Simple Plan for a Small Backyard Pond

A pond is another water feature for a backyard area. Creating one may seem so difficult but is not so hard actually. With the basic materials and tools readily available locally, anyone can make a pond in a short period. Now here’s a simple plan to make a small backyard pond.

The Location
Determining the location for a pond is the first and an important stage. Ideally, a pond should be in a partial shade and a partial sunlight as it will make a healthy pond environment. Avoid putting your pond under a tree as it would require additional maintenance as leaves and debris would fill it regularly and contaminate the water. Don’t worry, there are other ways for pond shade, more on that later.

A pond could be built in any spot but, it should visible from the garden or patio furniture setup to meet the purpose of creating an interesting feature for your backyard area or patio. It should also be accessible for obvious reasons but most especially to see those lovely creatures.

The Layout
Although you can borrow ideas from many sources, the pond layout is better be based on your own backyard location, size, and landscape. You start from drawing on paper or board but you can also make the layout directly on the site which is more preferable. Using a flexible outliner such as rope, extension cord, or a garden hose, start shaping the outline of your pond. What’s great with this technique is that you can create the shape and adjust the size in real time.

Once satisfied with the layout, mark the outline using a spray paint or just start digging the edges.

The Digging
It’s time to start digging the pond using just a shovel. Hire a backhoe if it is a big pond project. Ideally, the pond should be at least two feet (2 ft.) deep. Dig in steps or in a variety of levels for adding plants later. If you are going to use a skimmer and a filter, dig a place for them following their specific installation instructions. Keep the excavated soil on the side, it can be used for landscaping your area later.

Shaping the Pond
Proper pond liner installation is important to keep the water in your pond. First, you need to double check the excavated pond area to make sure there are no sharp objects that could instantly or gradually puncture the liner. Then, place and shape an underlying material following the shape and the contour of the pond excavation. Then place the pond liner the same way you place the underlying material.  Do not trim the underlayment until you fill your pond. The pressure of the water will make adjustments yet and the excess liner will also be used for perimeter banks of the pond.

Add stones around the pond perimeter area for liner protection and as pond embellishments. Add a variety of stones and sizes to make it look more natural. Then you can finally fill your pond with water. Makes a sense of accomplishment and adds excitement for its completion.

Extra Elements
If you want surely keep a healthy pond, you need to add a filter and a skimmer. Just follow the specific instructions on how install and use them.

Finishing
After your pond is shaped and filled, it’s time to add the finishing touches. You can now trim the excess liner and the underlying material leaving extra inches. Cover the excess liner with rocks and start landscaping the outer side of the pond. Your pond is not suitable for live creatures this time due to the cloudiness of the water. Let it sit for few days, then check if it is capable of harboring fish and plants.

The Shading
Wait we’re not done yet. Remember we talked about the partial shading? Determine if your pond can get a partial shade from the patio shade structures and patio umbrella installations. If not, you need to add artificial shades or by planting shrubs nearby.

Making an Outdoor Room with Indoor Feel

We love the outdoors for several reasons but, there are times when some of us want the comfort of an indoor room associated to it. Spring and summer days bring the goodness of sun, the breeze, and the beauty of outdoor landscape which we fond of. And when the cold weather arrives, we seek the comfort of indoors.Yet, we tend to yearn and still want some of the advantages of the outdoors.

Well, if we want, there are ways in which we can still enjoy the good things of outdoors while having the comfort of indoors. There are clever ways to bring what we need of an indoor room and what we desire from an outdoor place altogether. Thus, we will be creating an outdoor room with an indoor feel.

The Roof or Cover
Outdoor room or patio cover is an important asset for this project. No matter what materials used and how it is made, we need a sturdy roof or cover to protect the entire area. Extending the roof of your house using the same material is a great choice but using other materials still pretty good. If extending your house is not your type, then you can create a separate outdoor room. Other than building a standard roofing, you can also get a good use of building a pergola or a trellis.

If you don’t have time, budget, or just disfavor building a permanent structure, then, there are other options. An awning is a great alternative to extending your home as it can be easily installed and way cheaper than a permanent roof. For a separate room alternative, you can always depend on a large cantilever umbrella also known as offset umbrellas.

Of all the clever ideas for roofing, there are just two that stand out. One is a retractable roofing and the other is a clear roofing. The advantage of these is that you enjoy the sun whenever available.

