Improve Your Home's Value With Curb Appeal - Mailbox and Lamppost Gardens

!±8± Improve Your Home's Value With Curb Appeal - Mailbox and Lamppost Gardens

Whether you are just sprucing up, beautifying, going for a home equity loan, or placing your home on the market, lamppost and mailbox gardens add a touch of charm and interest to your curb appeal. Depending on how much space you have to work with and the look you are trying to achieve, you can opt for a half-circle, full surrounding circular garden, or really any shape that surrounds the object and allows for planting bed areas.

Working from the top down and inside to perimeter to create color and texture, I suggest first adding a climbing, flowering vine such as Clematis to your focal point. Clematis does not get too dense, has no thorns to annoy the mailman, and can be trained to wrap nicely around a post. do a little research and you're sure to find several climbers that will work well in your area.

Next, you'll want to plan for some low-maintenance blooms that will surround and reach halfway or so up the mailbox, lamppost, or trellis. Reblooming daylilies and coreopsis require little care and bloom from early to late summer, and coneflower (Echinacea) which blooms from mid-summer to fall. For this mid-level grouping, the hardy and vibrant red and yellow blanket flower, blooming from May to September and self-seeding for next year, is also a terrific choice.

Your outermost and lowest lying plantings should also be hardy, low maintenance, and offer intriguing foliage during off-season months. Mailbox and lamppost gardens are great places for adding seasonal interest since they're so visible and defined. Seasonal interest in your curb appeal is especially important if you're trying to sell your home. Various ground cover plants fit the bill while reducing the amount of weeding necessary at the same time. Creeping phlox (moss pink), sedum, and periwinkle provide myriad tiny blooms. Dwarf hosta and baltic english ivy offer lovely foliage through most months.

You can choose to add a garden border to surround this garden, depending on your preference and/or to reduce the level of maintenance. For a rustic, cottage or English garden feel, low-height willow edging works nicely. Half-circle brick accents, pavers, and even rounded and painted handful-sized rocks are options here. A mailbox or lamppost garden brightens the day of passers-by while increasing your curb appeal and, hence, property value. Don't have a mailbox at the end of your drive? Not a problem: you can do the same with a thin fountain or trellis, small tree, or wooden post with birdhouse or other eye-catching topper. These are just a few examples. Almost anything can work here and your imagination is your only limit.

Improve Your Home's Value With Curb Appeal - Mailbox and Lamppost Gardens

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Landscaping Your Yard - From the Basics to the Unusual

!±8± Landscaping Your Yard - From the Basics to the Unusual

One of the benefits of having a yard is the fun you can have landscaping it. Imagine your yard with a garden pond enhanced by a pond bridge, wooden "playscapes" for children, walkthrough gardens, and a selection of trees, shrubs, and other flora to balance the yard and enhance visual appeal. Whether your yard is big enough to include all those items or not, any yard, big or small, can be made to look appealing. Here are some ideas.

Areas

Repeating like elements such as plants or rocks throughout the landscape will help unify different areas to each other. Perennials and summer bulbs can be used to fill in areas that need color.

If you have children or grandchildren, a play area is needed. Wooden play sets can be attractive and a lot of fun. A gravel walkway around the yard provides a path for a tricycle or small bike and saves the grass from being trampled down. A large tree provides a place for a tree house. The possibilities are endless. There are landscaping books especially for designing child-friendly yards.

Lawn

The lawn is usually the largest area of any yard. A lawn is beautiful, but if you surround your lawn with beds of flowers and shrubs and with a number of trees for shade, it turns a lawn into a Garden of Eden.

Shrubs

Place shrubs around the perimeter of the lawn. In the foreground, flowering shrubs are a good choice, with the bigger shrubs behind. To add beauty to your shrubs use spread lighting which creates a spherical pattern of light to highlight groups of shrubs and flowers.

Shrubs can complement the color of your house. For example, forest green trim on a house is complimented by shrubs with yellow leaves, and homes with neutral features can always use a few splashes of dramatic color in their landscaping.

