Simple Tips to Bring Autumn to your Front Door this Season

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Wreaths or Swag

Wreaths or swags are possibly the most common elements that are used to décor the front door during autumn. What you have to take care is if the front door wreath is complementing to the design and color of your porch and entryway. Traditional harvest, autumn foliages, artificial or natural fruits and flowers, peacock feathers, acorns, pinecones, etc. are common materials used for making such wreaths. You can either buy or custom-make such a wreath and hang on your front door.

Instead of wreaths, you can go for buckets full of fall flowers too. Attach a hook to your door and hang one or two rustic-style bucket filled with fall blooms like small sized flowers and red-colored berries. Swag wreaths offer a gorgeous way to display rustic elements like this Autumn Wreath Swag are nice additions to welcome guests. Visit our fall wreaths on How to Make a Burlap Wreath!

Use Fall Harvest & Plants

Gourds and pumpkins are common fall harvest and are essential part of fall décor. Line the front steps of your home with metallic or wooden gourds and pumpkins and pots of fall flowers like asters, mums, heuchera, verbena, oxalis, etc. Hang a door-framing garland made of black feathers. This garland and pumpkins will bring an early Halloween feel into your porch.

Weekend Gardening: Edibles to Grow This Spring

How to Grow Container Herbs

Herbs are ideal for container gardens. They are easy to plant and thrive and they are low-maintenance. Having your fresh, favorite herbs ready to be used is the ultimate key to creating delightful dishes. Some of the herbs like mint are better to be grown in containers since they can grow easily and take up a lot of space if planted in a garden. Some ideas for herbs to be planted are oregano, parsley, thyme, and cilantro, all of which can be harvested and dried if needed. Other ideas are to plant basil, lemongrass, and rosemary. Those herbs require larger containers if not planted in a garden. Here are some herbs we love to grow.

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Weekend Gardening: Learn to Grow Strawberries in a Container

Strawberries are great to be grown in containers or a garden. They can be harvested and turned into delicious marmalades, desserts, sauces or ice cream and even be frozen to be used at a later time. Containers are ideal for growing strawberries because they will grow over the edges and not get in touch with the soil, making them easy to thrive and eat. Hanging containers can also add to any balcony’s appeal. Just make sure to plant a lot of strawberry plants, since you will want to have many of those aromatic fruits to enjoy.

How about a yummy Citrus Plant for your Weekend Gardening?

Although many think citrus trees grow only in warm climates, you can succeed in growing your own lemon, lime or orange tree even in colder areas. Just plant the tree in a large pot and move it into a warmer place – even inside – in the cold months. They may not produce very big citrus fruits, but they will be for sure filled with taste, juice, and fragrance.

These are just some ideas of many edibles you could plant that are easy to grow and to maintain without much effort. The effect, though, of having your own oranges or basil to use is so much greater than the effort it takes. Just go ahead and plant your favorite edible to enjoy them throughout spring, summer and even fall!

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

DIY Forced Spring Blooms – Choosing the Best Flowers & Materials

Image via: Woven Home

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Materials Needed:

• Working gloves
• Pruning shears or scissors
• Plant container (bottles, vases, or jars)
• Floral preservatives

Choose your preferred shrubs or trees:

• Shrubs:

  • Forsythia
  • Wintersweet
  • Honeysuckles
  • Spiraea
  • Flowering squince

• Trees:

  • Red Maple
  • Pear
  • Apple
  • Redbud
  • Apricot Cherry

  

  Image via: The Cranes Nest

Procedure:

1. Cut the branch of the shrubs or trees. Make sure that you carefully identify the swollen or plump buds before cutting.
2. Trim the ends of the branch. Remove any twig at about 3 – 4 inches from its bottom.
3. Slit the branch in different directions. It should be around ½ inch long. Use the pruning shear or sharp scissors to perform this step. Mash the ends of the slit into a hard surface. This will allow the ends to splay and encourage water absorption.
4. Submerge the branch completely in a container of cold to lukewarm water. Have the branches soaked overnight.
5. Position the branch upright in your container and place it in a cool and dark area. A basement or hall closet will do. Leave the branch until buds are beginning to show signs of growth. This is about a week or two depending on the type of branch you choose.
6. Then, relocate the plant into your desired location.

The whole process doesn’t end in relocation. You should take care of the plant more than ever. Perform a normal maintenance procedure just like any other plant. You will be surprise that you just did it!

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Plants are generally dependent on their environment. The winter environment has something to do with their capability to bloom. But with proper intervention, you can make it possible.

How to Force Blooms from Tree Branches for Spring Flowers

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Consider these effective ideas to force spring flowers to bloom during the cooler months. Here’s a helpful bulb calendar to know when to plant your bulbs to force blooms. Empress of Dirt has a great article about forcing bulbs to bloom. We love their chart below:

Image via: Empress of Dirt

Proper timing to cut tree branches

The majority of spring flowers requires an ample time of cold dormancy. This will allow them to adapt to indoor locations and force them to bloom. It is best to cut the branches while it is still relatively warm. You can opt to start in mid-January until late February or early March. See to it that the branches are well taken care of during this transition period.

Spring Flowers: Know what to cut

This is a crucial step in the whole process. This will make or break everything that you plan. When cutting, make sure that you look for swollen and plump buds.  Look for larger and rounder buds for a better branch. You have to cut it long enough to display the branch at an angle. Use proper cutting tools in this process.

Avoid branches getting dry

You have to maintain proper moisture to the branches. Cover the branch with a plastic bag loosely or have them mist daily to avoid drying. Make sure that the water doesn’t stick in the container and becomes cloudy. Place the container in a cool place for quick recovery and transition.

Expect to see the buds starting to open within 1 – 6 weeks. But the care and maintenance for the spring flowers should be consistent all throughout.

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

How to Make a Succulent Terrarium Tutorial

Image via: West Elm

Today you will see how to make a soil terrarium and watch a video on how to build one in a glass container or a bottle.

Image via: Etsy – Doodle Birdie – Succulent Terrarium

How to Make a Glass Terrarium:

Link to –> How to Make a Glass Terrarium Video

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How to make a glass terrarium:

You don’t have to miss all the greenery of your garden this winter. Just add a terrarium it will provide the green foliage you want in the interior. This wonderful piece of art is a great indoor plant decoration. It will add color to your space and enhance the oxygen supply in the room.

The terrarium is getting popular for its exceptional beauty and functionality. It makes a certain area at home look better and greener. If you’re interested in having this masterpiece, you can do it by yourself at home. You just have to prepare all the materials and tools needed for this project.

Terrarium Supplies:

• Glass container or glass terrarium
• Charcoal
• Soil
• Succulents, cacti or garden plants
• Working gloves
• Hand trowel
• Watering can

Directions:

1. Scatter the charcoal in the base of your glass container. This should be at least 1-2 inches thick. Leave a handful of charcoal.
2. Mix the remaining charcoal with a decent amount of soil. Use hand trowel and working gloves in mixing.
3. Add another layer of pure soil. This should cover at least a quarter or half of the container. Compress the soil gently as you fill in the layer. The process will prevent large air pockets.
4. Place your plants on top of the layered soil. Provide enough space for each plant you place. This will allow you to insert additional soil in between spaces.
5. Press the pack of soil around the plants. Do this gently and ensure that the roots are fully covered and that the plants will not go too far beyond the container.
6. Water the plants and place it in a conducive area where sunlight is present.
7. Allow the plants to adapt in its new location before relocating it to your desired area indoor.

Image via: West Elm

After placing your terrarium indoors, bear in mind that you still have to take care of it regularly. You have to water the plants regularly and trim the excess foliage that go beyond the container. This is definitely a worthwhile project you can do this winter! If you don’t feel like making a terrarium you can buy one from Terrain, we love their terrariums!

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture and more succulent care ideas, click here.

Image via: Pinterest

Essential Gardening Tips for Summer

Image via: BHG

Water Plants Regularly

The harsh summer heat can take its toll on your garden. If you don’t water your plants adequately, the roots will stay close to the surface and become more prone to heat. Water them deeply to make the roots dig deeper.  Keep the water level at one inch every week to make the plants flourish.

Keep Pests at Bay

Pests can turn your beautiful summer garden into a disaster. To keep them at bay, monitor the garden carefully. If you are growing roses, watch out for aphids and mildew. You can also reapply pepper wax to keep rabbits, deer, and other big pests away.

Stake Tall Plants

Image via: BC Living

If you are growing tall, herbaceous plants, put stakes in place. This prevents them from looking messy or falling lower as they grow tall and heavy. Also use supports for climbers so as to control their growth and prevent an untidy appearance.

Prune Shrubs

While many shrubs don’t need pruning, some that flower in spring and early summer will greatly benefit from it after flowering. Pruning keeps your shrubs looking beautiful season after season. A great time to prune is immediately after things bloom as this prevents you from pruning flower buds.

Choose Plants with a Wide Root System

Image via: The Garden Glove

To start your garden off on the right foot, choose perennials, biennials, or heat resistant crops as opposed to annuals. This is because most annuals have shallow roots that dry out easily in the harsh summer heat.

Fertilize Well

Fertilizer is one of the major things that help plants thrive. Fertilize the soil before you plant to make sure your plants withstand the stress of dry weather and high heat. Use organic compost and sustainable stock-free fertilizers. If you have already planted, use liquid fertilizers to give your plants a boost.

Use these summer gardening tips to create a stunning garden. Afterwards you can sit, relax, and enjoy summer in your garden.

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

The sun is shining and we all love the outdoors more and more. So it’s about time to give the backyard patio a make-over! Here are some great tips on how to give your backyard patio all what it needs for it to become one of the most used areas of your home in the warmer months ahead.

Backyard Patio Ideas for Spring

Plants, plants, plants

The most important things to have for a beautiful backyard patio are plants. A large variety of flowers, herbs, small trees and greenery is essential to give a natural feel to any backyard, especially so in spring. They will provide the area with stunning colors, wonderful smells and a soothing vibe to make the backyard patio a perfect spot to relax.

Image via: BHG

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Use Water Accents

Water is an important aspect for any backyard patio. It is another natural element that adds to the natural look and feel of any area and should be clever integrated to maximize its effect. Try to have running water to take advantage of the soothing effect of the sound it makes.

Image via: Onekindesign

Choose Furniture and Fabric

Choosing the right furniture is essential to make the most out of the available space. Choose comfortable, cozy furniture you will love to sink in after a long day in order to wind down and relax. Keep in mind to look for practicability, too. Outdoor furniture should be easy to maintain and clean, and looking for portability and easy storage should be an aspect, too, if only limited storage space is available.

Clever fabric and color choosing can add immensely to the character of your backyard patio. Think about vibrant color pallets that will remind you of Africa, Asia or Europe to give a more exotic look to the patio and that will make you feel like being on a mini-vacation each time you relax in this area.

Image via: HGTV

It would be a shame to let the extra outdoor space go to a waste when you can get such great use out of it! What Backyard Patio Ideas for Spring will you try this season?

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Terrariums are a great way to plants inside that can brighten up any corner of your home. It is easy to make your very own mini-terrariums that actually don’t cost much and are a fun DIY craft at any day. Here is how.

Image via: Kristin Eldridge

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DIY Craft: How to make a Mini-Terrarium

Supplies

1 plastic fish bowl or other clear container

Small stones

Potting soil

Plants (e.g. succulents)

For decoration: Small ornaments, stones, moss, figurines etc.

Image via: Pinterest

Procedure

1. Place a one-inch thick layer of small stones at the bottom of the container. The stones will help with the water drainage. You can additionally place a thin layer of activated charcoal to keep the water clean and another thin layer of sphagnum moss, which will keep the soil in place.

2. Next, add a 2-inch layer of potting soil on top of the small stones.

3. Add your decorative stones, plants and ornaments in a beautiful arrangement. Make sure to use different heights and textures and also a little color to keep things interesting. Don’t overfill it though, in order to give each plant enough room to grow.

Image via: A Beautiful Mess

Keep the terrarium in moderate to indirect sunlight and water the plants occasionally by spraying some water on them. If you are using plastic containers, consider hanging them from the ceiling using some hooks and chains. They will be an eye-catching piece in your home décor.

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

There’s no question that plants add beauty to any home. The vibrant colors and the soothing ambiance that plants provide to your home are necessary elements for comfortable living. Even with limited home area, a home garden is something that should be present and considered seriously. Besides, there are several home garden ideas such as container garden ideas that are intended for limited home space.

Spring Gardening: Creative Container Garden Ideas

One of the best garden ideas for limited home space is the container gardening. This will provide you with the necessary area for your plants to grow without getting a large portion of your backyard. Container gardening is also great when you want your plants to be movable. You can simply transfer or rearrange the containers from one area to another. Check out these creative container gardening ideas:

Consider a cast-concrete pool

This gardening idea is best for miniature gardens. With cast-concrete pool container, you can simply add plumbing devices for the plants without interfering your landscape. A cast-concrete pool container garden can be a great centerpiece to any area of your home. For best results, a combination of plants like Hostas, Violas and Blue Phlox make a perfect landscape.

Image via: HGTV

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Use uneven containers

Randomly arranged uneven containers will command attention to any of your guests. This gardening idea provides a great view of your landscape in various angles. You can also play with different plant varieties that will fit the size of your containers. A combination of Pansies, Violas, Panolas, Grass and Ivy will give you a beautiful masterpiece.

Image via: Gardenclub Homedepot

Consider terra cotta pots

The classic clay pot can certainly attract your guests in so many ways. It has a timeless appeal to anyone who comes to see your home. With the classic clay pot idea, you can always count on having the neatness and elegance of a garden at home. The mixed succulents garden idea is one of the popular trends these days.

Image via: Pinterest

So, next time that you think of enhancing your home, consider the above-mentioned container gardening ideas. You will definitely appreciate the beauty of nature right before your eyes. What spring gardening ideas will you try this season?

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Terrariums are a great way of bringing some greenery indoors especially during the cooler fall and winter months. Cooler weather gardening is wonderful for your indoor home. Green is the most common color found in nature. It is relaxing to the eyes and soothes erratic nerves. Unlike traditional gardens, terrariums create an ecosystem of their own in the glass jars and therefore they require very little care. The moisture caught in the closed glass jar is recycled and they do not require frequent watering to survive.

Here are five easy steps to create your own indoor garden: 

Image via: West elm blog

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What you need:

• A large glass jar with a tight lid,
• Three or four small plants like ferns and mosses
• Potting soil,
• Activated charcoal,
• Pebbles and
• Few decorative knick knacks

Image via: Driven by decor blog

1. Start with a clean dry glass jar. Layer your glass jar with rocks and pebbles. The pebbles help with the drainage and the layer should be anywhere between 1 – 4 inches deep depending on the depth of your glass jar

2. Next, add a few table spoons of activated charcoal on the top. Charcoal will ensure that excess moisture is absorbed and recycled. This will help the terrarium remain clean and healthy

3. Once the base of pebbles and charcoal is ready, add the soil. Moisten it well

4. You are now ready to place the plants in the soil. Make a hole in the soil with your fingers and place your plant. Remember that the leaves of your plants should not touch the glass. The plants must be placed in the middle of the jar to avoid mold and prevent the plants from rotting. Avoid over stuffing the terrarium with plants. You can cover the soil with moss if you like.

5. Finally, you can have fun decorating your terrarium. Place plastic animals or polymer clay mushrooms. You could also place a little house to create a fairy garden. Use your imagination and add interesting elements to your indoor garden.

Image via: 8oaksterrariums

Place the terrarium in indirect sunlight and water the soil with a few table spoons of water for the first few days. If you notice any condensation, open the lid for a few hours. Most terrariums are hassle free once the ecosystem is on track. Create a few of these and you can proudly show off your cooler weather gardening and this creative terrarium.

For more gardening ideas on Stagetecture, click here.