Ideas for your garden

The backyard, as we have mentioned before, is an integral part of your entire property. 

In fact, the backyard is as much a part of the house as the dining or family room. 

So when it's time to think about a shade structure, it's best if that structure, whether it's a shade sail, awning, patio cover or an umbrella, looks as though it belongs there and doesn't make your yard look like a campsite. 

This is much easier these days because there are so many high quality shade structures available, most of which come with beautiful fabrics that filter UV light, and others that come with small lights that will give soft light underneath them after the sun has gone down.

There are wooden, fabric, aluminum, and retractable shade coverings, in fact the list seems endless, so let's take a look at each kind of shade structure, and its benefits, in order to help you choose the best one for your yard, deck, or patio area.

Gardening tips

Often when gardening you can find yourself transplanting very small seedlings, or trying to plant in small pots or tight containers.

When this happens, a regular garden trowel is just too large, and makes too big a hole.

Well if you haven't tried one, use a bulb trowel, also called a transplant trowel.

It's the perfect tool for making small, narrow holes in areas with little space and it makes just the right sized holes for small seedlings. 

This type of trowel has a longer and narrower blade than an ordinary garden trowel and it holds a sharp edge, which makes it very easy to use.
A bulb (or transplant) trowel is also great when working in a rock garden when you need a narrow, but deep, hole necessary for roots to grow in the crevices between the rocks.

It is a handy tool for planting bulbs, digging long tap-rooted weeds, or planting seedlings where space is at a premium.

So next time, instead of trying to cram a regular-sized trowel into a small area, use a narrow-bladed trowel instead, it will make your life so much easier!