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Artificial Hedges for Fences that Looks Like Real Plants

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 20, 2011 at 9:23 AM Comments comments (0)

A beautifully designed patio or deck defines outdoor space and gives it character. From decorative patio surfaces to colorful gardens to tranquil water features, patios transform the yard into a functional living area that enhances and becomes a natural addition to the home. If your front yard garden is designed to be seen from the street, a small enclosure at the front porch can provide some privacy. For privacy use tall, filled- in walls instead of railings. You do not need to install privacy walls all the way around the deck, just on the side or sides where you want to block the view where you are in the full view of the neighbors. Privacy screen works well, as does lattice that's filled in with flowers and vines and the result can be stunning. However, garden designers and homeowners need time to make an astounding privacy walls with live plants on it. Faux hedges in this case is the best solution for you.


For the fact that our weather changes seasons after seasons growing our own hedges is very tough and difficult to manage. It is appropriate to use faux hedges when we are making our patio or deck look more likable with less effort and tight budget. With this idea you do not need to toil, water and trim your topiary because they do not grow. But fake hedge provides a realistic evergreen scenery at the front of your home welcoming the visitors and friends.
There are several good reasons why faux hedges are advisable to use as privacy screen.
Maintenance
Low maintenance is the major advantage to attain the benefit of foliage without gardening. Soil, watering and weather condition are irrelevant in this matter. It also saves your time waiting for the real plants to grow so the effect is instantaneous.
Types
Artificial hedges come in a variety of sizes and shapes and can customized according to your personal requirements. Usually these come in three dimensional rectangular form of boxwood, pre- cut into a hedge shape which can be cut to size.
Cost
Although outdoor artificial hedges are not significantly cheap in comparison to wooden fences, these provide curb appeal and they are cost effective for long boundaries. Because of its simplicity and convenience many experts prefer fake hedges for wall fencing.
Indeed , artificial hedges are popular alternative to traditional wood, metal, live plants fence designs. They provide the same privacy yet offer the look of a living hedge and are durable in any weather conditions.

Window Planters Get Everyone Growing

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 20, 2011 at 9:23 AM Comments comments (0)

There is nothing better than going out to your garden pulling some fresh tomatoes off the vine and serving up a little of nature's goodness, the way it is intended. You might love the way you think about that but you do not have an ideal setting or soil condition for garden. Then using window planters may be a great solution for you. Window planters do not only conserve water because it requires less water than a regular garden but you can grow more plants at the same time. And this will help you build you own garden.


Gardening enthusiasts have been talking about the benefits of container gardening and today it has become one of the hottest trends in gardening. Growing plants in window planters and pots affords anyone, practically anywhere, and the opportunity to do some type of gardening. You do not need a yard to till, weed and mulch. You do not need a lot of space. And even you have a lot of space, container gardening brings plants to the deck, the patio, indoors, even right into the landscaping itself.
But there are several reasons why we are gardening more in window planters and pots.
Containers
They are portable indeed. You can move them where you want them for decoration and design, for screening, for a temporary look or you can place it near your kitchen for adding healthy cooking experience. They can help get a jump on the spring season, as well as help to extend the season, because you can move them in and out as the weather changes.
Soil
Soil less potting mediums are the only way to go for container gardening. There are many mixes to choose from, but most are a combination of sphagnum peat, vermiculite, perlite and a small amount of bark. You can purchase this anywhere in the market near you. In fact this is what professionals use; it provides good moisture retention, but excellent drainage as well. For Plant foods, you need to feed your plants since soil less mixes contains no nutrients. Slow release fertilizers can be added to the mixes or you can use water- soluble fertilizers to make your plants healthier and very ideal to eat.
Watering
This is one of the biggest drawbacks to container gardening. Obviously it will be up to you to provide your plants and pots with sufficient water especially during the hot days of the summer. You can help your self on the watering by adding water- retention products to your mixes.
Plants
If plants grow in the ground, chances are you can grow it in window planters, probably better than in the ground! Annuals, perennials, herbs, greens, root crops, tropical plants, blooming bulbs, fruits and vegetable and the list can go on and on... You are limited only by your imagination and the size of your window planters.

