Furnish Your Porch with Wrought Iron Benches

Shopping for porch furniture can be a challenge. The porch of a home is as important as landscaping to the overall first impression of the dwelling. Because of this it is essential to consider the look and style of any furniture displayed on the porch. Since these furnishings will also be exposed to the elements it is also important that they be sturdy, long lasting and continue to maintain their appearance over time. These factors all come together to make wrought iron benches one of the best choices in porch furniture. Featuring seating made from wrought iron on a porch offers a homeowner the beauty they desire with the longevity and weather resistance they need for the outdoor environment.

Wrought iron offers a classic beauty that continues to stand the test of time. While other materials may be trendy, or offer a style that is specific to one time period, wrought iron furnishings provide a unique beauty that will not become dated. They feature beautiful metalwork and provide an overall look that adds to the upscale feeling of each and every home they adorn. Wrought iron benches are an excellent addition to any home in any neighborhood.

Outdoor furniture is exposed to the elements in a way that other furnishings are not. Any outside seating must be sturdy to stand the test of time. Plastics break down and natural materials will decay as the years pass. This causes furnishings to break or grow worn and need replacement. This is a problem that wrought iron furnishings do not have. Wrought iron is virtually indestructible and continues to maintain its appearance through season after season of any weather condition.

A bench made from wrought iron is an investment that homeowners should consider when choosing outdoor furniture because of both the beauty and the practicality of the material. Gorgeous wrought iron pieces will provide a porch with seating that draws the eye and the interest of onlookers for years into the future.

Frame Your Yard with short wrought iron fence

Decorator's and artists know that a photo or painting can be transformed from something ordinary into something extraordinary when it is placed in a magnificently attractive frame. Fencing can act as framework for your property and dramatically increase its beauty.

A short wrought iron fence can serve multiple purposes when placed around the perimeter of your yard. It can make a yard a safer place for children and small pets by restricting them to the area inside the fence. On a street where one lawn merges with another, an attractive iron fence can define property boundaries. When a home is located on a spacious piece of property, adding fencing to define the lawn area can make the house and yard the focal point of the property.

A wrought iron fence doesn't totally block the view from either side of the fence. An unobstructed view promotes a sense of spaciousness in much the same way the wrought iron furniture does within a home. It defines and restricts yet allows light to flow through.

Framing a yard with a wrought iron fence can help create a private outdoor space. Wrought iron fences provide the ideal support for climbing vines. Once the vines are established, they can be so thick and lush that they make the area inside the fence a private space.

Sometimes, it's good to color outside the lines to express individual style. A magnificent flower garden can be grown on both sides of an iron fence. The beautiful gate that offers entrance into the yard may be the only unadorned space along the fence. There's a diverse selection of iron gates that enable homeowners to make an impressive design statement or decoratively express their individual design style.

To unify the fence with the landscape, wrought iron trellises, topiaries, arbors and gazebos can be incorporated into the landscape design. Smaller spaces within the boundary fencing can be fenced to create an herb garden or a flower garden. Adding wrought iron outdoor furniture to the garden space creates an even higher level of cohesiveness within the landscape.

Wrought Iron Chandeliers Add Mood lighting Outdoors

Chandeliers have a long history of adding elegance to indoor spaces. When they're made of the right materials, they can also have the same effect outside. On patios and screened-in porches, they create an upscale look that impresses. Hung from beams or even tree limbs, they add a unique effect that sends candlelight shimmering across a lawn. Wrought iron chandeliers add ambiance to any outdoor environment. 

Great for Romantic Dinners
Candlelight sets a romantic tone, and chandeliers add a romantic effect to any outdoor dining area. They create mood lighting for evenings on the patio, and add to the element of romance by enhancing even the most simple table settings. Overhead lighting is important indoors and out, but natural candlelight in the outdoors provides mood lighting that electric lighting just can't. Even dimmer switches don't create the same lighting effect that candles do.

Perfect for Outdoor Weddings
People who are planning outdoor weddings love the mood lighting that comes with adding a chandelier. Hanging in trees, they add a romantic touch that has a dramatic effect. They can also be hung above each table to set the tone for an unforgettable evening in nature. Many brides put chandeliers on their list of things they absolutely must have for their outdoor wedding.

