Believe it or not, I have struggled finding an appropriate question for this issue of Backwards Works-for-Me Wednesday! It's not that I have everything figured out. . .I guess I just have a lot of things that do work for me!
I am deciding between two things. One would be my mismatched furniture. . .my couches match each other, but all of the wood on my entertainment center, bookshelves, curio cabinet, etc. is mismatched. Any help there? I mean some of the wood is dark, and some is light oak color. Someone who is quite decorator saavy said that oak is kind of country. If the shoe fits, huh?! If you tell me to refinish it, then please tell me how or refer me to a site cuz this girl don't know nothin' about refinishin' no furniture!
The other dilemma is that I have this tree in my front yard is perplexing me. I planted verbena and petunias under it this spring and all of my pretty flowers died. The only thing that lived was this weed/herb called yarrow. Anyway, this area is mostly shade during the summer with all of the leaves on the tree, but during the winter and early spring it does not have leaves (I guess that would be called deciduous or something, right?) Any feedback would be more than welcome. I was thinking about planting tulip bulbs for the spring as well as pansies that would be in bloom now. What do you think? I guess one thing to note is that I live in the south. I would love for all of you with a green thumb to chime in!
Have a lovely day!
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11 comments:
Your furniture style could be called 'eclectic' - I think that's what makes a home warm and personal.
Flowers usually have problems growing under certain trees -- try hostas! They grow under trees with no problem, and since they're a perennial, they come back every year! They last from spring through fall annd they even have flower stalks which attracts buterflies and hummingbirds!
I'm not going to be of much help - but, I like your mismatched furniture. I think it adds character and doesn't look like you bought the room - you've aquired it as the years have good by :o)
And, um, I kill plants.
I tried to help!
I don't know what to tell you about the mismatched furniture because I have it too! If you want some flowers with a little color try planting impatients. They are a shade loving flower. They come in red, white, pinks, purple, some are striped - you get the idea.
I planted these under my tree this year and had lots of good luck with them.
Your furniture is beautiful, don't be ashamed of it! I have always been blessed with hand-me-downs that are nice. They aren't all necessarily my taste, but they are all from family and well taken care of. They don't all match, but I take care of them and keep them nice. They are part of what makes my house a home and not a cold magazine ad. So...don't do a thing to your furniture, just enjoy it :)! Furniture multi-culturalism?
I can't garden to save my life!
I've never liked having everything match, but if nothing matches it can look a little busy.
If it bothers you, you can always unify with fabric. Table cloths, table runners, doilies, place mats..... I even upholstered a small bookcase in the same fabric of a chair I upholstered. That way it blended into the chair and all you saw were the books.
The only way I would paint wood furniture is if it was old or beat up. Otherwise, for staining I would let hubby do it but it would take a few years to get around to it. ;)
I have a flowerbed similar to yours, around a tree. This summer I planted hosta and coral bells (perennial) and just a few weeks ago I planted daffodil & hyancinth bulbs, then a bunch of pretty pansies on top. It looks good now, and will look good through winter (hopefully) - I live in the south, too.
Furniture - you don't want stuff too matchy-matchy anyway. As long as there are unifying themes in the room (style, color, etc.) you'll be ok, provided the pieces don't actually clash. If it's a big problem, sand it and paint it. That's what I did with my mantle in our new house - now it looks great.
The flowers you planted under your tree like sun and they probably just weren't getting enough sun. Pansies there should do well in the winter and tulips in the spring (when there's no leaves); you picked those well! But for summer look for a shade-loving plants. Impatiens & hosta have been mentioned; those are two of the most popular, but there are oodles of other pretty things that like the shade. Check out brecks.com or just go to your local nursery and look on the tags or ask. Have fun!
If the furniture really bothers you, a can of paint will do the trick. You wouldn't even have to paint all of it. Just a few pieces to tie it all together.
Hey Desiree'!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "look" in your home! It conveys a warmth, and it actually has a style all it's own. I'm sure each piece has it's own "story" that holds a great memory to be shared with friends. When the story is shared it even becomes more beautiful, sort of like our lives... each of us has a story. I also like the way you accessorize! The color of your walls is great too!
As for the flowers, I'm a lover of them, but am not the best gardener. I agree about the pansies for this time of year. They are cool weather favorites. They are beautiful and bright and cheery during the winter.
I have another flower that I HAVE to share with you for the spring all the way through to the fall. It requires little maintenance (because flowers need to be low maintenance if they are going to have any kind of chance of living around me! I love Blue Daze! They are beautiful! They are so versatile too! They are able to be used around trees, down sidewalks, and are beautiful in pots, and hanging baskets. They are a gorgeous ground cover, and in pots or hanging baskets they pour over the sides cascading in a such a beautiful way. They can take full sun or shade! They have a brilliant color, sort of a periwinkle blue. The bloom from spring to fall and they are perennials coming back year after year. I love them!
Hey Desiree'!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "look" in your home! It conveys a warmth, and it actually has a style all it's own. I'm sure each piece has it's own "story" that holds a great memory to be shared with friends. When the story is shared it even becomes more beautiful, sort of like our lives... each of us has a story. I also like the way you accessorize! The color of your walls is great too!
As for the flowers, I'm a lover of them, but am not the best gardener. I agree about the pansies for this time of year. They are cool weather favorites. They are beautiful and bright and cheery during the winter.
I have another flower that I HAVE to share with you for the spring all the way through to the fall. It requires little maintenance (because flowers need to be low maintenance if they are going to have any kind of chance of living around me! I love Blue Daze! They are beautiful! They are so versatile too! They are able to be used around trees, down sidewalks, and are beautiful in pots, and hanging baskets. They are a gorgeous ground cover, and in pots or hanging baskets they pour over the sides cascading in a such a beautiful way. They can take full sun or shade! They have a brilliant color, sort of a periwinkle blue. The bloom from spring to fall and they are perennials coming back year after year. I love them!
I've been battling the same issue at our house... with black paint! My hubby and kids now finish my sentences for me... "We could paint it... BLACK! to match everything else!"
Mostly the furniture on the back porch (rocking chairs, glider and a couple small tables). We'll send some pics when it's done!
However, this week I've been painting our bathroom... green! LOL! The youngest keeps trying to help by getting in the tub with me and saying... "it's so pretty mommy!"
I know that whatever you decide it will be just as warm and inviting as the rest of your home! Hugs! :-) M
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