This Just In: HM Oliver gets a New Look and a New Name!

You’ve probably noticed a few changes to this blog if you’re a regular who visits daily to read our posts. We’ve changed our name from HM Oliver to that of our sister store, Marvin Gardens, since we’ve consolidated and moved to 713 Danbury Road. We’ve also got a new Facebook and Twitter account so be sure to add us! But don’t worry, you can still count on getting the usual garden tips and decorating ideas here, and remember, if you’ve got an idea for a post or simply a topic that you’d like to learn more about that we can help you explore, send your ideas our way!

Thanks for reading,
Amabel Chan
Marvin Gardens

Adding Texture With Scalloped Designs

Are there any areas in your home that feel a tad bit too “flat”? You know, those areas that are beautifully painted and furnished with  striking pieces but still missing something that you just can’t pinpoint? Chances are, the missing piece of the decor puzzle is texture. Often overlooked, texture  is one of those interior design elements that can completely transform a room and has the power to add tremendous depth, warmth and complexity. Scalloped decor is a great way to incorporate that texture into a space.

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

The DOs and DON’Ts of Wall Ivy

If you’ve ever driven through a vine-covered stone tunnel or passed an ivy-blanketed garden fence, and thought to yourself, “How lovely!”, and had even the tiniest interest in creating a similar look in your yard or around your home, then this post is something you’ll want to read. While they may indeed look “lovely”, wall and fence vines can have some pretty detrimental effects on the structure they’re encroaching if the proper vine isn’t used. According to GardeningBlog.com, vines climb through a variety of methods: mechanically, by using tendrils, suction-type cups and piercing roots.

The two main types of ivy people grow are Boston Ivy and English Ivy. The latter is notorious for the type of structural havoc we’re referring to. If you allow it to grow up a wall or home side, it will use its little roots to claw into whatever material its climbing and eventually destroy it…imagine water expanding in a crack or a tree’s roots lifting a sidewalk. If English Ivy is allowed to grow up a tree, it will kill that, too. Needless to say, its damages can be pretty costly.

Boston ivy on the other hand looks great climbing up walls and uses suckers so it actually doesn’t damage what it climbs on, though it can ruin painted surfaces. Unlike the English Ivy, its not evergreen and will turn pretty colors and drop leaves in the fall — perhaps the trade off of having it not destroy your walls?

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