In keeping with small yards, the first bungalow landscaping often included plants that were useful as well as attractive such as dwarf fruit trees. They used currants and blueberries as hedges or border plants and arbors and trellises to support grapes and scarlet runner beans as well as roses. You might try ornamental vegetables like ‘Rainbow’ chard or a handsome herb like curled parsley. If you are the kind of person that likes things to be kept simple, you will enjoy bungalow landscaping. Bungalow landscaping can be kept as simple as you would like. After all, what you want is for your bungalow to look tidy!

You just purchased a bungalow, and as such you would like to have it landscaped. You have decided that you would like to landscape it yourself. However, your yard is small, so you are not sure how to go about doing bungalow landscaping. Thus, what you need is bungalow landscaping ideas.

About Bungalow Landscaping

The first thing you need to consider is the dimension of your yard. Wherever you have the most room is where you should start with your bungalow landscaping. If you have more room at the front of your house, consider using flowers.

You might prefer flowery bushes to actual flowers, but the reality is that since your bungalow is small you do not want the bushes to get too big, and thus become a problem to maintain. Thus, it is best to keep it simple with flowers.

You can either use potted plants in your bungalow landscaping, or you can plant the flowers in the ground. Whichever you choose, be sure that you do not overdo it. For example, if you have a front walkway, plant flowers on either side of the walkway as borders. If you choose to have flowers in pots, place a pot on either side of your front doorway.

When it comes to backyard bungalow landscaping, consider having a small garden. The garden could be any kind of garden that you would like. If you have a particularly small backyard, do not be dismayed, because a garden can be any size!

Use annuals: alyssum, browalia, calendulas, cornflower (Centaurea), larkspur, nasturtiums, nicotiana, petunias, sweet peas. For containers and hanging baskets: miniature morning glory, nasturtiums, Petunia integrifolia.

Other perennials: asters, balloon flower (Platycodon), bellflowers (Campanula), bleeding heart, bee balm, chrysanthemums, coreopsis, daffodils, daylilies, delphiniums, iris, lady’s mantle, lamb’s ears, lavender, lupine, phlox, primroses, salvia.

When the time comes to mow the grass, be sure that you use a small lawnmower. This is because larger lawnmowers are harder to maneuver around smaller yards. If you have an especially small yard, consider getting a hand mower, which is a lawnmower that does not require gas, and instead requires you to push it along to cut the grass. They are not expensive and provide good exercise.

For more information on bungalow landscaping, go to your local garden center and ask for advice. Or, you can search the internet, since there are a variety of websites that have to do with that topic. With the proper research, you re sure to find the right bungalow landscaping ideas!

In all, remember that the house and garden should be “of a piece,” with colors and construction materials a harmonious whole.

Bungalow-style homes are popular around the world because they’re so adaptable – they work just as well in luxury planned communities as in affordable urban areas, often with little or no change to the floor plan. With so many possible uses, Bungalows will likely be one of the 21st century’s enduring home styles, just as they were throughout the 20th century.

Unlike other building styles that can be seen in commercial and industrial settings, Bungalow architecture was developed solely for homes. The style originated in India, where homes built with a wide veranda were referred to as Bengali, an elliptical phrase for a “house in the Bengal style.” Traditionally, these homes were built with thatched roofs and bamboo framing, and were often occupied by large families. Indian Bungalows usually occupy one or one and a half stories, and are often seen as a status symbol. The simple, elegant design of these homes makes them a pleasure to live in as well. British colonialists also popularized Bungalows in Singapore and Malaysia during the early 20th century.

Modern bungalows can look quite different than traditional ones, although the basic idea is the same. These homes accommodate their owners with a minimum of excess, affording well-planned living spaces and ease-of-movement between rooms. Bungalows typically face the street with a large elevated porch and overhanging roof extending several meters beyond the main house. Other sections of bungalows are also often shaded by an overhang, giving these homes a cozy, sheltered appearance loosely resembling French Creole architecture – this similarity makes sense, as both styles originated in warm, humid climates with high seasonal rainfall and occasional flooding. With their large roofs and porches, bungalows (like French Creole homes) tend to have a larger footprint than most two story buildings, and cost more per square foot to build.

In America, several distinct styles of bungalows, usually tied to a particular region or city, have developed over the past 100 years. Chicago, for example, saw a boom in bungalow construction between 1910 and 1940, quickly giving rise to a Chicago style featuring brick construction (sometimes in decorative patterns), a hipped roof, and a long, narrow floor plan. California bungalows, by contrast, usually had a wider floor plan fronted by a large pillared porch, and a standard roof. Both styles typically included a small second floor with a dormer window.

