Tag Archives: shutters

Favorite Perennials: Hostas

Also see: Picking Perennials Favorite Perennials: Daylilies Favorite Perennials: Lambs’ Ear I admit that when I first saw Hostas growing happily in many a New England yard I did not care at all for them. Oh they looked fine for a while, the wide bushy plants that were pretty and leafy. But then, there was the long flower stalks that emerged from the plants, and there was just something about those stalks that didn’t appeal to me. Perhaps it is become they remind me too much of potato eyes, a thing that irrationally fears and repulses me. Since my first … Continue reading →

Favorite Perennials: Lambs’ Ear

Whether you have a mild climate or a cold climate, the following perennial plants will do well for you, no matter what your region. Be sure to take a look at these plants the next time you are visiting your local nursery, garden center or home improvement store. Just the name “Lambs’ Ear (or Lamb’s Ear as it is also named) sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? This plant features lovely silver leaves. And while it does flower, the leaves are enough of an addition to your garden, and the plant is usually grown for the color and texture of the … Continue reading →

Favorite Perennials: Daylilies

Whether you have a mild climate or a cold climate, the following perennial plants will do well for you, no matter what your region. Be sure to take a look at these plants the next time you are visiting your local nursery, garden center or home improvement store. Daylilies There are so many colors and varieties of daylilies, that you can be sure to find a few different kinds that will suite your taste. From bright yellows to bold magentas, these plants are keepers. Daylilies are probably the first type of flower than I ever tried to cultivate. They are … Continue reading →

Picking Perennials

Spring is here and as the birds flock to our yards, we homeowners tend to flock to the garden centers and home improvement stores to pick up our colorful plants. Perennials are a great choice. Instead of going through the process of buying flats of flowers that die off at the end of the season, such as begonias, impatiens, geraniums and petunias, why not pick some perennials. These plants will come back year after year. This saves both time and money. Perennials may cost a little bit more than annuals when you purchase them, but unlike annuals, they will only … Continue reading →

Shutters Can Be More than Window Dressing 2

Did you know that today’s homeowners are going back to the basics of weather protection through the use of functional shutters? No longer just decorative, shutters can cut down on your heating costs, your cooling costs and even prevent your furniture from fading while letting in the light. This is part two of a two-part series. In the first part, I talked about different types of functional shutters that can be purchased for your home. The second way to take advantage of the benefits of functional shutters is to adapt standard decorative shutters into real working shutters. You can do … Continue reading →

Shutters Can Be More than Window Dressing

Back in the 19th century, shutters provided homeowners with a means of protection from the elements. From rain to wind and from sun to snow, shutters were a necessary part of a house. In the intervening time between then and now, shutters evolved into more of a decorative and visual role instead of a sturdy functional one. Shutters some in many different styles and designs and most of them are simply painted and then attached flat on either side of a window. Shutters can be more than window dressing. In fact, these days with everyone conscious of a growing problem … Continue reading →