As the snow melts and spring is on the horizon, our imaginations run wild with the potential for creating fun outdoor activities in our own backyards. Why not bring the relaxation of an outdoor furniture favorite, the porch swing onto the branch of your favorite tree? This week we present a “How To” on the perfect tree porch swing that will keep your afternoons tranquil.

Although there are numerous ways to throw a rope over a branch and attach it to a swing, one of the most important things to remember about using nature in your outdoor design is understanding how to respect it. First, make sure you’re working with a live tree’s thick branch (measuring 8” in diameter). You’ll want to be sure the swing can hang approximately three feet from the trunk of the tree itself. If positioned too much further, the branch will feel the stress.

It seems contrary to popular belief, but I recommend using a large eye bolt in the branch as opposed to a rope to hang the swing. However, it is actually better for the tree to receive a bolt drilled into it that it can eventually grow around and thrive with rather than a rope that will end up constricting the life of the tree down the road. That said, use galvanized or stainless steel eye bolts measuring 5/8”. To install them, drill holes into the limb that will comfortably hold the bolts. After you insert the bolts all the way – with the eyes tight against the bark – secure them with a large flat washer and two nuts.

Without harming the tree you adore, hang a porch swing over the riverbank, garden, or grassy lawn of your backyard to infuse some movement into the finale of winter.

The porch swing is a classic piece of outdoor furniture that is associated with easy living and relaxation.  Today, the humble front porch swing of yesteryear has evolved into a myriad of different styles and options.  With so many types to choose from, there’s sure to be a porch swing for every taste and preference.

Here are some of the most popular types of porch swings that are currently available:

• Swing Beds provide the ultimate in relaxation.  These swings are usually suspended from chains and feature a wider bench that allows one or two people to stretch out and enjoy the gentle rocking motion.  A swing bed is perfect for reading, napping or snuggling.  Offering more structure than a hammock, a swing bed provides full lumbar support.  A front porch, patio, deck or gazebo is a great place to hang a swing bed.

• Face to Face Porch Swings (also known as Dual Porch Swings) are designed to be used by more than one person at a time  Two facing benches and the gentle gliding motion provide the perfect atmosphere for conversation and togetherness.   A face to face porch swing is a real crowd pleaser, especially among children and grandchildren.   Many face to face swings have a roof that will provide shade if the swing is placed in a yard or garden.

• Porch Swings with Stands allow you to enjoy the old-fashioned comfort of a porch swing in any location.  Porch swings with stands can be placed on a patio or deck, in a garden or next to a pool.  This portable swing can be located in the midst of your outdoor activity area or tucked away in a serene corner.  Porch swings with stands are available in many styles and materials and are the most flexible outdoor swing option.

Instead of throwing together a room in our homes with random items, we typically spend days considering the options. From there, we analyze, debate, ask opinions, and finally, come up with what we think best represents us. The same amount of thought should go into designing the interior of our outdoor gazebo. Often times with outdoor spaces however, it’s hard to know where to start.

In most cases, there are a few ideas to try on for size in order to best direct your attention. The first begins with the type of space you’d like to create based on the size of your backyard gazebo.

To get the feel of an austere, rustic style of a gazebo, you may want to outfit it in light, natural wood tones that appear untreated. An example of this might be opting for whole log White Pine or White Cedar outdoor furniture collections. Typically, you’ll find these styles in matching patio chairs, garden benches, and porch  swings that can be purchased individually, based on the size of your gazebo.

If you value the old-fashioned feel of a log cabin with a slightly polished finish, the Red Cedar Adirondack chair or Cypress Adirondack chairs and garden benches offer a traditional approach. Their vertical, slatted backrests come in a variety of finishes from light and natural to shades as dark as night. A quintessential choice for gazebo and patio arrangements, Red Cedar and Cypress Adirondack designs are as recognizable to the world of outdoor seating as Abe Lincoln is to American history.

For a less rustic or traditional spin on wood furnishings, set your sights on a modern set of Teak wood chairs or an Outdoor Dining Set. Each of these lend themselves to a more luxurious feel while still retaining the forest vernacular. Since Teak is known for being hearty and self-reliant, complete your modern gazebo with a deep seating collection and coordinating cushions. Maybe even finish it with set of outdoor lamps to perfect the ambiance. Besides using Teak, the other way to create a modern outdoor gazebo is by creating a dining room. The use of an outdoor dining set or cedar picnic table in various shapes and sizes is another way to make your normal meal a beautiful, outdoor experience.

