July 2010

Outdoor planter boxes can classified as outdoor window boxes, garden planters, outdoor flower pots, or outdoor containers. Outdoor planter boxes are available in a large variety of styles, sizes and materials such as ceramic, clay, metal, resin, terracotta and wood. Making the right choices of plants and planters for the size and location of a container garden will make all the difference in the world.

There are some advantages to having planter boxes or containers for gardening such as adding color to your deck, patio, entry way, balcony, or any part of your landscape. They can be moved around when needed or replanted if the plants outgrow their space. Sometimes the soil conditions in your yard are not suited to certain plants so using outside planter boxes can solve this problem.

Outdoor deck furniture comes in all different styles to suit all your outdoor activities. Outdoor deck furniture is not only just for the deck but can be used on a patio, in a garden, around a pool, or where ever you wish to place it. You simply cannot have a deck or patio without having something on it to sit on or relax in.

There are so many different types of outdoor furniture for enjoying ranging from chairs, love seats, and swings to dining tables and side tables. You also have several varieties of construction material that can be used such as wood, aluminum, wicker, bamboo, wrought iron, and plastic. But the most important thing to remember is to purchase good quality furniture that can take a beating and will last for many years.

Outdoor umbrellas are probably the most popular addition to any patio or deck because of the added protection from the sun for those who enjoy the great outdoors. Outdoor umbrellas will also help keep your outdoor furniture from fading due to the sun and some protection during rainy weather.

Umbrellas are available in several styles. It all depends on your outdoor activities or your location; you just may want to consider purchasing one or have several umbrellas for your protection during the warm and hot weather months.

Outdoor solar garden lights strategically placed in your front garden and backyard garden can make your home just as beautiful at night as it does during the daylight hours. Those outdoor solar garden lights also help to prevent guests from stumbling when leaving your house and they will also highlight your walkways. It is always better to feel a little more secure to know that it is safe to visit your home.

You want to use the sun to help light up the night in all your outdoor spaces. Solar lights will not need any wiring and are very easy to install. A small solar panel charges one or several batteries during the daylight hours and then they power an energy efficient bulb after the sun goes down. The solar lights that are the brightest are using LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes instead of the old filament bulbs.  

In order to grow organic vegetables and have them ready for fall the middle of summer is the time to get ready. To grow organic vegetables it is best to calculate how long it will take them to become mature for harvesting and when you want to eat them. Now is the time to decide which crops you want to sow for fall and winter and to get your garden ready.

Carrots are excellent crops that can be left in the ground probably as far as Christmas time. Parsnips can handle the cold ground for an even longer period of time. If you are planning on sowing seeds, they need to be planted into the garden while the ground is warm. Most of your seeds need to have the warmth of the ground in order to germinate. In warmer climate zones you can plant the following seeds during the first of August: beets, carrots, leeks, lettuce, onions, spinach and your cole crops such as cabbage, and broccoli. If you wish to have a continuous crop, you can try succession planting. All you do is plant some of the crops one week and then plant more a week later for a later maturity date.

A patio living room can be created in your own backyard for summers leisurely entertaining. A patio living room that has comfortable seating for family and friends and a space for a small patio kitchen where you could fire up the grill for casual dining will give you comfort and relaxation all summer long. Creating a cozy outdoor space will add ambience to any home while enjoying the outdoors in style.

A good way to start would be to install pavers, stone, or bricks to create that patio and any walkways needed. You can hire a professional if you wish or do it yourself, it is fairly easy to accomplish. The pavers are available in many different sizes, shapes, and colors so you can customize your outdoor living room to match your landscaping and your home. You want your room to sit on a flat level surface and your walkways easy to walk on for safety when visiting the different attractive areas of your garden.

Pond flowers are a variety of fascinating plants that will grow in a water garden. Most of the pond flowers will not grow anywhere else except for that type of environment.

The most colorful of the garden pond flowers are the water lilies including the hardy and tropical ones. Your hardy water lilies can live outdoors all year round especially if the roots are sufficiently covered with water or soil that will prevent them from freezing. The flowers and leaves of these plants will float on the waters surface. During sunny days the flowers will open during the morning and close up in the middle part of afternoon. They can be purchased in all colors except for blue. Both day and night blooming tropical lilies will remain hardy only in frost-free climates. In the colder climates they will grow as annuals and need to be replaced every year. The leaves of the tropical lilies will float but their flowers have stout stems that keep them well above the surface of the water.

Creating a haven for birds can entail more than providing feeders and nest boxes. This haven can be created with a little extra effort by turning your garden into an attractive wildlife habitat. You can turn it into a family project and teach your children at the same time how to help these small creatures that we share the planet with us.

Exactly how you plan your garden for species of birds will naturally depend on what type of yard you have along with your geographical location. However, there are three elements that are important in attracting birds; cover or shelter, in the form of shrubs and trees; food, preferably in the form of native plants; and water for the wildbirds to bathe in and drink.