Furniture and Cushions
There is a wide variety of outdoor furniture with an appearance of indoor furniture such as sofa sets and wicker sets. However, the very key for making an indoor feel is through cushions. Of course, we need cushions that are made for outdoors but with the comfort like those for indoors. Also, we need to choose heavy duty slip covers and washable outdoor cushions.

Outdoor Heaters and Fireplaces
Without the sun’s heat, the chilling temperature is a major drawback of outdoors. But the solutions has always been available since the discovery of fire. For a modern living, you can now enjoy outdoors with the aid from outdoor patio heaters and fireplaces.

Accessories
Any room accessories can be safely added to an indoor-like outdoor room setup. For the most part, you can add rugs, vases, planters, and other decorative objects.

How to Protect Your Patio Umbrella

Patio umbrellas are a great option for having a sunshade to protect you, your patio furniture, your family and friends. They are versatile, quick to set up, and very mobile that you can enjoy in any outdoor spot under the protective shade. In order to make them last longer in good condition to function,they too need protection as much as they provide. Here are some quick tips that will help you.

Close It
It is recommended to close down and put protective cover on a patio umbrella when not in use for a longer period. Closing down gives your umbrella frame some rest and lessens the stress. It is also a good and necessary step to avoid the hazard of catching strong winds that will break or throw your umbrella away. What comes up must come down and if it is a patio umbrella, you’ll be in trouble as it will do some damage to properties or hurt people. Think of safety first before high wind strikes. Close your umbrella and tie it securely.

Cover
An umbrella cover is a must-have for every outdoor umbrella for it to last longer than expected. There more outdoor elements that contributes to degradation such as rain, dust, and insects. Moisture that stays longer, dust, and dirt are perfect combination that invites mold and leaves stain. Insects may also make home to your umbrella that may also leave stain or worst make holes to the fabric. A good umbrella cover can get your outdoor umbrella covered and protected against all of these.

Choose an umbrella cover that is;

• waterproof to keep your umbrella dry at all times
• but have vents to prevent mildew and wind lofting
• a perfect fit, not loose and not too tight to properly secure the umbrella
• and possibly stylish to complement a good patio design

These are just simple steps but necessary to protect outdoor umbrellas as they also protect us. Others things you can do is proper cleaning, maintenance, and following the proper use to keep your umbrella in good condition.

Protecting Wood Outdoor Furniture

Wood outdoor furniture are undeniably the choice of the majority because of their natural beauty and probably sturdier provided they are made from good craftsmanship. The only downside of this is their vulnerability against outdoor elements. Well, all materials definitely have weaknesses but, wood’s disadvantages can be have solutions that are easy to follow.

During autumn and winter all outdoor furniture items, regardless of material, suffer from the beating of the frequent fluctuation of temperature and humidity. The moisture and freezing temperature are even harsher for the wood which will have a great negative effects at a molecular level.

Wood can become odd looking, gradually deteriorates, and would render useless in the end. Wood warps or splits, the texture becomes worst, and color fades or its paint cracks and chip away.

Though there are woods that can withstand against outdoor elements and may even age beautifully, they are just not fully immune to the harsh outdoor situations.

The great news is that there are solutions to ensure the wood lasts longer beautiful.

Wood Preservative
The first thing you can do for a wood furniture is treat it with wood preservative if it has not been treated by its manufacturer. This will remove and protect the wood from fungus and other micro organisms that causes rot and decay.

Furniture Oil
Furniture oils are essential to maintain your furniture. Oil treatment brings back the vibrancy of natural wood color and add some protection from moisture as it also replenishes the natural oil lost after long period of outdoor exposure. Be sure to buy oils that are appropriate or specific for your wood furniture type. You can always read manufacturer's instructions or ask the dealers about it.

Wood Stain and Sealer
Wood stains restore the original wood color and can also be used to make a new color while also enhancing the woods resistance to the elements. It adds a coating to repel water so it is also a great addition to maintenance. Then add wood sealer for optimum protection from sun, rain, mold, and pests. A good wood sealer primarily protects maintains the beautiful color of the surface. It also prevents moisture and adds UV protection so your furniture stays in good condition from the surface and down deep into the wood.

These steps of protecting wood ensures your outdoor patio furniture are resilient against outdoor elements. However, there are other really simple things you can do that helps protect your furniture such as providing furniture covers when not in use for a long period and placing them under a sunshade or outdoor umbrellas.

3 Money Saving Ideas for Garden Design and Decoration

Making a beautiful garden doesn’t have to be expensive, yet, it doesn’t have to be boring. Here are tips on how you can make a livable and beautiful garden without costing much.

