Atlanta Landscape Design made
Friday, March 7, 2014
Recently, we here at Warming Trends posted a blog on using recycled materials to create unique and creative garden planters. This was a fun blog and since then I have create a planter box made from cinder blocks on my own patio.
However, I have now come across some more great items that may be lying around your yard, shed or garage that would be perfect for creating garden planters:
The Metal Tote Box
An old metal tote box for carrying tools can now be used as a planter box. Make sure to clean the tote well as you do not want any oil or grease residue from former tools that may have been in there. Also, be sure to drill a few drainage holes:
A Cranium Garden
Im not exactly sure where to find vessels quite like this, perhaps a thrift store or online somewhere, but you are sure to turn some heads with these unique planters:
The Colander
An old Colander, Tea Pot or Kettle is a great way to marry the indoors and out. You can even plant flowers or herbs in these containers and place on a window sill indoors to marry the outside with the in. Again, make sure to drill drainage holes in the tea pot or kettle:
Wheelbarrow Planter
This is a classic idea and you may have seen this idea utilized before, but an old wheelbarrow makes for a great planter box because it holds a lot of space and depth for planting flowers and plants that require a bit of depth for their roots to take hold. Also, this is another example of a mobile planter of you wish to change up your garden placement after awhile:
Sew, Sew, Sew Your Garden...
Ok, bad title, and you may need to search around a flea market or craigslist for this one, but an old row-boat or dingy can make for an eye catching garden. Again, plenty of depth to include some foliage that requires a deeper rooting system:
Aluminum Chic White Trash
Ok, so I am not stating that if you use this idea you are white trash, rather the opposite. Shiny and new aluminum trash cans can add a modern industrialism flare in an urban environment while providing plenty of space for a cool garden space:
Time for Tea?
Using and old porcelain pitcher and tea cups can add a little class to your outdoor dining experience. I like how this example just uses a little plant and keeps a minimalist expereince rather than bright vibrant colorful flowers.
For more gardening and outdoor landscape ideas including custom fire pits, outdoor burning systems and more, please visit us online or call today! 1-877-556-5255
Source:
http://www.diynetwork.com/outdoors/12-unusual-and-upcycled-container-gardens/pictures/index.html
However, I have now come across some more great items that may be lying around your yard, shed or garage that would be perfect for creating garden planters:
The Metal Tote Box
An old metal tote box for carrying tools can now be used as a planter box. Make sure to clean the tote well as you do not want any oil or grease residue from former tools that may have been in there. Also, be sure to drill a few drainage holes:
A Cranium Garden
Im not exactly sure where to find vessels quite like this, perhaps a thrift store or online somewhere, but you are sure to turn some heads with these unique planters:
The Colander
An old Colander, Tea Pot or Kettle is a great way to marry the indoors and out. You can even plant flowers or herbs in these containers and place on a window sill indoors to marry the outside with the in. Again, make sure to drill drainage holes in the tea pot or kettle:
Wheelbarrow Planter
This is a classic idea and you may have seen this idea utilized before, but an old wheelbarrow makes for a great planter box because it holds a lot of space and depth for planting flowers and plants that require a bit of depth for their roots to take hold. Also, this is another example of a mobile planter of you wish to change up your garden placement after awhile:
Sew, Sew, Sew Your Garden...
Ok, bad title, and you may need to search around a flea market or craigslist for this one, but an old row-boat or dingy can make for an eye catching garden. Again, plenty of depth to include some foliage that requires a deeper rooting system:
Aluminum Chic White Trash
Ok, so I am not stating that if you use this idea you are white trash, rather the opposite. Shiny and new aluminum trash cans can add a modern industrialism flare in an urban environment while providing plenty of space for a cool garden space:
Time for Tea?
Using and old porcelain pitcher and tea cups can add a little class to your outdoor dining experience. I like how this example just uses a little plant and keeps a minimalist expereince rather than bright vibrant colorful flowers.
For more gardening and outdoor landscape ideas including custom fire pits, outdoor burning systems and more, please visit us online or call today! 1-877-556-5255
Source:
http://www.diynetwork.com/outdoors/12-unusual-and-upcycled-container-gardens/pictures/index.html
Thursday, March 6, 2014
PBS has titled their very successful gardening show “The Victory Garden.” The show has been immensely popular for over thirty seasons, it is Americas oldest gardening program (circa 1975) - an offshoot of "This Old House"… but what is the derivation, the context for this name?
During World War I and World War II, the United States government asked its citizens to plant gardens in order to support the war effort. Millions of people planted gardens. In 1943, Americans planted over 20 million Victory Gardens, and the harvest accounted for nearly a third of all the vegetables consumed in the country that year. Emphasis was placed on making gardening a family or community effort -- not a drudgery, but a pastime, and a national duty.
