It’s a rare opportunity to have a  tree stump large enough to hollow out and build a feature like this.

Daniels Wood Land makes something a little less restrained (though they do custom work and I speak from experience when I tell you that they are great to partner with).   When I worked with them, all of their play structures were built on real stumps sourced responsibly in California wilderness’s but after a visit to their website,  it looks like they have now moved on to fabricate stumps (Huge tree stumps presumably not being an easily renewable resource.). Personally, I think the fairy garden house above is an appealing folly feature (if you are lucky enough to have an enormous stump in your garden) but (maybe it’s because my own kids have gotten a little older) the appeal of the pirate ship below is a little beyond me.  What do you think?

akes Daniels Wood Land.

Here is a little inspiration for you that I found over at Cretique (click for more images).  It has me thinking of garden buildings that have the roof built inside the structure, play structures that are knitted, and Lincoln log- like construction…as well as jaw dropping coolness….

Hakone Pavilion. Woods of Net Tezuka Architects, Hakone – Japan. Photography by Iwan Baan.

Click through for more images.

Each handmade to your custom specifications these Pacific Northwest cedar swings are a beautiful addition to any garden.  I love the double swing – in both adult and child size as well as the jumbo size that allows two to sit side by side without the extra rope in the middle.

Breezy Swing prices are reasonable and you can choose, size, paint finish and paint details, and rope length

Today’s daily garden caught my eye for this one feature…the modern sandbox/ firepit.  It is a genius dual purpose feature for this pretty modern family garden.

This clean and serene space was designed by Thuilot.

I love when gardens are created to be so uniquely relevant to their creators.  This putting green is actually quite pretty and I can imagine a sweet family hanging out having a meal, playing golf – everyone together.

Images and Design by Garden design Inc.

I spent the weekend outside….the upside, my garden has a beautiful new split rail fence surrounding it….the downside….my face (specifically my chin and neck), arms, legs, scalp and even my back (biting through my shirt) are covered with the itchiest swollen welts you have ever seen.   I am a bug magnet — I take it for the team….my husband who was by my side the whole weekend, has but 2 bites that he got late Sunday afternoon….Ugh.

I have optimistically plunked down over 70 dollars to buy a whole case of crocodile insect repellent made just north of here in Keene, NH.   I am hoping this is the non-DEET savior that I seek.  Besides the fact that OFF simply didn’t work against the Black Flies this weekend, the stuff horrifies me…I don’t like the smell, the way it feels on my skin or the thought of loading myself and my little people up with unknown and probably harmful chemicals.  I was spurred by the list of testimonials on the crocodile site and by this impassioned reference from About.com editor Dawn Hawthorne the Florida travel guide….she should know right?

I will let you know if it is all it is cracked up to be….but I am hopeful that the extract of Rosemary, Sage, Feverfew, Wormwood, Lavender, and Thyme in Eucalyptus, canola and caster oils will be be as good as it sounds.  In the mean time, does anyone have a good remedy for two day old (and worsening by the minute) black fly bites on your face?