Beach House Renovation/Makeover Finale

Well I am back on in Davidson now and am extremely pleased with the way the kitchen turned out.

I will keep things short here and just show pictures.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay so this needs a little explanation.  I ran out of glue literally with 2.25 boards left to put up.  Well I got those boards cut and tested this morning and we needed to get going so knowing I had some additional projects in the future I didn’t want the tube of glue to dry between now and then so I didn’t glue them or paint them.  You will notice I added a 45 degree miter on the end to match with the counter top. 

Well the Grand total for this quick weekend makeover was a whopping $50 you heard that correctly.  I used 25 boards at $1.32 a piece, two tubes of Liquid Nail, half a tube of caulk, paint and some plastic scrapers to smooth out the glue.

Have a Great Day!

Technorati Tags: renovation,makeover,beach,house,batten,boards

My First Succulent Container Garden

Home alone—at least one container garden won't need watering and tending when I go away on vacation. Reading Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin inspired me to create my first project.

Not having prior experience beyond garden sedums, I decided to try a simple design and use an existing container.

For my project, I went to Big Bloomers Flower Farm in Sanford, North Carolina where I found a selection of succulents that are suitable for zone 7, with good drainage and full sun. I can overwinter the container on my front porch where the winter sun warms up the stone floor.

Using a terracotta container that stays on my outdoor teak dining table for three seasons, I chose a rustic color scheme. The sempervivum 'Red Rubin' and 'Icicle' echo the rust-burgundy colors of the weathering on the pot. The sempervivum, aka 'Hens and Chicks' are suitable for zones 3-9.

The emerald green agave bracteosa 'Calamar' works for zones 7-10 and is spineless and compact. Spineless meaning that you won't be injured by any sharp spiny agave points. It is underplanted with green sedum tetractinum that is hardy down to zone 5.

My original plan was to use the agave and sedum in a round, green-glazed pot so that the agave will have space to grow over the next year. It will mature at 2 feet—too large for the present home. However, since I underestimated the size of the terracotta container and didn't have enough sempervivum, the agave is temporarily in the same pot (for this story). Debra is careful to address fitting the size of the plants with the size of the pot.

I will do some rearranging of the plants after my next visit to the nursery so that the tabletop arrangement is all sempervivum—a design that I love in Debra's book. Sempervivum will multiply and the offspring can be separated from the mother plant.

Using Debra's very clear instructions for planting, I made a mix of potting soil and perlite from one of the "recipes" that she provided. After planting, there was soil and perlite on the plants, so I used a soft artist's brush to gently sweep away the debris. I carefully watered the soil.

According to Debra, the succulents should last about two weeks between waterings—enough time for me to slip away on vacation. I won't have to phone home to see if these plants are still alive!




Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights/patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Snow, Snow, Go Away!

Remember that childhood song you use to sing for the rain, "Rain, Rain, Go away, come again another day"?  Well I'm sick and tired fo the snow, because it can literally make you sick and tired, or the entire family. Granted this time not everyone is sick but instead it made everything dangerous, cancelled plans, etc. Ugh! While it may be pretty, right now I'm not feeling the love for it.It began

A Few Container Gardening Tips

Quite often urban gardeners are forced to grow in containers due to lack of ground space. The ground space may simply be non-existent as in apartment buildings or unavailable to use as in row housing, rental houses and residential areas governed by Home Owners Associations (HOA). While each container is small in comparison to a raised bed or traditional row garden it is surprising how

Beach House Renovation/Makeover Day 2

Welcome back for the second install of the Beach House Renovation/Makeover.  As you know we were working on the kitchen this weekend. 

After a little bit of work first thing this morning I got things to this point.

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to add some small shelves on each side of the window and also changed the orientation of the wood for some additional contrast.

 

 

 

 

 

I got things moving down the side wall.  It’s looking good.  We debated leaving the wood natural but between having glued directly to the Formica backer board and having a good amount of it showing and not really being able to extend the power outlets to sit flush on the boards we decided it would be best to continue with out plan of painting the boards. 

 

Here is the window with the shelves painted.  You will notice we did a kind of whitewash/distressed look.  I think it is turning out real well.

I also changed the orientation of the wood over the stove, it might be hard to see in the picture but the last board has 45 degree bevel towards the wall to allot for removal of the range hood if needed.  I even tested getting to the screws and didn’t have any trouble.

 

I continued the batten board on the other side of the oven.  Everything was going great and I ran out of glue with only two boards left to go, so back to the store tonight to get some more glue.  Tomorrow I will finish up the last two boards, caulk around counter top and underneath the cabinets, replace all the outlet covers.  Tomorrow I will also let you know how much we spent on this project. 

Can you guess how much we spent?  Leave a comment. 

I will post final pictures tomorrow and let you know the cost of the project. 

Have a Great Day!

Technorati Tags: renovation,makeover,beach,house,DIY

Succulent Container Gardens: Book Review

I love container gardens stuffed with annuals for summer blooms, but I don't like leaving them unattended when I go on vacation. Creating a container garden takes imagination, time and expense—I don't want to come home to wilted or dead plants!

Until recently, I knew nothing about growing succulents—that can tolerate a couple of weeks without water. I live in North Carolina, not Southern California.

The idea of succulents as container plants never crossed my mind until I opened the book, Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin.

I think my jaw dropped as I looked at the photos of gorgeous and creative succulent container designs! My husband and son looked over my shoulder as I stood at the kitchen island pointing out incredible colors, forms and arrangements. The guys "got it" as I read a few passages to them about the low-maintenance of succulents.

Sitting down to read the book, I learned about the varieties of succulents that will work in my climate. Debra's how-to instructions on choosing plants to work with pots convinced me to try my hand at creating my first succulent container garden.

Debra's planting instructions are easy to follow and include choices in soil mixture as well as tricks and tips for getting the plants into the container. I found out that a soft paint brush is needed to gently brush the soil mixture from the plants without any damage.

Debra provides many inspirational designs that are making me think outside the standard container—succulent wreaths and topiaries as well as interesting objects that can be used as containers—including birdbaths, bathtubs and shelves.

It is so easy for me to recommend a garden book that inspired me enough to do what is described within the book!

Review written by Freda Cameron.

Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin was provided courtesy of Timber Press:

Debra has wowed the gardening world with her new book Succulent Container Gardens, now see Debra Lee Baldwin's exclusive DIY video showing the easy steps to making one of her swoon-worthy succulent designs.

Porch Idea #3

Hang a vintage window at the end of the porch.

It will make the porch feel more private.