garden designers wilton ct – Page 2

Consider Adding Winter Branches to Your Container Gardens

One way to add dimension and enhance the seasonal look of your outdoor garden design is to add tree branches to your container gardens. This does not need to cost a lot of money, as you may be able to find suitable branches right outside your door.

gardening tips — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

One idea that works for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is to repurpose an interesting vintage or unique item as a planting container. All you need to do to make a quick container garden is to anchor some branches into the soil and perhaps add a colorful bow for an added festive touch.

For Thanksgiving, you could choose to put include redtwig dogwood or other colorful branches into your planter with assorted greenery. This garden design can easily follow through to Christmas by adding some white birch twigs and additional greenery, such as pine or fir branches and changing out the bow.

One whimsical look that you can create uses tall curly willow branches and pinecones. Insert the branches into a weathered pot and place the pinecones over the soil for a rustic look that will last until spring.

Get more ideas and advice from the garden design experts at Marvin Gardens.

Teach Your Kids to Garden With Bulbs

One way to get your kids involved in gardening is to start with planting bulbs. Planning your garden with bulbs is an easy way for kids to participate, regardless of their age. There is something for everyone to do and it makes for a great family activity.

Planting bulbs doesn’t require special tools, but you can make it easier by investing in a bulb planter, instead of using a ruler and garden trowel. This tool comes pre-marked with measurements that make it easy to dig the correct depth that is needed for each type of bulb.

Start by having your kids arrange the bulbs in the area where you will be planting them before digging holes. This will allow for adjustments if needed. Avoid planting bulbs too far apart because clumps of bulbs look much nicer than spindly spread out plants.

Dig the holes, plant the bulbs with the pointy end up, cover with dirt and you are done. When spring arrives, your kids will be excited to see the fruits of their labor, and this may help foster a lifelong interest in gardening.

Learn how Marvin Gardens can make planning your garden an enjoyable activity for your entire family.

Too Busy to Decorate? We Can Help!

holiday decorating — Source: Marvin Gardens

Life is so busy these days and now with the holidays right around the corner when are you going to find the time to shop, cook and decorate? We here at Marvin Gardens can help lessen your load by taking care of all your exterior decorating and interior arrangement needs.

From fresh garland to stringing rows of bright sparkly lights, let Marvin Gardens worry about untangling those strands and figuring out why that one bulb won’t work. We also can supply beautifully decorated fresh wreaths for hanging on doors, windows and over fireplaces and assist in designing an outdoor space for that perfect holiday look.

Now that summer blossoms have faded, let us fill those exterior decorative vessels with red berries, pine cones and other eye-catching holiday greenery. For the interior you can supply your own vases or just stop by, select a few from our large selection, we’ll create fabulous unique arrangements and deliver them to your home at your convenience. These will be perfect for a Thanksgiving centerpiece or as elegant tablescapes during those holiday brunches and cocktail parties.

Marvin Gardens is here for all your holiday decorating needs. Please visit us online today.

Ideas for Decorating a Romantic Style Garden

garden design — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

If your personal design aesthetic trends toward a romantic style, you should definitely consider transforming your garden into a romantic escape. Consider the possibilities that are just outside your door. Simple changes and additions to your garden can extend the romantic design, including:

Vintage items. Metal watering cans, unique garden accessories, and iron wall hangings can all enhance the design of your garden. You may already have some of these items tucked away and just waiting to be used in your garden design.
Plenty of pots. Creating a container garden in terra cotta, painted, or glazed pots will bring color and visual interest to your garden. The pots can be displayed throughout the garden or clustered together to create interesting vignettes.
Picket fences. Many people consider pickets only in fencing. In fact, picket fencing can be used throughout a romantic garden. Consider backing a potting bench in picket fencing or using it against a wall to act as a trellis.

Contact the professionals at Marvin Gardens for more unique garden design ideas. We are committed to helping our customers transform their gardens into the spaces of their dreams.

Get Your Garden Ready for New England’s Winter

Just because winter is rapidly approaching doesn’t mean you should abandon your garden. Taking care of your garden before winter hits will protect your plants, help ensure a successful spring planting season, and promote the ongoing health of your garden.

Before winter hits make sure to:

Mulch around trees and shrubs. Adding mulch around the bases of shrubs and trees helps to moderate the temperature of the soil. Avoid piling the mulch and building it up against the base of the trunk. This creates the perfect spot for mice to nest.
Cut back shrubs and perennials. Different shrubs and perennials require different levels of pruning. For example, Black Eyed Susans can be cut back completely but lavender does best with a moderate cut back. Consult the professionals at Marvin Gardens for advice about cutting back your specific plants.
Water one last time. If the ground hasn’t frozen yet you should take the opportunity to liberally water one last time. This provides needed moisture for trees, plants, and shrubs during the cold winter season.

For more winter gardening tips contact our gardening experts at Marvin Gardens today.

