Water station - the gardener’s dream!
By admin | June 11, 2008
I came across a cool product that I would LOVE to have in my backyard - a water station! The one you see listed here is just one variety - but there are lots of others to chose from in all kinds of price ranges. And all are on sale right now at Yardiac.com.
I can’t tell you how many times for me, something like this would come in handy! Even if it just meant a convenient place to wash my hands really quick without having to go inside. This one happens to be portable, and the sink folds up for storage.
And if you would like some compact tools to use with this sink, then think about this little tool set. I actually own this set and while the tools
might be small, they are great for indoor tasks and also working with small plants outside and small spaces outside. The tote makes them handy to carry around and has room inside for anything else you might need to have along.
For me, when it’s a beautiful day, doing even the most mundane tasks, such as weeding, can be enjoyable. When you have the right equipment, that makes it all the better.
Topics: Gardening | No Comments »
The Garden Gazebo
By admin | May 22, 2008
So last year for Father’s Day, one of the things we bought my husband (besides the hammock) was a gazebo to put on the deck.
These are really quite popular now and do provide not just shade, but an interesting feature to your 
backyard. I read several reviews on different styles before we settled on one. The one you see pictured here is similar to what we ended up buying.
We put ours on our deck though and we screwed the bases to the deck. It gets very windy here in Colorado, but I would imagine any little bit of a breeze would knock these structures over if they are not screwed into something.
I believe some come with stakes if you want to put them in the grassy part of your yard. I’m not sure I would recommend this though, as the size of these can be pretty large and I’m not sure stakes would really keep it stable. Not to mention it would be a real pain to mow and trim around.
What we really enjoy about ours is the sides that zip up to keep the bugs out. We did hang a light from the ceiling, but have really never used it.
I have seen some models that have shelves connected to the frame where you could set plants and other things. If you live in a windy area I’d be careful with this as well. I’m not sure ours would be able to handle the weight in the wind.
For us, it gives the feel of an extra room outside. This will be our second summer with it, and while it does creak and groan a bit in the wind, it’s been very stable and a wonderful addition to our backyard!
Topics: General, Ideas | No Comments »
What is a Backyard Retreat?
By admin | May 20, 2008
So what exactly is a backyard retreat? Is it beautiful gardens, ponds, decks….. what?
Well really, it’s whatever YOU want it to be. A place you enjoy going to “get away”. It doesn’t have to be fancy or big, have water features or lush gardens. If it’s a space you love to hang out in, then it’s a retreat.
Our backyard isn’t big. We have common fences with the neighbors all around us. But everyone has planted things that have allowed wonderful privacy. It has taken it’s time to develop into what it is - it wasn’t instant, that’s for sure. Now that our trees are maturing and the landscape is filling in, it gets better and better each year.
Even though our yard is not large, we do have three distinct areas. One is off on a side area and there we have a hammock.
The other is a stone patio. On that we have chairs and a swing that surround a fire pit.
The last area is our deck. The deck is covered with a framed gazebo tent which offers more shade and also a very nice over all look. My son commented the other night when we were hanging out in the yard that it felt like a tropical paradise back there. It kind of does. During the summer we eat out on the deck almost nightly.
So hopefully with this blog I can send some good ideas your way to help you make your backyard your own retreat!
If you feel you have some good tips for backyard retreats or gardening ideas for your region, please let me know and we’ll get them posted!
Topics: Colorado Gardening, Gardening, General, Uncategorized | No Comments »