Gardening can be a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby. It is a creative activity, which can add color and appeal to your home and yard. Gardening is more than just throwing some plants into the ground, though. For the most enjoyment, and the biggest impact, you'll need to do some planning, and make some decisions about your garden.

Probably the most important consideration for your garden, is the type of garden. Do you want a herb garden or a vegetable garden? Do you want a flower garden? Do you want flowers that only bloom during the spring, or a variety of flowers to bloom from spring through fall? Or if you want, you can have different gardens in your yard. Maybe a plot near the house for growing herbs, and then maybe some flowers in the corner of the yard to add a touch of color.

Once you know what type of garden you want, you can choose the location. If you want herbs or vegetables, the best place for them is near the house, so that you can access them easily when cooking. If you want flowers or shrubs, you can place them just about anywhere you'd like in the yard. One thing to keep in mind as far as location is the amount of sun that your yard gets. Either take some paper, and draw a rough map of the yard, or simply list the various sections of your yard. Then, beginning in the morning, check the yard every hour and note whether the various sections of the yard are in sun or shade. If an area gets 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, it is a full sun location. 3-6 hours of sun is partial sun/partial shade, and less than 3 hours is full shade. Once you know the amount of sunlight each part of your yard gets, you can choose the appropriate plants.

You will also need to decide on the layout for your planting beds, and what you want to plant. Depending on your tastes, you can lay out your planting beds in strict geometrical shapes, or you can plan them in more free-flowing shapes, like an amoeba. The design is up to you, and what you prefer. You'll also need to decide on how to plant the flowerbeds. You can plant a single type of plant, in neat rows, or you can have several groupings of different plants. If you are going to be planting different plants in one bed, make sure that they are all compatible. You'll want to choose plants that have similar needs as far as soil, water, and sunlight.

Be sure to address visual appeal when you plant. Use plants of varying colors and textures. Just be sure that the colors and textures don't clash. You can add a vertical dimension to your flower bed by planting taller plants in the middle or in the back of the flower bed, reducing the height of the plants as you go towards the edge of the flowerbed. For the most visual appeal, you should place plants in odd numbered groups, three, five, or seven plants in a group, which will help the planting to look more natural.

When you're planning your garden, you may also want to plan where you want to place accent pieces in your garden. If you have taller plants, you may want to place a couple of garden stakes or a gazing ball among them to add some appeal. Tall accent pieces can also provide a visual anchor among shorter plants.

A poorly planned garden can just look like a jumble of random plants. A well planned garden will have a much greater visual appeal. So, take the time to plan out your garden. Keep in mind that you can always change your mind as you go along. Use your imagination, and make your garden unique.

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Flower Garden is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Container Gardening and Garden planters are a warm and inviting way to add interest to your outdoor decorating spaces. You can spruce up your outdoor living spaces by adding decorative planters that give your plants "pop"! Let's face it, outdoor decorating is "in" right now - it is the hottest design trend going. There are diverse ways you can add your own personality to your outdoor design space. One of the easiest is to use decorative planters for your garden.

With more and more people spending time indoors working, the desire to return to the outdoors has really hit big. Even if you live in the city, you can bring the outdoors to your home with garden planters or may be a nice trellis or a set of wind chimes! Yesterday's plastic industrial flower pots have given way to the beautiful and practical decorative planters of today. So thinking big, is not out of line when you think outdoor decorating. You can have style and functionality in something as practical as outdoor flower, plants, herb and vegetable pots! 

CONTAINER GARDENING: More and more people are enjoying the benefits and joys of container gardening. You can have the pleasure of growing your own herbs or food in vegetable planters. There is no doubt in where your food came from or how it was grown when you produce it yourself in garden planters.  Control of soil and soil type is one of the first realized benefits. Plants can be rearranged for optimal sun exposure. Lightweight vegetable planters can be easily moved indoors or under cover during sudden rainstorms. Garden planters give the added benefit of your organic gardening when you arrange them to repel insects or cross pollinate.

AESTHETIC APPEAL: Garden planters can add aesthetic appeal to your patio or poolside area. When you use decorative planters to grow your vegetables, plants and flowers, you can mix and match the potted plants for beauty as well as functionality. Tomato plants look exotic in outdoor urns; red peppers are almost whimsical in decorative planters. Your guests will probably not even notice that your outdoor garden decor is so practical. The lightweight nature of some outdoor planter pots makes it easy to avoid a late frost by bringing your potted plants under cover. Tho the plastic pots of yesterday are still available: beautifying your garden using decorative wooden vegetable planters gives it more of natural look!