Plant a few annuals near the mailbox and an odd number of shrubs or hedges in front of the house to create depth. As you drive around notice how that adds a touch of class to a house.

Flowers

Some people also like to place flowers in strategic places as part of the overall design to give the yard even more attitude. With some well placed shrubs and wonderfully colorful flowers you can transform your home from a run of the mill house to a showplace of style and grace. It is easy.

Pond

Building a garden pond can be a very satisfying project, and if done right will be the first thing people notice. Just about every yard has grass, shrubs and tress, but a pond adds something special, especially if there is a waterfall going into it.

Building a garden pond is not just a matter of digging a hole, lining it with plastic and filling it with water. You need a filter system to keep it clean and to aerate it, and you need a way to keep algae from taking over.

Rock

Rock can add drama to any landscaped yard. Rock also reduces the amount of water required to keep the yard looking green. If you live in an area that receives little rainfall decorating a yard with rock, whether it is in spots around the yard or the entire landscape, is a desired alternative.

Rock gardens really can be breathtaking when done right. Adding drought-resistant plants compliments dry rock landscaping well. This is a popular alternative to the vast areas of lawn traditionally found around houses in some parts of the world.

Rock can be used in several areas of the yard. Walkways, ground cover, walls, ponds and waterfalls are a few ideas where rock can be used with stunning results.

When using rock for ground cover and path work, it's necessary to have a separator between the soil and ground cover. Rock walkways provide an attractive substitute for expensive and unsightly pavement, and will go with the rest of the landscaping.

Rock walls make an excellent alternative to white picket fences that may seem out of place depending on your surrounding environment and neighborhood. Water features can be as simplistic as a statue acting as a fountain to highly complex designs that mimic natural features with multiple terraces and water cascading over a rock bed.

Conclusion

Landscaping a yard is one of the pleasures of life. It's a chance to add beauty to your surroundings for the benefit of yourself, your family and your neighbors. With some planning and research, and maybe some advice from a professional, anyone can design and create a yard that is stunning.

Landscaping Your Yard - From the Basics to the Unusual

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Immaculate Deluxe Air Conditioned Studio With Heat Included & 2 Swimming Pools....

!±8± Immaculate Deluxe Air Conditioned Studio With Heat Included & 2 Swimming Pools....

Kindly check out our website bestrents.net for availability and other current rentals available. THE PERFECT DELUXE STUDIO APARTMENT. Explore the website for the South Commons Apartment Complex at southcommonscondo.com Included with the rent is heat, unlimited use of the 2 outdoor pools, cooking gas, unlimited hot water and more. Close to College of Optometry, right across the street from IIT College, China Town, Bridgeport, South Loop, Illinois Art Institute, Mercy Hospital, and Downtown Chicago. This apartment is air conditioned and has brand new carpeting and is freshly painted, 2 swimming pools, tennis courts and more. The heat is unique radiant heat which in built into the carpeted floor. It is a 4th floor apartment in this low rise brick building. This is a cats only building; sorry the management doesnt allow dogs even though we support animal rights. There is a laundry room right in the building as well as a private storage area. The apartment is located in The South Commons Apartment complex professionally managed by Sudler very close to the hot South Loop area. It's directly across the street from IIT college and across from the park with a running track, tennis courts, etc. There are 7 Acres of landscaped green space and a few blocks to Lake Shore Drive, Dan Ryan and I-55. There is 24 building maintenance and security. The complex is walking distance to Lake Michigan, Comiskey Park (Cellular Field), IIT, and Bridgeport. There are many new high end condos across ...

Immaculate Deluxe Air Conditioned Studio With Heat Included & 2 Swimming Pools....

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Strong Bad's CG4AP Episode 3 Walkthrough (Part 2)

!±8± Strong Bad's CG4AP Episode 3 Walkthrough (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my Baddest of the Bands walkthrough! In this part, we get some more things for our awesomeness and start collecting things for the celebrity judges and security we need for the battle of the bands! We end it by tricking Strong Sad into becoming our security. OUR PROGRESS SO FAR: OUTFITS: [X] Use Mic in downstairs laundry room [X] Examine Couch in downstairs TV room [ ] Use Mic near Brick Wall to the right of Bubs [ ] Use Black Metal Detector near picket fence [ ] Automatically given to you when you get 100% LIMOZEEN MANUAL PAGES: [X] Use the Ordinary Light Switch in Strong Bad's computer room [ ] Use Black Metal Detector in front of Two-o-Duo Stage [ ] Use Mic in front of Cool Tapes Stage [ ] Use Doin' The Wigglie on Turntable at Club TC (Extended Play) LIMOZEEN GLASSES: [X] Examine Luxa-Lounger [X] Use Mic near Strong Bad's Mailbox [ ] Use Black Metal Detector next to Marzipan's Zen Garden [ ] Examine Dead Fish at Two-O-Duo Stage (After Bleach) RARE BAND POSTERS: [X] Use Black Metal Detector on the right side of Bubs' Concession Stand [ ] Check the first locker on the left in the Locker Room [ ] Use Mic at Club TC [ ] Use Black Metal Detector in front of DOI Stage STRONG BAD ABUSE: [X] Examine the Microwave in the Kitchen [X] Examine the Lappy Plug in Strong Bad's computer room [ ] Use the Fake Sword on Marzipan [ ] Use the Bleach on the pond at Two-o-Duo Stage [ ] Talk to Strong Sad at the Pomstar stage MUSICAL MOMENTS: [ ] Offer The Cheat an entry ...

Strong Bad's CG4AP Episode 3 Walkthrough (Part 2)

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ByOwnerMLS - 3 beds / 2.5 baths - Dayton OH $226900

!±8± ByOwnerMLS - 3 beds / 2.5 baths - Dayton OH 6900

Single Family - 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms in DAYTON, OH 45432 for 6900 www.byownermls.com Description: Beautiful 2-Story Colonial, (1st floor 1195; 2nd floor 1046, w/ full basement 1046 sq ft; Library/Office 113x124, WI Linen closet; plus 3 Large BR, (MBR 136x162; 2nd BR 136x13; 3rd BR 173x11; Lg. closets, 17' WIC in MBR, 2.5 Bath (5 sinks); wbfp; Dining Rm 13x113; Family Rm 20x18 - open to the Kitchen area 21x12; Hardwood floors. trash-compactor, appliance garage, gourmet sink, built-in pantry, microwave shelf, with a Butlers Pantry between Kitchen/Din Rm.; Utility Room 14x76 off kitchen w/ W/D hook-ups, and utility sink, closet and extra cabinets; attached 2-car oversized insulated garage w/ workshop & attic storage 600 sq ft; totaling 3921 sq ft. On a wooded half-acre in a quiet, beautiful friendly upscaled neighborhood. Painted Sherwin-Williams, 3-tone Super Paint on Cedar Siding. Beautiful, professional landscaped yard & Gardens with 18x22 lower deck, 6x18 upper (walkout from MBR), 14x16 brick & stone patio off kitchen. Cedar-shake Arbor BBQ area off kitchen, Cedar-shake Gazebo, 15-zone programmable Rain Bird Sprinkler System covers all lawn and garden areas, brick sidewalks/ oversize brick mailbox. 50 gal. AO Smith Gas HWH; Trane exterior, high-efficiency Heat Pump; central air; Culligan high-capacity Water Softener; double-pane insulated storm windows throughout. Wooded, shade trees Color-coordinated wood storage-barn with loft (10x14). Lot dimension: 110 X 182 ...

ByOwnerMLS - 3 beds / 2.5 baths - Dayton OH 6900

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LEGO® Creator Beach House (4996)

!±8± LEGO® Creator Beach House (4996)

Brand : LEGO | Rate : | Price : $34.99
Post Date : Dec 02, 2011 13:37:36 | Usually ships in 24 hours

Need to get away? Relax in your very own beach house! This colorful building is packed with fun and realistic details, from the big sunlit windows to the barbecue and umbrella. Includes instructions for rebuilding into a cozy cafe or towering apartment building. The second floor lifts off to see stairs and fireplace on the first floor. There's even a balcony and a skylight that opens. Outside sits a patio with table, umbrella and chairs, and even a barbecue grill with chicken. Realistic details include a mailbox, doorbell, flowers, walkway, light fixtures, chimney, tree and lots of windows. Beach House stands over 6" high and includes a 5" x 10" baseplate. 522 pieces.

• Need to get away? Relax in your very own beach house!
• Second floor lifts off to see stairs and fireplace on the first floor with a balcony and a skylight that opens!
• Outside there is a patio with table, umbrella and chairs, and even a barbeque grill with chicken
• Beach House stands over 6½" (16.5cm)high and includes a 5" x 10" (13cm x 25cm) baseplate
• Includes instructions for rebuilding into a cozy café or towering apartment building
• Contains 522 pieces
• Realistic details include mailbox, doorbell, flowers, walkway, light fixtures, chimey, tree and lots of windows
• This colorful building is packed with fun and realistic details, from the big sunlit windows to the barbecue and umbrella

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How to Choose the Size of Cupola to Create Curb Appeal

!±8± How to Choose the Size of Cupola to Create Curb Appeal

Often called an architectural wonder, cupolas are ornamental and impressive. Their elegant design adds stateliness to your buildings exterior, creating curb appeal and antique finish.

Cupolas were originally built for a variety of reasons: ventilation, to house a bell, provide an area to view the scenery. In most cases today, cupolas are added to buildings primarily as decorative features, but can also be used to provide ventilation. In some cases, the entire main floor can form a cupola where people can sit inside the structure and have a panoramic view of the surrounding areas.

Cupolas can be square, rectangular, octagonal, or round; they can be built out of metal, vinyl, or wood. The type and style of your building's rooftop affects which shape will provide a more balanced effect.

Some of the different woods cupolas are built out of include: marine plywood, cypress, birch, white pine and oak. They can have either cedar shingles, roofing to match the buildings roof, or copper roofing. The copper roofing can be chemically treated for a green finish called patina, or over time it will naturally change to patina.

There are several ways to add a cupola to your building. You can purchase a blue print and build your own, order a kit that contains the materials, or get one completely assembled and sealed against the elements, prior to shipment.

Cupolas are made up of three sections-the base, vents/windows, and the cap. The base must conform to the pitch of the roof to fit properly.

Be careful about purchasing a cupola without consideration of the size of the base in proportion to the building size. Taking a few minutes to measure the roofline is essential to creating a finished look. This causes the cupola to look integrated into the buildings, rather than tacked on.

Here are some pointers that assure you a quality look:

- The size of the cupola is determined by the length, width, and wall height, of the building it will be placed on.
- A good rule of thumb is at least one inch of cupola base for every foot of unbroken roofline. Cupolas sizes are rounded up and are usually built in two, four, or six inch increments.
- Once the measurements are obtained, you can determine the size of the base.
- The bases of cupolas are cut to fit the pitch of the roof. Typically, a cupola will fit a six or twelve degree pitch. This is a ratio for every inch a roof drops over every inch it extends horizontally.
- Window cupolas will always appear smaller than the same size louvered cupola on any building.
- Multiple cupolas are recommended if the building is greater than 100 feet. By placing two cupolas of equal size on each end, or having a large cupola in the middle of the roof with two smaller cupolas at each end.
- When a cupola is placed where there is adjourning buildings, you could go one to two sizes larger.
- With a custom cupola, you can create something unique and one of a kind. The possibilities are endless when it comes to designing and decorating a custom cupola. Just visit with the manufacture what you have in mind.

One important thing to remember is that how a cupola looks when it is sitting on the ground is different from when it is placed on the roof. A good way to visualize what it will look like is to find a cardboard box the size of the cupola and place it on the roof. By viewing it from the ground you will get a fairly accurate picture of what it will look like with the cupola there. By walking around the building you will be able to view from all angles.

A properly sealed, dimensional cupola will add a finishing touch to both new construction and existing buildings. Adding the right accent transforms buildings and enhances the value for years to come.

Copyright (c) 2009 Elda Titus

How to Choose the Size of Cupola to Create Curb Appeal

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Restoring Lost Curb Appeal - A Simple Front Yard Makeover

!±8± Restoring Lost Curb Appeal - A Simple Front Yard Makeover

A simple front yard overhaul to restore curb appeal can often be as much of a challenge as designing and building an entirely new landscape. It's like a "not being able to see the forest through the trees" kind of a thing. One thing that's helpful with this is to be clear from the very beginning about your budget and whether this is a simple clean up, a partial landscape, or an entirely new front yard landscape. However, even if you don't want to do a full scale landscape, the end result is still a matter of following the same principles of designing a new front yard. Entryways, access, and parking areas should already be be designated in an existing landscape. If not, design them in if they are a necessary addition. Then you can focus the rest of the design, plants, and plating beds around them.

In restoring an existing front yard, assessment of the problem areas is always the first step. Use your camera to get a better perspective on this. Take a few pictures of the landscaping and entryway from different angles. From this you should see a whole different picture of what your yard really looks like. Make note of it and what you want to change. Make note of things like chipped and cracked concrete, overgrown weeds, dead lawn, dead plants, etc. Does your front entryway look tired and neglected? Look at all the details. A poor landscape is usually a combination of several elements combined.

Remove any dead or unwanted shrubs. You can always replace them with the same or similar types. However, for a fresher look in new and old landscapes, try using other intreresting textures like ornamental grasses in place of shrubs and hedges. Not only do they provide a new texture and shape, they also add motion and winter interest to the landscaping. Use them in the same spots as singular or in groups. Prune trees and tall healthy shrubs to restore their beauty. Often unnoticed, these are allowed to grow unchecked and make the yard look uncared for.

Add a little color, interest, and a whole new dimension by placing some large planting containers and pots on the sides of your front steps or on either side of your walkway. Fill these with a combination of trailing vines, ornamental grasses, and colorful flowers. This will brighten your entryway as well as make it look more inviting and welcoming. Planters are also great for using plants from different climates and seasons and being able to move them inside for the Winter.

When you add flowers and plants to your yard or front entry, keep in mind that less is sometimes more. Don't try to add every color of the rainbow but focus on a simple color scheme. Pick two or three colors as well as a few evergreen varieties and repeat them throughout the landscaping. We're only trying to clean up and create a framework to begin with. We can add more later if needed. This will help create unity and retain some of the existing balance until then.

Edging any walkways, driveways, and sidewalks will do wonders for making the entire yard look sharp and clean. For now you don't even need fill everything with plants. A layer of protective mulch along the edges instead of flowers or shrubs can look really great. Make sure that any existing sidewalks, driveways, and steps are clean and in good shape. These areas are totally visible so fix any stains or cracks. Severely cracked concrete, brick, or stone sidewalks should either be repaired to good shape or replaced.

If your yard and entryway are too straight, hard, formal, and boring, soften the look by adding some curved flower beds. An island bed is also a great addition to add interest and shape to a front yard lawn area. Some beds can be used to line and highlight the front entryway helping it to flow from the street or driveway to the front door.

For some night time interest and safety, consider adding electric or lighting to the landscape. You can install low voltage lights yourself or let a professional contractor do the job. Not only do they provide a safety factor, but they also create a sense of elegance on the home at night.

And one more thing that is so often overlooked. Don't forget the home itself. No matter how beautiful the landscaping is, no one will even see it if the home is in bad shape and in need of repairs. New paint if needed, repairing roof and siding, washing windows, hanging gutters, and repairing anything else that needs it will do so much for the home as well as help the curb appeal of the front yard rd landscaping.

Restoring Lost Curb Appeal - A Simple Front Yard Makeover

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Faux Stone Backsplash - Budget Friendly With Tough Looks

!±8± Faux Stone Backsplash - Budget Friendly With Tough Looks

If you want to have the contemporary look of stone, concrete, granite or wood within your budget go for faux stone. Faux stone backsplash bring beauty of wood, stone, brick and metal to your kitchen.

So what exactly is faux stone?

It is a high density molded polymer to create looks of stone, bricks etc. If your budget is tight and you still want to get the rural country look or toughness of stone then faux stone backsplash is just right for you.

The benefits of faux stone are numerous.
They are durable and do not crack, wrap, fade or rot with weather. Installation cost is very minimum. There is no need to hire masons or contractors. It is impervious to insect attack, moisture and environmental sound. Labor costs are also minimum as there is no heavy lifting involved like stones or granite. It is do-it-yourself stuff. You can laser cut, saw, drill and glue with simple tools. You can just use adhesive and screws to fit it. You can also screw signs, pictures or paints on faux stone. If you drill or screw wrongly you will have no problems. There will not be any cracks in faux stone.

Besides that they come in variety of designs. There is the hand-made look, the granite look, sun-bleached look, charcoal look etc. It also mimics design of asphalt, concrete etc. No mixing, drying or sloppy mess involved as seen with asphalt or concrete.

Some tips on using faux stone backsplashes
Use a mild soap to cleanse it rather than harsh detergents. For additional information check out the installation guidelines at ask the builder or howstuffworks site. When repainting faux stone use water-based acrylic paint. You also have faux painting information available at various sites like hgtv.com, spicykitchens.com etc

From rural country side look to an English country look faux stones seamlessly blend everywhere. With faux stone backsplashes you get the toughness of stone with a light weight polymer.

Faux Stone Backsplash - Budget Friendly With Tough Looks

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Backyard Landscape Plan - Think About Your Family's Lifestyle First

!±8± Backyard Landscape Plan - Think About Your Family's Lifestyle First

If you've been considering changing you're home's landscaping, don't forget to consider your family's lifestyle as you create your initial plans. Everyone's routines and daily activities need to be considered before you make any significant changes.

For instance, if you put a flowerbed or shrub in the middle of your backyard, will that hinder your children from playing various games? You want to encourage your kids to play at home and to invite their friends to join them, so it's important not to do anything that will adversely affect the space where they usually play.

Another example would be planting a shrub along a route that someone in the family likes to walk on a regular basis. It can be something as simple as the route to the mailbox, or something as elaborate as a path that someone likes to walk every afternoon to commune with nature. Either way, planting something that alters their enjoyment of that simple routine wouldn't be a good idea.

Consider Benefits in Relation to Expense

You may also want to consider what adding a particular landscaping element would do to enhance your family's living experience. Would adding a hot tub to a proposed new deck be something the family would use enough to justify its expense, or would it be enough just to add the deck and use it for barbecuing and getting together with friends?

Plan Ahead

You might also think about future additions to the family when making your landscaping plans. For example, even though your own children have grown up and moved out of the house, you might think about adding a sandbox to your landscaping project, so your grandchildren will have a place to play when they visit over the weekend.

As you think about what you might like to incorporate into your new landscaping project, it's a good idea to start keeping a folder where you can stuff pictures or ideas. You might also want to keep a journal, jotting down ideas of possible additions that come to you from time to time. When you finally sit down to create your formal plan, you can dig these out, and you may be surprised at some of the things that caught your imagination as you mulled over your landscaping project.

Regardless of what you finally decide to include in your landscape remodeling project, it's important that everyone in the household be considered. It's their home, too, and they have the right to be given the maximum amount of opportunity to enjoy it.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Backyard Landscape Plan - Think About Your Family's Lifestyle First

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Stand Alone Landscape Design Elements

!±8± Stand Alone Landscape Design Elements

When designing a landscape or garden, most folks tend to consider the details only after the shape and plantings have been defined. Considering some of your details, accents, and decor through the entire design process can help you figure out how to use your spaces in tasteful ways. Adding focal points and decor accents will often also create a need for more design spaces.

Miscellaneous Focal Points - sundials, outdoor fireplaces, mailboxes, garden carts, sculptures, lamp posts, benches, weathervanes, chimenea, wagon wheels, & more: Focal points not only guide the eye near or far, they can create a sense of depth, fill in a 'don't know what to do here' spot, and become beautiful and/or useful components in your yard. Use your imagination to extend past simply functional items: a partially embedded wagon wheels provides a rustic backdrop for a mini-garden as well as a place for flowering vines to thrive. A wooden or wicker bench in front of a water feature or in the shade offers a separate outdoor area while complementing the whole. An old garden cart can be used as a planter... you get the idea.

Ornamental Boulders: Large boulders can be used effectively as an accent. They are attractive when interrupting the edging of beds or walks and when included in Japanese garden and in berms. Try for boulders that exhibit unique character: unusual shapes, coloring, or edges that will complement your gardening scheme. Partially embed boulders in the soil for a more natural effect rather than simply sitting them on the ground.

Patios and Decks: Patios can provide a perfect solution for private relaxation or for entertaining. A favorite of many people is using flagstone. The pieces should be spaced so that groundcover plantings or sod can be planted between the stone. Other patios that work can range from brick type pavers, exposed aggregate concrete, concrete created with a pattern and/or colored, and square concrete pavers placed within timber borders. With decking, choose a shape and style that will complement your home, landscape, and personal needs. Ask our experts for advice on the shape, materials, and style features that will best suit you.

Pergolas, Gazebos, and Lanais: In sunny areas, structures that provide a bit of overhead shade shelter are as functional as they are lovely. While offering comfort from the heat, they are also good props for hanging plants and climbing flowers and vines. Usually made of wood, pergolas and lanais are most often added above patios and have lattice work overhead so that sunlight can filter through. A gazebos can be used as a focal point while providing a wonderful, stand-alone option that create a private, special garden spot for sitting, dining, or relaxing.

As always, be sure to include design elements that you love and that will complement your desired overall effect and goals.

Stand Alone Landscape Design Elements

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Custom Mailboxes and How They Reflect Your Style

!±8± Custom Mailboxes and How They Reflect Your Style

I think being a mail carrier has to be one of the most boring professions there is. I mean, you drive around by yourself with stacks of other people's mail. Stop at the mailbox, open the flap, put in the mail, close the flap, drive off, and repeat. I think I would go crazy after just one day!

So it makes me wonder, is that why some people put up bazaar mailboxes? Don't get me wrong I'm all for personalized mailboxes. I have on more than one occasion put my last name and house number on my box. And I have secretly longed for one of those fancy brick numbers that are not only lovely to look at, but also very functional. I mean they are practically indestructible!

Personalization is one thing. I can handle the family name mounted or painted in a pretty font. I can even tolerate some decorative elements such as birds, flowers, or even a favorite sports team. But I draw the line at larger than life animal statues that make you stop and wonder, "What were they thinking?!"

For example, in a neighboring city there is very nice house located on the gulf of Mexico, and stationed prominently by the road sits an almost-life-sized mother manatee holding a mailbox. Now this in itself is bad enough, but it just doesn't stop there. Down toward the mother manatee's tail there "swims" a sweet little baby manatee. But it's not swimming with momma, no it looks as if it is nursing! Now I know that it is not actually nursing, because manatees nurse their babies from a gland under their armpits. But if you didn't know this little tidbit of useless trivia, you would probably think that this interesting mailbox features a nursing baby manatee! I wonder what goes through the mail carriers head!

This is not the only artistic mailbox out there. There are websites dedicated to nothing but ugly mailboxes. I found pictures of mailboxes featuring sculpted pelicans, ketchup bottles, swimming fish, and even Mickey Mouse. The artistic endeavors didn't end with the mailbox, some home owners got creative with the mailbox post, using anything from rims, to scrap metal, to old tree limbs.

So I guess if you want to stand out in your neighborhood, just think about getting or making personalized mailboxes. And remember, the sky's the limit

Custom Mailboxes and How They Reflect Your Style

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