As a contractor I am always looking for ways to help homeowners make the most of their improvements or new construction. With so many things that can go wrong, one thing I have found that always goes over well and is very affordable are wood post caps to finish off the look of a fence or deck. Most people just don’t know why post caps are so important to the life of your fence and deck. However, capping off the top of these posts stop critters from boring into the softer part of the wood as well as keep water from seeping into the pores of the wood. Both of these lead to damaged posts and damaged post lead to weaker fences and deck and we don’t ever want those to be weak! Read the rest of this entry »

Some indoor bonsai trees can survive outdoors during the warm summer months, but that’s not true of the Flowering Bougainvillea bonsai. This indoor bonsai tree needs to stay indoors at all times unless you live somewhere that has a very warm climate. Even then, it may be best to keep your Flowering Bougainvillea inside. Because of their amazingly pink, delicate looking flowers, many people enjoy adding Flowering Bougainvilleas to their bonsai collection. The flowers look almost like paper, giving the Bougainvillea the nickname of Paper Flower. The flowers are actually the bracts that grow at the tips of the stems. The leaves themselves are a nice green color that looks great even without the pink “flowers.” Read the rest of this entry »

Last year my parents, the Jones’, retired and bought a Rion Silverline 6 x 8 Greenhouse to take their gardening hobby up to the next level and it has been a resounding success. For two people who knew absolutely nothing about gardening in a greenhouse, they have had to read and learn a new style of gardening. Since they are both avid gardeners and were really into it, they have been able to grow some of their own food throughout the year as well as experiment with some of my mother’s wonderful flowers. Read the rest of this entry »

People love to place beautiful objects in their home and make it look pleasant. People collect variety of objects like antique furniture, art pieces, exquisite glassware and other such objects to display them in their home. Some people use paintings and wall hangings to make a room come alive. You can even use tapestries to make your walls look beautiful, vibrant and lively. The William Morris Angels tapestry is one lovely artwork which was originally designed by Burne-Jones in 1878. This wonderful tapestry is a beautiful representation of historic time and also celebration of the Angel of the Annunciation. This art piece looks lovely with the dark color background against the lighter colors of the Angels. Read the rest of this entry »

If You are looking forward to planting flowers this fall so you can have fresh cut flowers throughout the holidays, I have a couple of suggestions that can help you grow wonderful healthy flowers. If you are going to grow your flowers inside in containers or a greenhouse, you can grow just about anything you like. However, for those who are limited to growing in raised flower beds outside this time of the year, do some research and discover what flowers do well in your region or area and stick with those types of flowers. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll bet the English were the first to take tropical and subtropical plants and trees and try and keep them alive in a colder climate by bringing them into winter shelter. My only reason for thinking that is because of the reputation that the English still enjoy as your quintessential over-the-top garden lovers. I could be wrong, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Whoever thought of it first really did the rest of us plant lovers a big favor and I for one will be forever in their debt. But just because we need to shelter our plants from the winter, it doesn’t mean that they have to hide from the summer too. All my plants spend the summer outside and that’s especially true of my indoor bonsai trees. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s amazing how long iron will last! I have some iron trellises that my grandparents used in their flowerbeds for years prior to my inheriting them. I have been using them for almost ten years now in my yard and gardens. I have painted them several times to change the look of the garden but have not done anything else for them to last this long. In fact, I have been so pleased with the iron trellises that I look to purchase almost everything I use outdoors made with an iron or metal material. Read the rest of this entry »

We live in a very arid climate, do not have much space in our dusty little yard and up until recently had not much luck growing anything. I love to grow flowers and ornamental so a bed of cactus and rock formations just was not satisfying my green thumbs. So what’s a girl to do? Get a greenhouse! What about the tiny yard? Get a mini greenhouse! So we purchased a Rion Silverline Mini Greenhouse that came with a base, the vent and a rain gutter kit. The “snap glass” panels are 200% stronger than glass and provide 100% UV ray protection. By hooking up a drip system to keep the soil moist I now have lush beautiful plantings growing like crazy and another nice feature of the Silverline Greenhouse is that it’s just so pretty to look at. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for the truly unique? Look at Tapestry, Fleurs d Iris at Decor4u.com. This stunning wall hanging shows a beautifully detailed depiction of an iris plant coming into bloom. The amazing gradation of color on the flowers and the foliage gives them a special intensity and depth. The only other element is an ethereal butterfly drifting toward the blooms. The rich blues of the irises are set off wonderfully against a background shading from ocher to palest yellow. A rich blue border with a delicate gold floral motif completes the picture. This special piece was adapted from a Native American watercolor circa 1635. If you want wall décor that adds bold color and is truly one of a kind, Tapestry, Fleurs d Iris is for you. Read the rest of this entry »