Friday, March 27, 2009

Blacksmithing Your Own Garden Art

Is there is a special look or garden art piece that you have in mind but can't find for sale? Are you handy and looking for a new project? Why not make it yourself?

I get into some of the most interesting things because I follow my desires and end up learning new skills. I may not always become a skills craft person but I love the learning and doing.

I have a lot of wrought iron patio furniture and blacksmithing is a great fit for making my own art that compliments my patio decor. Using slightly modern tools an techniques you can easily perform blacksmithing on your own. It is a really good idea to take Blacksmithing Classes to get yourself started with proper safety and techniques. A good class will get you everything you need to know in a weekend and you should even come out of the class with something that you have made yourself.

Blacksmithing, highly reccomended!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Garden Lighting

Garden lights are an excellent way to add a focus point in your garden after dark. You want to start with path lighting and area lighting to make sure you create an enjoyable outdoor living space in the evening. After the basics are covered think about that night time focal point. Up lighting a tree can create a very dramatic effect in your garden. Another good option is to light a pond or other water feature. You can either down light these or actually place submersible lights into the water feature itself for another dramatics effect.

Outdoor garden lighting can also be used to set a mood by using colored lights. You can find lights with changeable colored lenses so you aren't stuck with just one color when you purchase your lights. Changing the lights to match the seasons or holidays and other celebrations is a fun way to add to your garden party. You can even get colors to match your favorite college sports team when they are playing a big game.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lawn and Garden Decor

When you are thinking outdoor decor, you should think about lawn and garden decor. It is easy to focus just on your garden or patio area, but your lawn is a great destination for your decorating tough as well.

Items that you can add to your lawn include the ever popular pink flamingos :-) Beyond that, think subtle with a bird bath, or a sun dial or possible even a large item like an arbor or fence and gates.

I like to do small modifications to the lawn landscaping areas to add to my decor themes. The shapes of the lwan and edges can play a dramatic role as well as adding walkways and pavers.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Outdoor Garden Decor


Outdoor garden decor has less restrictions on is as far as what is considered "in good taste". Common outdoor garden decors include whimsical themes such as Greek gods, mythical creatures (unicorns, gnomes, elves) or fantasy creatures like gargoyles and wizards. Just about anything goes with outdoor garden decor as long as it is subtle in its execution.

Religious themes are also very popular. Items include things like angles, Madonnas, cherubs and religious icons.

Location based themes are also popular. One of my favorites is an Asian theme with items like a bamboo garden fountain and pagodas.

Follow your heart and make an outdoor garden decor theme work around it. Add pieces one at a time and before you know it you will create a backyard oasis that is uniquely your own.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Home and Garden Decor

I like unifying both my home and garden decor together. I usually do this by matching colors and an item or two between the patio area and the kitchen area. One of the best ways that I have found to do this is to use common materials for indoor and outdoor furniture pieces. Teak is a great choice for doing this because teak wood is an excellent outdoor material and it is a very rich wood so it fits indoors as well. Similar or complimentary wall art is another good technique to use.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Garden Decorations

Garden decorations can be anything that adds aesthetic value to your garden. Popular items include grazing balls, statuary of any kind and yard art. One of may favorite items to add to any garden are whimsical yard art creations. I particularly like metal yard art sculptures that use recycled materials. I have my eye on a couple of animal designs by a local artist.

I also very much enjoy adding sound to my garden area with garden windchimes and water features. Adding the right elements to attract song birds is another great way of adding more sound to your garden.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Garden Decor


Welcome to my Garden Decor site. I enjoy decorating my garden and helping others with their garden decor. There are many piece and styles to what you can do with your garden and I have tried many of them. My current favorite style is kind of an eclectic Southwest. I start every garden decorating project with a single piece of art that inspires the rest of the design. The colors and tones are the most important things to me.