Gazebos should be designed the way you feel most comfortable enjoying the great outdoors. With that, live vicariously through the rustic or traditional designs inspired by the past, or bring the present into your outdoor space with modern comforts and dining.

Classic Adirondack furniture is a traditional component of the American backyard.  The clean lines of Adirondack furniture have made it a popular outdoor furniture choice for more than a century.  Since the introduction of the simple Adirondack chair in the mountain communities of New York, the rustic Adirondack style has grown in popularity and can now be found in a wide variety of furniture pieces.  Adirondack style rocking chairs, porch swings, chaise lounges and dining chairs are just a few of the options now available.

The original Adirondack chair had slanted back legs that allowed it to be used on sloping ground.  Adirondack rocking chairs replace the slanted legs with a pair of rocker rails.  Combining the wide Adirondack seat with a rocking motion creates a supremely relaxing outdoor chair.  Adirondack dining chairs, on the other hand, replace the traditional slanted legs with taller straight legs, retaining the slanted back that is a hallmark of Adirondack style.  They are the perfect choice for stylish outdoor dining.

The porch swing is another traditional piece of furniture that’s associated with comfort and a simpler way of life.   Adirondack porch swings feature the slatted back and wide armrests of the Adirondack chair.  Whether suspended from chains or built with its own stand, an Adirondack porch swing will be the focal point of any porch, patio or yard.   An    Adirondack chaise lounge offers the ultimate in summer relaxation, allowing its occupant to stretch out in comfort while reading, napping or tanning.  Adirondack chaise lounges are the perfect poolside or patio addition.

The original Adirondack chairs were made from woods that were commonly available in the Eastern U.S. woodlands.  Today’s Adirondack style furniture is constructed from a wide variety of traditional and exotic woods, including cedar, pine, cypress, teak and eucalyptus.  You can also find Adirondack furniture made from polywood, resin and recycled plastics.

The wide variety of Adirondack style furniture pieces that are now available allows any homeowner create a backyard patio setting with all the traditional style and charm of the original Adirondack chair.

It’s a most unusual day; in fact, it’s been a most unusual week.  Although November is nearly halfway over, the sun has been shining relentlessly for days, and the temperatures have been hanging around in the 60’s.  It has given me the chance to get some more use out of my patio chairs, before I have to put the outdoor furniture covers on them and store them in the storage shed for the winter.  I’ve also seen many others sitting on their porch swings and porch gliders, and even sunning themselves in chaise lounges, as if it were still July.

Indeed, this is a spectacular day.  The sky is a bright blue, the birds are busy at the birdfeeders, and even a few bees are buzzing by; but, it is becoming a bit breezy.  This is, obviously, making it difficult for the trees to carry on that game they like to play, where they try to see how long they can fool us into thinking that it really is still summer.  Every time there’s a burst of wind, their charade is diminished, as they are forced to relinquish more of their leaves.

While that may thwart their attempts to keep up convincing fronts, it certainly creates some heavenly scenery.  That’s because all of their remaining leaves are a vivid yellow; and, illuminated in the intense sunlight, they appear to actually be glowing.  Thus, with every gust, the resulting cascades of gleaming gold are magnificent to behold.

So, my advice to the trees is to just let go; and there couldn’t be a more perfect time to do that than right now.  After all, there’s no percentage in holding onto something lifeless and lackluster, when they can dazzle the waiting world with a whirlwind of golden brilliance.  Not only will they be a lot happier, but they will be much more appreciated; and by a wider audience, at that.

That often happens in life.  We stay with the familiar, avoiding change, and then, when it comes, we wonder why we ever resisted it; and it generally turns out for the best.  That’s kind of the way that I feel right now.  Like many others, I’ve had a sense of trepidation about the approaching winter.  Oh, sure, I enjoy the cooler weather; but I cannot stand how quickly the year passes.  Furthermore, there are some things, such as higher utility bills, that I could live without; so, yeah, I’ve said that I wouldn’t mind prolonging the season slightly.

