{ Posts Tagged ‘Garden’ }

centro garden opens its doors

This past Thursday, I was lucky enough to attend the VIP opening party for Centro Garden, a new living design and style store located at 437 Brant Street, in downtown Burlington, ON.

I really haven’t been this excited to see a business succeed, since starting my own. Centro’s tagline, “Live Outside Inside”, is not only based on the concept of literally blending indoor and outdoor living, but also, on the concept of bringing the best of the outside world, inside, to yours.

In their words, this means “placing the garden into the living room and the den on the patio for a more inspired and enriched lifestyle experience” and introducing items “made or found around the corner or around the world”.

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diy floral arrangements

Two years ago, my husband and I had a wonderfully small and intimate wedding in the backyard of my parent’s house. Due to the fact that the day we chose was the busiest wedding date of the year, and that we planned the whole thing in only a few months, there were no florists available. My mum, who has always had a keen design eye and a crafty nature, decided she could take on the task herself. She went to her favourite florist, Sweet Violets, ordered all the flowers and asked a few questions. From there she got to work, designing and executing all of the floral arrangements for the big day.

I asked her to disclose her method for anyone who might be interested in creating their own floral arrangements – whatever the occasion!

For the small arrangements that would be used at the dinner, she cut out a circle of sheer, green organza and pulled it around a small glass vase, using a piece of cream-coloured organza ribbon around the neck to secure it. She trimmed ten ‘super green roses’ and arranged them in the vase tightly, like a bouquet:

dinnerfloral diy floral arrangements

For the larger arrangements used in the ceremony, she ordered green spider mums, green al chamilla, white dahlia, white hydrangea, decorative cabbages and a collection of filler greens. She took 1 ft tall vases and made a grid on the opening using floral tape. First, she filled the grid with the greens, packing them tightly. She arranged the large hydrangea and cabbage and then filled in the rest of the vase using the spider mums, freesia, dahlia and al chamilla:

ceremonyfloral2 diy floral arrangements

ceremonyfloral diy floral arrangements

entry diy floral arrangements

ceremony diy floral arrangements

What do you guys think? Anyone have any great tips for creating your own floral arrangements?

bloggers give back: garden design

You may have heard about this – it’s slowly trickling through the grapevine thanks to Twitter, blog sites and the like – so forgive me if I’m sharing what you already know! It’s just that I’m so thrilled to be participating in Bloggers Give Back. Lindsay from Aubrey and Lindsay’s Little House Blog is the brains behind the operation. She has rounded up a bunch of amazing bloggers from Canada and beyond to re-vamp the overgrown, backyard garden at George Herman House, (a charity which offers supportive programs and safe housing for women with emotional and mental issues). *Side note: If the name “Aubrey + Lindsay’s Little House Blog” is ringing a bell for you, it’s probably because Lauren just profiled Lindsay’s blog a couple of weeks ago. Click here to revisit Lauren’s awesome post!

To set the project in motion, each of the participating bloggers were asked to create a mood board to illustrate their vision for the new garden design. I had so much fun creating my mood board. Not only did I stumble across some gorgeous products, but it also provided me with a much needed escape from the lousy weather we were having in Winnipeg! The jumping off point for my garden design concept was the fresh, yet classic Roxo Outdoor Series by Ikea. I love the beige and white striped cushion cover and white frame of the Roxo Easy Chair. It has a bit of a nautical vibe, without screaming “sailor”! The punch of green on the bistro chair keeps things lively and exciting.

Ikea Roxo Outdoor Easy Chair bloggers give back: garden design

Roxo Outdoor Easy Chair (in Beige), Ikea

Ikea Roxo Chair Green bloggers give back: garden design

Roxo Chair (in Green), Ikea

Just like it is with any indoor room design, no garden design is complete without some fab fabric accents! I selected these vibrant outdoor pillows from Tonic Living. I just love the pillows’ juicy colours and bold patterns.

Tonic Living Outdoor Soho Kiwi bloggers give back: garden design

Outdoor Pillow, Soho (in Kiwi), Tonic Living

Tonic Living Outdoor Soho Mink bloggers give back: garden design

Outdoor Pillow, Soho (in Mink), Tonic Living

Tonic Living Outdoor Cool Stripe Sorbet bloggers give back: garden design

Outdoor Pillow, Cool Strip (in Sorbet), Tonic Living

I hope this was a good teaser for you as you wait for spring to bloom! For more teasers and pleasers, check out all of the bloggers’ garden mood boards on the Bloggers Give Back website. Then leave us a comment sharing which design is most “you”!

amy*

Amy Walters is a Winnipeg-based design enthusiast and blogger. For more design inspiration from Amy, check out her blog aDESIGNdock.

solar lantern love

3201006 2t solar lantern love

You`ll recognize this iconic pendant from Style at Home`s High/Low column (May, 2010). The instantly recognizable Le Klint lamp by Poul Christiansen was designed in 1971 and re-interpreted by many companies thereafter (including IKEA — again, please see our May issue!). Now, Soji Modern has brought the Le Klint-style pendant outdoors and made it solar-powered. The 9″ x 9″ garden light gets about 5 hours of light from 6-7 hours of charging and makes a gorgeous garden addition.

Price: $40 US

Available at: www.greenlivingeveryday.com

mother’s day gift ideas

mothersday mothers day gift ideasThe most thoughtful gifts are the ones that come from the heart. While our ideas may cost you some time, they won`t cost you a lot of money. This Mother`s Day, surprise mom with something unexpected. Plant her a summer garden patch or perhaps host an afternoon high tea for her and some of her friends. Need more ideas? Check out the full story: Mother`s Day gifts under $25.

(The fab teapot, mugs and plates picture here are from Rosanna Inc.)

P.S. Follow me on Twitter!

bringing the outdoors in

greenvest1 bringing the outdoors in

I’m goin’ home!

Join me in my hometown of Norwich, Ont., on Saturday, May 2, for an afternoon filled with gorgeous flowers, fun and fabulousness (I always feel like I owe a nickel to Steven & Chris whenever I use that word now).

I’ll be dropping in at the Norwich branch of the Oxford County Library in Norwich, Ont., at 1PM for “Bringing the Outdoors In” — tips, tricks and the latest trends in bringing spring and summer’s bounty indoors. Find out what kind of container suits certain arrangements best, the trick to floating blossoms, and how can a banana improve the health of your potted plants. Potted, cut or pressed, nothing beats greening up your home with fresh florals from your own backyard!

Bring mom and make it an early Mother’s Day outing! There’s actually a lot going on in on May 2 in this idyllic slice of southwestern Ontario, with the Oxford County Studio Tour. (Make it a point to drop in to see my fave, Shane Norrie!)

RSVP with Lynn at the Library by calling 519-863-3307 – there are just a few seats left! See you there!

art shoppe balcony sofa

artshoppe2 art shoppe balcony sofa

I love outdoor furniture that could work just as well indoors, and this super-luxe number fits the bill perfectly. Let’s play “spot the on-trend elements” with Art Shoppe’s stunning Balcony Sofa:

* Glossy finish (Love the lacquer look!)

* Fretwork frame (So fresh and summery!)

* Versatility (Imagine this in a front entryway as a place to perch when you’re taking off your shoes; OR pulled up to an extended dining table as an alternative seating arrangement; OR on the balcony…)

* Full weather resistance (It’s going to take a licking and keep on ticking!) 

Doesn’t it make you want to host a garden party? I can definitely see myself curled up on this beauty with a pile of cucumber sandwiches…

Balcony sofa in Orchid White (90 x 31 x 40″)

Available at: Art Shoppe, Toronto, 416-487-3211

go outdoors with gluckstein

daybed1 go outdoors with gluckstein

It’s gloriously sunny, a balmy 14-degrees, and there isn’t a trace of a breeze… I think it’s safe to start thinking ahead to summer. At last.

What better way to begin than with some great-outdoors inspiration courtesy of Brian Gluckstein? His new Gluckstein Home Summer 2009 collection for Home Outfitters is a dreamy outdoor extension of the comfort and style we expect from his interiors, and is surprisingly affordable. The day bed above is one of my fave pieces.

Gluckstein Home Bali Day Bed

Price: $600

 

Gluckstein also serves up some stylish smalls, including an incredibly detailed series of hose guides. (Just because it’s a garden doesn’t mean you can’t accessorize!)

 

prong21 go outdoors with gluckstein

Gluckstein Home Hose Guides

Price: $10 each

 

And he hasn’t ignored us urban apartment/condo dwellers, either. We may not have the luxury of a garden, but we can still have some “green”! Simply plop this cute boxwood spiral in a pretty planter, and you’ve got a balcony worth taking breakfast on.

boxwoodspiral go outdoors with glucksteinGluckstein Home four-foot boxwood spiral tree

Price: $140

All available at: Home Outfitters, 800-521-2364

must have: spring gardening gear

tubby 26l red must have: spring gardening gear

No one will ever mistake me for a greenthumb, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate great gardening gear. No — let’s rephrase that. If I WERE to take up gardening, I know exactly what I’d want in my toolshed.

At the top of that list is The Tubby. The lightweight and flexible design has made it a hit in Europe, and this spring, it’s hitting the Canadian market courtesy of gardening gear giant Garant. Great for holding leaves, dumping soil, or mixing fertilizer, it comes in a riot of fun colours. I’ve actually had the chance to try this baby out (it doubles indoors as a laundry basket, I’ve found!), and feel like I’ve only tapped the beginning of its potential. (Moms with kids, take note — this may very well be the toy stash to end all toy stashes!)

I’ll be giving one of these terrific totes away at my latest talk on “Bringing the Garden Indoors“ at the Norwich Public Library in Norwich, Ontario, at 1:00PM on Saturday, May 2! Ask for Lynn at the library (519-863-3307) to RSVP.

The Tubby (26- or 40-litre capacities available)

Price: From $12 each

Available at: Garden centres, hardware stores, nurseries and home building centres across Canada.

information for garden lovers

cg information for garden loversIf you’re gardening this fine summer weekend, you might want to check out the fabulous new canadiangardening.com. Our sister website also had a makeover this week and the results are bloomin’ beautiful! This gardening site is an incredible resource for everything gardening-related. You’ll find lots of articles with helpful hints, fun quizzes and an active forum community where you can connect with other garden lovers. Plus, check out editor-in-chief Aldona Satterthwaite’s blog Gardener-At-Large. Each week, Aldona offers readers off-the-cuff, irreverent blog posts—sometimes about gardening, and sometimes not, she says. Enjoy!

Looking for more great garden info? Check out styleathome.com’s garden section, too!

Have a great weekend!