Excellent for Adding Visual Interest
Candlelight has a cozy effect that is perfect for evenings outdoors. A chandelier that features enough space for several candles adds visual interest with a touch of drama that complements any outdoor décor. Because they come in various styles, and some are available in designer colors, chandeliers made for the outdoors provide lots of different options to make an outdoor setting more visually interesting and beautiful.

Durable wrought iron chandeliers set the tone for a unique outdoor space where natural candlelight is highlighted by beautiful metalwork. They add charm and personality to any space. Because they can be found in a variety of price ranges, these romantic and charming additions can work for any backyard budget. Chandeliers that stand up to the elements can provide outdoor mood lighting for years.

Adding Style to an Outdoor Garden

Outdoor landscaping is a great way to add beauty to a yard. Flowers, plants and garden statues can all be used to decorate an outdoor garden. Bird baths and fountains are also popular choices. Many garden decorations are available to make an outdoor garden stylish.

One way to enhance an outdoor garden is to use edging. There are many types of edging available, but metal garden edging is one of the easiest to install and maintain. Edging can provide a nice distinction to the outdoor garden, and helps create a border between the garden and the yard area. Many styles of metal garden edging are available, and these styles may be simple or decorative. For example, edging may have shapes or flower designs. Other edging may have specific designs, such as a farm animal theme. The pieces of garden edging are typically used around the borders of the outdoor garden. The edging can be easily placed into the ground in just a few minutes, and the metal is strong enough to help the edging stay firmly in place.

Along with adding style and beauty to the outdoor garden, the edging can also keep out neighborhood pets. Dogs or other pets who are eager to destroy an outdoor garden while playing may be dissuaded when they encounter edging around the garden’s border. While the edging will improve the appearance of the outdoor garden, it will make the area less inviting to animals looking to cause destruction.

Using edging in the garden is a quick way to improve the appearance. It can make a great difference in how the outdoor garden appears from a porch or from the road. The outdoor garden is likely one of the first parts of a home that visitors will see, and it is important to make sure that the edging adds style to the garden. The metal options available are able to add a design while being functional.

How to Decorate with Wooden Step Ladders

Many people who decorate their home or garden want someone innovative and eye-catching to add some personality to their decorated spaces. One way to get an interesting look in country decor is to use wooden step ladders in the decorating process. Step ladders come in various heights, and they are perfect for using as a decorating prop to which virtually anything can be added. 

Plants and Ladders

A ladder is a perfect place to stack plant containers to give a seeped look to a container garden. With large pots, a single pot on each step is a simple way to decorate. It is also possible to cluster several small pots on a single step for a country chic look. Very large pots may be hung from a high rung with a hook or set on the very top of a ladder. Another interesting look is to allow an ivy or other vine to climb up a ladder and create a larger area of greenery.

Quilts and Blankets

A wooden step ladder can also be used to perfectly display a homemade quilt. The quilt can be displayed by draping it over the entire ladder to allow visitors, and household members, to see the pattern and colors of the quilt. You can also display quits by folding them and placing one over each of the steps of the ladder to create a mosaic of color that displays parts of many quilts at once.

A step ladder can also be used to keep extra linens handy for guests. A step ladder in a guest room adds some classic country good looks to the room as well as making extra linens easily available.

With a step ladder, it is possible to turn any corner of a room into a display area that brings classic, country charm into the home. It's a simple way to personalize a room with ease and to create a focal point for a room.

The Advantages of Tall Wrought Iron Fences

Tall wrought iron fences can be a handsome and valuable addition to any home. Not only do they make your house and yard more visually appealing, they can serve a number of practical purposes as well, and are a simple but valuable investment into your home.

Upscale homes and stately country manors have been employing wrought iron fences for centuries. The sight of these fences evokes images of well-to-do families from a more genteel era. While some home improvements, like tool sheds, may be functional but create an eyesore, and others may go out of style, a wrought iron fence is a classic look, constructed of weather-proof materials, that will catch the eyes of passersby for decades to come.

If the stentorian iron seems a little stark for you, you can further beautify your fence by planting some climbing vines like clematis along the base of the fence. In a few years' time, you'll have a fence that's also a hedge!

