Found on the Web: Outdoor Patio Cushions with Summer Style

June 19th, 2013

We found another great article:

Anyone else notice how tricky it can be to find stylish outdoor patio cushions? We’re not kidding! Designs may be intentionally drab so they blend with a variety of outdoor decor options, or they may be overly patterned with bold prints that may or may not make the statement you want. How do you add comfort with class? Today we at Decoist explore that very question by rounding up a collection of images that maximize outdoor seating style.

Outdoor patio cusions and throw pillowsOutdoor patio cusions and throw pillows

As you browse the images below, note the different approaches you can take when it comes to selecting cushions for outdoor seating. For example, many people prefer to keep it simple with the cushions themselves, then jazz up the vignette with a bright pop of color via throw pillows in a vivid accent shade (as shown above in an image from Today’s Patio Furniture & Decor). What’s your patio cushion style? Check out the images that follow, and don’t forget to share your thoughts with a comment at the end of the post…

Colorful Outdoor Patio Cushions

If you’re a person who enjoys radiant color, our first featured set of images is for you! That’s because they showcase festive summer shades that add vibrant color to your outdoor setup. We begin with the Alfresco Grey collection with Sunbrella Apple Cushions from Crate & Barrel. Not only does the apple green hue play up the lawn green of the grass, these practical cushions are fade- and mildew-resistant as well!

Apple green patio cushionsApple green patio cushions

We’re loving the decorative strategy of using patio cushions to enhance the dominant colors of your outdoor space. That’s why this yard designed by Janet Rosenberg & Studio is so stunning! Aren’t aqua blue cushions the perfect choice for poolside lounging? [from Peter A. Sellar Photographer]

Aqua blue outdoor patio cushionsAqua blue outdoor patio cushions

Want to read more? Check out the rest of this article at  Modern Interior Design & Furniture.

Found on the Web: Front Yard Landscape Ideas That Make an Impression

June 18th, 2013

Look at what we found on the web! Another great article:

Your front yard introduces your home, welcoming guests and greeting you at the end of a long day. After all, your home is your sanctuary. Why shouldn’t your yard reflect the peace and joy you feel when you spend time rejuvenating at your place? We at Decoist love writing about landscape design. Our focus is often the backyard, but today all of that changes…

In fact, there’s an art to creating a front yard with curb appeal. We’ll explore the ingredients of fabulous landscaping for the front, and we’ll take a look at some tips and techniques for making the space an alluring one. There’s no one right way to create a big impact. In fact, despite the large nature of some of today’s featured homes, there’s no rule that says you have to own a mansion in order to showcase a front yard with a wow factor. Enjoy browsing, and may the images below inspire you in your gardening and landscaping endeavors:

Grand Entrances

We start by celebrating the power of making a grand entrance! There’s nothing like driving up to a residence and being blown away by the landscaping from the get-go! Check out the gorgeous driveway landscaping below, which showcases a variety of colors and textures… [from Cipriano Landscape Design]

Colorful driveway landscapingColorful driveway landscaping

When you have a large front yard to work with, the options can seem overwhelming. Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a professional landscaper who can be an amazing resource as you plan the space. Not to mention, professionals can create stunning results that can be a bit tricky for the typical DIY-er to duplicate (like the terraced retaining walls in the next featured image). [from Ema Peter Photography for CCI Renovations]

Terraced front yard landscapingTerraced front yard landscaping

It never hurts to lead your guests on an outdoor adventure. OK, the design-lover’s version of an adventure walk to the front door! An abundance of plants, a circle of gravel and a stepping stone path all create visual interest and entice both residents and guests to the door of the beautiful home below. [from Huettl Landscape Architecture]

Wanna read more? Check out this link here.

Found Online: A Cool Free-Standing Pool for All Your Summer Pool Parties!

June 10th, 2013

Check this out! One of our favorite blogs over at 2Modern just posted this and we just had to share it.

If you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend more time outside this summer, this free-standing sculptural mini-pool is a really cool way to stay… erm, cool!

This unique design was dreamed up by the artists at Kos, in Pordenone Italy. Kos is a company dedicated to re-thinking tubs, whirlpools, and basically anything water-based in the home. Their incredible designs have garnered plenty of attention, and it’s easy to see why!

You can learn more about the mini-pool on Kos’s website here.

And you can read more about Kos on their “Company” page here (it’s well worth a read, these guys are worth keeping an eye on if you’re interested in the most cutting-edge modern designs): “About Kos

5 Steps to a No-Work Garden

June 5th, 2013

Gardening is a bombing hobby for the outdoorsy types.  By spending time outdoors gardening one not only gets to be outside basking in the beautiful sunny spring and summer weather but you also get closer to nature.

However, gardening is not all fun and games.  Hours and hours of effort can be put into maintaining a perfect flower or vegetable garden.  It doesn’t have to be that way though.  There are a ton of tips for achieving the perfect garden that you have always wanted with a limited amount of work.

English: Summer vegetable garden in Roseville,...

Summer vegetable garden in Roseville, Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1.  No-till method

This method really is as easy as it seems.  There is no tilling or hoeing needed.  It is actually one of the best ways to not only keep your plants growing but it will also minimize weeds.

By simply adding compost, fertilizer, manure, etc. to the top of your gardens and watering the nutrients will be absorbed by the subsoil and help our plants grow.

By not tilling you don’t agitate the soil and therefore don’t bury weed seeds into the soil to allow for germination.  This keeps the amount of weeds to a minimum.  By not tilling your soil also remains moist.

2. Mulch

By adding a layer of mulch to your topsoil multiple problems are solved.

This prevents weeds from making it into the soil to germinate.  It also retains moisture and prevents evaporation reducing the need for constant watering.

Lawn clippings make a great mulch as do leaves, straw and seaweed.

garden

Mulch in a garden

3.  Cover Crops

By planting cover crops the soil is more aerated and fertile.  It also displaces weeds as it becomes more difficult for them to seed.  Cover crops also reduce the need for fertilizer as they reduce the amount of nitrogen needed as they add nitrogen to the soil themselves.

4.  Raised Beds

Raising your garden beds doesn’t necessarily reduce the amount of work needed to maintain the garden but it does make it significantly easier.  Raised gardens are easier on the back and neck as one doesn’t have to bend or stoop as far to do maintenance work.

garden

Raised garden beds

5. Use soaker hoses

Soaker hoses are fantastic. They are simple to install and require little effort to use. They also eliminated unwinding the hose and standing and watering in the same place for hours. By simply turning on the water the garden virtually waters itself. Because the entire garden beds receives the same amount of water with soaker hoses the size and yield of a garden is ofter better as well.

garden

Soaker hoses watering a flower bed



Article written by . When she isn’t writing she can be found reading at the beach or taking pictures.

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Budget Friendly Patio Design

June 3rd, 2013

An outdoor patio is a great place to entertain friends or just relax, and if you use a little imagination you can have one without taxing your budget. As with many home improvement projects, the cost of patio materials can be quite intimidating, but there are less expensive options than things like bluestone. One material that many people disregard is concrete. It has a bad reputation, but if you think outside the box, it can be just as attractive as the more expensive mediums.

Installing rebar in a concrete floor during a ...

Time to re-do that deck? You may not need to shell out money for a complete do-over just yet. Consider some more budget friendly options first. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Concrete doesn’t have to be used as a simple slab, and it doesn’t have to be the typical “concrete color” anymore. Color can be added to the concrete as it mixes to create almost any color that you like. Something a little different can transform a boring concrete slab into a striking focal point of your backyard. Some of the more popular colors are shades of brown, and blues or greys.

Adding some texture to your concrete is another way to make it more unique. There are concrete stamps that can be applied, but if adding some scoring by hand is a more natural looking option. In some cases using natural materials such as large leaves can make your concrete look more like natural stone. If you don’t mind sacrificing a plant, a large elephant ear can be found at nurseries for a reasonable price, and placing a leaf on wet concrete and pressing slightly will leave a beautiful imprint on your patio. If your space your leaf imprints at regular intervals it will give your concrete a tropical touch.

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How To Sharpen A Lawnmower Blade

May 30th, 2013

Summer is here!

It is the time to walk around barefoot in the grass and watch kids running around and playing in it.

A necessity to keeping your grass clean cut and healthy looking is by sharpening the blade on your lawnmower. A dull blade doesn’t cut grass, it tears it. Torn grass is more easily infected by disease and also causes it to turn brown and look dead.

lawnmower

Lawnmower


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6 Tips to Eliminate Weeds in Your Garden

May 28th, 2013

WEEDS!!!

Who can admit that one of their favorite things to do is pulling weeds? I can’t and I bet that none of you will admit to that either mainly because it simply isn’t true.

For gardeners, weeds are their arch nemesis and enemies. It doesn’t have to be that way though! There are numerous tips and tricks that if done can practically eliminate the time it takes to weed.

Here are some general garden tips that will not only make your garden just a little more inviting but will also annihilate weeds for good.

1. Plant Cover Crops:
It is important to cover bare areas of the garden. Do so by planting cover crops. When planted, cover crops form a barrier and protect your soil from unwanted seeds being blown in and germinating in your pristine area. After a few seasons you will virtually not be able to find any weeds!

weeds

Cover Crops

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The Outdoor Kitchen: Make Your Patio Your Second Home

May 23rd, 2013

Now that fair weather is arriving, it’s time for some great family fun in the sun!

For many people, few outdoor activities are as relaxing – or rewarding – as grilling and entertaining guests in their own backyard. Bringing people together over delicious food, lovely scenery, and great conversation is a staple of summertime Americana. And because our patio get-togethers hold such a venerated position in our culture, isn’t it fitting that we should strive to make our backyard as beautiful, welcoming, and fun as possible? Indeed, having an outdoor kitchen can make your patio THE hot spot to be all season long!

Many designers hold the belief that your “exterior space” should be an extension of your interior home, not something totally separate. In many ways, a patio in the summertime is like a second living room, a “home” outside of home. If you want to make your patio kitchen as awesome and inviting as possible, you’re going to need 5 things:

The Grill

The grill is the foundation of your outdoor kitchen, and to many, the place where “the magic happens.” It should never be centrally located in your backyard, but it should not be too far out of the way either – the grill is still a social place, and no chef wants to be removed from the party. And truly, no party wants to be removed from its chef! The best part of an outdoor kitchen, after all, is that the host gets to be part of the conversation rather than just running in and out all the time.

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“Living Walls” in the Home: What are They and How do You Build Them

May 16th, 2013

As summer approaches, spending time outdoors may be high up on the list of things to do. To fulfill this desire one may fancy a garden but lack the space that it truly needs to blossom and grow. With this, what’s better than to install a living wall in one’s home?

You may be curious as to what a living wall actually is? Well that answer is easy enough. A living wall is a wall that is partially or completely covered in living plants. They are also referred to as “green walls”

living wall

living wall

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Found on the Web: Garden Flower Nest

May 15th, 2013

Look at what we found on the web! Another great article:

I am getting ready to pot some flowers for summer. I am sorry for those of you still getting snow in May. I’ll share my easy garden project with you.