How to Decorate Your Patio

The wide variety of patio designs available, allows us to extend our homes into outdoor areas. Patio designs range from those that simply enlarge the living area of the house with a simple concrete slab, tile, or stone veneer to patio designs that are established in the garden using real stone or brick. When it comes to decorating your patio, you will need to consider the different patio designs before you start to think about the enhancements.

Some patio designs incorporate a pergola or arbor overhead, which you can use to hang biodegradable coco lined planters. Other patio designs incorporate walls that you can use to mount flower boxes. All patio designs create the opportunity to group basket stands, plant stands, and floor planters together and introduce container gardening. Patio designs that include container gardening are great for small spaces.

While all patio designs feature solid flooring of some kind, only s

ome patio designs are really well suited to al fresco eating and entertaining. If these patio designs don’t have some sort of screening it is often a good idea to plant a hedge of some sort alongside it or place some type of flat or folding screen around the area to create an element of privacy in your patio designs. Another option for your patio design is to attach flower or plant containers to a privacy screen adding a flare of color and a bit of atmosphere.
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AvantGardenDecor is your one-stop shop for innovative outdoor living décor, including fire pits, hanging baskets, plant stands, planters, garden trellises, obelisks, and flower boxes. Plus, we offer an interactive patio planner, expert tips, FAQs and an informative blog to help you with your decorating and entertaining needs. You can get more info here >

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Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden. ~Robert Brault

How to Decorate your Porch with Hanging Garden Baskets

Hanging garden baskets that have been imaginatively planted with a collection of flowers and trailing plants can have a magical effect on any porch. You can suspend hanging garden baskets on various

Decorating Your Porch with hanging garden baskets

porch structures using hooks or brackets. Either way, hanging garden baskets will add color, pattern and possibly even a pleasant aroma to the area.

There are a variety of liners that you can use to create hanging garden baskets. Most liners used in hanging garden baskets are made of either biodegradable coco fiber or plastic.

The secret of success with hanging garden baskets, especially when you decorate a porch, is that they need to be properly planted. You will also need to be sure to maintain your hanging garden baskets to make sure that the plants get sufficient light and water. If using biodegradable coco liners in your hanging garden baskets, it is critical that you pay close attention to the moisture levels – hanging garden baskets especially.

Decorating Your Porch with more hanging garden baskets

If your hanging garden baskets are made of wire you will need a planter liner to prevent the soil from spilling out of your hanging garden baskets. However, hanging garden baskets lined with coco look particularly attractive. Whatever type of hanging garden baskets you are using, start with a good quality potting soil and plant them with well-established seedlings, or more mature plants.

Plants that do look particularly attractive in hanging garden baskets include impatiens, which thrives in the shade, petunias and lobelias, or plant deep green ferns and hardy geraniums.

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Just because you've only got houseplants doesn't mean you don't have the gardening spirit - I look upon myself as an indoor gardener. ~Sara Moss-Wolfe

How to Decorate your Deck with Flower Boxes

Flower boxes and biodegradable coco planters offer a wonderful way to bring life and color onto a deck. They may be incorporated into the deck design very easily by hanging them over the railing. Alternatively flower boxes may be placed directly on the deck railing. Another option is to use freestanding flower boxes, coco baskets and plant stands.

If you are building a new deck or having one built, carefully consider how you can incorporate flower boxes into the design of the deck.

If you are planning to have deck railing, think about adding flower boxes to hang over the deck railing. If the deck is situated at a lower level you may want to use flower box stands to hold the flower boxes so that the plants are in line with the deck level.

There are many different types and styles of flower boxes that you can buy such as those lined with biodegradable coco, or plastic inserts. Flower box holders are another option.

