garden trends – Page 2 – MarvinGardensUSA

Raise a Glass to Gardening

garden accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens

One of the nice things about many small low-maintenance container plants is that you are not limited to the conventional terra cotta pot. If the container of choice is large enough to accommodate soil and the roots of the plants, it can be just about anything.

Glasses make beautiful containers for miniature plant and succulents. From wineglasses to martini glasses, these delicate containers bring some delightful and eccentric class to a garden or home interior.

The size and versatility of glass container gardens give them plenty of applications in your home. You can use them to decorate your outdoor patio table or to arrange them into beautiful centerpieces for a wedding. They can line a mantel or the center of a dining room table, perhaps interspersed with tealight candles to create beautiful sparkling effects on the glass. You can create individual pieces or group several together for an interesting effect.

The first thing to do is find glassware you love, whether it be wine glasses, champagne flutes or even margarita glasses. The size and style of glass you choose will determine the size of plants you will be able to grow.

Consider using some colorful accents in your glassware, such as colored gravel lining the outside of the soil or tiny fairy gardening accessories to add some whimsy to your pieces. Most importantly, have fun as you create these miniature masterpieces. As your plants thrive and grow, the time you invested will be well worth it.

For more inspiration for your garden and home accents, come visit us at Marvin Gardens and take a look at our fun and quirky garden accessories.

Add a Touch of Woodland Whimsy to Your Garden Design

Many people are attracted to the tranquility and peace that can be found within the forest. The dappled light shining through the trees, the rustling sounds of branches, and the glimpses of woodland dwelling creatures create an almost fairy tale environment to enjoy on a warm summer morning. With some creativity, you can bring this same atmosphere into your own garden. Here are a few garden design accessories ideas to consider:

Use woven branches for your fencing rather than the conventional picket fence.
Add a bird’s nest, with or without eggs in it. This accent can be placed in a bird bath that is not being used, a young tree that has not developed full foliage, or hidden somewhere in a garden seating area for guests to find.
Place vine plants in strategic places such as winding around the trunk of a nearby tree or along fencing. Use flowering vines to add color to the area.
Select foliage to space along your garden to enhance the feeling of a woodland floor. Excellent choices are plants that are native to Connecticut, which are low-maintenance and hardy.
Choose your trees carefully. This important element can be used to set the tone of your garden as well as providing shade or privacy.
Our large wood mushroom carvings can be strategically arranged throughout your garden to add an enchanted atmosphere.

Share your own ideas on how you create your woodland garden retreat on our Facebook page, and be sure to visit us to find whimsical woodland accessories for your own garden.

Feung Shui Tips for a Spring Garden

Feng Shui is all about organizing objects to get the most positive energy out of a space as possible, also known as Chi, which helps to bring harmony and balance into your life. Placement is key to a successful Feng Shui design both inside and out, not only what you place, but where you place it and why.

The more disconnected from the rest of the world your Feng Shui garden is, the better. Large shrubs or trees are ideal for concealing your space and giving you peace of mind while you relax. Running water is one of the leading features you can incorporate into your outdoor space, this can include; fountains, ponds, reflecting pool or even a waterfall.

If you’re designing your outdoor space with Feng Shui in mind, note that straight paths should never be used. Let the path take its time and curve and flow through your space instead of running straight through. This is a space that should be relaxing for yourself or for your guests. Nature lends a huge inspiration to these arrangements and should be carefully considered while doing so.

Marvin Gardens can help bring more peace and tranquility into your life. Make your outdoor space much more than a scenic location and consider adding Feng Shui design principles to your garden.

Gorgeous Picks for Hanging Garden Plants

When adding hanging plants to your garden, you want to include those that bring something unique to your space. Nearly any type of flower can be placed into a hanging basket, but it’s important to choose ones that are right for your garden.

Begonias can withstand a variety of conditions and come in a vast array of different colored flowers such as red, pink, yellow & white. The flowers are very full and will hang slightly below the edges of your basket.

Ivy is always a great addition to a hanging basket, whether it be on its own or arranged with other plants or flowers. Ivy flourishes and will easily grow all around your garden, walls, pergola or any other structure you want to incorporate it into. Licorice Vine is another similar plant that is great for trailing and growing around structures. Other great additions to your hanging gardens could include Fuchsia, Lobelia, Golden Pothos and Spider Plants.

Spice up your garden with some unique hanging basket arrangements. For more information on additional plants and tips, contact us at Marvin Gardens!

Indoor Decor That Deserves a Spot Outside

garden design Connecticut — Image via Houzz

The warmer seasons open up outdoor spaces as an extension of your home. To make this space as equally welcoming and comfortable as your home, you can easily take furnishings from inside and place them in your yard or garden.

Items usually reserved for indoors such as a sturdy wooden tables, metal chairs or benches of any type can be incorporated into the design of your outdoor living space. A pop-up tent or removable gazebo over the furniture can turn it into an inviting area for your family and guests.

Instead of throwing away your old furniture, consider re-purposing it as pieces in your garden, as side tables, or as cozy spots to place your potted plants. Any kind of aluminum or metal decor can be used outside with little maintenance. Even for an outdoor garden, a few well-placed vases with plants or flowers can greatly add to your outdoor set-up.

