House Fixing Solutions

Spring, Spring, Where Are You? Garden Bloggers Bloom Day April 2011

This slow, cold, cloudy spring is sorely trying my patience. It’s taking forever for anything to bloom. But then, looking over past GBBD posts, it’s really not that far behind other springs. It’s just that last year, spring came earlier than usual. Somehow that became the new normal, just like that. How soon we forget.

The Crocus Bank was robbed of its glory by the erratic weather. The first flush of crocuses were knocked back by several days of snow and lows in the teens, and they were completely gone by the time the later crocuses got going. It is the overlap of many species that usually makes the Crocus Bank so resplendent.

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Garden Design Details: Pergolas

Sometimes being a designer means solving a mystery.  I’d like to say that clients’ desire for structures and elements to be incorporated into their garden’s design was consistent and cyclical, but it’s not.  This spring I find myself being asked for several pergolas and outbuildings to be part of the landscape designs I’m working on.

I like to show clients inspiration early in the design process.  I find that these images not only help them to clarify their vision, but they help me to understand it as well.  Pergolas all follow the same format…it’s the details that change.  What color is it? What materials are we going to use?  Will it be a tran

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Southern Enterprises Chelsea Storage Unit

The iron frame and wicker baskets of this five-drawer cabinet combine together to create a well-balanced look. This tower unit would work well in the office to organize supplies or in the bathroom for towels and toiletries. At 18″ wide, 13.25″ deep, and 52.25″ high it will fit just about anywhere. A popular choice and for good reason. Shop for the Chelsea Storage Unit by Southern Enterprises

Add a Canvas to your outdoor space

Did you know that there are exquisite paintings that are available on an outdoor canvas? Surprisingly, many people don’t! If your deck or patio is at the back of your home like most are, you have a wall that grants you the perfect opportunity to hang a piece of art.

While you can find original pieces of art, you can also buy those like the Moss and Falls piece that is pictured, that are captured with high definition photography. They are then digitally reproduced, printed on a canvas and then wrapped on an all-weather stretcher bar. These gorgeous pictures are coated with an ultra violet lacquer which prevents the colors from fading, leaving it completely waterproof. Outdoor canvases are designed to stand up against harsh environmental elements and can be washed off as needed.

Why shouldn’t you have just as nice art in your outdoor living space as you do inside? Now is the time of year when everyone is happy to get outside and enjoy the sun so add pieces to the area that compliment the experience. You may be surprised just how little time you spend indoors when your deck or patio is as beautiful as your living room!

The Moss and Falls canvas shown along with a full collection of gorgeous pieces including landscape, abstract, animals and birds, botanical and floral, European, coastal and tropical, sailing and nautical and more can be found at Outdoor Wall Direct.

Cold Climate Gardening Resources You May Not Know About

I was just helping out a gardener who moved from California to upstate NY. (I think she’s over the shock.) It made me realize that not everyone who stops by thinks to look at the top menu bar to see what else is here. So come along and take a tour with me. And just remember that I take suggestions for these pages from my readers, as long as they meet my criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is a blog category that I’ve singled out in the top menu bar to make it easy to find. If you are new to cold climate gardening, you may find the answer to your question here. If

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TO Design’s Lucy Campos-Gentile at Urban Mode: Design Talks

TO Design Basement Reno