Bungalow construction slowed in favor of ranch homes during the mid-20th century, but the style has resurfaced in recent years, particularly in golf and man-made lake communities. Golf course bungalows usually occupy just one story, and afford more privacy than larger, more open home styles.

Getting a hotel package deal can save you a huge amount of money on your vacation. If you buy them all separately, you end up with a giant bill. You have to pay full price for your flight, your hotel, and your car if you choose to rent one in your destination. Sometimes it’s impossible to get a lower price for all of it. But, if you look for package deals, you may find one that saves you money.

Usually, you will find the best package options if you’re heading to a popular destination, or a city that attracts lots of visitors. For example, you’re more likely to find a cheap package for New York City than for a small town. Packages exist for most cities – it’s just that the potential savings are greater in popular destinations.

Naturally, you should compare your various options. If you buy a package deal, you’re stuck with specific companies. There might be other companies that offer the same thing for cheaper. Find out about these companies, and see if the total price would still be more than the package deal.

To take advantage of the package deal, you don’t necessarily have to buy airfare, a hotel room, and a rental car. In many cases, you can choose just 2 of those things, and still get a cheaper price than if you bought them separately. So if you’ve got 1 aspect of your trip worked out, it’s worth checking if you can save on the other 2.

You should also remember that most package deals have high cancellation fees. So, if you have any doubts about your trip, you might not want to commit to one. Otherwise, it is a great way to save money and have your entire trip planned so you know exactly where you’re going and how much it will cost.

“A little love nest beside a stream, where red,
Red roses grow, our bungalow of dreams.
Far from the city somehow it seems,
We’re sitting pretty in our bungalow of dreams.”

Thus went the chorus of “Our Bungalow of Dreams,” a song written in 1927 that reflects widespread affection for a building style that swept across America as the 20th century was born. Today these distinctive Arts and Crafts homes still grace cities from California to Cape Cod, retaining the elegance and grace of an aesthetic, social and industrial movement.

The story began in England and was largely authored by William Morris whose home decorating themes stood in almost stark contrast to the guilded and ornate households of the Victorian Age. He, and others, wanted a return to organic simplicity and designs that blended with the natural environment. His decorative arts became integral to a new architectural style that simultaneously developed, sailed swiftly across the Atlantic and was adapted by American builders and designers.

Birth of a Movement
The appeal of Arts and Crafts homes, with their open interior design, low profile and simplicity of line was about much more than style. It was a reflection of social change brought about by the Industrial Revolution. In England, Morris and his mentors bemoaned the effects of mass production and the loss of personal connection to one’s work. They urged return to the craftsmanship of the past, when individuals were invested in the quality – not the quantity – of their work. Morris’s home decorations fully expressed this ideal and used patterns from nature, natural dyes and wall papers made from wood block prints.

At the same time, the Industrial Revolution was slowly changing daily family life in England and America. People were moving to cities for work in factories and families were earning a living – one that allowed an increasing number of people to own a home. Their homes would be simple – no need for servant quarters and grand entryways. Exteriors would be simple and easily maintained. Gingerbread carvings were replaced by natural stone, brick and timber that distinguished several variations of Craftsman homes in America.

America’s Craft Masters and Marketers
The nation gave birth to many accomplished architects whose work exemplifies the Movement РGreene and Greene, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Julia Morgan among others. Wisconsin offered up Gustav Stickley whose woodwork and furniture fully embraced and expressed Arts and Crafts principles. He also published the first of many magazines and catalogs that helped to popularize craftsman homes and d̩cor.

While the work of these noted architects and designers captured attention in the early 1900s – and continues to do so today, it was a more popular medium that made the Craftsman house, the beloved Bungalow, an everyday American dream. Sears and Roebuck Company, Montgomery Ward and other national retailers began selling Craftsman home plans in catalogs, along with materials, blueprints and do-it-yourself kit homes. Sears and Roebuck even included house paint in its kits. Michigan alone had three major companies selling Bungalow and Craftsman kits across America. The costs of the kits ranged from a little over $1,000 to about $2,500.

This mass marketing mirrored other changes in American cities. Roads were being built, streetcars and trolleys were carrying people to an increasing number of white collar jobs and the demand for home ownership soared. Building materials were relatively cheap and the American dream of home ownership was thriving.

American Craftsman Styles
Arts and Crafts homes come in a number of styles. The Bungalow was among the most popular and still prized today. It characteristically has one story, a brick or rock fireplace, a small porch supported by brick or simple wooden columns, and a gently sloped roof. Some Bungalows have a small half-story perched atop the traditional design. Within this broad class are several styles that reflect the use of gables and extended rafters.

