Coastline Treasures

With so many homes being put up for sale, I was finally able to move into my dream home. I grew up in the noisy city, so I looked for a quiet suburb with wide-open spaces. This is the first time that I had a tree in my backyard. This is also the first time I have felt the fresh wind in my face.

It does take me longer to get to my office, but it is definitely worth it. The first thing I did was to buy the essentials for my new home. When the lounge chairs, kitchen sink, and bathroom showers were all in place, it was time to decorate. I found great things online, including a nautical birdhouse that never fails to lift my sprit as it tinkles with the wind.

The hammock has been around for approximately 1,000 years and was created in Central America by the Mayan Indians using a web-like design which is still in use today.  It is considered to be the most comfortable of all hammocks.  The earliest hammocks were made from the bark of the Hamak tree and woven together.  Due to extensive trade routes, hammocks became a mainstay throughout Central and South America with hammocks evolving into cloth, fabric, cords and rope.

Hammocks have been used for in the military, prisons, beaches and inside homes for comfort, portability and for their space saving abilities.  It wasn’t until the 1880’s that hammocks became popular in North America with millions being sold.  Over 100 million people worldwide; Africa, China, Philippines, Central and South America, and many more countries use hammocks everyday for beds and furniture.  It wasn’t until the last 50 years or so that the cotton hammock became popular!  Be sure to try one out, you may be hooked.

For even the most dedicated gardeners, it can feel like your garden is missing something from time to time. Whether you think that flowering vine isn’t working out so well, that fountain is in the wrong place or that bare spot needs a bit more color, it can be difficult to make a decision about what to change.  Here are a few ideas sure to help you create an idyllic garden décor: 

~Add a trellis - most people think of their gardens as sprawling areas encompassing a wide space, but you can also consider growing upward as well as outward with a wood trellis.

~Water features - a pond, a stream, or a fountain; water features can bring together an outdoor space and serve as a focal point.

~Garden swings - it’s always nice to have a comfortable place to lounge in your garden, and with a garden swing you will be able to enjoy the outdoors while gently rocking back and forth.

There are many ways to transform a garden into a warm, inviting outdoor living space. A garden must have its own personality. This can be created by choosing the plants and flowers you want to grow. The décor and garden furniture must be chosen carefully as well.

A hammock can be perfect for that lazy afternoon retreat. An arbor, the most common of which are cedar arbors, can bring magic to the garden. Flowering vines can complete an arbor’s look. A bench can be attached to the harbor for it to be a cozy place to read a book or meditate.

One can easily take the humdrum yard and make it exhilarating.  Take a few minutes and examine your yard.  When entering your yard, what do you see first?  What’s next?  Do you have any accent items such as stepping stones, benches, birdhouses?  Do they make an impact?  Are they too small or too big where they are placed?  These are just a few questions you should ask while exploring your yard.  Once you take inventory you can create a plan to make changes.

Sometimes it is best to remove the items that you have and start over or you may choose a few items to keep and discard the rest.  Be sure that where ever you place your items, they can be seen and make an impact on the area. Things to consider are; their size in relationship to the plants, competition with other decorative items such as stones, water elements, pots and so on.  Groupings will make an impact as long as they have elements in common such as texture or color.  A favorite item to include is metal yard art as its texture lends a nice contrast to plants.  Whether you like shiny metal or rustic aged metal; both will look spectacular when transforming your yard.

Here is a week-end project that will be fun for the entire family; making a beach birdhouse.  Start by getting a plain wooden birdhouse; you can build one or buy one at your local home building supply store.  Next, go to your local craft store and search the isles for miniature beach scene items.  It can be a beach ball, surf board, beach chair, life rings, crabs or anything else you desire.  Pick up sky blue, ocean blue, sand and white craft paint.  You won’t need much; the small 4-6 ounce bottles will do the trick.

Be sure to prime the wood of the birdhouse before beginning.  Once dry, paint the roof sky blue and the house sand color allowing time for it to dry before adding clouds to the sky and ocean blue along the base of the house.  Using a hot glue gun, add your miniatures along the house creating your beach scene.  Once done, hang it in your yard and watch your feathered friends enjoy a day at the beach!

Dolphin art and statuary have been memorialized throughout history.  The Triton Fountain of Rome, Italy by the greatest sculpture of the Baroque period, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is one example.  Built in 1642 of travertine, this fountain was the first of its kind for the reception of public waters.  Built to provide water from the Acqua Felice aqueduct for public water use as well as a decorative fountain, all previous fountains were passive basins.

The Triton fountain features a muscular Triton, a merman, who in ancient Greco-Roman legend is a minor sea god.  Kneeling on an open scallop and with a conch shell to his lips creates the venue for the fountain’s water.  At the base of the fountain are four dolphins with their mouths open and tails entwined holding the scallop.  This dolphin décor fountain is just one example of history and art using dolphins.

When we think of wall plaques we often think of awards; photos with a plaque labeling the event, trophies, and other accomplishments.  But decorative wall plaques can be much different than these that are well suited for the office.  In 1848, the French used the word plaque as a definition for an ornamental pate or tablet.  Since then, the definition has expanded tremendously; today there are gamut’s of definitions.

Today’s decorative wall plaques come in all shapes, sizes, and materials.  They can be used inside or outside depending on the materials used, metal, woods, or stone.  They can be incorporated into wall groupings of photos or stand alone to make a statement.  Outside they create a decorative element to add to the décor.  When choosing a wall plaque, choose one that will fit into your present décor; classical, contemporary, chic.  Wall plaques add style and dimension to an otherwise flat arena.

If you have a few hours and some basic tools, you can build a decorative birdhouse for your yard.  This is a great project to include children.  While working together you can teach about birds, building and safety with tools.  First you need to gather the necessary tools; saw, hammer, screwdriver, goggles, paint brush and a tape measure.  Now gather the supplies; plywood, wooden dowel, screws, wood glue, nails, sandpaper, and exterior paint.  Once you have everything, you are ready to get started.

Cut two rectangles cutting the tops so it forms a peak for the roof.  This will be the front and back walls. Drill a ½” diameter hole in one of the rectangles for the bird’s entrance.  Pre-drill a ¼” hole for the wooden dowel to create a perch.  Cut two rectangles for the side walls and 2 for the roof as well as one piece for the floor.  Glue the sides and roof together letting it dry.  Once dry enough nail it all together.  Turn the birdhouse over and screw the floor in place, no gluing.  During the off season, you can remove the floor of the decorative birdhouse and clean it out.  Go ahead and sand and paint creating the look you want.  Be sure not to paint the inside as bird will not nest if painted.  Have fun and get creative.

Like most gardeners, I’m quick to take credit for my green thumb when in fact my true talent is for organization. It took me a while to figure out that no matter how gorgeous your blooms and blossoms might be, the effect is wasted unless you know how to arrange them artfully. I like to plant complementary colors and styles in the same vicinity of the garden.

On top of that, I like to further organize the garden area with some metal yard art. Without these stylish accents, observers don’t know where to look or spend time in the garden. The key is to create a natural line of sight from one landmark to another with the flowers serving as a continuous presence along the way. Over the years I’ve had many guests over to the house and in the spring and summer they are always complimenting me on the garden.