On this gorgeous autumn day, however, that’s no longer the case.   I’m truly excited about the shifting weather patterns, no matter what course they may take.  What’s more, I think that everyone is feeling somewhat giddy today.  Awhile ago, a friend called and invited me to a cookout this evening!  Apparently, she, too, has been inspired by the recent sightings of people relaxing on their patio furniture, and has put together an impromptu, outdoor party, in November.

All right – something strange, different, and wonderful!  Tonight, just two weeks before Thanksgiving, I’m going to be sitting at a picnic table with a bunch of friends, eating hamburgers off the grill.  Hey, I can handle that!

Still, there’s no doubt that the winds of change are beginning to blow; and I can handle them, too.  In fact, I’m gonna saddle ‘em up, and ride – and the sky’s the limit!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Now that November is here, things are really getting serious.  The Christmas commercials have already started to air (unfortunately), and, from here on out, everything is going to be about the holidays.  In just a few weeks, it will be Thanksgiving, and, in all probability, you’ll be getting ready for that; but, before you can relax and enjoy your turkey dinner, you’ll have to make sure that your home is prepared to deal with the cold weather ahead.

Of course, this includes its interior, exterior, and landscape.  Indeed, even though there’s not much heavy gardening to do, there are a few outdoor chores, including some yard work, left to be accomplished.  So, dig your thick, warm sweater out of the closet or cedar chest, get back into the crisp, invigorating air, and finish those tasks before it’s too late.

Actually, even if you live in an area that’s facing a harsh winter, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re completely finished with planting.  As long as the ground is not frozen, you can still plant the spring-flowering bulbs of crocuses, tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.  You can also put in some trees and shrubs now, so that their roots will have a chance to establish themselves before spring.  Just remember to cover the trunks of saplings, and other tender trees, with paper tree wrap, before the end of the month.

If you’re going to transplant any shrubs, plants, or trees, such as azaleas or rhododendrons, excavate their new holes before you take them out of the ground.  Make them roomy enough to give the plants plenty of space to grow; and when you dig them up, extract large root balls that include as much of their root systems as possible.  Replant them right away, using a blend of the existing soil, along with healthy doses of compost, peat moss, and transplanting fertilizer.  Stake taller plants and trees, until their roots become steadfast; otherwise, they may be toppled by strong winds.

You can prune the vines on your grape arbors, after they’ve gone dormant; and any climbing vines, roses, or berries, should be secured firmly to their trellises, so that they won’t be whipped around by gusty winds.  If you’re planning to move things around next year, this is also a good time to sketch out a fresh garden design, and to put in new garden structures, such as trellises, arbors, and pergolas.

Another way to ensure that you’ll be prepared for next year is to clean, sharpen, and oil your garden tools.  Besides having your lawnmower’s blades sharpened, have its oil changed, bolts tightened, and other parts inspected and/or cleaned.  Use a file on trowels, hoes, clippers, and shovels, and a whetstone on pruning shears, then coat the metal parts with penetrating oil; and apply heavier oil to any moving components.  Sand rough spots on wood handles, and then rub them lightly with some linseed oil.

It’s also time to put your patio furniture into the garage or storage shed for the winter.  However, if you don’t have a large enough storage area, protect your porch swings, patio chairs, and picnic tables, with outdoor furniture covers.  Just make sure that they have heavy-duty ties that can endure even the fiercest winds.  Remember, you’re tucking them in for a long, winter’s nap.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

These days, when you’re shopping, you’ll notice that there are tons more choices, for pretty much everything, than there used to be.  Sometimes, this is good; but other times, it’s just overkill.

For instance, the spectacular improvements in outdoor furniture that have occurred over the past several years, are wonderful, and long overdue.  No matter what you’re looking for – porch swings, patio chairs, or picnic tables – in addition to the classic wood types, you’ll also find polywood, vinyl, and aluminum pieces that are nearly indestructible, and available in dozens of colors.  So, it’s great to have a huge selection of patio furniture.

On the other hand, the constant expansions of some product lines can reach ridiculous proportions.  One example, which is truly monstrous, is in the world of Halloween decorations.  It wasn’t that long ago that most people would simply have a few cardboard witches, skeletons, cats, and jack-o-lanterns in their front windows.  Moreover, among the store-bought items were many things that were made by the kids who lived in the homes, including those tissue-and-pipe cleaner ghosts (of course, that was when it was strictly a kids’ day); and nothing went up until deep into October.

