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.

Wellness: Adopting A Green Kitchen Lifestyle

Image Via: Bright Green

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Choosing Cookware

There is nothing healthier and safer than an iron skillet to cook your meals in. Stainless steel is another good option. The ones to avoid are teflon coated non-stick cookware as it is known to emit toxic substances on heating. Non-stick cookware that has scratches is another hazardous cookware to use. Anyways, if you come to think of it, a solid iron skillet will last much longer than your non-stick cookware. Not to forget that it will be lighter on your pocket, initially and eventually too.

Image Via: Dwelling

Energy Star Rated Appliances

Energy Star rated appliances save big time on energy. Energy Star appliances such as a dishwasher can reduce your water output drastically, even lesser than what you use by hand washing utensils. The same goes for refrigerators, stoves etc. Talking of fridges incidentally, try and not place the fruits in the fridge, as they will rot much faster because of the trapped gasses in there.

Image Via: Torie Jayne

Energy Saving While Cooking

Use pots and pans that fit your burner heads. Smaller pots on bigger burners waste a lot of energy. Also use lids while cooking food. It will help the food cook faster and save a lot of energy. Pressure cookers are another great way of saving energy and time. The best of all practices would be to eat fresh fruits and salads that require no cooking whatsoever

Image Via: Innermost Cabinets

Buy Local Produce

Buy food that is grown locally and help reduce the carbon footprint. Not only will it give your local industry a boost but also ensure that you have fresh produce. So go explore the local markets or better still purchase directly from the farmers. A home grown kitchen garden isn’t a bad choice either.

Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies

Buy cleaning supplies that are non-toxic, biodegradable and plant-based. Petrochemical based cleaning agents aren’t very eco-friendly. Better still, explore DIY options like vinegar, baking soda etc. and make your own cleaning agents at home.

Consider Revamping Your Kitchen

If you are wanted to restyle your kitchen, consider using recyclable materials like salvaged wood. From glass based countertops to bamboo and cork flooring there are numerous green options for homeowners to follow. Also try and make sure that the wood that you use comes from sustainable plantations.

Image Via: Peter Salerno Inc

Besides these a few green kitchen habits like using cloth napkins instead of paper ones, covering the pots and pans while cooking, using glass containers, turning off the appliance mains after use etc can lead to healthier greener lifestyle changes. Try and shop in bulk to reduce your trips to the market, use home grown veggies and use grandmas tips and tricks at home to be free and safe from chemical exposure. It would be great to hear from you on what green kitchen habits you follow at your home. Do write to us.

Click here for more Green Living Ideas on Stagetecture!

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.

When people are thinking about what they can do to make their yards look more attractive, usually the spaces that come to mind at their front and backyards. However, being that all of us have to walk past our side-yards in order to get from one destination to another, wouldn’t it make sense that some effort should go into coming up with landscaping designs for those areas too? That’s what the focus of this article is all about. It’s to provide you with five ideas on how you can make your side-yard look just as beautiful as the front and the backyard.

Image via: Romani Landscape Architecture

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Design a walkway.

Usually, when people are going from the front yard to the back, they are simply walking through the grass. Therefore, you can make something as simple as walking a few feet a memorable experience by designing your own walkway. You can do this by using recycled cement or homemade concrete molds as your stepping stones and then surrounding it with cactus plants, Bee Balms and Hostas.

Plant an herb garden.

If you’ve been trying to convince yourself each year to go all out and start a garden in your backyard but you’ve never been able to really find the time to do so, why not start out small and go with an herb garden in your side-yard areas? Although it might initially seem just as complicated to do, with the right tips and tools, you can put one together in a few hours over a weekend. MotherEarthNews.com is one website that will show you how. Simply go to the website and put “simple herb garden designs” in the search field.

Plant more grass.

Sometimes, you only have to do subtle little things to make a really big difference. For instance, if you are someone who makes it a point to keep your lawn well-manicured, why not plant some ornamental grass around the side of your house? Some really beautiful ones include Feather Grass, Blue Oatgrass and Japanese Forest Grass.

