Typically, sunflowers are very easy to grow. They require minimal maintenance. You just need to sow the seeds in your garden, sprinkle some amount of water every day and thin the sunflower seedlings as they start to sprout. But sunflowers differ in their varieties. Knowing which variety fits you provides additional reasons to awaken your garden with gorgeous yellow throughout the spring and summer.

Gardening Tips: Choosing The Right Sunflower To Grow

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The Farmers Almanac gives you a good overview of how to grow sunflowers too!

Here are some tips on choosing the right sunflower to grow in your garden:

Varieties of Sunflowers: Teddy bear, Elf or Junior

This sunflower variety is great for a garden with limited space. This type doesn’t require too much space as they are typically smaller than any sunflower variety.

Sunflower Gardening: Solar Flare

This is a dazzling flame-type sunflower. The vibrant colors of this type will truly dazzle and impress anyone who can see it. You can get sunflower seedlings and seeds here.

For Sunflower Gardening books, look at these helpful resources:

How to Grow Sunflowers

Sunflower Gardening Book

Two of the Harlows or Lemon Queen

If you want to see multi-branching sunflower type, this is your best choice. This type is also good for homes with limited garden space.

How to Grow Strawberry Blonde Hybrid Sunflowers

If you aim for uniqueness, this is it! The Strawberry Blonde Hybrid is considered as the first rose-pink sunflower. Now, isn’t that unique? This type is exceptional in beauty and rarity.

Chianti Hybrid

This is another hybrid sunflower variety. It is not your typical yellow sunflower. The Chianti Hybrid sunflower an eye-catching wine-red velvet petals with spotted gold. These are gorgeous for decorating your home or for giving in a lush bouquet.

Try looking at sunflower gardening inspiration before growing your own.

Sunflower Gardening: Fantasia Mix

Make your fantasy come to display with this extraordinary array of flower colors. This type provides a fancy look in your garden.

When it comes to your home garden, you don’t settle for anything less. Plant your sunflower of choice and see how it electrifies the beauty of your garden.

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

As soon as the sun comes out your garden or backyard literally acts as an extra room to your property. Your outdoor home is where you can find solace or entertain, chill out or party!  If you’re planning on entertaining in your garden this summer, there are some fantastic ways to get your garden “party-ready”. Hopefully some of these ideas might not have occurred to you already….

Outdoor Rugs

Ideal for outside patios or areas without any grass, outdoor rugs instantly update a garden. Made from polyester fibers, they’re stylish, available in all sorts of colours and look just like cool grass! Outdoor rugs are also great for reclining on like a big cat.

Image via: Outdoor Ideas

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The Rainbow Effect

One of the best ways to create an upbeat atmosphere in your garden – especially if you’re entertaining a lot of people – is to create a rainbow of colours that guests can admire. Think of lavender hedges (which smell great!), red geraniums in pots and brightly coloured rose beds.

Funky Garden Furniture

Garden furniture is a great addition to any party – and the type of furniture can determine what kind of party your guests experience. For a laid back vibe, go for solid wood sun loungers or beds, hammocks and outdoor bean bag chairs. For a party vibe, choose modern garden furniture with straight edges or creative design. Curved dining sets are ideal for encouraging dinner party conversation; Paris-style aluminum tables and chairs keep things simple and wicker boxes are practical but look fabulous as seats.

Image via: Southern Home

Outdoor Wallpaper

Who knew that wallpaper outside could look so good? Attached to a wall or shed, laser-cut wallpaper shapes and sheets add an incredible touch of class to any outdoor dining or partying – the guests will love your chic style!

Lighting For Atmosphere

Don’t forget, as nighttime closes in, your guests will still need light and this will really set the mood for the evening. Think about adding fairy lights to the surrounding trees or go for something more modern by hanging pendant lamps – which will look just like an outdoor lounge! You can also add solar lights to create a path to certain areas of the garden – the overall effect can be quite stunning.

Image via: House Experts

Cover Any Flaws

You can hide any unsightly items in your garden with simple storage tips. For instance, a small wooden shed looks quaint and will store surplus garden junk. Wooden screens are great for concealing refuse bins.

Create Features

Standout displays in your garden look great at a garden party. Why not think about creating your own rockery? Or how about a wooden rack that displays pots of herbs? Large pieces of garden furniture like dining tables can be dressed with a centerpiece display of giant roses (or a bowl of floating petals).

