container gardening – Page 3

Your Pets Can Enjoy Your Garden Too!

Odds are you’ve put a lot of thought into planning your garden; after all, you have to consider the wants and needs of everyone in your family. However, you don’t want to forget about your pets, because there’s a good chance your pets will spend more time in your garden then you will. The following are a few pet-friendly features that you could implement into your outdoor area:

Water Fountain – Set up a fountain and refresh its water on a daily basis with your sprinkler system. This will give your dogs a fun way to keep hydrated.

Cat Post – If you have a cat, then why not put up a tall wooden stake? Wrap it in rot-proof rope so that your cat can spend its lazy afternoons climbing up and down as well as scratching the post.

Dog House – Give your dogs their own little spot by building a small dog house. Don’t forget to add on a porch so that they can rest easy while enjoying the weather!

These are just a few ways that you can add pet features to your garden. For more assistance planning your garden, contact us at Marvin Gardens USA.

French Garden Inspiration for Your Home

Add a touch of sophistication to your home by letting French influence inspire your garden design. You can’t go wrong with the French when it comes to elegance.

As a start to this project, think about the quaint outdoor cafes France is known for, concrete balustrades, cast-iron seats, porcelain tiles, and topiary shrubs come to mind. Throw in birdbaths, fountains, and glazed pots to complete the mental picture. It’s perfect for an afternoon outdoor tea party, isn’t it?

But what makes French design so distinctive? There are two main elements, and these are geometry and water. Patterns are geometric: big and bold, whether they’re on the pathway, on the gate, or on the table. But even in their boldness and size, they are delicate. This is because water is often incorporated into the landscape to soften the otherwise hard edges. Combining these two elements in perfect balance is the secret to having a beautiful French design.

Don’t want to take chances with your garden? We, at Marvin Gardens, will be happy to turn your ideas into tangible results. Call us at 203-544-2020 and ask us how we can help you achieve your dream garden.

Great Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Northeastern Garden

Low-maintenance plants enhance your landscape, require little attention and allow anyone to keep up a garden. Even seasoned gardeners need low-maintenance plants to balance the landscape. Below are a few plants designed to withstand the heat and flourish in your New England garden.

Ornamental grasses are ideal for a long, hot summer. The grasses blend well with other flowers and shrubs and evoke the wistful openness of the countryside. Maiden grass and feather reed grass are great options to consider.
Create shade with a grape-covered pergola. Grape vines are hardy and actually require an abundance of sun to grow and flourish. King of the North is a white grape that suits the Northeastern climate.
For water-friendly low maintenance plants that can flourish near streams or meadows, consider purple cohosh which adds a stunning violet hue to the meadow.
Many perennials are made to withstand droughts and hot sun. Russian Sage is a popular perennial.
For late-blooming flowers that brighten the transition to fall, consider the Japanese Anemone. The plant is known for blowing gracefully in the wind and also providing generous amounts of foliage.

If you would like assistance planning your garden, contact our team at Marvin Gardens.

Consider a Cottage Garden for Lush Beauty

custom garden design — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

A cottage garden might not be a term you are familiar but I’m sure you’ve seen them on a regular basis. The proper definition is an informal garden design created with traditional materials, dense plantings, complete with a mixture of both ornamental and edible foliage.

Most people just assume it takes years to get that aged mature look. That’s not always the case. Try adding vintage furniture and antiques, plant moss around scarred walkway stones or use weathered wood to build raised flower beds or an entrance trellis. These are all easy weekend projects that create the illusion of timelessness.
If financially possible, add several mature shrubs, trees or an privacy hedge. Most nurseries provide this service or work with a landscaping firm that does. These older, fuller plantings gives your garden additional shade and permanence.
Don’t be afraid to over plant your annuals. Doing this from the beginning gives your garden a look of fullness. Just remember to use caution if doing this with perennials since they need more room to grow and absorb nutrients.

Marvin Gardens has everything you need to get started planning your cottage garden today!

Understanding Container Soil

Container gardening is gaining popularity at Marvin Gardens. Knowing what goes into container soils can determine the success or failure of your plants.

Different potted plants require different kinds of container soil. Annuals and perennials do best with an all-purpose mixture. Cacti and succulents need a more well-drained blend. Carefully read labels on potting soil bags to select the right type. More experienced gardeners with big projects ahead may want to mix their own container soil. Taking the time to blend your own potting soil can assure great success for your plants.

Container plants need both organic and inorganic material to flourish. The most common organic matter includes peat moss, manure that has been composted for a year, ground up pine bark, or crushed coconut hulls (coir) – excellent for retaining water. Perlite, vermiculite and coarse sand are inorganic materials that improve drainage in the container. Finally, decent garden soil should be mixed in – be careful that it is disease and pest free. A basic potting soil mix would include equal parts of all three components mentioned above.

Decorating With Desert Rose

garden design accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Desert Rose is a unique and beautiful stone that provides a great alternative to living roses. Today, we’ll explore some of the many ways this alluring stone can be used in your home’s rock garden.

Using Desert Rose stones that vary in size and shape will stand out when they are used to accent a walkway made with square stones or tile. Rigid geometric lines and smooth, flat textures will contrast with these unique stones in a beautifully striking way.

