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A Quiet Corner: Outdoor Living Spaces

There was a time in many parts of America, where using the outdoors for the dual purposes of dining and entertaining just wasn’t done. In rural America many people working on farms often stopped for a mid day “dinner” under the shade of the trees. But it was more for gaining the sustenance needed for the rest of the day’s work, not entertainment. You worked outdoors and you rested and lived indoors. Now the garden can mean more than a vegetable or flower garden. It is a place or space to spend time on patios, pools, and decks, too. Now

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Hide the “Uglies"~ Air Conditioners, Garbage Cans, Recycling Bins, Utility Boxes, Plus More!

Do you have any of these standing out in your yard or taking up needed room in your garage? Garbage cans Recycling bins for paper, aluminum Compost bins Air Conditioning units On-ground electrical boxes Well pump structures Swimming pool equipment Utility boxes Potting bench Out door sports equipment or gear Most of these items are not known for their beauty, but you have to have them for the utility and functions they provide on a daily basis. Many of these eyesores aren’t something you can easily move. But you can hide them from you and your neighbor’s views by putting

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An Indoor & Outdoor Connection: Bluestone Patio Color and Material Choices

A design tip for establishing the flow between your indoor rooms and outdoor patios is to select a paving material that has a color and pattern that echoes or resembles your indoor flooring. If there is a similarity it will establish your indoor and outdoor connection. Does that sound easy? The part of what your inside flooring looks like is easy. However, the vast array of options for patio paving can make this a somewhat difficult decision. The materials you can use for a patio include poured concrete, flagstone, brick, bluestone, gravel, marble pavers to name just a few. An

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Planting as Accents

Accents what are they? We know in decorating they are the final touches sometimes or the one wall painted a different color that captures our attention. It’s the same way in the outside world! Plantings as accents do one thing really well, they grab the attention. They direct traffic and can very subtly direct our thoughts about what we’re seeing there. A plant becomes an accent when it offers something unique. It’s color, form, texture, and size makes it stand out. If you use the same plant over and over something interesting happens. It ceases to have the same impact

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Boulders Key Solution For Shoreline Restoration

Boulders are a versatile way to change, maintain, and transform shorelines and landscape. The possibilities are endless. Maintaining lakeshore can be a constant maintenance concern for homeowners on lakes, ponds, and rivers. Having your shoreline wash or erode away can be frustrating, costly, and scary. Using boulders for shoreline restoration can be the answer to many of these problems. Shoreline restoration has lots of variables that need to be considered and reviewed. Boulders are a great solution because they are natural stones. They can take the severe climate changes, the ice heaving, high water, heavy rains, and pounding waves that

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Dividing Outdoor Living Rooms: 3 Patios & 3 Different Patio Pavers

Are you trying to separate one garden space from another? If you are trying to maintain distinctly different spaces in your yard you can.  You can define areas by simply changing the kinds of paving stones and patterns throughout those spaces. Dividing space in the garden can be done subtly with altering by using different types of natural stone and brick pavers. Creating three different garden rooms by using granite, bluestone, and brick patio pavers in different mixtures can be accomplished.  In one garden the intent was to create three distinct outdoor living rooms. But because of the limited amount of

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