The summer is coming, and it’s time to start thinking about how to jazz up the garden as you and your family will be spending many hours sitting in it. So let’s take a look at some of the exciting options out there in terms of pergola kits and garden furniture. Many kinds of materials can be used to make your garden beautiful, but as you read on you will find that we are focusing on one particularly beautiful and special look.

First of all, do you live in a very hot climate where you would need some shade to feel comfortable in the garden? If so, you may want to put up a pergola. A pergola consists of a shaded area made from pillars supporting crossbeams and a lattice. Very often people like to grow plants, such as vines or ivy over it, adding to its beauty. A pergola does not have to cover your entire yard or garden, but just one area such as a terrace or a patio. This way, you can sit outside in the shade but still be able to look at the sunshine over the flowerbeds in your garden. These days, pergolas are made from weather-resistant or painted and stained wood, though you can also find some varieties that are made from vinyl.

The easiest way to build your own pergola is to buy a kit. These kits come in all varieties, from corner pergolas to wall pergolas. If you look hard enough, you will even find a hot tub pergola! Getting a kit may cost you a lot of money on the one hand, but on the other hand it will save you a huge headache in terms of working out a design, cutting the wood, and setting it up. They are made in such a way that even if you are not a great DIY expert, you can probably assemble it yourself. And if not, the cost of using a local handyman is still less than having to hire a major carpenter or craftsman to do the work for you.

Another option for your garden, to go with your beautiful new pergola, is a garden deck. Usually made from wood, this can create the most beautiful enclosed area. Think of serving drinks in the garden or hosting outdoor parties and barbecues. Having a deck will create hours of fun for you and your family. These are also usually made from weather resistant or reinforced wood in a style that gives a certain maritime or chalet twist to your home.

Last but not least, you need to find the best garden furniture to go with your new deck. As you have so far opted for the wood look, be consistent here as well. Buy garden furniture from weatherproof, sturdy wood such as teak, which withstands the heat as well as the rain, and your luxury shaded garden deck will be complete.

As you see, wood is extremely beautiful inside the house, but it is also a wonderful resource for outside.

In most Western countries, having a great backyard can give a home a great deal of plus. In the backyard, you can have children play in the yard, provide your family some privacy and safety, and above all, give you a lot of avenue for family activities.

Below are suggested backyard decor ideas that can turn your backyard into your own paradise:

1. If you don’t have one, create a patio at the back of the house that is adjacent to your French windows or backdoor. You can add stone decoration or put on some of your favorite plants.

2. Try to invest some garden chairs and table plus add a pleasant sunshade so you can spend a lot of time eating or reading outside.

3. You can buy a recliner for that perfect sunbathing.

4. Place some great outdoor rugs. Make sure that your outdoor rug is durable from outside elements. Outdoor rugs are very important as these stop the dirt taken into your house as family members or guests come in and out.

With the ever increasing prices of property it is sometimes necessary to adapt rather than move if you are looking to create more living space. No matter if you are looking for a place to relax or something more functional you could use areas of your yard and bring the indoors out.

There are many advantages in using your deck or patio as extra living space and one of the best reasons is that it is a great place to entertain friends and family. You are less likely to worry about people dropping anything on your carpets, knocking over precious ornaments or staining your white cotton sofa.

You are not limited to new furniture for your patio to relax and watch TV when creating an outdoor space. Having a barbecue is not the only type of cooking that you can do outside. There are many wonderful outdoor kitchen designs that will include everything that you are used to when using an indoor kitchen, plus more. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a large home, most kitchens are never as big as we would like, but by using all the empty space in your yard will ensure that you have the kitchen of your dreams.

The atmosphere of an outdoor area is always more relaxing especially when you add candles or patio lighting. Plants placed in the right position will caste haunting shadows as the candles flicker in the wind. If you don’t intend to use your new area for entertainment you will enjoy the solitude that it allows. As you can see no matter what your reason is, extending your living space into your backyard is a great idea.

Due to a large number of pool drowning, Australian federal and state governments agreed to impose a pool fence regulations – making it compulsory for households with pools to install a perimeter around the pool to protect those little lives. Many pool owners went ahead and installed steel tubular fences, practically putting their pool behind bars and halving the backyard. Now many of these people go back, remove the steel fences and install a nicely looking, stylish glass pool fence.

There are two Australian standards that the glass pool fencing must comply with: Australian Standard AS2208 – Safety Glazing Materials in Buildings and AS1926.1 – Swimming Pool Safety. The first is a regulation for the glass safety and the latter makes sure that the glass fence is too hard to climb and the gate too hard to open for small children. According to these standards the glass must be strong enough to withstand physical impact and if broken the fractures of glass must be harmful to minimise the likelihood of injury.

