New Designs, Colors Brighten Outdoor Furniture
Designers have traditionally borrowed the hues of nature - blues, reds, yellows - for outdoor furniture. This season, new variations of those colors as well as a metallic are being taken out on the deck.
Patio and deck furniture will appear in stores this spring in shades of hunter green combined with crisp white, corals and yellows from the Caribbean, tones borrowed from summer’s berries and new sandy shades with hints of blue. For contrast, verdigris - the look of weathered copper - is a hit.
Mark your calendar: Landscape designer Julia McHugh will speak about “Gardening at All Levels” on April 5 at 11 a.m. at Cheney Cowles Museum - but this lecture’s for seniors. The talk is part of the museum’s Senior Lecture Series. McHugh will cover low-impact gardening. It’s free for seniors, and the lecture will be preceded by a continental breakfast at 10:30 a.m.
Flower show report: Nearly 79,000 people flocked to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle in February, the third largest audience in the show’s seven years. For those thinking of attending in 1996, the dates are Feb. 7-11.
If you can’t wait that long to see plenty of flowers and other home and garden items, head for the Spokane Convention Center next weekend for the Spokane Home & Garden Show. It opens March 31.
For free: To demonstrate support for National Craft Month, the manufacturer of needlecraft products, I.M.C. Needlecraft, is offering free needlecraft kits.
The kit has a floral design and includes yarn or floss, printed canvas or cloth, a needle and instructions. To get one, send $1 for postage and your name and address to: Floral Craft Kit, PO Box 11, Garnerville, NY 10923.
Timely tips: From the authors of “Ten Tips to a Money-Making Garage Sale,” Diana Rix and Monica Rix-Paxson, here’s some advice for planning your spring sale: Plan the date at least two weeks in advance.
It’s best to have the sale on a three-day weekend.
Invite everyone you know, including co-workers.
Run your classified ad the day before and through the sale.
Clean the items before the sale.
Items should be priced at least 20 to 30 percent off the replacement retail value.
Sell as many things as you can.
Have fun.