Plants That Are Perfect for Your Hanging Baskets

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 20, 2011 at 9:23 AM Comments comments (0)

There is nothing wrong with displaying glorious fuchsia or begonia in hanging baskets - in fact, the result can be stunning, especially if you have several identical hanging baskets cascading along the porch front of your house or store. The principles for combining flowers in hanging baskets are similar to those for designing any mixed planting applied in window boxes and planters. The difference is with hanging baskets, size and weight are much more important. The larger and heavier the baskets, the stronger the hanging chains and hooks must be as well as the ceiling or siding that support it.


Trailing plants are usually the attention grabber of any hanging basket combination. This can beautifully displays trailers of all kinds- from dazzling annuals to classic ivy to luscious strawberries. Trailers can cascade way beyond the basket or simply spill over the rim with vibrant colors. Gardener enthusiasts have an abundance foliage plant or flowering ideas that provide vertical interest and movement for a flower garden.
House Plant Trailers
Many kinds of tropical trailing plants are grown as houseplants during winter season. These can be planted in hanging baskets and can be moved outside during summer. English Ivy is often grown as houseplant and has varieties that includes all green and variegated leaf colors. This plant needs moist well draining soil and prefers part shade outdoors but bright light indoors. There are also trailers that can perfectly match your hanging baskets like spider plant and purple heart.
Flowering Vine Plants
These type of trailing plants wind itself around fencing or trail from hanging container. Flowering vine plants have strong stems that can withstand even in strong weather. These are employed in landscape design with both aesthetic and utilitarian purposes in mind. Lovely colorful trailing vines like blue moon, passion flower are perfect choice when you want to add maximum beauty and interest to your garden and are best in hanging baskets.
Cascading Filler
Some plants are classified as filler due to the fact that they are easily fill in the open space between plants. Fillers that slightly cascade over the edge but do not grow long still add vertical interest. The best fillers are small- to- medium- sized evergreen plants that grow equally well in sun, pest proof and non- invasive. The best example are Evergreen giant, fox-tail fern and coontie.
Hanging baskets add character to your yard or porch and the good news is these require very little maintenance once the baskets are planted. If you start gardening in the air with some down-to earth planning, the path to success will be smoother with hanging baskets involves a careful assessment of the type of plants and cultural requirements necessary to grow your garden beautifully.

Amazing Ideas for Flower Boxes

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 20, 2011 at 9:22 AM Comments comments (0)

In the midst of chaos and uncertainties in life, man seems to find a perfect place where he could find inner peace and happiness. For most people, they love to just stay in one of the best places in their house, their own garden, a place where they considered a paradise that eases their burden and experience the healing power of nature that calms and soothes their restless minds and bodies, indeed, garden is the best haven of one’s soul. With this reality, it is always great to make your garden a more meaningful and wonderful place to stay, in fact, garden enthusiasts have created amazing garden ideas to make it a more fascinating place to enjoy and relax with families and loved ones. However, if it will be quite a dilemma if you don’t have enough space for your garden, in such case you need to have flower boxes, one of the best ways to have a garden within the premises of your own home.


Flower boxes are usually designed to match the architectural designs of your house to make it more appealing to the eyes of everyone. The size of the flower box usually varies but it is important to make sure that is big, deep and wide enough for the plants to grow and develop well. You need to be aware that the window boxes must be made of strong materials so that they won’t fall nor slip. If you want to hang it on a house wall or window grills you need to make sure that you screwed it with strong bolts or perhaps install it with brackets of metal steel or woods with various decorative designs. Such brackets can certainly hold or support the boxes, hold soil and your plants as well, which usually allow good air circulation and enable your plants to breathe and grow well. Moreover, it is also vital to create drainage for your flowerbox by creating bottom holes at the front that usually incline downward to avoid messy drips on your window walls or grills. To avoid muddled rusts to develop on your walls or window grills you must paint it or treat it with rust inhibitor. However, if you are quite in struggle with your budget you can perhaps use improvised materials such as basins, waders, and some unused carts.
Nowadays, flower boxes have been made readily available in the market in fact you can even have it instantly at a more affordable cost. More than that, internet could be one of the best avenues to shop for these boxes. Indeed, with just a single click you can certainly have an impressive indoor garden that deserves a second look. 

