This does, of course, have implications in all areas of our lives. It means that we’re constantly looking to make savings. We want to be wise when it comes to spending money, restricting our spending habits to reach levels that we’re actually comfortable with. But what does this mean when you come to make travel plans?

If you’re used to spending your annual vacations in exotic locations, then it may seem like it’s going to be difficult to adapt to these changes. Can you really shun luxury hotels and look for cheaper options? Could you, for instance, face the thought of going on a camping trip?

Stop comparing experiences

The first thing to say, when considering this possibility, is that things probably won’t look too great if you keep trying to directly compare experiences. There’s not much use in looking at a meal that you’ve prepared on a camping stove and then suggesting that it’s not as good as something that might have been produced in a hotel restaurant.

The whole point of a camping trip is to create a unique experience. It’s not about replicating the 5-star vacation that you may previously have experienced.

This explains why it’s so important to enjoy the trip in the way in which it’s intended. You may not be heading out to exclusive restaurants, but you may also discover that you have considerably more freedom.

Think about all of the advantages to taking such a trip. There are certainly plenty of these, particularly if you’ll be taking children with you. You’ll almost certainly discover that kids love the thought of being close to nature. This is often most evident for those families living in towns and big cities.

Relatively simple pleasures suddenly become incredibly powerful experiences. Even looking up and seeing the stars at night can come as quite a shock for those of us who usually have to deal with considerable amounts of light pollution.

That camping stove isn’t such a bad thing either. It enables you to have the thrill of cooking and eating outdoors. That’s a real pleasure in its own right and should not be dismissed too easily.

Once you begin to appreciate that camping trips can offer a different type of experience, you’ll realize that there’s a lot of opportunity to have plenty of fun.

So it may be time to forget about the expensive vacations of the past. Here’s your chance to look forward to a fun-filled, but cheaper, future.

Keith Barrett enjoys camping trips and spends a lot of time researching outdoor accessories, from the humble camping kettle to the latest tents.

4. Wicker Motorbikes

Yes, that’s right – motorbikes, plural. For some reason, wicker motorbikes are a thing now.

In fact, it seems to be close to an accepted practice for some steakhouses and eateries to place one of these bamboo bikes outside, and no-one knows why.

There’s nothing that says “come in and try our delicious Sirloin steak” better than an unusable mode of transport perched upon a roof… Either that or they just look really cool.

A mode of transport even more useless than a Bendy Bus Photo

(Image: Shannon Clattenburg)

3. Tam O’Shanter And The Witch

In honour of Scottish national poet Robert Burns’ 250th birthday, the town of Dumfries held a festival of light. The centrepiece of the whole thing was an incredible willow sculpture inspired by one of his most famous works, the tale of Tam O’Shanter.

Scottish blogger Kim Ayre’s has some great pictures of the willow sculpture while whole – I think it’s pretty successful in capturing Burns’ wild, rugged and vivid style of poetry, and it looks amazing.

It’s almost a shame they had to burn it, but then we would never have got to see a giant fireball floating down a river. Swings and roundabouts.

(by Debbie Turner)

2. The Willow Man

As far as I know (and as far as Google will tell me), this is the largest permanent willow sculpture in the world. It’s not the most intricate or complex of designs, but in terms of iconic resonance this twelve metre tall wicker sculpture is yet to be matched.

Known as the ‘Angel of the South’, the willow man faces a constant battle against decay, vandals, and the encroachment of warehouses and supermarkets. His delicate stance and deliberately perishable materials have, ironically, become something of a symbol of permanence in the face of adversity.

(by SA Mathieson)

1. Boris the Spider

This spider sculpture, affectionately named ‘Boris’, is a work created in willow topiary.

As well as being intrinsically cool for referencing my favourite song by The Who, it’s also an enormous spider.

The severely arachnophobic should probably look away…now.

(by Karen Roe)

It looks pretty cool even as a photo, but in person the physical presence of the sculpture is one of very few excuses to use the word “awesome” in polite company. It’s truly one of the coolest things I’ve seen, in or out of wicker.

I think all of these wicker sculptures are really cool, not only for themselves, but for showing what can be done with the medium. They’re an inspiration to anyone who works, or has wanted to work, or never knew that they wanted to work, with wicker.

Kath Wright looks at cool things on the internet for a living, and no, you can’t have her job. She works for Alexander Francis, who sells contemporary garden furniture and wicker garden furniture.

Log cabins are a great escape for those who love hiking and outdoor sports and want to have a comfortable base somewhere outside so they can spend more time in nature doing the things they love. For people who make a living out of their creativity or just have artistic hobbies nature can be a great inspiration which allow them to produce their best work distraction free. For others it’s just a good escape from the stresses of fast paced modern life allowing them to forget all their worries for a little while and just enjoy life.

Log cabins really can be a good thing, and if you have a big enough garden they don’t necessarily have to be a remote and rare luxury. Many people  build small log cabins in their garden as a nice way of adding a bit of extra space to their home which really allows them to get the best out of there garden all year around. Adding a log cabin to your garden gives your home a whole extra room that is isolated from your house and in the beauty of your garden.

Log cabins in the garden are also great for families. If you’re looking to give younger children a bit of a taste of independence but they are a bit young to actually be going away camping on their own, a log cabin can be a great way to give them that taste of independence whilst still having them close enough for peace of mind.

Maybe your love of the outdoors does not extend far enough to want to spend extended periods of time in the wilderness, a log cabin is a great way to make your normal indoor activities feel more outdoors, with a log cabin in your garden you have an easy retreat where you can get away from your house to relax, get on with projects distraction free or watch nature, but with all the comforts of home within easy reach.

Imagine being able to have BBQs in the summer with somewhere to be able to conveniently take shelter when the weather cools down without having to go back inside. Imagine being able to set up your home office somewhere completely separate from your home completely distraction free, log cabins have a lot to offer and compared to the cost of building a home extension can actually be a lot cheaper than you might think.

To get some ideas on the kinds of cabins that might fit in your garden check out the blog at Tiger Log cabins for some ideas.

You may need a mix of full-sun tolerant plants as well as full-shade specimens. Those plants that love basking in the sun can offer you lots of colour with a heavenly scent. A well-designed garden can go with themes of colour that may resemble a Monet impressionistic painting, or work in a unified, dramatic display. Think about dominant tones found in marigolds and petunias for an impressive collection. Map out the colour arrangements ahead of time so that you a have a plan as you begin planting.

Think about how the shaded plants still can add a spot of colour to your garden. It is important to keep all parts of your garden visually interesting. You can purchase astilbe, for example, in a rainbow of colours. This plumed plant can be terrific for shady spots. Pair with white flowering hostas for a filled-in, rich effect. Hostas also offer colour surprises from their leaves in deep blue tones or golden samples.

Another essential element is to mix heights for visual interest. Tall lilies can look beautiful next to lush ferns. You can look through garden centre catalogues for dramatic pairings, or think about accents such as rocks and elegant lawn ornaments to tuck into a display.

Your conservatory needs to be able to adapt to the changing seasons for you to enjoy it year-round. You can use Roman blinds to make the most of the weather and garden through the seasons. The blinds can let in full sun or offer necessary shade to help cool the space.

A final essential element is discipline. A garden cannot take care of itself, and you can dedicate time each day just to be in the space and see what is going on, what plants need attention and which ones need more water or pruning. Time spent in your garden not only can be relaxing, but also give you a new appreciation of the plants that work best in the space provided.

As you indulge your love of nature, you will find more things to enjoy about your garden. Following the essentials of good design and discipline can go a long way toward a beautiful, versatile display. Your hard work can pay off with lots of beautiful flowers.

Bring Intimacy into a Large Yard

Turn a large, boring area into an inviting space by combining the natural features of the yard into attractive individual spaces that will accommodate every person in the family. Using paths, garden fixtures and natural lighting along with plants and shrubs can carve out places to play and places to entertain as well as areas to relax.

An area where nothing seems to grow can be turned into an attractive space with the use of container plants and benches. Give them even more appeal by using rock, mulch or pavers to level the area out for a table and chairs.

Privacy screens aren’t only to block out the view of the neighbors. The use of shrubs and bushes in a large open space can help the clever home owner design a secret relaxing spot out of the way of the active family.

Storage buildings can be as attractive as well as functional. Take advantage of the shade that they offer by sprucing up the outbuilding and placing a chaise, hammock or bench nearby.

Use native plants whenever possible. For ideas, take a walk in natural areas near your home and see what grows in the conditions that closely resemble the lay of your own outdoor spaces. The native plants have adapted themselves to thrive in the local soil and weather conditions. Over the years they have also build up a resistance to local garden pests.

Make the Most of Small Areas

No space is too tiny to be turned into an attractive landscape when attention is given to the scale of the landscape design. Take advantage of walls and fences by using them as trellises for climbing plants. Hanging baskets and shelves can turn existing architectural features of the property into inviting and comfortable outdoor areas.

Sometimes minimal can be more striking as a landscape design that huge featured areas. A water feature in a hot climate doesn’t have to take up a lot of space, but will appeal to the senses of sight and sound as well as having the effect of cooling the area off.

For Landscape Architecture Perth talk to Living Environs. Living Environs deliver high quality outdoor living designs that will transform your outdoor area from bland to an area you will want to enjoy and share with friends and family.

Conservation of water

Storing water ensures that you are well prepared in case of water shortage or drought. Seeing as water is such a valuable natural resource essential for life, installing a water tank that holds enough water to adequately cover your need goes a long way in insuring that you still have water to use in case water shortage.

Avoid wasting fresh drinking water

Harvesting rainwater also ensures that the water is used for other uses like cleaning, gardening, laundry, filling the pond and the swimming pool among other household chores. This avoids wasting fresh drinking water on these other activities and using it for cooking and drinking only. Besides from avoiding wastage, minimizing use of fresh water from mains for drinking considerably reduces the bill amount that comes at the end of the month.

Beat the set standards on water restriction

There are regions in which stringent water restrictions have been enacted thus limiting the quantity of water you are supposed to utilize on non-essential chores. Installing a water tank grants you freedom to be able to use the collected water however you please. This means that you can maintain a greener lawn, clean your car and fill up your pool and pond without any limitations.

Benefit from the rebate program

In a bid to promote environmental conservation, there is a rebate program put in place to refund people purchasing water tanks and having them installed for internal household uses. Purchasing a water tank is therefore a win-win situation since you are reimbursed while purchasing and you get to save on water bills.

Saving on water bills

With the initial expenses of purchasing and installing the water tank, there are no more expenses accrued to you in future. You therefore stand to save a lot in future on water bill one you have installed a water storage tank.

Harvesting of clean drinking water

If at all you have any concerns on the chemical added to mains water supply, owning a water tank allows you to fetch your own clean drinking water offering an ideal solution that doesn’t involve purchasing purified drinking water.

Enhancing you exterior

With the different trendy water tanks available in the market today, they can be used to compliment your architecture. The modern water tanks are designed to blend well with the modern houses thus adding a unique touch up to your exterior with a Colourbond aqua plate stainless steel tank, a stone grey or Pale terracotta poly tank among other trendy designs, shapes and colours available in the market.

Wayne is managing a rainwater tank supply store in Sydney, Australia, and he has been working in the water tank industry for 15 years.

1. – Measure Your Patio Like You Measure a Room

If you have ever measured a room inside your home for furniture, you will generally measure your patio in the same way. Many people consider their garden patios to be simply another room of their home, and if this is the case with you, you will want to do the same thing. In order to measure, all you will need is a tape measure or other type of measuring device. It is also recommended that you have an assistant to help hold the tape measure and get a more accurate measurement. Additionally, have a piece of paper and writing utensil so you can mark down your measurements. When you have your supplies, you are ready to begin the measuring process.    

2. – The First Measurements

The first measurements you will want to make will be the edges of your patio. Measure both the length and width and make sure to write them down. Just to be on the safe side, you may want to measure both sides of your patio to make sure they are even, especially if this is a patio that may be made of stone instead of a poured concrete patio. A few centimetres may not see to make a big difference, but they truly can when it comes to  outdoor furniture.

3. Making Other Measurements

Though you may think you have all the measurements you need, you will also need to measure diagonally for the best results when determining the size of your patio. To measure diagonally, simply have your assistant stand at one corner of the garden patio and you stand at the opposite corner. Take that measurement and write it down. At this point, you should have five different measurements. This is all you need to know before buying your furniture for the garden.

4. Start Shopping

Now that you have accurate measurements, you can begin shopping for garden furniture. You need to make sure that any furniture you choose will be able to nicely fit on your patio. For instance, perhaps you want to purchase an outdoor sofa. When you are shopping for this item, you will find that they come in two main models, two seats or three seats. You can also choose modular sofas which can be as long as you want them to be. Taking your measurements into consideration, determine which will be best for you. Before buying, however, don’t forget the final step.

5. Make Sure Everything Fits

Though you may have an idea of the garden sofa you want for your patio, it is always a good idea to sketch everything out. For example, many people will buy a garden sofa, table and chiminea, for example, but only measure for the sofa. When they have all of their furniture delivered, they find they do not have nearly enough room for everything. When you sketch out everything and get exact measurements of not only the furniture, but the accessories as well, you will be ensured that everything will fit perfectly on your patio.

1. Plan your garden - Sometimes it gets easy to overlook the basics, but having a plan will keep you on track. Ask yourself: What kinds of foods do I like to eat? Peas? Then you’ll need to pick a variety, and soon. Many peas can be started as early as mid-February in the Pacific Northwest, but be sure to check growers’ recommendations. Do you know you want to grow tomatoes or watermelons? Do you want to grow your own seedlings? What about your flower garden? When you’ve written down your goals it makes it easier to know how best to prep your soil and choose your seeds. Then you can:
2. Prep your soil - If you’re planning on a beautiful summer vegetable garden, it’s time to get outside and start breaking up clumps of soil. Just like wine, soil likes to be aerated before planting. Use those scarce dry days by working in some manure or compost, but remember to test your soil to give it the nutrients it needs. Maybe you’re planting a flower garden. If you want to cut down on weeds around your flowers, just use mulch. A three to four inch layer of mulch keeps the sun from warming the ground so those pesky weed seeds don’t sprout as thick in early spring.
3. Order your seeds - January is a great time for ordering seeds. It allows you enough to pick what new things you want to experiment with, while allowing you to stay on budget. Seed companies are less likely to sell out of special varieties in January than during May or June.
4. Save containers for seedlings- If you’re like me you usually don’t decide you want a garden until the last minute, and then you purchase seedlings. But if you start early, you can start saving extra egg cartons so that in late February, you get a jumpstart by planting tomato seeds that will be ready to put in the ground in April or May!
5. Prep your garden tools and potting area - When things are dormant its a great time to sharpen your tools- don’t forget the shovel! Clean out that gardening bucket. Maybe you need a new pair of gloves, replace them. By doing a little work now, you’ll be more than prepared for the colorful blooms of spring or harvest of fresh vegetables.

If you’re really ambitious, this is also a perfect time to set up a composting area or add festive color to your flower garden. There are plenty of winter flowers that will brighten you patio, like primroses, or pansies.

About the Author: Aubrey Lane is a freelance writer from Portland, OR. She enjoys gardening, DIY projects around the house, and the quick pick me up of fresh paint. If you’re considering other home improvement in preparation for warmer weather, check out these guides to central air conditioner prices and trane air conditioner prices.

Before You Create a Garden
When looking at some of your proposed ideas before gardening, we are not talking about how to design your garden or, what or where to plant. What we will discuss in this brief article is some of the more physical and material aspects you need to take into consideration before you create a garden.

Garden Design
Certainly, you should let your imagination run wild with how you want your garden to look. Even so, it is quite easy to go overboard with garden design and there are important questions that need to be answered, before you create a garden on the scale of something like your version of the botanical gardens.

In no particular order of importance:

Available Space

* Although it sounds fairly obvious, one of the biggest traps for new players is, making the grand design fit comfortably into the available area of the garden. Having an outdoor entertaining area is a great idea, everyone should have one.

However, if it means that half of the picnic table is a permanent fixture of the pond, this may suggest some problems with your spatial awareness. I kid you not, I have seen people fall in ponds, trample garden beds, you name it – all because the construction of the pergola was left until last, then forced into an inappropriate space.

Then you are stuck with having to hire a contractor to save the situation and, if you hired me, I would charge you double, just to teach you a lesson.

* If it has always been your dream to have a swimming pool in the back yard, then by all means do so. However, depending on the size of you yard, a pool may very well be the only thing in it.

Stepping out the back door may be hazardous, also. I have also seen that one before, except the problem was actually opening the back door.

* If all you have is a courtyard, or pocket garden – NO, you may not plant an oak tree, nor a sequoia.

Budget

* You may be able to afford the fountain, but can you afford the pumps, filters and electricity to run it?

* Are you going to get professionals in to do the work? Professional landscape contractors do not come cheap. Nor do laborers, for that matter.

* A garden full of rare exotics may sound, well, exotic, but plants are not cheap if you have to purchase them all yourself.

* Regardless of the size of your garden, you will need tools, dependable tools. Certainly you can buy your tools from the supermarket – if you are prepared to do so often. Do yourself a favor and buy “real tools”, stainless steel, not diecast.

Cheap watering cans are not sun-stable, they become brittle quickly. Generally speaking, it is only when the thing is full and you have lifted it, that it is going to break. It will then land on your toes. Water is heavy.

Same with hoses. Cheap hoses tend to crack and, are more prone to end up tangled. I can promise you, dragging around a hose that now resembles a bird’s nest, will quickly exhaust any perseverance you may have had.

Available Time

* How much time will you be able to afford toward the upkeep of the garden?

It would be mighty disappointing to create even the simplest of gardens, if you don’t have  the time to look after it. Time constraints due to work commitments, or the family, must be considered.

* An entire garden made into a maze may very well be your dream, but who is going to trim it?

* Watering a garden takes time, if you are doing it by hand. Lush gardens will not survive the summer without adequate watering. If you habitually work late, an automated sprinkler system may be necessary.

* Vast expanses of lawn need mowing and vast amounts of water. Without having the time to properly maintain a lawn area, it very quickly starts to look like the tundra, or just ugly.

Physical Aptitude

* Are you physically able to look after a garden? If your age is under 35, great, you have energy to burn. As your age increases, so too, exponentially, does your desire to spend more time resting.

* If you have a dodgy back or knees, you are going to have to think of ways to lessen the discomfort. Maybe you will need special equipment for kneeling, or lessening the need to bend.

* Are you “tool dyslexic”. Charging off into the garden with a brace of tools you have never used before, could prove dangerous for the uninitiated.

So, before you create a garden, take a step back and think about what you are about to embark upon. Re-evaluating your ideas before gardening is a prudent idea, as this small task may, indeed, point out some glaring inconsistencies between what the garden dream is, and the actual reality.

Garden Thinking
The considered preparation for your garden, is what will ultimately make it a pleasure, rather than a chore. Likewise, getting into the habit of garden thinking, will save you a lot of heartbreak over the years of tending your personal oasis.

So, What is Garden thinking?
It is actually a great many things, but for the sake of this short article, we will keep it relatively simple. Garden thinking is taking the big picture into consideration. Where things will go and, what is the sequence of events.

There is little point in rushing out there, digging over the whole place, then whacking plants in all higgledy-piggledy and throwing a bit of water around. No, indeed there must be some sort of planning and preparation for your garden.

Water
Regardless of which particular style of garden you are after, or what you would like to plant in it, you are going to need some way of getting water to the garden. You have a number of choices here.

* Water outlets.
Garden taps need to be positioned where it is easiest to get at them. One tap at one end of the garden in medium gardens, means either lots of traveling, or miles of hoses.

* Watering cans.
Only advisable for small gardens. Takes time and – water is heavy. Using a watering can on medium gardens can become quite tedious, rather quickly. Do not even consider this method for large gardens, unless that is all you want to do for the rest of your life.

* Garden hoses.
A good choice for small to medium sized garden areas, either hand-held, or with sprinklers attached. Hoses can become a problem in some gardens, as dragging it around everywhere, gives plenty of opportunity for it to get tangled around things – like your plants. You can easily use this method in larger gardens, if you have the time and, well placed garden taps. However, using many lengths of hose means less water pressure at the business end.

* Sprinkler Systems.
Larger gardens really need a sprinkler system, as in in-ground, either manual operation, or on a timer. This means digging trenches, laying water pipe and the wiring.

* Trenches.
If you are going to be digging trenches, you may as well utilize them for any electricals you want to install. Such as lighting, fountains, pond pumps, general plumbing around the garden, etc.

* Hardscape.
This is all the heavy, or permanent stuff, like boulders, fountains, fish ponds, pergolas, etc.

Now, if you had gone out as mentioned before, and just thrown everything all over the place, you may well be digging it up again, when you discover that you really needed an automated watering system afterall.

Or that the extraordinary lengths of hose you have been dragging around, have at the same time, been destroying your plants, always getting jammed under the feature rocks,  or knocking over your garden gnomes with a regularity that drives you up the wall..

So, put on your garden thinking cap before you charge of and plonk all your plants in the ground. As we can see already, preparation for your garden plays an important role and, we have only discussed one aspect of it so far.

Next, we will be looking at Ideas Before Gardening.