These are actually pool security regulations and pool fence is just a small component. Other factors include house window, property perimeter fence and anything climbable, what children can use to climb and jump over the fence in order to get to the pool.

Glass pool fencing brings a classy feel to your pool area, completing the landscape. Often, you won’t even notice it right away – the unobstructed view makes glass a very attractive option. Unlike normal steel fencing, glass pool fence doesn’t make your backyard look smaller. In actual fact, many customers report that their backyard started to look bigger after the new glass pool fence went in.

There are two types of glass pool fence: frameless and semi-frameless. Frameless fence sits in two spigots which are fixed to the ground. There are no supporting vertical poles between the glass pieces. Semi-frameless fence is attached into vertical supporting poles between each glass fence. Both types provide the same type of security; however, frameless fence requires thicker glass, which makes it more expensive.

While there are many companies offering DIY kits for glass pool fence, it is highly recommended to get a contractor to install your fence. It is very easy to break glass when it’s not handled properly. You may save on the price of the kit, but it may end up more costly if something goes wrong.

If you live in Western Australia, we recommend a Perth-based company, Safety & Style Glass Pool Fencing Perth. They are very professional in what they do and will not rest until the customer is fully satisfied with the job.

Revamping the front porch can put a whole new face on the front of your home. A stylish porch can also make this outdoor space more livable and enjoyable during warm weather. The subsequent article discusses ways to decorate your front porch for greater curb appeal and more stylish living. Given that a porch is a great place to relax and spend time with the family; it’s only natural that you want it to be more inviting and more comfortable for everyone.

Not all makeover projects require major expansion or a complete constructional overhaul of a structure. While such projects may ultimately make for a better porch, there are more economical and practical ways for enhancing this section of the house. You don’t have to spend a fortune doing it either; you can easily make over your porch and the front of your home without blowing your entire decorating budget.

Red Porch Decor
Of course, that isn’t to say that homeowners can’t have a bit of fun with their porch either. Since porch décor can easily be changed, consider something thematic for your porch makeover. This might mean decorating around something as simple as color. For instance, red always adds great drama to a setting. A red front door or a plain wooden door topped with a red berry and red area rug can add a great and stylish feature to your home and your porch.

Country-style Porch Décor
If you have a cottage style home you could revamp the front porch with a botanical theme. Ivy might be stenciled on banisters and railings, for example. Porch steps might be outfitted with a few botanical tiles or refurbished with cobblestone. Hanging baskets of flowers commonly found in an English garden are a wonderful addition to your porch and can create an inviting and fresh feel to your home decor. Adding floral rugs can also be a great idea.

Victorian-style Porch Decor
If the English cottage porch is too informal for the style of your home, consider a formal Victorian approach, which is characterized by wrought iron furniture. The elegance of wrought iron has a distinctly Victorian feel and will provide a classic appearance to the front of the home. Additionally, matching wrought iron porch rails will tie these design elements together. A few frosted glass hanging planters add a touch of extra style and panache to the front of your home and your porch.

Contemporary Porch Decor
Simply updating a few select porch features with contemporary props can provide this area with a brand new look. A simple fountain, a functional bench or an outdoor area rug can add a touch of charm that might be right for your setting. Even matching hardware for your door, mailbox, and street numbers can enhance your porch and the front of your home decor without going to much effort or cost.

Giving your porch a unique style is simply another way to enjoy this section of your home. It can make a functional porch into a great place for relaxing or enjoying the outdoors with a family member or friends. Consider your options carefully and most of all make it a wonderful place for everyone to spend time in.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Indoor fountains and outdoor fountains can add a certain pizzazz to your home. Find out which style of fountain suits your home best.

When you want to add a different look to your home consider adding a fountain. There are several different types of fountains to choose from so you will have a huge selection to choose from including indoor fountains and outdoor fountains. Fountains can be great centerpieces in any home and in any room. They come in all different shapes and sizes you can imagine.

Indoor Fountains

There are several choices to indoor fountains. You can get them small enough to fit on your side tables or so big that you need to walk around them. The fountains can have several advantages to them including design and style. Businesses sometimes use indoor fountains to advertise their name and logo. The fountain is usually placed in the company’s waiting room where it can keep their customers entertained by the falling water trickling down. This is sometimes used as a distraction so the customers do not realize how long they have waited and become agitated.

In a home you can offer your guests the same feeling. Adding a fountain can be quite eye catching and will allow your guests the pleasure of watching the water slowly falling down to the bottom of the fountain as they listen to the peaceful sound. The indoor water fountain should be placed in a room that you entertain or where you and your family spend a lot of time.

Outdoor Fountains

If you enjoy gardening you will love the thought of adding an outdoor fountain to complete your flower garden. The outdoor fountain can be added along with a bench to sit on and maybe even a statue or monument. You can purchase a monument based on your preference; religious, mythical, animals, famous people and more. A monument along with the outdoor fountains will give you a great place to escape and get away from everything. Enjoying your new garden will encourage others in your family to go outside more as well.

