Coastline Treasures

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.

It’s hard to come to grips with the fact that summer is drawing to a close. Before we know it, the cool winds of September will set in and those carefree days spent indulging in beachside frivolity will be gone for months at a time. With that in mind, we can’t afford to waste the precious few warm days that still remain. It’s time to break out a cotton hammock and hang it up between two trees.

On an especially warm evening, you might even choose to dwell outside a bit longer than normal, swinging freely inside the hammock as it wraps them in a snug embrace. As the sky darkens and the stars come slowly into view, we can ponder a few of the mysteries of the universe – or maybe just bask in the pale glow of those billion-odd points of light. With a hammock, you can accomplish all of that without even getting sand in your clothes.