Archive for the ‘Garden Decor’ Category
Giving Your Garden a Theme
Gardens are outdoor landscapes that have been designed, created, and maintained by humans, representing a harmonic marriage of nature and civilization. Gardens have existed in almost every culture since the beginning of civilization, and as such, there are several different styles. For example, an Asian themed garden might feature bamboo trees, large boulders, a koi pond, and bamboo wind chimes. While a Mediterranean garden might feature an herb garden, flowering plants, and an ornate garden statue. Designing your garden to fit into a cultural theme will allow you to enrich yourself within that culture.
In general, garden stores will feature a variety of statues, fountains, and plants that can be utilized to create a different kind of garden. If you can’t find what you want in a garden store, online is a great place to find everything you could want.
Weather or Not
I don’t believe it! Just as I thought spring was here a huge snowstorm is in the forecast. We had just begun to put away the winter clothes! We were invited to a birthday party for the new one-year-old in the family. Now that is supposed to be the worst day of the storm! And I can’t do a thing to stop it! I think I will just put out the Holiday Garden Sign 
that says “Spring” and close the doors, pull the blinds and pretend. What harm can that do? We can’t stop the storm, we can’t drive in a blizzard, but we can heat up the fireplace, curl up on the couch and drink hot chocolate. Oh well, we can take the baby’s gifts another day and it really will be spring.
Winter, Winter, Winter!
We had some beautiful spring days during the winter last week. Now just as I was getting used to that they tell us winter will be back Thursday. No! No! No! Oh well, I may as well accept it. Back in the good old days, the forecast would have been wrong and we just might have a few more “spring” days. Now it is almost certain they are right and we will have snow and ice and cold and stay -inside-days.
Well, let’s think of something fun. Fountains. Have you ever just thought of a fountain and felt “ah, how beautiful.” There are water fountains that we drink from. There are pretty water fountains that “live” outside in the park or in someone’s yard. There are also pretty fountains that are inside and we can just enjoy seeing them or we can turn on the water supply and listen to them, too. Our grandson sleeps with one of those flowing when he comes home from college. Anyway, we can take our minds off winter and search for some pretty fountains on the web that we can enjoy when we make up our minds which one we want.
Just for Fun
A new year is well upon us. Some of us are “suffering” from an unusually cold winter. We wanted it to be spring when January came, I guess. In our case, the snow melted , but now we have fog. Sometimes it lifts and we are so happy! The geese have stayed on the pond, but the small birds are all gone. Still we think of the nice, warm spring time that surely is just around the corner. We are making plans for what we will do when “the weather clears up.”
At least at our house, the garden catalogs are not arriving yet. The big lawn mower started, so that means things are warmer. We sometimes think of those decorative birdhouses and the pretty little birds we might expect them to attract. It is still too wet for our little next door neighbor children to be out playing and coming over to see our dogs. Those are all things we can look forward to when the cold gets us down. If you love winter, enjoy it for a few more weeks. Us lovers of spring are standing here waiting with our garden tools all ready to go!
A Teaching Tool
Being a former teacher and grandmother, it is only natural to think of things as ways to teach. Tiny tots can learn to pick up toys. Children a little older can learn to fold washcloths and small towels. Older children can learn to vacuum and dust. Teenagers can learn to do laundry. Many things come to mind that children can learn just by living in their home and observing. It usually takes an incentive to learn to do things that are not fun in and of themselves. However, these things are necessary to a neat and tidy home.
Thinking of an incentive, brings to mind some wooden birdhouses
that we have had. One stays in the house and is used as a decoration from time to time. Another was built as a tool to help a teenager learn to use a hammer and saw. Wooden birdhouses can be both decorative and useful. Our decorative birdhouse has been home to at least two different birds. The house holds up better than those pretend birds. The outside birdhouse was actually used by some real birds. It is interesting to see them choose and use something you have put out for their comfort and safety. Additional learning was obtained by realizing that birds need food and you can help provide it by putting it on their “porch” while they are gone. It was also a learning tool that birds make messes and that they do not clean them up themselves. That can be done, but is not as much fun as putting out the food and watching the birds. Anyway, using daily life as a learning tool is something we need to do. Using wooden birdhouses that can go inside or outside is one way to do it.
Decorate or Not Decorate
This time of year we think a lot about decorations. Halloween in October, Thanksgiving in November, and Christmas in December. Other times of year there are New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, and others that are not coming to mind right now. To decorate or not to decorate - that is the question. For most families, some decorations are usually displayed on all of these occasions. For others, no one ever puts up decorations. For some each holiday is an excuse to get out those special items that commemorate the day.
If you are the type of person who likes to decorate, you probably enjoy looking for those decorations all year - even when the season is not here. Who doesn’t enjoy driving around at Christmas and find a house that is so decorated that you can hardly see the house? The owner surely did not find all of those things during one trip to the mall! The seasonal decor changes from season to season or holiday to holiday. One way to enjoy a shopping trip when you did not really want to go, is to look for a seasonal item on sale. One way to enjoy a part of a day is to computer-shop for seasonal items. That is all for now. I just remembered some cute Pilgrim decorations that we put out every year. Now I think those are in the hall closet……..
What Should I do?
What shall I do today? The list is so long that I can’t decide where to start. It is time to do the household chores. Should I do laundry? Maybe I had better clean house. Should I decorate for fall? Maybe I had better do the paper work that has been piling up. Some shopping really needs to be done. The dogs have to have their monthly meds today. Are the treats ready for the Trick-or-Treaters? Tomorrow we have to go to the college to help get some things done. Maybe I had better get ready to go.
What is that in the corner? Our new holiday garden sign
? On yes! That needs to be put out with the current season displayed. Should it be out by the road or up by the house? Maybe just out in the yard somewhere. Now, I have to contemplate a while to really choose the right place. That will take some time. Then I will go out and try it here or there. Maybe I can get that done by noon. It will really look nice out there. Well, I will get busy. I can put that sign up and by then maybe it will be clear to me what else to do today. Decisions, decisions! What a day!
The Simple Charms of Country Life
My wife and I had good reason to move away from the city after identifying as urban dwellers for most of our lives. We both retired within a three-year span and began to find that the hustle and bustle of the city no longer had the same appeal. Rather than feeling in tune with the thrum of activity, I felt as though we were being brushed aside. As our neighborhood gentrified and young hipsters started taking over our favorite bars and restaurants, we felt marginalized.
Moving to a forested area proved to be our salvation. Gone were the nights lying awake thanks to countless blaring car horns and shouting voices. Now the crickets and bull frogs that live on our manmade pond provide a delightful evening lullaby. Best of all, I have the chance to pursue one of my lifelong passions – ornithology. I set up a few wooden birdhouses around the property and enjoy walking from one to the next, taking note of the feathered friends I encounter at each station.
Thinking of Fall
This is the time of year that people are putting out pumpkins, Halloween decorations, bales of hay and other things that make us think of fall. The flowers that have the yellow and auburn colors are also used. The trees are turning and their red, yellow, and brown leaves may be what started the ideas of using those as fall colors. I think because God knew we needed a little uplift at this time of year, we have those beautiful reminders that make us feel contented.
There are some statues around our town that bring back thoughts of other times and places. Some are colorful, some are plain, but signify a thought that maybe the person who made the statue had in mind, or maybe it is our own private feeling. Garden statues that we can have in our own yards also can be uplifting or inspirational. They may bring back thoughts of other times or just happy thoughts in general. Enjoy these works of art wherever yours may be - at home or in town or on your travels.