Coastline Treasures

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.

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.

The Sandpiper is abundant in North America with their population in the millions.  These small birds are a familiar scene running along the seashore and in mudflats.  These wading birds have long legs with slender bills to forge their food in the sand or mud.  They mainly eat insects, small crustaceans and mollusks.  These migratory birds fly to both North America and South America in large flocks.

These birds are so common upon our shores; a trip to the beach would be incomplete without them.  I love watching these small birds as they run around looking for food.  If you are lucky you can see them as they nest in local vegetation as they incubate their eggs and eventually care for their young.  Bring home a memory of these special birds with pictures, souvenirs or metal yard art, to name a few.