Today we’re featuring Landscape Designer Jenny Peterson for a post featuring her wide expertise on client-directed landscape design.

One of Jenny Peterson's landscape designs featuring a garden bridge

Jenny Peterson and her team have been creating cool gardens in the Austin area since 2001. From elegant courtyards to funky meditation spaces, Jenny’s gardens span the spectrum.   Jenny listens to her clients and brings out their style and taste so their landscape always reflects the personality of the owner.

Trained as a Master Gardener, Jenny brings a deep understanding of the ecosystems that promote a vibrant garden: healthy soil, integrated pest management, appropriate plant choices and organic methods. She is committed to using primarily native and adapted plants to conserve water and reflect the beautiful Texas landscape.
You can contact her by phone at 512.922.3359, email her at j_peterson63@yahoo.com, or follow her tweets with @Mulch Maven. Be sure to check her out at http://www.JPetersonGardenDesign.com/

As a landscape designer, it’s my job to help my clients create the best landscape they can have, but before I can put any plants in, I have to pay careful attention to the structure in and of the garden itself. Structural elements in the garden are significant because they create a sense of importance, permanence and visual interest, but also because they dictate the flow of the landscape and the way the garden is used.

Which brings me to the very first question I ask my clients: How do you want to use your garden? Their answers tell me which direction I should go: what plants to use, whether to have a lawn or not, if we need more deck space, and how I should lay out the entire space. So here’s a rundown on the most popular uses of gardens, with suggestions of how you can achieve it with careful choice of structures, plants and accessories:

• Relaxation: If you want to primarily relax in your yard, you’re looking for low-maintenance plants with lots of evergreen foliage so you’re not spending your time pruning and fertilizing. Plan for enough deck or patio space to comfortably accommodate chairs, lounges, swings or picnic tables. Remember to plan an area under shade trees for a hammock, or even a cabana for the ultimate sense of vacation!
• Play: You probably have children and possibly pets if you want to use your yard primarily for play! Make sure you have enough lawn space to run around on or set up a croquet course or playscape, remembering to look into water-wise lawn options like Buffalo grass. Try to incorporate features like pathways and bridges for kids to explore and be a part of the landscape rather than trying to avoid it. Pay attention to plant use as well—softer, non-toxic plants that can take a lot of foot traffic is a must!
• Entertainment: Most of my clients want to be able to entertain in their landscapes, so we plan to have additional patio or deck space to accommodate larger crowds. We also remember to add features like firepits that draw people together. Plan for a variety of seating areas, possibly adding a second feature like a gazebo away from the house where you and your friends can gather. Carefully plan a pathway to that structure, meandering through the garden and paying attention to landscape lighting so guests feel safe walking around. You might want to be a bit more dramatic with your plant selection as well—large leafed tropicals, brightly flowering cannas or heavily-scented roses.

There is a lot you can do yourself, but don’t be afraid to enlist the expertise of an experienced landscape designer to help you plan your space out. If you commit to a bit of thinking and planning ahead, you can create a landscape that is beautiful, functional and fits your lifestyle perfectly!

Although it’s important to winterize your home before the weather gets cold, life often gets so hectic that, before you know it, the year is over, the world is frozen, and you’ve already paid a fortune in heating bills.

The bad news is that the worst is yet to come.  The good news is that you can still do something about it; and the bitter cold and snow can give you a good idea of what needs to be fixed.  Now, you won’t have to search for gaps and cracks that let air in, because the bone-chilling gusts of wind that whip through your living room will help you to easily pinpoint them.  Just get some weatherstripping, caulk, or heat-shrinking plastic, and seal them.

A substantial snowfall can also tell you a lot.  If it melts rapidly from atop your shingles, and icicles form quickly, without a thaw, it means that heat is escaping in the exact direction in which your heating bills have been heading – through the roof.  Check your attic floor to see that it has adequate, evenly-distributed, gap-free insulation, of uniform thickness.  If you have to add more, be sure that the side with the vapor barrier is facing down, toward the rooms that you want to keep warm.

Break up any ice dams that form along the eaves, as they can cause melting snow to puddle and leak through your roof.  Wherever possible, sweep snow off roofs that have shallow angles, on your house, garage, gazebo, carport, cabana, pool house, shed, or sunroom.

If you have not taken measures to prevent your pipes from freezing, do it now.  You can use foam insulation sleeves, or electric heat tape, but don’t use the latter on plastic pipes.  If a severe cold snap is imminent, turn the sink and bathtub faucets on to a slow trickle, and cover exposed crawl space vents with plywood.

If your porch chairs, gliders, swings, and picnic tables are still outside, and they’re not the synthetic or metal types that are impervious to the elements, either store them, or put outdoor furniture covers on them.

Do this even if outdoor furniture is the last thing on your mind right now.  It may not happen today, or even tomorrow, but, believe it or not, the sun will come out again!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

So, as I was writing and thinking about all of those great times that we all had on our porch swings – or those of friends or relatives – which most of us have captured in pictures in our photo albums, I realized that all of them seem to have happened in the summertime.

Okay, I guess that’s logical, because that has always been the prime season for outdoor furniture.  Just as there was an unwritten law that no one could wear white after Labor Day – and God help anyone who did – everyone automatically put their porch swings, gliders, rockers, lounge chairs, picnic tables, and patio umbrellas into their sheds or garages, or under outdoor furniture covers, at summer’s end.      

