color — Home and Garden Diva

Garden Shrubs: Uses and Maintenance

So, you don’t have a fence. It’s alright because you can just grow a shrub that you can form into some sort of boundary marker. This is one of the most common uses of shrubs; and many times, homeowners just let their plants grow without thinking about how to properly maintain them. Shrubs definitely have so much more to offer, aside from being great as hedges. These come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and with proper maintenance, you won’t only have a beautiful natural barrier, but you’ll also have healthy plants that are a joy to see.

Uses of Shrubs

1. Forms a Boundary and Offers Protection

As mentioned earlier, most people plant shrubs in order to define their property line. There are all sorts of shrubs that can be used here, such as the King’s Mantle (Thumbergia erecta), which has vivid green and lush foliage and intense purple flowers. Many kinds of viburnums (Newport and Allegheny), evergreens (holly, spruce, pine), and other low-growing perennials can be used as shrubs. For those who want to amp up the security of their perimeters, they can also use thorny shrubs to help discourage prowlers. Examples are rose, barberry and quince.

2. Provides Privacy and Acts As Shield from the Elements

If you have a shrub that you have formed into a tall hedge, it will provide you some privacy. Naturally, you wouldn’t want your nosy next door neighbor to know what you’re doing in the yard or inside your house. (Remember Samantha’s snooping neighbor on Bewitched? How annoying, right?) So, even though you might like to share a few things with your friends and neighbors, you wouldn’t want to share every little detail of your life. Having a hedge will give you a bit of privacy. Plus, the shrub will also help in protecting you or your home from the brunt of the sun and wind.

3. Gives You Pleasure

Of course, if you’re growing healthy flowering plants or lush, vibrant shrubs, you’ll surely enjoy staying outdoors and just enjoying the visual pleasure of having beautiful flora all around you. Gorgeous ornamental plants provide dramatic foliage which are also a joy to care for or prune. Flowering shrubs can also be trained to grow on your trellis, which will really add beauty to your home.

Maintenance: About Pruning Shrubs

It is a must to keep your garden or landscape well-maintained. If you allow your plants to grow without proper care, these will soon form dense vegetation where thieves or prowlers can easily hide. So, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Home security experts suggest that you grow your hedges to just below 5 feet. More than that and you endanger yourself and your family by having areas where burglars can easily hide. Shorter hedges will delineate your property line while also helping to deter people from peeking into windows on the first floor.

Plants are also best pruned during specific times. This will depend on the type of shrubbery that you have. So, ask an experienced gardener about when is the best time to prune your shrubs to reduce damage to the vegetation. Don’t feel too bad about pruning because this actually encourages plants to develop flowers or fruits when done correctly.

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Claire Davidson is a freelance writer who also happens to love plants of all kinds. She writes about flowers, orchids, grasses, as well as landscaping in Idaho Falls and other gardening or planting-related issues.

Things To Consider Before You Order Custom Rugs

by The Diva

Every homeowner has their own idea of what looks good in their home. They each like things to look and feel a certain way. Of course, some people like to leave the decorating in the hands of professionals who are good at interior design and decorating. You can also get a little help from magazines and online websites that offer design advice.

Custom rugs can be a great addition to any room, no matter what style your room might be. There are so many styles, colors, patterns and more to choose from. Choosing the right custom rugs for your home should not be a quick decision. There are factors that should be taken into consideration before you pick them. Below are some of the top things to consider before you order your custom rugs.

Choose A Theme

One of the first things to consider when choosing a custom rug is what theme you are working with in the room where the rug will go. To figure out your theme, look at the current colors, furniture, curtains, doors, windows and more to see what the common quality is in them. Once you find the theme, you can then get a customized rug to match with your current decor.

Do Research

Now that you know what theme you are working with in your room, you need to search around for rug companies that will be able to offer you the customized rug that you want. Make sure that the company is reputable to order from and has a consistent record of selling quality rugs to their customers. A quick search online can lead you to many companies that sell custom rugs. Check out their online portfolios if they have them. This should give you a better idea of which company to order your custom rugs from.

Create A Budget

A custom rug is not always cheap. Before you buy a rug, you need to figure out what your budget is going to be. Knowing your budget before you begin searching will keep you from spending too much and also keep you from falling in love with a rug that you cannot afford. Also, bear in mind that certain rugs that you buy might require a more expensive form of upkeep than others. This should also be a factor when creating your budget.

As you can see, there are many things to take into consideration before you purchase any custom rugs. These types of purchases can be a little on the expensive side and should not be done spontaneously. You need to take the time to find a rug that will meet all of your decorating needs and still be within your budget. The right custom rug will make the perfect addition to any room and is a great investment.

David Dennel is a self-proclaimed interior designer. He recommends choosing iCustomRug for any possible modern area rug choice. They carry a large selection at low prices.

Five Feng Shui Techniques That Will Help The Energy Flow In Your Home

by Trish

The art of feng shui is a way of decorating as to bring positive feelings and joy into a home. When you fung shui your home a person can find health and prosperity. Feng shui can be used in a variety of environments from office building to homes. The following feng shui home techniques will help you to enjoy your home more.

There are five ways that you can fung shui your home.

Clear Clutter: The first step is to clear the clutter, this means removing everything from the house that is not wanted. This can be done by organizing and then discarding the unwanted items. This is one of the most important steps and is a must.
Change Colors: The second step is to change the colors; this can be done by applying a coat of paint. Color is important when it comes to fung shui your home. There are five elements of color Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The colors of fire can be seen in Red, Orange, Purple, Pink, and Strong Yellow. The colors of Earth are seen with Light Yellow and Beige and other Earth or Sand colors. Metal is the third color in the feng shui home technique with the colors of Gray and White. Fourth feng shui home technique color is water which is found in Blue and Black. The final color in fung shui is Wood featured in the colors Brown and Green.
Organize the Room: The third step is to organize the bedroom to allow for positive airflow by ensuring that your feet do not face the door when lying on the bed. The bedroom must also have an equal number of items beside the bed.
Close the Lid: The bathroom is the fourth way can be accomplished by closing the lid on the toilet and the door closed is a way to keep the good luck from going down the drain.
Clawfoot Bathtubs: The fifth way to fung shui your home is in the bathroom by adding clawfoot bathtubs. The clawfoot bathtubs which feature round corners can add a balanced flow.

A person can find that using these feng shui home techniques will help fung shui your home. A happier, healthier and more prosperous home can be achieved when using these tips. The addition of clawfoot bathtubs to your home will help with the flow of energy in the bathroom.

Lila is home decor specialist and blogger. For more information about improving your home please visit simplybathtubs.com

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