Year: 2020

How to take care of geranium plants

June 24, 2020November 11, 2024 Cristian

If you like this kind of plants and are asking yourself how you can take care of geranium plants, the good news is that they are very easy to take care of. Geranium is a wide-spread and well-known plant among amateurs of indoor plants. They are resistant, showy and the only thing you have to…

Backyard, Garden

Wood Furniture Maintenance

June 24, 2020 Cristian

When it comes wood furniture maintenance, especially for the garden furniture, the lacquering and treatment of the pieces needs to be one of your priorities, if not the most important one.

For new surfaces, made out of untreated wood, the first step is to apply a primer, as a protective layer onto the natural wood. In addition, besides its role against decay, fungi and wood specific pests, the primer ensures the strengthening of the wood fibers and the adhesion of the finish layers. The next task would be to apply at least two coats of lacquer. Apply the coats by

Furniture, Garden

Famous movie gardens

June 24, 2020 Cristian

Whenever you watch a movie, your eye is also caught by the secondary things, like the actors’ clothes, the furniture, spectacular pieces of jewelry or, why not, amazing gardens. Do you remember such green havens that you have seen on TV or in the movie theater? If your memory playing tricks, we will help you with a few examples of famous movie gardens.

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

If you saw this romantic comedy, you certainly remember the final scene of this movie which stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It all takes place in 91 Street Garden, located in New York Riverside Park, above the river. And if you did not know, a voluntary organization called Garden People takes care of this wonderful oasis by planting hibiscus

Prepare your garden for the cold season – The greens

June 23, 2020 Cristian

Preparing your garden for the cold season means more than just protecting your furniture and your barbecue; you also need trees, flowers, bushes and lawn for the winter coming.

You may start with ventilating your lawn by poking the soil with a garden fork. This is the easiest method to rejuvenate the grass on which your kids ran and played all summer. This is also the period when you need to apply the fall/winter fertilizer, so don’t forget about it. This helps the root development and intensifies the color. If you want, you can

Backyard, Cleaning, Garden, How to

Prepare your garden for the cold season – Protect the garden furniture

June 23, 2020 Cristian

Autumn is the season when your garden suffers important changes and, with the advent of rain and cold temperatures, you need to take steps to protect the garden furniture and the grill who gave you joy and relaxation throughout the summer. To be able to enjoy them again next hot season, you need to consider the following:

Remove all the dust and cobwebs from the garden furniture and, on a sunny day, use the hose to wash them. Then, store it in a dry shed, protected by the sudden temperature changes. Also, you need

Backyard, Cleaning, Garden

Prepare your garden for Halloween

June 23, 2020 Cristian

Regardless of age differences, Halloween is a holiday we’re all eagerly waiting. Besides the fun we have on the “haunted evening”, preparations for this day can be equally entertaining. So how do you prepare your garden for Halloween?

Stores are full with all sorts of themed items you can just purchase and take home, but it is far more interesting to involve the whole family in a DIY project. Not only will it be a fun activity, it will also have instructional value for the kids that have the opportunity to develop their imagination and handcrafting

Backyard, Decoration, Garden

Autumn leaves clean up

June 22, 2020 Cristian

Autumn, in the eye of the romantic, might be the most beautiful season. However, for a more practical person, one who also has a garden, as beautiful as this season may be, it also brings one big problem: the leaves clean up.

“The trees’ gay leaves are turned brown,

By every little wind undress’d;

And as they flap and whistle down,

We see the birds’ deserted nest.”

(John Clare, 1821)

If you have a garden, you may enjoy staying on the porch, admiring the beautiful autumn colors. But how long does it take for you to realize that all those beautiful

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Backyard, Featured, Frony Yard, Garden, Lawn

The outdoor fireplace

June 22, 2020 Cristian

The season is changing and, perhaps, you are missing those relaxed evenings you were spending in the middle of the nature, those beautiful and relaxed summer nights in the garden near your house. There is a solution for you to be able to do that a little longer, in spite of the cold: the outdoor fireplace. It will help you enjoy the warmth of a wood fire, but also create an intimate space where you can relax after a day’s work, reading a book or sipping a cup of tea.

A brick outdoor fireplace will remind you, perhaps, of those vacations

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Backyard, Garden

Drapes in the backyard

June 22, 2020 Cristian 1 Comment

When it comes to drapes, usually we think about a house’s interior, about the living room or about the bedroom. Well, some of them can be very well used to decorate a gazebo or a pavilion terrace, having both an aesthetical and practical use. The true challenge is choosing them in a way that integrates them perfectly in the outdoor design, coordinating with the house design and environment.

Outdoor drapes have the primary role of compartmentalization. The front terrace can be a place exposed to everyone’s eyes, but with the help of drapes, it can be easily transformed into an intimate place,

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Backyard

The little children house in the garden

June 21, 2020 Cristian

If your child’s birthday is approaching and you are out of ideas, perhaps his own little children house in the garden will be a good idea. Why is that? Because firstly, it is a truly unique toy and secondly because, besides the fact that it will provide a perfect playground, it will develop his sense of responsibility, learning how to keep it orderly and tidy, all while he is spending time in a dream-like place which will give wings to his imagination.

The little house in the garden should be lightweight. Although there are plenty plastic options

Backyard

The garden office

June 21, 2020 Cristian

Working from home, contrary to popular opinion, is not very easy, unless you do this only once in every blue moon. Therefore, working outdoor, while enjoying the natural light and the fresh air can save you many headaches. The only necessary and sufficient condition is to invest some time and effort into building a garden office.

Seems strange? It’s not at all like that. Many have thought this idea is worthy of your consideration, so there are now many modern, modular constructions you can place directly in your home

Introduction to topiary

June 21, 2020 Cristian

What’s topiary?! You have certainly seen in parks and other houses’ gardens bushes that look perfect, trimmed in sophisticated shapes: pyramid, sphere, spiral or even in the shape of different objects such as cars, bicycles, letters and sometimes animals. If you are tempted to practice this art (because in the end it takes much skill to model such forms of greenery) perhaps the first thing you should know is that not all plants are equally suitable for this task. The most appropriate plants, due to the texture of its leaves and the dense crown, are: cranberry, cypress, oleander, myrtle, buxus, rosemary bushes, laurel and ivy.

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Backyard, Garden, How to

Outdoor kitchens

June 20, 2020 Cristian

We talked a lot about regular kitchens, so it’s time to approach the outdoor kitchens subject. Starting early in spring and up until the autumn’s end, the garden should be the primary place for relaxation and having dinner in the cool shade of the trees is more than a blessing. Have you ever thought that the garden could be the ideal space for cooking, protecting your house from excessive heat created by the oven, while you are preparing a nice meal for your friends and family?

Well, this is a worthy idea to be taken into account, the benefits being undeniable.

For starters, when it comes

Tools organizing

June 20, 2020 Cristian

Of course, when you want a neat garden, you know you must have all the necessary tools. We are not going to enumerate them here, but we wonder how much attention do you pay to the tools organizing activities.

Ideally, you should have a home annexed structure dedicated solely for this purpose – a shed. This would provide you plenty of space, but its absence shouldn’t keep you from knowing exactly where you rake, broom or lawn mower are. If you don’t have a shed, you could, for instance, build a large “toolbox” in a corner of your

Gardening for children

June 20, 2020 Cristian

Gardening for children – education in more than one way.

Have you ever thought that, perhaps, your desire to have a beautiful garden originates sometime in your childhood? It’s very likely, so it’s now time for your kids to learn to love the greenery around the house, cherish the plants and care for them.

You can start encouraging your child to have his or her own small garden. For this, you have to find a bucket or a basket and make sure you have enough fertilized soil to fill about three quarters of the volume. Let your child pick the plants, but make sure you direct him

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Garden

Surveillance systems for your backyard

June 19, 2020 Cristian

Are backyard surveillance systems truly necessary?

Your efforts in having a beautiful garden are starting to show, so it’s time to talk a little about protecting it from uninvited guests. And how else if not by using a backyard surveillance system?

Why is it necessary?

