Nadia Knows Gardens

I KNOW THAT CREATING + GROWING = INSPIRED LIVING!

Remember Pink Flamingos? November 29, 2009

Filed under: Garden Design,Photography — nadiaqh @ 1:11 AM
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If you’re in the baby boomer generation then you do remember Pink Flamingo’s which were very popular from the 1950′s to the 1970′s.  If you’re in the YouTube generation then this blog does not apply. Do you love those pink plastic birds or hate them? Do you consider them an eye sore, or do you mentally categorize them in the genre of garden art? Cast your votes! Maybe it is a case of bad taste being acceptable now. For those of us with a flair for nostalgia these pink flamingos can stir up a happy memory of grandma’s front yard.

I remember growing up in Arizona and seeing these pink flamingo’s dotted on front lawns much like today’s garden gnomes, which by the way give me the creeps. I do like these pink flamingo’s photographed in an artsy little backyard garden I encountered over the weekend. I thought this photograph of flamingos with the green succulent in the foreground would make a nice Garden Design Blog today!

FYI- Thinking of that perfect gift for that special someone this holiday season? Pink Flamingos are still easy to find online for about $10.00 per bird. I confess to ordering a few today, but I promised my family I would keep them off the front lawn.

Thank you for visiting my garden blog: www.nadiaknows.com

Create – Inspire – Grow

 

Zen in the Garden September 14, 2009

Filed under: Garden Projects — nadiaqh @ 11:32 AM
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Abandoned Stepping Stones

Abandoned Stepping Stones

My friend called me this week to tell me she found some old stepping stones on the side of the road and knew that I would find a way to put them to use. Since I have been working on her garden this month, and she requested a ZEN THEME, I thought it would be a creative (and cheap) addition. What is the saying?… One person’s trash is another person’s treasure? After cleaning them up, I hunted for some supplies and found a can of  blue paint in the garage along with a tube of red and black acrylic paint. I looked up different symbols that would represent a Zen type theme on Google Images, and found that the Chinese characters for peace was perfect. I printed out the image and my daughter painted it for me on the stone- who says teenagers are lazy? She did a great job and it was just the perfect stepping stone for my friend’s garden. I brushed a thin layer of clear exterior furniture varnish on top to make it more weather resistant.

Next, I wanted to create something next to the stepping stone to add to the Zen Theme. By stacking several round beach rocks one on top of the other (glued with liquid nails) and placing it adjacent to the stepping stone it added a nice vertical dimension.

If you have ever driven in San Diego between Encinitas and Solana Beach on Highway 101 you will see rock stacking. On the large boulders that separate the highway and beach are these tall and fragile rock stacks… only they are not stacked with liquid nails so it doesn’t last long! It has become a popular art form, but very temporary. I will get a photo for you next time I’m down at the beach for a future blog, but see this photo below to get the idea. Very peaceful.

Peace- Painted on a Stepping Stone

Chinese Characters for Peace

Thank you for visiting my blog: nadiaknows.com

” I know that I want to keep creating, growing and having fun.”