds, herbs and fruit trees. Invite Spring Early - Grow in Your Basement Now's the time to get ready to grow your own seedlings! It's not really difficult, and can extend your growing season by many weeks. For example, by planting brassica's (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) in February in your basement under grow-lights, you can put large, sturdy transplants into your garden by the end of March or early April, and be eating them when others are just seeing them come up! However, remembering that photosynthesis, using light, heat and moisture causes plant growth, you must follow a few key natural principles very carefully, or you will be disappointed. Homemade Hydroponics System Plan Building your own water works system is quite simple and can be fun, if you know how to follow instructions. This particular type of system is best suited for water loving plants such as lettuce. Grow Organic Vegetables There are more reasons than ever why anybody with access to a few square feet of the outdoors should grow their own organic vegetables.You may be shocked at how much of the produce at your local supermarket has been genetically modified. Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care Installing a backyard fish pond is an aesthetic addition to your landscaping and offers a bit of tranquility as well. However, taking care of backyard fish ponds is not as easy as one might think. Thyme: The Herb of Courage Garden thyme, fresh or dried, alone or combined with parsley and bay leaves to make a bouquet garni, adds a distinctive aromatic flavouring to meats, poultry, stews, sauces, and stuffing. Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as cooking thyme, English thyme, French thyme, or winter thyme is just one of the 350 species of the genus Thymus. With Outdoor Lighting You Can Enjoy Your Garden Into The Evening Hours It is a beautiful evening and you are relaxing on your patio, enjoying the cool summer air. The flowers are blooming, the lawn is green and lush, everything is perfect, if only you could see! We spend so much time and money on our backyards, decks and patios, and then the sun goes down and we must abandon these beautiful oases. Patios And Garden Pavers Is your concrete or asphalt driveway an eyesore? Do you need to create an attractive retaining wall? Although most people use garden pavers to create patios, driveways and other hardscaping elements are often created using garden pavers, as well.More and more homeowners are tearing up their cracked and stained concrete or asphalt driveways. Preparing Successful Seedlings Growing your own seedlings is very gratifying and far more economic than purchasing them. It also gives you far greater control over your existing growing conditions. The Basics of Growing Roses So you want to grow roses? They are a beautiful choice for your garden and not nearly as difficult to grow as you might think.Choose a rose that is easy to grow. How to Grow Basil Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs that promise to freshen your air by putting a variety of aromas into your home. However, when you know how to grow basil, you can have enough variety of fragrance to package your own potpourri! The most commonly grown basil is the annual, ocimum basilicum that carries a minty fragrance that smells like? well, it smells like sweet basil. Moss on Lawns Just about right now, we start to see moss on lawns and the plaintive cry goes up, "How do we stop it?"The first thing to understand is that moss is not going to survive in a healthy lawn. The existence of moss is a symptom that the lawn is not in good shape. Ecological Landscape Design and Organic Lawn Care There is a growing recognition, that the expanding suburban landscape is having a negative environmental impact. Suburban development often includes vast energy dependant monocultures (perfect, grass lawns). Landscape Wallpaper Landscape wallpaper can be a great addition to your computer's desktop. Since most of us always have our PCs running, it is refreshing to see a beautiful masterpiece on the display when the computer is not in use. Tranquility in Your Own Back Yard A garden fountain can add beauty and serenity to you yard or garden. It's long been known that running water can aid in relaxation. 8 Simple Tips to Keep Your Lawn Mower Running 1. If you have a non-electric mower which runs on petrol or gas have a look in the instruction manual to find out how to check and change the oil. 16 Lawn Mower Safety Tips 1. Always read the instruction manual before operating your lawnmower. |
home | site map | contact us |