Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

If an iron bench in your garden or patio area seems too stiff or impersonal for your taste, complement the natural environment surrounding your home with a spacious, double rocking chair.

Recall Rustic Simplicity and Unite Spaces: Especially popular this season are double rockers made from thick, whole logs in white cedar or pine. Using similar materials or styles for all of your patio furniture is a great way to carry out a well-rounded design in your exterior area.  Pastoral style is optimal for the expanded double rocker since it brings out a hint of country, shaking up what might be a more traditional or modern design in your backyard space.

Perfect for Relaxed Outdoor Areas: A double rocker can offer one person enough room to put their feet up and relax completely into the gentle, rocking motion. It brings a cozy, next-to-the-fireplace energy to any patio area, offering the same gliding feel with a touch more of the rugged outdoors. It might even reside next to a fire pit or under the glow of a summer sky to complete the scene.

Get Close to Nature and the Ones you Love: The eye-catching design of a double rocking chair can provide a couple of lovebirds or you and your child ample room to sit side-by-side comfortably Like the loveseat of outdoor furniture, a rocking garden bench gets warm and cozy quickly if two people decide to share its smooth, sturdy base while discussing the day or peacefully listening to the birds.

Enable the closeness you desire with loved ones or the distance and space you require to relax while maintaining a gorgeous outdoor design. Flowing from the trees to the flowerbed, the double rocking chair is a great touch to your backyard patio.

Tags: double rocker, double rockers, double rocking chair, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor rocking chair, patio furniture, rocking garden bench

not a rocking chair...

Benjamin Franklin had a number of inventions, including bifocals, the lightning rod, the odometer, and the Franklin stove.  He also discovered, developed, figured out, improved upon, and created systems for, countless things that still influence our lives today.  Moreover, he’s one of the most oft-quoted people in history.

Indeed, he is remembered for so many things that he said and did; and several that he didn’t do.  It seems that, because of all of his clever creations, people give him credit for tons of things with which he is not associated.  When in doubt, if it happened in the 18^th century, it must have been Ben.

For example, he is often cited as the inventor of the rocking chair; but, even though no one knows its exact origin, most historians doubt the validity of that claim.  The one thing that they largely agree upon, however, is that it seems to have first appeared in England, in the middle of the 18^th century, and was used primarily as an outdoor garden chair.

It is also known that the cradle and the rocking horse had been around for quite some time before that.  In fact, the word, rocker, emerged in the 15^th century, as a description of a person who was responsible for rocking a cradle.  In the 18^th century, it also came to define an orator who put others to sleep.  It was not until 1787 that rocking chair appeared in the Oxford English dictionary.

The first outdoor rocking chairs are thought to have been built near Windsor Castle, which is why those of comparable styles are called Windsor rockers.  Wicker outdoor rocking chairs were also highly prized, as they included many creative designs.  Originally, they were made from regular chairs, to which someone had thought to attach rockers similar to those on a cradle.

Now, admittedly, that does sound like something that Ben would do; and it’s not out of the question that, somewhere along the way, he may have built a rocker.  Surely, though, he had to have, at least, used one; after all, rockers and deep thinking go hand-in-hand.  He may even have dreamed up some of his greatest inventions while rocking.  Perhaps, people assume that he invented them because porch rockers showed up in the American colonies shortly after they surfaced in England, and quickly became the most common types of outdoor porch furniture.

Of course, others around the world were making rocking chairs as well; and every area contributed its own designs.  The bentwood rocking chair, for example, was first crafted in Germany, around 1860, by Michael Thonet, from bent, steamed wood.  People loved it for its graceful beauty and affordability; and the bent-style rocking chairs are still very popular.

Somewhere around 1840, or shortly thereafter, Adirondack rocking chairs were being made from rough-hewn cedar, pine, ash, and hickory wood and twigs.  Other gorgeous, enduring favorites include the Southern wide slat rockers, mission rockers, and fanback rockers.

Today, rocking chairs are still integral to outdoor furniture groups, and are available in endless variations, including glider rockers, rocking garden benches, rocker recliners, and even kids’ rocking chairs.