Image via:  Rhodes Architecture + Light

Light your landscaping.

There are some homes that have motion sensor lights around their side-yards simply for security purposes. But, if you want to make your home look like it’s glowing at night, try another kind of light fixture. Luminarias are an absolutely beautiful addition for any time of the year. They are even a nice complement if you want to put them beside your flower beds (Day lilies, Columbines, and Lavender are always a beautiful addition to any home).

Make your own doorway.

Landscaping companies like RTC Landscaping and Stonework are known for doing elaborate work; their yard designs are considered to be a work of art. If you want to make a strong impression with your side-yard, then consider either hiring someone to make a doorway on the side of your home or creating it yourself. You can start by building two vine-clad arbors; one that that is in the front of the side-yard and one that is in the back. In between, you can put down some cobble stepping stones and plant some of your favorite flowers around them. If you do it just right, you might discover that one of the favorite parts of your house will, ironically, be your side-yard.

For more landscaping tips 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.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/outdoor-home-bringing-exotic-touches-to-your-spring-patio/feed/ 0 44345 https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-5-benefits-of-adding-a-gazebo-to-your-backyard/ https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-5-benefits-of-adding-a-gazebo-to-your-backyard/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:19:20 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=43194

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.

You may have begun to notice that the curb appeal and first impression your home provides is not exactly the warm and inviting one you’d prefer. With peeling paint and overgrown hedges, your house is the one on the block that all the neighborhood kids are afraid to come near. Every time your in-laws come over they can’t seem to stop themselves from mentioning the sorry state of your patchy lawn. Unfortunately, you don’t exactly have the cash on hand to hire a landscaper and a handy man to make over the front of your home. So what can you do to improve the curb appeal with an extremely limited budget? As a matter of fact, there are plenty of projects you can tackle on your own for minimal expense, and here are a few that will cost you less than a hundred dollars.

Image via: Romani Landscape Architecture

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Weeding and seeding.

When you fail to weed your plants regularly they become wild and overgrown, not to mention lousy with dead branches, stems, and vines. So your first order of business is to head to the hardware store for a few necessary gardening tools. You’ll certainly need clippers and you might want to get a heavy-duty spade to dig up any plants that are beyond salvation. A sturdy pair of gloves might be in order, as well. From there you can get some bulbs and seed packets to install a whole new bed of flowers on the cheap; they’ll spring up over the next year or two. And if you have money left over, think about getting a few mature blooms to liven up the landscaping post haste.

Filling in the lawn.

A patchy or dead lawn is most unattractive and it can really make your home look unloved (or worse, unlived-in). However, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on rolls of ready-made sod. With a rake you can clear out a lot of the dead grass, and a piece of rebar will help you to aerate the soil for maximum retention of water. Then all you need is a bag of grass seed (choose a hearty, drought-resistant variety to cut down on the cost of watering) and you’ll have a new lawn within months.

Paint the façade.

In case you didn’t know, you don’t have to paint your entire house. If you can match the color you can purchase just enough paint to slap a coat on the side of your house that faces the street. You’ll pay a little more for paint and primer in one, but the incredible coverage will ensure fewer coats, actually saving you money in the long run. So pick up a couple gallons of exterior paint and give your façade a facelift.

Image via: Lauren Olenius

Create a walkway.

If the only walkway to the front door leads in from the driveway (leaving guests to navigate around your car or walk across the lawn) consider buying a few concrete pavers to create a new path from the sidewalk to your stoop. This will not only make for a convenient upgrade for visitors, but it will also protect your lawn from the damage of frequent foot traffic.

Spruce up the entrance.

You might not have the money to call in TPO roofing to repair unsightly shingles, but there are plenty of things you can do with your limited budget. Consider painting the door a bright color that complements the hue of your home. If the mailbox is hanging by a hinge, replace it with a new model or simply hit it up with a fresh coat of spray paint and secure it back in place. You might also replace fading or cracked house numbers, toss your ratty, old doormat in favor of a new one, and add a couple of potted plants. And if all you have is a bare bulb for a porch light, think about springing for a fixture that matches the style of your house. Any of these items can be had for less than $100, and if you’re really thrifty you can get several.