A walk through Marvin Gardens can help inspire you to take your existing indoor decor or furniture and incorporate it into your porch, yard or garden. Get the most out of your outdoor space this year! For more information about Marvin Gardens, please contact our team.

Bring a Mirror Outside: How a Mirror Can Bring New Life to a Garden Design

If you’re trying to think of an outdoor design idea that will really help to spruce up your garden area, consider using an indoor element, such as a mirror. Mirrors can be used in a number of different ways throughout the garden, and they even have several benefits. Not only do they help compliment natural light by reflecting it to where you choose, mirrors can also help the area seem larger. The following are just a couple of ways that you can integrate mirrors into your garden design.

Small Spaces – If you have small or narrow planting areas, then you can immediately increase the perception of space by hanging a mirror nearby.

Mirror Collage – Do you have a small shed in your garden? Create a visual interest on those boring shed walls by hanging a number of different style mirrors together in a collage.

Tabletop – Reflect beautiful blue skies and white clouds by using a mirror as the top to your garden table.

These are just a few ideas that you can take for using mirrors in the garden. For more outdoor design ideas, be sure to visit Marvin Gardens on Facebook.

Planning Your Garden Setting for the Spring

spring garden planting — Image via Pinterest

Winter is finally coming to an end, which means you can begin using your garden setting again, whether it’s for preparing the garden for spring planting, or setting out your patio furniture to begin entertaining. The following are a few tips to help with planning your garden for this upcoming spring.

Prepare for Spring Planting – Make sure to test the pH level of your soil. For example, if it is lacking calcium, then add gypsum. Make sure the soil has plenty of nutrients for when you begin planting by adding a layer of compost to the soil. Begin planning out what you are going to plant and where. Some vegetables that are perfect for spring include arugula, carrots, kale, lettuce and spinach.

Prepare for Entertaining – Take out any furniture that you stored during the winter months and make sure you clean them off thoroughly, as they may have gotten dusty or dirty. Add to the atmosphere by picking up vases, small tables, extra chairs, throw pillows, garden statues and more.

Be sure to visit us online at Marvin Gardens to find all the garden inspiration that you need this spring.

Downton Abbey: A Look at a Divine Garden Design

garden designs — Image via Garden Design

“Classic” and “divine” are two words that can certainly describe the gardens in the 19th century Highclere Castle, the backdrop scene for our favorite Downton Abbey television series. In grand English fashion, Lancelot Capability Brown set out the garden purposely to heighten the English aesthete worthy of his fabulous name. A garden design idea or two can be taken from his impressive outlay that can be used in our own gardens.

Brown sprinkled free-standing architectural ornamentations throughout the gardens. They called them ‘follies’ and we called them statues, or unique or re-purposed items that enhance the flow of the landscape. They can be whimsical, quirky or vintage. For example, blocks of discarded industrial, retro pieces can easily be re-purposed. Outfitted with vegetation or gorged with beautiful flowers, they create a distinctive setting, as any garden should.

Spreads of azaleas, rhododendrons and rare acers dotted Brown’s gardens. There were also plenty of fruit trees. Weeping Beech trees were used for dramatic effect and cedar trees by the hundreds were planted. Snapdragons, dark lobelia and astrantia were found along walls.

The beautifully planned gardens of Downton consummate taste can be a reflection of your own yard, no matter what size. Visit Marvin Gardens to experience the inspiration it takes to create a setting reminiscent of Downton Abbey.

The Beauty Behind a Rain Garden

The beauty behind a rain garden is not only aesthetically pleasing for your yard but it’s also beneficial for the environment. You can assist your community by reducing the amount of stormwater pollution you produce, and using that water instead to benefit your gardens. A rain garden is even easy to build and very affordable as well.

Building a rain garden allows for rainwater to be captured from your property. The water that comes down from the roof, driveway, and sidewalks is then transferred to a garden that allows for a slow absorption into the ground. Rain gardens are typically dug four to eight inches deep, allowing them to hold a great deal of water at one time. Pollutants are filtered out at a higher rate than your lawn would and in turn your garden will flourish, sustaining itself.

The beauty of a rain garden runs deep. These gardens are a lovely and beneficial choice for personal use and even for an entire community’s use, as they are often used to provide drinking water for communities. Simply put, a rain garden is a wonderful way to boost the unique attributes of your home garden while helping to sustain our environment.

Image via Guardian

Custom Refinishing Offered at Marvin Gardens!

table — Custom refinished furniture is a great way to boost the style and individuality of a space!

The goal in any home design is to create a space as custom and unique as possible. Though it may seem easy, discovering your own personal style amidst the onslaught of generic home products can actually be quite a challenge. At Marvin Gardens, our goal is to bring clients of blend of items from many styles and functions so that you can create a design specific to your tastes. One of the ways we do this is to offer custom refinishing for furniture.

As one of the largest design elements in your indoor and outdoor space, furniture is certainly something that should close care should be dedicated to. Furniture welcomes you to a space and then makes the space more comfortable while you’re there – this is how refinishing comes into play.

To accent your style, we can refinish your furniture in whatever way you choose, creating a truly exceptional look that won’t be replicated anywhere. To learn more about these services and more, just contact Marvin Gardens by calling 203.544.2020!