But, wait!  That no-wearing-white-after-Labor Day rule has long since been repealed.  In fact, anyone who still adheres to it is now as much of a laughingstock as those who used to ignore it. So, why are we holding onto that old, out-dated notion that we still have to put away our porch swings when the leaves begin to turn?  Some may say that the reason is obvious – that the furniture is outside, exposed to the elements, and most certainly cannot withstand the cruelest of them, which, of course, arrive in winter.

But – once again – wait!  Talk about out-dated notions!  While, surely, that was true of the porch swings that are immortalized in our photo albums, things have changed dramatically, especially at CedarStore.com.  Sure, we have the beloved, classic wood porch swings, made from cedar, pine, oak, teak, cherry, and cypress; in fact, they’re more durable and beautiful than ever.  But we also have swings that are constructed from synthetic wicker and polywood that are nearly indestructible, even if they’re left outside all year long; and they’re available with stainless steel hardware.

Furthermore, not only do we feature tons of styles and sizes, but we offer many of our porch swings in over a dozen colors – even the ones that are made of wood.  We also deliver them free, and, in some cases, ship them within a few days of your order. 

Indeed, we’re helping to break two rules in one fell swoop (or, swell foop, as I like to say).  Now you can use your porch swing in the winter AND dress it in any color you wish, including white – uh, snow white, that is.  So there!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

There’s no doubt that porch swings are among the most popular pieces of outdoor furniture that ever lived.  Of course, I’m aware that they’re not really alive – BUT sometimes, it seems that they are – AND they certainly can bring houses to life.  In fact, just as the kitchen is said to be the heart of the home, the swing surely must be the heart of the porch – or patio, or deck, or gazebo, or yard, or wherever it is located. 

Porch swings possess and undeniable, intrinsic charm that never fails to draw people to them.  Those who own them rarely go a day without taking some time out for relaxing visits with them, and often regard them as trusted friends who can somehow ease their burdens when something is weighing on their minds.  Porch swings are also the most sought after – and sometimes, fought over – destinations of guests who attend parties at homes where swings “live.”  This is especially true of kids visiting grandma’s house for a big family get-together.  At least, I know that it sure was true of me, my siblings, and our cousins; but, luckily, my grandmother also had a porch glider and a hammock, which are right up there on the list of favorites.

Indeed, porch swings bring a lot of happiness and joyful memories to people’s lives, and can even last for generations, IF they’re constructed from high-quality, durable materials.  Luckily, you won’t have any trouble finding one that fits that description, because, at CedarStore.com, we have scores of swings that are designed to last for decades; and some are even built to outlive everything – and everyone – around them. 

Here, you’ll find gorgeous swings made from red and white cedar (not to be confused with red-and-white cedar!), select and treated pine, cherry, oak, teak, cypress, polywood, and synthetic wicker, available in several sizes and colors. 

We also feature an incomparable range of styles, including traditional, Adirondack, highback, heartback, crossback, rollback, scrollback, curveback, starback, and fanback; and, whichever you choose, there’ll be no going back – no ifs, ands, or buts about it. 

Uh, then again, there will be plenty of butts, because, well, what would a porch swing do without ‘em?

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Porch swings have been front and center on our porches, and in our hearts, for centuries.  If you want proof, just look through your family’s – or anyone else’s – old photo albums, and count the number of pictures that are taken on porch swings. 

The porch swing has also been featured prominently in countless movies, plays, and television shows.  The quintessential swing scene is one in which a young couple sits there, obviously ill at ease, as the guy fidgets nervously, either trying to find the words to tell the gal how he feels about her, or working up the nerve to ask her to marry him.  As she breathlessly waits for him to marshal his courage, her parents make it even more difficult for him by anxiously peeking out the window every few minutes, ready to flick the lights off and on at the first sign of inappropriate contact; and if they fail to foul things up, there’s always a pesky little brother or sister who won’t go away.

When not involved in romance, the swing is often the setting of conflict, where underlying feelings of tension that have festered between two people are finally aired, and everything comes to a head.  There are other times in which it has a single occupant, usually someone who is at a crossroads, or in a crisis.  Whatever the case, the individual is invariably facing a monumental decision, and the porch swing always manages to guide her or him toward making the right one.     

While all of that heavy drama is great for movies and TV shows, in real life, the porch swing enjoys its role as the center of attention at gatherings, as well as its reputation for providing a quiet respite from the rat race, where stress is relieved, jangled nerves are soothed, and tranquility is restored. 

Apparently, there’s a lot hanging on the porch swing (sorry!), as it has to be sturdy enough to hold its own – and yours, too.  That’s why CedarStore.com provides not only the most durable wood, metal, and synthetic swings, but the best equipment on which to hang them as well.  Because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, we take that factor out altogether, by offering ultra-tough stainless steel chains and hardware. 

Nothing else can give you the feeling of complete confidence that comes with knowing that your swing is secured with stainless steel chains and hardware.  With its superior resistance to corrosion, it will endure the harshest elements for years, even if you live near the ocean, where the air is thick with salt spray.  Just like those nail-biting movie scenes, it will keep you in suspense for a long, long time – so, hang in there!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy