We are so excited with our OUTDOOR LIVING promotion and can’t wait to see what you are up to in your garden.
It is easy to participate and have a chance to WIN a $100 Centro Garden Gift Card.
Visit our Facebook Page and go to the Promotion section where you will leave your contact information and will be able to upload a picture of your garden, porch or balcony décor for this summer season.
Then when you finish uploading the picture you may want to share it with your friends and relatives on Facebook so they can vote for your picture and help you out. The participant who gets the most votes is the Winner! Good Luck.

This promotion is being offered in partnership with Centro Garden, located in Burlington. Centro Garden is a living design and style store that hopes to bring the real to life with design, art, and indoor/outdoor garden.

At this time of year friends and relatives drop in and you want to have a special patio décor.  We have selected some tips and ideas here that can help you provide a quick and easy summer relaxed look.

Planning to have some flowers arrangements? Here are 10 tips for cut flower fun:

1. Allow newly-bought flowers, still in their wrappings, to drink clean, fresh water for a while.
2. Make sure the flowers are put into a clean vase.
3. You will enjoy your flowers longer if you feed them cut-flower food. Make sure you give them the right amount.
4. Before arranging the flowers in a vase, first cut off one inch from the bottom of each stem.
5. Stems should never be broken off or flattened — not even woody stems. Scraping off the bark is also a fallacy.
6. Leaves should never be covered by water. They will only make the water dirty and will shorten the lives of the flowers.
7. Do not forget to top up the vase regularly with clean, fresh water.
8. During the night, flowers will benefit from a lower thermostat setting.
9. Flowers can not stand direct sunlight and drafts.
10. Daffodils can be deadly to other flowers because they secrete a poison in the water. After trimming, leave daffodils on their own for a whole day. Do not cut them again when combining with other flowers.

Small outdoor space? Here are some great tips:

Before getting started, define the purpose of your space. Do you prefer something as a private retreat or a place for entertaining?

• Consider the size and scale of your patio or balcony before you add furniture. Furnishings that are large or overstuffed can quickly engulf a small space. Look for furniture without arms that has simple lines and low backs. Benches can be used along one or more sides of your patio for additional seating.
• Choose furnishings that can do double duty. Ottomans that can be also be used as storage or cocktail tables, or furnishings that can be folded or stacked and put away when not in use, work well in small spaces.
• Diffused, natural light and light colors tend to open up a space and make a small space feel larger. If your patio is extremely shady, consider adding uplighting, string lights or other electrical lighting.
• Choose landscaping and plants that will add color, texture and height to your small patio. Container gardens make excellent accents for small patios or balconies, and landscaping around your patio is a great way to enhance privacy and/or shade.

Rocca Sisters & Associates are accredited staging professionals and outdoor staging is part of what we offer when working with a house to sell. Visit our website to learn more about staging.

Source: http://landscapeontario.com/