 Four Simple Reminders
when Creating Your Next “Dream Outdoor Sanctuary”
(ARA) - Spring may be the ideal
time to plant flowers, shrubs and work outdoors, but smart gardeners
begin planning long before April showers bring May flowers. Actually,
winter is the best time for strategic garden planning, as well
as reviewing your landscape's current flow and making decisions
about what wonderful effects you'll create in the garden next
year.
As leaves fall and flowers disappear,
the "bare bones" of your landscape emerge, providing
a canvas to easily imagine the perfect spot where an elegant
trellis or another nice garden structure might go. These classic
structures have been adding style, elegance and value to garden
areas for centuries. Though you may not have recognized it at
the time, there's often a common reason why gardens incorporating
these structures are more peaceful and serene than others.
Location is Key.
Remember, one of the greatest
assets of any garden structure is its architectural appeal, so
make sure the site and size you choose are appropriate for its
surroundings. Consider attaching the structure to your home,
using it to shelter a path between the main house and an outbuilding,
or simply frame the view of another landscape feature.
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Also, keep in mind the location
from where the structure will be viewed. Will it be placed so
it can be viewed from the deck, porch, kitchen or dining nook?
Where will you enjoy it the most? These are all questions to
consider when deciding on placement.
You may consider placing structures
in the front yard as well, creating a unique look to the home's
exterior that enhances curb appeal and thus value. Remember,
the exterior of your home is the face it presents to the world;
it defines the mood and character of the home and reflects the
desired image.
Dimensions 101.
Take special care when deciding
the proportions of foundational posts, hand railings or overhead
canopy of the structure. For instance, a set of 4-by-4 inch posts
would be ideal with 2-by-6 inch overhead boards, but not vice
versa. Also, make sure the posts are vertically straight and
even in height, and ensure the overhead canopy boards are level
and evenly spaced in parallel to each other. Attention to detail
is essential here. |
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Embrace the Environment.
There's often a key reason why
some yards are more peaceful and serene than others. More than
likely, the setting incorporates designs and materials embracing
the natural environment, thus creating an outdoor haven that
is a harmonious blend of architecture and nature.
In fact, through a simple coordination
of all-natural materials and stylistically consistent additions
gracefully creating a "balanced" environment that becomes
a component of the larger natural order almost becomes second
nature.
Keep it Real.
An easy approach to enhance and
coordinate any landscape environment involves inserting structures
made of all-natural materials. Western Red Cedar yard structures
have been adding character, balance and elegance to outdoor spaces
for years. These beautiful structures age beautifully and provide
a synchronized blend of natural surroundings and architecture
with all-natural architectural materials.
Western Red Cedar remains one
of the most widely favored and versatile landscaping materials
that easily lends itself to natural surroundings. Because of
this, and its aesthetic appeal and physical properties, many
people choose Western Red Cedar for outdoor applications.
With a long history of proven
performance, cedar has been known for its exceptional beauty,
versatility and longevity for centuries. Since the first residents
of the Pacific Northwest referred to Western Red Cedar as the
"Tree of Life," its legendary durability made cedar
nature's gift for building ocean-going canoes, post-and-beam
houses, ceremonial dance masks and ancestral totem poles.
With centuries of proven performance,
its no wonder today's discerning homeowners, landscapers and
architects around the world still "balance" their projects
with this remarkable material.
From a performance standpoint,
cedar does not require treatment with toxic chemicals because
it is naturally resistant to rot and insects, and its own natural
preservatives help protect it in harsh weather. In other words,
Western Red Cedar is ultimately more earth friendly and safer
than other material alternatives. |