Windowboxes One Way to Make a Beautiful Garden

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 20, 2011 at 9:22 AM Comments comments (0)

Windowboxes are ideal way to garden. They are easy to install, simple to plant and most of all fun to take care for. They do not require tedious and endless hour of digging, bending, and weeding to maintain. Best of all, windowboxes make flowers and greenery a part of your home, growing in a place where you see the plants everyday welcoming you to take away your stress and you can derive continuous enjoyment from them. If you have never gardened before, planting a flowerbox will let you grow plants in a very small and very manageable scale. If you already have a garden, try using flowerbox to add an extra sparkle to your landscape.

Planning an effective flowerbox requires many of the same design considerations as planning a garden bed or boarder but it more simple form. To obtain maximum visual impact you need to consider the site, environment, and the type of plants you desire, just like the same idea that you have when you plan a garden bed. Learning few basic techniques of gardening will enable you to create exceptionally extraordinary custom window boxes that are perfectly suited to the environment.
Location
The location that you choose will dictate the size and shape of your customized window boxes. They are usually wide enough for only a single row of plants, and their length usually depends on the width of the window. An awareness of the limiting factors imposed by the environment will help guide your plant selections. For instance, if you leave where winters are severe you will need to choose plants that can withstand lowest winter temperatures in your area. On the other hand, if you live in a warmer climate, you will be able to grow cool- weather annuals during winter and soon...
Type of plants
Look for plants that have different types of foliage and mix them. Interesting foliage provides your garden texture and layering, attracting the eyes of everyone. Before you plant your flowers, decide where to place them and avoid grouping one color in one area. Instead combine contrasting colors that will make each flower stands out and create a good combination through the length of you window boxes. Always remember that since windowbox is a very contained environment you need to take care when choosing the plants for your garden. Plants may have different light and water requirements and these could make certain plants outgrown the rest of the plants in the windowbox.
Indeed, nothing put a pretier face on a house than a gorgeous window box - and no form of gardening is so accessible to beginner and expert alike, to homeowners and apartment dweller. Even to those who don't have a window of their own, windowboxes can flourish, stairways, even on concrete floors.

Sidewalk Signs and Sign Stands Very Effective tools

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 15, 2011 at 8:29 PM Comments comments (0)

Signage is one of the most important means to communicate to users or customers and general public. It conveys a variety of messages including hazard warning, cautionary warnings, instruction on proper use of equipment, sales and promotions and general facility information. When signage is developed and displayed properly it allows your message to be communicated clearly and in a timely manner. On the other hand, poorly conceived and displayed signage can result in either confusion to the readers or complete failure to communicate the message.


In businesses, when signage dominates the facade, then its a supper signage and these can be a variety of sidewalk signs and sign stands. More importantly, the typeface must be selected based on legibility. Legibility is primarily affected by the choice of typeface, the thickness and contrast of strokes, and the height. The relationship of stroke width versus heights avoid many problems from halation with the light letter on the dark background.
Think of a business signage in two ways: those that appeal to people outside your place of business and those that appeal with your place. The first one is consist of Sidewalk signs and sign stands or if you can afford billboards and other exterior signs. The second category is the interior signs, commonly called point of sale signs like hanging signs and banners.
Your ads will have made an unconscious impression on your potential customers, and your sign will awaken the memory of that piece of advertisement and might motivate a sale. Many people will patronize your business because of your effective ads through signage. Remember that your signs must be consistent, persuasive and simple with your advertising message and identity or those customers will be confused. If your stand stands or sidewalk signs are in keeping with your overall creative strategy, consumers momentum to buy will be increased significantly.
Consider that people enter the store with the vague notion of buying but no brand or item preference. They do not solidify their decision until they are in the store. Surprisingly in many cases, a package or a signage makes most of their decisions of buying a product.
Most exterior signs are there to remind, create a tiny impulse, sharpen an identity and to draw customer's attention. As a rule exterior signs should not be no more than six words long. Frequently, motorist make abrupt decisions when they pass window with sign stands proclaiming SALE! or FREE GIFTS! As you probably observed, it does not take many words to convince customers that they ought to buy your product right now and then.

