Choosing the Right Material for Garden Furniture

The right garden furniture would transform a garden into a living work of art. Your choice of garden furniture would change the garden into a reflection of yourself or a message of the emotions you wish to express.

The importance of good garden furniture cannot be denied. Seldom would you see gardens without furniture nowadays. As it is, they provide resting spots for some people, meeting places for others and a place to think for a few.

Choosing good garden furniture is just like choosing any other acquisition. There are many considerations to be thought of before you can actually make a choice.

The material, style, mood, location, and other details need to be included in the choosing of garden furniture.

The right material can be crucial to your purpose in having the garden.

To give you a bit of help, here are some materials that garden furniture is made of:

*Wood - garden furniture in wood may be found in different styles. Some consider wood as the best material for garden furniture as it is lightweight and pleasing to the eyes. It also blends easily with the garden life.

Wood is also comfortable, an important aspect when you think about the fact that an essential part of garden furniture is seating.

When you choose wood, go with teak. Teak is the best wood for garden furniture as it is very durable when placed outdoors. This is due to its high oil content.

Wood is also easy to clean as some warm soap, water and a brush would remove any dirt caused by constant use. Wood garden furniture also ages beautifully, blending with the colors of nature.

*Rattan or Wicker- these materials used to be unusable for garden furniture because though beautiful, they shrivel easily. However, new finishes now make rattan and wicker garden furniture more durable.

Garden furniture made of these materials tend to look quaint. They are reminiscent of tropical countries and country life.

Rattan or wicker garden furniture also tend to be very comfortable, even without additional cushions.

*Wrought iron -garden furniture made of wrought iron just looks so cool. With wrought iron garden furniture, your garden would just look regal.

Wrought iron is hand-crafted, giving garden furniture a look all its own. Wrought iron probably showcases the uniqueness of people like no other garden-furniture material.

There are, however, some disadvantages to wrought iron.

It weathers badly, as iron rusts. However, there are manufacturers who coat wrought iron garden furniture with special paint to prevent this.

Wrought iron garden furniture is also hard and not very comfortable. However, a few cushions provided during dry season should solve this.

However, you do need to invest in covers to slow down the deterioration of wrought iron garden furniture. You also need to store them during bad climate.

Plastics -while some people may scoff at the thought of plastic garden furniture, the convenience provided by the material has persuaded many people to go for it.

Plastic is very weather-resistant so you need not worry about quick deterioration. Different types of garden furniture also come in plastic. So whether you are looking for tables, chairs or any other furniture, you can be sure to find plastic ones.

Plastic is also easy to maintain as a quick wipe would clean it up.

Talk about the miracle of modern science!

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Gardening Tools - An Overview

Most people know very well about the rules and regulations to keep your plants to grow healthy in your garden. For getting sustainable growth from your garden plants, they do require good soil quality, sun light and sufficient water. Although these items have been gifted by nature, gardening tools are necessary to upkeep your garden. Good gardening tools will assist you in taking care of your plants as well as cultivating good growing conditions, thus having a positive effect on your plant's health.

Defective gardening tools can be detrimental to your garden and to you. Defective gardening tools can cause injury to your plants or injury to yourself. Gardeners should find the best quality garden tool that they can afford. Once you have labeled your garden tool as "the best", it implies that the tool provides quality work for which it was designed for and with the least labor possible.

Below is a list of some common garden tools and their uses.

Lawnmowers

Luxus Push Reel Mower rated as best by the gardening aficionados provides large top cover that protects overhanging flowers and shrubs. Another special gardening tool called American Lawn Mower Deluxe has also been accredited as best, which will be helpful to operate on elbow grease alone and causing no pollution. However, this is not conducive for too tall grasses.

Garden Shredders

In general, all garden shredders have a high watt motor and come with silent crushing system. This kind of gardening tool accelerates your shredding activity. Gardening shredders with an electric shredder are easy to assemble and aids in tree pruning with maximum of 40 mm. The garden shredder also aids in shredding debris from punning your hedges. This gardening tool is considered the best among all the garden shredders since it is available with a plunger for increased portability and built-in wheels.

Cultivators

These modern gardening tools are available with patented tines to help in cutting the hard compacted soil smoothly. Cultivators are available with a free border edger. It is perfect to use in cleaning the moss, aerating and in thatching. This garden tool helps extensively in preparing vegetable plots, flowerbeds, etc.

Leaf sweeper

These gardening tools are extensively used for smaller lawns. It is having an infinite height adjustment with 200-liter collector.

Edge Trimmer

The gardening equipment reviewers have also accredited this gardening tool as important equipment. This aids in trimming the hedges and aids in plant pruning.

Spading fork

This is a wonderful gardening tool used for aerating and transplanting. By using this gardening tool, it is possible to perform splitting grasses and perennials. In addition, this garden tool can be used as a manure fork, mulch fork, and sorting hay.

Mattock

Mattock is an important gardening tool for breaking up the clay soils and working around established trees with the roots. There is no need to have a pick and a hoe, if you have a mattock.

Before you leave the garden center, it is highly advisable to have a look at this checklist of gardening tools and confirm if you have all the gardening tools you need to make your garden picture perfect.

For more information about garden tools, visit Garden Tool

David Chandler

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Gardening Transforms Your Home Into A Scene Of Breathtaking Beauty

Gardening is a common hobby. Most people are doing it. It has become the least exclusive hobby of all. Many people are striving to make their garden, no matter how small it is, a more beautiful and better place to have and to enjoy. Gardening is a great leisure activity which has many benefits. With all the stress and strife we face in this fast-paced society everyday, spending time in the garden gives us a much needed break. Gardening brings us closer to nature which gives us a sense of peace and tranquility so desperately needed in this hectic lifestyle of the present time. It offers us a form of retreat from the outside world, as we can enjoy the quietness and serenity of the garden. In the garden, we have the opportunity to utilize all our senses. We get to feel the soil and all the interesting textures of different plants. We can smell the fragrance of flowers and taste the freshly hand-picked vegetables and fruits. We get to see and admire the great variety of different flowers and plants and their beautiful combinations. We can hear the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze and chirping of birds as they hid among the branches and leaves.

Gardening is a form of expression. Whether tending a small pot or an extensive plot, gardening is a wonderful way to express ourselves. It provides us an opportunity to express our imagination and creativity. As such, many people find gardening fun, enriching and rewarding. Gardens are considered as extensions of our homes and lives, and they reflect a great deal about us and how we live. Furthermore, gardening gives us a sense of fulfillment and pleasure as we watch the plants grow whilst we nurture them. We experience the joy and satisfaction of seeing the plants blooms and the fruits turn ripe.

Gardening is a good form of physical exercise. It is like having a great workout and there is plenty of fresh air out in the garden. Hence, this activity helps to keep us healthy. As gardening involves tasks for both young and old, it is a suitable activity for the whole family to participate in. It helps to bring the family together.

The work of creating and tending a garden not only provides joy, the end result also brings pleasure. A beautiful garden is a great place to walk and relax. It is a wonderful place to spend time with family and friends. The garden can provide an ideal atmosphere for large get-togethers with family, relatives, friends or business associates. Even if you just want a quiet dinner with some friends, the garden can also offer a perfect place for such entertaining. Besides, if you wish to take a break from work and be alone, you can take a vacation in your own backyard and relax in a shady spot, secluded from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Gardening indeed gives us a lot more to enjoy than the work we put in.

The things to learn in gardening are limitless. There are hundreds of thousands of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees, each with subdivisions of varieties and species. Besides, there is also a wide range of gardening tools and equipment in the market. There is so much to learn, experiment and explore in the field. This is one of the reasons why many people find gardening interesting. There are many resources available with easy-to-understand instructions which can help those who are keen to learn about gardening and how to create the gardens they want. Once started, gardening can become a real joy and tough to stop. Along the way, there are always new discoveries and surprises. It is a journey of constant learning experience.

Every garden is different and every gardener's needs are different. In planning to create a garden, you need to consider you and your family's needs and the way that the garden would satisfy those needs. Besides, you need to consider the various aspects of gardening that take up different amounts of time, effort and money. This is necessary because you need to plan for a garden that suits your level of time and budget. However, a beautiful garden does not always require a great deal of time looking after it. If you want a nice and presentable garden but can only afford to devote a small amount of time to look after it, there are recommended ways to achieve that. There are resources available to teach you how you can plan for a beautiful garden and has a low maintenance workload. For more information, go to manage stress through recreation.

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Garden Decor -- It Is More Than Just Decorations

Garden décor... when post people think of décor, they probably think of the decorations in their living room, or elsewhere in the house. Only a minority of people connect "décor" with gardens and yards.

Some people may say that the best way to decorate your garden is with flowers and beautiful plants. And yes, this may be true, but there is so much more that you can do! With the proper garden décor, you can turn your garden into your own personal oasis.

Great types of garden décor:

· Garden Benches. What is the point of having a beautiful garden if you do not have a good vantage point to see it from? Setting a garden bench in the midst of your garden gives you the perfect place to sit, relax, and watch your garden grow. A garden bench is not only an inviting place to sit, it is also a beautiful visual addition to almost any garden.

· Bird Bath. There are many styles of birdbaths available these days. There are birdbaths that suit contemporary styles as well as birdbath that suit more traditional styles, and there are ones to suit any taste and style that falls in between. Not only do birdbaths themselves add beauty to your garden, but the birds that they attract add beauty, as well.

· Water Fountain or Pond. Water has many soothing qualities -- even the look and sound of water can be soothing. Placing a fountain or a pond in your garden will transform your garden into a mini oasis. You will love coming home from a hard and stressful day of work and sitting near the peaceful sounds and sights of your garden water feature.

· Garden Statues. Garden statues come in many different varieties. You can find garden statues that add humor, elegance, sophistication, or whimsy to your garden. Indeed, you can find a garden statue to suit any gardener's taste, whether you want to place and hide bunny sculptures throughout your garden, or whether you want a funny garden gnome.

· Lights. There are many different ways to light up your garden at night. And why shouldn't your garden be lit up at night? There is no reason that you should not be able to enjoy the beauty of your garden at any time of day or night.

These are just a few types of garden décor that you should consider adding to your garden. Adding garden décor to your garden is like adding a beautiful frame to a painting - it enhances it. Sure, your flowers and other plants are still the main event, but the right garden décor can really make your garden unique and beautiful.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gardening decor, please visit Home Garden Decor.

Cedar Benches: A Fine Choice for Your Garden

Cedar is a very popular material especially for garden furniture. There are garden benches of many other sorts, of course, but cedar garden benches come in all sorts of sizes and in plain as well as several decorative styles and can add a touch of elegance that will impress your guests and show off your personal taste. Make your garden beautiful this season, and buy a garden bench that will last and last!

Well-made cedar garden benches will remain in good shape for a long time, and do not require any considerable amount of upkeep such as refinishing etc. Such benches are the kind of garden benches that, if you choose to purchase one, will become a wonderful asset to you garden. Your cedar garden benches will require very little maintenance.

Multi purposed:

There are cedar garden benches made for watching the birds and the flowers, which also double as outdoor seating and even garden benches and table sets that can serve as outdoor dining areas.

With hundreds of cedar garden benches to choose from, you can create an outdoor focal point for your yard or garden. Your bench or benches will complement your existing indoor or outdoor wood garden furniture by matching the look you are going for.

There are cedar garden benches with full backs and armrests for just sitting back and relaxing in, some come in straight designs, some come in more abstract designs, and some come in more arched or elegant designs.

Some cedar benches are more stylish, but a little more plain than the more luxurious styles available, and others have a unique, design just by adding a few extra decorative touches. But any backless garden benches can add a beautiful touch to your home.

When you choose a more streamlined look by purchasing a backless bench you can sit facing any direction for the perfect view. Watch the sunrise and watch the sunset all from the same picturesque backless bench. Some of these cedar garden benches are offered with curling decorative armrests on either side, and some have no armrests at all.

In the flower garden:

Cedar garden benches can add a beautiful touch to your garden and can even become the focal point of your garden and attract special attention to the area in which you choose to put it. Some cedar garden benches seem to be made especially for sitting down and admiring the flowers.

Teatime cedar garden benches:

Many cedar benches are elegant, and some are quaint. Some especially are designed for sitting in your yard or garden or on your patio or porch for eating and drinking either meals or in between meals. So have a cup of coffee or tea and a snack with friends in style. These cedar furniture often comes in sets, using extra chairs and wooden tables as well. Garden benches are perfect for a get together, a card game, for a cup of tea, or just for a relaxing time at home.

In the yard:

A cedar garden bench might just be perfect place for "sitting the next one out" and resting in the shade as you watch. Under the shade of the trees, by the pool or the volleyball net, cedar garden benches are perfect if you just want to sit back and watch.

Pick one that fits your personal style and you will enjoy the individuality that cedar garden benches can bring to your garden as well, sit and relax through the season on your cedar garden bench. Let a cedar garden bench help dress up your yard or garden and create that great look you are going for.

Your cedar garden bench or benches will definitely be a big part of what gives your yard or garden that picturesque look you want. Cedar benches can even add a graceful touch to the view of your garden from the window in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room, or whatever window faces it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on garden furniture and accessories please visit Garden Furniture.

Planning An Herb Garden With Culinary Herbs, Medicinal Herbs and Aromatic Herbs

Planning an herb garden can be fun and rewarding. Herbs have been in use for centuries for culinary, medicinal and aromatic reasons. For generations tribal leaders and healers passed down the herbal secrets. Many modern medicines have an herb base. Modern herbalist mix medicinal herb for their clients. Many herbalists also mix aromatic herbs for beauty purposes. But, of course, the culinary herb is still the most widely used. You can become a kitchen gardener by growing an herb garden right in your kitchen on a sunny windowsill.

For the discussion of herbal gardening today we will plant the herbs found in the Elizabethan Era and so often mentioned in William Shakespeare's works. The plants selected will be culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and aromatic herbs, all to experience the aromas and flavors of that time.

Herbal gardening is wonderful since the herbs can be grown in a variety of ways. Plant a container garden for you deck or patio for great colors, different textures and super aromas. Planning an herb garden in the ground will allow you to cultivate a traditional kitchen herb garden outside. Or if you have limited space, become an inside kitchen gardener and plant your herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.

When planning your herb garden remember that the herbs need well drained soil, they hate wet feet. Test your soil for the herb garden and make sure it is alkaline. All Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight.

When Elizabethans planted aromatic herbs, culinary herbs and medicinal herbs they used either a symmetrical rectangular or square patterns. The Elizabethans were very formal and felt their herb gardens should be too. Their herbal gardens had walkways, as strolling through the garden was a popular pastime. They had no TV'S! If you are planting your herbal garden near a patio, think about adding a strolling path for yourself. The paths will add character to you herbal garden.

In planning an herb garden be sure to take in to consideration the growing habits of each herb. Plant the taller busier herbs in the back of the garden, the small, compact ones in the front. Most herbs are perennials meaning they will grow back each year. Any of the herbs that need to be planted annually should go in a spot in the herb garden that is easy to get to. Give each herb plenty of room to grow. The herbs need air circulation to prevent mold. This stage of planning an herb garden is essential since once the plants become mature they do not like to be moved.

When you plant an herb garden, you can either start from seeds or get small plants from your garden center. The garden center plants will give a better chance of achieving success in the herb garden. When using seeds, plan ahead because the seeds may need to grow for several months before they are ready to plant into the herb garden. Especially if you are a beginner, I would recommend using the small plants from the garden center.

Go to a reputable garden center to purchase you herbs. Inspect your herbs closely to make sure they are healthy. One infected plant can ruin your whole herbal garden. When using the small herbs from the garden center you will be able to harvest your herbs much sooner. When you take the herbs out to be planted in the herbal garden, gently remove the plant from the pot and loosen the soil around the roots. Place the herb in the spot you have chosen or the container that you have prepared. Cover all of the roots with soil and gently tamp down. Give your new herbs plenty of water checking the moisture each day. Never let the soil dry out but don't make your herbs roots too wet. If you are planting a container garden remember that the dirt in a container will dry out more quickly then the ground. You might find that the herbs will droop for a couple of days. Don't fret that is shock but they will recover.

Once you have learned the herbs growth patterns you can start pinching off to get a bushier herb. When you first start out, keep a journal for your herb garden to keep track of each herbs strengths and weaknesses. After you get to know your herb garden you will be able to tell when the plants need attention.

Over the centuries herbs have evolved into very hardy plants. Once you herbal garden is established it will need very little care. To hold moisture for the herb longer, mulch around the plants. This is a good garden tip whether you plant the herbs in container gardens or in the ground.

Herbs are natural insect repellents but if you have to treat for pests be sure you use a non toxic treatment since you will be eating your harvest. Marigolds are a natural repellent so you may want to plant of few of these flowers. Planting companion plants is how most Shakespearian gardens were done.

Harvest can begin as soon as you have several leaves on the herb. It is best to cut your herbs before they begin to flower for the best flavor. This is when the most oils are stored in the leaves. Wait until any morning dew has dissipated before cutting but harvest before the full sun is out. You can cut your herbs right before you wish to use them. If the stems are tender these too can be used in your recipes.

If you have an abundant harvest you can freeze or dry the herbs. Dry them by hanging them upside down, in a bunch tied together, in a warm and dark place. You can microwave them by placing them between two paper towels and microwaving for 2 minutes. Put them in an air tight container, they will last up to 1 year.

Freezing the bounty of your herb garden will let them last a little longer, a year to year and a half. Chop up the herbs and place on a sheet of wax paper. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Another method is to put the herbs in ice cube trays with water. Freeze until firm, pop them out and put them in to zip lock bags. When ever you need the herbs for soups, stews or sauces, just throw in an herb ice cube.

Now, here is the list of Shakespearian Herbs to plant in your Elizabethan herb garden including culinary herbs, aromatic herbs and medicinal herbs. It will truly make you a kitchen gardener.

Bay, box, Broom, Calendula, Chamomile, Chives, Heartsease, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Peppermint, Rosemary, Rue, Salad Burnet, Summer Savory, Bachelors Buttons and Thyme. For more information on each herb, email me or search on the internet.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com