East Valley Tribune - Outdoors

Outdoor entertaining is a snap with the right backyard shade

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

If you'd like to remain outdoors as the temperature continues to climb, you'll need to make sure your backyard has plenty of shade. Taking cover from the sun's rays can be tough in the East Valley, where yards are often filled with young trees offering little cover. Don't worry: It is possible to add shade to your backyard while you add style and extend your living space.

Put out the mats

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Since after Christmas, I've not had a doormat by the sliding-glass door leading to our backyard. Perhaps it's because after I put the holiday one away, I just couldn't find one that would be universal through Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and Easter.

Elegant furniture moves to the patio with sturdy and stylish materials

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Plush Tuscan love seats. Traditional wicker rocking chairs. Sleek contemporary tables. The days of hard plastic chairs set around a plain glass table are long gone. The most fashionable patio furniture looks like it belongs in your living or dining room.

Artistic couple designs backyard sanctuary with recycled beauty

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

When you arrive in Sherrie Zeitlin's corner of the Arcadia neighborhood, the sounds of gently flowing water and a variety of singing birds greet you at the street.

Darker imported rocks find their way into East Valley landscapes

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Autumn blend. Chocolate. Dark brown. These deeper, darker, richer tones aren't the latest paint shades, but the colors East Valley homeowners are looking for in natural stone.

Let your desert garden make a statement with color

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Kirti Mathura wants to "broaden the plant palettes" of Arizona gardeners. And she hopes her book, "The Arizona Low Desert Flower Garden" ($21.95, Gibbs-Smith) will help.

Public gardens bloom with ideas that can be planted at home

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Planning a garden can be overwhelming. With all the choices to make, from what flowers and trees are best to what pavers and furniture will work, deciding what's right for your yard takes some effort.

Birdhouses now coordinate with home style

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

While not all birds will be bothered to settle into a birdhouse, the tiny structure is irresistible to another type of nester - the human one.

Landscape expert: What works and what doesn't in the desert

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

When Tyler Storey was 4, he planted his first tree and enjoyed it so much
he proclaimed to anyone who would listen that he wanted to be Johnny Appleseed when he grew up.

Leek's V-shaped leaves have a tale to tell

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Sometimes a vegetable perfectly matches its true season, bestowed upon us from plant or earth like a metaphor. After the solemn winter, leeks emerge from the earth, dirt-clad and single-minded.

It's spring, and enclosed gardens flutter with butterfly beauty

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

In the spring, the dry, hot East Valley desert transforms into a fluttering butterfly haven. Despite receiving an average of only a half-foot of rain each year, Arizona is home to 326 butterfly species, and during the warm months, East Valley residents can find plenty of opportunities to observe the little flutterers.

Pathways with meaning: Creating your own stepstones

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A few years ago, Madge Thomas started creating decorative steppingstones - using a bag of quick-dry cement and a mold - as a way of enshrining memories of her grandchildren when they were babies.

TLC is key for your citrus tree

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

People living in the colder climates don't know the joy of plucking vitamin C off a tree in their backyards.

How to prune roses

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Pruning is a confusing and intimidating task for the new rose grower. "The first time I pruned my roses I thought they would never grow back," says Marylou Coffman, a Gilbert resident and American Rose Society judge.

The high-end quest for fancy fire pits

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Few things compare with drawing your loved ones fireside. The warmth. The glow. The flickering light that gives even your oddestlooking loved one a mystique. Since the dawn of time, mankind has been reckoning with ways to harness fire for home use. This year, fire pits are the way to go.

Forcing bulbs offers a head start on spring

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A garden in winter. Even when Valley temperatures drop to freezing, blossoms will bloom indoors with a little will and clean water.

55+ Lifestyle: Retiring adults seek active backyards

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Retirees Steve and Linda Koltz spend their free time putt-putt golfing, taking dips in the spa or lounging by the waterfall. And they do it all in their backyard.