How to Decorate for Thanksgiving Get Togethers Using Nature

Decorating for Thanksgiving can be lots of fun and especially when using things that are from a home owners personal gardens.

Great natural things to use in decorating are pine cones, pine branches, pumpkins, gourds and wildflowers can even be used for arrangements for a centerpiece.  Pine cones look lovely when added to large baskets and can be set around on large fireplaces and throughout the home.  Pine branches will look lovely when laid on a large or small mantel with several pine cones scattered throughout them.  Another great item are pumpkins and gourds.  These are amazing to brighten up and bring in that wonderful fall orange color to a home.  Small pumpkins can be used as centerpieces for a very large or small dining room table.  They can also be placed on a fireplace in bunches or scatted around to give it a wonderful fall look and feeling. 

Wildflowers will make wonderful and beautiful arrangements that can be used throughout a home.  There are beautiful wildflowers such as black and brown eyed susan and sunflowers are great flowers to use in fall arrangements.  Also using some native grasses are beautiful when added to vases of wildflowers.  Arrangements for fall can be personalized with special wildflowers that the home owner or gardener prefers.

Outside decorations can also be made from natural items.  Scarecrows are so cute when they are created to fit a gardeners personality and can brighten a lawn by adding some hay bales and some large pumpkins to add bright color to a lawn decoration.  A large pumpkin can also be used to create a beautiful pumpkin by using wildflowers or native grass to add a great big tale to the pumpkin.  A small gourd can be used to add a head to the pumpkin to create that perfect thanksgiving turkey.

There are a lot of things that can be used to decorate and ideas can be found online or at local craft stores.  Using things that are already available will not affect a family budget either because these items will not cost a thing.  Pine cones and pine branches can usually be found in a wooded area and can also even be found on a lawn that has a very large pine tree growing.  Pine cones can also be spray painted to match an interior of a home and can have some cinnamon sticks added to a basket to create that wonderful thanksgiving feel and put the smell of the holidays into the air.

Being Outdoors Can Help You Eliminate Stress

Being in Nature can help relieve stress. This is a common, worldwide knowledge to all people. The scents and sounds of nature and the fresh air is perfect to relax the body. Common life can be hectic and extremely stressful but a few hours outside can revitalize your body and mind. There are many things that can be done outside to help ease the mind and quiet the soul. Gardening and landscaping can be great hobbies to help you and your family get outside more and get some fresh air and relaxation.

Gardening and landscaping is a very broad subject and involves a very large amount of things that you could do outside to relieve the stress. First you could start your own garden full of vegetables and fruit bearing plants. This gives you both fresh food and the relaxation of being outside, with just a little work of course. Fresh fruit and vegetables can also save you money and promote better health. Another possible escape to the outdoors is in landscaping around your home. This can be anything from adding a beautiful flower bed to the front of your home to a water garden to your backyard. This hobby can improve the look and value of your home while getting you outside and into the fresh air and dirt. Going to the beach, hiking, biking, climbing rocks all can be done outside to help you eliminate stress. For many people even fishing, hunting or just sitting in the woods admiring mother nature and the glories is enough to help their stress level be brought back down to 0. 

These are just two of the many things that can be done outside around your house to relieve stress. Being outside is a very good idea for those who spend long hours at work and are often stressed, and has many benefits for both the short and long run. So look into gardening or landscaping around your home to improve both your mental and physical health, and get outside more.  

How To Make a Raised Garden Bed

More and more people are going through tough times economically so when it comes to gardening they want to do it because of the many rewards – saving money, canning, preserving, dehydrating, freezing and eating food fresh and organically instead of buying it in the store. Raised beds are becoming more and more popular because people just don’t have the time to weed them on a regular basis nor do they have time to rent equipment to get the land ready. Raised beds are very beneficial and in some locations be used year round.

Raised beds can be used with wood, containers or even tires. The most cost efficient and the most common is the wooden raised beds. With our step by step instructions you can successfully make a raised bed in no time!

Tools – hammer, wood, potting soil/compost/manure mixture, newspapers, level, saw, nails

Step 1 – Determine the area that you are going to place your raised bed. Go ahead and make sure there is no unwanted weeds and the ground is semi-level.

Step 2 – Measure the area and cut your pieces of wood so that you can make a box or rectangle, cut your pieces of wood and then nail or screw them together at the ends to make your shape.

Step 3- Once your box or bed is made, you can lay newspapers in the bottom, a few layers will work best this will keep weeds from growing. Cover the newspaper and fill your bed with potting soil, manure or compost mixture. Filling your bed a few inches from the top works best.

Step 4 – level your soil by taking a board and running it slowly across to level the soil out. Now you are ready for plants, seeds or anything else that you want to plant in it.

Raised beds are very beneficial and are becoming increasingly popular because if you ever decide that you do not want the bed anymore they are easy to remove and your grass will grow back instead of having a tilled up area. Raised beds will also keep moisture in and keep a steady soil temperature so that even in the coldest months all you will need to do is cover your plants for safety. Making a raised bed is enjoyable and fun, so enjoy! 

Mother Nature Brings Life To Paintings

  There are millions upon millions of paintings and other pieces of art that exist in the world today. Each artist has their own unique styles, a favorite method of painting, belief about art and what their art is about, but have you ever wondered what inspires their art in the first place. If you look at some of the darker paintings that artist might say they were inspired by death, disease or war. Then take a painting of a little girl and the painter might say they were inspired by their daughter, the innocence of being a child, or hope of the future. Then the paintings of natural landscapes. With these types of paintings, photos, and other art forms most likely the artist would say they were inspired by nature itself.

Mother nature has inspired painters, sculptors, poets, photographers, and writers for centuries and will continue to do so. Mother nature is full of beauty, unique colors, changing seasons, and unique creatures that roam freely. I recently watched a local painter stand on the banks of a river and paint his surroundings. His canvas was covered with the green leaves of the maple trees and the white and pink dots that served as the blossom of the dogwood trees. Then the detail of the water running over the rocks was so detailed that you could almost hear the river running in the painting. I asked him what inspired him and he did a complete 360 pointing at trees, flowers, the sky, a rock, and anything else that was a natural part of the setting and said “that”. He explained that he could come back to the same same spot daily and would it would be different in someway or inspire him in a different way. He said one day the dogwoods will be in full bloom and all the trees bare different hues of greens. Then I come back early fall and the Oak and Maple trees are no longer green, but are reds, oranges, and yellows. The differences are a natural painting or photograph that only nature can produce, but inspires so many painters to try to interrupt it.

Each aspect of mother nature serves as a natural beauty that not only artist can take advantage of but so can everyone. All it takes is taking a moment to look at your natural surroundings and truly take it all in. Take a walk along the coast and witness the beauty of “God's treasure chest”. Feel the sand between your toes, watch the waves crash into the shore, and listen to the palm trees rustle against one another in the sea breeze. If you are not a beach goer then take that walk in the forest. Admire the leaves of the different species of trees, be silent as you watch a doe wonder the woods, and listen to the babbling brooks in the distance. Nature and all its aspects will continue to serve as inspiration to us all and continue to be the centerpiece of some of the greatest works in our art museums the world over.

Win an iPad

Who doesn’t want to win an iPad? iPads are on everyone’s wish list it seems but they are so pricey that for most of us it is just a wish rather than a reality. iPads are the new wave of the future and have so many great features to offer. A lot of memory, Word, Email, Internet Explorer, Facetime, its portable, thin, light and easy to take with you. What if I told you that you could win an iPad for FREE? No gimmicks, no scams, no hidden agendas. Just by simply clicking this link http://www.treenurseryco.com/ipad-giveaway/. This will take you to the TN Tree Nursery Co website where you can register to win a FREE iPad. It’s simple, just go there and you can get up to 8 entries just by sharing us on your FaceBook page, Twitter page and by putting in your email and while you are there shop around…you may find something that you like! 

Vines can bring lots of life

Vines are a great idea to bring life and vibrant color to a lawn or property.  Vines are easy to train and get them to grow in the manner in which will satisfy the home owner.

Vines are beautiful when draped over a trellis or an archway during the spring and summer.  Vines that will have beautiful flowers and blooms will also attract butterflies and those magnificent hummingbirds that everyone loves to watch.

Vines can also be used to cover an ugly fence or building that maybe in need of painting.  Honeysuckle vines are great to get to run up the side of buildings and fences.  They will smell wonderful during the spring and summer and will attract those beautiful hummingbirds and butterflies.  Hummingbird Vines are great to add to fences and a trellis and can also be used to cover tree trunks and planted around gazebos and patios.

Vines are an easy plant to grow as long as the sunlight conditions and soil conditions are right for the vine that will be planted.  There are also some vines that will work well as a wonderful and beautiful groundcover and will look great in a natural area.  Most of the vines that will provide flowers and gorgeous blooms will also be fragrant and will be beautiful when in bloom.  Some vines such as the Wild Strawberry will also product beautiful berries and there are Wisteria vines that will have blooms that look like clusters of grapes as they bloom.  Wisteria is a gorgeous vine and will add a very special touch to a trellis and fence.

Tree Nursery Co has several varieties of vines available and their vines are also in top notch condition and will be healthy.  This online nursery also provides a great plant description with each vine available and will provide all the information needed to make sure that the vines grow to be healthy.

It all depends on what type of vine a gardener or landscaper is looking for and what the purpose of the vine will be.  Vines can cover lots of space and some of them will be fast growing and some may take a little longer to reach maturity.  It is best to research the vines and find the one that will work best for the project that is being completed.  Vines are also a great idea to plant around a large porch and there are a wide variety that would look great when planted around porches.

Shade Trees Can bring Relaxation

Shade trees make a great addition to a lawn or property.  These wonderful trees make a magnificent statement during the spring, summer and fall months of the year.  

There are some shade trees that will offer beautiful blooms and some of them will offer gorgeous deep green and light green leaves to enjoy during the spring and summer.  During the fall most shade trees will offer a wide array of colors such as orange, red and yellow to brighten up lawns and landscapes.

Shade trees will come in all shapes and sizes and will have a wide variety of heights when they are mature.  There are some shade trees that can grow as tall as 150 feet and some will grow to be around 30 feet.  Shade trees are also great to attract a wide variety of wildlife such as birds, squirrels and other small wildlife.  Birds will love these trees and they will make lovely places for wildlife and birds to build their nests.  Nature lovers will absolutely love watching birds as they are building their nests in these magnificent trees and then watching the little baby birds as they hatch.

Maple, Tulip Poplar and Oak trees are among the tallest of the shade tree family and will make lovely places to relax and enjoy the warm spring and summer evenings with a family.  They are also seen a lot growing in parks because of the large size that these particular trees will grow to be.

When deciding which shade tree will fit onto a lawn or landscape it is best to do some research and make sure what size the tree will become when mature.  Knowing this information will guarantee that there is enough space for the shade tree to grow properly and will become very healthy as it grows. Research will also need to be done to find out how to care for a particular shade tree properly while it is growing and to know how much water and what soil conditions would be best for the shade tree to grow. 

There is nothing more enjoyable during the spring and summer that having a wonderful shade tree to sit and relax under while unwinding from a busy day.  There is just something about sitting outside and enjoy a shade tree with family and friends and is also a great way to build memories with family and friends.

Affordable Landscaping on a Limited Budget

One of the first projects that most new homeowners dive into head first, is creating that perfectly landscaped yard. Unfortunately, most individuals who take on such hefty tasks are soon pulled back into reality by the sheer expense that such endeavors may require. Though a beautifully landscaped lawn may come with a hefty price tag, there are a multitude of ways in which one can achieve the same look, without breaking the bank. This article will explore great tips to achieve a great looking yard on a limited budget. 

 

                               

 One mistake that many amateur landscapers make, is purchasing expensive seasonal plants. Though they are often beautiful, such plants are notoriously temperamental, and require a great deal of care in order to prevent them from quickly wilting. There is nothing worse than investing hundreds of dollars in beautiful plants, only to have them perish within a few weeks. Cheap plants are not only less expensive, but can often be much more hardy during times of drought, extreme heat, and other environmental changes. Cheap plants can be purchased through a local nursery or lawn and garden store. Be sure to research such plants, prior to the time of purchase. It is also important to purchase plants when they are in season, as this will significantly cut down cost.

 

 

 Just like many flowers and grasses can require a great deal of money to care for properly, the same goes for different varieties of trees. It is always a good idea to consider purchasing trees that are native to that specific region. A tree nursery is a wonderful place to purchase trees from. Workers at a tree nursery are knowledgeable about what type of tree grows best in the region. They can even suggest which trees are most cost effective, and require the least amount of effort to maintain.

 

 

 There is much more to landscaping than grass, flowers, and trees. When shopping for various greenery, it is easy to overlook other unique and creative ways to enhance the landscape of one's property. To truly cut cost and bring down the budget, consider adding other natural elements into the yard.  Currently, popular landscaping trends incorporate water features and rock walkways, as well as wooden benches and additional elements that can shift the focus away from plants and flowers. Such natural elements inspire feelings of tranquility and relaxation, while lessening the need to purchase expensive plants, which may require a great deal of maintenance and care.

 

Visit us online at: http://www.treenurseryco.com