The Gardener's Rake » garden art

Fall Decorating for your home and garden areas

Denise — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:45:55 +0000

There is still time to add a little color to your backyard for fall. And many of these decorations will last into the winter months with a little care and planning. Now in my zone 5 growing zone I have to bring plants into the entry and just leave dried arranged arrangements outdoors.

photo credit: Ian Muttoo

With Thanksgiving approaching the addition of dried corn stalks, Indian corn, and pumpkins with give your yard, patio or porch area a festive look. The corn stalks can be left outdoors. The Indian corn can also be left outdoors and can later be sprayed with a clear varnish to preserve then for another year. Note: Make sure the Indian corn is stored in an area that mice will not bother it.

Pumpkins need to be covered if there is a frost at night and brought in if there is a freeze. If you clean them well with a bleach and water mix when you first purchase them to kill any germs that may have entered a cut, the pumpkins will last until after the new year.

photo credit: alecim

Gourds, mini pumpkins and fall flowers also make a nice garden art arrangement in a yard. Place them on a hay bale or in a wagon for a farm like feel. And with the fall flowers you can bring them indoors and enjoy the flowers. Mums are particularly easy to move indoors and by pinching them back you will have flowers through the holidays.

I also like to clip the mums and start new plants. Mums will produce roots easily in a rich potting soil. I use a liquid rooting hormone and cover the pot with clear plastic wrap and have a new plant in a month. I them place it in my greenhouse until spring. It has protection form the freezing weather but will go dormant until spring and better weather returns.

Fall is a wonderful time for fall arrangements and bright splashed or yellows, reds, and orange colors. They seem to stand out more vibrantly in the cloudy fall skies we have in NW PA.

photo credit: Chrissy Olson

Check out Backyard Oasis for a few more fall decorating ideas for you backyard and patio areas.

Technorati Tags: backyard decorating, Creative Organic Gardening, fall flowers, garden art, indian corn, mums, pumpkins

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Garden Art adds to your Backyard Garden and Landscape Design

Denise — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:47:39 +0000

Garden art and backyard design pieces add atmosphere, fun and creativity to a garden. Even a vegetable garden will have more flair with garden art and a little humor added. This is one reason why scarecrows a re popular in gardens. They may ward off birds but they also add creativity to a garden.
photo credit: A Girl Next Door

Garden art can include everything from a decorative plant pot to a water fountain.

Here are a few suggestions to think about when adding garden art to your gardens and yard.

Use existing structures as backdrops for garden art pieces. Pots with flowers placed strategically on a fence create more of a garden feel to a small backyard. Hang antiques or old tools on the sides of barn or utility shed.

Create a small area to rest in the garden, or by a greenhouse or work shed.

Small tree-filled spaces will look more spacious if you use a three dimensional approach in design. Birdhouses, mini lanterns and wind chimes will create layers of color and interest in the branches.

You can also create mini gardens around the tree bases with flowers, herbs and ceramic collectible pieces. I use collectibles that may have some damage but when placed in a garden area it is not noticeable.

Wide-open spaces in the backyard successfully display larger garden art. Ponds, fountains, a bird sanctuary including a feeder, bath and butterfly garden, or larger sculpture pieces work well here. And make sure you add a bench for relaxing.

By adding garden art you can quickly change the look of a garden or backyard for a party or for the different season of the year. Garden art also looks nice on the patio or balcony and will help blend the indoor space with outdoor space.

The only precaution with adding garden art it making sure the pieces have a common theme and match your landscape or home design so that you have a nice design flow and not a confusing chaotic look.

Technorati Tags: backyard garden, backyard garden design, creative gardening, garden art, landscaping design

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Create a Hypertufa Garden Container

Denise — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:35:46 +0000

Garden Art is one of the “in” trends for this summers garden and yard. And with the interest in gardening, particularly container gardening, on the increase you may want to consider making you own hypertufa planters. It’s a fun project and also makes a great family project.
photo credit: jdn

I made my first hypertufa pot in a local art society. We were encouraged to bring items to press into our pots such as rocks beads, marbles or any other found objects. I used wash glass pieces and old keys in my creation.

The you tube video below will give you a fast idea on how to make a hypertufa pot. It’s really very easy and once you start making them you will find the ideas get more creative. The look of the container also blends in to the backyard and looks wonderful near ponds or pools.

The nice thing about the hypertufa pot is that it is really an economical project. They last for a long time and can withstand harsh winters. They can be made in all sized and using peat moss instead of cement they are not as heavy as you would think so can be moved about.

Technorati Tags: container gardening, creative gardening, garden art, garden crafting

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Add a Stone Walkway to your Yard

Denise — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:40:24 +0000

There are many styles of walkways and paths but one of the most popular is a stone walkway. They are beautiful, blend in with most yards and will last a lifetime. A stone walkway is relatively easy and should not take more than a day to do. To me the part of this project that is the most fun is collection the rocks.

Where to start

Prepare the area by digging out a trench where you want to install your stone walkway. If possible add a small curve or curves to the walk. It gives the path an inviting look. Put the dirt form the trench aside to use later. The trench needs to be deep enough to accommodate the stones so measure the stones and then dig accordingly. You may choose just to lay the stones in the trench.

Start at one end and fit the stones as closely as possible together. The stones will be slightly odd shapes so they will not fit together perfectly. Try to match the shapes up as well as you can.

You can cut the stones for a better fit if you want. Use a pencil or chalk to draw a line on the stone and then trim off the unneeded piece using a brick hammer.

Continue laying the stones and cutting and fitting stones as needed until the trench is filled. At this point, walk on the walkway to make sure none of the stones wobble. If any do, tamp them down in place or fill in the wobble with dirt that you removed from the trench.

Finish the installation of stone walkway by adding dirt to the joints where the flagstones come together. Wet the walkway and dirt with your garden hose, then fill in again with more dirt. Wetting the dirt helps pack it in between the rocks and study the path.

The recent stone walkway that I helped build took about 70 rocks. The rocks were collected from the roadside and a ravine on my property. The project took a few days.

This makes a fun family project and adds charm to your yard.

Tags: make your own stone walkway, step-by-step direction for a walkway, garden art, add a garden path

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Add a dry creek to your yard. Fill in a pond or create drainage

Denise — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:34:06 +0000

Dry creek beds add interest, focal points in a yard and can serve a valuable purpose.

There are two main reasons for a dry creek bed. One is filling in an unwanted pond and the second is to catch run off. Some people just add a dry creek for fun but I have one and it’s for run off.

To fill in an unwanted pond

Sometimes a pond becomes a burden or just becomes too much to maintain so the owner may want to fill it in. Here are the steps to do so.

Empty your pond by removing the water with a pump. Remove dead plants or debris. If the pond had a filter, fountain or pump make sure to remove that to.Use a mixture of gravel and soil to fill the newly emptied pond. Its wise to use a compactor to ensure that the new fill will not sink or sag or collapse when the heavy rain comes. You will also need to make sure the area slopes down a little so that when it rains the water will flow down. The easiest way to do this is to picture a running creek and try to make a path like a creek would follow.
Make sure to create the slope opening towards a ditch or a source of drainage. You can also install a draining system underneath before pouring the soil and gravel.
Use a liner or tarp to prevent weed growth.

Now comes the fun part. Add different sizes of rocks. Place them strategically to mimic Mother Nature. Place the big boulders on the sides and corners. Keep smaller to medium rocks at the center.

Add assorted ornamental grasses and plants to the surrounding areas to soften and add color to the landscape. A properly planned a filled in pond adds a relaxing area to the yard.

To help drain a wet area in your yard

I have one area in my yard that I struggled with for years. It was suggested that I add drains and let the area dry out but I decided a dry creek would be more fun and decorative.

The area used to be soggy and almost a bog in the spring and fall. In the summer it could be dry or semi wet. It created problems so when I saw directions for a dry creek this seemed the perfect solution.

The dry creek is set up pretty much the same as the directions for filling in a pond. You just don’t need to add fill. I used a liner for most of the dry creek to help prevent weeds and placed rocks in the creek bed and plants along the bank. I left the top area without a liner so that it would be a little wetter. This gave me a place for a locus plant and elephant ear plants.

The creek is dry lost of the time been in the spring if it wet or a heavy rain I will get a small running creek. It drains under the ground to the larger creek.

This area has become one of the most relaxing places in the yard. I have night-lights for the evening and during the day you can watch the wildlife in the creek or canoes passing by.

The dry creek made mowing easier and the plants that grow in this area are stunning.

Tags: dry creeks, how to install a dry creek, managing wet areas in your yard, how to fill a pond

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Create a Moss Covered Garden Art Chair using Moss Milkshake

Denise — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:45:53 +0000

Interesting pieces of garden art add to a garden and yard. It’s easy to find chairs that need a little work at sales or along roadsides. These chairs make perfect additions to any garden and great accents for flowers .

They are also very cheap or free. By adding flowers and moss you will have a one of a kind garden decoration that will get many compliments.

Lets get started:

Find a chair that has a nice solid seat.
Wet newspaper strips and let sit while you clean the chair.
Once the chair is clean cover it with the moist newspaper strips.

Cover the chair in newspaper and put a little spray adhesive down. Then cover the chair with chicken wire. This gives the moss has something to grab on to. You can cover the chair with moss that you harvest in the woods or make moss using the recipe below. I myself recommend the moss mix. You get a more flowing look and you are not disturbing moss in the woods. Water the chair regularly in order to keep it healthy and growing. You can use a spray bottle or a hose with a spray attachment in order to keep it damp.

Tips:

the chair will prefer a partially shady area.
Add flowers on the chair set to give the piece more color.
I chose a metal chair that will last longer. Wood can be used but it will fall apart after a few years.

Moss milkshake

1 can of beer
1/2-teaspoon sugar
Several clumps garden moss
Blender
Paintbrush

Gather together several clumps of moss (moss can usually be found in moist, shady places) and crumble them into a blender. Then add the beer and sugar and blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and you are ready to paint and create.

Tags: making moss, moss milkshake, garden chair, make a garden art chair, garden art

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Creating with Gourds: The possibilities are endless.