CONTAINER INVADERS: When you grow your produce in wooden planters, weed control is much easier. By starting out with container soil, you eliminate unwanted seeds from the beginning. Some travel in the air or by birds, but pulling those unwanted weeds out of outdoor planter pots is much easier than pulling weeds out of beds, and your back will love it too. If one of your vegetable planters has some weeds in it, chances are your other vegetable planters won't since it is harder for weeds to travel across outdoor planter pots. Mint and rosemary are examples of herbs that will easily take over a garden plot, but can be controlled and managed if grown in vegetable planters

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Container Gardening is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Garden Plaques: Make your Garden the Stuff of Angelic Dreams

Author: John Thompson

Garden plaques are tablets, usually made out of wood and either suspended, appended to a vertical surface like a wall, or posted like a sign out of the floor. Garden plaques can either be brief or very long, and beautiful, informative, or both.

Based on the situation, garden plaques have a range of functions: identification, commemoration, or decorative. An example of an ID plaque would be a family marker, such as The Smiths, to accompany an address or erected out front of home.

The short blurbs one finds at museums are also ID plaques, although these are not in reality garden plaques. Commemorative plaques, though, are more many. A headstone and historical marker are examples of this (garden plaques need not only be made of wood.

Headstones are found in cemeteries, which are mainly treated like gardens). Decorative plaques, as those seen in a garden, would be markers with flowers painted on them to contribute flare to the scene.

Garden plaques can be made in a range of shapes and sizes, depending on the length of the message and the degree of ornamentation included on them. The aforementioned headstone would have the deceases name, dates, possible quote, and even the addition of angelic iconography.

These stones would naturally be bigger than a headstone inserted in the ground and bearing only a name and dates. Some headstones are round while others are rectangular, square, or cross-shaped. Family markers are the same way.

Garden plaques can even be in the form of 3-dimensional images, such as animals, mythical or cultural designs, cosmological bodies (moon, sun, stars, etc.), or everyday items, like hearts, ribbons, books, even cars. When it comes to the possible style of garden plaques, the imagination is the limit!

Garden plaques come in an array of prices. Plaquemaker.com offers plaques starting at .00 for one. The more plaques bought, the cheaper each plaque is. .00 is the cheapest for one in a package having a 101-to-250 quantity.

A variety of garden plaques offered here, with inscriptions made in at least ten different possible colors, have designs that are based on the customers personal preference.

For those interested, these are fun to have and to look at. They spice up the garden, the residence, or wherever they are placed. Garden plaques are memorable and always in style!

Garden Plaques have an incredible ability to "take you there", whether it's a fairy tale, or a sense of serenity, these items certainly have a lifeforce all unto themselves!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/garden-plaques-make-your-garden-the-stuff-of-angelic-dreams-56428.html

About the Author

Make haste onto my web site for more detailed and worthy news on wholesale garden decor exclusive info this moment!

Garden Plaques is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Unique Birdhouses and Garden Décor Birdhouses – After You Buy Them, This Will Help You Place Them Where They Will Do The Most For Your Birds

Author: Hank Turney

As decorative as a wood birdhouse is it still needs a level of functionality, one aspect you need to decide on is color. If your garden décor birdhouses are strictly decorative birdhouses then you may want to choose a color that will stand out, or compliment your lawnornaments. On the other hand if you want to provide shelter and a safe haven for nesting birds in your area, bright colors are out. You will be doing a great disservice to your tenants because the brighter the wood birdhouse is the more attention it will draw for potential predators. The Beach Bungalow Birdhouse is a blend of earthly colors and as decorative birdhouses go it fits the bill (no pun intended). Once you have chosen your decorative bird houses based on your needs and what type of species you're hoping to attract the next step is placement.

Every species of bird nests in varying types of locations. If you know what kinds of birds you want to attract you should place your decorative birdhouses in areas where those types of birds live. Unique birdhouses placed on a fence post or tree in a wooded area will attract nuthatches and woodpeckers. Where as decorative birdhouses hung in an open field or large backyard with little vegetation would be comfortable for bluebirds, swallows, and certain types of wrens.

