Gardening Tips to Help with the Summer Heat

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Water Regularly

With any garden, you will want to water them on a regular basis. If you notice the soil is drier or your plants are wilting as of late, you may want to consider watering your plants more often. When you water, it is important to not overwater and to water your plants around the base so the roots get the moisture needed. Watering in the morning or evening will allow your plants to soak up the moisture and also keep fungus from growing in your garden.

Provide Shade

If your plants begin to look brown, burnt, or wilted, it is possible your plants are receiving too much sun and heat. Moving your plants into a shadier spot within your yard or providing shade with umbrellas or awnings are ways to provide relief for your garden to help with the summer heat.

Choose Heat Loving Plants

If you have not planted your garden yet, choosing plants that thrive in the heat is something you can do to ensure that your plants will have a higher survival rate than others that may not be as prone to the heat. For more budget garden ideas look at these tips.

Here are some plants that thrive in the summer heat:

• okra
• hibiscus
• cherry tomatoes

Add Mulch

Another gardening tip to help with the summer heat is adding mulch over the top of your plants. Covering the soil of your plants with mulch will help cool the plant and retain moisture.

Following some of these simple gardening tips for your garden will provide some relief for your plants in the hot weather and keep your garden healthy.

Indoor Gardening: Nurturing Houseplants without a Green Thumb

Image via: Pinterest

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Temperature

Temperature is important because most of the houseplants are tropical. Hot and dry conditions do not suit most of them. A moister and cooler environment helps them growing better and they thrive well in colder nights. If you have an adjustable thermostat, reduce the temperature almost 9-10 degrees at night. Plants like moth orchids will bloom early in this temperature.

Image via:  Flickr via Sheree

Light

Light is an essential element for plants. However, the requirement varies from plant to plant. Some plants need more direct light while some others need indirect light but for a longer time. Ferns grow well in darker places but carnivorous and succulents need bright light. On the other hand, plants with plain green foliage need light for a shorter time than flowering plants. South-facing windows will be better for plants that need brighter light.

Humidity and Water

Tropical plants like orchids, calathea, orchids, and ferns enjoy and respond better in a humid condition. Regular hand-held spray will fulfill their daily moisture need. This humid condition can also be created by grouping the plants together on a tray full of damp gravel.During the summer, the houseplants need more water than in winter. However, do not kill them by overwatering. Just keep the compost moist and do not water again until the soil almost dries out. To allow excess water to drain away, put saucers under the planters.

Image via: Mother Nature Network

Feeding

Except flowering plants, most other plants do not need to be feeding to grow. However, a weekly dose of liquid feed will help them grow better. It will always be effective to add a few granules of slow-release fertilizers into the compost of the plants at the time of putting them in the planters. As summer is their growing season, fertilize them during this time. In any case, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines so that you do not kill them by overfeeding.

Pruning & Cleaning

If dust gathers up on leaves, clean them with a piece of damp cloth. Unclean condition hinders the plants’ growth and makes them look ugly as well. On the other hand, it is also necessary to keep them in shape by pruning the wayward branches. Plus, remove the damaged leaves and dying flowers too.

Image via: Homeideasmag

Houseplants can brighten the dark corners, add visual interest, and bring color and texture to your home. Transform your house into a home by applying these tips for nurturing your houseplants.

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

With all of the warm weather and beautiful skies, outdoors is definitely the place to be.  One of the best ways to appreciate this wonderful spring season is to garden.  Yet sometimes deciding on which floral colors to use can be frustrating instead of therapeutic for the gardening process.  But don’t fret there are ways that will help you in choosing the perfect colors for your spring garden, just take a look below on how.

Invite the Spring Season

Image via:  Tracy Gallagher

Take the colors of the spring season and incorporate them into your spring garden.  Now depending on how you want your garden to be displayed, it could be vibrant hues or dull pastels the choice is yours.  For the more of the vibrant and bold scene try planting rich fuchsias, golden yellows, deep violets, lively red-oranges etc.  If you prefer a more calming and soothing presentation then softer pinks, lilacs, and whites will be the colors for your spring garden. 

