Beautiful Balconies

Oh, is it really January! It feels like spring in Bay Area, California. The weather here set me in mood to browse thru small yet serene balcony gardens. Balconies are a great addition to any home - a space that most times get ignored. It can be easily polished into a retreat where someone can unwind and enjoy a breath of fresh air. I can only imagine glancing at greenery and enjoying sunshine with a cup of hot tea and my favorite book .. now I wish we lived in a home with a balcony..

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Beautiful Statues That Are Alive

I stumbled upon these beautiful garden statues that look alive! Statues in your garden will help you meditate and at the same time create a lively atmosphere. They are special garden accents that will enhance the overall landscape, and if your sculpture looks alive, it is like having someone watching you with love. I have a few examples where Hindu, Oriental and European sculptures add beauty to these gardens. Hope you like them as much as I do...

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One King's Lane - Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie

Outdoor entertaining is one of the great joys of spring and summer. Until, of course, the bugs invade. In place of spray and pesticides, try a cluster of mosquito-repelling potted plants. Grouped together near a seating area on your deck or patio, they make a pretty and lush addition to your outdoor landscape while also protecting you and your guests. Check out One Kings Lane's article Easy Update: Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie for more information about how a trio of lush potted plants will have you saying good-bye to bug spray.

One Kings Lane Outdoor Sale

Hurry, the HGTV inspired Outdoor Sale at One Kings Lane is happening now until the Friday, April 5th.  I've pulled together stylish looks to get you thinking about how to spruce up your outdoor space. Mother Nature is with you to help balance colors and textures. Look around and it does not matter whether you have a pool, porch, deck or just grass, it's easy to express your style with a few simple details here and there. Create a space where you can unwind, entertain and enjoy.  Don't miss this sale!

Flower Beds

Spring is almost here. Adorn your garden with colorful flowers. I've a few beautiful flower beds and some ideas for you...

First and foremost pick a spot that gets ample sunlight and which instantaneously adds curb appeal to your garden. Next, determine the perimeter of your flower bed. It could edge your lawn; edge your path way; hang from a window; go around a water fountain; or go around a large tree. Before you start buying plants, you should sketch it out. Your flower bed should consist of a few rows of short and colorful flowering plants in front of tall green plants -- a gardening technique a.k.a. as layering. A well layered garden looks layered even when plants fully mature. Find annuals or perennials that grow best in weather conditions in your area. You have unlimited color combinations and textures available to you... go with your instincts.

via: marksvegplot.blogspot.com

Spiral Herb Gardens

Ever wondered what a Spiral Garden is? A snail-shaped medicinal garden that also looks like a pyramid.  Sadly, these are not as popular as you would think considering all the benefits it has to offer.  I use cilantro and mint generously in my cooking and I'm thinking of building such a garden this spring.. will tell you how it goes. Tell me if you will consider building a spiral herb garden in your backyard. Here's the list to convince you:

• You will need only a small landscape for this clever vertical garden. Construction of such a herb garden is quite simple. Spiral can be edged with a variety of materials. See my examples below.
• Spirals create micro-climates -- Herbs that need full sun should be housed at the top and bottom is for herbs that like to grow in shady conditions. The top of the spiral is also drier than the bottom because of gravity. Water falls downwards in a circular pattern, leaving the top dry and the bottom moist. Mint and parsley love the extra water and oregano, rosemary and thyme like the dry conditions. 
• You can fill the spiral with different varieties of soil.
• Harvesting is easy -- all the herbs are confined in one place. Most of the herbs will be at waist height resulting in less bending.
• Certain herbs are pest repellents.  For example: Mint - repels flies, fleas, mice, rats and ants; Basil - fly and mosquito repellent; Sage - repels a variety of insects; Thyme - repels insects and also helps with preventing musty odors.  Imagine these herbs growing together.
• It is unique. It is eco-friendly. It is beautiful.

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Rattan in Your Home

Rattan - a name given to around 600 species of palms, is extensively used in home decor. You will find rattan furniture often in patios, verandahs and sun-rooms. These are slowly moving indoors to create a causal ambiance to entertain. The natural weaving on rattan's make them so special compared to furniture made out of fabric. They have several other advantages -- they are light weight, durable and easy to maintain. Rattan's can take paint color, so makes it easy to match the rest of the decor. I've a few examples for you here, rattan's outdoors and indoors...

Rattan storage baskets are as popular as the furniture. They are eco-friendly solution for storage; come in so many styles; and most of them are built to fit inside cabinets and under benches.

via:  www.wovenhill.co.uk

Air Purifying Indoor Plants

In the late 80's, NASA and ALCA (Associated Landscape Contractors of America) conducted a 2 year study on 19 house plants. Each plant was placed in a closed chamber in which air pollutants where injected. A detailed list of the pollutants that each plant is capable of removing is listed in this Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air-filtering_plants. The results were quite astonishing. Here's the list of plants that are recommended by this study to purify indoor and outdoor air quality:

 
Remember, unlike outdoors where there are plenty of trees and plants that naturally remove pollutants, indoor air unless treated can be easily filled with the worst chemicals  - from the detergents that we use, mold that is formed around the house, household cleaners, etc.,  Taking good care of these plants is a whole topic by itself... basics are light, rich potting soil and the right amount of water. Green plants will also blend in with any decor.  In my next page, I will share some lovely spaces that are purified with these plants. Do you agree with me - planting a few indoor plants is a simple step towards a healthier lifestyle!?

Outdoor Spaces - Winter Bird Feeding

Winter weather can be very harsh for tiny birds especially when temperatures start dropping.  Most birds die during winter time due to lack of food, water and shelter. Birds need fat and protein to keep up their energy especially when natural foods are in scarce. Make sure you fill their feeders with such food. They also need fresh clean water all year long even when there is ice and snow on the ground. A heated bird bath will quench their thirst - which is not at all expensive, equivalent to keeping a low voltage bulb on and it is very easy to install.  Place this if possible under the sun, protect the cords and fill the bird bath with enough fresh water so that the heater does not get damaged. A bird shed or shelter will quickly warm them up when it is snowing or raining outside. Birds will flock to them for a quick relief from the cold weather!  Wonderful gifts for these tiny creatures... nothing is more inviting than a bird shed and a heated bird bath along with rich food!

The Bird Shed offers sheds, heated bird baths, high energy bird foods and so many other products that will be a great addition to your garden. Check them out..

Related Blog Page: Outdoor Spaces - Bird Feeders

Outdoor Spaces - Bird feeders

There are so many bird feeders........ how do you even pick one!? What kind of seeds should you buy?  I have a few bird feeders - ceramics, glass, terracotta, fruit shaped, fruit filled, aquarium like and wooden for you here... and some hints on how to pick the right seeds from Birdhouse.org

1. Blue and Yellow tubes

2. Blue terracotta feeder

3. Orange feeder 

4. Mod-Pod Blue and Yellow

5. Glass feeders

1. Watermelon
2. Orange Swirl

3. Orange feeder

4. Apple shaped feeder

1. Umbra FishHotel Aquarium bird feeder 

2. Piney feeder

Finally, here's a link that walks you through how to clean your bird feeder and tips to fill them with the right seeds! Try to place the feeder in a covered area to protect it from rain and at least 5 feet above the ground to protect it from raccoons and squirrels.  In my next page on Outdoors, I plan to write about Bird Baths and accents.