The Craftsman home has a more grand scale than the Bungalow. Its two-story design features fine detail work around windows and on eves. Roof rafters are exposed and cut in simple, yet elegant geometric patterns. The Craftsman home was generally larger than the more modest bungalow, with additional bedrooms upstairs and larger common living spaces. Front porches with characteristic columns might span the width of the house.

Yet another popular style in the Craftsman genre was the Foursquare or Box House that was often built on narrow urban lots. The two stories of the Foursquare were separated by a piece of simple trim board and a porch graced the entire front of the home. As with other Craftsman styles, brick, rock and wood used in simple lines embellished the Box House which was one of the most popular kit homes for Sears and Roebuck between 1900 and 1920. Many of these Foursquare homes have become the two-up, two-down apartments of modern American cities.

So popular is the Craftsman home, there was a resurgence of new building in this style at the end of the 20th century. The organic feel of the family friendly homes continues to appeal to people who are building in the 21st century. And, as testimony to the fundamental principle of the movement expressed by William Morris, Craftsmen homes built 100 years ago remain standing and strong. Built with care, attention to detail and dedication to craft, they elegantly stand the test of time.

While bicycling on the highway leading out of Pai in Northern Thailand, I kept on seeing some very attractive signage on the roadside for a place called Pura Vida. The name ‘Pura Vida’ evoked some wonderful memories I had of Costa Rica, where Pura Vida (literally translated as Pure Life) is both a popular greeting and an attitude which is an intrinsic part of Costa Rican culture.

Intrigued by finding Pura Vida in Thailand, I followed the signs and ended up at a small hillside resort located about 5KM from the town of Pai. Built on the grounds of an orange orchard, this charming boutique resort of 8 bungalows has some wonderfully landscaped gardens – the centerpiece is a large pond with water lilies and other water plants.

While admiring the gardens, the owners – a middle-aged Dutchman and his Thai wife- invited me to join them for a cup of freshly brewed hilltribe coffee. Chatting with the Dutchman, he gave a little history of how he ended up in Thailand as a hotel proprietor. Naturally, his decision to relocate revolved around meeting a wonderful Thai lady who later became his wife. Showing me around, I was impressed with the solid construction of the relatively spacious bungalows. When I asked the owner about the name of the resort, he admitted to having visited Costa Rica – sometime later, when he decided to build a small tourist retreat in Thailand, he decided that Pura Vida would be a catchy name for his new place. He’s absolutely right – Pura Vida is a name most tourists will remember.

Pura Vida is one of the newest bungalow resorts in Pai having splashed on the scene in November 2006.

New York City can be taxing for tourists with shoestring budgets. Even a cheap package tour of the city can cost quite a bit, so, this class of tourists can benefit from cheap accommodations in New York. Rest assured as the Big Apple also has a big heart. There is everything for every class of tourist in it.

Cheap accommodations in New York for the budget-minded tourist are suggested below.

Chelsea Savoy Hotel: This is in Chelsea near the subways. It has dining options as well as night-life. A quad room is the biggest attraction in this hotel. It can accommodate four persons at a tariff of $145 to 225 per night. The range in price is available for various rooms with different amenities. Besides the quad room, each room at the hotel offers cable television, goose-down pillows, and an attached bath. The rate includes continental breakfast served from 7.30 a.m. onwards.

Colonial House Inn: This hotel is also located in Chelsea. It features both Economy rooms and Standard rooms on the one hand and Deluxe rooms on the other. The Deluxe rooms come with attached private baths, cable TV, and sinks. The other categories of rooms feature shared baths. Rates range from $80 per weeknight to $140 per weekend night.

Cosmopolitan Hotel: The hotel is conveniently located (in Tribeca) across the street from a subway that connects to tourist destinations within the city. Rooms feature private baths and cable TV. Some rooms feature twin double beds that can accommodate a total of four persons at $159 a night.

The Gershwin: The hotel is located on Murray Hill. Its rooms are clean. It also has a dormitory. Besides these, it also offers suites for families. Rates are $99 and upwards. Subways are located in close proximity of the hotel.

Larchmont Hotel: It is located in West Village. Its rooms feature shared baths and kitchenettes. Each floor has one kitchenette. Except for these downers, TVs, robes, sinks, phones, and Continental breakfast are some of the good amenities in every room. Rates range from $70 to $125.

The Marcel: The hotel is located in the Flatiron District near Gramercy Park. Room service, CD players, Goose-down pillows, and New York City bagel breakfast are some of the amenities offered in its small but stylish rooms. Besides these, a cappuccino machine is available 24 hours in the lobby of the hotel. Subways are close to the hotel. The other good thing about the rooms is that they have private baths. Room rates are $125 and upwards.