Match your Personality

Perhaps you want your garden to be more personal versus matching the season.  That’s fine as well; just select the colors that depict your personality and style.  Maybe you have a more reserved personality then lightly colored tulips, white lilies, high colored buttercups etc. are more your direction.  If your personality is more dominant then go for pansies or yellow trillium basically anything that will be a dominant display for your spring garden.

Mix and Match the Colors

Image via: Google

Give your spring garden variety and rhythm by mixing a number of light and dark floras with each other in your garden.  From all of the selections of values within the flowers, it will definitely make your spring garden the true focal point around your home.  Take the more dynamic and eye catching flowers and contrast them with the ones that are more subtle and low key.  You will love the how the mixture flows in your yard.

Less Can Be More

Image via: Fafard

Sometimes you can make a wonderful garden with just a few flower colors.  It doesn’t always have to be a forest in order to be beautiful.  Select maybe 3-4 flowers with different or uniform color patterns and for kicks flowers that differ in shapes and sizes.  If decide on going this route do research before selecting the flowers to know how to care for and maintain them in a group.

Gardening is such a great way to enjoy the outdoors.  And selecting the colors for you garden doesn’t have to be as chaotic as it seems.  Just follow some of the tips above and see how they can work out for you or better yet you can even find out some ideas on your own to choose the colors for your perfect spring garden.

Spring is the perfect time for gardening. The weather is just right and new plants sprout everywhere. If you’ve been dreaming of a beautiful spring garden, make your dream come true this year. A garden requires work, but the end results are worthwhile. Spring gardening is rewarding and something you can look forward to each year. Here are some tips to help you create the perfect garden.

How to Plan Your Spring Garden this Season

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Make a Gardening Plan

A garden plan helps you to plan in advance. It helps with spacing, succession planting, intensive planting, and growing more items in your existing space. It also comes in handy when you have a small garden or are growing plants in containers.

Review Your Previous Garden

If you had a garden before and it flopped, try to examine where you went wrong. Dig out any notes you wrote and review them before planning your seeds and equipment orders. Maps or images of past gardens can also help you learn how to rotate plants and avoid overcrowding them.

Make Your Order with Other Gardeners

Image via: Flickr

If you want to save money or are looking to grow a wide variety of flowers or crops, place your seed order with other gardeners. Additionally, some seed companies offer free seeds or discounts to early birds. However, make sure you avoid ordering more seeds than you need.

Plan Early For Varieties That Take Longer to Grow

Many skilled gardeners forget to plan early for flowers and plants that take long to grow or germinate. Plant foxgloves, peonies, sweet William, pansies, and Canterbury bells early to let their roots get established. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy their beauty in spring.

Try a New Variety of Flowers

Try growing a new plant or crop you’ve never had in your garden before. It can be something you don’t think you’ll like or something that requires a lot of attention. If you are growing food, try eggplants or fresh turnips. If it’s flowers, try rare ones like wild orchids.

Add Ornamentation

Image via: Becky McQuinn

A garden ornament adds new dimension to your garden and updates the space. It can be a bamboo water flute, a gazing globe, or a small stone frog. It makes the space uniquely yours and is a must-have for spring gardening.

For more gardening ideas this spring on Stagetecture, click here.

Now that spring is here, there are still several areas of the world that have snow!! No worries, spring will be coming to your part of the world in no time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use spring to inspire your interiors. Whether you add color to your walls, install new blinds and window treatments, or make an indoor garden, spring can be here instantly! Here are a few tips to bring spring to your interiors, even though the outside may still feel cold.

How to Bring Spring Inside your Home this Season

Bring color and warmth into your interiors:

Add colorful yellows, blues, greens, and spring colors to your interiors for a warmth that can be seen and felt. Try painting an accent wall or transform your bedroom, kitchen or living room walls. Bathrooms are ideal for quick color changes with bath linen, towels, area rugs and more. Consider changing window treatments to suit the weather too. Often times heavy winter curtains were perfect for colder weather but now blinds, sheers, or even lighter weight fabrics are ideal. Window treatment brands, such as ashanging.com have a great ideas for mounting artwork, drapery, and more, as do your local home improvement store. Ask an associate for the right window treatments for your geographic location to help!

Image via: Houzz

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Create your own indoor garden:

Replicating Mother Nature’s magic indoors is harder than most people think. However, the end results are usually worth the effort. Many homeowners grow indoor plants for spring décor. Others do so to save space and protect susceptible plants. Whether you’re growing an indoor garden for fun or out of necessity, follow these tips for success.