I have to admit that I have loved rocking chairs since I was a kid.  In fact, I used to drive my family crazy, as I’d rock so hard that the chair would travel from one side of the room, to the other – and back.  Yes, it was very difficult for me to break that habit; but today, I’m proud to say that I’m off my rocker!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: adirondack rocking chairs, outdoor furniture groups, outdoor porch furniture, outdoor rocking chair, porch rockers, rocking garden benches, wicker outdoor rocking chairs

The longer this heat wave – as it has officially been declared – goes on, the harder it is to cool off, especially without spending a fortune on utilities.  Heck, even during normal summer weather, it’s tough to stay comfortable and keep energy costs low; but when temperatures really soar, it’s a major challenge (that can make you really sore).

What makes it worse is that the higher-than-normal usage of cooling devices puts such an extraordinary demand on electric grids that there’s a greater chance of power outages.  Therefore, you have to be aware of every appliance you use, and everything you do, which can further drain resources, while increasing the temperature in your home.

An oven, for example, in just the time it takes to bake cookies, can add at least 10 degrees to the room temperature, and 2%-5% to your cooling costs.  You’re better off cooking on your grill (which you’re probably doing frequently, anyway), and eating at your picnic table, under a UV-resistant patio umbrella (or indoors, if it’s too hot outside).  If you have to cook or (especially) bake, it’s best to do it in the morning or evening; and the same goes for running the dish washer and clothes dryer.

Another simple, yet effective, measure is to close the blinds on windows that get the most sunlight.  When allowed to shine through, it can account for up to 20% of the heat in your home during the summer.  Windows that face west are the biggest culprits, so cover them with reflective blinds or curtains in the afternoon.  I do this every day, and it really works.  Unfortunately, it also blocks the view of my birdfeeders and birdhouses; but, in this heat, I can put up with that for a few hours.

If it gets cool enough after sundown, you can give the air conditioner a break, and use window and ceiling fans to bring in the night air and help it to circulate.  Just remember to close the windows in the morning, before the hot air makes its return.  If your house isn’t air-conditioned, and it’s still too hot to sleep, lull yourself into drowsiness on a porch swing or an outdoor rocking chair before going to bed.

Of course, your air-conditioning system must also be operating at peak efficiency; and that will be impossible if any ducts are leaking.  Moreover, besides being intact, ductwork must be balanced between the supply and return sides of the system; so, fixing one section could cause problems in another.  Unless you really know what you’re doing, the safest thing to do is to have a professional check ducts, filters, coils, fans, and other components, and do any necessary repairs.

Indeed, the best way to combat high energy bills during a heat wave is to have all of your ducts in a row!

Yours (still, and unapologetically) Indoors,

Kathy

Tags: birdfeeders, birdhouses, grill, outdoor rocking chair, patio umbrella, picnic table, porch swing

Ask Dear Ol’ Dad what he wants for Father’s Day, and he’ll probably say that he desires only to spend the afternoon in his favorite patio chair, reading the Sunday paper, and not worrying about doing any chores.  Then, maybe it’ll be a snooze in the hammock, before throwing some burgers on the grill, and eating at the picnic table.

Certainly he’s not asking for much; but you still wish to do something a lot more special for him.  After all, being a father is a job that’s always challenging and demanding, and alternately joyful, heart-rending, fun, difficult, rewarding, puzzling, uplifting, and thankless.

Raconteur, singer of songs, reader of poetry, teller of jokes, player of music, killer of spiders, puller of wagons, dryer of tears, remover of slivers, and so much more, Dad has taught you everything, from the simplest games, to life’s most profound lessons.

He has also, on many occasions, been the victim of cruel irony.  He bought you a scooter, you left it lying outside the door, and he tripped over it and tore his good suit.  (Yes, from here on out, I’m blaming “you,” even though, when something went wrong at our house, “nobody” did it!)  He got you a guinea pig, you let it loose, and it got into his dresser drawer and chewed up his underwear and socks.  He taught you to ride a bike, and you ran over the seedlings that he had just planted.

Still undaunted, he showed you how to fish, and caught a hook in the neck as you were casting your line.  He taught you how to hit a ball, and got whacked in the head – or someplace even more painful – by your bat.  Then, he came to all of your games and sat on those splintered old benches; and he stayed the whole time, even when you, too, were just sitting on the bench.  He wound up with ants in his pants – literally – after you broke the ant farm that you had begged for, and which he, to his everlasting regret, had finally given you.

Yes, Dad gave you his all – and you gave him gray hair.  The most amazing part of it all, however, is that, if you ask him, he’ll say that he’d do it all (or, most of it, anyway) over again (right, Dad?).

Nevertheless, you’re determined to give him something wonderful for Father’s Day.  So, if he truly wants to hang around the house, get him a nice porch swing, in return for the countless hours he spent pushing you on swings, only to have you spend years pushing him as far as you could.

An Adirondack Chair would be a good way to thank him for that vacation in the Adirondacks; and a new garden bench would compensate for the slivers that he got from those ballpark benches.  You could also get him an outdoor rocking chair, for all of the times that you drove him off his rocker.

Naturally, he would also enjoy it if you let him know that all of the advice that he gave you while you were growing up, which you so blithely dismissed, turned out to be spot-on.  If you now have kids of your own, it would further delight him to discover that his wish has come true, as you have, indeed, found out “what it’s like.” (Perhaps it’s no coincidence that diaper, spelled backward, is repaid!)

Actually, the best gift that you could give him would be to have a big family gathering.  I mean, he definitely wants to see those adorable grandchildren; and it would really make his day if he could just sit back, relax, and watch you get yours!

Happy Father’s Day!

Kathy

Tags: adirondack chair, father's day, garden bench, grill, hammock, outdoor rocking chair, patio chair, picnic table, porch swing

Once you’ve gotten hummingbirds to come to your garden, you’ll want it to be a safe, hospitable environment, where they can flourish.  Therefore, there are some safety measures that you should take, so that you don’t inadvertently cause them any harm.

One important point to remember is that hummingbirds have very tiny, sensitive organs, which cannot tolerate certain things.  Pesticides are tops on this list; but, as we’ve already established, you won’t have to use them in a hummingbird garden, as the bugs will be exterminated by the birds.

Moreover, hummingbirds cannot stomach food coloring, or dye of any kind, so don’t buy any commercial brand of hummingbird food that is colored.  Although it is advisable to have supplemental hummingbird feeders in your garden, the best, and most economical, thing to do is to make your own nectar.  Not only is it simple, but, as long as you follow the strict, yet very easy, guidelines, it’s the safest and healthiest thing for the hummingbirds.

All you need is one cup of pure, granulated sugar, and four cups of boiling water.  Just put the water into a large bowl, add and mix the sugar until it is dissolved, and place it in the refrigerator to cool.  That’s all there is to it.  The main thing is to use only pure, granulated sugar, as any other sugar will have a different chemical makeup, and can cause a hummingbird to get sick, or even die.  Never use brown or powdered sugar, saccharin, or any other type of sugar or sugar substitute, maple syrup, or any other kind of syrup, or any of the kids’ drink mixes.

Because you won’t be using food coloring, make sure that your birdfeeder is colorful.  Most of the commercial ones will have plastic, trumpet-shaped flowers on them; but you can also make your own feeders, using old bottles that have been thoroughly cleaned, and decorate them with the red or orange fluorescent flagging tape that surveyors use.

Among the other dangers facing hummingbirds, cats pose the biggest threat, especially when the birds are hovering close to the ground.  This is another good reason to train flowers up arbors, trellises, pergolas, and gazebos, where the birds can feed out of the reach of cats.  Even if you have very little room for a garden, you can use a Skyscraper Garden™ Trellis, which takes up only four square feet of space, and can be used alone, or against a wall, even on terraces or patios.

Once hummingbirds start visiting your garden, you’ll want to be able to enjoy watching them while you’re lazing in your hammock or lounge chair, eating at your outdoor dining table, or having cocktails at your bistro set.  Although, at first, they may scatter when they see you approaching, you can help them get used to you, by spending a little more time in the area.  Start by sitting quietly and, perhaps, having your morning coffee, at your picnic table, or on your porch swing, or outdoor rocking chair.

You’ll be surprised how bold they will get when they become familiar with you.  Eventually, they may even start greeting you by playfully zipping around your head.  If this happens, though, let’s just hope that you’re fully awake, so that you don’t mistake a hummingbird for a fly, and swat it with your morning newspaper.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: Arbors, birdfeed, bistro set, Gazebos, hammock, lounge chair, outdoor dining table, outdoor rocking chair, Pergolas, picnic table, porch swing, skyscraper garden, trellises