Well, things are different now – and how!  First of all, many people treat Halloween like a major holiday, and begin decorating for it two months early, as elaborately as they do for Christmas.  There are also enormous Halloween “superstores,” filled with costumes, outdoor lights, full-sized mummies, zombies, skeletons, and vampires that actually rise from their coffins.  Then, there are those ghastly, gigantic inflatable decorations, which feature ghosts popping out of pumpkins, skeletons riding motorcycles, and witches on broomsticks.  Sheesh!

Okay, sure, it’s fine to have more Halloween decorations to pick from; but the true, uh, spirit, of the day calls for more of the homemade touch.  After all, kids still love to make Halloween decorations; and, in fact, because they have help from their computers, they can produce things that look as good as any that you can buy.  Of course, it’s even more fun when you go to a craft store and get them some supplies, or even dig up things around the house, that they can use to create their decorations by hand.

Don’t worry, though; there are many larger things that adults can tackle, like, say, making corpses, monsters, scarecrows, and giant spiders.  Heck, with all of the phony blood, stick-on scars, and severed body parts that are available at those Halloween stores, it’ll be a cinch.  You can sit them in your porch glider, pose them in a lounge chair, stretch them out in a hammock, or even hang them from the roof of a gazebo or garden shed.  You can also make fake spider webs for your handmade arachnids, and wrap them around arbors, pergolas, and trellises.

Naturally, the kids can help with these projects, too.  It’ll be a great way to spend more quality time together as a family, teach them the lost art of Old World craftspersonship, and let them feel the pride of creating things, such as authentic-looking monsters and spiders.  At the same time, they’ll be learning how to use porch furniture to its fullest potential, as well as the proper techniques for applying fake blood.  You know – all of those good, old-fashioned family values.

That is, if you’re the Addams family.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

There is no symbol more iconic of American pride than the porch swing. It is image echoes a picture of a lazy, hot summer afternoon complete with a freshly squeezed pitcher of lemonade. The cold, thirst-quenching treat is sweating and beads of water roll down the clear container, collecting in a pool below. The floorboards of the porch are swollen from the heat and creak as you creep across them. As you sink yourself into the seat of the swing that hangs from the wooden ceiling, the slight breeze it produces feels like heaven on your sweating skin. You pause to ingest the beautiful scenery of the countryside and you are impressed at the hard work you have done to call this piece of land your own.

That image of a porch swing could be straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting or it could be the reality out on your own farmer’s porch. A beautifully crafted, hardwood swing is as functional as it is attractive. When you order a porch swing of your very own, it often arrives completely assembled and ready to hang.

Each porch swing offers an attractive and comforting addition to your front or back porch. They also add a nice social gathering spot for family and friends. What better way to get the kids to enjoy the great outdoors, especially on a warm summer day. They can laze around enjoying the fresh air, eating popsicles by the fistful. By night, you and your spouse can enjoy a much-deserved peaceful retreat of your own with the light of the moon, the sparks of the fireflies and songs of the crickets.

Now, some of you are feeling slighted because you have no porch to hang your piece of American pride from. Don’t worry, an A-frame porch swing stand can hang a porch swing anywhere. It’s a great alternative for open porches, patios and backyard enhancements. While the weather is getting cooler and most people aren’t thinking about outdoor decorating, it can be a great time to start planning.  You’ll want to have it up and ready to go by April.  So, making decisions now will ensure you have to nothing to worry about come porch swing season!

Around here, it has been unseasonably warm since late last week; and, this past weekend, it was downright hot, and relentlessly sunny.  In fact, the weather was so deceptively summerlike that people were dressing in shorts, tank tops, and sandals, and relaxing on their porch swings and gliders, drinking ice-cold beverages.

There were also many outdoor parties going on, as yards were filled with folks sitting on outdoor furniture, gathering around picnic tables, cooking on grills, and playing lawn games.  Moreover, with the temperature only a few degrees cooler today, it continues to feel like July.

Undoubtedly, it can be easy to forget how far autumn has progressed; and even the leaves are unreliable gauges, because the trees enjoy playing the game of stealth changing.  It’s kind of a combination of make-believe, and strip poker, wherein the goal is to keep up the pretense of summer for as long as possible.  The trees score points for every day that they can trick us into thinking that it’s still summer, rather than well into fall; and the last tree to lose all of its leaves is the winner.

