The Enduring Elegance of Teak Patio furniture

Imagine enjoying your morning breakfast and coffee, or afternoon tea on your patio relaxing on some great furniture. It's only natural though, that homeowners should look for natural materials when choosing furniture for their garden or patio, and people who appreciate good quality furniture love to use durable and beautiful teak patio and lawn furniture.

It's not just teak's good looks that have made it a favorite choice for outdoor furniture and accessories. Teak is one of the most durable woods known to man. What makes teak patio furniture worthy of use in your backyard is because teak wood is very strong and dense as well as containing natural oil which protects it from the elements. This means the life span of furniture made from other types of wood such as cedar, redwood and pine pales in comparison to the 75 to 100 years teak has been reported to last. Also most other types of wood need to be treated with a preservative if you want them to last for several seasons.

With high-quality teak furniture, there's no need to worry about varnishing or sanding the furniture to make it look good and hold up. It only needs to be washed annually to remove sap, pollen and mildew. For those who prefer the look of teak in its original golden brown state rather than the silvery grey that outdoor teak becomes as it ages, will need to clean their furniture more rigorously with specialized teak cleaners. Others may consider oiling, varnishing or sealing their teak furniture if they plan to use it indoors.

When you want a cozy addition to outdoor entertainment seating, a teak Wave garden bench adds just the right touch. The curved seat and back adds style and ensures a comfortable spot to sit. Another piece that will enhance any outdoor living space is a High Back Rocking Chair making it not only extraordinary to look at, but extremely inviting to sit in.

A Teak Butterfly Extension Dining Patio Set is sure to add a dash of classy elegance to your Backyard Dining Room. The Teak patio table is durable, versatile and easily seats 6 people. It can also be shortened for 4 people by storing the leaf and sliding the table together with the glides.

It's important to note that there are differences in quality within the family of teak wood. Here are some tips from manufacturers of fine teak furnishings:

1. Make sure that the furniture you are looking at is genuine teak, not those promoted as "teak-like" or "as good as teak."

2. Consider the grade of teak and the construction methods used to produce the product. Is your furniture free of sap, pits, and open knots? Are screw holes recessed and pegged to prevent rust and staining? If so, you have a quality product.

3. Next, consider style, which has expanded significantly from the traditional Adirondack chair style (though it is still a favorite) many people associate with teak. You can now get teak benches, chair and ottoman sets, loveseats and lounge chairs. Teak furniture can also be customized with colorful chair cushions.

The natural characteristics that teak wood has, makes the teak patio furniture resistant to water as well as insect damage. Meaning, you will have it forever. So having teak patio furniture is a good investment. Many people choose to even use them indoors.

When it comes to furnishing an outdoor space, there are many things to consider, such as the number of pieces you will want to purchase, the type of look you want, and what materials you prefer. Each person has his or her own preference for what makes an outdoor space feel just right, and many select teak wood as their material of choice.

Find your way to beauty, style and grace with your collection of smooth, polished teak Patio and Lawn furniture.

Lawn furniture “by the yard”

Tips for feeding your lawn nitrogen

Do you have one of those neighbors whose lawn just makes you green with envy? You know what I'm talking about, thick, lush, deep green grass without a single weed to be seen. Its one of the things every homeowner would like to have. So what's the secret?

You may know that to have a healthy lawn a good fertilization program is needed. In fact, it's probably the single most important thing you can do for your lawn. Proper nutrient levels need to be maintained for your lawn to achieve optimal performance and health. By far, the three most important nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Fertilizers are rated by these three nutrients. 20-10-10 and 24-6-6 are typical examples. But what kind and formula should I use on my lawn and when should I fertilize?

It'd be nice to think you can go out, find a good numbered lawn fertilizer, and treat your lawn, but this simply isn't true. You may hear a lawn fertilizer ratio somewhere between 3-1-2 to 5-1-2 is a good fertilizer. This is a pretty vague guideline and the only way to know for sure what your lawn needs is to have a soil sample tested. This is not expensive. Some places will actually do the test for free. Simple home soil test kits are also available. You just need to take the time to do it. Your lawn will thank you later.

