At Paradis Express, I found gorgeous photos of willow seedpods sculpted as garden art. The results are nothing short of stunning!
Thanks to Carribean Garden for the link.
Yard Work Fun (Or My Legs Would Be Sore in the Morning)
This is not me, but I love the high energy. And the editing!
Glass Pumpkin Patch
This makes me want to either move to Palo Alto or at least visit once a year. This annual glass pumpkin patch is just spectacular!
Brought to us from Dutch Baby – and although Halloween has passed – couldn’t you just imagine gorgeous glass pumpkins decorating your front porch steps or Thanksgiving table? You can contact the Bay Area Glass Institute to find out if there’s anything available for your yard this Autumn season!
Planning the Outdoor Room
Curb appeal refers to how your house looks from the outside when
someone is coming towards it. Curb appeal can make the difference
between selling your house for the price you want or reducing the price
to make the sale.If you really want to add dollars to
that sale price or are simply looking to extend your living pleasure
then it is time to stop looking at you backyard as merely a yard and to
think about it as another room.outdoor dining area; courtesy flickr/diana_dee_sophia
Small Potatoes
Landscaping a small yard can be a challenge. In my area, people are building rather large homes on very small pieces of property. If a person doesn’t pay attention, they can over-landscape and make the property look worse instead of better.
There’s some really good advice in the Washington Post this morning about landscaping those small lots. Here’s a small piece:
The huge blunder, Hayward argues, is that we use the lot lines as the
starting point, and the result is a perimeter bed surrounding a panel
of lawn, and a garden that is not only dull but uninviting.
I’ve seen a whole lot of that in my area. Check out the link for great advice.
Mislabeled Trees: What Would You Do?
Carol at May Dreams Gardens has posed an interesting question. She bought a tree that was mislabeled, and when she bought this up to the garden center she bought the mislabeled tree from, they did nothing.
I had a similar situation happen to me, in reverse. I bought what I thought was a key lime tree. The employee told me it was a key lime tree, I loaded it in my car, and drove home. When I got home, I saw the label on the tree said "Valencia". It’s an orange tree. While I don’t really mind- I think having an orange tree is pretty neat- I still wish they had sold me the tree I asked for. I haven’t done anything about it because it doesn’t really bother me. However, I can see Carol’s point about getting the wrong thing. What do you think, Shakyarders?
Some Things I Just Cannot Fathom Why They Are Sold
Those are just a few of the rocks that are in my backyard. To say my backyard is rocky is the understatement that ate Cleveland.
So when I read this post from Stephanie at Stop the Ride about how you can buy artificial rocks, I had to shake my head in incredulity. Now, I know everyone’s not nearly as blessed in the rock department as I am, but the thought of manufacturing fake rocks just cracks me up.
It probably cracks the fake rock manufacturers up, too. All the way to the bank. These rocks cost $149 plus $50 shipping.
Dudes, I would be glad to sell you real rocks for $10 each. Plus shipping, of course. And handling, because finding a box that could handle the weight of those rocks is probably spendy. Maybe I should rethink this whole rock-selling endeavor.
Plant This: Corkscrew Willow
Want to plant something in your yard that is somewhat unusual yet isn’t too terribly hard to find? Try a corkscrew willow. The corkscrew willow is also known as "curly willow". It grows well in zones 4b to 8a.
It’s a full sun to partial shade plant, and can be poisonous if ingested, so don’t go eating your corkscrew willow tree! It gets to be about 30 feet high with a 15 foot spread, so it takes up less space than the more popular weeping willow. It easily tolerates even poor soil, and actually likes soil with poor drainage, so if you have problems with drainage, a corkscrew willow makes a good plant to plant there.
It needs plenty of water and hates to be dried out, so be sure to water your corkscrew willow if you are in drought conditions!
[Photo credit: Harry Harris on Flickr]
Your Yard Is A Room Too
Sarah, over at Shakinstyle is tired of coming home to empty flower beds and bedraggled potted plants so she is taking a proactive role in her yard and treating it as it truly is….another room.
"It’s just as important that the little spot of outdoors that is ours be comfortable and inviting."
Check out Shakinstyle for all kinds of sites Sarah has found for inspiration in patios, gazebos and gardens. You may just get inspired yourself.
Holly’s Yard
If you live in the New Hampshire area and have ever seen Holly’s backyard, I envy you. It is one of the most beautiful, serene, backyard oasis’s I have ever seen.
The picture here is an 1875 carriage house bordering a 100+ acre apple orchard and a working farm…..
"Our town is known for horses and apples, and from Spring until late
Fall, the smell of sweet corn and apples fill the air. It’s heavenly. I
should add that in addition to seeing people out walking their dogs,
it’s just as common to see them walking an Appendix Quarter Horse."
It’s a lovely little country abode that you must check out!