BC Home & Garden

} Q Q My winter containers are starting to look tired. Is there anything I can do that will spruce them up from now until annual season? JORDAN MCDONALD answers: A great early spring container should include structure, foliage, flowers and filler. Do a quick tidy of your pots: remove anything that is dead, damaged or outdated. Add structure to your container with a tall, slender, freshly cut evergreen or an orange sedge (Carex). Then add some interesting foliage plants such as heucheras, blue fescue or sedum 'Angelina'. Try spring bulbs, hellebores, primulas, violas or winter heather for flowers and toss in moss or decorative stones as filler. Work back to front starting with the tallest plant. Make sure the flowering plants are centre stage and close to the front. Cover any exposed soil with moss or stones. Don't skimp on the filler – it is what completes the fresh look. My partner is moving into my condo, which is very bright and feminine. How can we add some masculine touches to balance out what currently looks like a girlsonly club? A GOOD CHICK TO KNOW answers: Welcoming your partner into your home is a fabulous opportunity to grant fresh eyes to your decor. It's often the juxtaposition between masculine and feminine elements that creates a well-balanced space. One of our favourite ways to tone down the femininity and add visual interest is to incorporate industrial pieces (vintage or reclaimed items will also add a sense of story to your home). In condos, try industrial shelving (1). Custom pieces can be created for a reasonable cost and provide personalized storage options while adding a cool and more masculine backdrop to showcase your treasures (2). At AGCTK we love to support local talent – our go-to guys for super cool custom industrial pieces are at Shop Wrong (1192 E. Hastings St., Vancouver) and Union Wood Co. (503 Railway St., Vancouver). Another easy injection of industrial chic is through lighting (3). Even the most feminine of rooms can achieve "gender balance" with the right light choices. Oversized metal lighting creates a bold statement without having to give up your best girly pieces. Try wall-mounted bedside sconces in lieu of table lamps as another sweet space-saver. A local gem to find stellar industrial lighting (and maybe a custom piece if you ask nicely) is Space Lab (1847 Main St., Vancouver). PHOTOS Tracey Ayton 1. 2. 3. PHOTO (portrait) Dennis Green SEE Jordan create a spring container at bcliving.ca/container-expert April 2013 BC HOME & GARDEN | 55 p54-57_AskTheExperts.indd 55 13-03-14 11:40 AM

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