My Kitchen Plan (2)
2. Take Care of the Other Person’s Most Disliked Chore — and Ask Them to Do the Same for You It’s incredible how personal the issue of chores can be! Do you despise garbage duty? Can’t stand chopping veggies? Whatever it is, let it be known and try to arrange a fair swap of duties of personal worst for worst. This relieves a lot of chore pressure, since what each of you strongly dislikes is taken out of the equation.
If you’re new to composting, starting with an organized system can help you get the hang of it and prevent a pile from getting out of hand. For her Bay Area clients in this project, Larenas installed a standard three-compartment bin system (each with a 3-foot-by-3-foot interior) to turn over the compost as it breaks down. The fully broken-down compost is used to enrich nearby edible garden beds without the use of synthetic supplements, returning vital nutrients to the soil after a growing season.
Containers and Soil Larger containers work best because they have a larger capacity for soil and plants. Also, the soil will be slower to dry out and less susceptible to temperature extremes. Use a high-quality planting mix specially formulated for use in containers. It holds on to just the right amount of moisture, as opposed to potting soil, which can become soggy.
Concrete. Concrete is a strong, durable, low-maintenance material. Color choices and finished, from smooth to textured, are almost unlimited. It can blend well with almost any landscape and architectural style and creates a great wind barrier. Poured concrete used as a screen probably will be more expensive than wood or metal due to labor costs, but it will also last far longer, up to 50 years with sealing and maintenance. Although concrete is used in many regions, particularly for retaining walls, it will do best in a mild to moderate climate. Always work with an experienced concrete professional who will be able to advise you on best practices for using concrete in your region. Concrete is both heavy and permanent. Once it’s in place, it will take considerable effort to remove it. It also can erode unless waterproofed and sealed regularly. Keep an eye out for chips and cracks.
Large plants growing in pots can give you the look of a vertical garden as well. If you’re willing to wait a while, many shrubs, bushes and trees can easily reach 4 feet or more to give you a living screen. So we could line up all our cut up gas tanks at the east side of the terrace to provide a strong screen against the boule lane ...
Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Plant a southern magnolia in a large container where you have plenty of vertical space for a tree to grow — they can easily reach 10 feet tall, or more, in a container. The two-sided leaves — with one side velvety bronze and the other a deep, glossy green — make an excellent contrast to pale foliage and light walls. Keep soil moist and cut branches often to help control size. Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius (zones 7 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: Varies by species; can grow up to 80 feet tall and 50 feet wide in the landscape; easily kept closer to 10 feet tall in a container with pruning
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) Japanese maples make lovely container plants. Their delicate foliage practically shimmers when placed in a bright spot on a terrace. Many varieties, like ‘Crimson Queen’ and ‘Orangeola’, have spectacular fall foliage. Choose a generous container for potting up a Japanese maple, and move it into a spot that receives full sun in cooler areas and afternoon shade in hotter areas. These delicate trees grow best without much exposure to wind — if you’re growing on a patio or balcony, choose a sheltered area for the tree. Keep the soil in the container consistently moist. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade; shelter from baking sunlight Mature size: Varies by species; up to 20 feet tall and wide; easily kept smaller in a container with pruning
look for an attractiv container and grow it inside Fig trees can also be grown in containers indoors, as seen in this Dutch home. 3. Edible Fig (Ficus carica) Figs trees are prized in Mediterranean courtyards. Their large, lobed leaves cast deep shade, the gnarled branches are attractive year-round and, in early summer and again in fall, they bear tasty fruits. Figs grow well in containers as long as they have plenty of sun and consistent water, but expect plants to stay smaller and set fewer fruits than those grown in gardens. Figs planted in climates with a long, hot summer, and given plenty of water, bear the sweetest and juiciest fruits. Sure, they make a mess if they drop onto the patio, but it’s worth it. Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius (zones 7 to 9); some varieties are hardy down to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (Zone 6) Water requirement: Moderate for garden use; high for tastier fruits Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide; easily kept smaller in a container with pruning
