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Getting color in shaded areas can be a challenge. Annuals can provide that bit of color with a long bloom time. Most annuals do best in full sun, however there is a good selection of shade loving plants. Shade annuals are great for those spots that only get a tiny bit of sun during the day, or the dappled light under trees. Try one of these 10 plants next time you want a splash of color!

1. Begonias (Latin: Begonia semperflorens-cultorum). Begonias have waxy looking leaves, which can be either green or a reddish brown color. The flower color can be white, pink or red. Begonias will bloom from last spring through summer. The average height of a begonia is 6 to 12 inches. You can find begonias which thrive in sun, but make sure you plant the correct kind for your area.

2. Browallia (Latin: Browallia americana). Lesser known, browallias are great for hanging baskets or anywhere you want a spread of flowers. The colors are either blue or white and bloom profusely.

3. Coleus (Latin: Coleus hybridus). Coleus plants are not planted for their flowers, but for the wonderful foliage! The leaf color can range from red, purple, orange, yellow and green. Often variegated. They will grow to an average height of 24 inches and are very easy to grow. For best results, pinch back the tips of the flowers when they are young, as this will encourage fuller, bushy growth.

4. Impatiens (Latin: Impatiens wallerana). Impatiens are hugely popular. Since this annual comes in a wide variety of colors, it can fit in almost anywhere. Some of the colors available include white, purple, red, pink and orange. They are very easy to grow and range from eight inches to a taller thrity inch variety. The foliage is attractive with small green leaves. Impatiens are also called ‘busy lizzies’ due to their prolific flower production all season long.

5. Forget-Me-Not (Latin: Myosotis sylvatica). These flowers produce plenty of delicate blue flowers during the spring time. They grow six to twelve inches tall and spread out - so you can use these to fill in bare spots. Planted along with spring time bulbs such as tulips or daffodils, forget-me-nots can give your garden a classic look.

6. Lobelia (Latin: Lobelia). Looking for a blue flower? Lobelia will fit the bill! There are two types - trailing and edging. The trailing lobelias are perfect for containers and hanging baskets. The edgers are great for a border. Lobelias bloom throughout the summer months with lots of tiny flowers. They grow about 6 inches tall and may reseed themselves in milder climates.

7. Flowering tobacco (Latin: Nicotiana). Nicotiana is related to smoking tobacco and popular in old fashioned gardens. They come in a wide variety of sizes, from compact twelve inch to four feet tall. Some varieties are wonderfully fragrant, such as ’sylvestris’ and ‘Fragrant Cloud’. Typical flower colors are red or white. Use the shorter variety in the middle or front of the flower bed, or in containers. Use the tall variety to add height in the back of a border. The blooms with some varieties will close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening.

Don’t be afraid of the shade. Try any of these annuals to add some color and fun to your shady garden areas!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening

[tags]gardening[/tags]

A water feature placed strategically in a landscape or garden provides a dynamic element to what is usually a static design. Water elements provide tranquility and a sense of calm. The sound and visual effects provided by flowing water are known for their soothing and stress relieving qualities. As a side benefit water features have been known to increase property values by as much as 10%.

Water features can be as simplistic as a statue acting as a fountain to highly complex designs that mimic natural features with multiple terraces and water cascading over a rock bed. Water flow can be slow or swift, with the feature used as a background or as the predominant design element. Only your imagination and budget control the final appearance.

Attract wildlife, from an abundance of birds to squirrels and chipmunks and depending on the location of your property larger animals such as deer. Depending on your climate adding fish to ponds and streams enhances the overall water feature.

The addition of a water feature allows you to dramatically expand the types of plants and flora that can be incorporated into your landscaping.

Many individuals hesitate when considering adding a water feature because of they feel that they are complex to install and require a great deal of maintenance. The complexity of the installation is relative to how dramatic the water feature is and the level of maintenance is relative to the initial investment in the quality of the pumping, aeration and filtration equipment installed.

In the past it was necessary to buy numerous components for your water feature and hope that all the different pieces of equipment were compatible with one another. Now many manufactures are supplying complete kits that contain all of the necessary pumps, filters, aerators, piping and connectors to ensure that all of the pieces of hardware work in conjunction with one another.

Once you have determined that you are going to install a water feature within your landscaping check with your municipal building department for any special requirements and if a permit is required. Remember that water features are difficult to relocate and usually expensive to modify. Planning is the key to success.

For additional information on landscaping your home or other renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

[tags]water features, landscaping, fountains, ponds, home, remodel, renovation, improvement, diy[/tags]

Living room is a place in the home, which has got a very special importance as far as planning is concerned. If a schematic plan of the home is drawn it can be easily concluded that in almost every home plan the living room has got maximum area in unit squares.