Borders and Edging
Regularly we see conventional garden edging using bricks and stones. The looks of the project depends on how it is made and laid either you make a raised bed border or a paved one. Wood is another good material especially for raised garden bed. You can only make straight edges out of it but is really easy and quick to build. Empty bottle edging is another interesting idea, the better the bottles the more it becomes eye catchy. Used empty bottles are free, instead of disposing them, better use in your garden.

Recycled Pallet Furniture
A lot folks have shared how they make garden furnitures out of used pallet which can be obtained for free or at a nominal cost from local places. Used pallet can be found in places like construction site, hardware stores, feed supply stores, small businesses’ dumpster, and in newly opened stores and depots.

You can make virtually any type of outdoor furniture out of used pallets. Because pallets are constructed in way that is easy to re-purpose, with a little woodworking knowledge you can easily make furnitures from chairs to benches, lounge chairs to patio furniture sofa sets, and even a bed set. Apply some wood stain or paint and add outdoor cushions, one can hardly tell that they are made from scraps.

Recycled planters
Great alternative to create a container garden to creatively grow your own food and make your home green even without ground space. You can use any qualified unused items around the house as long as it can serve like a planter. You can re-purpose tin cans and boxes, old wooden pallets, rubber tires, old boots, and the list goes on.

Removing Mold and Mildew Stains from Outdoor Cushions Naturally

Mold and mold spores can be present anywhere inside and outside your home. Mold spores can reach any places through the air and will quickly become a fully grown mold whenever moisture is present. If not treated, it can cause deterioration, odor, and stain.

Outdoor cushions, which are always outside over your patio furniture, are more vulnerable because they are frequently exposed to moisture and other elements. Proper cleaning and maintenance is important for these to retain the good looks, and to make them last longer.

Here’s what you need:

• Rubber Gloves - for your safety.
• Borax - a natural white substance that can kill mold and some bacteria.
• White Vinegar - also a natural and consumable liquid that can remove mold and bacteria.
• Bucket - to use for making the cleaning solution.
• Clean Sponge
• Clean Cloths
• Garden Spray

Use rubber gloves for safety because although borax is a natural substance, it is still not safe to be directly in contact to skin as it may cause irritation. It can also be toxic when ingested but is friendly to your home and garden environment. Mix 1/2 cup of borax to 2 cups of hot water, mix very well. Remember this ratio in case you need more mixture.

Remove the washable covers of the cushion and wash them separately. Using the clean sponge, rub the borax on the areas that have mold or mildew. Leave the borax solution in the cushion for few hours or until the mold and mildew disappear. Then rub it with a clean damp cloth or just spray it clean with water and leave it to dry.

You can use the same procedure to remove the mold and mildew stains from the cushion.

Finally, fill the clean garden spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar and spray it all over the cushions for final cleaning and odor removal. The vinegar is a natural substance that is effective in killing any remaining mold and mold spores. Then allow it to dry in natural sunlight or air dry if there is none.

Easy Outdoor Cushion Cleaning and Maintenance

The most effective way to keep your outdoor cushions in good condition is cleaning them as often as needed. Do not disregard dirt for a longer period because it makes them hard to remove and may invite stain and mold. Heavy dirt can be easily removed when done immediately than later.

Cleaning and maintaining your cushions is easy with just basic items. Clean them easily with sponge, soap, and water. Use mild soap or just use some dish soap. Fill a bucket with water, then add and mix the soap. Dip the sponge in the soapy water and then use it to wipe the cushion clean. Then let them air dry.

It is important to avoid machine washing and drying the cushions as it will damage the cushion. Do not use bleach, this chemical is harmful to the cushion especially to its color.

Simple as that, your cushions should be completely clean.

When your cushions are not in use for a longer time, move them into a clean and dry place. You can store them indoor like in your garage, shed, or basement but, there are easy solutions to that. Buy outdoor storage bins and bags so that the cushions can be stored easily without the hassle of bringing them here and there.

Additionally, there are patio furnitures such as benches that double as storage bins or cabinets. Very useful when you are out of outdoor space, or just want things concealed and make a neatly organized outdoor place. It is also a convenient storage solution for storing other items in your patio.

These are the easy steps that should make your cushions clean, looking great, and last longer. Just a side note, some cushions are just made differently that need special care. Be sure to read manufacturer’s cleaning and maintenance instructions attached. If you can’t find one, using these easy steps above should still be safe for them.