Fences are useful things to have in general, to keep your pets and small children safe inside your yard, or to keep everybody else's pets and small children off of it.Cheap chain-link affairs make your property look gaudy, and may sour relations with your neighbors who come to feel like you're trying to wall them out. Tall wrought iron fences help avoid all of that unpleasantness. Your neighbors will thank you for beautifying the neighborhood, and the sturdy wrought iron will repel mischievous animals far more effectively than wobbly bent wire.

You may look at a typical wrought iron fence, even one up to six feet tall, and doubt its ability to keep burglars out. A determined enough person could climb over a wrought iron fence, that's true. But climbing over a fence is a suspicious-looking and highly noticeable thing to do, and a burglar doesn't want to draw that much attention to himself before he's even inside the house. Burglars are rarely that determined, especially when there's plenty of other houses on the block that don’t have fences as tall and sturdy as yours!

Ways to Utilize a Garden Archway Trellis

Every gardening enthusiast wants their garden to be as beautiful as they can imagine. One great way to enhance the beauty of a garden is to add a garden archway trellis. A trellis is a wooden or metal archway used to allow vines and flowering vines a place to climb. It can be used to mark the entrance into the garden, to separate two parts of the garden, or to create a beautiful focal point. It can make a dull garden into a piece of art and create a space to recuperate after a long day.

Creating a focal point using a garden archway trellis can be as simple as framing a statue with it or as complicated as creating a water feature around it. Using minimal flowers will help keep the item you are framing as the center of focus while adding a pop of color. For a water feature, It can be used to frame a small waterfall or bird bath.

Using the trellis as a way to mark the entrance to the garden helps set the tone for how the rest of the garden will look. Large, tropical blooming vines will evoke a feeling of a tropical paradise. A dark green ivy will create a feeling of an English garden as they climb the trellis.

If the garden is large, it can be separated into smaller sections by a few strategically placed trellises. Using a smaller trellis and a small fence can create the feeling of entering an intimate, private space. A larger trellis can make the space seem like a grand showpiece.

A garden can be a way to escape the stress of the world. Making that retreat as beautiful as possible will make it that much more relaxing. A trellis makes a wonderful addition to any garden. Whether it is being used as part of a focal point, as a way to separate the garden into smaller gardens, or to announce the theme of the garden from the entrance, a trellis adds great character and can make the garden more than just a place to grow flowers.

Choosing and Using Metal Animal Planters

Charming and durable, metal animal planters are a great addition to any garden, patio or indoor plant display. They make unique homes for everything from succulents to annuals and, if properly cared for, while last for years to come.

Planting Your Flowers

Most metal animal planters are designed to be pot holders, and planting in them directly could cause rust and metal deterioration. To prolong the planter's life, start by lining the interior with heavy duty garden plastic. Pour about an inch of fine rock or gravel in to allow pots to drain, then place a pot with drainage holes on top of the rocks. Putting a small piece of window screening over the drainage holes will prevent soil from seeping out of the pot during waterings.

Succulents are perfect residents for metal planters. Their low water demands and cold intolerance match perfectly with the ideal conditions for metal planters. Planting succulents does not require a pot. Simply pour rocks or gravel directly into the plastic liner. Fill the pot about halfway with rocks and the rest of the way with a sandy succulent mix. Mosses, which look like fun fur or hair for the animal shape, also thrive planted this way.

Caring for Your Planters

At the end of every gardening season, clean the planter and inspect it for signs of rust. For unpainted or enamel-coated metal, use a dry, stiff brush to scrape off dirt and wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth. Painted metal can be cleaned with a soft brush and cloth. Tackle rust spots with a wire brush and, if desired, use a rust-deterring paint to cover the area.

While wrought iron and aluminum pieces can be left outside during the winter, other metal pieces should be taken into a protected location or covered to prevent rust. Avoid placing bare metal planters in soggy areas, and paint anything you want to leave outside year-round.

Metal planters provide texture and a touch of rustic flare to any garden. With plenty of cute animal shapes to choose from, there is something to match any garden theme.

Light Fixtures With Ageless Charm

The word "chandelier" means candleholder which came from "chandelle," French for candle. These elegant light fixtures have been lighting spaces for people since 14th century French medieval churches first used them for illumination. Suspended from the ceilings, chandeliers use two or more candles, or electric lights, to light the area in its vicinity. The first chandeliers were made from wood, but eventually they were being made from high quality components like iron. By the 16th century, cast iron chandeliers were found in many European palaces, as they were seen as a symbol of supreme wealth. Chandeliers grew quite popular after the story of Galileo Galilei observing one swinging, which led to his famous discovery known as the Law of the Pendulum. When the turn of the 18th century came, beautiful wrought iron chandeliers could be found in numerous homes of the rapidly growing merchant class. Today, many people looking to stylishly enhance their living space turn to the use of iron chandeliers for lighting.

Cast iron light fixtures tend to last considerably longer than those made of other materials. Iron chandeliers are perfect for those who live near the ocean, where the salty air can advance the deterioration of light fixtures. Iron is also a natural material, free from all the chemicals sprayed on light fixtures that are made of other materials, in hopes of making them last longer. Many homeowners and renters would agree that decorating a room to look more charming can be difficult if there is a very limited space to work with. Iron chandeliers can definitely increase a room's elegance, as well as, its overall visual appeal while leaving homeowners enough space. This prevents the feeling of being confined in any way. Anyone seeking to transform their living space can surely benefit from purchasing a cast iron chandelier. They can effortlessly create a focal point in any style of room that they are occupying, beautifully illuminating their surroundings and enhancing the environment's ambience.

Wrought Iron Window Box Planters Add Instant Curb Appeal

Whether you have an older home that needs something new outside or a new home that you want to add some elegance too, wrought iron window box planters might be the answer. These planters can be attached to almost any window, and you can add any kind of flower or herb that you want. They make beautiful additions to a kitchen or living room window as these are often on the front of the home.

When you purchase the planters, don't paint them or apply any kind of stain. Leave them in the original condition and color to add a rustic appearance to the outside; especially if the home is brick or has the same kind of wrought iron details on the porch or windows. As you start planting flowers, add colors that are bright and vibrant. These will bring a spark to a white or lightly colored home or one that is dark in color. When you use wrought iron window box planters, you want to add some kind of liner so that you don't have dirt falling all over the ground. This can also help the plants take root after they are in the soil.

If you don't like the original color of the planter, then try to find something that will blend well with the shutters, and window treatments that you might have or any other kind of metal that is on the home. This will create a uniform appearance on the outside of the house, while giving you a beautiful look for the flowers that you plant. Install the planters in a place where the flowers will get plenty of sunlight. One idea is to add a small cover over the planter at the top of the window that can protect the plants from harsh weather or extreme sunlight.

Update Your Garden With a Metal Trellis Design

Gardening is a growing hobby these days and people have come to realize, what they put into their garden is what they get out of it. No more the ho-hum flowers in uninteresting rows for modern gardeners. Today a garden must be special.

Unusual garden plants are just the beginning. What is done with those plants and how a gardener takes the time and care to position and raise them matter just as much for the overall effect a gardener wishes to achieve. A metal trellis design can help achieve that goal.

Wrapping interesting vines and training plants such as trees or bushes has always been a way to create uniqueness in a garden. Topiary has been around for many years and is really an art form. Creating topiary for the home garden takes time;effort and until recently there has not been easy access to the means to easily make, topiary and interesting gardening shapes with plants. That has changed. These days there are many unusual shapes and designs which can be used to make your garden even more unique.

Gardening shops and plant nurseries are now becoming aware of the wishes of their clients to expand their gardening horizons. Metal trellis designs have evolved and many shops which sell plants are making them available to customers, many of whom are home gardeners.

Now that there is a viable market, the metal trellis makers have expanded and evolved their business. No longer are there just animal shapes, but also geometric forms as well as flat trellis forms on which to grow plants.

All the varied metal trellis forms and the variety of plants now available to the average gardener make choosing both plants and trellises more interesting with never before imagined possibilities. Creativity in gardening is now beginning to embark upon a new arena where metal and plants come together into a new art form.

Gardeners and their suppliers should expect the future of gardening to grow just as the plants grow upon the trellises.