Friday, March 8, 2013

Yard Envy Starts with Light Up Palm Trees


Realistic LED Palm Trees for a Natural Pool

Spring is the time of year to get excited with sprucing up the yard and home, and is the perfect time to invest in garden decorations to increase the living space. Keep cool and create yard envy this year by using the patio for entertaining and relaxing.

Yard Envy starts with light up palm trees. Lighted Palm Trees look magnificent in any landscape, adding a tropical feeling to even the barest of lawns. Artificial palm trees are great for year round use, can stand alone or be displayed in clusters, and complement shrubs, flowers, and outdoor garden decor.

Realistic Lighted Palm Trees Up Close

Realistic Palm Tree FrondsRealistic Fronds Blowing in the Wind

Artificial palm trees are popular summer decorations due to their tropical appearance, with bark-like trunks and elegant, realistic palm fronds. They also light up, so their realness is complemented by illumination. Why bother with fake palm trees that don't blend in with the surrounding landscape? When you can have soft light-up fronds that blow in the wind, these LED palm trees are a decorator favorite.

Another idea for the yard is to display a rope light palm tree beside the pool or hot tub, and on patios and decks. Sip a beverage in the cooler evening hours under the moonlit radiance of a bright rope light palm tree, and enjoy a patio decoration that is UV resistant with sturdy metal construction and holographic green fronds. With heights available from 4.5' to 7', the lighted palm tree with colorful rope light will set any evening aglow with intense beams of light.

Arbors Spruce Up the Garden for Spring

Additional outdoor decorating ideas include decorative arbors, trellises, planters, and gazing balls.

Vinyl Arbor
Arbors: Serene Garden Decor
Edging Fence
Fence Edging Protects Flowers

Vinyl arbors and trellises offer lattices for climbing plants during the spring, welcoming breezy afternoons and tea parties. Planters can be used to grow vegetables and flowers, while fencing makes a welcoming landscape border for gardens, walkways, and paths.

Choosing vinyl arbors and trellises guarantees durable construction and minimal maintenance- vinyl will not discolor, rot or crack, and only needs a quick hosing every few months to clean. Upkeep is simple, and with a 10 year warranty, vinyl arbors and planters are garden decorations that will last through the seasons.

Garden planning is a rewarding experience, so choose beautiful yard decorations that lure you outdoors, like lighted palm trees.


Three realistic LED palm trees blow in the wind

Wouldn't it be nice to have your backyard become the envy of the neighborhood? Start with light up palm trees!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Glass Hummingbird Feeders Attracting Hummingbirds with Grace

Glass Hummingbird FeedersGlass Hummingbird Feeders with Shelter

Hummingbirds are one of the most fascinating creatures on earth. They exhibit grace in their activities, while buzzing through the air or nourishing from a sweet nectar. Hummingbirds are a pleasure to observe and enjoy their presence. With sixteen different species of hummingbirds existing in the U.S. alone, finding a way to attract hummingbirds is as easy as ever, with the right hummingbird feeders. Glass hummingbird feeders in particular are most ideal, bringing these amazing birds closer to home.

Attracting Hummingbirds Naturally

Glass hummingbird feeders meet the specific criteria and the unique nature demanded by hummingbirds. They are weatherproof, offering food and protection to hummingbirds for a sustained period of time. The smooth glass material used to make these feeders are more reflective of color, just like the iridescent wings of hummingbirds, making hummingbirds feel more at home. The glass material makes the feeder easier to clean with mild soap and water, allowing the feeder to be quickly placed back in the hummingbirds' natural environment. Some glass hummingbird feeders even have a small shelter, often further protection from sun or rain.

Red Hummingbird Feeders A Myth

Glass Hummingbird FeedersSequin Glass Hummingbird Feeders

Red hummingbird feeders have become a popular tradition because it was traditionally believed that the color red, specifically, attracted hummingbirds. We now know that this is a myth, and hummingbird feeders of all kinds can attract, if placed in the right setting. Hummingbirds themselves have wings of many colors so they can find beauty in many colors of hummingbird feeders. I imagine a hummingbird would feel he has reached the end of a beautiful rainbow, if he finds himself perched at a multicolored sequin glass hummingbird feeder!

Where to Place Hummingbird Feeders

  • In yard or garden area
  • Outside a viewing window
  • Near a sitting area

Any of these areas would be ideal as long as they are out of the way of traffic and noise. Place several of them in different places and at different heights, so if one is claimed by one hummingbird, there are still places for other hummingbirds to dwell and indulge. Some hummingbirds even prefer to be at ground level, but remember this would not be ideal if you have pet cats. Hummingbirds need insects as their source of protein, so do not use pesticides in the yard.

What Else Needed to Enjoy Hummingbirds?

  • Binoculars - to get a close up shot of their feathers and movements
  • Lines of string - in addition to hummingbird feeders, so that hummingbirds have frequent locations to perch and rest
  • Trumpet flowers - For nearby garden areas, add flowers that attract hummingbirds, giving even more reason for the hummingbirds to stay and enjoy their newly found and prized home.
  • Bird baths - for hummingbirds to drink and bathe in
  • Nectar - Store bought nectar is fine to use. If natural nectar is preferred, without any dyes or artificial flavors that could harm hummingbirds' sensitive organs, make a homemade nectar by following this hummingbird feeder recipe. Just make sure to follow the directions exactly, ensuring the hummingbirds' safety.

Interesting Hummingbird Facts

Once a bird lover learns the following facts about hummingbirds, they quickly want their own glass hummingbird feeder to attract them. Hummingbirds are the smallest of all birds, and the smallest among all species that have a backbone. Yet, hummingbirds exert an incredible amount of energy. They can flap their wings up to 80 times per second! They have a super fast metabolism, and require frequent refueling. Hummingbirds are migratory, and before migrating, they can gain up to 25 - 40% of their body weight by fattening up from insects and nectar. This ability allows for some hummingbirds to make remarkable migrations, such as a non-stop 500 mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico! When it is time to refuel, hummingbirds will swarm around feeders for longer periods of time, stocking up in sugar and energy.

Glass hummingbird feeders bring life and excitement to an otherwise dull back yard. Because of hummingbirds' tiny size, with time, they become fearless. Once acquainted with the area, they will even dare to zip past a bird watcher's ear or around the legs. Remember, hummingbirds do remain protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which mandates that it is okay to observe these birds, but touching or holding them is strictly prohibited. Incorporate several glass hummingbird feeders into the yard, ensuring the hummingbirds will feel safe to visit and thrive. Not only do you benefit from their presence, but they too, will find refuge in the safety of your yard.

"Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days, seeing beauty in everything." -- Amethyst Wyldfyre

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Decorative Birdhouses – Welcoming Nature Closer to Home

Unique BirdhousesUnique Birdhouse in Beach Theme

Make your backyard a safe haven for birds to live and play with decorative birdhouses. Attracting birds can be an enjoyable experience leading to the feeling of being just a step away from the tranquility that comes from nature. As the alarm clock sounds, or the first cup of coffee gets poured, imagine the sound of birds lightly singing just outside. While sitting and having a family meal or washing dishes in front of the window, imagine glancing up and seeing a colorful bird perched on the birdhouse. Keep the yard looking fresh for springtime and summer barbecues with decorative birdhouses hanging on trees or brightening up a dull corner. Use decorative birdhouses to transform the yard into a beautiful bird garden design.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Wooden Nesting Boxes Encourage Bird Returns in Spring

Wooden Nesting Boxes
Wooden Nesting Boxes

Valentines Day kicks off National Nest Box Week, a 7-day period in which environmentalists and recreational birders alike encourage the public to put out wooden nesting boxes for the returning birds. The goal of the week is to promote conservation of breeding birds, allowing them safe haven as they return from their winter flight. If looking to have a garden full of birds this spring, make sure to put out wooden nesting boxes.

What is National Nest Box Week?

Owl Wooden Nesting BoxOwl Wooden Nesting Box

National Nest Box Week is sponsored by the British Trust for Ornithology, though they encourage nesting boxes for all birds across multiple continents. The BTO studies and preserves garden birds and has been doing so for a decade. They advocate coexistence between species, offering information for the protection of local wildlife and encouraging layman participation.

What is a Wooden Nesting Box?

Wooden birdhouses are most used as nesting boxes. The perfect nesting box is large enough for the bird to build a nest at the bottom but small enough to offer safety. The hole of the nesting box must be approximate to the size of the bird living in it. For instance, a wood duck nest box would have a larger entrance than a chickadee nest box.

These wooden nesting boxes are then placed anywhere from 3' to 16' in the air away from predators to allow for the birds' safety. The BTO recommends placing these nesting boxes away from cluttered areas, giving the birds a straight and safe flight path to and from their nests.

Why Offer Wooden Nesting Boxes?

Bluebird Returns for SpringBluebird Returns for Spring

Because of deforestation and the removal of old homes, birds must look harder for shelter for their nests. Offering the birds a wooden nesting box stimulates their population and gives them an edge when returning. It also fosters bird visits in your garden as they raise their young, filling your garden with families of birds in the spring.

What Birds Use Wooden Nesting Boxes?

Several types of birds use wooden nesting boxes such as:

  • Blue tits
  • Sparrows
  • Owls
  • Robins

Any bird that leaves for the winter will need a wooden nesting box upon its return. To be best prepared, find out what birds are in your local area and prepare a nesting box for them.

Wooden Nesting Boxes Help the Environment

Wooden nesting boxes are important to the environment as they shelter birds from the still dangerous elements and foster bird re-population. Whether making or buying wooden nesting boxes, make sure you participate in National Nest Box Week.

Read more on birdhouses and their importance:

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Starlight Spheres Liven the Garden for Winter

A Garden in Winter
A Garden in Winter

How to Put An Edge on Your Garden in Winter

With the winter coming, many of the flowers you planted in the spring will wither and disappear. Without the brightness of the plants, the garden will need a bit more tending to keep it interesting during the cold months. To supplement the flowers that are not year round, try hanging lights.

Starlight Spheres Brighten the Garden

Patriotic Starlight Sphere

Starlight spheres are very much what they sound like. The circular ball contains many colorful mini lights that shine light in all directions much like a star. Starlight spheres also come on stakes so that they can be placed right in the ground.

The starlight spheres have multiple colors to breathe life back into the dull colored winter garden. There are even patriotic spheres for those who want to show off red, white, and blue. Multicolor options are available for an iridescent rainbow effect, while the most popular sphere is a clear bulb that looks like a shining star in the night sky.

Seasonal Decorations

Clear Starlight Sphere

Another way to brighten the garden is by adding seasonal Halloween and Christmas lights. Bright bulbs in reds, greens, oranges, and a range of other colors lighten up the area when there are no colorful flowers to do so.

While many lighting options come pre-strung, some bulbs and strings come seperate. With any strings, however, clean lines can be problematic without hanging clips. These clips hold all types of lights and keep strings from unnecessary tangling. Hanging clips help you avoid a messy look by assuring the lines will remain clean.

Combine Decorations for More Life

Because the garden suffers in the winter, combine lights to liven it up once again. You can never have enough decoration to pull your landscaping design out of the winter blues.

Starlight Spheres Hung Above a Street
Starlight Spheres Hung Above a Street

For other winter reads, check out:


Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Birdhouses Protect Birds from Coming Winter

Birdhouse in Snow
Birdhouse in Snow

Winter is Coming

When winter comes, we expect the birds to go South for the warmth and comfort of the summer. Some birds, however, do not migrate, but are instead year round visitors. Birds that tend to linger even during the winter include woodpeckers, owls, the northern cardinal, the tufted titmouse, the bluejay, the chickadee, the white-breasted nuthatch, the Carolina wren, and some doves.

Because these birds never leave, they must store up food and fat for the winter and work harder to survive. There are several things you can do help the birds during this tough time.

Bird in the Winter
Bird in the Winter

Birdhouses Can Protect Birds from the Elements

While it is tough for birds to survive in the winter without migrating, it is possible. Birds need shelter and birdhouses can offer the shelter that they so desperately require. While their feathers do keep them warm, they've also stored up fat for the winter. Some birds shiver to raise their body temperature, but oftentimes this isn't enough to keep them fully warm. The birdhouses do that for them, allowing them a place to roost at the coldest times with other birds.

Make sure that the birdhouse you choose is large enough for the type of birds that you have in your area. Some birds need large houses while others need smaller, cozier homes. If you want your yard to stay active in the winter, the best thing you could do for your bird friends is to provide them with appropriate shelter as well as other necessities for the winter.

Large Birdhouse
Large Birdhouse

Other Things that Help Winter Birds

Offer good food filled with high fat content such as seeds, suet, and scraps. Make sure to keep the feeders full so that the birds do not go hungry through the cold nights as they may need the food to raise their body temperatures.

Offer liquid water for the birds to drink as it helps them to hydrate and replenish themselves. Even frozen water is better than none. Every creature needs water to survive, and birds are no exception.

Enjoy Your Winter Friends

If you follow these easy steps then your yard birds will have an enjoyable winter. Take good care of your feathered friends and they'll reward you with glimpses of their gorgeous winter feathers.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Lighted Palm Trees Offer Affordable Peace in Decoration

Imagine a peaceful beach scene with the sun setting and waves lapping against the sand. Undoubtedly, there's a palm tree in your fantasy. Decorating with palm trees has become a popular practice, especially for those who want to bring the beach to their home or business. Artificial palm trees save money since they do not have to be imported from the beach and can be used year after year. Lighted palm trees take the beach atmosphere and combine it with a bright and joyful feel that simultaneously catches the eye and provides ambient lighting.

Because the lighted palm trees are made for outdoors as well as indoors, decorating with them becomes limitless. Personally, I'd love to put one pool side, though they're also great for gardens, patios and any other place you want to relax. Rope light palm trees are available in varying heights for whatever area needs to be decorated. They're also available in LEDs to save money and give a little bit of extra shine into the darkness.

Paradise palm tree

Many business owners like to put palm trees near their bars for a great atmosphere. They'd also look nice in a game room setting or even a man cave. Many of the lighted palm trees, in particular the Paradise palm trees, are very tall and for commercial use. A palm tree that large and colorful really gives off a Vegas vibe that's hard to deny. It's impossible not to have a good time standing next to one of these.

Tiara palm tree

No matter what you're looking for, even if it's multi-colored tiara palm tree, there is a shape, height and style perfect for any area. Grab a margarita and relax the next time you have a summer party or take your palm tree indoors and enjoy summer all year long.