Image via: Classifica

Choose the Gardening Style

Indoor gardening is divided into two styles: hydroponic gardening and container gardening. A hydroponic garden uses fertilized water and a non-soil starter. It is suitable for those looking to grow many plants in a small area or those growing plants that are highly susceptible to pests and diseases. Container gardening on the other hand refers to growing plants in containers using traditional gardening soil. It is a great option for those who want to eventually transplant their gardens outdoors.

Select the Right Space

It is important to choose the right space for your indoor garden. Pick an area with a window and sunlight, possibly an east or west-facing window. Avoid areas near vents or fans as these can dry out the plants or damage them. Also avoid rooms with cold temperatures like garages or attics as they can kill or decrease the growth of your plants.

Control the Environment

Image via: Mondays with Love

You can control the environment of an indoor garden for lovely spring decor. While this can be tasking, it significantly increases your garden’s success when done properly. There are 3 vital things you must control for a beautiful indoor garden:

• Soil condition
• Air temperature
• Water frequency

These are usually determined by the system of gardening you use and the specific plants you grow. However, there are some helpful tools you can use to easily control the environment.

Heat Soil Mats

These are electric mats that heat pots from the bottom and regulate the temperature of the soil. They create the right environment for plants to thrive (75-85ᵒ Fahrenheit).

A Drip System

It can be easy to forget watering your plants. Instead of setting daily reminders, get a drip system. The device has a timer and small tubes that supply water to each plant.

Lighting

Windows let in a little light which may not be sufficient for your indoor plants. Fluorescent lights are a good option for artificial lighting. They are inexpensive and produce great results. You can also buy a heat-lamp for your indoor garden.

For more spring ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

It is a brand New Year and let’s enhance your interiors with Mother Nature. Green living with plants not only boosts your health but beautifies your space.  That’s right for this New Year create visually pleasing aesthetics for your interiors with plants that will liven up your space.  Sometimes we can get discouraged because we have be so painfully reminded that not all of us have a green thumb but you don’t necessarily have to be a gardening expert in order to tastefully design and maintain your fauna throughout the year.  So take a look below at how to place and care for your indoor plants for the New Year.

Transform your Interiors with Plants

Select a Good Plant

The first step to setting up a semi-garden within your home is to first pick out plants that you actually want and ones that will be easiest for you to care for.  Rosemary plants, Peace Lily, Snake Plant, Weeping Fig, Spider Plant etc. are great for first timers.  Not only are they some of the easier plants to maintain but they also will add their own natural air filtering to the room and beauty to the décor.  You can research online or visit your local Home Depot store to help figure out which one is good for you.

Image via: Matthew Millman

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Pick a Pot

The pot will be an essential part to the look and care of the plant.  You want the plant to be show cased in a container that enhances its beauty as well as having enough room to breathe and grow.  Now the pot selection will depend on you and your taste.  If you prefer a more refined look then terra cota and glazed pots would be your speed, plus they are great for keeping plants moisturized.  However, if you want to be more cost effective yet efficient then the plastic containers would be more ideal for you.  It all depends on your needs and what

The pot will be an essential part to the look and care of the plant.  You want the plant to be show cased in a container that enhances its beauty as well as having enough room to breathe and grow.  Now the pot selection will depend on you and your taste.  If you prefer a more refined look then terra cota and glazed pots would be your speed, plus they are great for keeping plants moisturized.  However, if you want to be more cost effective yet efficient then the plastic containers would be more ideal for you.  It all depends on your needs and what

Choose the Location

You want to put your plants in a place that will give them the most sunlight, moderate temperatures and be best shown off.  Now depending on the types of plants that you get will determine the type of care they will need.  However you will probably like to use places like the dining room, living room, or even the kitchen to display your indoor faunas just solely based on the amount of light they would receive in these areas.  Another tip is to keep the soil moisturized but not drowning them,  having them sprayed on a consistent basis that way the soil stays moist yet not overwhelmed.