The Milburn: The hotel is in the safe Upper West Side family-friendly neighborhood. Rooms feature kitchenettes inside them. So you save money on your food expenses. Children (accompanying parents) stay free in the rooms. Rooms are big and can accommodate up to four persons. Room rates range is $129 to $245.

You can save money by finding cheap accommodations in New York. The money can then be utilized by you on better things!

Sure, replacement windows are a fast and efficient way to maintain your home’s windows. But there are times when restoration is the only sensible alternative. Many homeowners are proud of their old bungalow home’s architectural character, and wouldn’t dream of putting replacement windows in. Even so, drafty winter nights and high energy bills can get old real fast. That’s when it’s time to consider reglazing your windows.

To reglaze, you’ll need to remove the old putty around the glass. This usually entails stripping away some or all of the layers of paint that may have accumulated over time on your window. It’s possible to just sand way the paint locally in order to get the old glazing putty off, but as long as you’ve removed the sash and have it in front of you to work on, you may as well strip all of the paint off. This will have the added benefit of making it easier to open; old windows usually have so many paint layers on them that they no longer slide freely in their frames. Plus you can apply some good wood-preserving primer before re-painting.

Use caution if you are using a heat gun to help strip paint from the sash; you risk the glass breaking from sudden expansion. For this reason also, wear eye protection and gloves during the process. A heat gun will also help in the next step, removing the old glazing putty, but many restoration specialists advise against it, especially if you wish to use your old glass.

When removing the glass, watch for metal glazing points that hold the glass in place. These should be taken out. The glass panes can then be removed for cleaning. Also excess putty can be detached from the sash.

Sashes should be sanded, patched, and primed with an oil-based preservative primer. When the primer is dry, and prior to reinstalling the glass, lay a bead of oil-based glazing putty around the rabbet to seal and cushion the glass. Next place the glass firmly in the window and replace the glazing points. Now you can apply the final glazing compound. Knead the compound for a minute, and roll it in your hands to create a bead of glazing putty.

Place the compound bead along the edge of the glass, then using a stiff putty knife, flatten it against the sash and window. Try to do this in one smooth motion, and avoid going back and forth over the compound bead. Use the edge of the putty knife to remove the excess.

Your reglazed window can be repainted on the inside and outside once the putty has set has set, which is usually after about 48 hours.

The Sun Island Resort & Spa in the Maldives is located on the island of Nalaguraidhoo, one of the many gorgeous tropical islands in this island nation. Sun Island has all the creature comforts and facilities you could need to have a great holiday in the Maldives.

Sun Island Resort & Spa Accommodations
There are four different types of accommodation at this resort: The Deluxe Room, the Super Deluxe Room, Water Bungalow and Presidential Suite. In total, there are 350 rooms and they vary in amenities and comfort depending on your budget. The Deluxe Room, Sun Island’s cheapest accommodation starts from EUR 111 per night, which is quite affordable in terms of the Maldives. For the quintessential Maldives experience, you should choose the one of the Water Bungalows, located on a wooden pier straddling out over the amazing blue waters. These rooms feature direct access to the lagoon, satellite TV and a private sundeck to mention just a few amenities.

Sun Island Resort & Spa Activities
Perfect for couples, families and groups, the resort offers an absolute wealth of activities including boating, canoeing, volleyball, surfing, sailing, snorkeling, tennis court, fishing trips, scuba diving, jet skiing, windsurfing and even crab racing! There are in fact, too many activities to mention, but pretty much anything you can think of, you can do at this resort. The resort’s dive centre offers a variety of PADI-certified courses, day trips and night dives suitable for all levels of diving expertise. The Resort’s Spa boasts all kinds of treatments and facilities including a sauna, gymnasium, beauty parlour, Jacuzzi and massage parlour. The hotel also has comprehensive meeting and conference facilities, in case you want to bring the whole company for an unforgettable team-building experience.

Sun Island Resort & Spa Nightlife
For those concerned with action after dark as well as during the day, this resort will not disappoint. There are nightly events that include karaoke, live music, disco and a traditional Maldivian night with local dancing.

Sun Island Resort & Spa Food & Drink
The resort has 9 restaurants and bars in total, meaning that even if you stay for three weeks, you will never grow tired of eating here. On top of that, all the food is excellent! The restaurant options include a poolside bar, a beach bar, Italian and Japanese over-water restaurant, Indian Restaurant and a Fresh Fish Grill. There are a variety of plans at this resort, including Half Board and All Inclusive, but you should note that All-Inclusive does not mean you can eat at every restaurant. If you are enticed by the variety of restaurants, it’s better to book room-only and pay-as-you-go in the restaurants each night.

