Filling in the Blanks

Finally spring has sprung in Western Canada! It was a busy weekend as hubby and I continued to tidy up and prepare our garden. We've been at it for a few weekends now. Living in the country means this is no small task but we are nearly done the big spring push. The veggies are in, the flowers are ready to go into the pots once that final threat of frost is over, and the fountain is finally set up.

One of the highlights for me is the week that my espaliered apple tree blooms. It is a little lopsided so far but in the foothills alive and blooming is a good start.

 

My reason for attempting this technique stemmed largely from needing to do something decorative with the large blank wall at the back of my garage. Later in the season the apple will be flanked by two clematis. It is shaping up nicely and actually wasn't that hard to do.

I started with an inexpensive hardy apple that I purchased at Canadian Tire. I chose this particular one because it already had two sets of branches that were directly across from one another. I guess I cheated but it worked for me. After that it has just been a matter of pruning and training it onto wires bolted into the wall.

I'm pretty pleased with it and would encourage anyone with one of these big blank spaces to give it a go. Now if I just had some great tips for controlling the dandelions....

Hanging Art Without Getting Hung Up

My parents have recently moved into a new house and are rapidly moving toward making it their new home. Since my Mom doesn't really have an artistic bone in her body she asked me to come and help her hang up her many artworks. Since I'm pretty good at this, in just a few hours we were one step closer to making their house a home.

Here are a few tips for hanging art:

Many people hang their art too high. Remember that art will be viewed at different heights depending on the function of the room. In a living or dining room art will be viewed from a seated position and should be hung only a few inches above sofa height. In a hallway art can be hung a bit higher as it will be viewed from a standing position.

These three tiles are both grouped and hung very low to relate to the scale of the meditation chair.

 

If it is a large wall group items. Create a gallery by grouping items that are similar. This could be similar subjects, similar frames, or similar colors. There needs to be something that makes them family.

If you aren't sure about how to make a balanced grouping cut paper rectangles in the size of the frames and tape them to the wall until you like the arrangement. If you are using new frames you can just use the paper backing that comes in the frame. 

This painting (by yours truly) is about 2/3 the size of the wall space.

Choose a wall that is appropriate to the size of the artwork. Nothing looks more lonely than a single piece of small art on a huge wall. A good rule of thumb is the rule of thirds, the art should take up about 2/3 of the wall space.

Tucking this painting in close to the bookshelf means it is not hanging out all by itself.

Tuck it in. Artwork does not have to hang right in the center of a wall. If you have a smaller piece, or a large wall, you can tuck it closer to an arrangement of furniture so that it is not left hanging out in space.

Choose art you love! If it doesn't uplift you, don't own it!

Obsessed with Orchids

As spring takes its own sweet time to arrive here in Alberta I am finding myself craving the lovely vibration of orchids.

I have several of these beauties in my home and I think I could develop a serious addiction to them. They brighten my living room, dining room, and one of my bathrooms and keep me from going insane during the long winters.

Here are five reasons to give orchids a try;

1. They are as cheap as a bouquet of flowers but last longer. Orchids used to be very expensive, but are now so widely grown that for about $15 you can find one to fill every empty corner. This price tag means you can either keep them and see if they will re-bloom, or toss them and buy another. The one pictured here has bloomed for me twice a year for about 4 or 5 years, now that was $20 well spent!
2. They are easy to care for. Water once a week (I use rainwater on all of my indoor plants), make sure their roots get air (pots should have holes to let excess water escape), let them be cool at night, about 16 degrees Celsius is perfect.
3. They are said to have a very high vibratory quality and will raise the chi in your home. If they don't do well, you might want to do a little chi check.
4. They soften and smooth the energy in a space and are a great cure for attracting a refined mate.
5. They come in a huge variety of colors, sizes and styles. You can find one that will enhance any decor or fit into any space. Grouping smaller ones into a larger bunch makes for a really dramatic display.

You can find orchids everywhere from specialty florists to your local supermarket. The trick that I have found is to buy them when they first come in and look super fresh. This is especially important if you buy them at big box stores. You gotta get 'em before they are over watered or ignored to death.

Need a little chi boost? Try an orchid.