Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

Backyard patio furniture should be more than just functional, you should absolutely love your outdoor furniture.   Adding  whole log décor to your already stunning white pine picnic table or white cedar porch swing can transform your opinion about your outdoor living space. Often overlooked by the purpose and beauty of all things seating, dining, and swinging, the whole log planters and garden bridges are the structures that pull it all together.

Whole Log Planters Make Great Spring Additions: As you get ready to plant for the season, consider a new plane for your plants to share their beauty that does not take away from the typical setting of a flower garden at your feet. With simple, whole log planters or larger than life planter benches with lattice, you get major points for exhibiting your crowned jewels on new levels. Opt to stain the wood of either a certain shade to match other wood furniture, paint it altogether for a more complete change of scenery, or leave it plain and rustic.

Make Your Backyard a Bombshell with a Rustic Bridge: Transfer the same treated or untreated look onto a whole log garden bridge for an even more spectacular effect. With a rustic trail bridge, walkways will guide guests through an assortment of flowerbeds and plantlife that may otherwise be left unseen in the depths of your lot. White cedar or white pine outdoor furniture – like the mystical bridges – stand the test of time even after years of being walked on. Known for their strength and durability, allow the hearty wood in either garden planter or garden bridge form to finish the effect of your natural, whole log outdoor design.

Whether your large yard desires a more unified feel, or you want to spread out the character of whole log outdoor furniture throughout your smaller area, pine and cedar furniture are here to make amends.

Tags: backyard patio furniture, Cedar Furniture, Garden Bridges, garden planter, Outdoor Furniture, pine outdoor furniture, pine picnic table, planter benches with lattice, rustic trail bridge, white cedar porch swing, whole log garden bridges, whole log planters

Garden bridges used to be reserved for those lucky enough to have koi ponds, water gardens, and other aquatic features.  But, the rise in outdoor living and those investing in their own backyard-vacation spots has created opportunities for garden bridges to make appearances across the nation.

For those looking for low maintenance beauty in their landscape, gravel ponds can be created from tiny pea gravel.  You can go with a subdued grey or reddish tone, or mix hued stones for a colorful area.  Using a wide toothed rake, pull water-inspired curves and flowing patterns through the stones.  Not only will this give your entire outdoor living area a uniquely far eastern feeling, it will also provide a beautiful focal point that requires little to no maintenance whatsoever!

Garden of Immortals at the Sanji Chionji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

Garden bridges can also turn a low or unsightly section of your lawn into a beautiful spot. If there is a section of your landscape that dips and collects water, garden bridges can provide a place to cross unscathed.  This also goes for ditches and muddy spots.  While these soft spots of ground used to render entire sections of yards useless, a garden bridge will allow you to walk through it to reach other parts of your landscape.  You can make lemonade out of lemons by creating an ethereal focal point over a previous eyesore.

Use a garden bridge that appeals to your maintenance, aesthetic, and budget concerns. Bridges without rails, often called plank bridges, give an un-fussy low-profile place to cross.  While picket and spindle bridges and high arch bridges are more dramatic.  Pine bridges are lower cost, while cedar garden bridges elevate the luxury of any landscape.

Whatever you do, many sure you properly measure the section to get the right size.  Plus, invest in stainless steel hardware as it is guaranteed not to rust or corrode when exposed to moisture. Most importantly—have fun, be creative, and create something beautiful to revitalize your backyard!

Hazel

Tags: Bridges, cedar bridges, garden bridge, Garden Bridges, picket and spindle bridges, pine bridges, plank bridges, water garden

When you’re decorating your home’s exterior for fall, don’t forget to cover outbuildings, such as garages, storage sheds, pool houses, and cabanas.  Naturally, this also goes for gazebos, arbors, trellises, pergolas, and garden bridges.  Just as they bring fresh dimensions of splendor to your yard and garden throughout the year, they can add new elements of excitement and festivity to every season.

Pumpkins, gourds, squash, mums, acorns, pinecones, berries, apples, leaves, twigs, corn stalks, straw, hay bales, and Indian corn, are among the most popular items that are used in fall decorations.  Moreover, in many cases, you can use the real things, instead of buying artificial versions.  In fact, the only unnatural embellishments that you may need to enhance their beauty will be some twinkle lights.  These can be quite striking when you string them around porch and gazebo railings, and entwine them in latticed garden structures.

You can also use lights on an autumn wreath, to make your front door look warm and welcoming; and if you have an enclosed gazebo, place a wreath on the gazebo door as well.  Dried cornstalks also look great around the railings of gazebos and porches, and on mailbox posts.  Just use twine or wire to hold 15-20 stalks together, then tie them with a ribbon in a fall color, such as burgundy, orange, or bronze.  Place some hay bales nearby, stacked on patio chairs, outdoor accent tables, or picnic table benches, and set some pumpkins and Indian corn on top of them.

Another wonderful way to dress up your porch, patio, deck, or gazebo, is by using planters.  Fill them with ornamental grasses in reds, oranges, bronzes, and plums, and place them next to doors, and along railings, steps, and walkways.  You can make them all in one color, or create dramatic combinations, and throw in some fall flowers, such as mums, and a few small pumpkins.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a good idea to get a large assortment of pumpkins, in all sizes, and put them everywhere.  One of the best things about them is that you can use them whole, as part of your outdoor décor, for most of the season, and then, if you’re so inclined, transform them into some signature fall edibles, including the number-one favorite, pumpkin pie.  If you’re planning to do this, however, you’ll have to select some pumpkins that are suitable for cooking.

You won’t be able to use the larger, jack-o-lantern types for this purpose, as their pulp is too watery and stringy, although you can still bake and eat their seeds.  Indeed, if you want to turn them into pies, breads, soups, muffins, or cookies, you’ll have to get some of a smaller, sweeter variety, known as the sugar pumpkin.  Because this kind is not always featured in pumpkin patches, you may have to visit a farm, nursery, or roadside stand.  Furthermore, while you’re at it, don’t overlook all of the other gourds that are available now; like pumpkins, they’re as good for decorating as they are for digesting.

By the way, if you’re feeling funny about covering your home with vegetables, don’t worry about it.  Botanically speaking, you’re using a bunch of fruit; and there’s certainly nothing strange about that!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: Arbors, enclosed gazebo, Garden Bridges, garden structures, gazebo, Gazebos, outdoor accent tables, outdoor decor, patio chairs, Pergolas, picnic table benches, Planters, trellises

Everyone has a different picture of the ideal backyard.  Some people like grand gardens that feature arbors, trellises, pergolas, and garden bridges, while others feel it’s more important to have lavish entertainment areas furnished with grills, picnic tables, and patio chairs.

There are also those who love the thought of creating private little havens on their patios or in their gazebos; and some people want nothing more than outdoor rocking chairs on their back porches.  The interesting thing is that, no matter how diverse they are, most people’s ideal scenarios also include lush lawns and beautiful flowers; but not a single weed.

There’s no doubt that it’s a perpetual struggle to eliminate weeds; and, alas, our fantasies are among the few places that they can’t actually invade.  We do, however, put forth valiant efforts to thwart them, some of which we covered yesterday.  Of course, there are other things that can be done, besides pulling them up, digging them out, spraying them, or salting them (or sautéing them).

For one thing, you can try to keep them from growing in the first place (or any place), by launching a pre-emptive strike.  If you want to go the way of the spray, you’ll find many weed killers that supposedly prevent them as well; but you do have other choices.

Among these are weed barriers, which, like everything else, have their strengths and weaknesses.  Available in fabric and black plastic, they control the growth of weeds by blocking sunlight from reaching their seeds, and keeping them from putting down roots.  Fabric barriers let some moisture and air through to the roots of plants; but weed seeds that land on them can put down roots through the fabric, get tangled in it, and tear it when you try to extricate them.

In contrast, plastic barriers are impenetrable by the weed roots, so, yeah, they also keep out the sunlight, water, and oxygen that plants require.  Obviously, you can’t poke holes in the plastic to benefit the plants, without allowing the weeds in, too.  Another drawback is that, because the plastic is slick, any mulch that you cover it with may be washed away by even a moderate rainfall.  Therefore, fabric is more suited for use in flower beds, and plastic, in places that you want to keep absolutely weed-free.

Mulch is another option that has a lot of points in its favor.  The first, and most important, is that it’s very effective in inhibiting the growth of weeds.  Furthermore, because it insulates the soil, it keeps roots from being compressed by foot traffic, prevents bulbs from blooming too early, and conserves water, by slowing evaporation.  Beyond that, it comes in endless types and hues, so it can add color, texture, and variety to your landscape.

A covering of mulch over a garden bed should be applied in a four-inch layer, thinned to two inches around plants.  It shouldn’t be allowed to come in contact with tree trunks, or your house, garage, or shed, as it promotes decay.  It also erodes and blows away eventually, so you’ll have to replace it periodically.  Keep grass clippings from spraying into it when you mow, and remove fallen leaves from it.  If they’re left to decompose in the mulch, they’ll invite weed seeds to breed.

Indeed!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: Arbors, Garden Bridges, Gazebos, grills, outdoor rocking chairs, patio chairs, Pergolas, picnic tables, trellises

Have you ever heard that saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? Or how about, “Patience is the companion of wisdom”? It’s true, patience does bring good things.  And, as you know, we’ve been talking up the coming Derek Fell Collection for awhile now.

Our dedicated readers may remember his February post announcing the collection and then a following April post about his upcoming collection.  So, it’s been nearly a half a year coming, but we have finally arrived at the eagerly awaited release of the first ever line of outdoor structures from one of the world’s most prolific garden experts! No seriously, go check it out now and tell your friends: DerekFellCollection.com

Derek Fell is a writer and photographer with art, travel and garden books totaling more than 2.5 million in print, plus a photo library numbering more than l50,000 images portraying plants, gardens and travel destinations. As an active and award winning member of both the Garden Writers Association of America and the Society of American Travel Writers, Derek Fell has won more awards from the Garden Writers Association of America than any other garden writer. Derek was born and educated in England, and has traveled widely throughout North America, Europe, Africa, South America, New Zealand and Japan to become a world-wide gardening expert.  As a highly sought contributor for Home and Garden Television, The Outdoor Living Channel, and PBS, Derek also writes for Architectural Digest, Veranda, Royal Horticultural Society Magazine, Garden Design, Hemispheres, American Nurseryman and countless other publications.  He served as a garden design consultant for the White House Gardens as well as several luxury tourist destinations.

Author of over 60 books, his main focus has always been recreating the breathtaking landscapes portrayed in Impressionist art.  Derek has looked at impressionist gardens holistically through his books, The Impressionist Garden and Impressionist Roses, but has also narrowed his scope to specific painters in Cezanne’s Garden, Secrets of Monet’s Garden, Van Gogh’s Gardens and Renoir’s Garden.  Derek believes in bringing art to life, and just as Claude Monet planted his garden to paint, Derek has planted his garden to write about and photograph.   He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, at the historic Cedaridge Farm, where he cultivates the 24 sloping acres into an award-winning garden of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Serving as a thought leader and expert writer on the design, creation, and maintenance of Impressionist gardens for decades, Derek is now spreading his passion through his first line of garden furniture and structures, The Derek Fell Collections.  All inspired by original Impressionist paintings or the structures used in their restored gardens, Derek Fell’s designs will transform your garden into a valued work of art.

So, exciting, right?!

Want to see them?  More than that… want to see them and read what the designer himself has to say about them?

(I do)

Monet’s Bridge with Arched Wisteria Canopy. Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement and when his paintings began to sell to American art collectors, he purchased a house with five acres to create what he called his greatest work of art: his garden at Giverny. The garden was deeded to the state after the death of his son Michel, and restored in 1970 mostly by a donation from the Readers Digest Foundation and other American art benefactors. His famous arched bridge with wisteria canopy is probably the most recognizable garden feature in the world. It has been copied by many gardens. In New Zealand I saw one garden with no less than three Monet bridges connected by paths that wound their way through colonies of azaleas.

Many of the ‘Monet’ bridges featured the arched bridge painted green, but fail to include the wisteria canopy that arches over the span. My design is a scaled-down replica complete with wisteria canopy. This design features a curved canopy that follows the lines of the bridge. In addition to wisteria, the canopy will support climbing roses, silver fleece vine, trumpet vine, climbing hydrangea and other tall climbing plants Monet admired.

Renoir’s Three compartment Compost Bin. Renoir’s home and garden near Nice had goats, chickens and rabbits as well as a large vegetable garden fed by compost. Its most impressive planting is an orchard of 500-year old olive trees. He spent winters there and summers in Paris, erecting an outdoor studio with walls of glass so he could paint the garden in all weather, even seating nudes outside while he sat cool and shaded under cover. There are probably a dozen compost bins on the market, but they don’t hold much compost. I call them ‘toys’ as they fill up so soon and take so long to decompose the contents. My three compartment compost bin is a slightly scaled down version of Renoir’s, allowing for the storage of finished compost, compost in the process of decomposition and a new pile. All the compartments are accessible by removable slats. The air spaces between the slats provide aeration and rapid decomposition.