For more landscaping ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! How are you doing this winter with bringing in plant inspiration to your home? Last week, Stagetecture showed you how to make a terrarium and today we show you how to start a balcony garden! Depending on the climate of your home will dictate if you can start your balcony garden now or wait until spring. Either way, you can start planning for an oasis on your garden patio.

Image via: Amber Freda

Watch a video on using old planters for a new stacked container garden and then see helpful tips for creating a balcony garden this season.

You Tube video – How to Make a Container Garden Tower

Link to video –> How to Make a Container Garden Tower

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How to create a balcony garden

How do you feel about waking up to something green on a chilly winter morning? Growing plants in the window sill or balcony is a great option to survive these drab, nippy days. Plus, the good thing about a balcony garden is that you can grow anything in it – flowers, vegetables, or herbs.

Image via: Pamba Boma

Restrict Your Choices

Balcony is not a good place to nurture straggly plants. De-clutter the place as much as possible and bring those plants that you cannot resist coddling. It would be better if you have planned earlier about which plants to include and which not. You can either grow different types of strawberries or choose a combination of red, blue, and yellow flowers. It will be easier for you to exercise creativity if you can restrict your choices. You can take the help of design books or your favorite novels to pick a theme.

The Elements to Start With

As a beginner, you should start your garden with just a handful of elements. A small garden will be easy to handle like a jewelry box. The plants that will be suitable for a balcony garden are strawberries, bougainvillea, chives, lime trees, rocket, and passion fruit climbers. Orchids are another excellent choice for winter garden given that they are available at different types, flower for months, and survive for years. What else you will need are pots, organic potting mix, some liquid fertilizers, and a trowel. If you want to add some relaxing elements in your balcony, set up a table and a chair. Additionally, you can keep aquatic plants and goldfish in a big, decorative vessel.

Image via: Home Klondike

Consider the Balcony Direction

You should pick up the plants considering the direction your balcony is facing. For example, east-facing balconies are good for growing herbs and salad greens as they get gentle morning sun and are shaded from the high summer sun. So, notice which type of balcony you have before picking up the plants.

Pest Control

Pests are not a problem during the wintertime but they will arrive as the weather starts warming up. So, you’d better be prepared for that and make some pest control arrangements beforehand. Instead of chemical insecticides, organic elements like beer, vegetable oil, soap blend, or bridal tulle would be appropriate for a small balcony garden. Beer is a death trap for yeast-loving snails, soap blend traps gnats and other tiny insects, and bridal tulle keeps birds away from juicy fruits.

Image via: Smart Money Guide

Winter is the perfect time for a beginner gardener to start a garden in balcony. It is the time to buy fruit saplings at cheap costs, cultivating some greens for salad before the arrival of spring bugs, and for growing roots before the scorching summer heat.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

When it comes to home-oriented activities, there are few things that a homeowner can do to achieve the same kinds of benefits as the ones that come with gardening. There are a lot of reasons that gardening is a great thing for just about anyone to take up, and the environmental implications are some of the most important. Just about everyone is realizing that the environment needs our protection in a serious way right now, and as a result, we’re all looking to find more efficient and sustainable ways of doing the things that we need to do on a day-to-day basis. No matter who you are, you’re going to have to eat on a regular basis, and if you’re interested, there are a ton of ways that you can make sure this activity is one that you keep completely sustainable and environmentally-friendly.

Image via: Ron Blunt

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Benefits of growing your own vegetables

You might not realize it, but shopping for groceries has something of a serious environmental impact. Unless you’re buying all your food and groceries from a local farmers’ market, it’s more than likely that all your food is being shipped to your location from large farms throughout the country. This is doubly true when you purchase items that are out of season. By growing your own foods, you can eliminate your reliance on expensive and environmentally-impactful shipping methods, instead getting the things that you eat just a few feet away from your home.

Designing your garden

Starting your own beautiful vegetable garden is very easily done; all you need to do is make sure that you’ve got enough yard space to contain your veggies. First, you should do a bit of research and figure out what kind of vegetables will be best grown depending on the current season. Different things grow more readily during different times of the year, and some vegetables have spatial limitations that come with them. Figure out what you can accommodate and what’s in season before you get started.

Once you have a rough idea as to what you’ll plant, you can build yourself a garden. If you’re creating a raised bed, all you need is a square- or rectangle-shaped enclosure. You can simply pour topsoil into it, and then you’re ready to plant your garden. If you’re a complete newcomer, it might be smart to speak to a professional at a nursery or home improvement store, so you can get some advice as to which plants will work out the best for you. You’ve got to make sure that you water and tend your garden regularly, so that you can make sure your vegetables are healthy and tasty.

Image via: Paradise Restored

Adding fancy decorations like a fountain or some garden sculptures will be completely up to you. Either way, a nice backyard vegetable garden gives you some serious peace of mind and helps you save a ton of money on groceries in the process. Whatever your reasoning might be, these steps will help you get started with your very own vegetable garden so that you can live more sustainably each and every day.

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Easy DIY Tips to Build your Own Garden Shed

Building a garden shed is a fairly simple affair and doesn’t require all that much in the way of tools. As far as materials go, that really depends on the size of the shed that you want to build. If you are simply storing garden tools, a smaller shed would work fine and fewer materials are needed. But if you need to store larger equipment, you may need to build a metal barn which requires more materials. If you choose to use wood, the important thing is to use a naturally rot-resistant wood such as cedar and coat it with a weather resistant paint or treatment so as to keep your tools clean and rust free.

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Garden Shed Materials:

1×2 wood

1×3’s wood

2×4’s wood

2×6 wood

Cedar boards

Plywood

Ring shank siding nails

Screws

Hinges

Garden Shed Tools Needed:

Hammer

Saw (preferably a jig saw or circular saw)

Drill

Step 1: Design

The very first thing that you should do before purchasing wood or even touching a tools is put together a blueprint of your garden shed. Our shed is fairly modest with dimensions of 6’x 6’x 2’ and two doors, one door opens to a space with 3 shelves and the other open for longer garden tools such as shovels and rakes. Make sure that the roof is pitched forward to allow rain and snow to run off.

If you don’t have shed plans consider these helpful garden shed design ideas.

Step 2: Garden Shed Tips: The Frame

Start your project with the frame. Using 2×4’s construct your shed’s frame. If you are making a simple shed with one door then you will need two identical frames. If you are going to go with two compartments, as I did, then you will need to construct three identical frames. Next, use 2×4’s to connect the frames at the front and back, both on the top and the bottom. If you have two compartments to your shed with two doors then separate the two compartments with a 1×2 running down the center front of the shed frame. Finish off the frame with a nice 2×6 as a header along the top, front of the frame.

Step 3: Fashion And Fit Floor And Shelves

Cut a piece of plywood to fit as the floor of the shed. Cut the plywood so that the floor rests comfortably on top of the 2×4’s on the bottom of the structure and make sure that it fits correctly around all of the pieces of the frame. Once the floor rests comfortably in the correct position, screw it in place. Next, use 2×4’s to make crosspieces in the middle and right frames in order to support the shelves. Cut the shelves out of plywood and screw them in place.

Step 4: Fashion And Fit Sides And Back

Cut your cedar boards to the correct length and nail them into place along the back and sides of the framing structure.

Step 5: Fashion And Fit The Roof

Cut cedar boards to the correct length and nail them into place on the top of the framing structure. Make sure to leave an overhang along the sides and front.

Step 6: Fashion And Fit The Doors

Cut cedar boards to the required length for your doors and fit them in place with strips of 1×3’s at the top, middle and bottom of the back side of the door. Use 4 1×3’s to frame the front of each door. Screw in a door handle, secure them into the frame with heavy-duty hinges.

Daniel lives outside of Calgary with his wife and two children. He works for FC Locksmith and is a regular contributor to their blog. FC Locksmith offers a full range of locksmith products and services to customers in cities throughout Canada; including, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Ontario.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.