I saw some really cool looking outdoor LED lighting products at the 25th Annual Fall Atlanta Home Show recently.

The LED landscape lights (made by RedBird Industries) weren't the only cool thing we spotted at the show...by a long shot. There were all manner of innovative products and loads of really interesting ideas just begging to be noticed. We left the show with a bag full of literature on...well...you name it and I've probably got a pamphlet or business card on it.

The three main reasons that the RedBird LED Lighting booth caught my eye were:

unique LED lighting solutions

the sheer brightness of the lamps themselves

the LED lights on display practically covered the full color spectrum.

I've begun to notice that more and more homeowners are putting the finishing touch on their landscapes by having concrete landscape curbing professionally installed. As you might imagine, I never see it installed in new homes...only homes that have mature or somewhat mature landscapes.

If you choose to have landscape curbing installed, it's a sign that you are fairly sure that you are happy with your landscaping end result and ready to end this chapter. Although...are you really ever sure that you're truly finished? That's a question that only you can decide.

The HGTV 2008 Green Home is a shining example of how to build a beautiful eco-friendly home. If you weren't already aware, the 2008 Green Home was built just outside of Hilton Head Island (HHI), SC  where developers and builders are creating an environmentally responsible community called Tradition Hilton Head.

We've vacationed on HHI quite a few times over the years and this year was no different. We were there just a couple of weeks ago to bask in the sunshine and swim in the surf. The weather was almost perfect the entire time and the bugs weren't in full force yet so the timing was right on.

I had planned all along on making my way to Tradition to visit the Green Home at some point during our stay, even though I knew the tours had ended already. I was hopeful that I would somehow be allowed to see the home one way or another. Was I successful?

Concrete cinder block walls are sturdy and easy to build, but can often be unattractive when compared with the rest of your home. By covering the wall with surface bonding cement, you can increase the water resistance of the wall as well as the durability while creating a uniform surface that will blend with most architectural styles.

While many people may think that stucco should be used on a cinder block wall, surface bonding cement is actually what should be used. A good surface bonding cement will contain fiberglass as well as acrylic to further enhance the strength and flexibility of the product. These additives also make surface bonding cement easier to work with for first time users.

A month ago my wife and I were attending the 2008 Sandy Springs Society Home Garden Tour. We picked up our share of unique garden ideas, including one home in particular that  was utilizing rain chains not only for function but for visual and auditory reasons, as well.

Placed in startegic locations, rain chains are very appealing if you enjoy the soothing sound of trickling rain (...who doesn't) and unusual materials fulfilling ordinary needs around the home.

If you enjoy home garden tours, this is the post for you. We attended the Sandy Springs Society Seventh Annual Garden Tour at the beginning of this month that featured 5 extraordinary private home gardens. All proceeds were to benefit the Sandy Springs Society, a philanthropic organization, so it was a win-win for everyone involved. Homeowners got to show off the results of all of their hard work, patrons were allowed to gawk in amazement while gathering landscaping ideas and local charities benefitted from the event.

This was our first Sandy Springs garden tour and it tops our list as one of the best home garden tours we've ever attended. I suppose you'd like to have a viewing. I don't blame you one bit...I'm with you!

I think you know what to do next...

Pooktre tree shaping is a unique eco-art form created, developed and perfected by Peter Cook and Becky Northey in South East Queensland, Australia. Pooktre is a dream made into a reality through inspiration, love of nature, tree finesse (see the photos), persistence and understanding trees and how they grow.