Garden Chess Effect

You can make a big impression on guests arriving at your party by having fun with the lawn layout and creating different effects in the grass. One easy way to make an impact is to use individual paving stones to form a chess effect. Paving and lawn squares look fantastic together and can even double as a game for children.

Giant Parasols

A fun garden party isn’t complete without a bright, vibrant, oversized parasol. This not only provides much-needed shelter from blistering heat but also acts as a place for social gatherings. Your parasol’s shade is an ideal place to serve food and arrange a scattering of seats – so make sure it’s big enough to shelter a larger group as you never know who might be hungry…or want to escape the sun!

This season add to your outdoor home with these creative garden ideas! What will you be adding to your exterior home?

Summer Decorating: Enhancing Your Outdoor Living Space

Image via: Better Living Patios

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Brighten Up the Furniture

If your outdoor furniture can be painted, paint it! Earth hues might look good in the living room, but they shrink and merge into the surroundings outdoors. When choosing a paint color, avoid black as it makes furniture very hot when exposed to direct sunlight. Choose bold, bright colors that recall summer. To add interest, remove the faded cushions on the seats and add comfy, colorful ones. Choose cushions in vibrant colors (like fuchsia, tangerine), and contemporary prints like stripes, ikat, and striking florals.

Add Drama with Lights

Image via: Heim Decor

If you think that outdoor lights are only for the holiday season, think again. During the warmer months, people spend time outdoors long past the daylight hours so ensure you set the mood with dramatic and tasteful outdoor lighting. Good lighting can make your exterior living space safer because people won’t trip in the dark. In addition, it can transform your deck or yard into a welcoming place you can relax in. Install electric bulbs as well as torches and lanterns for a soft  glow.

Add Warmth with a Fire Pit

You don’t have to buy a fancy fire pit to bring warmth to your outdoor living space, you can create a simple one by digging a hole in the ground. If you are good with your hands, you can make your own fire pit using flagstones or bricks. You can also get a portable fire pit which can be used in different spaces. However, before you light the fire, know your local fire codes and find out if it is lawful to have an open fire.

Image via: Architectural Digest

Spending time outdoors doesn’t mean giving up your creature comforts. You can make your exterior comfortable and inviting with a few small adjustments. Work with what you have and don’t wait till you have a big budget or a bigger home. Try these easy summer decorating ideas and make the most of your outdoor space.

How do you perk up your outdoor living space in summer?

All images via: Stagetecture

I have one of those outdoor patio areas that you close your eyes as you walk into it because it has always been dark and gloomy. The circa 1987 brick home that we love has had its share of remodeling projects, but the front porch was always been way down the list in priorities!

I was excited to pair with Pier 1 Imports and show you their outdoor patio furniture and decor that can bring any patio out of the ’80s and into modern day. I chose a “garden theme” for my front patio. With plenty of fresh green, yellow, and browns to bring nature and a sense of organic living to my front entryway.

Choosing my garden themed decor at Pier 1 Imports

For any of you that have ever walked into a Pier 1 Imports, you know that the experience is like walking into your favorite home decor magazine. You literally wish you had 10 patios to makeover just to try out all of the different decorative themes!

My garden theme helped me keep my focus in the store, ha! Florals, nature, rustic textures and weathered patinas that looked like they’ve been garden decor for years… that was my vision. I picked up a catalog and was surprised that I could order anything online and it could be delivered to my door… yep, that was a winner!

I started off with the seating first and fell in love with these Casbah Chairs in Mocha and paired them with Angelique Seat Cushions and a Cassius Accent Pillow for its playful patterns. The synthetic rattan material makes them weather resistant, and they can be stacked and tucked out of the way for entertaining when needed.

I then chose the Antiqued White Pedestal and Hammered Flower Table for guests to put their drinks and plates on. The Oval Plant Stand was great to add height to my patio setting and the bottom shelf can double as an area for guests to put their refreshments.

I found two items that instead of using them for their traditional use, I decided to use them in non-traditional ways: A large Nailhead Lantern and Oversized Outdoor Tray I filled with fresh greenery and lemons to bring color and natural textures to my patio area. I finished the area off by hanging black & brown wind chimes for a Zen appeal to my outdoor space.

Pulling all of the elements together

To soften up the concrete on my porch, I used potted green plants and hanging air vases to make the patio feel like it was teleported from a rainforest. Then I created a seating area that was conversational and inviting.

