Tips from Celia Rufey
Home and Garden decorating expert Celia Rufey shares her top decorating tips
Small chips on the rims and feet of everyday glassware can be filed smooth with finest-grade sandpaper.
Polished wood furniture can be buffed as often as you like but apply a good beeswax polish just two or three times a year – and never use silicone-based spray.
White spirit is more effective in removing the sticky residue that is left on containers after labels have been removed than some products made specially for the job.
Cut flowers last longer if you add a soluble aspirin and a spoonful of bleach to the water in the vase.
To make a standard radiator fade into the background, paint it the same colour as the walls it stands against. If the wall is papered, use a paint that matches the background colour of the design. An eggshell or a flat oil finish will further help the radiator to “disappear”.
When space is tight, it’s sometimes good to think big. A significant piece of over-sized furniture can deliver drama and gravitas to a small room.
If windows enjoy a beautiful view, choose curtains or blinds that provide a frame rather than needless competition.
You can extend the burning time of beeswax candles by keeping them in the fridge for at least 24 hours before you use them.
When choosing a carpet from sample pieces, always put the samples on the floor to see how they look rather than choosing the one that looks best when held in the hand.
If your cat (or dog) sleeps on the sofa, the quickest way to remove any hairs is to put on a dry rubber glove and use it to brush the fabric in one direction. The hairs will gather into a neat little pile.
If you are troubled by companies cold-calling to sell you plastic windows, bathroom fittings or “dream” holidays, contacting the Telephone Preference Service, 0845 070 0707, will help put a stop to it. Full details of the service can be found at www.tpsonline.org.uk.
Read MoreBathroom sanctuary
For a practical but attractive bathroom display, keep bottled lotions and bath oils on easy-to-clean mirrored place mats.
Usiku body lotion, Jo Wood Organics. Lidded jar; porcelain box; both Heal’s. Tortoiseshell hair clips, John Lewis. Mercury Silver Moon mat, Ochre. Antique Chinese jar, Eskandar.
STYLING KAREN SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHS TOM LEIGHTON
SEPTEMBER 2007
The perfect cooking station
• Use a spice rack as storage for other essentials too.
• Laminate recipes so they stay pristine.
• Make the most of walls for items such as knives and kitchen scissors.
• Keep attractive condiments and utensils close to hand.
• A decorative storage tin makes a great utensils holder.
• Keep recipe books splatter-free with an acrylic stand.
To get the look, try Ikea, Ella’s Kitchen Company,Divertimenti, Habitat, David Mellor and Heal’s.
Read MorePastel colours on a grassy bank
Spring bulbs and blossom suit a slightly wild area or where a formal garden merges into woodland. Many spring flowers are adapted to catching the spring sun before tree foliage comes out and makes the spot shady later on. Planting on a slope means that you see the blooms in more detail. Small bulbs and plants in soft pastel colours canopied by delicate blossom merge together to create a gentle and romantic look.
Preparation and planting
1. Clear and dig over the main area for planting, removing any perennial weeds.
2. Plant the magnolia and prunus (cherry), staking them if necessary. Ideally, do this in autumn or winter although if the trees are container grown they can be planted any time.
3. Plant the hellebores randomly to look as natural as possible.
4. Plant the bulbs (narcissus, muscari, chionodoxa and scilla) around the hellebores in small groups and drifts. For the most natural effect, scatter the bulbs and plant them where they fall.
5. Finally, plant pot-grown primroses and erythroniums. For ground cover, plant spreading Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) and Tiarella wherryi.
Spring plant list
1. Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’
2. Prunus ‘Ukon’
3. Helleborus foetidus
4. Helleborus x sternii ‘Boughton Beauty’
5. Pink/cream hellebores (Lenten Rose)
6. Narcissus lobularis
7. Narcissus ‘Jenny’
8. Primula veris (primrose)
9. Muscari azureum
10. Erythronium ‘Pagoda’
11. Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Pink Giant’
12. Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’
APRIL 2004
ORIGINAL IDEA JANE NEWDICK
ILLUSTRATION BETTY BIB
Discover how charcoal is made
Have you ever wondered how the charcoal that fires your woodburner and barbecue is made? Or are you a small woodland owner interested in using the wood to make your own charcoal? Find out all you need to know during the 4 days it takes experts atHestercombe in Somerset to complete the process in their kiln.
The next burning takes place on 24th, 25th and 27th May, with a barbecue in the Courtyard, and is repeated throughout the year as part of the estate’s sustainable management of its woodland.
For more details, visit www.hestercombe.com.
Read MoreGrowing Vegetables in Your Home Garden
Growing Vegetables in Your Home Garden
Growing vegetables in your garden can save you money. During harvest time, your own produce becomes part of your meals. Home gardeners feel deep satisfaction in preparing salad or seasoning the casserole with freshly picked plants from their own vegetable gardens. Their feeling of the taste is incomparable. Fresh surplus are distributed to friends and love ones while some are keep frozen.
It doesn’t require much space to grow vegetables. Even a container pot or a window box will do the trick. Where space is limited, you can grow a mini-garden indoor or outdoor. If you have a good sun, access to water and enough containers, growing a garden’s worth of fruits and vegetables in a limited space is a no-brainer. You can even harvest more than one crop if your choice of plants and planting schemes are all well planned and executed. Windowsills, balconies and doorstep areas can be used, as well as empty packs of milks, pails, plastic buckets and cans.
When planting in containers, proper spacing is very important. One sturdy plant is better than several weak ones. Crowding chokes root systems will slow growth and poor production. With container vegetable garden, you no longer need to worry about poor soil types and bad drainage, or heavy-duty tiller to break up hard clay and rocks. There is no weeding to worry about and you can change the looks of your container placements by simply moving them around anytime to a place you wanted to.
Vegetable gardening offers a change from the monotony of the supermarket. You can grow variety of vegetables that you want. When choosing plants for your vegetable container garden, consider container worthy crops such as beans, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and radish. Other root crops such onions and turnips can also do well in containers, but remember to always take care of these crops by ample fertilizers and water. Also consider grapes and berries. Though some take a while to get established, they bear fruits more each year. Planting for fall crops can be started in early summer, though summer planting can still be done in June in most regions.
One great advantage of growing vegetables and spices in containers involves the advent of the upside-down gardening. Crops with the likes of tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary and peppers do well with this approach. The ideas is that the vines will cascade downward instead of growing up a stake. A grow box can be treated by punching perforations through the bottom of a container. The other option is to purchase a device specially designed for this purpose. Upside gardens do not require a great deal of space and is perfect for balconies and patios.
Equally important, seeds and soil must properly be taken cared of in your vegetable container garden. Seeds do not always have to be bought. Reasonably fresh dill, anise, fennel, coriander and other seeds already on the spice rack should grow. If not, they are too old to add much to food anyway and should be replaced. Scoop out seeds from vegetables you’ve bought, dry them a week or so before planting.
Soil preparation on the other hand is very crucial for good results. Have the soil tested. Every state has a land-grant college that will test soil for a small fee. It will give abundant basic gardening advice, and garden resources tips. Start growing those veggies in your garden and turn your home made meals into something truly special. Take care of your plants to make them productive by keeping them watered and harvested.
Learn about celosia plant and celosia argentea at the Celosia Flower site.
Related How Home Garden Articles
Read MoreTuscan – Home Decorating Old World Style
Tuscan – Home Decorating Old World Style
Are you having difficulty deciding on a home decorating theme?…How about Tuscan?
It’s rich cultural heritage and simple elegance are what draw so many to this beautiful style. Because it combines a unique antique flavor and ‘livability’ more and more homeowners are opting for this Italian masterpiece.
Using a palette of earth tones, tuscan (which is an Italian country design) brings the outdoors inside. This design uses distinct materials to help accomplish it’s magic. The Tuscan style is unique as well as beautiful.
When deciding on a tuscan theme, you’ll be using textures, such as stone and tile for the flooring and furnishings. This helps to create a natural atmosphere. Plaster is suggested for the walls, again, to add texture and a natural feel. This would provide an opportunity for you to use your creativity and even have some fun.
Tables are often made of stone and Tile mosaics are another possibility for in the tuscan themed home.
“What are four walls, anyway? They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer. Unthinkably good things can happen… ” From Frances in Under A Tuscan Sun
No decorating theme that centers around nature would be complete without wood. It’s exquisite textures and intricate details make wood a perfect compliment to the Old World style and Tuscan makes great use of this natural resource. One example of this is the exposed framework. The large wooden beams create a comfortable, rustic look. Another is in the construction of furniture. The goal here is to make it look aged and antique. By staining and ‘aging’ the wood, you can create an antique feel while maintaining rugged endurance.
Tuscan is based on a cultural heritage. By using accessories this heritage can be highlighted and celebrated. Accessories that are homemade are common for this genre. Ceramics are big in tuscan decorating too! Silver, copper, iron are all common in tuscan design. Themes that include olives, grapes, wine and pottery, scrolled ironwork, stone, marble and handcrafted tiles in an old world style and many other possibilities. Terra cotta is also popular when using the tuscan theme so a vase for fresh cut flowers on the tiled mosaic table in the center of the room under the cast iron chandelier would make a fabulous entryway into your home.
Tuscan fabric is unequalled in it’s simple beauty. Savannah and tobacco cloth, burlap, abaca, fibers from the banana and coconut trees are all used to create a natural lived-in space. These materials are very versatile and your only limitation is your imagination. They can be used for just about anything from curtains and drapes, blinds, wall decorations, room and space dividers, privacy screens, elegant table placemats or conversation pieces on your coffee table, entryway rugs and foor coverings can all be created simply by using some of these various tuscan fabrics because of their weight, density and flexibility allow for many applications.
Tuscan also uses colors such as yellow and red. These colors can be used in decorations for tables, a chair cover, tie-backs to accentuate and complement curtains and drapes. Use of yellow and red ribbon and ties to decorate candlesticks is not uncommon. Any material or color that reminds us of the ocean, the earth, the beautiful blue sky or the deep rich forest, will bring a warm and inviting feel to tuscan home. The color, texture, fabric and accessories will create a warm and inviting feeling in any space in your home.
This warm and inviting theme of simplicity and nature is a great home decorating idea.
Ron Berry runs Antique Stuff I Found Online. Antique.stuffifoundonline.com – a specialty niche site dedicated to bringing bargain hunters and sellers together.
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