All Outdoor Patio Furniture

When you’re having an outdoor wedding in your backyard, there are, of course, many things to worry about, besides the insects that are waiting to crash the affair.  During every step of the planning stage, the comfort of your guests must be your paramount concern.  Then, after each detail is painstakingly worked out, and you think that you’ve got everything covered, go back to the beginning, and make arrangements for the unexpected.

As I’ve said before, even if you’re having a simple cookout, it’s essential that you supply everything that anyone could possibly need, before you sit down at the picnic table.  Well, that’s nothing, compared to the magnitude of preparedness that is required for an outdoor wedding.

Naturally, it’s absolutely necessary to have some sort of shelter.  If you own a gazebo, you already have the ideal setting for the ceremony.  Undoubtedly, it’s picturesque on its own; so it will be utterly spectacular when it’s decorated for the wedding.  However, unless you have a very large gazebo, or a backyard pavilion, you’ll have to rent a tent for the reception; and make sure that it is sturdy enough to endure heavy winds, and that it has thick, weighted sides.

You can also have an indoor room set up for guests, in case the weather really gets nasty.  Decorate an enclosed patio or porch, including your patio chairs, gliders, chaise lounges, accent tables, and planters, with ribbons and/or streamers in the wedding theme colors.

Of course, providing cover is crucial, even if the weather is magnificent, as too much sun can become unbearable (and there’s enough fainting at weddings as it is!).  To begin with, make sure that it won’t be glaring in people’s eyes during the ceremony.  If you’re going to be standing under an arbor or a pergola, position the seats on the side of it that will have the sun at their backs.  It’s also a good idea to use wood outdoor folding chairs, as metal can get very hot.

As for the reception, have patio umbrellas for all of your outdoor dining tables.  Large, free-standing cantilever umbrellas, or commercial market umbrellas, with heavy umbrella stands, are also great for use over food and beverage tables, outdoor bars, and garden benches.

Another way to protect guests from the sun and heat is to have sunscreen available for people who forget to bring their own.  In extremely hot weather, consider renting some large, electric fans for the tents; and if your gazebo is equipped with outdoor ceiling fans, don’t forget to turn them on.  To keep everyone cool from the start, you may even want to print your programs on decorative fans, and have your ushers pass out cold bottles of water to the guests as they arrive.

After all, it’s better to have your ushers pass out water, than to have your guests pass out!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: accent tables, arbor, backyard pavilion, cantilever umbrellas, chaise lounges, commercial market umbrellas, garden benches, gazebo, gliders, outdoor bards, outdoor ceiling fans, outdoor dining tables, patio chairs, patio umbrellas, pergola, Planters, umbrella stands, wood outdoor folding chairs

Our guest post this week is by Debbie Roberts, owner and principal designer of Roberts & Roberts Landscape and Garden Design based in Stamford, CT.  Attention to detail, sustainable practices and close collaboration with her clients are hallmarks of Debbie’s work.   From woodland pathways to front entry gardens to patios and pergolas, Debbie draws on a diverse scope of influences to enhance her designs.  Plants chosen specifically for each site, combined with attention to even the smallest design detail which often showcases the owner’s unique personality, mean no two finished landscapes are ever the same.

Climbing plants and vines are a vibrant design element that is missing from many gardens.  For some reason, seamlessly incorporating these plants into a flower garden or mixed planting bed is a bewildering task for both newbie gardeners and green thumbs alike.  But using climbing plants and vines is a simple and effective way to add another dimension to any garden.  Climbing plants add an instant sense of scale and permanence to a garden and transform it from ordinary to extraordinary in no time.

Some climbing plants, like climbing roses, climbing hydrangea and wisteria, take several growing seasons to make a statement in your garden and require a strong support structure, such as a pergola, arbor or fence, to grow on.  But, these garden structures can be difficult to design into every garden.  A more versatile solution to blending climbing plants into your garden is through the use of trellises and obelisks.

A trellis is an ideal choice for supporting climbing plants in a small garden, where a fence or wall may be too overwhelming and feel claustrophobic. A trellis screen, whether it’s a single panel or a multi-panel structure, can be used to create a secluded eating area or to screen out an undesirable view.  A trellis can be made from a variety of different materials, including wood, vinyl, metal, wire, grape vines, and bamboo and on and on.  Choose a material that complements your garden style.  Generally, natural materials work well in informal garden settings while trellises constructed of wrought iron or metal are at home in a more formal setting.

An obelisk, a simple garden ornament with four sides at the base which taper to the top and are usually topped with a finial of some sort, is even more versatile because it can be moved from location to location in your garden.  Your choice of an obelisk for your garden can speak volumes about you – it can be a simple and uncluttered charmer, a classic and romantic filigreed treasure or a modern and eclectic masterpiece that is a playful and whimsical addition to your garden.

Now that you’ve decided to add more visual interest to your garden with a trellis or obelisk, it’s time to think about what kind of climbing plant or vine to grow on it.  It’s important to know that plants climb in different ways – some curl around supports, some have tendrils that wrap about a support structure and others literally adhere to a nearby support.  It’s best to use vines and climbing plants that are not too vigorous so they don’t overwhelm your new trellis or obelisk.  Annual flowering vines, like cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida), sweet peas (Lathyrus) or purple hyacinth bean (Dalichos lablab) and later blooming clematis, such as ‘Ernest Markam’ and ‘Jackmanni ‘, are good choice for more delicate trellises and obelisks.  And don’t forget, many vegetables grow on vines which are also highly ornamental.  Purple pole beans and scarlet runner beans are two delicious choices.   Remember, it’s perfectly fine to grow more than one climber at a time on the same structure.

So, be creative with your choice of a trellis or obelisk, have fun combining different flower and foliage colors and enjoy a long season of color and interest in your garden.

Debbie

Debbie is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) and is a founding member of the Connecticut Chapter of APLD.  Debbie’s blog A Garden of Possibilities features plant profiles, insights on garden design and musings on gardening in her corner of Connecticut (zone 6). She is also a member of a select group of international garden and landscape designers, The Garden Designers Roundtable, who blog monthly about various garden design topics.

You can follow Debbie on Twitter or connect with her via LinkedIn.

Tags: arbor, obelisk, pergola, trellis

We’ve traveled to Tuscany and Japan, but if you still haven’t found the perfect setting for your outdoor room, we have plenty of frequent flyer miles! Today, we’re designing a Parisian outdoor room inspired by the quaint and stylish bistros lining the streets of Paris’s chicest districts.

Define your space with Wrought Iron: Everyone knows that the most famous structure of Paris is the Eiffel Tower.  Using wrought iron garden structures to outline your living room will pay tribute to the overlooking structure while helping to both define your garden as Parisian and separate your seating area from the rest of the lawn.  Luckily, there are a lot of different ways to do this.  Whether you choose a wrought iron gazebo to create open-air walls around your seating area, an arbor or garden arch to make a Parisian entrance, or even a simple wrought iron garden tranquility screen to create separation from the rest of the garden… Parisian elegance will simply pour from the classic lines.

Use Small, Round Seating Areas: While we encouraged long expansive picnic tables to emphasize the big Italian families of Tuscany, French bistros are all about private and intimate conversations over wine or coffee.  Use small outdoor bistro and bar sets, or even just round patio dining sets, to create a warm and personal feel.  Again, wrought iron is the most traditional materials, but pairing wrought iron outdoor bistro sets with a wrought iron gazebo may be a little overwhelming.  If you worry about too much wrought iron, try softening your garden structures by using wicker outdoor furniture. If you would use a sitting room more than a dining space, wicker rocking chairs, patio chairs, and even chaise lounges pulled around a coffee table will create soft closeness.  While, high bar stools and bistro sets provide elegant dining spaces for cheese tasting and wine sipping!  If you plan to entertain often, an outdoor beverage cart with places to hold wine or even a bar will add function and sophistication.

Color with Black and White; Accent with Teals and Yellows: To unite the wrought iron structures with your outdoor furniture, use black or white wicker.  There is no more French color combination than black and white; and bold solid colors make it pop even more.  Try teal or yellow outdoor cushions on your furniture, a yellow vase with flowers on your patio table, or a teal accent bowl or dish set.  Another fantastic idea is to get a few treated pine accent tables and paint them in your chosen accent colors.  Adding those to the side of patio chairs will make the whole seating area burst with stylish personality as bold accents will draw the eye around your entire outdoor room.

Plant Manicured Shrubs and Colorful Flowers: The gardens of Versailles are famous for their carefully manicured shrubs and bushes.  A line of green shrubs against the house or along your fence line will recall that same elegance (as long as you keep them maintained!).  Other gardening additions could include roses.  Rose gardens represent grace and beauty, and will compliment your outdoor room wonderfully.  If you’ve chosen a wrought iron garden structure that will support vining plants, plant climbing roses to completely surround your living area with color, splendor, and sweet smells.  Lastly, large gardening urns and planters filled with French marigolds, tarragon, daylillies, and hydrangea will allow you to add natural color and elegance to your outdoor room.

Decorate with Garden Statues and Fountains: French gardens are known for their dramatic fountains and décor.  Using antique-looking stone garden statues, or even post caps, will recall the old-world French elegance in your outdoor seating area.  And, while the fountains at Versailles would be nearly impossible to recreate in your back yard, a water feature or fountain will add depth and interest.  And, If your water feature is large enough, adding a small garden bridge will allow a place for your guests to explore while waiting for the wine to chill!

Traveling abroad is a fantastic experience.  But, investing in your outdoor spaces will provide years and years of endless vacations for your family and friends, while helping to increase your property values.  Travel to France all summer long in your chic Parisian outdoor room!

Tags: arbor, bistro sets, chaise lounges, coffee table, garden arch, garden bridge, garden structures, gazebo, outdoor beverage cart, outdoor bistro sets, outdoor cushions, patio chairs, patio table, picnic tables, post caps, round patio dining tables, tranquility screen, treated pine accent tables, wicker outdoor furniture, wicker rocking chairs, wrought iron garden structures

Okay, where were we?  Oh, yes – I was counting the ways in which our outdoor furniture is extraordinarily gracious and obliging; and this, naturally, includes our garden structures, outdoor décor, home accents, and accessories.  As I pointed out, this is not just a fair-weather stance, as much of it is designed to stand up to the even the harshest elements of winter; and a lot of it is stylish enough for indoor use.    

 Moreover, during the holiday season, we all need the cooperation of everyone and everything around us; and that’s another way in which our furniture will help.  Besides the outdoor dining tables, porch swings, bar and bistro sets, hammock chairs, kids’ picnic tables, and settees that you can proudly use inside to accommodate guests at your holiday parties, there are many items that lend themselves to your outdoor displays.      

 Among the leaders in this category are arbors, trellises, and pergolas.  I’m not sure, but I may have mentioned these before; but even if I have, they deserve more press.  After all, they’ve been garden favorites for centuries, which means that they have endured the test of time, and passed it with flying colors.  In fact, they’re famous for flying colors, which are usually those of the gorgeous flowers that climb and envelop them.

 Of course, at this time of the year, the colors may be emanating from Christmas lights, which look equally stunning on planters, planter trellises, and planter benches with lattice backs.  You can also get very creative in decorating our wheel barrow planters. 

 Another way to light things up brilliantly is by using our solar-powered post caps, which come in Tiffany-style, clear, and solid-colored glass.  On fences, gazebo railings, and garden bridges, they’ll enhance your holiday displays, and make your yard absolutely spectacular all year long.  

 Indeed, our outdoor furniture can assist with many of the details of your Christmas decorations.  Speaking of details, there’s one other thing, of which I was reminded while watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special (don’t bother snickering, because I know you still watch it, too!).  Although your dog isn’t as sophisticated as Snoopy, he or she still deserves to share in the holiday fun; so don’t forget to decorate the dog house! 

 Yours Outdoors,

 Kathy

Tags: arbor, bridge, dining sets, gazebo, Outdoor Furniture, pergola, Pergolas, picnic tables, Planters, porch swing, trellis

It’s interesting, the way that people tend to make associations about things.  Sometimes, it can involve colors; everyone develops ideas about which ones go together, and, before they know it, they have these unbreakable, personal rules.  That’s not really a good thing, because it can get them into a rut.  What’s even worse is when they take the advice of so-called experts who tell them what goes with what, and end up adopting someone else’s senseless views as their own. 

The same is true for food and beverage pairings.  While, undoubtedly, these usually stem from our own preferences, they are also notoriously dictated by self-proclaimed authorities who profess to have educated palates.  Unfortunately, these blowhards are everywhere, telling us, for example, that there’s only one specific wine that simply must accompany a certain dish, and if you serve anything else, you belong in a doghouse.

Sometimes, we relate things to particular seasons, and can’t envision them in any other context.  Garden structures, for instance, have long been connected almost exclusively to the warm-weather months.  While they have always looked spectacular in the spring and summer, covered with colorful climbing flowers and vines, pergolas, arbors, and trellises were often left looking forlorn and lifeless in the winter, standing dejectedly in a corner, entwined with a few dead branches.

Luckily, however, this practice is also becoming out-dated, as millions more people each year are realizing that their garden pergolas, planter benches, trellis screens, arbors, and arbor extensions can be fantastically integrated with their holiday displays.  In fact, in many cases, these structures, as well as planter trellises, garden bridges, and, of course, gazebos, can even be the main attractions, when adorned with strings of lights, holly, tinsel, and other ornaments.

Even beyond the New Year – in the time that’s known as the dead of winter – outdoor structures can bring new life to your landscape and brighten your outdoor décor.  Moreover, there’s no standard way to use them; they lend themselves to creativity, so you can show off your own, individual style.

Remember, the only rule that everyone really should live by is the Golden Rule. 

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: arbor, bridge, gazebo, outdoor structure, pergola, planter, trellis

You have tons of options for designing your garden.  On top of the endless varieties of flowers, plants, trees, and shrubs, there are countless types of mulch, as well as decorative rocks, stones, and gravel, in every color imaginable.  Selecting from among them can be difficult and time-consuming; in fact, it may take so long that you could actually miss planting season. 

When everything on that lengthy list, from the necessities, to the accessories, is finally planned, picked out, planted, and placed, you can begin to make decisions about the ideal garden structures to complement your motif.  Once again, you’ll have an incredible assortment from which to choose. 

This, however, does not have to be a long, wearying process, if you know where to look; and that, of course, is right here at CedarStore.com.  Our unparalleled collection of cedar, treated pine, vinyl, polywood, and wrought iron backyard structures includes arbors, trellises, pergolas, and garden bridges, in dozens of sizes, and styles that range from simple, to sensational.   

For example, along with our plain arbors, we have arbors with gates, swings, benches, and extensions.  If you want more than a basic trellis, you can choose an elegant planter trellis, a garden obelisk, a classic five-spoke trellis, or a single, double, or triple garden screen.  We also have planter benches with lattice backs.            

Our equally-impressive array of garden pergolas features free-standing and attached pergolas, as well as pergolas with built-in benches.  You can even use our Custom Pergola Creator to craft a maintenance-free vinyl pergola , or a decay-resistant wood pergola, to your specifications. 

Of course, nothing will give your landscape a lift like a garden bridge; and we have several styles including plank, single and double rail, picket and half-picket rail, as well as captivating covered bridges that you can customize right on our site.  This is also the only place you’ll find the spectacular Opti-Breeze™ Bridge, which is bound to astound, as its dazzling design induces a delightfully deceptive optical illusion that will throw your eyeballs a tantalizing curve.     

This is truly something that you have to see to believe.  Really, you won’t be able to get over it!  Or, uh, I mean, of course, you’ll be able to get over it; after all, it is a bridge.  However, since it’s so hard to describe, I’ll just say that it puts the focus on hocus pocus!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: arbor, bridge, pergola, trellis

Trellises, arbors, and pergolas have been popular since ancient times; and it’s not difficult to understand why.  In the spring and summer, bursting with colorful mantles of climbing flowers and vines, they can bring an enchanting, exciting, and aromatic aura to any setting.  They make striking focal points, and attractive camouflage for unsightly landscape features, and can be used, along with planter benches with latticed backs, to create separate outdoor rooms, or cozy backyard hideaways.   

This time of the year, however, with Halloween quickly approaching, it’s even more fun to use them to enhance the eeriness of the occasion.  For example, you can string them with orange lights to create a truly bewitching effect (especially if the lights are twinkling).  On an arbor over your front walk, this is a fun and spooky way to greet trick-or-treaters and party guests.  If you have a gated arbor, or an arbor with extensions, cover the entire thing.  To conjure up an atmosphere that’s even more magical, decorate nearby patio furniture, such as garden benches, porch swings, lounge chairs, and picnic tables, as well. 

Along with plain lights, you can also use strings of light-up ghosts, skulls, or jack-o-lanterns, which can be found in most retail or Halloween specialty stores.  To make things a bit scarier, hang a skeleton, ghost, witch, or “dead body” from the arbor.  You can even rig it with a wire or rope so that you can raise it up, out of sight, and let it drop suddenly, in front of some sweet, unsuspecting, innocent little child coming to get some candy (that’s always a hoot!). 

Other items that are suitable for hanging are fake spiders and spider webs, which are available in abundance this time of year.  A few phony bats dangling from an arbor, trellis, or pergola, will also help to give ‘em some goose bumps.  If you’re having a backyard Halloween party, you can also use trellises to conceal fog machines, or boom boxes or speakers that are supplying spine-chilling sound or light effects. 

Indeed, these backyard structures are great, throughout the year, for so many things besides displaying beautiful, flourishing flowers and foliage.  In fact, it’s quite appropriate that, in many parts of the country, the flora will be dead by the end of October; it will only add to the delightful creepiness of it all.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: arbor, Arbors, Outdoor Furniture, patio furniture, pergola, Pergolas, trellis, trellises

Before long, children in costumes will be roaming the streets in search of candy.  With all of the craziness in the world, however, parents are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of this tradition.  Therefore, instead of letting their kids go trick-or-treating, they often choose to have Halloween parties. 

Although the themes of these get-togethers will naturally be scary, for those who choose to host them, the most terrifying part is all of the destruction that may be wrought by a houseful of little gremlins. 

If you’re debating about having such an affair, remember, you can still hold the party outdoors; in fact, that’s the best place to evoke the, uh, spirit of the occasion.  Furthermore, there’s a lot more room for playing games; and if anything gets spilled, it will be on the ground, instead of on your carpet. 

Halloween decorations are also a lot spookier under the moon and stars.  You can string trellises and pergolas with orange lights, and hang a ghost, a spider, a bat, or even a “dead body” from an arbor.  Planter trellises and planter benches with lattice also look wonderfully eerie when decked out with twinkling lights. 

Use orange and black disposable cloths on your picnic table or outdoor dining set, and use jack-o-lanterns or candles as centerpieces.  Additional picnic table benches, folding chairs, and patio chairs can be used for extra seating, as well as for a game of “musical chairs.”       

If you have a gazebo, you’ve really got it made.  Gazebos are great places for outdoor entertaining, all year long, especially if they’re enclosed with screens, doors, and windows, and have some extras, such as built-in benches and hidden wiring.  They also look spectacular when they’re decorated, with lights, scarecrows, pumpkins, and bales of hay.

So, you see, there’s nothing to be afraid of; you can host your Halloween party without destroying your house.  You’ll also be very popular with the little neighborhood boos and ghouls, who will think you’re the ghost with the most!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: arbor, bench, Chair, gazebo, Outdoor Furniture, pergola, table, trellis

As I mentioned before, many people are turning their yards, porches, decks, patios, and gazebos into outdoor living rooms; but they’re not stopping there.  No-o!  They are also creating outdoor kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms, game rooms, and many other types of rooms.  Moreover – and I’m sure that I’ve mentioned this, too, at least once before – our stunning variety of outdoor furniture makes it possible to decorate them as comfortably, appropriately, and fashionably as any room in the house.

Of course, it’s just as important to furnish them tastefully.  Because these areas come in all different sizes, you should devise at least a sketchy plan of the layout and the motif of your outdoor room-to-be before you shop for furniture.  Knowing the dimensions that you’re working with, and coordinating colors, will help to keep it from looking over-crowded and disorderly. 

These schematics are even more important if you’re going to design more than one room, because, without specific design ideas, things can really get jumbled and confused; but you can solve this problem by using trellises, arbors, pergolas, and lattice enclosures as walls, ceilings, archways, and entryways.  Not only are these fantastic ways to define your spaces, but they add beautiful color, texture, and depth, and afford privacy and shade, while allowing air to circulate.  Planter benches with lattice backs will provide seating, flowers, and a wall, all at once; and you can instantly create a spectacular, secluded haven with two- and three-paneled garden trellises.   

No matter how much – or how little – space you have to work with, you can use these attractive, versatile, and durable garden structures to design striking outdoor rooms.  CedarStore.com offers cedar, pine, vinyl, and wrought iron arbors, trellises, and pergolas in all sizes, as well as magnificent gated arbors, and arbors with built-in benches and swings.

Of course, they’re not just for building outdoor rooms.  Any one of them, standing alone, covered with bright, gorgeous flowers, will be a breath-taking sight; and, you can’t deny, it will make a lot of scents!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy  

Tags: arbor, Outdoor Furniture, planter, trellis

Garden design has come a long way since rabbit fences and gazing balls!  If you’re the serious green thumb sort, you’ve learned how to find enjoyment in weeding and tilling.  For most of us though, the garden is meant as an area of relaxation and tranquility.  Also, there is a coupon code at the bottom for those of you who make it all the way through!

One of my new favorite additions to garden design is the red cedar Marquis Arbor from CedarStore.com.  What better way to relax in your garden than on a cedar porch swing supported by a Cedar Arbor.  Water the tomatoes then sit back with a good book and a glass of wine.  Or, if you really have the time, a trashy novel and two glasses of wine.  It’s all good! 

Another option is the White Cedar Planter Bench w/ Lattice, also available at CedarStore.com.  Extra room for flowers meets relaxing bench in this little gem.  Add your favorite plants to the boxes, and sit in between.  Or, use the boxes as storage!  The white cedar is also a nice touch, as it weathers well, and has a smooth finish.  The unit makes a nice boundary to your garden and is attractive, too. 

Potting benches, Planters and a few really decorative bird feeders can also add much to your design.  They are good ways to break up a monotonous layout and attracting birds is always a nice touch.

A few of our customers who have wanted shaded relaxation near their garden have opted for a small gazebo.  Cedar gazebos start at just $2779, Treated Pine gazebos at $2199, and Vinyl gazebos kick off at $3699.  The added comfort of a roof makes the gazebo a great place to relax, have coffee and chat with friends.  You can view a few of our customer’s finished gazebo projects here!

Garden Design isn’t just for those who have high end gardens.  It’s for everyone who enjoys getting out of the house, feeling the sunshine and doing more than watching Jerry Springer!  Hopefully, a few of the products at CedarStore.com will enhance your experience.  Now, here’s your coupon code: BLOG20.  This discount code will entitle you to $20 off your next purchase of $200 or more.

I hope you have an amazing day!

Shari

Tags: arbor, gazebo, planter