One of the nutrients, nitrogen, is vital to your lawn. You need nitrogen because chlorophyll depends on it as do other proteins and amino acids. These in turn are what makes your lawn green and causes it to grow well.

Some things to look for to see if your grass has a nitrogen deficiency are; if it turns yellow despite watering, the grass doesn't grow quickly, diseases are present in your lawn, or if the grass turf starts getting thinner.

Depending on the time of year, your budget, and the climate there are three basic types of nitrogen used in fertilizers that are popular to apply.

1. You will find isobutyledenedinurea (IBDU) which decomposes slowly and will feed your grass over a longer period of time. It will often take a couple of weeks to decompose enough for you to see its effects on your lawn.
This is the most expensive form of nitrogen fertilizer because of the way it is manufactured and its uniformity. Its uniformity also makes it very easy to apply.

2. There is also sulfur-coated urea. It depends on how thick the sulfur coating is to determine how quickly it will dissolve and feed your plants.
S.C.U. will release quicker when the temperature is hotter, the lawn is wetter, or if the grass is healthier.

3. The last one I am going to mention is urea, a fairly inexpensive nitrogen. It is the cheapest nitrogen to produce as well as the fastest acting. You can often see results over night, it is that fast. But it gets depleted quickly and if you over apply it you can easily burn your yard up and kill your grass.

Your lawn is just like any other plant you might decide to grow. It requires nutritious food to look its best. And the proper nutrients will help your lawn not only look great but also become more able to adapt to drought, disease, and even pests. So the next time you go shopping for fertilizers with nitrogen (and this time of year is when everyone does) check the labels and ask lots of questions.

Feeding your lawn “by the yard”

Having An Attractive Rock Garden Anyone Would Be Proud Of

A rock garden can bring instant life, interest and intrigue to an otherwise bland area of your landscape. Many new gardeners think that rock gardens are hard to plan and expensive to make and fill with colorful plants but nothing could be further from the truth. Rock gardening is fun, easy and can be very economical depending on how you approach it. They are very popular and one of the most economical ways to enhance the landscape surrounding your home.

Rock gardens bring with them the assumption of having very few plants, or no plants at all but that’s not true. In fact it is the arrangement of the rocks in your garden, complemented by attractive plants with coordinating colors, that really adds to the beauty of the home and provides a low-maintenance landscape feature.

The first thing to do when starting your rock garden is to carefully check out where you are thinking of creating your rock garden. You should clear the area of unwanted plants, grasses and make sure there are no remnants left. Be sure to dig out the roots as well as the tops, or you may find your rock garden invaded at some later time by an unwanted fern or intrusive perennials.

After you make sure the soil is good (proper PH and well fertilized), then it is time to place your rocks. It is important to not choose rocks of the same size or shape and to not space your rocks evenly. Your want your garden to look natural. Variety in the types of rocks used is as desirable as variety of plants chosen to place in between them.

If you plan to have a lot of plants, then your rocks should be spaced further apart to give more room for the flowers. If, however, you plan to use plants only sparingly, arrange them closer together, but make sure that you allow some room for plants to grow. Try to make the design look as natural as possible, as it will be more attractive. A few large boulders usually look better than a number of small rocks and in a well-designed rock garden rocks are arranged so that there are various exposures. It is also a good idea to mix in some soil enhancements such as mulch, compost, and other compounds as you fill in the soil between the rocks.

It is advantageous, even after you have placed your rocks and decided where you want to put any plants, to wait a while before you attempt to plant the flowers in your rock garden. This will ensure that the soil has settled, and it will give you a chance to make sure that you have gotten rid of any pesky weeds. This way as soon as they make their appearances above the ground you can easily remove them.

It is best when placing the rocks in a garden that is sloped, to start at the low part of the slope and work up. Also try to slope the top of the rock back toward the slope so that water from rain and sprinklers is guided downward. You also want to try and keep the upper rocks from overshadowing rocks and plants below them. The goal is to create a sense of stability both visually and physically by setting each rock so that its widest side serves a base. To build the rocks up you can set a larger rock on top of smaller rocks and then fill in between with soil.

Placing the rocks on flat ground is a little different. Here you want to work from the inside toward the outer edges of the garden. It is always a good idea to lay out which rocks you would like where so that you can ensure your garden is balanced and look natural. It may be necessary, on a flat site, to build up small mounds of dirt in different places to give the rock garden an interesting appearance.

You should be careful to plant your flowers and plant only after everything else is in place, and after you make sure the soil is properly settled. Early spring or early fall are always the best times to do any planting. You want to make sure you choose plants that are suited for rugged terrain and adapted to your climate. The end result will be a beautiful garden that requires little upkeep.

Rock gardens are here to stay. They are a delightful feature in any home landscape and afford the opportunity to create charming pictorial effects as well as to grow a wide variety of plants, including many bulbs, in a comparatively small area.

Rock gardening “by the yard”

Beautify Your Garden with a Bridge

Have you ever imagined having your own little paradise right outside in your backyard? Smelling the fresh flowers and enjoying the colorful fish in your very own pond. I think all of us want to have our own private getaway to turn off the noise of our busy lives.

A Garden bridge could be just what you need to turn that mediocre garden area into something quite splendid. Just because you don’t have a huge, elaborate garden does not mean you can’t accentuate what you do have. Garden bridges can add either a touch of country or a formal design to a garden.

Why not consider a garden bridge to accentuate your sanctuary and create a focal point to your flower garden. Bridges are often placed over a small stream (either dry or with running water), pond or even over rough terrain. It is the perfect touch for an exquisitely made landscape whatever the setting may be.


1. Personalize Your Garden
These accents can give a more personalized touch in your garden revealing your true character and personality. All the choices and decisions you make in styling your garden are yours and should reflect your own personal taste and style. Having a garden bridge in a backyard is an influence of the Far East where they created quiet locations often for rejuvenation and meditation. Therefore, a good way to rejuvenate in your backyard is to create your own quiet place. Garden bridges can give serenity to your entire garden which can evoke peaceful feelings and help you clear your mind.

2. Bridge Selections
Garden bridges are most often made of wood because it gives an elegant and traditional style. There are three popular choices of woods used for building these bridges: cedar, pine and redwood. They are unique in their features and they each have their own desirable characteristics.

Cedar: Buyers of cedar bridges may be attracted to the timeless natural beauty of this light-colored wood. It is very good for any outdoor furnishing because it resists mold, decay and mildew and repels insects. The two popular types of cedar are the western red and white cedar. Though both have similar qualities, the western red cedar may last longer than white cedar due to lower levels of natural acid which preserve the cedar. Cedar wood ages well because it does not have the tendency to splinter.

Pine: This type of wood is prone to rot if not pressure-treated. If you are good with a hammer and nails you may even be able to make your own garden bridge. Plans can often be found online. Before building the bridge though, make sure that the wood is painted or stained and sealed to extend its life. Pine responds well to staining or painting.

Redwood: Redwood stands up well against the elements and resists rotting. Lack of maintenance and prolonged outdoor exposure though can steal the vibrancy of its color. But this can be easily restored by using a colored sealer. Having a durable redwood garden bridge adds style and elegance in your backyard.

3. Finding and choosing Your Garden Bridge
- Online sites of Garden Bridges provide you with the best choices, great deals and valuable information to help you get started on your backyard oasis.
- You need to choose the right garden bridge for your yard. If you have a smaller garden you will want a smaller garden bridge to draw attention to a specific area. Look at the space you have and decide where a bridge would fit in. Consider more than one area and then choose your favorite.

A garden bridge can be a big benefit for your garden space. There are some lovely gardens that are small in size but large in beauty because garden bridges have been added in just the right places.

Garden bridges “by the yard”