Barn lights for Restaurants Make A Big Difference

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 11, 2011 at 10:31 PM Comments comments (0)
Barn lights offer a powerful effect on an exterior and interior of the building; this is very true when it comes to restaurants. These can help set the restaurant's mood and ambiance you need according to your theme and type of the meals you serve.

Justify Full Many dinner restaurants strive to create a sense of easiness with lighting. At the same time Barn lights play its role for making it happen. These are very effective fixtures to use for restaurant lighting. Aside from the light they provide, the housing comes in different style, color and function that enhance the beauty of your store. These remove the difficulty on reading the menu and will also enhance the chef's handiwork. Remember that the primary visual task in lighting the restaurant is the dining table. Traditionally, designers use candles, but barn lights nowadays can do much better job without ruining the ambiance. The light is more focused on the table for both function and dramatic reasons.

Moreover, there are other parts in a restaurant that needs visual tasks and Barn lights play an important role in lighting design.

Main desk Bars for beverages
Cashier
Displays such as featured dishes or desserts
Serving lines, salad bars and dessert bars
Rest rooms, Service areas and the kitchen
Waiter Stations

Each of these areas should be illuminated with Barn lights at an appropriate level. In fact some of these are very important and are expected to be attractive to draw more customers to dine and eventually make sales.

The main reason why barn lights are employed is to create or reinforce style, ambiance, or aesthetics. Restaurants are among few places where lighting can show off and make a powerful statement. From attractive luminaries to special effects, restaurant lighting can be a terrific venue in which to utilize light itself as a design medium. As a result, architects prefer these fixtures in their designs because barn lights tend to be a mixture of a decorative and architectural lighting with architecturally neutral lighting techniques like cove, accent and down lighting playing a major role in providing task, focal and ambient lighting.

Indeed, lighting influences diners in many ways, from the rosy glow it can impart to people's complexion to the dramatize aesthetics it can throw on the wall of your restaurants. For instance, lighting that is too bright or to dim may lead to eyestrain. Light can totally change the perception of many customers. 

Flowerbox: Made Easy through Container Gardening

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 4, 2011 at 11:12 AM Comments comments (0)
Many people who live in an apartment, condominium, or mobile home do not grow a large garden because of limited space and lot. But this is not an excuse to create your own garden. There are numerous plants and flowers that can grow in containers such as custom window boxes, planters and flowerbox. If you are planning to develop a container gardening, always choose the right containers for your plants and give more attention to good soil mix, spacing requirements, fertilizing, and watering.

Containers are available in different sizes and materials but always check if your planters have sufficient holes for proper drainage. Make sure it is not too many so that it will not drain quickly after watering. If you have a drainage problem, set your planters on a solid surface such as cement or patio floor. Elevating the container one of two inches off the floor by placing it on blocks of wood will solve the drainage problem. The size of the flowerbox will be determined by the plant grown. Most plants grown in the soil can be grown on planters as long as there is enough space for root development. Shallow rooted plants need a container that has 6 inches in diameter and eight inch soil dept.

The ideal planting medium for planters should provide drainage system with ample water retention to keep the root zone uniformly moist. Most container gardeners have found that a soil less potting mix works best. This mixture is better because it is free from soil- borne diseases and weed seeds. These mixes can be purchase from garden centers and from online market.

Planting and spacing requirements for most plants can be found on the instructional materials provided when you order plants online or purchased from any garden centers located in your area. A flowerbox can accommodate small number of plants; therefore, it is important to limit the number of plants based on the size of your customized window boxes and the eventual size of the plant at maturity.

Fertilization application is also needed for plants to grow completely. Know that different plants require different types of growing media or substrate. Take note that there are acid- loving plants as well as alkaline- loving plants, so their customized window boxes and fertilizer mixes must adhere to their requirements. Fertilize only during the growth period, mostly on spring and summer. Refrain from fertilizing water or light deprived plants because it will kill them. Note that plants that thrive in low light require less or no fertilizer. Always read the fertilizer package formulation and instructions. Follow the recommended application in terms of quantity, frequency and delivery and also observe side effects of over fertilization like yellowing, deformed or burned leaves.