Japanese Bridge with Horizontal Wisteria Canopy. Monet’s inspiration for his arched bridge with arched wisteria canopy was a Japanese woodblock print. In Japan many of the canopied bridges have a flat span rather than arched, so I decided to offer a flat canopy as a second choice at a slight savings in cost. For a particularly beautiful display, plant blue and white wisteria so their colors mingle, as Monet did.

Monet’s Bench. Monet’s Garden features three distinctive curved benches. He did not design these himself, but saw one in the grounds of Versailles Palace where he went to paint. Years later, when he acquired his Giverny property, he had the Versailles carpenters make identical benches. The original is wide enough to seat six people, but my design is available in several sizes, including a two-seater.

Cezanne’s Trail Bridge. Cezanne’s garden is on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence. Just a half acre in extend, it descends a slope overlooking the city. A naturalistic woodland garden, Cezanne disliked formality and any signs of human intrusion on the landscape. His garden, therefore, is extremely natural, with zig-zag trails threading through avenues of mockorange and pines, wild rosemary and fig almost invading the windows of the studio. This bridge design emulates a bridge in Cezanne’s Garden that crosses a narrow stream. The random-width flat span has a rustic appearance, ideal for an informal garden or along a nature trail.

Renoir’s Arbor. Renoir loved to paint mothers and their children sitting in intimate garden spaces like a balcony or a gazebo. This type of arbor can create a transition between two garden spaces or announce the entrance to a garden, allowing vines to carry color high overhead and create what the Impressionist painters called a lace curtain effect, especially from white flowers like white climbing roses and white wisteria.

Van Gogh’s Zig Zag Bridge. Many people do not realize what a keen gardener Vincent van Gogh really was. His father always had a large vicarage garden with fruit trees and vegetable plots, and when he was an art dealer in London he cultivated a cottage-style garden at the back of his lodgings, planting potatoes, poppies and sweet peas. Van Gogh also painted a lot of gardens and he corresponded frequently with his youngest sister who was a garden writer, not only suggesting color harmonies for her to plant, but also naming the plants for her to grow. Japanese art and garden design greatly influenced the Impressionist painters. Van Gogh painted and sketched wooden slab bridges in the fenlands of Holland and in the orchards of Provence. He also collected Japanese woodblock prints. The zig-zag bridge is a classic Japanese design, used to cross low depressions or streams and ponds. In Japanese mythology evil spirits could only travel in straight lines and so entering a garden by means of a zig-zag bridge provided a sense of peace and seclusion.

Have Fun!

Hazel

Tags: Derek Fell, Garden Bridges, impressionism, impressionist furniture, Impressionist Gardens, impressionist structures

Derek Fell is a writer and photographer with art, travel and garden books totaling more than 2.5 million in print, plus a photo library numbering more than l50,000 images portraying plants, gardens and travel destinations.  His work in Architectural Digest and Veranda has won several writing and photography awards.

This celebrity of the Garden Design world will be releasing his very own line of outdoor furniture and garden structures inspired by the impressionist gardens of which he is the absolute authority.   Working exclusively with CedarStore.com, Derek Fell speaks about his newest designs here at the All Outdoor Patio Furniture Blog.

The Famous Garden Book Author Explains the Inspiration behind the Cedar Store’s Latest Design Series

For more than 45 years I have specialized in documenting gardens worldwide and writing about garden design. Many of my books deal with garden furniture and garden structures and these are well known to landscape professionals such as certified landscape architects and garden designers. These include ‘Garden Accents’ (Henry Holt), ‘The Encyclopedia of Garden Design and Structures’ (Firefly),  ‘550 Home Landscaping Ideas.’ (Simon & Schuster) and others.

My most successful series of garden books focuses on the great French Impressionist painters and their restored gardens, including Renoir, Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh. More than 50 of my garden features have been published in Architectural Digest magazine, not only outstanding gardens in North America, but also foreign destinations like Scotland, England, Wales, France, New Zealand, Japan, Morocco, South Africa, Hawaii, Bermuda and the Bahamas.

