Transform your outdoor space with simple, stunning water features you can build or install yourself.

When spring comes around, one of the first things that comes to mind is gardening. Of course, when you think planting, you need garden planters. If you want something a little more creative for your garden this year, there are some fantastic ideas that you can use.

You can make your own planters and have some awesome DIY ones that are sure to make your neighbors green with envy. Here is a look at the most creative DIY planters that you definitely must have in your garden.

Old Tire Teacups – You have seen people using old tires to plant flowers and plants around their garden. What if you could give this old idea a new twist? Stack two tires on top of each other and give them a bright and colorful paint job. Add a handle and you have a tire “teacup”.  They make adorable planters and will add loads of charm to your garden.

Plastic Bottle Garden Planters – Do you have limited space for planting? Do not worry as you can still have a marvelous garden. All you have to do is convert old plastic bottles and plant small-to-medium flowers, plants, herbs, etc. in them. Stack them along vertical spaces in your outdoor area and you have an awesome plastic bottle hanging garden!

Kerosene Drum Couple – Want something cute for your garden? What is really adorable is a pair of kerosene drums dressed up as a couple. Paint one blue with eyes, a nose and a mouth – you can even add a shirt collar and tie. For the “girl” drum, paint it pink with red lips, and add a lace collar. There you have it! Two dressed up drums ready for you to plant your flowers in!

Chandelier Garden Planters – If you want to add a vintage touch to your garden, look for old chandeliers. Without candles, they make the perfect hangers for vines. They look unique and will add beauty to your patio. You can use any type of chandelier – just get creative and make it look as good as you can and give your outdoor space a vintage-inspired planter that no one else has thought of.

Book Garden Planters – Another vintage-inspired idea is to use old books as planters. Collect old books that no one wants anymore and use them as planters for small plants like succulents. These plants do not need much water so book planters are perfect for them.

Bicycle Garden Planters – Do you have an old bicycle lying around? Want to know how to make good use of it? Convert it into a bicycle planter. You can tie pots or baskets with the flowers or plants of your choice securely to the bicycle. This is also a poignant idea if you are looking for a semi-seasonal planter. Lastly, they are easy to move when the time for lawn care comes around.

Rain Boot Garden Planters – Gather your kids’ old rain boots and turn them into cute and colorful planters. This is a fabulous idea that allows you to recycle old stuff into something new. It also adds a personal touch to your garden. Hang the old boots on your fence with the flowers and plants of your choice in them and watch them brighten up your garden during the spring.

Hanging Kettle Garden Planters – If you are into DIY, you will love this idea. Take an old kitchen stove kettle and decorate it. Paint it and stick flat pebbles and stones if you like. Next put in the plant of your choice and hang it outside. This is a wonderful idea that will add a unique touch to your garden. With a little decoration and lots of love, you can turn your old kettle into a fabulous little herb or flower pot.

Wine Barrel Garden Planters – If you have a homey lake house or cozy cottage, one excellent idea is to convert an old wine barrel into a garden planter. You can even make it a tiered one to give you different levels for different plants. Wine barrel garden planters will add loads of rustic charm to your property and you also get a fantastic way to show off your flowers and plants.

It does not matter if you like wine or not. You can probably call up a winery and find out where they buy them from or ask them if they have any used ones that they could sell you at a discount. Just be friendly and you never know what will happen.

Pallet Garden Planters – Do you have problems with space in your garden? You need to find a way to stack your garden upright. A fantastic solution is to find a simple pallet and make a few modifications to it. You will find that you can have a well-organized stacked planter for your herbs or flowers. This is an excellent idea for gardens that are not too spacious.

Why have ordinary garden planters when you can create unique ones with a few old items you have lying around or can find at a garage sale. You do not spend a lot of money to get great-looking planters for your garden. So start getting creative, look for old stuff and create amazing DIY planters to make your garden look awesome this year.

We all have an artist within us who needs an outlet for his/her creativity from time to time. There are countless do it yourself ideas that can provide an outlet for your creative streak and also help beautify your home, garden, and surroundings.

Believe it or not, you can put old stuff lying around your house to use, in creating a cozy haven for you and your family. With no further ado, let us take you through a few mind blowing garden fence and privacy fence ideas that will add that extra zing to your garden or yard.

1-The Bicycle Fence

All you need for this simple yet elegant garden fencing idea is some old bicycles or bicycle parts. And if you do not have enough bicycle parts at home, just ask your neighbors and friends! To create this rustic look, first erect a basic skeletal fence. Next, frame old bicycle and parts using fasteners, nuts and bolts to create a really cool looking fence.

The final result will surprise you and your family, in a nice way, of course!