Look your chosen location over paying close attention to the surrounding area. Avoid spots that don't provide protective cover, even decorative birdhouses on a post in an open field should have trees within flying distance. And, an area too thickly surrounded by vegetation won't give the birds a clear flight path to and from the wood birdhouses.

Different species of birds require very precise heights in order to feel safe enough to nest, so do some research on the exact height distance requirements before hanging your unique birdhouses. If possible, place your decorative birdhouses near birdfeeders or birdbaths so that the birds will have easy access to food and water, helping them feel more at home in your garden décor birdhouses will make them more likely to stay.

Now, after you have hung all your unique birdhouses or decorative birdhouses and you don't see the activity you were expecting, try adding nesting materials close by. Not all birds will use decorative birdhouses but they all search out and gather some form of nesting material. Some of your common natural nest materials include; twigs, bark, leaves, feathers and the like. Man made nesting materials you can find around your home might be: cotton, yarn, strings and my favorite's dryer lint and pet hair. Let's face it, a purpose for dryer lint and pet hair, I love it!  A mesh produce bag works well to secure and hang the bundle of material. Try these ideas and you will have a greater chance of seeing occupied and functional decorative birdhouses.

With the vast destruction of natural habitat, it's getting tougher for wild birds to find proper nest sites. Cavity nesting birds are facing stiff competition for nest boxes, so hanging decorative birdhouses that are functional and safe will help them thrive and bring them back to your garden décor birdhouses year after year.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/unique-birdhouses-and-garden-dcor-birdhouses-after-you-buy-them-this-will-help-you-place-them-where-they-will-do-the-most-for-your-birds-1189802.html

About the Author

My name is Hank Turney, I am President & CEO of Seventeen O One Enterprises, LLC. Parent company of Digital Pays, LLC and Hanks Adsense Treasure, LLC. That is my job, gardening is my hobby, having said that I hope my articles provide you with information you find useful and enjoyable to read.  Gardening and landscaping is, in my opinion, the most relaxing and rewarding hobby anyone could have. With the right information and tips it can be even more gratifying; sometimes trial and error leads to frustration and disappointment. That is why our two web based companies offer a variety of topics on just about anything you need information on, including my favorite Yard and Gardening. Digital Pays is an E-book retail store that is constantly updated to bring you the latest in digital information, while Hanks Adsense Treasure has over 1500 pages of tips and ideas on just about everything, with links to other sites that provide you with the hands on information to help you apply the tips and ideas of you choosing. You can choose, if you wish, to visit our webs sites for all the information you need. So click on the links below and become informed. http://www.DigitalPays.com and http://www.HanksAdsenseTreasure.com

Garden Decor is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Choose a Garden Ornament That Fits Your Needs

Author: Sandra Notnagle

Garden accents are often the key to making a garden its most pleasurable. Types of garden accents are numerous! From garden stakes to fountains and wind chimes, garden ornaments can transform a dull garden into a backyard haven. Choosing the right garden decor will certainly increase the time you and your visitors will want to spend enjoying your outdoor landscape!

One option is garden stakes. Garden stakes can add that little charm to any garden. Garden stakes come in all sizes, shapes and themes. Garden stakes are far beyond the conventional vegetable marker. You can find stakes made of all sorts of things. Garden stakes can be whimsical or stylistic. These stakes can add color, interest and style to any area of the garden you place them!

Other ornaments add limitless decoration to a garden. You might chose to use a colorful bouncy metal butterfly to spruce up a dull herb garden, or maybe a favorite football team rain gauge or thermometer for the sports fan in the family. Garden statues can be used to reflect the owners style, faith, values and interests. Another option is garden spinners. These can be purely decoration, such as rainbows or patriotic colors or they can be used to keep pesky critters away from your plants. On a patio or deck, these garden ornaments can give a plain potted plant a little pizazz.

Attracting the birds to your garden can be easy if you give them what they need. Adding bird feeders and birdhouses will do the job. Hang them at different levels for will attract all kinds of birds. Providing them with a birdbath or some fresh water source is also important. Buying plenty of food and keeping the feeders full will ensure your feathered friends will keep coming back. You should feed them year round as they will depend on you, especially during the winter months when food sources becomes scarce.

