Rossie Richards asked:




When choosing flowers for mothers day there is more to take in to consideration than just the bouquets looks. With factors like flower meanings, colour meanings it becomes more of a considered choice than just picking whatever looks alright!

One of the more practical considerations is the fragrance of the flowers you are buying. When buying online it is next to impossible to know just how fragrant a particular arrangement of flowers is, or what combinations of flowers work well together.

A bouquet of really fragrant flowers in a vase can really make a striking impact in any room. Not only can they draw the eye with their gorgeous looks, the sweet smells they give off can give a fresh pleasant fragrance too.

Roses are of course well known for their lovely scents and easily recognisable appearance. Generally speaking the more open the flowers, the stronger the smell. So closed petal roses look elegant and give off much less perfume than wide open flowers.

It is not just open flowers that have powerful alluring scents however. Lily of the valley has delicate upturned bells which are commonly white, although sometimes pink. These are sweet scented and in season just in time for mothers day.

Generally it is a good idea not to mix too many strongly fragranced flowers. Most florist arrangements have one predominantly strong smelling flower, and then a few complimentary scents. This allows you to have a pleasing aroma, without it being overpowering and conflicting.

Lavender is a plant widely known for its strong smells, especially when made in to oil which is often used in aromatherapy. With its beautifully coloured flowers and its slender stalks, lavender looks great when mixed with other shades of purple.

Magnolias are an ancient species, dating back over 95 million years, before bees even existed! As such they have evolved differently to more modern plants in comparison, and had to lure insects for pollination using smell more than sight. As such they have an attractive fragrance, as well as not having sepals or petals being a very open and exposed plant they are truly remarkable.

One of the flowers which is most notable for their sweet smelling fragrance are freesia. These delightful small flowers are available in a riot of different colours and typically are arranged on posies and baskets. The most fragrant colours are the reds and pink varieties.

Freesias make the ideal choice of flower to send to mums who are in hospital or are spending their days in a nursing or care home. The fragrance is not overpowering and yet fills a room with sweet aromas. Freesias are also effectively used in traditional style hand tied bouquets to inject vibrant colour and a wonderful fragrance.

Fragrant Mothers Day Flowers make a great gift, bringing colour, life and of course sweet smells to any home. Flowers are a time honoured present for mums, especially on mothers day, and using online florists it is easy to get gorgeous fresh flowers sent straight to her home to show your appreciation and thanks.

Michael Yim asked:




Gazebos are an integral part of the American patio. An open and airy gazebo can create the perfect summer oasis and gathering point for friends and family. Thanks to the purchasing power of Big Box stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s, thousands of homeowners have been able to purchase and setup 10’x10’ steel gazebos often for less than $200.00. These quick setup gazebos are decorative and functional, providing protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays while creating the perfect home for outdoor dining sets. The problem? The durable steel frames of these 10’x10’ gazebos almost always outlast the life of the canopy tops that cover them. Within months, sometimes even weeks, the canopies of these gazebos fade, wear, rip and, tear. All too often, homeowners are left with an unattractive patio eye sore.

Why do the canopy tops fail so often? In a nutshell, the canopy tops that come standard with 10’x10’ steel gazebos are tailored from very low grade poly-vinyl fabric. Gazebo manufacturers steer away from high grade UV resistant fabrics (i.e. Sunbrella™), to keep the price point on these gazebos attractively low. Unfortunately, these low grade canopy tops are subject a vast range of extreme weather: snow, ice, rain, UV sun rays, freezing temperatures, and heat. In a matter of just weeks, a combination of these weather conditions can weaken and make brittle the canopy tops on these gazebos. Water that is trapped from inadequate grommet drainage causes the canopy to sage and stretch. Discoloration and fading immediately follows. The final death nail? Wind. Wind will rip and tear the canopy into shreds.

Here is what usually happens next. The unsuspecting gazebo owner heads to the store to buy a replacement canopy for the gazebo. He becomes quite dismayed to find out that the retailer does not carry a replacement top. Without much avail, the retailer tells the gazebo owner to call the manufacturer. The problem? The retailer or owner often does not know the name of the manufacturer because the box or manual has been trashed, or the retailer purchased it from some unknown distributor with no paper trail. The owner is left stranded in a search for a product that is hard to find and a gazebo that is need of desperate repair for the party next weekend. What now?



Garden Winds, a renowned internet retailer of outdoor décor products, has invested much time and resources to help gazebo owners with this common problem. After years of listening to customers and investing in research and development, Garden Winds now designs and manufactures a replacement gazebo canopy top that will fix the problem. The biggest difficulty in the replacement design is crafting a replacement canopy top that fits a majority of the 10’x10 steel gazebos on the market today. There is at least 20-30 manufactures of these steel gazebos, each producing gazebos of varying dimensions, roof pitches, tiered roof systems, etc. More often than not, gazebo owners often purchase replacement tops that do not fit. No worries! Garden Winds has designed canopy tops that fit 90% of gazebos on the market. Using higher grade UV resistant fabrics in the manufacturing process, Garden Winds is able to provide a product that fits, and a product that lasts.



If you happen to be a homeowner frustrated with a ripped canopy top on your gazebo, call Garden Winds today toll free (877) 479-4637, visit their website GardenWinds.com, or email them at customerservice@gardenwinds.com The demand for their canopy tops is often greater than their supply, especially during March – August. Call them today to make sure you’re ready for your next party.

temp_108625 asked:




This durability not only affects the price, it affects the usage of the product, too. Who wants to sit on a rickety chair or at a wobbly table? If you have guests, do you really want them sat at some modern monstrosity of moldy or peeling plastic? Sit them on your heavy duty teak garden furniture around a teak table and you will almost certainly get some admiring comments.

When shopping for teak garden furniture, it is important to look out for the heavy duty variety since their are some lower quality (and, it has to be said, cheaper) which do not last as long as the more solid version. You’ve come this far, don’t economize now!

Maintenance of teak garden furniture is minimal. If you want, you can take the benches, chairs and tables in over the winter but, provided you apply a coat or two of teak oil every Spring, it should come to no harm. Teak oil can be purchased from any big DIY center and a little goes a long way. Don’t use creosote, linseed oil or any other solvent – insist on teak oil and you will be rewarded with a piece of furniture that looks as good as the day you bought it. Why not take the opportunity to do a little ‘annual service’ and check the nuts and bolts that hold the furniture together?

We don’t take our teak garden furniture in. Living where we do, there are sunny days even in the middle of winter and it is a real luxury to be able to take a mug of tea or coffee, some biscuits and a good book, sit down on a teak bench and go and take in some sunshine and fresh air.

In fact, it’s such a good idea, I think I’ll grab that hot drink and go and use our teak garden furniture!