During these travels I have documented some of the world’s outstanding examples of garden design and garden structures, adapting the best to my own two gardens, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Sanibel Island, Florida, and also private commissions. I greatly value the opportunity to work with the Cedar Store on a special series of garden structures inspired by the Impressionists. The Cedar Store is pre-eminent in the field of garden structures, including custom-design. In the months ahead I will introduce the following distinctive pieces:

Monet’s Bridge with Wisteria Canopy. Monet’s arched Japanese footbridge and wisteria canopy must be the world’s most recognizable garden structure. Spanning a corner of his pond at Giverny, France, the bridge was originally painted white to reflect the changing colors or sunrises and sunsets, but later Monet painted it apple green to harmonize with other garden structures such as his gates, benches and the shutters of his house. It has been replicated in many famous gardens worldwide, including the Grounds for Sculpture Garden, Hamilton, New Jersey.  Many ‘Monet’ bridges do not feature the wisteria canopy, but I feel this is what makes the Monet bridge so unique and so romantic. In addition to a calendar titled ‘Monet’s Garden’, I have also authored ‘Secrets of Monet’s Garden’ (Friedman/Fairfax) and ‘The Magic of Monet’s Garden’ (Firefly).

Monet’s Bench. For its size, Monet’s garden at Giverny is the most visited garden in Europe. It is filled with benches because Monet had a large family – two sons of his own, five step-daughters and a step-son, and they would often hold family gatherings in the garden. The most distinctive Monet bench is a six-seater with a curved backrest he saw at Versailles Palace when he went there to paint. Later, he had the Versailles carpenters construct three benches for his garden. The original Versailles bench is unpainted, but Monet painted his apple green to match other structures in his garden. My Monet Bench can be supplied as a six seater, but also as a two-seater or a four seater, since not everyone has a garden space large enough to accommodate a six-seater bench.

Cezanne’s Trail Bridge. Cezanne and Monet were good friends, and they both enjoyed gardening. Cezanne painted the countryside around his home at Aix-en-Provence, and eventually built a special studio with a walled garden within view of his favorite motif, the mountain of Saint Victoire. My design is based on a bridge that spanned a narrow stream bordering Cezanne’s Garden when I first visited there in 1990. He liked all things natural, and his garden is mostly a woodland garden threaded with rustic trails that descend a slope. This bridge is perfect for any situation where a simple, rustic design is needed along a woodland path or as part of a bog garden. My book, ‘Cezanne’s Garden’ (Simon & Schuster) is sold at the garden and helped the garden increase its attendance from 5,000 visitors a year to 100,000 a year.

Van Gogh’s Zig-Zag Bridge. Born in Holland, Vincent van Gogh fell under the spell of the Impressionist painters when he moved to Paris in search of artistic development. He loved to paint bridges, the most famous of which is the Langoise drawbridge near Arles, in the south of France. But also simply slab bridges to cross narrow streams. In addition to the Impressionists, Van Gogh was greatly influenced by Japanese silk screen artists, and this Japanese slab bridge is similar to ones pictured in his collection. Both Japanese and Chinese garden owners valued gardens as a sanctuary, and the purpose of the zig-zag design is to keep evil spirits from the garden. In Japanese and Chinese mythology, evil spirits can travel only in straight lines. The beauty of the zig-zag bridge is that it can be added to in segments so that  many more sections can be added to create a longer span. My book, ‘Van Gogh’s Gardens’ (Simon & Schuster) won three awards from the Garden Writers Association, including Best Book, Best Photography and Best Writing.

Renoir’s 3-Compartment Compost Bin. Renoir’s restored garden is in the south of France, near Nice, and when I first visited the garden as a guest of the French Tourist Office in 1989, I was impressed with two features – the enormous age of his olive trees (some 500 years old) and the size of Renoir’s compost pile. Even the skins from his grapes and the manure from his goats were delegated to his compost piles. He was a great believer in organic gardening, and his grandson told me how he preferred to grow pole snap beans rather than bush snap beans because of their greater vine coverage resulted in a more flavorful bean. Monet and Cezanne visited Renoir and had many discussions about art and gardening.

Caillebotte’s Driveway Gate. Gustave Caillebotte was born into a wealthy French family, and after his parents died he established a beautiful home and garden along the banks of the River Seine at Petit Gennevilliers, west of Paris. He not only collected Impressionist art, buying paintings from Renoir, Monet and Cezanne when they were struggling artists, he also was an accomplished Impressionist painter in his own right. He is famous for painting exaggerated lines of perspective, as in his ‘Paris Street Scene on a Rainy Day’.  Caillebotte’s gate – with its distinctive criss-cross design – not only served as the entrance to his driveway but also the entrance to his garden. Monet was greatly influenced by Caillebotte’s garden, and a similar criss-cross pattern can be seen today in the entrance gates to Monet’s water garden.

The foregoing is a sampling of the designs in my Impressionist Collection. I always think that when you add a structure to a garden it must serve two purposes – a decorative accent that’s a pleasure to look at, and functional. When you can add a third element – a ‘talking point’ I don’t think one could ask for more of a bridge, bench or gate.

Stay tuned on our blog, by following us on twitter, or becoming our friend on facebook to keep up to date on the release of CedarStore.com’s new design series by Derek Fell.

Tags: Cezanne's Garden, compost bin, Derek Fell, garden bench, Garden Bridges, Impressionist Gardens, Monet's Gardens, Van Gogh's Garden's

Studies show that Americans have less free time than ever before in history.  Our jam-packed schedules of constantly conflicting engagements put our minds in a terrible race.  In fact, the absence of leisure time is shooting stress-related illnesses through the roof and plummeting the percentage of people who describe their life as “happy and comfortable.”

So, how do you avoid this plight?  Experts have shown that meditation can aid in the recovery and prevention of both mental and physical ailments.  Deep breathing, relaxation, and reflection time are all critical to our overall health.  Perhaps this spring is the season you turn it all around by creating an outdoor meditation area to keep your spirits bright all year ‘round!

Separate the area from your home and yard: To achieve true relaxation, you have to remove yourself from your daily stressors.  Seeing a kitchen sink full of dishes will not help put your mind at ease.  There are several ways to do this; you could start simply by placing privacy screens around a sectioned off area.  Using a pergola or an open-air gazebo are other options for completely outdoor spaces.  But, if you live in a cooler climate and want to use this space in the winter months, using a pool house or a cabana may suit your needs better.  The most important thing is to create an area where cares and worries are “not allowed.”  Another way to do this is to install some kind of garden bridge; this way you can decide that when you cross over the bridge you are crossing over into a peaceful place.  Ancient Japanese and Chinese gardens used zig-zag garden bridges to cross into their gardens, because folk lore suggested that evil spirits could only travel in straight lines and, therefore, would not be able to cross into the space if the garden bridge was constructed in a zig-zag pattern.  However you choose to separate your meditation area from the rest of your home, it is most important that you can feel some kind of physical transition from daily stressors to daily calming.

Keep connection with nature: Though you want to create an area separated from the rest of your home, you don’t want to lose your connection with nature.  If using privacy screens, a pergola, or gazebo, simply make sure that trees, flowers, or foliage still surround your area.  If using an enclosed garden structure, like a cabana, pool house,  or even a gazebo with walls, be sure to install lots of large windows (preferably ones with screens that can be opened).  Many backyard structures support sky lights to let the sun shine into your meditation space as well.  If you garden, you know that nature is calming.  And, if you don’t garden, many expert studies have confirmed that a connection with nature nurtures peaceful thoughts and calm minds.  You can also bring the outdoors inside, by placing bonsai trees, green potted plants, and flowers on accent tables around your garden structure to achieve that connection.

Use a water feature for soothing sounds: You may not realize it, but the sounds we hear contribute greatly to our stress levels.  Imagine your commute to work without any car horns, sirens, or construction sounds.  Picture a trip to the grocery store without people yelling into their cell phones about what kind of milk to get, the constant beeping of the check out lines, and children screaming for ice cream.  Sounds a lot better, right? Create the right kinds of sounds in your meditation area by installing a small water feature.  If you live seaside, certainly try to situate your peaceful place near the water.  But, if you’re not so lucky, you can get an inexpensive small water fall that plugs right into the wall or operates by battery.  Or, you can go a little deeper by creating a koi pond or small dew pond.  Of course, if you must, you can always get a small noise machine that many people use in their bedrooms for sleeping that has ocean wave or running stream sound settings.  This way, your eyes will be away from the sink of dirty dishes and your ears will be hidden from the sounds of rush hour or telephones ringing. When your eyes close, you can always just imagine you’re withdrawing to your beach retreat!