To create more contrast, surround the stone with colorful garden arrangements. This will bring out the vibrant color of surrounding stones, plants, or other garden design accessories, while also bringing attention to the Desert Rose’s interesting texture.

A Japanese style garden can incorporate these rocks with flora and water features to create a tranquil, comforting outdoor area. Try lining the bridge of your Japanese tea garden with Desert Rose stones, or use them to line walkways like we previously mentioned.

For more tips and trends on garden design accessories, contact us at Marvin Gardens. We’re equipped to help you incorporate any idea into your home garden, so visit us online or call 203-544-2020 today.

Create a Stunning Container Garden With These Tips

If you are looking for different garden design ideas, consider creating a stunning container garden to add new life to your existing garden. Container gardens can work both indoors and outside, and a well-designed container garden is like a miniature landscape of its own.

The first step is to get creative and choose an interesting container to act as your planter. The container just needs to be large enough to house your plants and give their roots the space to grow, and it needs to have a drainage hole to prevent over-watering.

The next step is to choose your plants and soil. You need potting mix for container gardens; regular garden soil doesn’t give your plants what they need when they are contained in a pot.

Select an interesting-looking taller plant to place in the middle of your chosen planter to act as a focal point. Choose trailing plants that can be planted around the sides to spill out of the planter. Lastly, select a filler plant that can cover the remaining spaces. Make sure all the plants you choose have similar watering and sunlight needs so the whole container garden can thrive.

For more interesting garden design ideas, contact us at Marvin Gardens.

Uses for Decorative Bird Cages in the Home and Garden

garden accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Decorative bird cages are popular in the home, but they can also be used to decorate your garden or patio. Repurpose cages that you no longer want inside the house to create cost effective decorations with vintage flair. Here are a few ideas to help you fluff up your garden.

Create fairy tale lighting for your next nighttime garden party. Hang birdcages from above, either from trees, trellises or overhanging plant hooks. Place several electrical tea light candles in each birdcage and voila–beautiful, subtle lighting for your party! For added sparkle, spray the cages with glitter glue before inserting the tea lights. You will have the magic of fairy lighting that is perfect for your summer garden party decor.

If you have a collection of mismatched wire bird cages, bring them back to life by painting them all in a single hue. Use inexpensive spray paint for a quick fix. White bird cages are a classic hue, but you can create a whimsical look with bright colors. Take your design a step further by rubbing away some of the wet spray paint to reveal the original coloring, and you will create instantly antiqued pieces. For a modern take, layer the antiqued birdcages inside one another to create an intriguing piece.

Come by Marvin Gardens to find more garden design accessories for your next project!

Succulents Can Help Keep Your Yard Fire-Safe

Local conditions can have an enormous effect on how fire spreads and the rate at which it spreads. For example, arid regions are more prone to wildfires than their humid counterparts because dead and dried-up plant matter ignites more easily and burns faster. You might be interested to learn that the same principle applies on a smaller scale and that plants such as succulents can help reduce the risk of fire.

As their name suggests, succulents are plants with thicker and fleshier parts than other plants. These plants are frequently found in arid regions, where they have adapted to store water; some succulents, such as Haworthia store the water in their leaves, but others store water in their stems and roots. Gardens often feature succulents because of their beautiful appearance, which can be used to highlight their surroundings.

Succulents are slow to burn, making them a beautiful way to make your yard more fire-safe. Similarly, concrete decking are also resistant to fire, meaning that their combination with succulents can help you further fireproof your yard. However, be sure to clear away dead plant matter such as fallen leaves as soon as possible.

For help planning your garden, speak to an expert at Marvin Gardens.

Yoga in the Garden: Creating a Peaceful and Healthy Outdoor Space

yoga-garden — Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

If you’re looking for a way to relax and live a healthier life, yoga is wonderful for both of those things. Not only is yoga very calming, it also helps improve your flexibility, balance, and strength. It can be extremely beneficial to gardeners, who have to spend a lot of time in uncomfortable and damaging positions to care for their plants.

You can do yoga at any time inside, but when the weather’s nice it’s an incredible experience to perform yoga exercises in the fresh air and surrounded by the scent of flowers. When you’re designing your yard or garden, it’s easy to include a space for yoga that’s large enough to fit your mat and maybe another mat for a friend. Just make sure you choose a relatively flat area of your yard so that you can perform the exercises safely.

Two things should dictate the design of your yoga area: privacy and serenity. After all, it’s difficult to relax if you feel like people can come by and watch you attempt some of the more challenging poses, and you want this to be as calming a place as possible. If you don’t have or want a fence around your yard, consider shielding your yoga area with some tall plants.

It can also help to bring some Asian design influence into a yoga space. The Asian garden design suggests three levels of plants, rocks and/or water to represent heaven, man and earth, and a Japanese sand and rock garden is a great addition. Also consider choosing soothing fragrant plants near the area.

Waterfalls, fountains and ponds are always soothing. You can add a waterfall or fountain to your pool area or build a small serenity fountain on your patio deck. A small pond bordered by a shade tree with an aerator recirculating the water creates a relaxing place for yoga.

At Marvin Gardens you can find some soothing and beautiful garden accessories to create your yoga haven. Visit us today to see what we have in stock!