To discourage any attempt before it actually occurs. Cameras mounted in plain sight will discourage any potential offenders and the chances that they will act will decrease considerably.
For remote monitoring the back and front yard and, most important, the area in the immediate vicinity of the house.
If a felony does happen, you will have all the material to help the Police identify the offenders.
For
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Backyard

An Italian patio for an Italian themed garden

June 19, 2020 Cristian

Have you ever dreamed about having an Italian themed garden?

If you didn’t get the chance to see the Italian Gardens at their home, you most certainly saw them in a documentary or a movie and you have a pretty good idea about how they look. It may seem quite a challenge to approach an Italian style near your home, but the result makes it worth it every effort.

An Italian garden doesn’t require very much space, has a wild vibe, and can be created just as easily on a flat or slope surface.

The first step in recreating this theme is to build a shaded

Garden

Your lawn – The green carpet

June 19, 2020 Cristian

A beautiful lawn is one of the main attractions in each garden and also each owner’s pride. If you decided to give that extra bit of attention to your green carpet so it looks perfect, we are, again, here to help you.

Choose the type of lawn that suits you. Your first option is the seed lawn, which is easy to plant, but it has to be chosen with regard to the environmental conditions such as type of soil, rainfall, light and so on. Another option is the one in furrows, which is very easily planted and more durable

You have to prepare

Backyard, Featured, Frony Yard

The outdoor shower – Delight in the garden

June 18, 2020 Cristian

During the hot summer days, an outdoor shower is a blessing, and you owe it to yourself to just give in to this delight.

The simplest solution to achieve this is to turn to the hose you usually use for watering your plants.All you have to do is to find a private spot and hook the hose to a tree branch after you have mounted a shower head. That’s it! Because we are talking about cold water here, your summer delight won’t last very long, therefore you don’t need to worry too much about the water drain system. A layer of gravel will be sufficient to ensure a satisfactory drainage.

If you find the hose option

Backyard, Featured

Automatic Irrigation Systems

June 18, 2020 Cristian

If you have a garden, you probably know by now that, in order to keep it tidy and the plants healthy, the most important factors are the soil, water and light. In case one of these is inadequate or unsatisfactory, the health of your plants will have to suffer and their aspect as well.

Water is, obviously, a vital element when it comes to having vigorous plants, therefore, watering your plants, especially in a dry season, must be the number one priority. The first impulse is to arm ourselves with a hose and supplement the water quantity whenever necessary. Easy to say, but harder to implement. For instance, your lawn needs 1 gallon of water per square foot every day. Yes, every day! After a simple calculation, if you have a medium sized lawn, you will need 1-2 hours each day to irrigate it. Moreover, you also need a long hose, a high pressure water supply, and the results won’t be spectacular. The watering will be uneven, the activity tedious and, during vacations, you will have to ask (or even pay) someone to do this for you. What’s the solution? Easy! An automatic irrigation system. It will evenly water the garden and it will do it only when necessary (modern automatic watering systems are equipped with moisture sensors, so you don’t need to stop them when it rains outside).

The secret of success in terms of efficiency and efficacy is their design. This is why, when you are going to purchase such a system, you must be extremely careful to each of its components:

– the controller/programmer – the element that stores your watering schedule and transmits the start signal to the solenoids.

– moisture sensor – the element that transmits the controller a signal to let it

Featured, Watering

Lawnmower – What mower suits you best?

June 18, 2020 Cristian

The garden surrounding your house needs quite a bit of investment if you want your green oasis to look beautiful, clean and healthy. Part of your investments should definitely be a lawnmower.

If you have come to the conclusion you need to buy such an item, first of all you need to decide which type (there are plenty of them) suits you best considering your gardens characteristics (area, land slope and the existence of narrow spaces). You also have to consider how much time you are willing to dedicate to this activity.

Lawnmowers can have an electric motor or a combustion one and the electric ones can run on batteries or can be

Garden, Lawn

Lattice fence panels and trellis

June 17, 2020 Cristian

Lattice fence panels have that particular property of being, simultaneously, decorative and practical elements. They are beautiful, environmentally friendly, easy to build and often a saving solution for both appearance and functionality of your garden.

For practical uses, we need to start with them protecting us against the hot sun rays. This is very important – first because UV radiation does terrible damage to the skin and – second, for your personal comfort. This protection wall will be much more antithetically pleasing if you plant climbing

Backyard, Fences

Garden Wedding – The altar

June 17, 2020 Cristian

If you want to say “I do” in your beautiful garden, subscribe to us and find out how you can have a perfect garden wedding.

Since this is a very complex subject, we decided to break it into pieces and discuss ideas for your garden wedding in more than one article. We are going to start with the altar.

Important! Before planning your garden wedding, make sure your minister, priest or person who is going to tie the knot is available to come to your location. We all see them in movies, but, depending on each country’s laws and religion, this might not be possible in some places.

Let’s get back to the altar.

Backyard, Garden

Keeping your dog in the backyard

June 17, 2020July 1, 2020 Cristian

Keeping your dog in the backyard

We know lots of you are animal lovers and, in this article, we are going to tell you how your backyard can be a blessing for your dog and how not to turn it into a curse.

Keeping a dog in an apartment is possible, but it is a lot harder than keeping him in a house that also has a backyard. However, having a backyard is not enough of a living arrangement for your 4-legged friend. If you want to keep him happy (and of course you want that), there will be some sweat and effort.

Build him a house of his own

Building a

Backyard

How to choose the flowers and plants for your garden

June 16, 2020June 16, 2020 Cristian

Choosing the flowers and plants that are going to form your garden is one of great satisfaction, it can offer both healthy and emotional benefit. You must take into account how much time you can dedicate to your garden. You must know well the hours of sun or shade that your garden will have. Does…

Backyard, Decoration, Flowers, Garden, How to, Watering

Cheap Garden Furniture

June 16, 2020November 11, 2024 Cristian

We want to help as many of you as possible, therefore this is a rather international blog. For this exact reason we cannot say something like: ”If you want cheap garden furniture, go to Ikea”, simply because in some countries or towns, you might not have an Ikea store. Now, Ikea was just an example, it goes the same for any other store.

Instead, we are going to let you know on some little tips to keep your budget as low as possible, without mentioning a certain store.

Don’t stop in the first shop. Although this is basically common sense and, hopefully, everyone knows you shouldn’t buy the very first thing you see, we are going to teach you how to do a little research

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Backyard, Garden

Watering tips for perfect plants

June 16, 2020 Cristian

Can you imagine a garden without those beautiful trees, flowers and decorative plants? We sure can’t, but keeping them in shape is not an easy task. It all starts with the watering – the most important process in taking care of everything that is green. However, we noticed some people are lacking basic knowledge in this field and, no matter how hard they try, the plant end up dying before their time.

Here are some watering tips to help you with this:

1. Concentrate on the root area.

The water feeds the plants trough the root, so watering the foliage may prove very

Garden

Backyard beach

June 16, 2020 Cristian

Some of you are fortunate enough to be living near a sea or ocean. Perhaps this article is not for you. However, the vast majority of us lives in crowded cities where the blue waters are far away. Fortunately, we can bring the beach in our backyard. Read on and find some great ideas!

Sand

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the beach? The sand, of course. Well, that’s what you should start with. The more sand you get, the more spectacular the effect will be. Place some garden chairs and

A cinema in your garden

June 15, 2020 Cristian

Do you have an impressive movie collection that you would like to see over and over again with your friends, in a special ambiance? The ideal solution is a cinema right in your garden. Although it seems hard to accomplish, things are actually very simple, the investment is minimal and the results are spectacular.

The first step is to choose where you want the projection to occur. Make sure you have access to electricity and the light sources in the environment (neighboring houses, street lighting and car headlights) are not reflected on the

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Garden

Japanese Gardens

June 15, 2020 Cristian

Don’t you just love Japanese gardens? If you do, and you decide on decorating your own garden in this style, you should know this is not just landscaping, but an art based on very strong philosophical principals and various symbols; such a garden represents the elements of the entire universe. Fire is rendered by iron poles, stone represents earth and air, water and life (plants and animals) appear in their natural form. Also, if you are planning on creating a Japanese garden, there are some principles you need to strictly obey:

Asymmetry (Fukinsei) – which controls the balance in the composition. A Japanese