Outdoor living has become a top priority for homeowners, with hardscaping playing a major role…
Nothing says summer like a homegrown tomato, or perhaps your own homemade salsa! If you’re getting ready to plant your spring garden, you might be wondering which tomato and pepper varieties are best suited for home use. For container gardens. If space is an issue, you’ll be pleased to know that you can grow tomatoes…
New Rose Varieties for 2019 Roses have long been a favorite flower of gardeners, due to their large, impressive blooms and incredible scent. Horticulturalists, also, enjoy experimenting with hybrid varieties, always seeking to create hardier plants, new colors, interesting scents, and more. If you’re a rose enthusiast, it might interest you to learn some of…
Your backyard swimming pool isn’t just a place to enjoy fun with family and friends. It also serves as a decorative centerpiece of your yard, so naturally you want to keep it looking lovely. If you’re installing a pool or refinishing your old one, take the time to learn about different pool finishes. You can…
If you spend a lot of time outside, it will happen eventually: You will be stung by a flying insect. This is especially true for flower gardeners; after all, you’re spending a lot of quality time with these insects’ food source! If you know you’re severely allergic to stings, your first step should be to…
If it’s inspiration you seek, you’ll find it at the flower fields in Carlsbad, California. This popular springtime destination offers over 50 acres of stunning flower fields, planted with the Tecolote Giant Ranunculus. An Asian member of the buttercup family, also known as the Persian Buttercup, you’re not likely to enjoy 50 acres of Ranunculus…
Growing and enjoying your own flowers is only half the fun of gardening. Cutting, making floral arrangements, and bringing them indoors provides even more enjoyment of your hard work, and becomes a hobby of its own! If you’re hoping to add unique elements to your home’s decor, you might be feeling a bit tired of…
Think about the typical office, and in your opinion, what seems to be missing? Most offices feel sterile, tense, perhaps a little cold, and definitely stifling. If you’re like a lot of people, you might even dread going to the office each day. In fact, many of us notice that our creativity plummets in the…
At this time of year, as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, many of us focus on ways to bring a bit more romance into our lives. Maybe you’re planning a special date, or just wish you had a private space in which to relax on a regular basis. A soothing backyard retreat would even make a…
You might already be familiar with the concept of focal points in visual arts, like painting, or as they are used in interior design. But you can (and should) also create focal points in your landscape design as well. Why focal points? A focal point serves two main purposes: First, to draw the eye toward…
In tropical, mountainous regions, a phenomenon called a “cloud forest” often occurs. The combination of persistent rainfall and cooling air currents deflected upward by the slopes, create a unique environment for plants. Clouds quite literally brush the mountainsides throughout the day! Cloud forests are distinguished from rainforests by their typically mountainous terrain and the fact…
In 1984, TED talks began as a way to spread innovative ideas through short, powerful lectures. Short for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, TED talks now cover every conceivable topic, and have grown in popularity and exposure thanks to online channels like YouTube. The following are some of our favorite TED talks on outdoor topics. How…
Last week, we began this two-part blog series to discuss outdoor design trends for 2019. If you’re renovating your backyard space between now and spring, read on to continue learning about this year’s hottest ideas and looks. Modular sofas. In the past, selecting outdoor furniture always seemed to present one particular challenge: What type of…
Yes, the new year has just begun, but barbecues and backyard hangouts with friends are just around the corner. Now is the time to renovate your outdoor space and get it ready for spring and summer. So, in this two-part blog series, let’s review some of the hottest trends that we’re expecting to see in…
Travel is fun and rewarding, but it’s also expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. Sometimes we just don’t have the energy, time off of work, or budget to accommodate a trip to a far-flung location. But as the rising popularity of taking a “staycation” has taught us, taking a time-out at home can be quite restful and…
For outdoor gardeners, December can be a bit of a slow time. But that also means you get a chance to plan next year’s garden more thoroughly. If you’re the type of person who likes to keep up with trends, you might be interested to know the 2019 color forecast. You will be seeing these…