Garden fountains are a sure way to please most anyone. They can be anything from a small table top fountain to an elaborate, three tier fountain with overflowing water trickling down the sides. Wall fountains make a grand appearance to any backyard if you have a fence or wall to place them on. Any of these garden fountains will provide an inviting, soothing sound and give beauty to any garden haven.

To find colorful garden stakes, unique birdhouses or garden fountains for your garden, visit www.mygardenornaments.com 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/choose-a-garden-ornament-that-fits-your-needs-2871125.html

About the Author

Hello, my name is Sandy. As a 61 year old grandmother of 5, I enjoy nothing more than spending a beautiful day with my family outdoors! My husband and I have recently purchased an 1800's log home nestled on 20 acres of Civil War battlefield. It is here that I was inspired to pass along my years of knowledge and skill in the area of garden ornamentation.  My passion for gardening has developed over decades and I am excited to now share this craft with others! Please visit http://mygardenornaments.com to learn more about garden ornamentation!

Garden Ornament is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Garden Fountains: Choosing the Right Material and Type of Outdoor Fountain

Author: Amber Liddell

Hopefully my first garden fountain article, "Garden Décor Revamped with a Garden Fountain" got you thinking of the benefits a fountain can bring to your gardens and landscaping. We also discussed thinking about the placement and material of your outdoor fountain before you actually purchase. I want to go into more detail in this article regarding the various materials commonly used in garden fountains as well as some advantages and disadvantages of each. 

Outdoor water fountains, commonly called garden fountains, come in many shapes, sizes and materials. You will see rock waterfalls commonly used amongst landscaping that resemble actual rocks with water cascading down. You will find tiered fountains in which water flows from tier to tier or bowl to bowl, very common in the middle of a yard or courtyard. May be you are trying to go green any chance you can? Solar fountains may be the perfect fit for you, although, a smaller water fountain, there are many styles, colors and solar birdbaths to choose. No need for cords, just put the solar panel in a location where you get a lot of sun and enjoy! With so many options, you are sure to find the perfect look for your deck or garden area so let’s consider the material options.

You will commonly see garden style fountains in three materials, fiberglass, stone/granite, and ceramic. Of course there are others ranging from copper to slate to stainless steel, in this article we will compare the fiberglass vs. the cast stone options as they seem to be the most commonly seen and get the most questions.  

Fiberglass outdoor fountains are very common and come in many different styles. You can find lightweight outdoor fountains that look like rocks, tiered styles with 1 to 6 levels, Japanese styles and various other unique designs, all constructed of fiberglass materials. These fountains typically have a “stone-like” finish to make them look like real, natural stone fountains. The largest advantage of a fiberglass outdoor fountain is the weight. Being a fiberglass material, your garden fountain will be kept at a manageable weight, thus making it easier to maneuver, move and clean. Many of the fiberglass tiered fountains although they can be tall, have a spin lock system so the pieces can come apart for easy storage in cold months and easy cleaning. Another advantage of the fiberglass garden fountains is that they are lighter to ship thus keeping the cost down. One disadvantage of the fiberglass material is that they could fade or chip over time from the sun and elements. However, to offset this, the fading or chipped piece can be fixed by refinishing your fountain with a water proof spray finish.  One other point that can be a disadvantage to some is that most lightweight garden fountains are mass produced over seas and are boxed and ready to ship. However, once again, to offset this, it keeps the cost down and allows you to get a water fountain that is produced and ready to ship fast. 

Now, let’s discuss stone outdoor fountains. Typically, stone or granite garden fountains are actually cast stone as opposed to solid concrete or granite to keep the weight down. The largest advantage of a cast stone garden fountain is their beauty and strength! Although heavy, they are very stunning and come in many different shapes and sizes. You can get a tiered fountain at almost any height, a smaller unique shaped fountain or a style that is meant to sit flush up against a wall, such as a wall of your home or deck. Another advantage of a cast stone fountain is that you can usually choose your color. The color is done as a stain or actually infused into the stone so it is very permanent so you shouldn’t have to worry about fading or chipping. The obvious disadvantage of cast stone in a garden water feature is the weight. They are heavy so typically you will want to pick a more permanent place for it in your yard. They can be moved, but it will take some time and energy to do so. Cast stone fountains are tougher to clean simply because they typically have to be cleaned where they sit rather than taken apart and cleaned thoroughly. Don’t let this turn you away however as there are many safe fountain care products that will keep your outdoor fountain looking great for many years! 