Use minimal decorations and simple furniture: The last thing you need to do when creating this space is stress out!  Don’t fret about the décor, because the simpler, the better.  Use small side tables or outdoor accent tables for flowers, candles, or your water feature.  You can create a bit of interest by using outdoor tables of different heights and sizes to allow your eyes to gently survey all parts of your meditation area.  But, this is not the place for your expansive outdoor dining set or deep seating collection.  Allow yourself a space to focus inward, instead of on the perfection of your décor (save that for your porch or patio!)

Allow a place for true, escaped repose: Though purists would only allow a yoga mat in the center of the room for true, concentrated meditation… I think it’s important to make your peaceful area work for you.  Doing yoga poses and various stretching is an excellent way to re-center yourself—no question!  But, sometimes, you just need a place to rest undisturbed.  Try installing a hammock, porch swing, or just a simple and comfy chaise lounge or rocking chair in your new space.  There is true value in curling up with a novel, simply staring into space and thinking about nothing for an hour or so, and (of course) guiltlessly drifting off into an afternoon nap.

Sometimes, our American media tries to make you feel guilty for taking time for yourself.  But, you’ll run yourself into the ground if you don’t take some time out to relax.  Creating a space away from your daily stressors that is solely for the purpose of inward reflection will have a positive effect on all the different parts of your life.  And, remember, it doesn’t just have to be for you!  A son or daughter after a long and stressful day at school would absolutely benefit from an hour or so of “quiet time” away from the computer, their toys, and loud siblings.  In fact, this meditation area could improve the entire family!

Hope to see you (at a distance) in your Meditation Area,

Hazel

Tags: accent tables, back yard structures, cabana, chaise lounge, deep seating collection, garden bridge, Garden Bridges, garden structure, gazebo, hammock, outdoor accent tables, outdoor dining set, outdoor tables, pergola, Pool house, porch swing, privacy screens, rocking chair, side tables

It’s no secret that a gorgeous garden bridge will give any landscape a lovely lift.  And, by now, I’m sure that everyone is aware that garden bridges come in a wide range of sizes, and a great variety of styles, including plank, double rail, single rail, spindle rail, and picket rail.  So, when it comes to adding that magical touch to their gardens and yards, most people are familiar with all of the choices that are out there.

Well, make that most of the choices.  Actually, there are still many who don’t realize that, right in their very own backyards, they can have one of the most enchanting structures ever to adorn the countryside – a covered bridge.

Of course, it’s easy to understand why covered bridges don’t leap immediately to mind as options for home landscaping.  Although they were, for many years, common throughout the United States, they have been disappearing at an alarming rate for most of our lifetimes; and even in their heyday, they were rarely found on private property.

Now associated with bygone days, there are relatively few of them left, scattered across the nation.  Nevertheless, the ones that do remain are highly cherished, as, every year, millions of people drive hundreds, and even thousands, of miles just to see them.  Truly, covered bridges are still among the most beloved structures that have ever existed; and they continue to hold the same magnetic allure that they have had since the first one opened for travel on January 1, 1805.

Well, you’ll be pleased to know that the era of covered bridges is not over, after all.  In fact, there’s a whole new generation of them made for residential use; and they’re available in many sizes, with options that include lattice, heavy-duty flooring, custom paint colors, and several types and colors of roofing.

Now you won’t have to make a pilgrimage to find a covered bridge.  No-o!  To the contrary, you can actually own one of these charming pieces of Americana, and enjoy its breath-taking beauty every day.  Furthermore, it won’t just be for decoration; it will be fully functional, and designed to last for decades.  So you will be able to cross that bridge when you come to it!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: covered bridge, covered bridges, garden bridge, Garden Bridges

A Japanese garden is often thought of, in general terms, as a place of peace and tranquility, which may include some garden bridges, lanterns, gazebos, koi ponds, and strangely-shaped rocks and trees.

Of course, as is the case with so many things that are of ancient origin, Japanese gardens have been adapted to, and reinterpreted by, so many other societies over the centuries, that their initial meanings and purposes have been lost in translation.  Furthermore, they include certain cultural aspects that may not be fully understood by others.

For example, the basics depend largely upon one’s perception of nature; and the Japanese have always had a very different relationship with nature than have most other civilizations, especially those in the Western world.  In fact, in Japan, gardening is integral to the culture, and is one of the most esteemed forms of art, on par with music, literature, and painting.

A traditional Japanese garden abounds with symbolism, and will always have a harmonious balance of stone, plants, and water.  It will not, however, feature any kind of symmetry or formal garden beds.  In a way, it is a place of mystery, which is designed to lead the visitor on a stroll in which pleasant surprises will be found along the way.

Sometimes, this can be as simple as encountering a tree in an unexpected shape.  This is because, like everything else in the Japanese garden, it is part of a scheme, conceived by the gardener, and has been carefully selected, placed, and clipped, to symbolize and suggest the whole; and it is up to the observer to complete the picture.

Water features are also desirable components of the garden.  Planting trees or flowers with interesting shapes or blossoms at the water’s edge is important as well, so that people can not only enjoy the beauty of the water itself, but delight in the plants’ reflections.  A Japanese garden bridge, unstained white cedar single-rail bridge,  double-rail bridge, crescent moon plank bridge, or a red cedar traditional arched bridge from which to enjoy the sights, will be equally enchanting.

If you want to include a Japanese teahouse, or, at least, a reasonable facsimile thereof, try a cedar gazebo with a curved roof, or a pagoda-style roof.

In future entries, I will have some tips for creating a Japanese garden, including some plants and other touches that will work well in them.  But right now, I have developed a sudden, unexplained urge to go and meditate.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: cedar gazebo, garden bridge, Garden Bridges, Gazebos, outdoor lighting

Derek Fell is a world renowned garden designer, photographer, and writer.  He is the author of The Magic of Monet’s Garden, Renoir’s Garden, and Cezanne’s Garden.  His last work is The Encyclopedia of Garden Design (Firefly Books). His garden at historic Cedaridge Farm has won several design awards, including best interpretation of an Impressionist garden, best water garden and best flower garden.

My home and garden, Cedaridge Farm is located on 20 acres of sloping ground in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When I purchased the property 20 years ago to serve as an outdoor studio for photography and experimenting with various gardening techniques, there was hardly a flower on the property. There were a few outbuildings – a barn, a spring-house and a chicken-house, but no ornamental features. My first project was to start a vegetable garden and experiment with various vertical gardening techniques since I had come to the conclusion that climbing vegetables like pole snap beans instead of bush snap beans and climbing zucchini instead of bush zucchini were more flavorful because of their extra leaf coverage collecting chlorophyll, but also because vining vegetables tend to be ever-bearing, where bush varieties often exhaust themselves after two weeks of production. From this experimentation I designed an easy to install vertical gardening unit called a Skyscraper Garden that the Cedar Store now offers for sale. The Skyscraper Garden consists of a pair of brackets for attaching to a fence or between two posts, a metal cross bar to hang a 4 ft. wide by 6 ft. high section of netting, and three pegs to hold the netting taught to the ground. Up to four vining plants can be grown along the width of the unit, and it is a wonderful space-saving idea for people without a lot of room for a traditional horizontal garden.

Because we are located next to a state park with more than 300 deer we have deer wandering through the property every night looking for food, and so I had to erect a fence around my vegetable garden, but to make it look attractive I used some beautiful cedar gates as entrances, one of them featuring an arch that I covered with grape vines.

My next project was a cutting garden as my wife, Carolyn and I like to fill the rooms of our farmhouse with fragrant, fresh flowers. We chose a level site between the farmhouse and our barn, and to make it decorative we installed a beautiful white Victorian-style gazebo at one end as a focal point. A flagstone path leads from the farmhouse through the cutting garden to the gazebo, with a table and built in benches for sitting with guests.

We have a natural stream at the bottom of the slope, and we made a nature trail that criss-crosses the stream, requiring the installation of several bridges. These are painted barn red to match the color of the barn and also to harmonize with the colors of fall when the deciduous woods turn russet colors.

The styles of the bridges change depending on the location – one is a Monet-style arched bridge, another a flat span connecting to a boardwalk that leads through a swampy area, and another is a rustic design made from two rough wooden slabs and tree branches for hand rails..

Whenever there is a change of environment along the garden path, or at the entrance to a theme garden (such as a cottage garden adjacent to a guest cottage), I have installed wooden arches. These are not only decorative and functional by supporting climbing plants such as trumpet creeper and wisteria, they help to create focal points and  direct visitors from one garden space to another.

For the future I will be working with the Cedar Store on a series of classic garden structures that I have admired, largely as a result of writing about the restored gardens of great Impressionist painters, like Renoir, Monet and Cezanne.

Tags: Bridges, cedar gates, Derek Fell, Garden Bridges, Gazebos, skyscraper garden, wooden arches