This effort was echoed north of the USA in Canada, across “the pond” in England and even “down under” in Australia.
Examples in NYC…
Children gardening on the rooftops of Manhattan
Gardening on Central Park West
Gardening in housing developments
Today, with concern for our environment, (reducing the food miles associated with the average American meal) and the advocation of growing more food locally, and organically there is a movement toward reconsidering our “old school” ways.
Victory Gardens 2009
Where and how are artists inspired?
I have always admired and been influenced by Wassily Kandinsky, from my childhood art classes, his retrospective at the Guggenheim in 1983 to the recent retrospective held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City (in conjunction with their 50th anniversary).
“The work of art is born of the artist in a mysterious and secret way. From him it gains life and being. Nor is its existence casual and inconsequence, but it has a definite and purposeful strength, alike in it’s material and spiritual life. It exists and has power to create spiritual atmosphere; and from this inner standpoint one judges…”
Wassily Kandinsky, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” 1914
Kandinsky was overwhelmingly influenced by music, he painted music, he broke down the barrier between music and painting, he let his emotions carry him onto the canvas. His "inner necessity" (Kandinsky’s words) to express his emotional perceptions led to the development of an abstract style of painting that was based on the non-representational properties of color and form. Kandinskys paintings were the culmination of his efforts to create a "pure painting" that would provide the same emotional power as a musical composition.
In her recently curated exhibition at the Guggenheim, Tracy Bashkoff stresses the relationship between Kandinsky and composers Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Wagner. Hence, many of his paintings were labeled as compositions or improvisations.
More on this relationship in forthcoming posts.
I have always admired and been influenced by Wassily Kandinsky, from my childhood art classes, his retrospective at the Guggenheim in 1983 to the recent retrospective held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City (in conjunction with their 50th anniversary).
Autumn in Bavaria, 1908
Wassily Kandinsky, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” 1914
Kandinsky was overwhelmingly influenced by music, he painted music, he broke down the barrier between music and painting, he let his emotions carry him onto the canvas. His "inner necessity" (Kandinsky’s words) to express his emotional perceptions led to the development of an abstract style of painting that was based on the non-representational properties of color and form. Kandinskys paintings were the culmination of his efforts to create a "pure painting" that would provide the same emotional power as a musical composition.
Composition IV, 1911
In her recently curated exhibition at the Guggenheim, Tracy Bashkoff stresses the relationship between Kandinsky and composers Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Wagner. Hence, many of his paintings were labeled as compositions or improvisations.
Improvisation 31, 1913
More on this relationship in forthcoming posts.
Ok, so we here at Warming Trends arent supportive of wood burning fire pits, but we are supporters of the great outdoors and the love of camping. And when you go camping you have to eat, and theres nothing better than some good grub cooked over an open flame.
So when you DO decide to go camping, make sure you are adhering to local fire pit laws and are careful with your campfire. You can go to your local .gov website and review the latest fire burning restrictions and laws. Here are some tasty recipes that are easy to prepare and wont leave you hungry when you are out in the woods.
Chop, skewer and cook...couldnt be easier! Let the campers cook their own meals - its a fun activity and much more nutritious than the standard wiener roast.
Ingredients:
- beef or pork cut into 1" cubes
- small whole onions
- red or green peppers, whole mushrooms, whole cherry tomatoes
Directions: Brown the cubed meat in a skillet over high heat for 1/2 minute on each side. Cut the peppers in large chunks, leave the other vegetables whole. Slip the pieces onto a skewer, alternating the ingredients. (Skewer the onions and mushrooms through the core, or they might fall off while cooking.) Cook over the open fire for 15-20 minutes till done. Sprinkle with grated cheese and breadcrumbs before serving.
This meal pretty much cooks itself - just leave it in the coals! Be sure to count how many potatoes you put in the fire, because the foil becomes covered with ash, and blends in well with the coals.
Ingredients:
- large baking potatoes
- whole onions, red or yellow
- dill, parsley, bacon bits
Directions: Slice potato almost all the way through, but leave enough to hold it together. Slice the onion, and put one slice in between each potato slice. Sprinkle with bacon bits and a little dill. Wrap well with heavy aluminum foil and bury in the coals of the fire. Leave untouched for about 45 minutes, and test for doneness by piercing with a fork - the fork should lift out without lifting the potato. Cooking time depends on size of potatoes and strength of fire. Serve with pat of butter and a few sprigs of parsley.
If youve had luck fishing, do the catch justice with this simple, mouth watering recipe. Be sure to dry the fillets on the outside so the batter will stick while cooking. Cook over medium heat.
Ingredients:
- Allow 1/2 pound fish fillets or two small, cleaned pan fish per person.
- 1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
- 3/4 cup beer
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- parsley, dill, lemon
Directions: Using a small bowl, blend the buttermilk pancake mix with the beer, using a fork. Whip the batter until smooth and the consistency of heavy cream. Blot the fillets dry using a napkin or paper towel, and dip in the batter. Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the fillets until golden brown on the outside. The meat should be moist and shiny on the inside. Be careful not to overcook - fillet should flake easily when tested with a fork. Serve with a sprinkle of dill and garnish with parsley and lemon slice.
Source: http://eartheasy.com/play_campfire_cooking.htm
We hope these recipes are helpful for you on your next camping adventure. And if you are ever in the market for a custom fire pit or outdoor burning system, please contact us or call today. 1-877-556-5255.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tips To Utilize Landscaping Pictures
The extreme trouble in looking to visualize what exactly your panorama could appear like with some granted changes could be helped several by evaluating landscaping pictures from properties of a equivalent design yet different landscape designs layouts. A great deal of home improvement periodicals, as well as garden and gardening publications, can have pictures you can use for your own landscaping design ideas.
A few drawbacks for you to trying to make use of landscaping pictures as a visual images and style aid is you must cautiously take into account crucial differences between situation which of the house becoming photographed. These types of pictures are generally taken underneath sunny glowing blue skies with everything else in full grow. But that will house may possibly look totally different in the winter. It can possibly be in an absolutely different environment than your own house, and often the particular plants the thing is in the landscaping pictures may well not grow inside your climate.
For that reason it is important that a person be able to recognize the various plant life, shrubs, along with flowers you will observe in these landscaping pictures. In addition beware of models centering about a patio as well as porch that you can not have area to build. And ensure that you arent sowing things that may grow to be much too large for the yard.
Locating a house in which closely appears like your could be a time consuming process. Really, the only method to do it is usually to sit down using a bunch of these types of publications and search through several landscaping pictures until you uncover ones that appear to be similar to your property. Remember, that will design seems fantastic in a very landscaping photograph of a enormous house may well not look therefore nice packed around a reduced house.
So as to a lot of the landscaping pictures you appear at likewise incorporate shots regarding pools as well as patios. Gardening must be made around these types of fixture, if you do not have a single, that structure will never appear right in your current yard. Landscaping pictures can present you with some great ideas, only if they property and lawn resembles your own house fairly tightly.
If you are employing some kind of gardening software, youll be able to print out landscaping pictures of the design once youve something you want. Taking those to a garden as well as landscaping present shop may make sure that youve got enough supplies and vegetation to complete your project as if you want. They will often also be able to provide suggestions to enhance your design.
The extreme trouble in looking to visualize what exactly your panorama could appear like with some granted changes could be helped several by evaluating landscaping pictures from properties of a equivalent design yet different landscape designs layouts. A great deal of home improvement periodicals, as well as garden and gardening publications, can have pictures you can use for your own landscaping design ideas.
 |
| landscaping pictures |
A few drawbacks for you to trying to make use of landscaping pictures as a visual images and style aid is you must cautiously take into account crucial differences between situation which of the house becoming photographed. These types of pictures are generally taken underneath sunny glowing blue skies with everything else in full grow. But that will house may possibly look totally different in the winter. It can possibly be in an absolutely different environment than your own house, and often the particular plants the thing is in the landscaping pictures may well not grow inside your climate.
For that reason it is important that a person be able to recognize the various plant life, shrubs, along with flowers you will observe in these landscaping pictures. In addition beware of models centering about a patio as well as porch that you can not have area to build. And ensure that you arent sowing things that may grow to be much too large for the yard.
Locating a house in which closely appears like your could be a time consuming process. Really, the only method to do it is usually to sit down using a bunch of these types of publications and search through several landscaping pictures until you uncover ones that appear to be similar to your property. Remember, that will design seems fantastic in a very landscaping photograph of a enormous house may well not look therefore nice packed around a reduced house.
 |
| landscaping pictures for small yards |
So as to a lot of the landscaping pictures you appear at likewise incorporate shots regarding pools as well as patios. Gardening must be made around these types of fixture, if you do not have a single, that structure will never appear right in your current yard. Landscaping pictures can present you with some great ideas, only if they property and lawn resembles your own house fairly tightly.
If you are employing some kind of gardening software, youll be able to print out landscaping pictures of the design once youve something you want. Taking those to a garden as well as landscaping present shop may make sure that youve got enough supplies and vegetation to complete your project as if you want. They will often also be able to provide suggestions to enhance your design.
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| landscaping pictures for ranch style homes |
Back in February, I paid a visit to the Olympic site in East London. It was an interesting day out and hence I thought it would be worth sharing my photo’s and thoughts on the experience.
