Unique Garden

When Your Indoor Plants Need to be Relocated Out of Doors

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:15:47 +0000

While we do not like to lead anyone away from enjoying plants, those you have inside your home might need to go outside. Indoor plants can be gorgeous additions to a décor, but the ones you have right now may be adding to unwanted indoor moisture in your house. Studies have shown that nearly half of our homes maintain an unhealthy level of moisture, and part of that could be caused by the plants we care for indoors.

Should you be experiencing a high level of moisture in your home there are several recommendations for limiting it. These include using a dehumidifier, running bathroom exhaust fans for up to half an hour after bathing or showering, and keeping electronic devices far enough away from the ac so it does not sense the heat and lead it to run loner. In addition, since plants are known to produce a bunch of airborne moisture, removing them might be wise. Be sure to place them in a well shaded spot if they are being relocated out of doors.

The Reason Why Wood Furniture Needs All That Oil

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:41:11 +0000

For those of us with wooden outdoor furniture, we are all familiar, or should be with the call for maintenance to it. Mostly, we have read about or heard about the need to coat the chairs, tables, and wooden accessories in oil. Otherwise, we should expect the beauty to diminish and the lifespan to be seriously compromised.

So, at least for me, I have been brushing oil onto our teak furniture religiously. Doing it the way I was told was required, in the direction of the grain, and not overlapping the strokes. In fact, this care has started to feel so repetitive that I bet I could do it in my sleep.

Then, last time I was doing the chore I began to wonder what the oil was really doing for the wood. After doing some basic investigating, I found that it was actually penetrating the wood in order to protect my rather pricey outdoor furniture from water, fungi and mould. In addition, it was acting a lot like a drink of water for my thirsty furniture, or more like a fortified glass of water I suppose. Now I think of this more like the upkeep a pet might require, and for some reason I do not dislike it as much.

Rethinking the Way We Do Our Laundry

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:30:19 +0000

You can do a good thing for the environment by making some changes in the way you do your laundry. First off, we can minimise the expenditure of energy used in the washing of each load of laundry just by changing the dial. While many of us were taught to place the dial on the hottest degrees to get things done right, research has shown it is not necessary. In addition, by using the hottest temperatures we are using the most energy, so by altering it we can decrease the majority of it.

I personally have not used dryer sheets in years, and never missed them. So, I was happy to learn that I was inadvertently doing something eco-friendly by skipping this additive. I have learned that those sheets are not recyclable, and the chemicals found in them are harmful to both humans and the planet. So, I am challenging you all to give it ago for one week without them, and to identify whether or not you actually need them at all. If so, there are eco-friendly brands available, but I bet you never even need go there.

Praising the Advancements in Outdoor Furniture

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 06:22:20 +0000

Seems like when I was growing up my parents, and my friend’s parents were always grumbling about the outdoor furniture. It was a matter of having to repaint the wrought iron chairs that had chipped each and every year, and doing the same with the wicker items that had the misfortune of being left out in the rain. Nowadays we are spoiled, and if my parents were to hold a discussion regarding this topic I am quite certain they would ramble on about how tough things were back in their day.

There is no concealing it the outdoor furniture market has truly upped its game. They have brought us wrought iron that has been prepped with a strong under coat, and finished with a powder coat. And wicker is no longer just that, it has been woven together with a resin material that allows it to a much longer life out in the great outdoors. These advances, along with those of outdoor fabrics, make outdoor living spaces, well plainly put more liveable. Leaving us with more time to catch up on the things in the world that have caused everything else to move at a much faster pace. Seems only right that we be able to get the most out of what downtime we have outside.

Make WIndchimes a Beloved Part of a Feng Shui Garden

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:59:31 +0000

Gardens require the balance of Yin and Yang just as indoor spaces do if you are interested in harmony. There are plenty of materials that can be incorporated into a garden to achieve this balance. Some examples are the size and shape of plants, the placement of water features, and lights, along with te height of trees and windchimes. Here we are interested in the topic of windchimes.

When deciding upon your windchime you should keep a few things in mind such as placement, materials, symbols and numbers. Placement is a more detailed, and indepth topic than we are able to cover here and now. However, we strongly recommend that this be analysed prior to setting your windchime up. Once you know the area you will be able to quickly identify the best material and symbol for the region. Each corner of your garden will call for different things, and thus specificas are important here.

As for the numbers, The lengths or bells will most commonly be found in groups of six and eight, and both will be beneficial. Still, if you can find one with five, note that it is favoured. If you are wondering, yes the sound the chime makes is entirely up to you.

Spotlight on the Very Best Outdoor Furniture Fabrics

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:43:25 +0000

Of all the outdoor furniture I encounter there is none that appeals to me more than those pieces with retro prints. You know those fun filled fabrics involving retro waves, stripes, bubbles and squares. They bring a certain vivaciousness to an outdoor space, and bring more to an area than modest and meek greys, browns and blacks.

Surely, the colour combinations of mustard, citrus, bubblegum, hot pink, and bright greens are what make things so lively, but the whimsy of the childlike repetition definitely seals the deal for me. I still acknowledge that some spots will not work exceedingly well with this style, and thus solid fabrics are probably more appropriate. But, when and where these retro prints fit in, I say go for it. Even when the sun is not shining these fabrics bring a spirit that is nothing less than convivial and springy.

Recycle Cans to Make a Rustic Floral Centrepiece Base

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:53:05 +0000

After all the work is done, and your flowers are in full bloom you may want to cut a few of them to create a centrepiece for you outdoor table. However, using the glass vases outside that you use inside may not be very secure, and they may seem out of place. Therefore you might prefer to create a base for your floral bouquet that is a tad more rustic for this setting.

A fun way to do this is to recycle a large can that you purchased something like beans, or tomatoes in. Completely remove the lid and any paper that was applied to the exterior. Any residue leftover should wash off when you clean the can with soap and water. However if it is stubborn, use some nail polish remover. While you are at it, I recommend that if you have them available that you do this with more than one can, preferably of differing heights to make an even more interesting centrepiece to spotlight your gorgeous blooms.

Bring the Garden Even Closer to Your Outdoor Living Area

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:10:04 +0000

A great way to enjoy your garden is from the comfort of an outdoor table and chairs. From such a vantage point you can view all that you have accomplished, and bask in nature’s beauty. But, the last thing you want is to be far from the gorgeous lavender, and mums that are your pride and joy. As such, consider creating a container garden in the area surrounding your outdoor lounge, or dinning area. One of the best ways to do this is to grow your flowers in terracotta pots because their porous walls allow both air to circulate, and water to migrate easily. This means the plants roots grow in a healthy manner. The result of this being yet another visible garden achievement for both you and others to admire at will. Take note, that by placing a larger pot in the centre of your pot display, and then flanking that with smaller pots of varying size you design a visually interesting area. And by using all terracotta pots you are establishing a symmetry that is good in contrast to the different flowers you may grow within them all.

The Reasons to Visit the Garden Centres Yourself When Creating a Feng Shui Garden

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:13:42 +0000

It is great that you have decided to implement some Feng Shui approaches to your garden. One of the most basic principles in Feng Shui that you must understand from the very outset is the belief that man and nature are connected. And thus when balance and harmony are achieved in your outdoor living area, it can also be reached in your own life. To design such a space you can either consult with a Feng Shui landscaping company, or you can learn the principles necessary to establish this aspiration and head to the garden centres for all your supplies.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with employing someone else to bring the right flow of chi energy to the place where you relax, socialise, and share quality time with your family. But, by gaining the education and doing the work yourself, I believe you will gain an even higher level of fulfilment. For it will be you that has created the very environment that will be responsible for the fortune you acquire in all aspects of your life.

Not to mention, if you truly believe that man and nature are connected, what better way to strengthen that connection than by exploring its many dimensions, and physically interacting with the natural world. For this reason, I feel that the experience of designing your Feng Shui garden is even more of a right of passage than transforming the interior of your home into a feng shui area.

Certainly, if you have quite a bit of land, you very sensibly will want to obtain help in this adaptation. Remain as actively involved as you can by selecting the plants at the garden centre yourself, and working the land itself through your very own hands. To know the basics of how your haven was compiled, and to have made the vision truly your own, your accomplished feat will fill you up with a resounding feeling of familiarity and comfort. For that very reason, if you can, try to get other members of your household to assist in this project, so they too can share in the experience from beginning to end.

To be within the borders of your own garden for a moment, or a few hours, can energize you. So, as you start to formulate what to do within those very boundaries, sit in the northeastern section of your garden. This is the part that they call the knowledge bagua, and the perfect spot to gather the ideas for your ultimate plan. Enjoy the journey!

Make a Garden Day Bed From a Commonly Forgotten Piece of Furniture

admin — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:22:28 +0000

Oh my goodness was I excited when I happened upon this fantastic idea for making a garden furniture daybed. It involves one of the least expensive pieces of furniture, which many of us have stowed somewhere in an attic or garage, and that we have basically forgotten we even have. It is the camp cot, and it can be repurposed in a flash of the eye.

Supply wise, I recommend a bright garden flower coloured paint to cover the frame. Next, you will need a thick foam cushion in the dimensions of the cot top, a great patterned fabric to cover the foam that matches the paint, and a some extra fabric to use as the box pleat section of the slipcover. You may also want to collect some fabrics that coordinate with the cot slipcover fabric to make pillows out of.

Finish the whole thing off with a complimentary light throw blanket. In a flash you have an excellent new piece of extremely useful garden furniture. If you are a good seamstress, it might just take you longer to find, clean and bring the cot to the garden then it will to sew the slipcover.