Once you have your flower boxes in place, all that’s left is to fill them with soil and plant the flower boxes with pretty annuals, flowering shrubs, or various herbs.
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I sit in my garden, gazing upon a beauty that cannot gaze upon itself. And I find sufficient purpose for my day. ~Robert Brault

Starting a Garden With Seeds

Starting With Seeds

Want to really begin your gardening experience from the ground up? Then you might want to start with seeds.
Starting with Seeds - Assorted Seeds

If that sounds like a challenge you’d like to take on, you have some decisions to make from the very beginning. Namely, what do I want to grow? Flowers? Vegetables? Herbs? Fortunately, whatever you decide, you’re probably going to purchase seeds that are commercially-produced, so that’s a leg up.

Commercially-produced garden seeds typically are packaged with valuable information to make your garden a success. After all, you won’t buy more seeds next year if they don’t take this year. Consequently, these packages will tell you when to sow your seeds, whether they require full sun or partial shade, the ideal temperature for gemination, when and how to space the seedlings, and how large the plants are likely to grow at maturity. There’s plenty of information right there on the package.

So what else do you need to know?

You’ll need to decide whether you’re going to grow your seeds in a container, or in the ground. Again, the packages can help with advice. In either case, you need good well-drained soil, water and sunlight if you want your seeds and seedlings to sprout and thrive.

If you’re planting in the garden, you want to make sure your soil is suitable for what you want to grow. If you don’t know what type of soil you have, take a sample to your garden center or nursery for analysis or purchase your own test kit. You can choose the proper fertilizer once you know if it is acidic, sandy, or clay-based.

A major advantage to growing seeds in a container is that you control the soil or growing mixture. A good potting soil mix is recommended over soil from your garden. A mix of potting soil with peat, perlite or vermiculite holds moisture longer and will drain well.

Spring is usually the time when we think about planting seeds. You could start earlier if you’re growing seeds indoors and have a bright window nearby or a suitable grow light. The seed packets will provide guidelines.

Planting the Seeds
Read the seed package for special instructions such as the need for pre-chilling or soaking before planting. Sprinkle small seeds on top of the potting mix. Larger seeds can be planted individually.

Starting with Seeds - Seedlings

Place at least 3 seeds per container, since not all seeds will germinate and not all that do germinate will survive. Once you have placed the seeds in seed starting soil, cover them with a thin layer of soil and then water lightly. Cover the seeds with more dampened potting mix and gently firm. To determine how much potting mix should go on top of the seeds, check the package. In general, the smaller the seed, the less you need to cover them. Lightly sprinkle some water on top of the newly planted seed.

To produce a beneficial greenhouse effect, you should cover germinating seeds loosely with some type of plastic to help hold in both heat and moisture. You can simply lay a sheet of plastic over the planting bed or container. If you’re planting seeds in trays or containers you can even place a whole container into a plastic bag. At this stage, they don’t need light, but will need air circulation or mold may appear. When the first signs of seedlings appear, remove the cover and place the seedlings in indirect light.

Remember, seedlings do require attention everyday. Keep the soil moist, but well drained. As the seedling grows and develops leaves and heartiness, you can move it into direct sunlight.

Starting with Seeds - Emerging seeds

Seedlings can remain in their original containers until you are ready to plant them in their permanent spots. Some gardeners like to move the seedlings into larger pots once the seedling has grown a couple of inches tall and several sets of leaves have developed. Called “potting up,” this practice gives the roots more room to develop.

In addition to seeds in packets, you can also purchase small terra cotta containers holding flower and herb seeds in viable growing media, special seed starting soil and seedlings packaged in containers.

Growing plants from seeds can be a rewarding experience. All it takes is a seed, good soil, a little water, some light, an investment of time and a modicum of patience. For more information, visit our Planting 101 learning center at
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Growing Herbs

Herbs are easy to grow, indoors and out, winter and summer, for decoration, aroma or for cooking. The biggest problem you may face in growing herbs is deciding what you want to grow.

Herb Types
As a gardener, you need to know that herbs are either annual, biennial or perennial. Annuals bloom one season and then die. Biennials live for two seasons, and bloom the second season only. Once established, perennials bloom each season.
Growing Herbs - Container gardening with herbs

Annuals include anise, basil, chervil, coriander, and dill; parsley and caraway are biennials; perennials include chives, fennel, marjoram, mint, tarragon, and thyme.

Herbs for Cooking
If you’re interested in culinary herbs, but not sure what you might want to grow, survey your spice rack, open your favorite recipe book or visit your local supermarket as a guide to the various herbs used as food seasonings. Chives, thyme, savory, marjoram, mint, basil, sage and parsley are among the most popular.

Herbs for Aroma
Aromatic herbs have pleasant smelling flowers and foliage. When dried, many of these herbs retain their aroma and can be used as sachet and potpourri. Popular aromatic herbs are mint, marjoram, lovage, rosemary, and basil.

Herbs for display - rustic herb garden

Herbs for Display
For decoration, some herbs display brightly colored flowers and foliage. Some ornamentals like mint, lavender, chives and thyme have variegated foliage while others, such as Roman chamomile, ornamental oregano, flowering fennel and blooming chives, may blossom.

Herbs for Health
Medicinal herbs should only be grown and used with extreme care. Some herbs are harmless, but others can be dangerous if consumed. The medical community acknowledges that there are some herbs that may offer healing properties, while others are highly overrated.

Tips for Herb Gardening
Include herbs as part of your vegetable garden, or plant herbs in containers such as coco planters, hanging baskets and flower boxes. Whether in a garden or container, keep perennials and annuals separated.

Drainage is probably the most important single factor in successful herb growing when selecting a site. Herbs will not grow in wet soil so be sure drainage is sufficient and don’t overwater. Coco planters are an excellent choice since they provide good drainage.

Most herbs can be grown from seed. Seeds should be sown in shallow boxes in late winter.

These methods will require more care, especially watering. Transplant seedlings to the outdoors in spring. Some herbs, such as anise, coriander, dill, and fennel should only be planted directly in the garden. They don’t transplant particularly well. Also many biennials should be sown in late spring directly into the ground.

Don’t cover the seeds too deeply in the soil. Sow the seeds in very shallow rows and firm the soil over them. Sow fine seeds, such as marjoram, savory, or thyme, by as little as one-eighth of an inch of soil. The smaller the seed the more shallow. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked, during germination. A fine spray will prevent washing away of the soil.

Harvesting Herbs
Fresh leaves may be picked as soon as the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth. Pick leaves and seeds after the morning dew has disappeared, but before the sun rises and becomes too hot.

Indoor Herb Gardening
You can also grow herbs year round. It is no more difficult to grow herbs indoors than it is to grow them in your garden.

Indoor herbs need essentially the same conditions as herbs grown outdoors, namely sunlight and a well-drained soil mix that is not too rich.

Annual herbs can spend their full life cycle in a pot indoors. Perennial herbs, however, will do better out of doors over the summer.

Growing herbs may be the most versatile form of gardening. You can grow herbs for their scent, for their taste or for their beauty. Grow them inside your home or in a garden, in all seasons and all year around.
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Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else? ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

Cool Weather Veggie Container Gardens

Although some parts of the U.S. are still experiencing winter, other parts are seeing signs of cool spring weather on its way! So what are some suitable vegetables to start planting first?

Radishes, lettuces, beets, peas and carrot seeds are just a few you can begin to plant 2-4 weeks before the last frost. For the north this would be around early May and for the south mid-April.

Parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage and onions are other veggies to consider planting. Grow dark greens such as Swiss chard, kale, collards, and spinach.

What qualifies a veggie as “cool-weather?” Most can withstand light frost and nighttime temperatures above 40 degrees. However, hot temps above 80 degrees will cause them to taste bitter.

If you have a small space for planting, such as a deck or patio that receives plenty of sunlight – these would be great spots for container gardens. Use any type of container you wish as long as there is a hole(s) on the bottom for drainage. Also, don’t use any old dirt, use a good bag of soil mix that contains fertilizer and one that holds extra water.

Once the weather becomes warmer reuse your containers to plant warm-season veggies such as tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.
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In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood