I had this old plastic tub which used to store some sort of liquid – it was cut in half and I used to use it as a pond but I thought I would work the wishing well around it. I denailed all the palings, then used this plan, made a few modifications, and this is the result…

Wishing well from wooden fence palings

My daughter wanted a bucket in it to ‘draw’ water – so I also built the crank with a handle. Because I used hardwood planting stakes as the handle I didn’t want to have to dig splinters out each time I used the crank, so I cut up a piece of polypipe and wrapped it around the handle. I’m very pleased with the result.

Homemade wooden wishing well

Now all I need to do is to fill the plastic tub up and add some plants and fish.

Here are just a couple I’ve found from Plow and Hearth.

I like the wrought iron nature of this screen coupled with the softening effect of the pot plants. Click here for more information

Hide your garbage bins with these lovely white lattice panelsClick here for more information

Tri fold lattice panel that’s durably crafted of all-weather, oiled keledang.Click here for more information

Stunning use of bromeliads and tillandsias in the garden – with minimal soil requirements – they like living in leaf litter. I love the architectural elongated leaves and their bold colors. Some of them have just been glued onto the tree trunk – and whilst some would shudder at the brutality of this treatment, most tillandsias seem to take it in their stride – living up to their namesakes of ‘air plants’ – most take in moisture from the air and not via elaborate root systems.

One of the many show gardens which showcased unusual effects using black rods to great effect. I’m not sure it’s a terribly practical garden to have in your backyard where you’d have to weave your way through the rods – that plus the varying heights from the mounds would make this a ‘view from a distance’ only type garden. Still, this garden used only foliage to make a point and the interesting textures and lack of flowers actually draws your eye to the more elaborate and distinctive architecture of the ‘non-living’ items. Not one of my favorites in the garden show but certainly ‘interesting’.

Take a serious look at your backyard – do you have the space to accomodate a bohemoth barbecue? How often will you be dining alfresco? Will a smaller kettle portable version be sufficient for your needs – yes you may have to put up with whining kids and hungry adults who aren’t getting fed fast enough but is that just going to be that one off time at Christmas or Thanksgiving when all the family descend on your home? Or do you love entertaining and have barbecues almost every other weekend with friends and family in which case a gourmet kitchen model barbecue is well worth the expense?

A few pointers when picking one :

• Natural gas is by far the cleanest and economical fuel. Charcoal and wood just don’t cut it nowadays. Gone are the days when you have to start the charcoal beads burning with firestarters an hour before you can actually start cooking. Having said that, I know many diehard charcoal barbecuers who would swear that NOTHING beats the taste of a steak grilled on charcoal!
• Stainless steel grills are easier to clean.
• If you’re after a hot plate, pick one that’s ceramic-coated or cast iron for better heat transfer.
• Some barbecues perform better than others. Just because one barbecue has a high BTU (british thermal unit) doesn’t mean it’s got great cooking capacity. You need to weigh that up with the cooking space. The size of the barbecue, how it’s designed and the type of materials used all play a role in how much heat you are going to get so don’t just buy a grill based on a high BTU rating. A grill giving out 40,000BTUs over 400 square inches is pretty decent.
• If you’ve only got a balcony or a small courtyard, a small compact kettle model that can be wheeled away into a corner would be ideal. High rise buildings are often exposed to the elements so opt for stainless steel or vitreous enamel coated models. Also invest in a good sturdy barbecue cover that won’t blow off in the wind.
• Take a good hard look at the model before you buy. Test for sturdiness with a wobble test. Are those clean streamlined edges (read sharp) also potential hazards? Will those drop down ends support a plateful of steaks? And the bane of every avid barbecuer – the fat traps – try to visualize where potential pockets of fat can (and will) gather – you’re going to have to clean them!

With most barbecues you’ll get what you pay for. Stainless steel is the priciest of the lot but it’s also the most long lasting. A vitreous enamel model will probably last 10-15 years. If you can afford it (and if portability isn’t a problem), hooking the barbecue up to your home gas mains would save you years of carting the gas bottle to and fro to refill it.

]]> http://www.flowerpotheaven.com/gardeningtips/2006/06/18/barbecues-outdoor-grills/feed/ 0 http://www.flowerpotheaven.com/gardeningtips/2006/04/29/autumn-and-fall-colors/ http://www.flowerpotheaven.com/gardeningtips/2006/04/29/autumn-and-fall-colors/#comments Sat, 29 Apr 2006 11:11:37 +0000 GardeningVet http://www.flowerpotheaven.com/gardeningtips/2006/04/29/autumn-and-fall-colors/ One of my favorite autumn colorations in trees has to be the claret ash (Fraxinus Raywood). As the weather starts to get a little nippy, the green foliage starts to turn to a luscious deep burgundy color (or claret – whichever suits your fancy). It’s a lovely specimen of a tree, doesn’t have a large extensive spreading canopy like your elms but is a pretty feature tree all the same. The dense foliage gives good shade in summer. The leaves are pointed and elongated. It can grow up to 60′ so give it plenty of space.

The lovely claret leaves in fall

Elements of this view that make it work? The interesting use of foliage colors. Flowers are for a season but foliage is forever. The lovely reds of the Japanese Maple, the meandering path that makes you wonder, ‘what’s on the other end?’ all work to lift your spirits from the day to day chores and leaves room for some dream time. This was a deep narrow garden so the deviation from using straight lines and the trick of shifting the focus on the depth of the garden with winding paths and accents which are above the eye (the tree canopy) makes for a very successful little garden plot. Delectable!

Springhill Nurseries offers this with their garden range with plants suited for every part of your garden whether you’re after a hummingbird garden or one that’s in dappled shade.

• Do we want a custom design or just one out of a box? Unless you really want your greenhouse to blend in aesthetically with your existing home or if your garden plot is particularly difficult and won’t fit any conventional greenhouses, there’s little incentive for you to start designing your own. There are a vast variety of greenhouses available suitable for different budgets and styles. Before you decide on a kit form greenhouse, you need to establish if you have the know-how and the tools to put it together, don’t get fooled by lovely plans with women in them who seem all but ready to go out shopping trying to sell to you how easy it is to set up. Believe you me, it’s NEVER as easy as they say, so ask questions and find out if you require special power tools, how many people are required in the assembly etc. If the supplier doesn’t have a technical support department then understand that after you’ve signed on the dotted line, you’re on your own when it comes to assembling the darn thing.
• Do you want the greenhouse down in the corner of your garden or attached like a conservatorium to your home? Naturally, having your very own greenhouse in close limits to your home has many advantages – you can duck down there any time of the night or day and you’re more likely to be pottering around in there if you don’t have to don boots and a raincoat to brave the elements before getting to your greenhouse. Watering and fertilizing and other mundane gardening tasks are more likely to be done on a regular basis when your greenhouse is just a few steps away. Setting the greenhouse up with water and electricity access would also be a simpler task. Having said all that, if you don’t get the ventilation right, the greenhouse acts as a big furnace – great for winter when you’re after that extra heat but not something you’d want come summer. The advantages of a freestanding greenhouse starts with the hip pocket – they are usually less expensive and tend to be easier to set up (provided you’re not after one you’ll use year round and don’t require water and electricity connections). It can also serve as your little solace away from the home. If you’re living where there are frigid winters, you may want to consider insulating the foundation of the greenhouse down to the frost line.
• Choosing the style – go contemporary or classic? Sometimes the choice is obvious – most would prefer to have a style that blends in with their existing home. Pick a style with enough head room, sufficient internal space to put in what plants you want to place in there. If you live in the North where a regular dumping of snow occurs every winter, you’ll have to consider things like snowload and if the roof’s sloped enough to have the snow slide off naturally without you having to get up there to shovel it off! You will probably want to ensure that the shape or style of the greenhouse is compatible with your home. Also ensure that there’s enough ventilation – you aiming for warm and balmy, not sweltering like a sauna.
• Do you want a glass or plastic variety? Glass is the ultimate in greenhouse nostalgia. Having said that, they are also notoriously hard to seal and it’s costly. Take a look at the varying plastic materials out there as alternatives. Some are actually quite aesthetically pleasing to look at and they are a feasible alternative if cost rules glass out of the equation. Glass is brittle and can crack with temperature fluctuations, it’s a whole lot heavier than plastic and can smash easily if you have kids in the backyard playing ball and they ‘accidentally’ hit it into the greenhouse.

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