Image via:  Stylusa

Change the Scenes

Your plants don’t always have to stay in the brightest places even though it is more ideal.  But there are those times where you might like having them in the den or the foyer.  You can most definitely accomplish that.  Give your plant a set time if you plan on putting them in an area where they will not be receiving the amount of light that they would need.  Like, you may put your Peace Lily in the den for a few days or a week just to refresh the scenes.  That decision is completely fine just be sure to keep the plants healthy and maintained if you plan on doing so.

Image via: MN Design by Mauricio Nava

Plants are great outdoors but can be a fascinating sight indoors.  And you do not have to have a green thumb in order to keep them.  So go for it and create your own plant paradise to brighten your interiors.  Not only does it give an organic appeal but it will also add a revitalizing tranquility to the space.  What creative ways do you Transform your Interiors with Plants?

For more green living tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you looking for a way to bring a beautiful and greener home? We all would like to be inspired by the view of nature within our very own home aquarium systems that can help the environment and society as a whole.  However, with most aquariums they require much maintenance and are not sustainable ecosystems for the environment.  But now there is a solution to this issue and that is the EcoQube.  The EcoQube is a recirculation system that has the fish produce nutrients for the plants that grow above it.

A Greener Way to Beautify your Home – The New EcoQube 

The minds behind this production, Kevin Liang and Eric Suen two UC San Diego students and founders of Aqua Design Innovations, were intrigued by planted aquatic ecosystems and turned their curiosity into a reality.  They were realizing some of the major challenges in today’s society are food and water storage.  So they both made the decision of using their well-equipped knowledge of aquariums to introduce the concept of aquaponics (a method of sustainable food production) and the greatness of a sustainable ecosystem to as many people as possible.

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The way the EcoQube works is that the fish will excrete waste into the water column within the aquarium, and then the aquaponics filter will convert the fish excretion (ammonia) into fertilizer (Nitrates).  The plants that are on the aquaponics filter such as basil, flowers, mint etc. will absorb the fertilizer and grow.  The finishing result will be a natural, self-sustainable ecosystem that will also be is to care for and maintain.

The EcoQube will also come with a K-12 Curriculum about the science behind aquaponics and self-sustainable ecosystems.  Eric and Kevin would both like for children as well as adults to learn how their natural ecosystems work.  Over 70% of global freshwater is used for agricultural and quacultural purposes.

Billions of gallons of water for those two purposes are being contaminated with pesticides, fertilizer and wastes.  Aquaponics will use less than 90% of water than the traditional agriculture does without the wastes, grow food 30%-50% faster without pesticides, create healthier marine life farmed in this environment and it will all be completely organic.

If you are interested for more information, then visit the website at the top and be inspired to make our world a better place! Please help Eric and Kevin achieve their goals and help this awesome cause at Aquaponics Filter.com.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Now that summer is here your home’s curb appeal and interior decoration will be a focal point. By making some simple tweaks, you can make your home look bright and inviting to your summer guests. Below are some tips on how you can make your home cozier for the shiny days. Use these tips to find the perfect landscaping plants and spruce up your house summer.

Image via: Tuvalu Home

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Choose the right landscaping plants

Landscaping is one of the first things that you should think of as the days start getting longer and the sun starts to shine bright. This is because after you plant, you will have the whole summer season to enjoy your great choice of landscaping plants. The best choices for this time are plants that have bright colors.

Roses are some of the great plants that will help soak up the summer sun. In fact, hot cocoa rose can be a great centerpiece in your garden. Your visitors will be stunned with the great effect that this rose has when grown against a white backdrop (fence or wall).

The sunray is another plant that will add great value to your garden. This plant shines bright with its large, yellow flowers. Additionally, it is easy to grow and does not need any specialized care.

Other plants that can be added to this list include Little Carlow, butterfly bush, bluebeard shrub and day lilies among others.

Image via: Martha Picciotti

Add inviting color to your interior decoration

Yes, you can’t keep changing your furniture every three months as the season changes. However, you can make some simple changes and add some interior décor which you can store up till the next summer.

For example, you may want to do some nice interior plantscaping with some bright, beautiful pot plants. These can also be complimented with beautiful, fake plants.

Get rid of any dark pieces in your living room and feel free to throw open the doors and windows of your house.

You can also buy some accent dishes that can add the summer feel in your next dinner party.

Finally, consider rearranging your furniture away from the fireplace during summer. You can then shift the focus to French doors or a beautiful window.

Image via: Georgiana Design

Decorating your house during summer may have seemed hard, but with the above tips, you will surprise your guests whenever they want to drop by this summer. For most people, summer is a time to relax and enjoy the bright weather. With these tips, it is not only the environment that will be shining, your home will too.

For more summer home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Your home’s exterior provides the first impression for guests coming into your home. The challenges of the external environment are never taken as an excuse for a dull home exterior. You can definitely do something to brighten up your home exterior and impress your guests from the outside.

One of the best parts of your home exterior that can be enhanced is the window boxes. The window boxes provide a great canvass for a perfect outdoor masterpiece. It’s the part of your home where you can create an impact and change the looks of your home exterior.

Image via: Shop Terrain

Try these creative ideas on brightening your exterior home with summer window boxes:

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Alternative flowers:

Kale or borecole is actually a vegetable that you can place in your exterior windows. It’s an attractive plant with green or purple leaves that are very attractive even when you look from afar. The leaves of the kale plant form a beautiful landscape for your window boxes. You can have Peacock or Nagoya kale combined with lemon cypress and purple violas.

Image via: Charleston Mag

Draw a focal point with your window box:

There’s no better way to make an impression than to create a contrast. You can showcase a winter-look in your window boxes by having a one element that will draw attention. For instance, you can have tall pyramid-shaped boxwood as your focal point. Match your boxwood with red nandina berries for a superb look.

Image via: Ellen Zee

Window boxes that create a statement:

If you want to make an impression, you have to make your window boxes interesting and unique. Think about what you have in your garden. Mix and match the foliage and everything you have to create a masterpiece. You can have different flowering plants as a combination.

Take time to plan for your window boxes before you start. Try the above-mentioned ideas and you will certainly get the most of your home’s exterior. Try switching out your plants seasonally and consider using artificial flowers if the climate is too hot or cold to sustain real flowers year around.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/brightening-your-exterior-home-with-summer-window-boxes/feed/ 0 48527 https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-improving-any-room-this-spring-with-plants/ https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-improving-any-room-this-spring-with-plants/#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:20:48 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=46943 Guest Blogger #935, Entry #2313, April 19, 2013

Your decor is just as unique as you are, and sometimes it’s hard to find house-ready houseplants that fit with your scheme. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can incorporate houseplants into your home and take advantage of the benefits they bring—extra oxygen and improved mood—no matter how you’ve chosen to decorate your home.

Image via: Eric Figge Photography

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Here’s how:

Analyze Your Decor

Every room is unique, but all styles share common and identifiable design elements. What elements does your room have? Is there a little English cottage and midcentury modern? Colonial and Moroccan? Oriental and Art Deco? There are so many combinations you could have in your home, so start with identifying the elements you have.

Now do your research and find plants that fit with those elements, and your color scheme. If your room has three or more elements, pick one element you want to emphasize; either the one that’s least emphasized or your favorite one—maybe you want to emphasize it more! If there are just two easily identifiable décor elements in your room, it’s best to pick two plants that fit with those elements; you could put daffodils and Persian Buttercups in a room that evokes both Wordsworth’s country cottage and a Moroccan bazaar.

Stage the Plants

Go into the room you’ve chosen the plants for. Where do you envision yourself putting these plants?

Is the room warm? Good, that’s as it should be. Is there a lot of direct sunlight? If not, that’s okay; you’ll just have to buy some grow lights to give your plants the light they need.

Decide how you want to stage your plants in one pot? A series of three? One long box? Think about it, picture it in your mind, and buy your pots according to the picture you like the most.

Image via: Joshua McHugh

Pick a Pot (or Three?)

Potting is an important step—a poorly chosen pot will stick out like a rat in any room. Don’t just go with the (likely green) plastic pot it came in—make the effort to find a pot that works as well with your décor as the plant you have chosen.

You must begin with the end in mind when choosing pots. Look at the room and decide

You can look at craft and other home goods stores, you can look at thrift shops, you can look online—there are so many cool places to find unique containers for your houseplants! Depending on what you have in mind, your planters and pots may be easier or more difficult to find; midcentury modern is much easier to find than, say, Victorian.

Then simply repot your plant, either completely or by putting the first pot into your new pot. And now you have lovely houseplants that fit with your décor!

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.