The garden theme was a natural tie-in with my outdoor patio and the Pier 1 Imports decor and furnishings made the area come alive! I can’t wait until next week when I show you creative ideas to throw a garden brunch in this space.

Check back next week, and thanks Pier 1 Imports for breathing life back into my patio.

Find what speaks to you at Pier 1 Imports. See their Outdoor Living collection in stores or at pier1.com/outdoorliving .

From Thursday, 5/28 – Sunday, 5/31, ALL OUTDOOR FURNITURE WILL BE ON SALE, 20% – 50% OFF!

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Even after the fading of summer blooms, you can keep your garden looking fresh and inviting until winter creeps up. You can easily handle your faded garden by embracing the changes in seasons. Transform the look of it by planting vegetables, flowers, and plants with rich autumnal colors and sculptural forms. Check these ideas to give your garden an autumn lift:

Image via: Deborah Cerbone Associates, Inc.

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Create Blooming Corners

If your garden space is huge enough, you have the freedom to experiment with the plants and the garden décor. In case of a large garden, creating some small corners with colored plants and flowers will look really nice. Low-care plantings will be a great choice for such corners where you can make a mix-up of tough plants like blue fescue, daffodils, Joe Pye weed, blue caryopteris, and switchgrass. Try to use native plants, as they will need lower maintenance and be resilient to pest and disease problems.

Fill up the Bare Plant Beds

If you have plant or flower beds next to your front door, keeping them bare will be quite an eyesore. Turn the bed from an ugly thing to an eye-pleasing one by planting plants with multi-seasonal interest. Ornamental grasses, spring-blooming bulbs, Dwarf Alberta spruce, and some perennials and annuals will help looking your bed great all year long. Take care that the plants’ colors complement to the color of your home.

Image via: BHG

Spruce up the Backyard

Sprucing up the backyard will add resale value to your home, create an outdoor living space, and make the place more comfortable. Add characters to the place by designing a handy patio and setting up a tiny water feature. Fill up the place with careful selections of evergreen and various colorful plants. The water feature will make the place relaxing and likely to attract birds to your garden.

Create Small Focal Points

Instead of planting in the entire space of your garden, add visual interest by creating small colorful patches scattered through your garden space. To fill out such small spaces, choose easy, colorful plants like junipers, dogwood, spiraea, purple smokebushes, mums, etc. Create a borderline for every patch by planting pansies, placing small container plants, or ornamental grasses that will add texture to the spot too. These colorful patches will act as dramatic focal points and increase the value of your property.

Image via: Bliss Garden Design

Add Warmth for Colder Nights Ahead

Adding warmth to your garden will help you enjoying the outdoor space into the fall. Installing a fire pit or a fireplace into the screened porch or gazebo will let you relish the outdoor during the cold months. Fire pits are less expensive than fireplaces but produce more smoke. On the other hand, a patio heater will also be handy in this regard.

Image via: Landscaping Network

Late summer is the time to revamp the summer garden. Careful planting and makeover of your garden this time will help you having blooms and harvests throughout autumn and right into the winter months.

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Spring is here, and what better place to spend time with family and friends than lounging outside on your deck? Decks are a great place to entertain, and staining your deck helps maintain its quality and appearance for outdoor gatherings.

Your deck has been long forgotten over the cold winter months and exposed to harsh weather conditions. Now is the time to give it some TLC.

Image via: Millennium Construction

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Read the following steps to stain your deck like a pro:

Clear off your deck.

Move everything off of your deck, including any and all furniture and plants that will get in your way. Get out a broom or leaf blower and sweep away any leaves and debris that are hiding on your deck.

Powerwash the deck.

Your deck should be powerwashed at least once a year. If you do not own a powerwasher, you can rent one from your local home improvement store. All wood needs to be thoroughly cleaned before staining. Allow at least 24 hours to for the deck to dry after powerwashing so that the stain adheres properly to the wood.

Prep your deck.

Preparation is key in deck staining. Add painter’s tape along the area of the deck that meets your home’s exterior to protect your walls. Don’t trap yourself into a corner. Start from one end of the deck and work your way out towards the stairs.

Image via: Siemasko + Verbridge

Apply stain minimally with a paintbrush along the grain of the wood.