Conifers Evergreen conifers, such as pine, juniper, fir and cypress trees, make good container plants, offering year-round interest and structure on patios, terraces and balconies. All conifer require well-draining soil in a container, and most thrive in a spot with full sun. Look for dwarf and slow-growing conifer varieties that stay much smaller and are naturally more well-suited for growing in containers. ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma Goldcrest’), for example, only reaches 3 feet tall and 18 inches wide when grown in a container. Where it will grow: Hardiness varies by species; many fall in zones 3 to 8 Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: Varies widely by species; dwarf varieties are particularly well-suited for containers
Top Trees to Grow in Containers Citrus of all kinds — most commonly lemons, limes, kumquats, oranges and tangerines — can be grown in large containers and make pretty accents on patios, in herb gardens or tucked into a garden bed. All citrus plants are frost-tender; in cold climates, plan on bringing the trees inside to a sunny window or greenhouse. If citrus leaves begin to yellow or drop, it’s most likely a sign of nitrogen deficiency. Supplement watering with a weekly or bimonthly feeding of diluted organic fertilizer during the growing period to set up container-grown citrus for success. Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 9 to 11; find your zone); in colder areas, plan on bringing the container indoors over winter Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: Varies by species; dwarf citrus trees are particularly well-suited for containers
Keep your garden’s size in check. If you’re more experienced, you face a dilemma each year. You want to grow your favorites, but then there are all those other options out there, both in new varieties and unusual offerings. How difficult will it be to add just a couple more plants? If you have a large family or are planning to do a lot of preserving or canning, then it makes sense to grow plenty of each vegetable. For most of us, the space needed to grow a vegetable garden is surprisingly small. Keeping your garden on the smaller side means you won’t need to carve out huge swaths of your landscape, and maintenance is much simpler and faster.
Consider Adding Raised Beds Many edibles are low-to-the-ground plants. That’s fine for a farm, but it can be a bit boring for a home landscape design. Raised beds add some design interest to a space and make it easier to care for the plants and pick the vegetables and fruit. They can also keep some of the more aggressive growers from taking over the rest of the yard.
You can build a frame out of one-by-four[s], and you can basically surround that with anything you want,” says Frees, the Plain and Posh designer. You just need to follow the manufacturer’s specifications in terms of distance from the range so that your creative range hood isn’t flammable. For example, Frees is working with a client who wants to showcase a piece of art in her kitchen, so the plan is to create a wooden box to surround the insert, which will serve as a beautiful backdrop for the art. Frees recently framed out a hood for another client and had it covered in subway tile, just like the rest of the kitchen.
We have te problem that standard chimney lenghts are shorter than the height we need to get the extrator out - but what if we had the pipe run through a cupboard with full doors and no chimney to pierce up again with the rest of the available chimney clading to the height we need to piece through ?!
Big plantersdo llok great on a terrace ...
A very luminous outdoor kitchen option ...
An outdoor bar or counter can provide the extra space you need to make your outdoor living and entertaining better, whether it’s a true bar setting — with space for drinks, a sink, a refrigerator and possibly a built-in tap — or simply a long counter that can do triple-duty as a place to prep food, set up a buffet or gather to eat. A bar or counter can be a standalone outdoor addition or part of a full outdoor kitchen.
very dramatic tiling §§
Wow !! never mind Stonehenge ...
Stones as eye catchers in the garden - or on the terraces !!?
Pots and pots and fun !!
Now: isn't that clever !!
Often-overlooked areas like side yards can provide extra growing room for edibles, as long as they receive full sun. In this suburban garden outside of Sydney, landscape designer Steve Warner of OUTHOUSE design used planting pockets alongside a side yard walkway to grow cherry tomatoes on attractive metal trellises : wouldn't that a pleasant eye barrier to the gites ?!
This yard features a similar slatted design, except the architects at CplusC Architectural Workshop used metal shelves instead of wood ones. The clear synthetic roof creates a greenhouse-like environment for growing lettuces and other tender greens : also as analtenative to a diving wall to Perret's side ?!
This planted screen does double duty in the garden. Wood boards set at an angle are filled with soil to create planting pockets for growing strawberries, creating an attractive garden screen and space-saving planter. Harvesting is easy, as berries are positioned to dangle over the boards. One could use multiple strawberry towers to screen a shed in a sunny side yard or one tower to divide a narrow balcony into two seating areas : as an alternative to a dividing wall to Perret's side ?!
In this backyard in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood, landscape designer Scot Eckley constructed this bench seat along the rear edge of the patio to double as a raised bed that provides bonus planting room for as many — or as few — edible plants as the owners choose to grow.
Very similar to our situation in the bathroom ...
Ilke the "drain chain": could we use one somewhere?
Keep the menu board, get some colored chalks and be prepared fo kids visiting ...
Combine Seeds and Starts for an Affordable Mix Starting an entire garden from seed can save money, but it can also be incredibly frustrating. Purchasing only started plants is not only expensive, but it also may limit your choice of what to grow. The best option is usually a combination of the two: Pick up some started seedlings at your local nursery and start some of your own from seed. Good plants to start from seed yourself include lettuce, radishes, beans, sunflowers, marigolds, cosmos and zinnias.
6. Mix Up Perennials and Annuals A common newbie mistake is to grab too many plants from the “annuals” section at the nursery, making for a garden that dies back within a single year. For longevity and color, go for a mix of perennials (plants that come back year after year) and annuals (plants that bloom and die within a single season).
3. Start Small Dreaming is wonderful, but when it comes time to begin digging in the earth, it’s equally important to stay grounded in reality. The bigger the garden, the more time and energy it will require to maintain. Examine what you want (say, a vegetable garden) and then scale it down (for example, plant one raised bed rather than six). You can always expand next year! This holds true for purchasing plants too: It’s easy to get seduced by the bountiful plants at the nursery and come home with far too many. Remember, planting takes time, so buy only what you can comfortably get into the ground within the next day or two.
1. Get to Know Your Site Take your time to get familiar with your property before beginning a new garden. Here are a few things you may like to try while you’re getting to know your landscape: Take a leisurely stroll around your property with a notebook and make a rough sketch of the existing planting areas. Add notes to your garden “map” about which areas get the most sun and which are shaded. Spend time just hanging out in your garden. Let yourself daydream and see if any creative ideas present themselves.
Choosing What to Plant Once you have a sense of your goals and capacity, it’s time to choose your plants. Need help deciding? Here are eight surefire vegetables and herbs that work well for nearly any garden, even if you’re a beginner. A landscape designer who specializes in edible gardens will also be able to help you choose your plants. Deciding where your plants are going, and when they’ll be planted, is where the true artistry and challenge of gardening comes in. Keep your plan simple. Allocate a space for each of your crops, taking into consideration that some plants, like salad greens, need very little room, while others, like pumpkins, can get enormous. If you’re growing in raised beds, consider dividing each bed into tidy sections using string and nails, a method known as square-foot gardening. This technique is especially helpful with salad greens, which do best when planted in small amounts every week or two. Keep in mind that it’s best to avoid planting the same crop (or a close relative) in the same place year after year. Rotating crops helps prevent soil-borne plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies. It’s all too easy to get excited about a garden early in the yea...
Getting Practical Ask yourself what items need to be built, purchased or designed for your space and make the appropriate arrangements to get the work done. If you’re starting a new garden or redesigning an existing one, your to-do list will likely involve adding raised beds or obtaining containers, testing your existing soil for contaminants such as heavy metals and ordering a delivery of high-quality topsoil or potting mix. Even if you’ve been growing in the same space year after year, take a moment to determine what maintenance is needed at this time. There’s a good chance that you’ll need to add compost (either homemade or purchased from a reputable supplier) to refresh tired soil and repair damaged structures. Ask yourself what you can add that will take your garden to the next level. Trellises, row covers, cold frames, greenhouses and irrigation systems can make a huge difference when it comes to how much food you can grow.
Determining Your Goals and Capacity Just because you have an entire backyard at your disposal doesn’t mean you should plant your whole yard right away. Gardening can be a lot of work, and you don’t want to get discouraged and abandon the whole project. If you’re new to gardening, hold back and start small. If things go well, you can always expand next year.
"Backyard Bright green Adirondack chairs add a splash of color." Think of bright, light weight Tridome plastic Adirondack out of the bar windows to make a pleasant extension to the garden outside - and the lone teak reading chair out of my office window as the other pleasing view leading out into the garden but also separating the "working garden area" between the inside arches ...
7. Add a Dash of Color While you can create a beautiful space without any vivid hues, adding even a little bit of color to a living room can go a long way toward creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Like if we decide for a neutral color sofa, brighten up the rest of the arrangement with a bold color reading chair ...
5. Mix Up Your Upholstery Sure, most furniture stores give you the option of purchasing an entire living room set in matching upholstery, but that doesn’t mean you should do it. In a formal seating area, matching upholstery can give a sense of maturity and order, but if you want a living room to feel cozy and welcoming, mix and match your upholstered pieces to give the design a bit more personality.
4. Work in Some Wood We can’t talk about texture without talking about wood, one of the top materials for bringing a sense of warmth to a living room. There are so many ways to add wood, any of which will make a space feel a bit more inviting. Consider wall paneling, side tables, movable stools, picture frames, sofa legs and carved pieces of art as just a few of the many options.
Play With Texture Texture is easy to overlook when decorating a living room, especially since we don’t see it so much as touch it. But it’s important for making a living room feel cozy, and that goes for plush textures that appeal to the touch and harder textures that add contrast. Include leather, cotton, wool, metal, stone, glass, plant life and as many other textures as you can.
I don't really like leather couches but this one is really deep with inclined sides so that 2 people could really cuddle up together to watch TV ...
Notice the shelf on top of the washing machine and dryer: how about the same on top of the computer shelf in front of the tread mill ?!
Notice the clever pull out drawer for the pet's food: how about raising the bottom shelf of one of the shelf units in the "Allesraum" to accomodate Cadiz food tray and her cat litter relatively close to one another ?!
Our laundry room looks like it's going to be dark and dingy!! The bright color on the shelves here bring fun into the space, the railingoverthe sink is very handy to dry some garments and the baskets are wonderful for pre-sortin the ws cycles: how much space do I have to relicate all that?! Could I match colour touches for the shelves with the scenery wallpaper next to the thread mill machine ?!
Können wir dies selbst basteln?! Wäre es ist nicht effizierter als die IKEA Gewürzeinlage ?!?
The blue paint on the inside of the celling is really effective here: how about lavender for ours?
And what if we went white onn our bathroom walls with just a touch ofthe matching floor tiles for accents?
What a neat kitchen table !!
One of those lights over our island kitchen?!
Note the shawl or blanket on the office chair - could also hang on the reading chair next to the desk ...
That's an amazing looking desk but I would never leave so much storage space unused !!
Option: to build up glass shelves above the island for a light room partition ?!
The two large barn doors close off the house on windier days. There’s also a fireplace and wood storage inside the breezeway - how about doing the same wih our terrace with some wood for the chimney being stored closed by but not ust next to the chimney where it accumulates dirt ?!
Neat lampson the floor: like around Birgit's ratan chair or outside on the terrace ...
Lovely combination of colours: white, blue and purple ... A maybe for my sofa area in theglory hole?!
With an abundance of glossy, dark leaves and white blooms held upright like candles, peace lily keeps on giving, asking for little care in return. If any leaves turn yellow — an indication of overwatering or underwatering — pull them gently from the base and the plant will quickly fill in with new growth. Care tips: Grow in moderate, filtered light (will also tolerate low light); keep out of direct sun. Water weekly to keep the soil moist, but do not allow it to sit in water.
Ending the backsplash with a shelf, even a shallow one, can give it a nice cap on walls where there are no other particular ending points such as a window or cabinet.
6. Keep a Master Shopping List There’s nothing more frustrating than starting in on a recipe only to discover you’re out of a key ingredient. Designate a single spot in the kitchen, such as a centrally located chalkboard or notepad, as the place to jot down ingredients and supplies as they run out, and encourage everyone in the house to use it.
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