Naturally, their success depends upon various outside factors, including having the weather as an ally, and getting full cooperation from all trees, plants, and shrubs.  Because there are so many types of them, a number of which are certain to be dissidents, it can be a challenging, unpredictable game.

Yet, it seems that the trees manage to fool us, to some extent, every year; but often, it’s because we don’t want to acknowledge what’s really happening.  I mean, even those who love this season, and prefer cooler weather, don’t like to see time passing so quickly.  Therefore, we tend to go into a short period of denial; and that always tilts the odds in their favor, even if some of the young, inexperienced trees start dropping their leaves too early in the game.

Truly, when we look up at the trees, from our hammocks and chaise lounges, if the big picture hasn’t changed much, we can ignore a brief, mysterious shower of leaves, now and then.  When eating at our outdoor dining sets, we can pretend that we’re using our patio umbrellas for protection from the sun, and not to keep leaves from falling into our food.  As long as the trees are standing around, acting all casual, as if everything is fine, we’re willing to play along with them.

Of course, this game has many exciting twists, and some spectacular turns, especially when, one day, we wake to find the trees sporting cloaks of magnificent colors.  Then, though we can no longer deny the calendar, we don’t care, because having such breath-taking scenery makes us feel triumphant.

That is, until the inevitable time when the north wind finally prevails, dropping temperatures sharply, launching blustery barrages of freezing rain, and stripping the defenseless trees of their remaining leaves.

Although that may seem a humiliating ending to the game, we can be sure that the trees will not stand bare for long.  No-o!  Indeed, they will soon be covered in blankets of snow.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

There’s no doubt that the things that you can find in your own backyard and garden, on a nature walk, or during a visit to a farmers’ market, can be used to make some spectacular outdoor décor.  After all, that’s what they are, anyway; you’re just gathering, arranging, and exhibiting them in strategic places, in and around your home.

At the same time, like most people who are dressing up their homes for fall, you will probably use artificial embellishments as well; and that’s understandable.  In fact, it’s necessary in some situations, such as those in which an item that you wish to use won’t hold up in a long-term display.  Luckily, however, a good number of autumn’s natural elements are quite hardy.

Pumpkins, as we’ve established, can often last through the entire season; that is, as long as they’re left intact.  I mean, once they’re carved, even the most menacing-looking, sharp-toothed, jack-o-lanterns will, after about a week, begin to resemble old men who have misplaced their dentures.  Twigs, berries, corn stalks, hay bales, Indian corn, pinecones, gourds, and acorns, are also extremely durable; but, alas, the multi-colored leaves, which are autumn’s proudest emblems, are also the most fleeting.

Therefore, we must take pleasure in them while they last.  Aside from hiking in the woods, or driving through the country, we can, of course, enjoy them from our porch swings, hammocks, and patio chairs.  Unfortunately, with the sun going down earlier every day, by the time we’re finished with work, and other obligations, it’s nearly dark.

Here, again, store-bought decorations can come to the rescue.  For example, we can string miniature, twinkling bulbs through our vine-covered arbors, pergolas, and trellises.  This will afford a twofold advantage, as it will prolong the time that we have for viewing the foliage, while allowing us to see it, literally, in a completely different light.  Indeed, as lovely as those crimson, bronze, and golden leaves are during the day, they’re absolutely dazzling after dusk, when highlighted by a soft, orange-white glow.

Actually, once you adorn your garden structures with lights, you may even start looking forward to the early sunsets.  Not only does this enhance the beauty of your landscape, but it automatically creates a festive atmosphere.  This is especially exciting when you’re hosting an outdoor dinner party, where delighted guests can enter through an arbor that’s sparkling with lights.

To make things even more striking, you can illuminate the path with walkway lights, put post cap lights on fences, and wrap strings of lights around trees, shrubs, and planters.  You should also have lots of candles, along with outdoor lamps and lanterns, on picnic tables and outdoor accent tables, in the main party area.

Now, if you have a gazebo, it will be, at least, a stunning focal point; but, if it’s large enough, you may be using it as the center of the gathering.  Whatever the case, if it’s decked out with lights, and other fall decorations, the effect will be downright spell-binding.

So, if people start asking how you managed to conjure such a magical evening, you can just tell them that you have your own, personal Gazebo Wizard.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy