Open the gate and step into the front garden of one of the Fairy Tale Cottages of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Linda Hartong Photography. ©All Rights Reserved. 2007 Do not use, copy or edit any of my photographs without written permission. This photo can be purchased at LindaYvonne.imagekind.com/

Use plants, hardscaping, and other backyard landscape design elements such as water features, fencing, and arbors to create privacy and beauty.

Learn how to construct a cedar garden arbor with built-in benches.

There comes a point in everyone's life when you are so completely ready to get away from it all. You start daydreaming about secluded cottages during

I am always working on 10 projects at once, do you ever do the same thing? You'll be painting away on one project & BAMM an idea hits! The sad part is, I think I have a little undone-ness with EVERY project I have started. I'll get sooo close to being done and say it's good enough, I'll finish that one thing tomorrow....yeah right, try two months from now. I'm telling you this now because I'm going around and trying to "finish" some "unfinished" projects. I just can't seem to keep my mind on one thing at a time!!! Well, I will finish painting the bottom of my pallet fence tomorrow....if it doesn't rain. See how the paint doesn't go all the way to the bottom? Not quite done....among other projects. Storing my pallets in the yard grew on me. I did a post HERE how I needed space till I got around to cutting them up, but for some reason this pallet just looked like a little fence to me:) I painted it with some Porch and Floor paint that I had on hand from the dump trip for free. Built a little flower box out of pallet wood and attached it to the pallet, drilled small holes in the top and stuck some of my solar lights in them. Used my plant clippings to fill the flower box. TOTAL COST: $0 What it looked like without the pallet. Painting the pallet, building the flower box, and....what is that round thing??? You will just have to wait and see. you can see the unpainted bottom a little better here Sad to say two days after putting this together we had a very bad rain storm and my flower box warped and kind of came apart, so I will have to build another flower box and not throw it together so quickly:(( I love it though!!! Now I just need to do the one I placed in front of the A/C unit to hide it. I'm still working on this back wall. It's just not the same since.... This is what I had growing on the wall before, till the painters took it all down to paint last Christmas :((((:((( But I will leave you with some inspiring photos for outdoors. I like wild, lush, over grown gardens. (source) (source) (source) (source) And this one just because it's cute...my kids would love to have monkeys hanging from the trees! ~ Desiree ~ Linking to: UPDATE: How I secured it can be found HERE Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest Garden Pallet

not sure what this building is for? storage, maybe?

These photos are giving me all kinds of inspiration for spring and summer projects! (+ find lots more spring indoor and outdoor inspiration)

Patterns are an easy way to bring personality into your space. From classic checks to colorful abstracts, here are the top pattern trends we're loving right now.

These Flower Bed Ideas for the Front of House are a visual treat to your eyes. It helps to create a beautiful front yard.

Your backyard is your private retreat. Enhance it by adding touches that make it special: a water feature, comfy seating, lovely plant beds, even just a hammock. Here is some inspiration.

You may have read my tale of woe about parking in Seattle a few posts ago. I must say that on my second visit, I was lucky enough to park in the actual convention center parking structure which was extremely simple to navigate, had numbered parking spaces, level letters and colors. All I had to do was follow the orange concrete path and it led me directly to the lobby of the convention center. If you're not familliar with the little jingle, Let's All Go to the Lobby, here's a video of it for you. The title of this year's show was "There's a Little Garden in All of Us." However, the theme was Hollywood Movies. I don't understand why the title didn't also state the theme but I probably missed out on some important facts because I didn't read the newsprint program prior to entering. Anyway, the lobby which eluded me on my first visit (I knew it existed as I've attended many events at this venue) contained lots of fun stuff. First to greet the visitor was the Washington Flower Growers Association's Wizzard of Oz themed garden complete with a yellow flower road to the Emerald City. The Emerald City is one of Seattle's monikers. Funny how dorothy looks so glamorous after traveling via spinning house all the way from Kansas. Maybe she's miffed because there are no poppies to be found. Can you see Toto in the basket of the bicycle? Our old pal Scarecrow hanging out on a rustic twig bench. The Cowardly Lion seems to be the first one to get close to the Space Needle which, although not mentioned in the book, is probably where the Wizzard hung out. For a nice wide view of this whole Oz garden look here. This awesome table was made by Live Edge Woodworks Near the table was a sign with the following words written by Kim Hoelting, the founder of Live Edge: Imagine being alive for a thousand years. Think of the storms, droughts, and brilliant sunny days. Now imagine dying but remaining vertical for another two centuries, with life swirling around you. Then one day you topple over but your body remains visible on the forest floor for many more centuries nourishing your offspring. This is the story of cedar, our totem species. Study these amazing specimens. Where is the line between life and death? Truly beautiful! On the opposite side of the lobby were the floral arrangements. Here is a small sampling of the many delightful offerings. This one was a crowd pleaser! Unfortunately, I've forgotten it's name and creator. "Red Carpet Ready" by Holly's Fine Flowers was interesting. "Much Ado About Nothing" by Pipper's Flowers "Fontaine de Fleur" by La Vassar Florists "Mae" by Capitol Florist "My Fair Lady" by Christopher Flowers "Star Struck!" by An Occasion Flowers made me think of all y'all from the Lone Star State. For me, the flower arrangements aren't the main attraction of the show but It's always fun to see what these creative folks will think of next. "Sunset: Strip" by Flora Laura was a tower of flower power!

If you love the look and feel of an English garden, you're not alone. Here's how to create the charming English-style garden effect in your own yard.

It's decidedly one of the preferred choices for those who would like to grow tiny trees with the intention of landscaping. If you're thinking of growing smaller-sized trees for landscaping, you are able to go by means of this information on a few of the small-sized trees for landscaping.

The Butchart Gardens

Now that the warm weather is almost here, many of you are starting to think about outdoor cleanup and possibly what new outdoor projects you want to tackle this year. I have an awesome project to share with you that I completed last Spring. We actually completed an entire landscaping overhaul including our front yard, side

I have always enjoyed the look of an arbor with flowering vines framing the structure, so why not use that concept in the garden as both an architectural accent and a functional growing space? My g…

Learn how to create a garden scene of head-turning vignettes using six strategies with multiple perspectives and layered compositions.

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Did you notice the new gate in our arbor.... my husband made it for my birthday.I love how it gives more enclosure to our Chelsea Garden. Roses are blooming in the garden now. Still some peony blooms. The Golden Elder is blooming on the upper left. Not sure what these roses are called. Golden Celebration. Some of my hydrangeas are starting to bloom. The climbing rose on the left with small white flowers is a wild rose that works good in this spot by the bay window. I love tall stately delphiniums. Stella D 'Ora & Golden Celebration. And before you go a small bouquet of peonies for you. The handmade lace doily came from a returning Japanese visitor whose mother made this for me ~ a thoughtful and special gift! Hope you enjoyed the tour! Carolyn

Add style and function to your outdoor space with a unique walkway. These backyard pathway ideas work for all kinds of yards, gardens, and patios.

Wavy lines add graphic appeal to a DIY picnic table. You can apply the same technique to make a decorative gate, doormat, trivet, or shutter

Create a long-lasting and elegant enclosure by adding a stone wall to your yard.

Use these secret garden ideas to design a magical hidden backyard oasis that you'll want to relax in all summer long.