When too much stain is applied, it creates a thin film along the wood. Apply minimally going with the grain of the wood. There are many different ways to apply stain, but the paint brush is still the best as it allows the wood to absorb the stain.

Taking care of your deck will ensure your outdoor entertaining space looks great for years to come, and adds value to your home in the long run. For more deck maintenance tips from the experts, contact the Manhattan IL painters today at 815-485-5091.

For more maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy Earth Day! The Earth breathes. If the air it breathes is not good, it will suffer. When the Earth suffers, everybody suffers. This is our planet and we cannot sit and destroy it by our own hands. Today millions of people are deprived of having pure water. Millions are fearful of losing homes because rising water levels in the ocean.

Many fertile lands have dried and there is not a single drop of water to soak the earth. The temperature is rising at ever-faster rates and today we face the biggest challenge as humanity. Conducting seminars and hosting events will not change the environment until or unless we do not speak as one voice, we do not harmonize our actions and this synergy is what can really make a difference.

Image via: Social Cafe Mag

What you are waiting for? Please play your part in saving the Earth by doing the following simple tasks at your home:

Make your home greener

Fill extra space in your home with plants and soil. Make it greener. Greenery is the only source that can provide us fresh clean air. Try and  plant a new tree every year.

Recycle

Next time you go out to put away trash separate your garbage and use the organic waste to compost in your lawn. This is a great way to have fertilizer free in your home and you can use this compost in homegrown vegetables. Imagine what this little effort can do to save our earth.

Image via: How Stuff Works

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Save energy

What good would lights do when you are not in home? Who is watching your TV when you are not? This simple awareness of the environment if conceived by everyone can be the biggest action that we can do to save our planet. Instead of drying your clothes in a dryer – why not use Mother Nature’s dryer – a clothes line will keep your clothes longer and save you energy.

Image via: LJO-S

Save water

The next world war predicted to be on water. Drinking water is luxury we do not appreciate and are careless in using it. Stop wasting water today and you will be an active volunteer in saving earth.

It is not difficult to play your part in saving earth. The thing you need is resolve. Stop procrastinating today and you will be amazed to see the difference. The whole planet is our home and we have to take care of it as if it really is. Be strong and volunteer now. You will experience amazing happiness that you have never experienced before.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Nowadays, garden furniture and assorted accessories are available in a wide variety of different materials – whether it’s aluminium, wood, wicker, iron or cast resin. And certainly searching for ‘garden furniture’ on Pinterest doesn’t help wanting to buy new pretty things for the garden.

Image via: The Garden Route Company

But regardless of the price or material, outdoor furniture needs to be maintained in order to keep it in optimum condition, especially when it’s kids’ stuff like wooden swings and playhouses (although AllGardenFun’s products are very long-lasting in my experience!). We want our kids to be safe, right? Let’s avoid splinters or worse!

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How to clean your garden furniture:

Simple regular maintenance techniques can help improve the life-span of your garden furniture and save you money in the long run, so it’s important to maintain your furniture effectively.

Image via: Suite 102

When it comes to cleaning, the majority of garden furniture can be cleansed with standard soap and water. A garden hose or pressure washer is ideal for dusting off the cobwebs when your furniture has been in storage over the winter months, although you must remember to use a low pressure setting to avoid damaging more delicate items (such as those made from bamboo or wicker). Remember to remove any soft furnishings or cushions, also.

Wooden garden furniture:

It is often the case that wooden furniture is sold with a coat of varnish suitable for withstanding the outdoor elements, but do make sure to double-check when you buy it. And even if the furniture does have a varnish coat, it’s not a bad idea to give wooden furniture an extra coat of varnish each year, in order to protect it from both rain and sun damage. If it gets wet, it risks rotting, and if it dries out, it can become weak, brittle and prone to breakages. And a pot of weather-proof wood varnish isn’t that expensive or hard to get.

Resin wicker garden furniture:

Resin and resin wicker furniture is particularly easy to maintain. Since the resin is effective at protecting the furniture from all of the elements – be it rain, hail or shine – maintenance is often a low priority. An added advantage is that resin furniture is generally wipe-clean, so any spillages or other dirt can be easily removed using a cloth and warm water.

Modern metal furniture is usually finished with a rust resistant coating. If there are signs of rust or oxidisation, there are a variety of waxes and rust-free paints and finishes which can be applied in order to maintain the lifespan.

About the author:

This article was written by Maria, who is a freelance writer and expert on home stuff!

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you bored of your patio and want to add some exotic touches? Then, consider some renovations or a bit of touches to your patio. This idea will surely bring a different ambiance as you sit and relax. It’s a great way to welcome the spring season and look at a scenic view outdoors.

So, how would you like to retouch your patio? If you still don’t have an idea, consider having an exotic look. This should be an exciting way to change the looks of your patio. An exotic touch for a patio is not really that difficult to achieve.

Image via: Karla Trincanello, CID

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You just have to recognize what you have and turn them into exotic accessories. Here are some helpful ideas in bringing exotic touches to your spring patio:

Transform your furniture

You don’t have to buy new furniture to achieve an exotic look. If your existing furniture is made of wood, just do a repainting job and have it varnished with maple or walnut. You can just change the cushion and seat cover for those furnitures not made of wood. For coffee table, change the table runner and place decorative foliage in the center table. Also, repaint your table to enhance its durability.

Hang decorative items

Dig in your garage and look for items that strike your attention at first glance. This may be a piece of art you did years ago, an antique gift you received from someone or anything that’s unique in a way. Any of these items should be present in your patio. You have to consider hanging these items and see how they enhance the looks of your patio.

Image via: R Brant Design

Add foliage and branches

This should complete the package. You can choose from Redbud, Hyacinth, Iris, Dewberry and other spring flowers you like. Make sure you check your garden first; you might see a lot of beautiful flowers for display. Branches can also offer exotic looks. You can pick some dried branches you have and attach them to the edges or corners.

Stick with the theme and take some time to plan your blueprint. Have fun with it!

For more creative outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

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One of the latest trends in home upgrades revolves around creating outdoor rooms that extend your square footage and thus, your livable space. This often includes planning and building an outdoor retreat complete with dedicated seating areas (a patio or deck festooned with comfortable furnishings), a cooking center (whether it’s just a grill or an entire island), ample lighting, water features, and flora and fauna that provide a screen from the neighbors and a treat for the senses. It may sound like a pretty tall order, but when you’re lounging in your chic backyard sipping Mai Tais with the ladies or beers with the bros, you’re going to appreciate the extra “room” a lot more. And there are several elements you can include to make the space functional and unique. So if you’re waffling on whether or not to add a gazebo, here are a few benefits you may not have considered.

Image via: Myriam Payne Interior Designers & Decorators

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1. Shelter from the storm.

The first and best reason to install a gazebo in the backyard is to provide protection from the elements. No matter what type of climate you live in, there are bound to be times when you’d like to enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about an assault by the sun or rain. A gazebo won’t stop strong winds or snow flurries from getting in, but if you want a shady vantage from which you enjoy the beauty of your yard during the summer, or if you enjoy drinking your coffee and reading the paper outdoors, even when it’s sprinkling, a gazebo can offer you the shelter you need to make the most of your outdoor space.

2. Kiddie play room.

There are times when every parent has to shove the kids out the door in order to get some stuff done in the house. Having a gazebo in the backyard can give your kids a suitable place to play that protects them from the elements. And you can fix it up in a number of appealing ways. You might train vines up the lattice sides of the structure to create a hidden fort in which kids can have their imaginary adventures. Or you could furnish the space with a table, chairs, and storage for supplies so that kids can get crafty without making a huge mess where you just cleaned indoors.

3. Set dressing.

If you entertain family, friends, and colleagues frequently or you’re planning to host some fancy events in the future (weddings, birthday parties, and the like) you’ll certainly get plenty of use out of your gazebo. It not only provides shelter and utility, but it’s also a beautiful set dressing that can act as a focal point and make any celebration more glamorous.

Image via: Landmark Photography

4. Privacy.

Some gazebos are open on all sides, with only pillars holding up the roof. But you can also opt to cover the sides with lattice to create a privacy screen for those inside. If your current backyard offers limited solitude, adding a gazebo could be a way to get it without shelling out huge amounts of money for all-around fencing and foliage. Whether you put a café set with table and chairs or a hot tub inside, you’ll get the privacy you seek with a screened gazebo.

5. Property value.

Any permanent structure you add to your property has the potential to raise the value, especially if it is utilitarian. And while you might not see a huge return on investment by adding a gazebo to your backyard, it could definitely act as a selling point for interested buyers down the road.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.