This itself is an indication that the living room is a space that needs some good attention during the entire home decorating project. Let’s try to note down some essentials of a good and successful living room design.

1) Clear Circulation Space>>

In any home plan whether it is an apartment block or an independent bungalow a person either enters an “entrance lobby” or directly in the living room (if space is an issue). From this living room entrances
open to all other spaces namely kitchen, bedrooms, staircases if any, patios, study rooms, family rooms etc.

That’s why while designing a furniture layout it must be kept in mind that the circulation is unobstructed. this can be easily achieved by creating a sample furniture layout on paper first and then the furniture arranged thereafter.

2) Visual Balance>>

Create a good visual balance between the used and unused spaces. By used space I mean the floor that has been occupied by the furniture pieces. It is not necessary to fill every corner of the living room
with some furniture element. But as mentioned above a bare minimum circulation space is a must.

Since the main entrance of the entire home is only through the living room (most of the times) allow buffer space to carry the other heavy furniture pieces that are to be placed in the bedrooms such as
double beds, wardrobes etc. All these object need to carried through the living room and installed in the bedroom. So think for your entire home, not just the living room.

3) Future Emergency Occupancy>>

Think about what will happen if you throw a party at your place. All your friends/relatives/colleagues will gather in the living room. So plan for this extra occupancy. What will you do in such situations
for seating. Will you move your dining chairs in the living or will people stand or even sit on the ground. Whatever your decision plan for future.

4) Ventilation>>

If the living room is considerably large, than in most cases it also has a higher ceiling. This is very perfect for the proportions of the space. So think about ventilating this space naturally and artificially
as well. If you are going to use fans then will these be hung from the ceiling or be wall mounted.

5) Warm and Welcoming Color Scheme>>

As a general rule always keep your living room charming using bright color scheme, that has a welcoming attitude. As mentioned above the living room is the first space you will see when you enter you home, so make it a point to use inspiring colors of your choice to add a touch of beauty.

Use of indoor flowering plants around the window bottom is also a great way to add some extra interest in the living room.

In this article I have tried to throw some light upon the living room design ideas, I hope this helps as a starting point for you to think more creatively to decorate your living room.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of http://www.livingroomdatabase.com Visit today to get more free living room design tips to decorate a beautiful and charming living room of your wildest dreams.

[tags]living room design[/tags]

Do you have a cluttered closet? Are you finding it difficult to find something that you know is in the closet? If so, you are one small step away from a solution. A simple to visit to a home improvement store, or even a click on the right website, you can buy yourself a closet organizer and put an end to cluttered closets.

A typicial problem for people to keep an organized closet is that closets always seem full to capacity. A closet organizer can obtain you more room in a cluttered closet. A few small changes to your closet can create more useful space. For example, try raising your wardrobe bar up higher, thus allowing an additional bar to be installed below it.

In most homes, everyone has a “junk” closet. Usually, most people toss stuff in there that they have no idea where to put somewhere else. A great thing to do with your “junk” closet is to add shelving where possible to create a more orderly storage process. You can find many types of shelves where you find any other closet organizer. Typically, they only take a few moments to setup and install.

Ideally, the use of a closet organizer can almost double your storage space of your closet. Anything from an entire closet system to just a simple set of hanging shelves could save space and keep you organized. Simply by adding shelf system to your “junk” closet, you can create an organized closet that is easy to find anything. Many closet organizer options are available. A simple websearch or a visit to the local home improvement store can provide you with the closet organizer you are looking for.

As an author at eZ-search, Chris Miller contributes to the growing content found within the site and shares his knowledge about closet organizers.

[tags]closet organizers, organizer closet , closet organizer system, bedroom closet organizer[/tags]

When selecting plants for the landscape, is important to select plants that will grow in your climate. The United States has 10 of growing or climate zones. These zones range from the zone 1 in the extreme northern part of United States, to his own 10, which covers the southernmost part. Zone 1, is for the most hardiest of cold weather plants. Temperatures in zone 1 can reach 50 degrees below 0. Zone 10 on the other hand, is is a more tropical climate. Zone 10 plants only need to worry about cold temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees.

Your local nursery or garden center should have plants that are appropriate for your
climate zone. however, if you are buying your seeds or plants over the Internet and,
or through a catalog, you need to know which climate zone you live in. For example
southern Florida, extreme southern Texas, and parts of California, are in Zone 10.
the rest of Florida, parts of Louisiana, Texas, and much of California, or in zone 9.
Zone 8 covers much of the Southeast from eastern Virginia through the Carolinas,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and much of Texas. Zone 7 covers an
area a little farther north than Zone 8. states in June 7th include Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, in parts of Texas. Zones 5 and
6 cover much of the middle part of United States from the New England states
through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska,
Kansas, and even much of the desert Southwest, including Nevada. Zone 4 is
somewhat colder climates include states such as Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,
northern New York State, the Wisconsin, South Dakota, states in the Rocky
Mountains, in Montana. Zone 3 includes the cold states such as northern mean,
North Dakota and Wisconsin. Zones 1and 2 are mostly found in Canada.

Average minimum temperatures for each zone
Zone 1: below minus 50 degrees
Zone to:-50 degrees to minus 40 degrees
Zone 3:-40 degrees to minus 30 degrees
Zone for:-30 degrees to -23 is
Zone 5-20 degrees to minus 10 degrees
Zone 6:-10 degrees to 0 degrees
Zone 7:0 degrees to 10 degrees
Zone 8:10 degrees to 20 degrees
Zone 9:20 degrees to 30 degrees
Zone 10:30 degrees to 40 degrees

Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to find a variety of plants that will
thrive in your climate zone. And if you are in doubt, talk to your local garden center.
The experts there should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Dean Novosat is an avid gardener and landscaper. He has transformed many boring
yards into beautiful landscapes. He has several websites including
http://www.the-garden-doctor.com, http://www.dr-landscape.com

[tags]garden,gardening,landscaping,landscape[/tags]

You have decided on a home renovation or remodel project and for whatever reasons, you are not prepared to undertake the construction on your own. You now have to enter the realm of the unknown and identify a reputable contractor.

Identifying contractors is relatively easy, classified sections of major and local newspapers and the yellow pages will yield hundreds of names. However, finding a “reputable” contractor, someone that you can trust to complete the project according to the schedule, within the budget, work safely and provide a quality finished project may be a lot harder.

There are some obvious ways to try to identify reputable contractors:

• Talk to your neighbors, it is usually quite obvious if someone has had a contractor work for them recently - you have seen the contractors trucks parked on the street and driveways.
• If you have a local hardware store, not a big box retailer, talk to the owner and ask if he can supply some recommendations. He wants your future business so it is unlikely that he will recommend someone that he knows is not reputable.
• The big box retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes provide contractor services for most home renovation and remodel projects, from installing wall to wall carpeting, kitchen and bathroom fixtures and cabinets to roofing and everything in between. The services are sub-contracted to local contractors who must pass certain requirements with respect to licensing and insurance. Your contract is with the big box retailer, who has a long-term vested interest in making sure you are a satisfied customer, not the sub-contractor. Usually the big box retailers are somewhat more expensive than a non affiliated contractor, primarily because there are two levels of profit, the contractor and the retailer.
• If it is a major project you can ask your bank manager. Bankers are always lending funds for home renovation and remodel projects and they will be aware of problem contractors.

For more detailed information on finding and qualifying a contractor click on the links following this article.

To learn more about selecting a contractor: Selecting a Contractor

Test Your Skills at: Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor

Test Your Skills at:
Avoiding a Home Repair Nightmare

[tags]contractor, remodel, renovation, finding a contractor, identifying a contractor, home, diy,[/tags]

Furniture rentals, furniture leasing, and equipment rental are
practical choices for furnishing seasonal or temporary homes. However, not
every leasing company gives consumers the best rates and deals. Some
companies even give vague answers or answer inquiries incompletely. Hence,
most consumers are misinformed about their leasing options and their
rights on leasing deals. They often end up surprised about the high prices
when their leasing bill arrives. They don’t have any choice but to pay
because they signed the deal. But avoiding these furniture rentals,
furniture leasing, and equipment rental flubs are easy with a dose of
common sense.

Common sense, here, means making informed and practical choices before
signing leasing contracts. Doing a bit of research about furniture
rentals, furniture leasing, and equipment rental rates and companies may
save consumers from legal and financial problems later. Few bother with
it, but there is a law designed to protect consumers’ rights from
leasing predators. Known as the Consumer Leasing Act, this law advises
consumers about important factors to consider before signing any leasing
deals. It also states what leasing companies must provide their customers.
Any violation of these requirements nullifies the deal made by both
parties.

As much as it would be helpful to businesses, the Act does not protect
leasing deals for corporate and business use. Leases for furniture
included in real estate rentals are also exempted. The law primarily
focuses on the protection of the ordinary person who thinks that furniture
rentals, furniture leasing, and equipment rentals are cheap options. The
law demands leasing businesses to present prospective clients with a
written declaration of the rental costs, rates, and rental fees. This
cost declaration should include advance payment amount, regular payments
dues, and the total cost of the entire leasing deal. If there is any,
licensing, registration, and maintenance fees should also be included.
These cost summaries will give you a better idea of how manageable the
rates are. These are also good for comparing and canvassing other
companies. Leasing companies that refuse to give these to clients should be
reported.

Aside from cost declaration, the Act also requires leasing providers to
furnish clients with a copy of leasing requirements. These requirements
usually include property insurance on furniture rentals, furniture
leasing, and equipment rentals. Leasing requirements also indicate
conditions upon which the company can effect lease cancellation. Provisions for
property maintenance are also set in these leasing requirements. These
requirements give prospective clients an idea of how much furniture
rentals, furniture leasing, and equipment rentals can be. Leasing
furniture saves consumers the hassles of buying and maintaining their own
furniture, but uninformed choices can lead to more trouble.

To know more about new rates and best deals on furniture rentals and furniture leasing, please visit
http://www.furniture-rentals.net

[tags]furniture rentals, furniture leasing[/tags]

With more and more households adopting urban living, the luxury of space is becoming more and more appreciated, such that designs for small but efficient bathrooms are sought more than of expansive bathrooms. These small bathroom designs that are economical in space and money are fast getting peoples interest. Because even though the remarkably lack of space, these new age toilets makes more than enough in terms of accommodation and efficiency. Small bathrooms can become luxurious, too when you put extra ideas into place. Going around to stores that carry bathroom supplies, you will get the ideas for remodeling small bathrooms.

Approaches in small bathroom designs are quite popular to those households located on metropolitan areas. New York for instance, and the surrounding suburbs of Boston and Washington DC with its high density population, leads the pursuit for smaller yet highly posh and sophisticated accommodations.

Are you in the midst of remodeling your small bathroom? How would you fill your roughly 7 square feet of bathroom space? Check out these fantastic ideas for remodeling small bathrooms.

Yes, bathtubs are extremely space consuming, yet some models try to incorporate several features into one compact package. Like the Steam Shower and Whirlpool Combo WAS-2245 from Wasauna.com. This shower combination offers several fantastic features: shower nozzles at the ceiling to afford non concentrated showering and a hand held showerhead. 22 adjustable body massage jets and a foot massager will relax tired muscles with pinpoint accuracy. The 3 Kilowatt steam engine can generate enough steam and the temperature detection system will ensure that the temperate remains steady. All these come into one compact 59″ x 59″ x 86.6″ package. Check this Steam Shower Combo at: www.wasauna.com.

While ideas for remodeling small bathrooms are aimed more for convenience, some ideas are indeed aimed to be aesthetically pleasing while maintaining space-effectiveness. Like for instance the Wasauna Bathroom Vanity Table WAS-0003 also at wasauna.com. tabletop integration is not an oft used design, and this vanity, while sporting the tabletop design also features a tempered glass sink. This package also includes a mirror and a mini shelf.

Porcelain fixtures are still popular choices regarding ideas for remodeling small bathrooms. Cost effective and considerably sanitary looking, porcelain sinks and lavatories also have the uncanny knack of fitting to just any sort of ambiance or decoration. Take a peek at the designs seen at victoriaplumb.com and see for yourself how porcelain ideas for remodeling small bathrooms can be done beautifully. www.victoriaplumb.com

Milos Pesic is an expert in the field of Remodeling and runs a highly popular and comprehensive Home Remodeling web site. For more articles and resources on Home Remodeling related topics, Remodeling Contractors, Home Remodeling Loans, Remodeling Ideas and much more visit his site at:

=>http://remodeling.need-to-know.net/

[tags]home remodeling, contractor remodeling, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, remodeling[/tags]

At some point all homeowners buy window coverings as part of a home building or remodeling project. At these times you probably pay more attention to the curtains themselves than the curtain rods. However, it might surprise you to realize the enormous variety of rods available, and the difference that selecting the right rod can make to the overall effect of your window dressing. Hanging a rod in the correct manner and finishing it well can also have an impact. You need to find out a little more about curtain rods before you begin your next window redesign task.

You are probably aware that there are three elements to a curtain rod. The pole is the part that the material hangs from, either on rings or directly in the case of tab top curtains. There are also finials which sit on the ends of the pole to prevent the curtains sliding off, and the brackets which secure the pole to the wall. Each of these elements can be solely functional, or they can include decorative features to enhance the look of the overall window feature.

A good choice for non standard sized windows is an extending pole. This is made of two hollow poles, one slightly narrower, which fit one inside the other. The pole can then be adjusted to the required length.

