Gardens

How To Protect Your Home’s Exterior Pipes From Freezing

Your home exterior pipes that should be protected from freeze damage include: Water Hose Bibs, House Main Water Supply and Irrigation PVB Valve.

Glenwood Weber Design has been in business for 7 years in the greater Houston area and during that time, we can count on one hand the times the weather in our area dropped below freezing. However, its better to be over prepared than not prepared at all. Here are some safety precautions that will help both your pipes and your wallet.

“First and foremost is to cover ALL the pipes for outside water sources.” – Glenwood Weber

Your Home’s External Pipes that need protecting are:

  • Water Hose Bibs 
  • House Main Water Supply
  • Irrigation PVB (Pressure Vacuum Breaker Valve)

Protect Your Water Hose Bibs From Below Freezing Weather

To protect the outside Water Hose Bib you will need to first detach your water hose. Place a foam Hose Bid Cover, which can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store. These generally have a lanyard secure strap to keep the opening flush against the house siding. Loop the strap over the handle of the Hose Bib and snug the string tight using the bungee button attached to the lanyard.  If you can not use a foam pre-fab cover, then you can use a bath towel or blanket to wrap tightly around the bib and secure it with duct tape.

 

Cover Your House Main Water Supply Pipe & Valves And Leave Them Covered All Year Long

All House Main Water Supply Pipes either PVC or metal should be covered optimally with foam pipe wrap. The benefit for pipe foam is that they can easily cut and customize to fit your pipes nice and snug.  Duct tape is used to secure the pipe foam tube to pipes.  Alternatively, heavy blanket or towels can be wrapped around the pipe and secured with duct tape. Its most important that several layers of blankets or towels be wrapped around the pipe before securing the duct tape.

 

Turn Off Water Supply To PVB Valve On Irrigation Systems And Be Sure To Wrap Exposed Pipes

In order to shut off your home’s sprinkler system or outdoor fountains. You first need to locate the PVB or Irrigation Pressure Vacuum Breaker Valve. First, determine that the valve is in fact in it’s “ON” position. The valve handles will align with the pipe in the “ON” position. You will want to turn the valve handle to the “OFF” position by turning the handle perpendicular to the pipe (see images below).

 

Glenwood Weber Design is a Botanical Artist Florist & Boutique Landscape Design Firm centrally located in the historic Avondale area of Montrose in Houston, Texas. We offer innovative and unique garden design concepts and installation for residential and commercial clients. Our visionary approach to fresh floral design using lush, exquisite blooms acquired from around the world is our signature. We create something beautiful everyday. Let us create something beautiful for you. Call us at 713-360-6281

 

 

By |January 18th, 2017|Gardens, Outdoor|0 Comments
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Designing Beautiful Spaces with Artificial Sod: An Alternative to Real Grass

Artificial Sod Installations by Glenwood Weber Design

Artificial Sod with Curvy Edges

Beautiful Curving Lines on Artificial Sod

Artificial Sod Installations by Glenwood Weber Design

Investing in artificial sod can be pricy initially, but it is actually a financial savings in the long run. Money saved from mowing, chemical fertilizing and pesticides helps pay for it quickly. Installing artificial sod eliminates the need to use chemical fertilizer, pesticides and water like what real grass needs. It stays green all year round, whereas real grass lays dormant in the winter months. Mowing is not required for artificial sod and watering or routine maintenance otherwise is at a minimum. A good leaf blowing across the sod’s surface on a weekly basis can keep debris from piling up. The edges can be detailed a few times a year using a wet/dry shop-vac.

Artificial Sod Install for Backyard

As with any other products there are different grades and qualities that carry various warranties. The higher the grade of the artificial sod product, the longer the lifespan. We have found the higher end products simply look the best. These top grade artificial sods also feel best underfoot. They are pet friendly, heat resistant and fade proof. The products are constantly being tested and developed with new improvements coming on the market as time goes on.

 

Designing Your Garden with Artificial Sod

Using artificial sod as if it were real grass and allowing it to border a planted bed can create a realistic looking alternative. Often we work with our clients to create a landscape where the grass is featured and supported by the bed plantings to give it a lush look and feel. We design with the artificial sod to enhance the landscape features.  It is not required that the artificial sod be played out in a strict line. There are applications where boxy straight edges are integral to the context of the garden. In other garden spaces — swirly, sexy lines creates excitement and movement.

Dog Friendly Artificial Sod Install

Dog Friendly Artificial Sod Install

Welcoming Artificial Sod with Travertine Floating Step Pads

Welcoming Artificial Sod with Travertine Floating Step Pads

Glenwood Weber Design is a Botanical Artist Florist & Boutique Landscape Design Firm centrally located in the historic Avondale area of Montrose in Houston, Texas. We offer innovative and unique garden design concepts and installation for residential and commercial clients. Our visionary approach to fresh floral design using lush, exquisite blooms acquired from around the world is our signature. We create something beautiful everyday. Let us create something beautiful for you. Call us at 713-360-6281
By |February 28th, 2016|Gardens, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Fire Pits are for Fall in Houston

Fire Pits for Cooler Houston Nights

A fire pit can make your outdoor landscape and living space complete. Here are some ideas for backyard entertaining as temperatures in Houston begin to cool down. The new social focal point for outdoor living switches from the pool to the fire feature of your backyard. There is nothing more romantic and enjoyable than the radiant warmth of a fire pit during the  cooler months.

Fire Pit Lounge Area in an open air gravel courtyard next to sun sail covered outdoor dining area

Fire Pit Lounge Area in an open air gravel courtyard next to sun sail covered outdoor dining area. What a great place for a holiday party!

