A Rustic Garden Blog

In an effort to make our front entrance more enticing, we recently added dramatic looking cast iron urns. We filled them to the brim with flowers in vibrant colors. On the whole, the urns and flowers looked fantastic, but I found the maintenance to be a bit much, at first.

I had to water the flowers every single day without fail. If I missed a day the soil dried out and the flowers began to wilt. Fortunately, I found a solution in a moisture mat liner. Yes, I had to replant the flowers so I could put in the bed, but I found that with the new moisture mat liner the soil held water much better. Now I don’t have to water the plants every day; if I miss a day here or there it won’t affect the health of the plants.

This weekend I got sucked into watching the HGTV show “Curb Appeal.” The half-hour television show centers around helping homeowners update the outside of their homes. Typically the task includes painting, putting on new shingles, adding a fence, and replanting a garden.

After watching several episodes I went outside and took a good hard look at my front yard. For the most part, I like the way my yard looks, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m thinking that this coming weekend I’ll purchase a wrought iron window box or two to fill with colorful flowers. I believe this will add more pop, depth, and texture to my front entryway.

With annuals fading in most of the country you can keep your home and gardens looking spectacular by adding fall décor to your wrought iron planters. Place some gourds and pumpkins with a few artificial pieces to make your window boxes and garden pots serve you through Thanksgiving.

In December switch to evergreens that can stay through winter. Jazz it up all year long with A Rustic Garden products.

Having fresh herbs is not only delicious but cost effective as well. The prices of food seem to rise and fall. It can be pretty expensive to continually purchase herbs every week. There is a way around spending money on buying fresh herbs.

Creating window box planters for your home herbs are a great way to save money and have the smell of fresh herbs in your home. Purchasing a package of seeds is only 47 cents. You can create your own planters for your windows. It is a pretty cost effective way to have fresh herbs for your recipes.

In January I found the best product to line window boxes and wrought iron planters. This heavy green material is slow to absorb water so the moisture will collect near the roots of your planting longer. After soaking up the excess water will drain  away leaving the perfect balance of water and oxygen needed for beautiful flowering plants.

Click on this link to see our video explaining how to use this planter liner. Moisture Mat Planter Liner  

You know it is not perfect… you will still need a good fertilizer. I like using granular time released fertilizers like Osmocote in addition to the boost you get with Miracle Grow type liquid fertilizers. Gardening is so much fun!

If I could cover every inch of my property with blooming shrubbery and flowers, I would. Of course, this is not practical, but I do have quite a large garden. To add flowers to areas of the exterior that don’t have soil, I like to incorporate garden planters.

For instance, I have two large garden planters made from cast iron that flank either side of my garage. I also have a medium size planter on my front porch. Both are filled to the brim with flowers that spill elegantly over the edges during the spring and summer months. I’m thinking of purchasing a few smaller wrought iron planters to keep indoors in my heated sunroom, so I can enjoy beautiful blooms even when cold weather sets in.

When I design garden landscapes I like to add unusual elements. I’m known for incorporating water features, architectural elements, and height to my designs. In smaller yards I definitely focus on adding height to make the space seem larger. One of my signature pieces is a flower fountain.

A flower fountain is not an actual fountain, it’s just meant to give a flowing effect. What I do is I find a wall or fence and create a focal point. I stack three to five wrought iron window boxes in a pyramid shape. Then I plant bright, colorful, cascading flowers in each bed. The flowers spill from the top box to the one below creating a fountain effect, all while adding much needed height to a space.

There’s nothing more rewarding than watching the spring flowers bloom that you had planted in your very own garden just weeks before. I love to sit out on my back porch, a glass of iced tea in hand, and scan each flower, every bush and nearly every patch of grass to watch as the beauty of my garden blooms with each passing day.

I have big plans for my garden this year; once my flowers are partially in bloom, I will add an urn pedestal in each corner of the patio. Inside these urns I’ll plant multi-colored hydrangeas – pink, blue and yellow – to complement the azalea bushes that border my property. Oh, I can’t imagine what I would do with my time if I didn’t have a gardener. In fact, I wouldn’t want to imagine a life without the natural beauty that grows from the ground.

The holidays are here and that means it’s time to head out and brave the challenges and frustrations of holiday shopping. From traffic and crowds to long lines and high prices, holiday shopping is something very few of us look forward to. My wife can be particularly challenging to shop for which can only add to that feeling of helplessness when facing a crowded mall and no idea what to buy.

Since my wife likes spending so much time in her garden I think I’m going to spring for a cast iron planter. She’ll appreciate its durability and its uniquely attractive look. And the best part is I don’t have to head out to a huge home improvement store or big-box retailer to get it. With lower shipping costs I can now get great garden décor online. And I can save myself a bundle in the process. So if you’re anything like me and you don’t know what to get the missus for the holidays, take a look at her garden and you’re sure to come up with more than a few good ideas.

Sometimes no matter how hard you work to give a special gift the safest route to take is a gift certificate. Knowing what someone really wants can be difficult and searching their closet to see what they already have is not always convenient. So the best fit might just be the Gift Certificate.

Trading gift cards at Christmas time is not that interesting unless you choose a unique store. Find a store with lots of variety. Choose one where your gift dollars will go the farthest.

I know just the online store that will bring a smile to your friends and family this year. A Rustic Garden is full of antiques, garden planters, fencing and home decor.