The finials can be a really extravagant and ornate feature if that complements your overall design. They can be made from a variety of substances, such as blown glass, carved wood, or wrought iron. You can update your finials at any time to change the whole look of the curtain rod. If your pole is wooden you can always paint it to ensure it matches or complements the finials.

Small functional brackets can easily be hidden behind the curtain pole, but if you want to make a feature of these, there are brackets available that will coordinate with your finials. Larger brackets with fixtures for two or more curtain poles can be bought. These are great for achieving a layered effect with your curtains. The inner pole being used for a sheer fabric, and the outer pole for a more traditional curtain. Layering your curtains not only looks great but can provide additional insulation and soundproofing as well. Be sure your brackets are designed to support the weight of more than one set of curtains, and that they are securely fastened into the wall with long enough screws.

When it comes to positioning your rod, it is largely a matter of personal taste. However there are some simple rules that can help you maximize the look of your windows. If you have high ceilings but fairly short windows, you will want to place the rod some distance above the top of your window. This will add length to your window pane and draw attention up to the high ceiling. In a similar way, narrow windows can be widened by using a longer pole than necessary. You will need extra wide curtains, or perhaps a number of panels to hide the wall on either side of the window.

Rods can be used away from the window as well. They are perfect for mounting a wall hanging or tapestry on a particularly ugly wall. If you have a large expanse of open wall space that a framed picture simply will not do justice to, a beautiful throw or piece of fabric, suspended from a curtain rod can give just the right effect. Next time you are decorating, pay more attention to your selection of curtain rod, you will be amazed at the effects you can achieve with a little imagination.

The author Linden Walhard is interested in stories about window coverings and home building. You might discover his work on curtain rods over at http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com/curtain-rods.html and many different sources for curtain rods knowledge.

[tags]curtain rods,[/tags]

Dear friends, can you define the term “space”. By space I don’t
mean the universe or the astronomical point of view. A space
is the area which is enclosed between walls, floor and ceiling
and which can be used as a habitual room.

Any empty bedroom space has certain parameters attached to it
the moment it gets created.

What are these parameters?

First of all the length, width, and height , the physical
dimensions of the bedroom. These three have a unique relation
to each other. Rooms with less length and width and too much
height or too broad length and width and less height are not
proportionate and tend to create discomfort.

But there are special cases where too much of height is a
necessity. Some examples are church buildings, cinema halls.
Here it is necessary to accommodate large group of people
and project a kind if grandness through design.

That’s why the space gets altered depending upon the use or
“function” of the space. Hence in a bedroom the space takes
a form of its own depending upon inners activities of the
space.

Let’s see how.

Any bedroom space has certain leakage points attached to
it. By “leakage” I don’t mean rain water or any other kind
of stuff coming in. The bedroom space is likely to have exit
point attached to it, like following,

1)Exit to backyard.
2)Exit to attached toile block.
3)Exit to attached walk-in closet.
4)Exit to balcony or terrace.
5)Openings of windows.

Depending upon the location of these, an imaginary travel path
gets fixed starting from the entrance door of the bedroom. This
imaginary travel path forces the user to arrange the furniture,
in a way which will not create obstruction in the path.

After the furniture has been arranged, what remains is the space
used for circulation inside the bedroom. If the bedroom has a
small area and too many exit points (as mentioned above), then
the room is left with a fixed furniture layout.

At such times the success of the bedroom decorating project
lies in detailing. By detailing I mean small things such as
upholstery materials, color schemes, furniture textures and
finishes.

But with bedrooms which have large areas, the moment you
change the furniture layout, the circulation space takes
a new form and the entire room looks a new one. This is
what I mean by “dynamic space” which takes a new shape.

It’s like that example of the glass half filled with water.
The moment you change the quantity of water space alters
and the glass looks different.

Here we have come to an interesting conclusion of this article.
From the above discussion one thing is very clear. The
“personality” of a space can be easily altered by allowing the
empty circulation space to take a new form.

In interior design everyone talks about furniture, colors, textures,
paints, wallpapers, etc… but no one talks about “Empty Space”
which is equally powerful. Finally it is the empty space which
remains and is a measure of the comfort level for the user.
If there is very less empty space remaining in a room after
the furniture is placed, it is considered uncomfortable.

I hope this article was informative to everyone.

Copyright 2005 Shrinivas Vaidya

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of Bedroom-Design-And-Decorating-Ideas.com. Visit TODAY to get an in-depth knowledge of Bedroom Design, Bedroom Furniture Sets and Bedroom Decorating Ideas.

[tags]interior design, bedroom design, home improvement[/tags]