Having caught my usual train to Euston, I wandered over to St Pancras to get the high-speed link to Stratford. It’s been a couple of years since I last visited St Pancras and in that time it’s been given something of an Olympic themed makeover, with gift shops and the Olympic rings hanging from the central arch. From St Pancras I hopped onto the new HS1 link, and after a brief 5 minute whizz through a tunnel (less time than it normally takes you to coast into a station), I arrived blinking at Stratford International Station. I couldn’t believe how quick the journey had been.
The size of the new station is pretty indicative of the scale of stuff happening in the area. As it’s right in the middle of construction, you actually have to hop on a bus and take a surprisingly long ride through to the back of the existing Stratford Station (probably longer than the train ride from St.Pancras). It’s all faintly surreal, as you pass from the mega-construction of the Olympic village to the slightly less mega, east London of Stratford.
The visit proper starts with lunch and a talk on the ‘Legacy’ of the games. Despite my natural scepticism, it’s clear that a lot of effort is going into improving the lot of people living in the area. Of course, whether it will and even can be successful is another matter (it seems likely that there will be displacement and some gentrification). In the Q&A sessions that follows much of the discussion is about the decisions to award the stadium to West Ham, with the guys from the Legacy Company at pains to stress that it was much the best bid.
Getting to the actual Olympic site involves a rather grimy walk down Stratford high street, past some tired looking towerblocks, industrial lock-ups and car showrooms. In the walk I see no reference to the Olympics and just a couple of new apartment developments. I wonder what the overseas tourists will make of it all, or if they’ll want to venture into the areas slightly scary looking pubs.
One of the areas few new developments.
I’m disappointed to discover that not only will we be doing the tour on a bus, but that we won’t get a chance to hop off and get a better look at things. So apologies for the occasional shots of bus interiors and the backs of people’s heads.
As I’ve previously indicated the scale of the place is massive and overwhelmingly impressive, although architecturally it’s not particularly exciting. I think the main stadium rather exemplifies this; surrounded by park, river and a mass of earthworks, the stadium itself is fairly mechanical and utilitarian in appearance. In all honesty, I’m in two minds whether this is a bad thing.
Makes Handball Arena
The Media Centre
I suspect that Hopkins’ classy looking velodrome, with its slopey roof and timber cladding, will be the showpiece building and backdrop of a thousand studios. I can already picture Gary Lineker and Brendan Foster sitting in front of a giant image of it now.
Wilkinson-Eyres Basketball Arena
I really hope that when completed the park, or the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park to give it its full name, is a success. It’s comfortably the biggest formal park I’ve seen built in the UK during my lifetime. While it’s all a bit brown and muddy now, you can see the potential and there are some good people involved, including Prof. James Hithmough, my former tutor and prairie planting expert. I actually went to a talk a couple of weeks later by Andrew Harland from LDA Design who is responsible for the design. It does look exciting. However as former colleague did point out, when you look at the plans the park has a very stark edge that indicates that it was probably parcelled up for D&B packages, prior to any actual design work being done. I hope this isn’t too noticeable when complete.
The athlete’s village area probably makes up a good third of the whole Olympic site. There is something faintly eastern-bloc about the massed concrete flats that comprise it, but somehow this seems strangely appropriate to my idea of the Olympics.
There is some pretty tasteful architecture in there too – I rather liked the limestone cladding, chock full of fossils, on one building. Others a bit less so, but I did like the kitsch reliefs of Olympian types on one building (sorry bad photo above).
Anish Kapoor’s orbit-thingy is every bit as wacky as you expect. I’ll be honest that I think it’s going to look like a heap of crap, but it’s quite fun watching it being assembled from giant Technic Lego.
Similarly, while I realise it’s someway from finished, I get the feeling that Zaha’s aquatic centre might not look as good as the renders...
Views back across the site
One of the most prominent buildings is the gold-clad Westfield Shopping Centre. It’s only on my way out that I realise how visitors to the Olympics will have to enter though the shopping centre, and hence will never actually have to venture out into Stratford. It’s seems appropriate that the last hurrah of New Labour’s regeneration policies should have this commercially driven model at it’s very heart.
Despite my occasional snarkiness, I think there’s something remarkably exciting about the whole place. It’s not often in Britain that you see a development with really first-class transport infrastructure, but that’s very much the case here. National pride is something that politicians like to bandy about, but I hope it is something to be proud of. Perhaps more importantly, as a nation we seem to talk down our ability to do anything big (be it the Millennium dome or implementing more sustainable development), but I think the Olympics should be an example of what can be achieved in development, and help to raise expectations generally.
I suppose the counter argument is to suggest what a fraction of the cash spent here could achieve around the regions, particularly given that they’re unlikely to see any sort of public investment for the foreseeable future. But I guess if we’re to be hand-wringing about any sort of public works, we won’t do anything.
I can honestly say that I came home with renewed optimism about the Olympics. So it does seem something of an irony that I’ve subsequently not got a ticket. Arse!
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