Do you want a yard or a garden?

A yard is a unit of length. To some it a place of banishment, (get out of Mother’s way), or a place that always needs work or cleaning up.

On the other hand a “garden “ will conjure up in your mind’s eye, either rows of veggies (otherwise known as a kitchen garden) or a place full of blooms and lush foliage to relax or wander through. This chat is about creating tranquility even in a busy urban environment. Changing a yard to a garden can be a simple thing; as simple as adding a place to sit. Or a garden can be a complexity of spaces, actually expanding your living space with a kitchen, dining area for entertaining or even sleeping quarters. People crave the outdoor connection and as the poet Byron said, “let nature sweetly woo us”.

I love spring planting time just to be outside especially after the snowy, frozen season. With my busy schedule, I still find time in the early mornings to take a tour of my garden, noticing what’s in bloom, what needs dead-heading and just where I can squeeze in one more of any favorite plant. I love to stroll along the pathway – I usually take it barefoot and pull an obvious weed or two along the way. In the evenings my garden is an escape from the desk-bound day and a place to refresh by connecting with nature.

A garden is nature on our terms. You can carve a natural haven almost anywhere. A garden can be as simple as a flat concrete space that we call a patio or as grand as a city park. The following are five steps to inexpensively create an extraordinary garden from any ordinary yard just by adding the right furniture, accessories and plants.

1. Create a pathway that leads to some part of your outdoor space that is at least partially hidden from “the rest of the world”. Plant material – shrubs, trees, and perennials are great for concealing “the rest of the world”. If you can’t wait for plants to grow, trellises are an immediate fix. Fast growing vines can cover a large distance in one season. Honeysuckle, trumpet vine and grape vines are fast growers. My favorite is wisteria, but you MUST have a heavy duty structure to accommodate it. It will crush wood structures in a couple of seasons. I found out the hard way and had to have my wooden structure replaced just when the blooms were getting so gorgeous.

Pathways can be constructed with many different materials, or plants or a combination of both. I have used flagstone pieces, planted with Scottish moss (which isn’t really a moss) weeding is a bit of a problem. If you keep after the weeds on your hands and knees you can keep the grass and dandelions out. The Scottish moss with stone makes a very pretty picture. I love the contrast. A solid path would lend itself to low maintenance, however.

2. Create an intimate outdoor room- remember to use flooring, flora and furniture. The area that your path leads to should be emphasized with a gate or archway, defining an important space. This structure is a transitional means of subtly letting the visitors know that something wonderful is about to happen.

This area you are creating must have a place for you to sit or lounge. Your seat can be a sturdy garden bench with fade resistant fabric cushions using “sensuous essentials” with colors and textures that will help you bring home the look you love.


You could add a simple bistro table with a couple of chairs. This invokes an atmosphere for afternoon tea or an intimate breakfast for two. But could also be used as a inspirational place to write or read a book.

3. Invite the song birds- Birds are attracted to water as much as food. Birds love birdbaths for drinking from as well as a place to fluff their feathers. Birdbaths are very pretty accessories that enhance any flowerbed or draw attention to itself in an otherwise dull area. Birdhouses, bird feeders, hummingbird globes and hummingbird plants are great accessories to any garden. Check out Tuscan Garden Works vast and varied selection!

Choosing a birdbath: “The surface of the container, where birds enter the water, should be rough to provide sure footing. Textured materials appropriate for birdbaths, streams, and pools include sand, stones, pebbles, and concrete. A lip or perch at the edge where birds can alight before entering the water is an advantage. The birdbath should deepen very gradually, to no more than 3".

Most songbirds can't swim, so they seek shallow water with sure footing. Creating a garden that welcomes songbirds, hummingbirds, and butterflies is a relatively simple task. It consists of supplying them with three basic requirements for survival: food, cover, and water. To birds and butterflies, the typical suburban landscape resembles an unfriendly desert. Close-cropped lawns, sheared foundation shrubs, and deadheaded flowers mean no place to nest, no food to eat, and nowhere to hide. Fortunately, any landscape can become a haven for winged wildlife, and for the people who share it” - US Fish and Wildlife Service.

4. Provide the sound of water in your garden. Many of the world’s greatest civilizations have evolved around water…why not in your outdoor world, as well? A beautiful outdoor water fountain will enrich your garden with soothing, mesmerizing water sounds. Fountains drown out the bustle of the public and street noises. I can’t wait to get home to the soothing water sounds and unwind, relax and enjoy my garden.

Check out the selection of small to extra large re-circulating fountains that are easy to maintain. Now a new product, a float valve can be installed to keep the water level optimal. No need to worry that your pump will be damaged because your fountain ran out of water! Pick up a kit at Tuscan Garden Works or call Tuscan Garden Works (801-233-9434)for an appointment to get one installed on your existing fountain.

5. Last but not least, consider a protective outdoor structure. These structures include gazebos, pergolas and arbors. They offer a balance or imitation of enclosure and openness and offer shelter without shutting you inside. Of all of the accessories in my garden I like my small but sturdy gazebo that one large bench swings from-- the best. It is the focal point in the garden and the favorite place to sit (rather swing). It holds two average people comfortably and three little people. Many of our custom designed gazebos include 3 to 5 swings that create a wonderful conversation area. (Add custom sized colorful cushions and pillows for additional comfort and beauty. ) Tuscan Garden Works designs and fabricates many styles of gazebos and pergolas creating casual or more adventurous atmospheres. Good sturdy swings can hang from your gazebo or pergola or your own structural beam for $495-$525. Visit the showroom and get a quote on a pergola or gazebo for your specific area.

Furniture and décor have been the driving force in blurring the lines between indoors and out. Luxuries once intended only for indoors are now available for outdoor use, including outdoor art and a huge variety of luxurious fabrics. You, with your own interpretations, can create the ideal tranquil space to transform your yard into a secluded inner sanctum. I hope my thoughts have inspired you to get rid of your “yard” and create your own personal garden!

- Kathy

Weddings and Receptions Now at Tuscan Garden Works

Good News!

Tuscan Garden Works is available once again for weddings and reception rentals. As you know Tuscan Garden Works is a very unique retail establishment, laid out to project the most beautiful gardens.



The gardens are in a continual state of change, as the seasons change and as items are purchased from the floor. As such we cannot guarantee that what you see at the time of booking your wedding or reception will be in place at the time of your special event. What we can represent, however, is that you and your guests will be amply rewarded with the experience of your visit into our indoor garden settings. Tuscan Gardens is a truly magical place with twinkling lights, and the fountains splashing and the beautiful décor.

It is required that the Participant pay $1500 for the rental of the facility on Monday through Thursday and $2000 for the rental of the facility on Friday and Saturday. The participant is required to pay 50% of the amount due upon booking the facility and a $250 refundable cleaning/damage deposit and the remaining paid two weeks prior to the event. If the event is cancelled within two weeks of the event, all monies will be refunded with the exception of a $200 service charge. If the event is cancelled subsequent to that time, a $400 service charge will be required.

The Tuscan Garden Works facility is available at 4:00 pm the day of the participant’s event for setting up and any additional decorating. The store will be open for retail business until 6:00 pm but subsequent to that time the facility is dedicated totally to the Participant and their guests. The Participant and guests must vacate the facility by 10:30 pm, unless special arrangements are made (later occupation, if approved may be allowed with a $100 per hour surcharge).

Catering and Floral needs can be arranged in a variety of packages. For questions and concerns email us at Melanie@tuscangardenworks.com or Call at 801-233-9434 or 800-698-0535. We’d love to be part of your special event and make things easy for the entire wedding party.

Bronze Cleaning and Maintenance

To maintain the original applied patina finish, a periodic light waxing will help retard the oxidation process. It is recommended that any dirt be cleaned of before waxing. Hard water spots or oxidation can be removed by rubbing gently with very fine steel wool (#0000). Spraying the area with a good wax spray first will make this even easier. A Carnauba Car Wax blend or AmourALL wax are both good waxes and are readily available. We have found that WD-40 works well also-as both a polish and cleaner. (That is what is used to maintain the Statue of Liberty.)

Then wipe the area clean and wax again. The rate of oxidation and necessary waxing will vary depending on location and climate.

Artwork

Follow the Latest Trend with Collectible Photography

Fine art photography as a way of decorating with art has recently gained mass appeal across the country. This is largely due to the popularity of photography as a collectible, rather than following traditional arts such as paintings. However, paintings and photographs have similar attributes, perhaps the most significant being the act of artistic interpretation - a quality which both photography and paintings achieve. These new works of art in photography fulfill the creative vision of the artist in exactly the same fashion as great painters.

Fine art photography is about creativity and craftsmanship and is a talent that not all people are privileged to possess. It takes a special eye and a keen mind for composition to be able to capture in film the story of the scenery. Decorators and collectors from across the world have come to appreciate this, which is why investors in art are looking to fine art photographers in order to express the elements necessary to bring any wall to life. There is now a thriving collectors' market and art photographers are producing high quality archival prints in limited editions. One who appreciates art understands that all artworks are valuable and worth the price.

With annual trips to europe, the owners of Tuscan Garden Works have captured some of the most exquisite photographs of the Italian countryside. With careful attention to detail these have been framed to enhance each image individually and result in breath taking works of fine art photography. consider giving these collectibles for your holiday gifts. For more information you can call us at (801)233-9434 or visit us at our store located at 468 W 9160 S in Sandy.

Decorating with Fine Art Photography

View Full Album

Watch slide show in Album

Xeriscape

We hear so much about conserving water, “going green”, and we live in a desert. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to grow native plants and I don’t want gravel flower beds! To me gardening is about beautiful blooms that please the eye and can be cut and enjoyed in doors, up close as well as along the pathway where their perfume and beauty tantalize my senses! So the question of the day:

Can a “Xeriscaped” garden ever be beautiful?

Read on and I’ll convince you –yes, you can have a beautiful blooming garden- maybe even more beautiful than you have ever had, when using the elements of Xeriscape.

What exactly is Xeriscape? A few years ago, some employees of the Denver Water Dept. coined the term Xeriscape. Xeri comes from the Greek word Xeros which means dry. Combine xeri with landscape and you get Xeriscape. Some people call drought tolerant gardens “zero-scape”, picturing gravel beds full of cactus. (In some regions it is a beautiful landscape) Either way, it is all about water conservation through creative landscaping.

The following are Six Elements of Xeriscape:

1. Think water conservation- irrigate efficiency with a drip system that delivers water directly to the base of the plant. Water deeply and less often.

2. Improve Soil- Composted organic materials are the best and healthiest additive you can give your plants, trees and shrubs. Dig in and mix compost with the existing soil when planting. Also, add top dressings one or two times per year to your planting areas. Your landscape will use 50-70% less water by improving soil, benefiting plants in three ways: holding moisture, draining readily and enhancing aeration.

3. Be Creative with your landscape design. Limit the use of turf, giving you more space to introduce other amenities, structures and hardscape.


The turf that remains should be mowed higher to conserve water as the grass blades shade itself. You can also use less fertilizer to slow the growth, and water less often. Doing these three actions will produce a healthier lawn.

Smaller areas of lawn give way to a plethora of design possibilities. Patios, pathways, stepping stones, short stone walls, terracing, (even a 3 inch rise in the terrain will make a nice impact) boulders, dry stream beds, re-circulating water features and garden décor. Don’t forget, benches and sitting areas...these elements turn good gardens into great gardens.

4. Choose appropriate plants- Know their mature height for easier maintenance. You won’t need to constantly prune if you choose the correct plant. Use drought resistant plants also, to save on water, survive the heat of summer and bloom beautifully. There are hosts of them that bloom stunningly all season. In southern and western exposures, use plants that require a minimum of water. They generally have small, silver-grey, glossy and fuzzy leaves. Group plants by their water and light requirements. Consider planters and pots for showing off grand and splendid blooms up close.

5. Mulch- Use a minimum of a 3” layer of mulch, to retain moister, help stabalize the soil temperature, block weeds and prevent erosion. No area should remain in bare soil. Mulch should be re-applied from time to time. Some suggestions for mulch: leaves, coarse compost, pine needles, grass clippings mixed with other decomposing organic materials. Also wood chips, bark or gravel make good top dressings.

6. Low Maintenance gardening is a benefit of Xeriscape. Weeds find it harder to germinate when you mulch and less fertilizer is required as the compost breaks down into nutrition that plants can utilize, so you can slow the fertilizer applications. When planting hardier plants you can skip the chemicals. There are many new varieties to choose from, (some disease resistant) of your favorite blooms.

Using drought tolerant plants doesn’t mean a garden has to be boring. It can actually be more beautiful using tougher plants that are more disease resistant as well as happier without the constant application of water, chemicals and fertilizer.

Some of my favorite plants used in combinations are: Coreopsis, Echinacea, Gaillardia (check out the new colors), Asters, Agastache, Alyssum montanum, ornamental grasses, Linum perenne, Penstemons, “landscape” Roses, and Pansies, to name a few.

What could be more beautiful than a low-maintenance garden, filling the entire season with beautiful blooms without demanding much more than an occasional drink from the gardener!