If you haven’t looked into buying an outdoor storage shed lately, you may be under the impression that these sheds tend to be drab, boring, ugly, and hard to take care of. And twenty or so years ago, you probably would have been right!

Many of us who are adults now have some memory of an old rusting, dented metal storage shed from our childhoods. Maybe we have bad memories about the shed… it burnt our hands when we touched it, or a bent piece of metal cut us, or it just plain looked ugly.

But those days are far behind us, and you might be quite surprised at what’s available these days in storage sheds. There are actually some new storage shed designs that might look nicer than your house does!

Many new styles of outdoor storage sheds are actually designed to look like small cottage guest houses or bungalows. These come with windows, planter boxes, beautiful doors, windows with shutters, and even a steeple or cupola for the top too.

Some of these new designer storage sheds are such a fantastic addition to a home that many people are even putting electricity in them, and using them for home offices, exercise rooms, serenity rooms for getting away from the family and activity of the main house, garden workshops, hobby and craft workshops, and much more.

With the new styles and designs in outdoor storage sheds comes many other options too. Metal sheds can still be purchased for instance, but they’re much better made these days and much easier to maintain too. Metal sheds often feature double walls for better insulation, and special coatings which make them less susceptible to rust or fading from the sun so you don’t have to repaint them as often to keep them looking nice.

Some metal shed designs come with a vinyl exterior, which reduces the chances of color fading from the sun even further, and almost eliminates the chances of the shed rusting from the weather.

There are many new outdoor storage shed designs made from vinyl alone too. These also tend to have insulated walls, and are excellent choices for almost any type of climate. The don’t leak rain, they tend to handle snow built up well, and they don’t fade or rust from sun and other inclement weather either.

Some of the prettiest, most decorative shed designs are made of wood. These are quite popular because they end up being a garden decoration as well as a useful storage facility. Many of the wooden shed designs are meant to look like small cottages, cabins or bungalows too, so this can add to the overall value of your property.

Wooden shed designs can be painted to match the colors and design of your house as well, which ends up making the shed look more like a guest house or add on to your home. These wooden designs can often be bought in a kit form with pre-treated wood, so they’re long lasting with minimal amounts of care and maintenance too. If you don’t relish the idea of repainting every ten years or so, you can even choose to put siding on your wooden shed to reduce the maintenance needs even further.

Often perceived in the UK as the preserve of the retired or older owners/tenants, single storey bungalow living is often underestimated by tenants and purchasers. Originating on the Indian sub-continent and first seen in the English language in the 17th century the term bungalow has referred to varying types of houses over the years. Depending where in the world you are it may mean anything from a small single family unit of housing with a thatched roof right through to a large dormer, one and a half storey house, with a wide veranda. Bungalows can be found from India and Pakistan to South Africa, the UK and North America (& many stops in between).

In the UK bungalows can be surprisingly good value for money and in some areas where not many have been built there is an increased demand from tenants and purchasers for them. The increasing age of the UK population with more people living longer than ever before the bungalow will become a very sought after dwelling

There are many advantages to single storey living.

o The obvious advantage of having all your accommodation on one storey with no need to climb stairs or move heavy furniture up and down them,

o There is also the advantage of floor space, or square footage – sheer size. Many bungalows were built before constraints on developers limited the size of the houses they could build and so are bigger than equivalent houses. Indeed, to get sufficient living space into a restricted plot area nowadays developers commonly now build over 3 storeys in order to fit in the number of rooms and bathrooms required.

o Compared to a flat you also have your own garden and often a garage or at least car parking spaces.

An example of this is a bungalow I have recently managed in Loughborough where space is certainly not an issue, and it offered much more compared to two or three story properties. The property has a large entry hallway, lounge, kitchen, pantry, utility room, conservatory, 3 double bedrooms, large double garage with separate storage room and a large drive area. With beautiful views to the rear over woods and a lake, this bungalow is quite a rare opportunity for the rental market in this area. The owners are just completing a major refurbishment ready for letting.

So my advice for people who may be either looking for property investment opportunities or are inheriting bungalows from relatives is to consider the option of holding on to these valuable properties and letting them out. Firstly the prospect for capital growth is good, over the longer term when the current economic conditions have eased, as bungalows will continue to be in relatively short supply relatively. Secondly for the reasons explained the rental demand for these will remain strong keeping rents at a sensible level.

Working with a professional, local residential property lettings agent, can also make this a relatively stress free option as they can mange all aspects of letting the property for you.