Create a Table Centerpiece From Your Garden

garden design accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there is a lot to do before your friends and family sit down to dinner. You can cross one thing off your to-do list by creating a Thanksgiving table centerpiece from your garden. Pairing design accessories with items from your garden makes for a unique and meaningful table centerpiece.

Our favorite ideas include using:

Acorns and leaves. Look to the ground for acorns and leaves that will add color and texture to the table. A small sprig of leaves and a few acorns are perfect set against a cluster of roses.
Greenery. Pieces of greenery from pine, spruce, or noble trees can be collected and used in centerpieces. These garden items can be added to floral arrangements in vases or circled around candles.
Fall-blooming flowers. If you have mums or other fall blooming flowers in your garden you can use these in your holiday celebration. Choose a vessel that your guests can see over and consider wrapping it in burlap or raffia reminiscent of the harvest.

If you’d like to learn more about creative ways to decorate for Thanksgiving using things items from your garden contact the professionals at Marvin Gardens.

Make the Most of Autumn Leaves When Gardening

Autumn brings with it the falling leaves, which are a rich source of nutrients that are often mistaken for a hassle rather then the opportunity they truly are. Leaves provide a rich source of nutrients that can easily be harnessed and used in garden care.

Mulch
Leaves provide a great mulch that can be stored or immediately used in gardens and lawns. Rather than tossing the leaves, use a lawn mower to chop them up. If you want to leave it on the lawn, remove the bag from the mower and let it blow out onto the lawn. Through the winter the pieces will settle into the lawn and disappear come spring thaw.
If the plan is to use it in the garden, you can place whole leaves or the chopped up leaves directly into the bed. Over winter they will decompose and come the spring they can easily be tilled into the soil.

Insulation
Piling leaves onto plants, even potted ones, is a great way to insulate the plants and pots from the winter months. Terracotta pots can be insulated well enough with leaves that they do not have to be moved indoors.

Save Water by Planting Drought-Tolerant Plants Instead of Grass

designing an outdoor space — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Keeping a lawn lush and green throughout the hot summer months can be an expensive proposition. To cut down on water usage and monthly bills, some homeowners have replaced parts of their traditional lawns with drought-tolerant plants.

Here are some suggestions for attractive, hardy and water-stingy plants:

Grasses – The fine fescue and buffalo varieties of grass are extremely drought-tolerant. Both also thrive in direct sun and create a soft carpet of blades that is very enjoyable to walk on.
Shrubs – For the more colorfully-minded homeowner, a lawn space can be filled with ground cover such as creeping thyme and an array of colorful, drought-friendly shrubs like Spanish lavender.
Flowering plants – The variety of colorful, flowering plants that are also drought-tolerant is staggering. Even an average garden can include reds, yellows and purples with the planting of daylilies, smoke bush and blue fescue.

For more information on using these drought-tolerant plants or other creative ideas for designing an outdoor space, please contact us at Marvin Gardens. We can be found online at MarvinGardensUSA.com or reached directly at 203-544-2020.

How to Care for Your Garden This October

garden design tips — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

The month of October will most likely be your last chance to get your garden ready for the perils of the coming winter. Here are a few garden tips to help you get it ready:

Harvest your “Crops” Now – Even a slight frost will turn the hardiest flowers an ugly black so harvest them and use in a centerpiece. The same goes for herbs. Use them or lose them – or get them inside for a few more weeks of use.
Plant Your Garlic Bulbs Now – If you love fresh garlic – and who doesn’t? – you’ll want to get it in the ground in October so that it can establish itself before winter. Then you will have a great summer yield to flavor all your favorite dishes.
Take Pictures of Your Successes – Why reinvent the wheel? Take a picture of your floral arrangements, whether they are in pots or freestanding, so that you will gain a head start on a great garden next Spring.

For more information about this and other fall garden care tips, please contact us Marvin Gardens. We can be found online at MarvinGardensUSA.com or reached directly at 203-544-2020.

Add Some Storybook Charm to Your Garden

unique garden accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

A great garden can turn an average home into a spectacular one, and a well-appointed garden space is an ideal place to spend time alone or with friends and family. To really put your garden over the top, try adding some charming pieces that are right out of a storybook. You’ll never want to leave your garden to go inside!

Add Charming Seating

Many backyard gardens don’t have any seating at all, which prevents people from enjoying the garden up close. To make your garden more appealing, try adding some interesting or whimsical seating to your outdoor space. Wood benches are ideal for an outdoor garden space because they’ll blend seamlessly with the nature around them, but other materials like stone and concrete can work just as well.

Create Unique Pathways

A garden that isn’t broken up by pathways is hard to navigate and may look unorganized. To make pathways, you don’t need fancy pavers–you can make pathway dividers from a variety of materials, including these decorative fish from Marvin Gardens, which give the garden a whimsical, fun look.

Contact Marvin Gardens for more information and for all your garden design accessories.