When you search for your indoor or outdoor fountain on line or at a local hardware store you may want to take a look at what all is available on line. You can actually get more of a selection when you go on line to look. Once you decide what fountain you want you can set your sights on finding it. If you cannot find the right fountain you may want to consider having your fountain custom made.

The fountain can be made from materials such as: stainless steel, copper, slate, glass, mirrors and more. Consider adding a mirrored fountain in your family room to make the room look brighter and larger. You can also choose all different types of designs, the most popular being the long rectangle mirrors that allow the water to cascade down the front while a dim light shines up above it to offer more light.

Fountains can bring peacefulness and serenity to your home and all who enjoy the view. There’s something so relaxing about the sound of the water running continuously as you watch the water run slowly down the fountain.

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Oh my!

I just love this – it looks like a growing mosaic for my garden.

I already have a succulent garden (the normal horizontal kind) which I adore but the vertical concept is brilliant. Ideal for those of us that are not naturally a ‘green thumb” as succulents are very hardy (I know

Designed by Flora Grubb this Do It Yourself kit is perfect for someone with a small garden or an entertaining area where they want some plants but are afraid they will kill them.

You may think of succulents as slow growing but don’t be mistaken – they grow amazingly fast and I can see this wall “happening” in a very short time indeed.

As well as the succulents you could consider some Bromeliads – which grow similarly with spectacular foliage and some even produce stunning flower spikes. They will tolerate similar conditions to the succulents and will provide another layer of interest to your wall.

You don’t have to spend a bundle on a fancy fountain for your deck or patio. Buy a few flowerpots and make one yourself in an afternoon for less than $75 instead!

The first step is assembling the tools you’ll need for this fun little task. These are an electric drill with 3/8″ masonry and conical rotary rasp bits, an 8-inch bastard file, a small submersible pump (Home Depot and eBay are good sources), about a foot of flexible tubing that will fit your submersible pump’s outlet, some extra thick clear acrylic sealer in a spray can, masking tape and a tube of marine-grade sealant adhesive.

Next, it is time to gather or purchase the following supplies, either from a gardening store or second hand at a yard sale. If you have spare pots in your shed, it will cost you a lot less than $75 to make this terra cotta deck fountain.

Here is what you need: Three terra cotta plant saucers 18-inches, 8-inches and 6-inches in diameter, and three 4 inch terra cotta plant saucers, plus two terra cotta plant pots, one 6 inch diameter pot (about 5 inches high) and one 5 inch diameter (about 4 inches high). The 6 inch pot will cover your submersible pump.

Mask the upper outside edge of the 18-inch saucer that will serve as the base for your fountain. Next, spray three coats of the extra-thick aerosol sealer on the inside of this saucer, allowing time for each coat to dry.

Use a ruler and a permanent ink marking pen to mark an “X” on the center of the bottom of the 8-inch saucer (20.5 cm) saucer. Soak the 8-inch, 6-inch and two of the 4-inch saucers in water for at least an hour.

Remove the 8-inch saucer and place it on a scrap piece of wood. Using the 3/8″ masonry drill bit, drill a hole. Use the conical rasp bit to enlarge the hole if necessary so that the plastic tubing fits through it.

Using the round bastard file, make a notch to serve as a water spout in the edge of the 8-inch saucer so that the outer edge of the notch is higher than the edge at the inner side of the saucer rim. Do the same thing to the 6-inch saucer and the 4-inch saucer not left in the water. Then file four equally-spaced notches in the upper edge of the 6-inch pot, one of which will accommodate the electrical cord.

Connect the flexible plastic tubing to the discharge outlet of your submersible pump. If getting the tubing over the outlet is too difficult, soften it under hot running water and try again. Insert the opposite end of tubing through the inverted 6-inch pot, then through the 8-inch saucer.

Place the submersible pump and the stacked pots in the 18-inch base saucer; adjust the electrical cord so it fits into the notch of the pot. The pull the flexible tubing taut and trim it to about half an inch above the saucer. Seal any gaps between tubing and saucer with bead of sealant and allow the sealant to dry and cure.

Invert the saucer with the four notches, and place it in the center of the larger saucer to hide the tubing. Stack the middle column and place in base saucer, then put an inverted, un-notched saucer in the base saucer before placing the notched 4-inch saucer on top.

Fill the base saucer with water to about half an inch below the saucer rim and plug in the pump, adjusting the position of notched saucers and the flow rate of pump as needed.

Add some pretty shells or polished rocks, put a candle, small statue or small plant on top of the tallest column to weight the unit in place, and voila-you’re done!