2-The Piano Key Fence

Best used on an existing fence or a simple wood panel fence, this privacy fence idea is sure to garner a glance from passersby. The best part about erecting a piano key fence is that it requires very less effort and suits any type of garden. All you need to do is to paint the entire fence white, and then paint smaller solid black wood panels after every second or third white panel.

3-The Ski Fence

A perfect do it yourself garden fencing idea for a sports lover, this brilliantly colorful fence can be made out of up-cycled, used, or old skis. It can also be used to make an existing fence more eye-catching and colorful by drilling holes into the existing fence, and nailing the skis into the holes. So go ahead and befriend your ski loving neighbors – who knows they might have a handful of old skis lying around at their place!

4-The Carved Character Fence

All you need for this extremely simple DIY project is some wooden garden fence panels and some basic tools to carve them with. You can also re-create your children’s favorite cartoon or super hero characters, write out letters, or even create a portrait of your family on your fence! This fence will bring a smile on your face and turn your garden into a “neighbor’s envy and owner’s pride”.

5-The Marble Fence

All you need for this simple do it yourself garden fencing project is an existing wooden fence and some marbles that let light shine through them. Once you have the marbles, drill various sized bits into the existing wooden frame and using a mallet, pound in the marbles snugly into them. Voila! You have a dazzling marble fence that looks awesome in the light.

6-The Mural Fence

Adding a mural to an existing fence can add a dash of creativity and color to your garden or yard. You can brighten up your existing fence by painting just anything that catches your fancy. Let your kids join in and have some fun while you paint your fence red!

7-The Bamboo Fence

Bamboo fences add a rustic touch to your garden or yard. You can easily create an unfinished and natural look by using bamboo poles and inexpensive materials. If you want more privacy, you can use longer bamboo poles. You can also erect the bamboo poles on an existing fence with the help of a few dozen nuts and bolts!

8-The Shutter Door Fence

This extremely simple do it yourself fencing can be created using a handful of shutter doors of different shapes and sizes. The variation in their size and texture only adds more character to the unique design. You can pep up the final look a bit more by painting the shutter doors in various colors. This brilliant privacy fencing idea suits both the front and back yards.

9-The Pencil Crayon Fence

A simple way to beautify a garden or classroom, the Pencil Crayon Fence can be made from a simple wooden fence – all you need to do is shave down the tips till they look like pencil points. You can paint each of the panels or ‘pencils’ in bright hues to make your fence stand out.

10-The Chalkboard Fence

If you have young kids, they will love the chalkboard fence. This is a simple and inexpensive way to spruce up the look of your fence while giving your kids a canvas to display their creativity. Simply paint your existing fence with a couple of coats of chalkboard paint and it’s ready for the children to scribble away! For a more sturdy effect and polished look, you can simply fix a ready-made chalkboard onto an existing fence.

11-The Reversed Direction Fence

You can give a fresh look to your regular wooden fence by installing wooden panels in different directions. Apart from looking terrific, this fence design offers privacy at an affordable price. Paint them in different colors and you have a fence that will win you complements.

12-The Surfboard Fence

This is a DIY garden fencing idea requires only a few simple tools. All you need to do is attach, up-cycled surfboards to an existing fence and you’re good to go. Enjoy your tropical garden fence.

13-The Old Road Sign Fence

Ideal for those who are looking for more privacy, this brilliant garden fencing idea can really add the much coveted zing to your garden. You can find old road signs online, or at garage sales. Simply attach the signs to an existing fence and you’re done!

Whether you are upgrading to a bigger structure or find that you do not have to use your garden shed to store tools any more, you should consider breathing new life into your old shed as a guesthouse, hobby room, or backyard retreat.

If you have a big budget to play with, you can create a supplemental living area complete with luxurious amenities and electricity. Even with a more modest one, you can transform your outbuilding into something useful and beautiful with a few clever ideas.

Shipping Container House

With a little creativity and big containers, you can have a great-looking structure that you can use in any way you want. Shipping container houses are a fantastic idea and by transforming them, you can have both a guesthouse and a potting shed. You can make a green roof and make the structure eco-friendly. There are many things you can do with shipping container houses, so start thinking up some ideas and get to working on a new structure for your backyard.

Grain Shed – If you have a grain shed on your property that you will not be using for storing grains, why not re-purpose it and create a brand new space? You could even relocate it to a more ideal spot. You can transform it into a guesthouse, home office or even a studio or hobby room. You can tear down the interior walls and refinish the hardwood floors. Once these tasks are done, you can decorate it just the way you like and have a beautiful new space in your backyard.

