{ Posts Tagged ‘gardening’ }

window shopping at These Four Walls

The weather’s been gorgeous out here in Winnipeg. With rumours of snow in the forecast for this weekend (yuck!), I’ve been soaking up as much of the outdoors as possible. Tonight, I went for a little stroll through my neighbourhood, which boasts lots of pretty shops and historic homes.  The sun was casting playful shadows on the old buildings as I walked and the air smelled of fresh grass and bbq smoke. Aaaahhh…
These Four Walls window shopping at These Four Walls

The best part of my little adventure, though, was that I passed by These Four Walls - one of my favourite home decor shops in Winnipeg. The shop was closed  :(  so I couldn’t check out their latest stash of goodies, but I couldn’t resist snapping a few shots of the store’s stunning window display.

These Four Walls03 window shopping at These Four Walls

These Four Walls02 window shopping at These Four Walls

I just love these clear hanging planters. Aren’t they fab?! I’m already envisioning a set of three of these suspended in front of the bay window in my living room. I must go back for another “look see”; and, of course, a quick – or not so quick – sweep through store wouldn’t hurt either!

These Four Walls, 167 Stafford Street, Winnipeg, MB   R3M 2W9   t: 204.452.5786

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

brett’s adventures in ikealand – part three

Sometimes a picture just speaks for itself.

rhododendron bretts adventures in ikealand part three

A brilliant azure sky, soft pink rhododendrons (they grow like weeds throughout Copenhagen!), and the vivid cyan of a tarnished bronze statue conspire to form a lasting impression in the King’s Gardens at the heart of Copenhagen.

The King’s Gardens, Copenhagen

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.

canada blooms contest

canadablooms canada blooms contest

Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like a bouquet of fresh flowers, and thanks to the folks at Canada Blooms and Pick Ontario, you have a chance at winning a spring-fresh arrangement just like the one depicted above through this very blog!

The perfect pairing, this give-away includes a lovely hand-tied bouquet of Ontario-grown flowers as well as four tickets to Canada Blooms, Canada’s largest flower and garden festival, with an approximate value of $125! Canada Blooms, hosted at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 18 to 22, celebrates the best of Canadian gardens, exploring the tradition of gardening and horticultural excellence from across the country. 

How to win?

Simply answer me this: “What’s your favourite cut flower?”

What florals work best in your interior spaces? How do you arrange them for maximum impact? What vessels work best with that particular type of flower?

Post your response as a comment on this blog, and I’ll choose a winning response on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. Canada Blooms will ship the tickets and arrangement to the lucky winner just in time for Cupid’s arrow to strike. icon wink canada blooms contest

 

*Contest closes February 9, 2009. Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside.*

read your way to healthier living

housekeepingguide read your way to healthier livingThis entertaining book by Christina Strutt is chock full of interesting information about keeping your home in an earth-friendly way.

Strutt covers everything from saving energy (chop vegetables smaller so they cook more quickly) and stocking a pantry (apples keep for up to 4 months if wrapped individually in newspaper) to keeping a kitchen garden (Epsom salts promote plant growth) and doing laundry (“sun will bleach robust white fabrics beautifully”).

Here are 5 of the ways Strutt lists to put white vinegar to good use.

1 Baby clothes To freshen baby clothes, add one cup of vinegar to the detergent dispenser of the washing machine for the final rinse cycle. This will break down the uric acid and soapy residue on the clothes, leaving them soft and fresh.

2 Brass, copper and pewter To make an effective polish, mix 1 tsp of salt and 1 cup of vinegar, stirring in enough flour to make a paste. Cover the item with the paste and leave for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water and polish with a soft dry cloth.

3 Cigarette odours To remove the odour of cigar or cigarette smoke, leave a saucer of vinegar in the room overnight.

4 Deodorant stains To remove deodorant stains on coloured clothes, rub with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar and wash as usual.

5 Insects If you have trouble with insects (silverfish, ants, etc.), wipe down kitchen surfaces with neat vinegar to deter visits. This will also disinfect the surfaces.

Available at: book stores across Canada

Price: $23

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

grow an indoor garden

ecogarden1 grow an indoor gardenMourning the passing of summer? Extend the season a little with these indoor growing kits.

From mini peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, herbs and basil to more simply decorative flowers, you’re only limited by the amount of space you have to devote to an indoor garden.

And when summer rolls around again, transplant your garden outdoors into bigger containers on your deck or balcony! People at the Montreal offices where these kits originate say the moonflower vines will grow endlessly and wrap themselves around anything they come into contact with!

Available at: www.seracon.ca

Price: $20

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

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!