An outdoor living room is a space that you design outside that can be used for relaxation, family gatherings, or outdoor parties. They are typical in areas where the weather is mild throughout most of the year and use furnishings that can take a beating from the occasional rainstorm and the bright summer sun. Outdoor living rooms can be elaborate with fireplaces, bars, and expensive furnishings or simple with some wicker chairs and metal tables. The key focus should be conversation, comfort, and fun.

You can create your outdoor living room on an existing porch, deck, or incorporated into your backyard. Think about your seating options first when creating your outdoor living room. Look for furniture pieces that are made of weatherproof wood, wicker, or metal with removable cushions. If you’re not sure if your outdoor living room furniture is weatherproof, you can spray paint them with a sturdy, exterior paint.

The best kind of outdoor furniture can be used with or without the cushions. You can also buy or make your own removable slipcovers for your outdoor furniture. Removable slipcovers are essential for your outdoor furniture because you can more easily take them off and wash them in the washer rather than having to clean the entire cushions.

Arrange your outdoor furniture in an inviting and cozy manner that encourages conversation. Group your outdoor chairs and sofas in a way that everyone can see each other. Add some cocktail tables to the side of each chair and place a large coffee table in the middle for easy access to snacks and drinks. You can purchase some really beautiful full-sized outdoor rugs now that can withstand mild weather, sun, and temperature changes.

Accessorizing your outdoor living room should include plenty of tall pillar candles throughout the entire space and grouped together on platters surrounded by stones, shells, or flowers. Add some beautiful potted flowers all around the perimeter of the space, creating a sort of invisible wall around the area. If you have a deck railing you can hang window boxes all around with blooming flowers bursting out of them. Create a sense of height with potted trees, tall wooden tables, or trellises. Add some interesting garden accessories, such as metal birdcages, colorful pots, or even a metal baker’s rack.

Finally, add some sights and sounds that will get all of your senses working in your outdoor living room. Most outdoor living spaces are used at night when the heat of the day has cooled down, so make sure to have plenty of ambient lighting. Wrap rope lights around the decking, string lights in the trees, use decorative tiki torches, or use plenty of lighted candles. You can even add a floor lamp for reading. Bring a portable radio outside or invest in an outdoor stereo system using hidden rock speakers. Add some wind chimes for those quiet breezy nights and just enjoy your outdoor surroundings as a great way to wind down after a hectic day.

One of the many things you can do to customize your home’s appearance is to choose unusual containers for the plants on your patio and in your back yard. You can choose to plant vegetables as well as flowers to make them stand out even more.

Any container you choose for a planter should be strong enough to support the amount of dirt it will need to hold. Dirt is much heaver than most people think; it’s not at all unusual for a good sized planter to require 100 pounds of soil to prepare it for planting.

Plant containers also need to be made of highly durable material, as the effects of rain, snow, sun and wet soil can be very damaging to most materials over a period of time. Here are a few ideas for unique plant containers you may want to explore:

• Old cast iron bathtubs: While claw-footed tubs are quite popular for interior décor right now, it’s still possible to find inexpensive used ones at salvage businesses if you’re patient and willing to spend some time to shop. While it’s true that cast iron can rust, a quick sanding and some rust-protective paint can work wonders. Before planting, place some small, smooth rocks on the bottom of your tub and leave the drain unplugged so that excess water can drain.
• Sinks and toilets: Depending upon how formal or casual you want your yard to be, you might also consider using an old sink or toilet as a planter.
• Kid’s swimming pool: These work especially well in small back yards without much room for flowerbeds. Hard plastic kid’s pools come in vibrant colors and can stand up to the strains that soil and rocks provide. Don’t use the plastic inflatable variety-they’re too weak to be serviceable.
• Trunks or stumps from fallen trees: Because these are natural materials, they are perfect for a naturalized garden setting. Often you can simply plant seeds for flowers or small root cuttings for plants right in the crevices that an old tree stump can provide. Alternatively, planting climbing flowers such as clematis or morning glories immediately adjacent to the stump allows those flowers to use it for support. If you decide to take this route, consider planting a wichuriana rose in or near the stump. The tiny white flowers and spreading growth habit make an enchanting picture.
• Chimney flue pipe: These square terra cotta tiles will contain your flowers and repel weeds if you simply place them with one open end on the ground and fill them with soil. The dirt will provide sufficient weight to keep the tiles upright, and the terra cotta color is a classic floral background.

For smaller container sized gardening, the possibilities for unique vessels that can double as a planter, is only limited by your imagination. An old wooden wine barrel, a large art glass bowl, an old set of copper pots that are no longer useful in the kitchen, an antique Red Wing pottery crock or the inside of an old tire. Other cool ideas include an old large glass ceiling light shade that you can turn upside down and is already complete with a drain hole!

There are obviously numerous other types of containers that will work, too. Scour flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales, keeping an eye open for all possibilities.