patio living Archives - Hope Reflected

Thursday

23

February 2017

For the Home | 3 Outdoor Living Spaces to Make You Swoon

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

There’s just something about an outdoor living space with comfortable, fluffy chairs, a welcoming layout, and a warm fireplace that I just LOVE. If you follow me on Pinterest, you’ve seen some of the inviting spaces that inspire me. Today, I’m sharing 3 outdoor living spaces to make you swoon. Complete with all the essentials — lots of cushions, covering, and greenery surrounding, — these outdoor spaces are sure to inspire your outdoor living area this spring and summer season.

1. Ode to tradition. There’s something about an outdoor living space that’s completely covered and yet completely open that is absolutely beautiful. I can picture summer Saturdays spent in this space reading and summer evenings spent lounging by candlelight with family and friends.

img src athomearkansas.com

2. So many spots to sit. Especially when you’re looking to entertain outdoors, having more than one sitting area is an appealing (and functional!) idea. This space has a great layout: A fireplace at the helm, a casual lounge area under a shade pergola, and a more formal dining space.

img src Architectural Digest

3. A firm foundation. While this look wouldn’t work in every yard, this outdoor living space is anchored by four strong, sturdy, white pillars that really complement the other elements of this set up. The fireplace in this space is equally as strong, and acts as a focal point in this gorgeous garden space.

img src Traditional Living

Looking for more inspiration for your own outdoor living space? Be sure to follow my Outdoor Living board on Pinterest for fresh ideas!

Wednesday

27

April 2016

Hope’s How-To: Build A Robin’s Nest – Part 2 – The Robin’s Eggs

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Gardening, Hope's How-To

Robin’s nest update for you all: The robin has laid two — count it, TWO — eggs! Yes, that’s right! Robin’s eggs! Yesterday afternoon, I noted whilst driving away from the house that the mama robin was in the nest. Sure enough, last night when we checked, you can imagine my delight upon the discovery of two beautiful robin’s egg blue robin’s eggs.

My initial exclamation was something about how exciting this promise of new life is; Wes’s initial exclamation was about the future of the robin species. The robin deciding to lay her eggs is a beautiful example of a delicate, fragile new beginning, right on our porch. Whatever way you choose to look at it, we are absolutely thrilled with the prospect of two baby robins starting their lives and learning the ropes from the comfort of our porch.

We are being careful not to be disruptive while the mama robin incubates and raises her young [although I have to say in hindsight I wish we’d set up a time lapse camera to capture all the action; note to self for next year].

Here are some fascinating facts about robins and their eggs:

The incubation period for a robin’s egg is 12 to 14 days.
The female robin typically does the incubating, rarely leaving her eggs for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
After birth, baby robins spend an average of 9 to 16 days in the nest.

Stay tuned for more action as we keep an eye on the mama robin and her young. Anyone else have robins planting roots in their yard this year?

Monday

25

April 2016

Flower Container and Planter Inspiration

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

I think it’s safe to say that Spring has sprung, and that means people everywhere are readying their yards and porches for the agreeable weather ahead. If you’re looking for front porch inspiration, check out these flower container and planter ideas. There are so many beautiful planter combinations out there!

Bright Potato VineWith any planter, a good rule of thumb is to include some plants with height, and others that hang and add interest. Enter the vivid green potato vine. Easy to combine with almost any other flower, potato vine adds contrast in this planter.

2. Rainbow of Colour

While sometimes it’s cool to keep colours classic (think whites and greens), filling a container with flowers of several shades is like an instant encouragement! The pops of purple, yellow, and red in this planter are so bright! And remember, a great container garden has height as well as hang — and this planter is a perfect example.

3. Cabbage!

While this container is more suitable for the cooler fall months, I’ve gotta say, I’m LOVING the colourful cabbage and ornamental kale in this planter! Add to that the white pumpkins, and you’ve got a container that’s as interesting as it is beautiful.

4. Unlikely Flowers

If you’re like me, when planning a flower container garden, tulips aren’t the first flower that comes to mind as a good candidate. That being said, I’m loving the look of these planters, filled with lots of seasonal favourites, including several varieties of tulips. These containers are also a great example of the rule of threes: Try combining three planters of varying heights, filled with complementary flowers.

For more flower container and planter inspiration, visit my Pinterest.

patio living Archive

23

For the Home | 3 Outdoor Living Spaces to Make You Swoon

27

Hope’s How-To: Build A Robin’s Nest – Part 2 – The Robin’s Eggs

25

Flower Container and Planter Inspiration

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