No matter what style or material garden fountain you choose, remember that if you live in a cold climate where you get freezing weather, you need to be aware of the winter care such as draining and covering your fountain before a deep freeze. There are fountain covers that work great or you can just cover it with blankets and a tarp. 

Find all types of garden fountains at Serenityhealth.com. You will find garden fountains in many different materials as well as fountains by size and material. Start thinking spring today and get ready to enjoy the relaxing, mesmerizing sounds of an outdoor fountain while you beautify your gardens and outdoor living spaces.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/garden-fountains-choosing-the-right-material-and-type-of-outdoor-fountain-728763.html

About the Author

Amber Liddell is resource for the website Serenityhealth.com, your one stop shop for any type of water fountains and water fountain information. You will find many outdoor fountains for your garden, wall fountains, tabletop fountains and even custom fountains. Visit Serenityhealth.com or call to talk to one of our water fountain experts.

Garden Fountains is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Use Beautiful Lawn Ornaments To Create Curb Appeal

Author: Angie

Are you looking for ways to improve your curb appeal?  Whether or not you are in the market to sell your house or you just want to up your neighbor's yard, I have the solution for you.  Some people think it is just too much work or too much money to do but this couldn't be further from the truth!  There are lots of fun, easy and affordable ways to dress up your yard using lawn ornaments.  Lawn ornaments can come in forms of almost anything so use your imagination.

One easy way to start out with is using stepping stones.  Stepping stones in your lawn and garden can serve two good purposes.  For one, they take up space.  For example, if your grass is not doing so well, distract attention from it by placing stepping stones on top of the grass as a path or to create a design.  Another purpose stepping stones serve is a walkway to and from.  When it rains out, chances are the grass or mud will get your feet wet and dirty and then you have to drag that in the house with you.  By using stepping stones you can avoid stepping in the mud on rainy days.  Stepping stones also can provide an assortment of colors or one bold color of your choosing.  Consider using stepping stones if you have if you have a bad lawn to begin with.

Another great way to add to your curb appeal is to add color.  You can do this in many ways but one good way that is so easy and versatile is using garden planters.  You can find an assortment of garden planters that come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  Choose garden planters that are easy to move so that you can move them during the day if they need more sun or less sun.  Choose a variety of colorful flowers or plants to place in your garden planters.  Or choose a variety of different color garden planters if you want to stick with one or two kinds of plants.  This is why garden planters are so versatile.  They can be moved anywhere and switched out any time to go with your color scheme.  Garden planters are definitely an easy way to go when wanting to add some different colors or take away different colors.

Wind spinners are another great way to decorate your yard and enhance curb appeal.  If you are unfamiliar with wind spinners, they are made of steel, are 3d, come in a variety of different colors and designs and turn in the wind or the slightest breeze.  You can hang wind spinners from tree branches, hooks, porches, decks, ceilings, you name it.  They usually come with a swivel to attach the wind spinner to the hanging string.  Wind spinners are beautiful and usually catch the attention of anybody passing by.  So using them to enhance curb appeal is a great way to invite buyers to look at your house.  You can get wind spinners in almost any theme, color and size.  Browse around for the best wind spinners out there that have a life-time rust-proof guarantee!  These wind spinners will stand the test of time.

There are tons of other lawn ornaments that can be used to increase curb appeal but these three ideas should give you a head start.  Garden stepping stones can do wonders to your lawn.  Remember to look for garden stepping stones that appeal to your desired theme or color scheme.  Garden planters, once again, are very versatile and provide easy ways to add color.  At eye level use wind spinners to catch the attention of any passerby.  Wind spinners are great for any area inside or out.  Starting from the ground up you can create a curb appeal for very little money and the best part is that you can take most if not all the lawn ornaments with you after you use them to sell your home.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/use-beautiful-lawn-ornaments-to-create-curb-appeal-2051243.html

About the Author

My name is Angie and I love the outdoors.  I sell lawn & garden decor from my online store and strive to provide the best quality, low-maintenance, largest variety of lawn ornaments I can.  My online store provides a lot of cute ideas for people to decorate their outdoor space and make it their own.  Personalize your lawn & garden today with adorable bird feeders, bird houses, wind chimes, wind spinners and much more.

To follow my blog, go to http://www.outdoormama1.blogspot.com or visit my online store at http://www.outdoormama.com!

Lawn Ornaments is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape