All Outdoor Patio Furniture

I come from a family of teachers.  My mother, brother, both grandmothers… they’re all teachers.  So, as the last day of August greets me with nearly crisp, almost autumn air… I can not help but think about Fall.  Colorful leaves on sidewalks, book bags, new shoes, and the expectancy of the coming year.  Even though the onset of September means no great transition for me anymore, I still revel in the overwhelming feeling of opportunity.

But as I reflected on the season while gazing out the window above my kitchen sink that overlooks my patio dining set and fully-vined pergola, I could not help but sigh.  Soon, the leaves will wither to leave the bare wood.  Soon, this moment to look out my favorite window (my house has only three windows; but even without a lot of competition, this is one is definitely my favorite) won’t end when I walk outside to sip my coffee at my outdoor table.

I think everyone interested in outdoor living and gardening has a special affinity for gazing out of windows. And so, as autumn comes upon us, it is time to consider top-notch window seating.  My favorite? Cedar Chests. Slid up against a window, it becomes an incredibly functional piece.  Perfect for staring out of windows to see the seasons change, you can fill up cedar chests with nearly anything.  No, I won’t list all the possibilities, because I know that you know that you have a lot of stuff that you need to store no matter what it is. You can get cedar chests with drawers and cabinets for organized storage, or utilize a one-lid, one-box organized chaos of possibilities. It all depends on your style.

If you can find it, find a cedar chest with seat rails.  Outfitted with a chest cushion, you can change the color scheme and look of your window-storage-seat by simply changing out the upholstery.  It’s a great alternative to the built in window seats, because you can take it with you when you move, and it has considerably more character. Style? Function? Versatility? Mobility? Yes. All.

Have Fun!

Hazel.

Tags: cedar chests, chest cushion, outdoor table, patio dining set, pergola

The end of August beckons pencils, notebooks, school buses, and that fated end of summer.  As children and teachers prepare to head back to school, it’s hard to not assume your endless afternoons of family outdoor living are headed toward a close. But, rather than bidding farewell to your outdoor furniture, why not plan a party to bring everyone together to celebrate one last “hurrah!” Encourage your children to invite friends that will soon be classmates and their families.  That way, you can meet any neighborhood parents that you have not yet had a chance to get to know.

This is always the time that it feels like the Summer season got away from us.  And as many parents have a tinge of sadness as the Autumn season puts our children out of reach for nearly 8 hours a day, this is a wonderful time to bring everyone together.  Lounging in outdoor rocking chairs and porch swings will give the parents a no-stress occasion to talk about the upcoming year and perhaps solutions for car pooling to athletic practices or play rehearsals. Meeting the families of your kids’ classmates is an important part of getting involved with their overall education, so let this be a time to celebrate the end of summer and prepare for the upcoming school year through good food and meaningful introductions.

Especially if you’ve missed opportunities for outdoor entertaining, crafting a dinner party for a time other than Labor Day weekend is a grand idea.  That way, guests that have already committed to family reunions or other engagements will still be able to attend your event.

Try to strike a balance between Summer and Autumn.  This gathering will be your opportunity to start to bring in Autumn decorating influences, while still celebrating summer.  Decorate picnic tables with vases or planters that mix daisies and hydrangea with mums and asters.  It’s not time for pine cones and pumpkins yet, but past due for Fourth of July décor.  Have fun mixing and matching your more subdued summer and autumn outdoor décor for an End of August celebration that hits the nail right on the head.

Give the kids, and yourself, a grand opportunity to enjoy that casual summer fare.  Keep it simple with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and potato salad. This is also a great opportunity to use a lot of the vegetables and herbs that your garden is producing too fast for you to use!  Tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans will all do terrifically in a big salad created from your homegrown lettuce.  Share the bounty of your garden with guests to celebrate what an amazing summer we’ve enjoyed this season.

If the weather is right, it might even be a chance pull your outdoor dining sets out from under your porches or gazebos, and out further into your garden.  Try setting up a few outdoor bistro sets or your picnic table as deep into the greenery as possible.  If you’re worried about the state of the food, you can always keep the eating under your pergola or other usual spot, and simply move your patio chairs or garden benches out into the yard.  Desserts and conversations can move seamlessly out into your late summer blooms as the longer summer day turns to dusk.

Give everyone something to take away with them to remember the experience.  If you have any seeds that your flowers have begun to produce, make little bags for guests to plant for next summer.  If you still have vegetables or herbs left over from your garden, this is a wonderful opportunity to give them as gifts.  Encourage new acquaintances with classmate-children to exchange contact information.  The end of August is the perfect time to allow families to spend some last quality time together before the start of school, as well as meet and greet the parents you’ll be sure to see throughout the school year!

Have Fun!

Hazel.

Tags: garden benches, Gazebos, grill, outdoor bistro sets, outdoor decor, outdoor dining sets, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor rocking chairs, patio chairs, pergola, picnic tables, Planters, porch swings

Many people fantasize about having gorgeous yards and gardens like the ones that they see in magazines but making those dreams come true can be difficult.  For some, the challenge may be that they can’t afford to hire professional landscapers; for others, it may be that they don’t have a lot of room.  Truly, if your yard is not huge, it’s easy to start feeling that your options are limited.  However, garden structures, used properly, can work wonders with small spaces.

First, step back and look at the big (or not so big) picture.  Size up the available area, and, rather than thinking of it as being restrictive, assess its possibilities.  Make a list of the elements that you want to add, and decide which ones you can realistically include.  While you’re at it, see if there’s anything that you can get rid of to make more room.  Sometimes, features that have been there forever seem like they’re built-in, when they can actually be removed.

Of course, your plans may not even be that grand; you may simply want to create a nice, cozy, outdoor living area.  If that’s the case, a pergola may be the perfect solution.  Garden pergolas come in such a wide range of sizes that you’re sure to be able to find one to fit into your design.  Get one that’s large enough to cover a few Adirondack chairs and ottomans, or a settee and an outdoor coffee table, and you’ll have a shady little backyard haven; or put a picnic table under it, and make it a charming outdoor dining alcove.

Naturally, you’ll want a pretty garden, too.  Sometimes, in a confined area, people tend to break things up into sections of tiny flower beds; but too many undersized patches can give a yard a disjointed look, and make it seem even more closed in.  Try making garden beds that are longer and wider, even if you have to take out part of your lawn.

If you’re working with a space, such as a side yard, that’s too narrow to hold garden beds on both sides, use planters.  Place several of them on your porch, along its steps, and down the walkway leading to the yard, to create a sense of continuity, and the illusion of a larger area.

If you really don’t have room for a flower bed, add some trellises, and plant flowering vines to cover them.  You can also use trellises and arbors to camouflage any unattractive landscape features that you would like to take out, but can’t, because they really are built-in (such as exposed pipes or old concrete steps leading to nowhere).  Actually, an arbor can be a dreamy little hideaway, all by itself, if you get one with gates and built-in swings or benches.

You don’t need a lot of room to create a focal point, either.  All it takes is a garden bench situated near a small statue or fountain, or a birdfeeder and birdbath; even a planter bench with a lattice back will do the trick.  Use decorative stones to make a pathway leading to the feature, to help to draw the eye in the right direction.

One thing you definitely don’t want to do, when landscaping a small yard, is to clutter it up with a bunch of lawn ornaments.  So, just say “gno” to gnomes.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: adirondack chairs, Arbors, birdfeeders, garden structures, ottomans, outdoor coffee table, pergola, Pergolas, picnic table, planter bench, Planters, trellises

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

I’ve given you two ways to throw a party for your mother on Mother’s Day.  But, perhaps you were really hoping to have something to wrap up and give her.  Understandable!  I still believe, though, that the best gifts are gifts with a lot of heart in them.

So, today I’ll be bringing you an awesome outdoor Mother’s Day gift idea: Painting a Mother’s Day Garden Bench!

Find a Pine Garden Bench: The best material for your garden bench will be Pine.  Cedar garden benches don’t take paint very well at all, neither will a Polywood garden bench.  Cypress will work, but a Treated Pine or Select Pine will serve you best.  Other than material, just find a bench that you think your mother would love.  Does she like to spend a lot of time outdoors?  A garden bench with a back might be the most comfortable.  Of course, there are a lot of benches with arm rests and nice deep seats for true outdoor relation.  But, if you think your mom might like something a bit simpler, there are plenty rustic garden benches.  Don’t forget, a lot of styles come with carved hearts or stars accenting the back—what a great way to show what you think of your mother!

Apply an Exterior Primer: The first think you will want to do is to apply an exterior primer.  The primer will ensure that your paint goes on smoothly, and it will help protect your garden bench from damage due to bugs or weather.  Apply the primer with a brush, and follow the grain of the wood.  It’s also important to choose a primer and paint that are compatible.  Most exteriors are either latex or enamel.  Either type of primer and paint will work, but it is imperative that they match!  Using a latex primer and an enamel paint, or vice versa, will cause the paint to adhere poorly.

Creatively Paint Your Garden Bench: After the primer has dried, this is a great time to get the whole family involved.  Try a few different colors, get the old clothes on, and paint the garden bench in the most creative way you can think of!  Maybe write, “I Love You, Mom” across the seat.  Or, have everyone make handprints all over the bench.  The sky is the limit! If she has a favorite poem, use a smaller brush to write it across the back of the bench.  Draw a family portrait of everyone all together.  If you’re truly concerned about your art skills, stencils can be purchased at an arts and crafts store, so you can decorate the bench with stenciled designs! Adding your personal and creative touches will make this one of your mother’s favorite pieces of outdoor furniture.  It doesn’t have to be perfect; it has to be from the heart!

Apply Sealant and Top Coat:  Again, after the paint has dried, you can further protect your bench by applying a clear sealant.  The sealant will keep the paint from chipping and other damage.  Then, if you wish, you can apply a top coat of clear gloss to give the garden bench a shiny quality.  The top coat isn’t necessary, but might be a nice touch if a shinier, glossier bench would fit your garden.

Position it in a Favorite Spot, Tie a Bow, and You’re Done: If you haven’t thought of this road block yet, you may have to find a bit of a creative spot to hide the bench while it’s drying.  Perhaps in your storage shed or other backyard structure.  Is there an untouched corner of the garage?  Perhaps you can take the whole project to an aunt’s, uncle’s, or grandparent’s house—then transport it once the whole bench is finished and ready to go!  However you chose to hide your surprise, you can bring it out once everything is completed and dried.  Position the garden bench in a spot you think she would love.  Or, place it among her other pieces of favorite outdoor furniture.  If you have a gazebo, pergola, or cabana, put it inside and decorate the structure for her big day as well.  Tying a colorful ribbon into a bow around the bench will be a wonderful finishing touch.  On Mother’s Day, simply lead your mother out to her brand new bench and enjoy one of her best Mother’s Days ever!

The best part of Mother’s Day is that you get to give back to the woman that’s always giving!  Creating a spot for her to both relax and be reminded of how much her family loves her is a wonderful Mother’s Day gift!

But, the big day is quickly approaching; so hurry up!

Hazel

Tags: backyard structure, cabana, garden bench, garden bench with a back, gazebo, Mother's Day, Outdoor Furniture, pergola, storage shed

If you think there’s no better gift than giving your mom a day at the ritziest spa in town, think again!  You can recreate the day spa treatment for your mother, and she’ll probably enjoy it even more.  Why? Because her family put the whole thing together!

If you have a gazebo with a hot tub in it, or even a sauna, you’re set.  Let your mom relax in the hot tub for a few hours—try setting up a cd player with some of her favorite music or buying her a book by one of her favorite authors.

But, if you’re not so lucky to have a hot tub gazebo, it’s no problem.  There are plenty of day spa treatments you can try.  Remember to start small; trying to plan way too much may be overwhelming and require so much planning that no one has fun.

First, create the spa space.  If you have a gazebo, pergola, or other backyard structure, decorate it with flowers, streamers, and maybe even balloons.  That way, when you pull her outside, she’ll be wowed by all the decorations!  And, to make sure she knows it’s a trip to the day spa, set out candles, bowls of potpourri, and even hot tea out on your picnic table.  Also set out some of her favorite fresh fruits and juices, or even little breakfast pastries or scones with jam.

A great home spa project can be a pedicure or manicure.  Fill a large bucket with warm water with a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of bath oil.  Put your mom in the most comfortable patio chair you have; whether that be a chaise lounge or an Adirondack chair, just make sure it’s one of her favorites.  Have her sit with her hands or feet (whichever she prefers, many hardworking moms might not be too keen on everyone touching her feet!) in the warm water for at least 20 minutes.

After that, dry her feet or hands with a nice soft towel and apply a sweet smelling cream based moisturizer or lotion.  This is the tricky part: a lot of salons will clean, clip, and do general nail care.  But, again, some moms won’t exactly be eager to have her family chipping away at the dirt under her nails.  And, after all, this is a day for mom!  So, you might want to scale back a bit and skip right to the polish.

If you know her favorite color (and you should!!), make sure you have a nail polish in that hue!  Do two or three thin coats, allowing the polish to dry between applications.  Try your best to not to get any on the skin around the nails, but keep a damp tissue near by just in case.

Having you spa outside will make splashing water or spilling nail polish a non-issue.  It will also allow the polish to dry faster in the open air!  Remember, don’t concentrate too hard or try to make it perfect.  You’re pampering your mother to say thanks, and part of that is just spending time with her! So, if an 8 year old daughter doesn’t have the perfect polishing techniques yet… it doesn’t matter.  It’s all about getting together and having fun.

So, though your outdoor day spa for mom might not be as refined as the swanky places, she’ll know all the thought and hard work you put into it.  Plus, spending time with her family is always the perfect gift.

Tags: adirondack chair, backyard structure, chaise lounge, gazebo, Mother's Day, pergola, picnic table

In case you forgot, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9 this year.  But, don’t worry, we’ll be doing several posts on Mother’s Day activities on the blog to help you prepare for the big day!

A packaged gift is wonderful, but sometimes planning a day of fun can be more enjoyable for the whole family, and mean more to your mom.  Don’t worry though; you don’t have to break the bank to show your mother that you care.

Since spring is upon us, how about planning a big backyard Mother’s Day bash? While she might be expecting breakfast in bed, drag her out from under the covers (after you let her sleep in a bit, of course!) and pull her outside.

Set a picnic table with all of her favorite breakfast foods.  She’ll love the time outside with her family.  Try picking wildflowers or buying flowers from a nursery to decorate her mother’s day picnic table, along with cards, notes, and little fun gifts around her seat.

If you have a pergola or gazebo, decorate it with streamers, balloons, and handmade paper chains.  Dressing up a place that she already loves and making it special will be a wonderful way for the rest of the family to spend time together, and will let her know how much you love your home!

She might be overwhelmed at just this gesture; but your day isn’t over yet!  Make sure that she doesn’t touch ONE dirty dish, and instead let her relax in her porch swing or porch glider while you whisk away all of those used plates and silverware.

And now, you can let the games begin!  Plan a big backyard game in her honor.  Whether it be soccer, touch football, quoits or horseshoes, croquet or bocce ball, just make sure it’s one of her favorites!  Having the whole family play together will be a memory she’ll never forget.

Now… one word to the wise:  As a once rather rambunctious, but always well meaning child… the entire game will not quite have the same effect if you start fighting over the game, the rules, or the score.  Remember, the only winner in this game is MOM.  So, just relax and have fun!

After the games, let Mom have a break.  Work on doing the dishes and other chores around the house and tell her to relax in her hammock.  If you have a chaise lounge, bring a magazine and some lemonade out and let her lay back and spend her special day as nature intended: in full repose!

This is just one of many ideas fit for Mother’s Day.  There are hundreds of ways to let your mother know how much you love her, just make sure you pick the one that’s right for her and your family.

Happy Mother’s Day Preparation!

Hazel.

Tags: Croquet, gazebo, hammock chaise lounge, Mother's Day, outdoor games, pergola, picnic table, porch glider, porch swing, quoites

As you know, our blog usually focuses on design advice, decorating ideas, and practical safety tips for outdoor living.  And, of course, our fabulous guest bloggers write about their area of expertise as well!  But, today we’d like to use the blog to answer one of the questions that have been buzzing around lately.

“What is CedarStore.com doing to positively affect the environment?”

Let’s start with the harvesting of our materials.  Our most obvious ecological products are our lines of Polywood outdoor furniture.  Polywood is made from 100% recycled plastics and polyresins, then crafted to look and feel like real wood.  Just think, you’ll be enjoying your garden thanks, in part; to the empty milk jug you just crushed and threw into recycling!

But, a lot of our materials are wood, as well.  All of our Red Cedar products are sourced in California and Oregon, our Pine wood is from Louisiana and Georgia, and our White Cedar originates in Michigan.  We are committed to only using Cedars and Pines found and processed in the United States. We do this not only to support our nation’s economy, but because it significantly reduces that amount of fossil fuels that many other companies use to ship cheaper wood from overseas.  Plus, in accordance with Forestry Preservation initiatives, we only work with lumber suppliers that plant at least FIVE trees of the same species for every ONE they cut down.  So, we’re using the bounty of our earth, but we’re making sure that future generations will be able to enjoy her gifts as well.

After our shops receive the materials, we continue to encourage sustainable practices.  The majority of our shops are in the process or already using alternate energies to power their buildings; in the form of solar panels, wind mills, and increasing the use of man-powered labor (instead of electrical equipment), our craftsman are dedicated to using sustainable energies over any other kind.

In any craft, there’s a lot of potential for wasted materials.  But, we do our best to recycle or reuse all of our left over resources.  For example, all of our sawdust is turned into mulch for flowerbed, trees, and pathways.  This not only ensures that the sawdust is used instead of wasted, it is also a much less expensive and more sustainable mulch.  Providing the tools for gardeners and farmers of all financial standings to grow their own food is important, and we’re happy to be part of the solution.

Most of our Treated Pine products are treated with a low impact preservative that allows them to be defined as “Green Spec Environmentally Preferable Products.” Older treating methods are often chemically toxic and bad for the environment.  However, our natural preservatives work with the wood without using any harsh synthetic materials.  Using wolmanized wood, or wood that has been treated to preserve its life, allows the wood to last much longer.  And, of course, wood that lasts longer naturally doesn’t need to be replaced as often, reducing the demands on forests for replacement timber.

So, now that we have the materials, treated the wood, crafted the patio furniture or outdoor structure, and recycled any leftover materials… we’re ready to send it to you.  The boxes we use for shipping are made from 50% Post Consumer Waste cardboard, and can be recycled after you unpack your new patio furniture.

Since we judge our products from cradle to grave, we have considered where your outdoor furniture will go if you decide you can’t use it anymore.  We hope this will be very far in the future!  But, when that time comes, the wood fiber created from our worn out porch furniture is used to create such diverse products as fuel pellets, insulation, pressed logs, decorative landscape mulches, home building materials, and other goods.

We’re not claiming that we’re saving the world or completely revolutionizing the outdoor living business.  But, we’re doing what we can to make sure that our children and our children’s children will be able to enjoy the outdoors in the same way, or perhaps even a better way, than we do.  So, whether you’re looking to install a gazebo or pergola, use one of our picnic tables to create an outdoor dining area, design wonderful outdoor seating with garden benches, porch rockers, and outdoor sofas… we just want to make sure your products are helping, not hurting, the earth.  We hope you join us in our pledge to always consider ways to promote more sustainable practices.

Hazel.

Tags: garden benches, gazebo, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor sofas, patio furniture, pergola, picnic tables, polywood outdoor furniture, porch furniture, porch rockers

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

Today’s guest post is for all those passionate (or aspiring) urban gardeners (and, well, of course… all those interested in urban gardening)!  LaManda Joy, a Chicago vegetable gardener and avid blogger, brings us her tale of creating a fruitful vegetable garden right in Chicago! Her blog, theyarden.com, chronicles the joys and challenges of urban gardening and reflects the skills and passion of its veteran creator.

Follow LaManda Joy on Twitter @TheYarden and at Facebook.com/TheYarden.

In 2006, after seven very long and gardenless years, my husband woke up one February morning and said, “Let’s go look at houses!” What he really meant was “Let’s go look at yards!”

Finding a sunny yard that isn’t shaded with 100-year-old trees or an apartment complex looking down on it is a bit of a trick in Chicago. We thought we’d seen all the neighborhoods – and were sadly disappointed – when we stumbled upon a secret nook in Chicago’s 40^th Ward.

Long story short… we ended up “buying a yard with a house attached to it” with the sole, myopic purpose of putting in an amazing vegetable garden where we could grow heirloom vegetables, entertain and develop a community of neighbors and friends.

We wanted to install a privacy fence and a deck area over the concrete slab in the back as well as a “boardwalk” to cover an existing, but unsightly, concrete path from the front gate to the concrete slab. We also knew we wanted some “climbing area” for wisteria and sweet autumn clematis…

As you will see here we solved the “climbing area” issue with a pergola. The wisteria is barely visible behind the red chair – it is much more robust three seasons later…

This also created a nice sitting area that is the bridge from the “deck” to the garden… you will notice we bought some very inexpensive burlap and wove it between the slats of the pergola to create a shade canopy (you can see the overlap hanging down on the left side). This worked out to be a great solution to this sunny spot and a favorite sitting area for my husband. As you can see, I prefer the hammock

We liked the pergola so much we ended up putting a matching one by the front garden gate.

This pergola, too, has ended up being a lot of fun! We use the supports to train beans or vines. One year we grew Chinese yardlong beans up and over the pergola so you had to walk through them like the long rags in a carwash. We called it the “snack and slap” and laughed a lot whenever we had to walk the beany gauntlet.

Along with the raised beds, which you see partially in the photo above, we also put in a trellis for more vertical growing space and to block the view of a work area with a very large telephone pole (ah the joys of urban living!)

All of the construction was done with untreated cedar. It smelled great and sometimes still does on a very warm day. However, knowing then what I know now, I would have chosen a recycled wood-like material to avoid having to stain. But, ces’t la vie… perhaps that’s a solution for The Yarden 2.0 – if we can ever find a yard like this again in Chicago!

ABOUT LaMANDA JOY

Awarded honorable mention in Mayor Daley’s Landscape Competition for 2009, LaManda Joy’s 1,700 square foot, heirloom organic garden in Chicago’s 40^th Ward is a laboratory and teaching ground for friends and neighbors. LaManda speaks and writes about diverse aspects of a self-sufficient life in the city, Chicago WW2 Victory Gardens, canning and other related topics.

Tags: cedar, container gardening, pergola, urban gardening