Denise — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:24:42 +0000

As my gourd crops continue to grow my mind goes to what I can create from my gourd crops, once they dry.

I am hoping for the bushel gourds to grow large enough for gourd end tables and for the canteen and dipper gourds to work for gourd instruments. That is what attracts me to growing gourds; you just never know what will happen and how the gourds will dry.

Below is a gourd video with some wonderful ideas and designs. I Woodburn paint or dye my gourds and add gourd pieces wood or other found objects to gourds, so this video gives me some wonderful ideas.

When working with gourds you are only limited by your imagination

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Assemble a Fast Garden with Found Items – Dresser Drawer Garden

Denise — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:54:44 +0000

As always I end up with too many plants. This year it’s rescued plants that needed a home and I have run out of gardening space. I will throw a “cheaters garden” together in a few days but until then I spent to day assembling a dresser drawer garden. It’s fast, easy and can be moved if needed. It also has a fun look and will cheer up a yard quickly.

I have a spot in the front yard area that will be landscaped in a few weeks but now it’s rather homely and has a lost look. I also rescued 7 wooden drawers from a built in dresser in a home that was going to be torn down. They are great drawers but with no frame, they need another purpose. So they will make a great temporary garden.

I drilled holes for drainage in the bottoms of each drawer and added a mix of compost and soil. I happened to have fancy wire legs and attached them to the drawers and varied the height.

Note: Anything you have from driftwood pieces to stumps or even sitting them on the ground will work

I had Irises, Black Eyed Susan’s, Chinese Lanterns, and Bee Balm Plants that needed a home. I also had Vinca Vine and a few extra annual flowers so I mixed and matched the plants and watered them well.

The project took me about 1½ hours and I have had many comments on the look. My plants have a home until I decide where to put them and I will probably save the drawers and use them again next year.

Tags: container gardening, frugal gardening, using found objects, garden art, dresser drawer garden

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Frugal Gardening: Estate Sale leads to Gourd crafting find

Denise — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:46:13 +0000

This weekend there was an estate sale of one of our more famous citizens, Leroy Schneck. Leroy owned and operated the local radio station for many years and always had an interesting story to tell.

As I expected the estate sale was amazing. In the back garage were many of the gourds that his wife had crafted with. These gourds had been turned into planters. There must have been over 2000 gourds at the sale. I filled my car with over 200 that will be used for bird feeders and planters. Most were already cut and had holes for the cord.

As a gourd lover the gourds fascinated me and for them to be cleaned and cut added to the creativity. For those of you who know your gourds there were bottle gourds, canteen gourds, a few dipper gourds and even a few maranka gourds.

Leroy’s wife, Rusty, decorated and used these gourds for years, over 30 actually. And the story on how they had so many was unique.

A semi full of gourds was involved in a wreck and the gourds were written off as a loss. The Schnecks heard about the gourds and made arrangement to get them. Well, a semi holds a lot of gourds and their garage and any other available space was filled with gourds of all sizes and shapes.

During the years these gourd were cut, sanded, painted and created into many art forms. And at the sale there were still many left.

I will be making bird feeders, hanging planters and a few gourd instruments out of the gourds. They will give me gourds to work with until my gourds from this year’s garden are harvested and cured.

I also picked up garden pots and a decorative moveable fence for $2.00. It was a great gardeners sale.

Tags: gourds, decorated gourds, a gourd story, frugal gardening, crafting woty gourds, garden art, garden crafting

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Choosing Flowers for a Flowerbox – A tisket a tasket

Denise — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:27:10 +0000

choose the proper flowers for your basket… or flowerbox.

Flowers arranged in baskets, flower boxes and cute garden containers add color and change to your yard. You can even move them during the season to create more interest and change the color that surrounds you. These small gardens add personality and a touch of garden art to your yard. They are also perfect for apartmetns and cities.

Helpful tips for garden flower boxes and baskets.

When choosing baskets and containers make sure you have proper drainage and good soil. Choose young flowers rather than growing your plants from seed. This will give you an instant garden and color. Your plant selection will be determined by the season and how much sun the plants will get.
First make sure you flower boxes and pots are clean. Then spread a layer of pebbles in the container to help with drainage then arrange the plants in the container in a pleasing design.
Place the plants you have chosen in the containers and fill with good soils and water well.
It’s best to choose a plant selection that will have color the entire season so I mix and match spring summer and fall plants. Below are some suggestions.

Select fresh violets, pansies or primroses for the colder months. They withstand cooler temperature and some frost.
A favorite of mine are geraniums. There are a wide variety of colors and some even have variegated leaves, which adds more color. These need to be planted and after all danger of frost is past.
Nasturtiums come in shades of gold or orange and also come in vining varieties. They are easy to grow and can even be added to salads as an edible. (They have a peppery taste)
I like to add a few spikes for height or dusty rose for color shock. Dwarf flowers, such as sweet dwarf marigolds and moss rose can fill out an arrangement.

Above all with flower boxes and containers is to have fun and get creative with color and containers.

Just remember that containers dry out faster and will require more water. I check my containers and baskets daily.

Tags: Flower boxes, window boxes, making flower boxes, choosing the proper flowers for baskets

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