Cottages are a retreat for our soul. Places where we can both unwind and regenerate our families and ourselves.

Generally our cottages are nestled in areas of raw bush and craggy rock. The mistake many people make with their cottage garden is to ignore their rugged landscape and attempt to create a structured or city style garden.

The best cottage gardens are those that take advantage of and enhance the stark beauty of the wild. As the saying goes, you cant improve on Mother Nature.

Rather than affecting a design, plant a mixture of indigenous and hardy shrubs, perennials and wild flowers that will thrive in your local. Not only will this save you needless heartache and hours of maintenance, it will save you money from continually replacing your ill-suited plants.

Begin by selecting a variety of shrubs that will give your garden a sense of structure, such as Blue Rug Junipers, Cotoneaster horizontalis and for those especially difficult areas, Juniper Sabina. The Sabina will actually thrive in extremely rocky, poor soil areas; just remember to plant in full sun locations only.

Perennial Geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are the perfect cottage perennial. The cransebill is a hardy, adaptable perennial that is disease and pest resistant. Whether your garden is a full sun or predominantly shady location, there are a variety of cranesbills all in a marvelous array of colours (white, mauve, purple, magenta, blue, and pink). For complete shade locations try G. macrorhizum, a strong spreader with delicate mauve blossoms. In semi-shade areas try G. maculatum, particularly in a rock garden location. In full sun gardens try G. cinerum (ballerina). All of these species are drought tolerant, aromatic and will spread evenly in your garden but not invasively.

Another perfect fit for a cottage garden are Sedums (also known as stonecrop and orpines). This family of plants is extremely varied with species that will thrive from full sun to semi-shade. They are incredibly durable, well suited to poor soil conditions and come in a veritable rainbow of colours. Try S. spurium, a dwarf variety stonecrop best suited for billing in gaps in rock gardens and S. album and S. kamtschaticum for clumping or featured plants in your garden.

Mix in with these a variety of hardy grown daylilies, irises, Martagon lilies and ornamental grasses. All of which are hardy, adaptable and beautiful. The Martagon lily is especially well suited to the cottage landscape due to its ability to thrive from southern locals to the Yukon and in nearly every soil type.

Dont forget to carefully consider and plan your hardscape elements before installation, such as retaining walls, terraces, decks and steps. You will need to examine the drainage pattern on your property and take into consideration the effects of fall frost and spring thaw. Consider speaking to a professional landscaper for these hardscape elements, as you will want them to last for years to come.

Try to naturalize your seating (patio) areas by using local flatstone or flagstone. Using a natural medium will both soften the appearance of your cottage and make it your seating area more inviting. Natural stone also makes the perfect stair material, as it wont rot, is perfectly suited to the landscape and will give your cottage a sense of permanence.

The golden rule of cottage landscaping is to create an oasis of peace, beauty and relaxation. A cottage is a friend you can visit anytime… This saying conveys how we feel toward our cottages and our beliefs in their restorative powers. Our cottages are a place of hope, of exploring not only nature but also ourselves and for nurturing and deepening our relationships with our families. All of this occurs in our little parcel of rural landscape, or as many passionate cottagers refer to their cottage; their Garden of Eden.

Great Design in essence is about the creation of an exquisite stage for the beauty and quality of life we all desire. From ultra urban to ornate opulence, Robin and his team have passionately and successfully designed it all. Robins interiors have graced the pages of magazines Worldwide. Robin has designed interiors for feature films, major retailers such as Home Depot (Style Ideas Magazine) and the Designer Showhouse. From smaller scale interior projects to full scale restorations and developments, Robins passionate and creative eye overseas all aspects. While fluent in all design trends and philosophies, Robin is most passionate about historic preservation and the creation of elegant, functional and memorable spaces that convey the best attributes of each owner while respecting and celebrating the architecture that encompasses them. Visit http://www.robindegroot.ca

A ripe persimmon is a thing of beauty sweet, succulent and an amazing shade of orange-red. Orange and red continue to be popular colors in decorating this year but 2004s shades are softer and more vibrant, like ripe persimmons and pomegranates.

Dont limit these jewel-tones to the inside of your house. They can be incorporated into a beautiful outdoor theme by using the rich and exotic influences of Morocco.

• In countries such as Morocco, which line the balmy Mediterranean, curtains are often used in place of doors to allow breezes to circulate freely. Use gauzy fabric such as mosquito netting or scrim, a light, sheer, loosely woven cotton or linen cloth used for upholstery lining. Since its inexpensive, you can install luxuriously full draperies without going broke.

• If youd rather not have curtains, consider using the same fabric as a tent over a table or a chaise. Some nettings come with a center hanging unit, or you can easily make one of a 2 square piece of plywood and some rope.

• Intricate latticework is another element often seen in Morocco. You can emulate the look by edging pieces of plain lattice (the closer the weave, the better) with old carved porch posts. Paint roughly with turquoise or azure and then further distress the finish with sandpaper. Alternatively, you can install a carved wooden room screen.

• Wood furniture will give you the most authentic Moroccan look. Dont have wood furnishings? Try constructing a simple low-slung chaise from a used solid core door with six fence post tops screwed into the bottom. Paint or stain it to look like rich wood and top with a thick cushion (use an 8 foam mattress cut to measure). Use a heavy-weight fabric for the cushion cover and make sure its a bright orange or red color!

• You can improvise a table from a hollow core or solid core door set on cement blocks or stacks of bricks. Cover it with layers of rich cloths in your chosen colors. Youll find this table sits low to the ground and youll be able to eat in the traditional Moroccan way: sitting on pillows and rugs. Cover the cushions with co-ordinating or contrasting fabrics in rich finishes. Use azure, persimmon and lots and lots of gold fabric.

• Tiles are an absolute must in Moroccan style. If you cannot incorporate them in the floor of your space, by painting a tiled pattern on a wooden deck, laying tiles on a patio, or edging your pool-side cabana, be sure to pick them up in a tabletop, a plant pot, a wall-hanging or a large tray. Mix bright turquoise or azure blue and goldy-orange tile pieces in intricate patterns to capture the Moorish look.

• Moroccan-style lanterns usually have some sort of filigree work, whether wicker, metal or some other material. They are often pointed at both ends, necessitating hanging. Most often, they will enclose a flame, either of candles or small oil torches. You can also use white or ivory pillar candles instead of, or in addition to, hanging lanterns.

• Use accent pieces of dark wood or brass. Pile a brass tray high with exotic fruit such as persimmons, tangerines and glossy pomegranates.

• For greenery, use succulents such as banana trees and mother-in-laws tongue, and tropicals like palms and ficus. You can also add more color to your space with lush pots of bright geraniums.

Use the rich color and sensual textures of Morocco in your outdoor space and this summer youll be escaping to the casbah!

About The Author

Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Visit her on the web at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space. Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com

Knowing how to properly use and maintain garden tools will increase their life, help prevent personal injury, and increase your gardening enjoyment. For example, properly uncoiling a hose will prevent you from tripping or catching your foot in the coil. The points of an upturned rake can inflict painful and sometimes serious puncture wounds when stepped on, to say nothing about the possibility of the handle flying up and striking you in the face. Tools must not be left where their edges or point may be hidden by grass, leaves, or other material. Keep your fingers away from the blades of the lawn mower: merely striking your hand against the blades can lead to a brutal injury. A small, slight crack in a wooden handle can be repaired by wrapping the handle with tape. A glass filament tape is particularly useful for such a job.

Splinters in wooden handles of rakes, hoes, and shovels can be cured by sanding the surface until it becomes smooth again; this not only protects your hands, but keeps the cracks from spreading and causing the handle to break. A good way to preserve a wood handle is to apply several coats of quality varnish or to paint it. The metal parts of the tool may be painted, with a primer coat, and two coats of exterior paint. However, any metal part which goes into the ground should not be painted.

Aside from preservation by paint, the tools are easier to find when their handles are of a color which makes them conspicuous if left lying on the grass: The color, therefore, should not be green or brown, but a bright contrast to the grass such as red. yellow, blue, or white. The metal edges of shovels, hoes, rakes or other garden tools may become nicked. These may be smoothed with a metal file. Any rough surfaces should be gone over with steel wool or other abrasive which is good for metal. Dents may be straightened out by hammering with a mallet. A wheelbarrow break, in the wood or metal parts, should be repaired at once. Painting the wheelbarrow helps preserve the wood. The moving parts need occasional oiling, to run smoothly. For winter storage, keep tools in a dry spot as dampness could be harmful. Wipe all tools clean of any dirt or grass before being stored. The metal parts should be coated with a mixture of petroleum jelly and light oil, to prevent rust.

Caring for your garden tools will help them last year after year!

Visit Merchants Passage for a selection of garden tools.