It’s actual winter in Dallas for once - i.e. 12″ of snow last weekend and weeks of consecutive cold temperatures. So, of course, I’m thinking of summer. When actual summer gets here, mosquitoes will remind me of why I don’t really like summer. But, until then I will fantasize about this lovely patio set from Target and Smith and Hawken. Right now the whole set (including canopy) is marked down to $851.

Succulents are some of the most simply beautiful plants you will ever find. That makes this simple wood-slat window box the perfect place to put them on display.

This vertical garden doesn’t just grow herbs, it also composts food scraps with a little earthworm farm and, when mixed with water, creates liquid fertilizer that helps the plants grow.

Nothing brings on a bad mood like the first Monday after a long holiday. But this bad-attitude doormat cheered me up significantly. And it’s from Target, which makes me love Target all the more.

Designer Chris Chapman has taken all of the hassle out of vegetable and herb gardening. Instead of spending hour bending over your garden planting seeds individually, you can simply unroll these pre-seeded and fertilized mats. The cardboard bio-degrades allowing the seeds to germinate.

Via Boing Boing.

I live in a drought-prone area where the city has a pretty aggressive campaign targeted at saving water. I’ve often heard of people setting out rain barrels to catch water for their gardens, but the ones I have seen are always huge an hard to manage.

But, this vintage-style Rain Collector comes with a spigot and matching watering can. I think I could handle that.

These photos from a Swedish garden contest make me want to dig a moat around my ground-floor apartment. I’m pretty sure the landlords would not be appreciative.

The subject of windchimes recently came up and I have found that a lot of people really hate them. I’ve even heard of people who refused to buy a house because a neighbor had too many windchimes. Now, personally, they don’t really get to me. In fact, some of them are quite pretty. But I’ve never put any up for fear that my neighbors (and I live in a pretty high-density area) will be annoyed. On the other hand, these beautiful ceramic jellyfish from Mud Puppy can be hung inside or out, have hemp tentacles which dance in the breeze and are absolutely soundless.

How awesome would this be in your kitchen? I guess the pot rack would have to make room, but fresh herbs are a lot better than a bunch of clunking copper sauce pans any day.

These Sky Planters use a “ground breaking internal reservoir system” to deliver water - so no drips or leaks. My only question - how the heck are they keeping the plants from falling out?

Via SwissMiss.

There are so many things about this Harmony Beach Pod that don’t work for me. Like the burgundy and gold upholstery and the dark color of the wicker. Yet I can’t help but imagine how awesome it would be to kick back in one of these with a book and a glass of lemonade (which is the bar I set for summer relaxation).

The good news is that if I do break and buy one of these for my backyard, Target has it marked down from $699 to $350. So maybe I could justify a little reupholstering.