Backyard Retreat – If you have a shed located in a lush, green backyard surrounded by plants and flowers, a marvelous idea is to transform it into something that is open and airy. This way, you will be able to enjoy the scenic view outside, come rain or shine. Another idea is to paint the structure a subtle green so that it blends in with its surroundings and provides some much-needed privacy. You can turn your new open garden shed into a reading room, or even an outdoor dining room.

What is wrong with reading in your backyard? Nothing! You can read Lee Child or Taylor Caldwell book or a Forbes magazine, it does not matter. Nothing wrong with Sports Illustrated or Reader’s Digest either.

Traditional Shed – You can have a traditional shed, but make use of it in two ways by adding a second level to it. Keep the first level simple with a potting bench, pots, and other garden supplies. You can add furniture to the second level, even a bed, and your shed will be a room that is far more than just gardening.

Salvaged Structure – You can create a cozy little backyard retreat with salvaged materials. Many homeowners have made sheds made entirely from such materials. You can even add a terrace where you or your guests can step outside and enjoy the outdoor air. You can create a guest room or a private space where you can relax and maybe curl up with a good book.

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Preserved Shed – Do you have a decrepit shed that looks like it should be torn down? Take a closer look and you may find that it has potential. You can transform any space into a livable one, provided you have the right idea and the materials. Do not get rid of your old decaying shed so fast – you may be able to salvage and preserve your shed and make it into a tremendous backyard structure with many good uses.

Beach-inspired Shed – You can create a beach paradise out of your old shed with the right colors and accessories. Little accents can make a huge difference in how you transform your old garden shed. Get bright pops of color to both the indoors and outdoors and accents like driftwood awning and a sleeping net to create a beachy shed for guests or for yourself. You can enjoy warm summer days in your new backyard paradise.

Prefab Shed – It does not matter if you do not have an old garden shed that you can convert into a new structure. There are modern prefabricated sheds that you can customize to create any space you want. The prefab sheds today come with many green features including low energy lighting, photo-voltaic solar panels, and recycled-newspaper-based insulation. If you are looking for an eco-friendly structure for your backyard, these are the best option.

As you can see, there are many fantastic ideas for transforming your old garden shed into something new and useful. You can create beautiful outdoor structures with a purpose. Whether you need an extra guestroom, an office or just a private retreat where you can escape the madness of the house, you can get with a garden shed.

By adding a beautiful structure, you also make sure that your backyard has a focal point that adds to the landscape. With so many judicious ideas, getting a new space is easy. All you need is a little creativity and time and effort – you will be able to have a new shed that you love in no time at all!

Patios and walkways are without doubt a beautiful asset to any backyard. They not just bring with them many benefits to your home, but also offer several exciting possibilities. Like most recreation areas, a patio tends to be put more to use if it is inviting, comfortable, and visually appealing. Just a glimpse of a well maintained patio will beckon you outdoors!

If your patio dreams include walls and overheads but are subject to the local building code, do not get disheartened. You can still add warmth to your patio by adding colorful plants and herbs to give it a unique spin.

Herbs – Did you know that herbs strive on sunlight? So, there is no better place for them than your sunny patio! Create a mini garden of your favorite flavors. You can plant anything from rosemary to mint around your patio!

Lantana – These beautiful multicolored blossoms can transform the look of your backyard. The delicate, colorful blooms are pleasing to the eyes, and grow well around patios. Do not be surprised if they invite pretty lil’ butterflies to your garden!

Geraniums – Break the monotony of green in your outdoors by adding a burst of pink. Germaniums are easy to plant and easy to care for! They do well in both sun and shade. Use potted geraniums to mask a cemented patio in an exotic way.

Bamboo – If you want to create a private spot in your outdoors, bring home a few bamboo plants. You can either keep them small or let them grow tall if you are looking for privacy.

Gardenias – For a more classy and elegant look, you can plant white gardenias around your patio. Not only do they add panache to your outdoor den, but also smell beautiful. Plant them in large pots and place them around your patio.

Sunflowers – If you want to add a hint of personalization to your patio, experiment with sunflowers. These large pretty heads look marvelous in pots as well as boxes and will make any patio come to life.

Mandevilla – This is a flowering vine that will need something to climb up on. If you have a wall in your garden, be sure to add these blooms. These trumpet shaped flowers bloom in gorgeous shades of white, red, and pink! Once they begin to bloom, you will be glad you made the choice.

Pentas – If you live in a really dry place, the sweet star shaped pentas, is the plant for you. They look pretty, aren’t poisonous and love the heat.  They will bloom and grow all year long and add to the beauty of your outdoor haven.

Banana plant – If you are someone who loves gardening and can spend time caring for your plants, add a banana tree close to your patio. These large and lush plants will draw attention to your patio. And, though they may not give you bananas to munch upon, they will add beauty and color to your backyard. They love the heat and sun, and are a magnificent addition to your outdoors.

Angel’s trumpet – If you have a patio with an overhead, the angel’s trumpet will glorify it even more! These stunning flowers that hang upside down, grow up to one foot long! They will add shade to your patio and help you create a warm and cozy spot in your backyard. What’s more? They are heat tolerant and will thrive through a hot summer.

Plumbago – Does your patio and garden look sparse and empty? Then, the plumbagos will take care of that for you! They fill in space very fast and are drought and heat resistant. This means you will have a beautiful patch of blue all summer long. However, these plants are poisonous and not a great choice if you have toddlers who stick everything into their mouths!

Angelonia – Colorful, delicate, and fragrant, the angelonias are just the flowers for any patio. They love the sun and heat, do not need much water and are very easy to care for.

Solanum – If you have a patio, you should have the solanum. This plant that is sold as a patio tree is low maintenance and bloom even in containers. They are a feast to the eyes even when the flowers are yet to bloom!

Tropical Milkweed – Want to add a gorgeous pop of colors to your outdoors? Then, look no further than the tropical milkweed. The majestic monarch butterflies will wind their way to your garden in search of these beautiful blooms.

Sweet Bay Leaf Tree – The bay leaf tree grows and grows! But, with some shearing and regular maintenance they also make happy patio plants in pots. Not only are they a prolific addition to your patio, but also come in handy while making soups and stews!

Jasmine – The fragrance of jasmines needs no introduction or praise. The mild scent that these flowers exude will transport you to a different world all together. If you are someone who likes to spend a lot of time outdoors in your garden, you should consider bringing a little tropical feel to your garden patch, by growing these delicate blooms.

Just like interior rooms, patios too benefit from spruce-ups and fresh crops of plants and accessories. You can make a bare patio a spot for the family to relax and rejuvenate in by throwing in the right furniture and potted plants!

Growing a Vegetable Garden in Your Backyard

What could be more rewarding and fun than growing your own vegetables? To get started, all you really need is a few plants and some decent soil. But if you want to become a very successful organic vegetable gardener, it is important to understand what your plants need to stay vigorous and healthy. Here is a look at how you can be the best organic farmer and have the best vegetable patch in your backyard.

Make the Best use of Space

Your garden’s location (how much sunlight it receives, how well-protected it is from wind and frost, and how close it is to a water source) plays an important role. It is equally critical to make the best use of your garden space when you want to grow vegetables.

Many people dream of a sprawling vegetable garden where they can grow virtually anything they want, even crops that require large space like pumpkins, watermelons, winter squash, cucumbers, melons, dried beans, and corn. If you have the space, as well as the time and energy that you need to ensure a well-grown sizable garden, you should consider it for a variety of reasons. Also, if you are a beginner, you should press the button for raised beds since they are easier to manage.

Do Away with Rows

By choosing 3 or 4 ft raised beds instead of traditional rows, you can maximize the space in your garden. Single crop rows may be the most ideal on farms where large machines are used for planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops, but they may not be the best choice when it comes to backyard gardens. When you have a home-sized garden, when you have fewer rows, you will need fewer paths between rows. This will ultimately give you more square footage for growing vegetables and crops.

If you already have enough food growing in your row garden, you can downsize it by switching to open or raised beds. When you free up this existing space, you will find that you have a huge area to grow additional vegetables. Converting to an intensive garden system also means less soil compaction and less work for you.

Go the Trellising Route

Apart from intensive planting, trellising is another profound way to make use of garden space. If you have a small garden, more crops can be grown through the use of vertical supports. Pole beans, peas, and other vining crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers are outstanding vegetable choices to grow vertically in your garden.

You can also use the fence that surrounds your garden as a trellis, but keep in mind that you need to change the vegetables you grow on the fence every few years. Other types of supports for your vegetables are generally constructed from metal or wood. However, no matter what materials or design you choose, you should make sure that your trellis is up and in place well before the vegetables actually need support – preferably before they are even planted. With some vegetables, you may have to bind the plants to the supporting frame or carefully weave them through the trellis as they grow.

Keep Rotating Crops

It is important to rotate the crops in your garden. Crop rotation means planting the same vegetable in the same spot once every three years. This way, you make sure that the same vegetables do not deplete the same nutrients in the soil year after year. It also helps you to get rid of disease pathogens or insect pests that may be lurking in the soil after you have harvested your crops.

One of the best practices of organic gardening is to rotate plant families every season. This ensures that related crops are not planted in the same spot for over 3 years. With crop rotation, you can maintain the right balance of nutrients, soil dwelling micro-organisms, and organic matter in your garden soil.

Make a plan of your garden during each growing season by marking the location of all the crops you sow. If you grow many different vegetables, having these garden plans can be very beneficial since it allows you to find out what and where you planted.

Keep Records

It is a magnificent idea to keep a garden journal or notebook so that you can keep records of everything in your garden. From a list of vegetables that you grow to which ones failed and which ones succeeded to what caused those successes or failures, you can keep track of everything that pertains to your garden. This is a judicious way to remember which vegetables grow best in your garden.

It is not difficult to keep your vegetable garden thriving and luscious. You can enjoy fresh vegetables that you have personally grown, and you can be sure that your meals will be even more enjoyable. You will experience a real sense of pride knowing that you grow your own vegetables right in your backyard and they are growing beautifully year after year.

Spring Gardening Tips

Spring is the ideal time to start gardening. However, the garden needs to be prepared for planting after the cold winter. Before you start planting flowering plants and working in your vegetable and fruit garden, complete these essential spring gardening tips to ensure that your garden flourishes.

Clear Up Flower Beds, Borders

Before you can plant new seedlings, clear up the flower beds and borders. Remove dried leaves and other debris from all over the garden and pond. This is the time to trim old and dead branches of perennials as well. You can also retain an arborist to trim back trees and shrubs.

Clean the Greenhouse

The next step is to clean the greenhouse completely. Wash the outside and inside and apply a disinfectant on all surfaces after removing any insects, mold, and fungus that have established themselves over the winter. Wash the benches and seedling trays, clean and paint pots, and paint the greenhouse if it needs a fresh coat of paint.

Fix Fences, Gates, Trellis

You also need to clean and examine other garden fixtures such as fences, gates, and trellis. If your garden has furniture that was left outdoors in the winter, these need to be cleaned and painted as well. If you have stored the garden furniture indoors, bring them out and place them in the garden. You might need to mend broken fences and paint the trellis if it has been affected by the winter weather.

Similarly, if you have a playhouse, tree house, pergola, or arbor in your garden, these need to be cleaned, disinfected, mended, and painted. Check these structures for mold, fungus, and insects and remove them before they take over the structure. Wash the outside and interiors of the structures.

Bird Feeders and Bird Baths

Another set of garden fixtures that bear the brunt of winter weather are bird feeders and baths. These need to be cleaned, disinfected, and painted if necessary. Test the bird bath to ensure that it does not leak. Once the weather turns mild enough for the birds to return, you will be in a position to fill the feeder and bath, adding bird song to your garden.

Eliminate Garden Pests

The time before spring planting is ideal for hunting down and eliminating garden pests. This will save you plenty of time and effort later on as your garden will be relatively pest free during the growing season.

Soil Test

Another must do activity before spring planting is a soil test that will help you determine the right fertilizers to apply. You should also add mulch to the empty flower beds and bald patches of soil, to enhance the soil quality.

Compost Pit

Build or start a compost pit and use the garden debris and trimmings you have collected to prepare mulch.

Start Seedlings for Long Growing Plants

Even if the weather is still too cold to plant outdoors, you should be preparing the seeding trays for plants that need to grow for a longer period of time. The seedlings will be ready for planting once the weather becomes milder.

Water Butts

If your garden does not already have water butts, now is a salient time to install them. If the water butts were moved indoors during the winter, bring them out and place them in locations where they can catch rain water during spring precipitation. This move will help save the environment, reduce your water bill, and ensure healthier plants thrive on and live off rain water.

Gardening Tools

Once the weather is appropriate for planting you will be busy in the garden, digging, planting, and so on. Before that, clean and inspect all of your gardening tools, sharpen and repair broken tools, and order any new ones that you will need.

Plan Your Garden

You should also take the time to plan your garden, decide which flowers you want in the flower beds and which vegetables and fruits you plan to grow this spring. With this decided, you will be in a position to order the seeds or seedlings you require and ensure that they are on hand the weekend you decide to plant them.

While the actual planting of the garden can start only after the weather is conducive, you can begin work on the garden and prepare it for the spring planting just as the weather becomes warmer. This will give you a head start on your garden; giving you time to ensure that the plants thrive by the time summer is on its way. By checking the soil, tools, and garden structures, and preparing seedlings ahead of time, you will soon have a colorful garden that truly heralds spring in your neighborhood. A little bit of planning will help your gardening efforts go more smoothly as you will have the tools and seeds you need when you are ready to plant.