Fire Pit Lounge Area in an open air gravel courtyard next to sun sail covered outdoor dining area

Wood Burning or Gas Flame Fire Pits

Choose between a wood burning or gas flame fire pit. Gas burning pits are fueled with either propane or natural gas. Wood burning fire pits usually are less expensive than the gas counterpart and wood produces more heat. You can also turn your wood burning fire pit into a grill for s’mores or a weenie roast. Fire pits are great for outdoor living spaces with rustic or naturally designed hardscape.

Gas fire pits are great for those spontaneous cooler nights. Gas fire pits fire up and start instantly without smoke and turns off just as quickly. Gas Fire Pits are low maintenance and clean easily. They go well with a modern outdoor backyard.

Fire pit design possibilities are endless. We found this prefabricated propane fire bowl at Restoration Hardware. Besides the fire bowl, there are: Fire Tables, Troughs, Strips, In-Ground Pits, Pedestals, Lanterns and Pillars. Any kind of fireproof materials can be used to make a fire feature. After the creation of the fire presentation concept, the unit can be professionally plumbed for the gas line and fire burner or fire ring.

Glenwood Weber Design creates beautiful fire pit settings to compliment any outdoor living space. We are your solution for creating a cozy outdoor decor concept suitable for any fall occasion. So, get the fire started and have some friends over!

 

By |October 30th, 2015|Gardens|0 Comments
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Front Door Fall Color – The Shopping List

The last blog, “Glenwood’s Six Simple Steps to Create a Pop of Front Door Fall Color” received great feedback both online and offline. We decided to provide an online shopping list to expand more on how to create a seasonal, festive focal point for your front door using pottery with fall colored plants and flowers.

 

Outdoor Pottery

Below is a list of materials and plants to help you get started on the right foot for this fall season:

Front Door Fall Color – Shopping List:

MATERIALS:

PLANTS:

  • Croton ‘Mammey’
  • Hamelia ‘Lime Sizzler’
  • Plumbago auriculata
  • Alocasia ‘African Mask’
  • Bulbine frutescens ‘Tiny Tangerine’
  • English Ivy
  • Dianthus ‘Amazon Neon Duo’
  • Fiber Optic Grass
  • Cyclamen Magenta
  • Crossandra

Click here for a downloadable PDF version of our Front Door Fall Color Shopping List

Be sure to check out our previous blog, “Glenwood’s Six Simple Steps to Create a Pop of Front Door Fall Color” and video for more in-depth description on how to create this seasonal project.

Glenwood Weber Design is a Botanical Artist Florist & Boutique Landscape Design Firm centrally located in the historic Avondale area of Montrose in Houston, Texas. We offer innovative and unique garden design concepts and installation for residential and commercial clients. Our visionary approach to fresh floral design using lush, exquisite blooms acquired from around the world is our signature. We create something beautiful everyday. Let us create something beautiful for you. Call us at 713-360-6281 or email us at info@glenwoodweberdesign.com

By |September 20th, 2015|Gardens|0 Comments
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Glenwood’s Six Simple Steps to Create a Pop of Front Door Fall Color

Glenwood Weber Front Door Fall Color outtake

Day of the shoot warm-up opener for the “Front Door Fall color” video.

 

Glenwood has some awesome outdoor pottery ideas for fall! As we wrap up summer and move towards the fall its time to start decorating for this season’s festivities. Maybe you just want to do something creative around the house. Glenwood Weber Design shows you six simple steps to creating a pop of  fall color to your front door using pottery.

Step One: Select Your Outdoor Pottery

First and foremost we have to select an outdoor pottery. If you have a vibrant front door color (ours is pink) we’re going with a nice amber colored large opening outdoor pottery. This will give us plenty of room to plant numerous plant materials, such as seasonal color and tropicals.

Step Two: Create Good Drainage

The next step is the most important step. Prepare the drainage for your outdoor pottery. First, place a piece of screen wire over the pottery’s drainage hole. Then, add a 2″ deep layer of pebbles to cover the screen. Next, cover the rocks with a piece of fabric. Polyfil roll fabric is what we have chosen to use. This fabric will allow the water to pass through while separating the soil from the gravel.

Step Three: Fill with Soil

Next add potting soil to cover the polyfil fiber. This soil layer prepares a base for the plants.

Step Four: Arrange the Plants in the Pottery

Since our front door is located on the north side of the house, we have decided to use shade tolerant plants and tropicals. Arrange the plants by color, form, height and texture.

Start by placing a little pop of color in front of taller plants in back of the pottery. Fiber Optic grass has great texture. The form of a cascading ivy works great placed in front. Th color of the bulbine blooms works perfectly in combination with the other plants we’ve chosen.

Step Five: Eliminate Air Spaces (between plant root balls)

Now that the pot has been completely arranged, the next step is to make sure that soil is tucked in between the root balls. Adding soil between plants a handful at a time will eliminate any air spaces.

Step Six: Add Drip Irrigation

You can add a drip tube to the pottery. Connect to the existing landscape irrigation. Place a spike umbrella head style dripper inside the pottery for water.

 

For a detailed shopping list including a list of materials and plants used for this seasonal project. Check out the next installment: Front Door Fall Color – The Shopping List

At Glenwood Weber Design, We Encourage YOU to Create Something Beautiful Every. For more creative ideas to spruce up your home decor, garden or landscape, be sure to subscribe to our social media channels. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Glenwood Weber Design is a Botanical Artist Florist & Boutique Landscape Design Firm centrally located in the historic Avondale area of Montrose in Houston, Texas. We offer innovative and unique garden design concepts and installation for residential and commercial clients. Our visionary approach to fresh floral design using lush, exquisite blooms acquired from around the world is our signature. We create something beautiful everyday. Let us create something beautiful for you. Call us at 713-360-6281

By |September 1st, 2015|Gardens|0 Comments
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