Watering is one of the most important assignments of a container gardener that he needs to perform. Some plants need watering every day, depending on the plant type, size of the flowerbox and weather conditions. Use water can or sprayer for watering. Be sure the water is cool before applying it to your plants. Hot water does not hasten the root development.

You can create your own garden even without a big space for your plants and flowers through container gardening. You will not only enjoy your garden but you can share it as plant gifts for your friends and family.

Sidewalk Signs And Sign Stands Are Very Flexible In Marketing Your Business

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 3, 2011 at 9:26 AM Comments comments (0)

For more than ten years, American businesses have used an effective, easy and inexpensive way to promote their company and create traffic into the store through sign stands, sidewalk signs and A Frame signs. These are usually installed on a sidewalk or near the entrance of the building. These are designed in different variety to fit your needs and city regulations.

Signage compels the consumer to visit your store. Using tasteful and appealing designs, color, highlighting your signage will have a direct impact on human emotions. Applying effective visual presentation on your sidewalk signs or sign stands will create a good result in marketing your business.
Color adds interest and intrigue to the world around us. And the world of advertising color is the key design element. Color encourages action and draws attention to a service relates to a particular product and brings promotions to life. Take the color red, it screams for attention, Green promotes a happy lifestyle, Blue offers a calming aura and brown conveys masculinity. Remember that color conveys values and values influence and persuade. Subconscious judgments are made within ninety seconds of initial viewing and over sixty two percent of that assessment is based on color alone. Now, do your signs and graphics use color effectively?
Signs are everywhere. You see them where all people walk, sit, drive and fly. Signs convey meaning. They are the most direct form of communication and it is a valuable asset to advertising for many reasons. They are flexible which are permanent or temporary fixtures indoors or out. You can change your sign stands and sidewalk signs daily or even hourly. You can have it for the public eye without delay. These are also cost effective compare to current day advertising mediums. Signs still provide the biggest paying for the buck and their images leave lasting impressions.
The stability of the business is also relying on a consistent business - known as branding. Many businesses have an edge because of effective branding. Every featured product should have appropriate signage associated with it. Again, remember that visual display is your ultimate sales tools. Making an effective sidewalk sign is one way to captivates and educates the customer and should maintain a professional and market worthy appearance.

Window Planters Remove Your Worries on Weeds

Posted by Jeffrey Zaragosa on March 2, 2011 at 3:09 PM Comments comments (0)

Are weeds simply a plant in a wrong place? Well, not really. Most of them are the real problems of growers and gardeners. They spend too much time on managing weeds. But there are several ways on how to get rid or minimize this in your garden.
Always keep your garden in manageable size and do not be over ambitious. If you are having a trouble managing your garden, avoid designing another border. The more you extend the space of your garden, the more time you spend maintaining it, and more weeds to eradicate. Be aware of how much time you can spend maintaining you garden and how much work it will take. You must identify low and high maintaining areas of your garden so that you will know what area to focus on. Try to stagger your work so that you do not need to do everything at once.


Container gardening is another way of gardening that you can keep away from weeds. This cool idea is for those who have small garden and for those who avoid much dirt. You can use window planters and arrange it any way you want. A lot of gardeners are using this method because of its portability. If your garden does not have enough soil, window planters is the best solution.


There are several ways to limit weeds in your garden. Inspect all plants for hitchhiking weeds in your window planters. The longer a plant sits in a pot, the more likely a weed seed will settle in and germinate. Cultivation is one factor that makes weed grow faster. Thus, keeping cultivation to a minimum level will slow the process of the weeds to germinate by not exposing them to sunlight. Mulch is one of the best ways to keep weeds from taking over your garden. It provides additional benefits, including the diminution of erosion and water loss while cooling the soil.


In the beginning of the season, all plants are struggling to grow and to get establish. Good weeding habits in the first six weeks of spring and summer will provide better chance of getting established. Tiny weeds are easier to pull than big weeds...
These are the few things that will help you grow your garden and you. To better understand your garden you must understand the things that you can do to beautify it.


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