Buying A Used Skid Steer

Writen by Rey Dizon

Skid steers are incredibly useful machines. They are very useful both in their ability to perform a variety of different tasks and their adaptability by being able to maneuver in very small spaces. But they can be a very expansive investment for the smaller business. If you are unsure of the level of work that you will have for it, or are not able to invest the money to buy a new machine, then it might be worth looking at whether you could buy a used skid steer at a good price.

Buying a used skid steer could give you a great saving on the cost of a new one and it might be easier to find one than you think. A lot of the dealers that sell new skid steers also sell used ones. If you are looking for a used skid steer that is cheaper, but you do not have to have the technical skills to know if it a good machine, then this could be the best option for you. Buying a used skid steer from a dealer means that if it goes wrong then you can return it to the dealer for repair. Most dealers will give you a guarantee on your machine and although it will not be as comprehensive as on a new one, it should still give you the cover that you need if your new machine breaks down.

But a used skid steer that is bought from a dealer will usually cost quite a lot more than one that is bought from a private seller. There dealer has a lot of extra costs to cover and this will mean that you will not get it as cheaply as you would from someone who is just selling their surplus machinery.

There are a lot of places that you could try to find a quality used skid steer for sale. There ads in trade magazines that very often useful. You can find a lot of different types in these magazines, but you need to make sure that they are local to you, or you could be losing out on the savings that you make by buying a used skid steer when you have to pay the cost of transporting it. Purchasing a used skid steer can save you a lot of money, but you need to be careful when you are buying to make sure that you get the best deal on the best machine

Skid Steers Sale - Your online resource for skidsteers including Thomas Skid Steer Loaders, and tips on buying used skid steers.

Preformed Ponds Manufactured From New Rubberplastic Composite More Durable And Resistant To Wear

Writen by Gerry Fung

Traditionally, liner kits have presented many difficulties for the beginner pond gardener. Since every liner pond shape is different, pond gardeners must customize their own pond, ensure that it is level, and ensure that it does not have excessive wrinkling. A flexible preformed pond, on the other hand, is easy to install. The flexible preformed shell already has a pre-defined shape, yet it is easily transportable, since a typical folding kit comes in a box that can fit into your car truck (I.e. it is one-sixth the size of a regular preformed kit). Thus, installation involves merely removing the pond from the kit, unfolding it, digging a hole, and inserting the pond shell into the hole.

One common complaint of customers in the past has been that flexible pond shells have been difficult to unfold. To address this problem, as of January 2006, Algreen Products has introduced a new line of flexible preformed pond kits which are manufactured from a novel blend of rubber, nylon, and plastic. Using the new rubber-based composite, Algreen's ponds are now extremely easy to unfold. Because of the flexibility offered by the rubber component, which is supplemented by the stiffness offered by the plastic component, the ponds are also many times more resistant to breakage and wear.

According to Melissa Mulligan, sales and marketing director at Algreen Products, "This new innovation makes our flexible ponds easier to unfold, more durable, and more resistant to wear and breakage this composite will revolutionize the preformed pond business."

Algreen is currently incorporating the proprietary composite material into their line of folding pond shells and streamlets. The new pond shells and streamlets are being introduced in a black colour, and are currently available from www.buypond.com. The composite has also been introduced in their 144 gallon granite pond kits.

Each Algreen pond kit comes complete with:

• A rubber/plastic composite pond shell and streamlet (sizes detailed above).
• A SuperFlo submersible pump with a built-in pre-filter, telescopic riser, and a diverter.
• Fountain heads that allow you to set up a fountain in the middle of your pond.
• Tubing and clamps.
• 2 silk pond lilies.
• A 20-year manufacturer's warranty on the pond/streamlet, and a 2-year manufacturer's warranty on the pump.
• A free SuperGlo underwater light!

For more information about preformed ponds, please go to http://www.gardenSM.com.

Backyard Butterfly Gardening Made Easy

Writen by Faisal Diab

What are the implications of Butterfly Gardening? It is basically the method of cultivating plants and flowers in a garden, so that the delicate and bright butterflies are invited to it. Please your relatives and comrades with these lovely insects. However, ascertain that you have a secure home for them. If one has cats, one should reconsider his decisions, for cats may be the cause of the end of butterflies.

Plan a Butterfly Garden according to your private choice. While planning, the common issues to ponder upon are the dimensions of the garden and the kind of flora and vegetation one would like to cultivate. While choosing a garden of your choice, remember that the garden should have the flora and vegetation that invite butterflies.

It is necessary to discover the types of vegetation and flora, which invite the variety butterflies dwelling in one's locality. The library of the area will provide with this data. Any sort of water is necessary for the formation of the surroundings that will invite butterflies. Birdbaths appear striking. They also help to protect the insects from wandering cats and naughty dogs, by making them remain above the earth. A low, not very deep saucer, hanging from a tree or kept on a stick, will also serve the purpose.

While seeding a butterfly garden, one has to remember how he harmonizes the hues he has selected for his bed of flowers. Even though butterflies are least bothered by the selection of hues, one would hate his garden if it was a jumble of mismatched hues and surfaces. Lavender, Day Lilies, Yellow Sage, Purple Coneflower, Valerian, Daisies, Milkweed, Honeysuckle, Summer Lilac are some of the flowers which invite butterflies, for they are fascinated by flowers with nectar and not pollen.

It is convenient for a few people to sketch and paint a design of their butterfly garden diagram, to discover how their garden would look once completed. It has to be remembered that temperate hues such as red and orange are ostentatious and gaudy. Such hues leave a powerful impression when set in a dominant green backdrop. Hues having a calming and subdued effect, like calm blue and purple, look good against a white background, and generate an appearance of newness and brilliance.

Faisal Diab is involved with an online gardening project that informs and educates the gardening enthusiast through well-written articles. Discover how to get better at Organic Gardening, Indoor, and Vegetable Gardening. http://www.gardening-advice.org

Grow Herbs In Your Garden For Pleasure And Profit

Writen by Hugh Harris-Evans

Herbs can add a touch of magic to your garden with their supernatural associations and practical uses.

Records show that herbs were in use in ancient Greece where they were valued as flavorings and for their fragrance. Certain herbs were also credited with mystical properties. Herbs were introduced into Britain by the Romans who also valued the reputedly supernatural powers of the plants, as well as their culinary and medicinal uses. In Britain, too, herbs became a focus of superstition, reaching their peak of importance in the Middle Ages when every village had its witch, and every witch her herbs and potions. Herbs were also used to combat the witches' powers; garlic, hyssop and wormwood all combated witchcraft and evil spirits.

The medicinal qualities of herbs were even more important. In 1597 John Gerard, the London herbalist and apothecary, published his "Herball", a volume containing 1000 pages with woodcut illustrations of some 3000 plants. A rather smaller collection of some 400 plants was included in Nicholas Culpeper's Complete Herbal first published in c1640 and still available from bookshops today.

For most of us today the main use for herbs will be as flavorings in cooking. A few plants within easy reach of your backdoor so that they are handy for the cook will be well worth the effort. You can even grow a small selection in a container on a sunny windowsill.

Generally herbs thrive on a light and well drained soil. Although herbs can be planted in borders throughout your garden, it is more usual to group them in one place. Many formal planting schemes have been devised ranging from a chequerboard design of alternating square slabs and plants to using an old wagon wheel with plants in between the spokes.

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

Choosing Garden Furniture

Writen by Matthew Anthony

No matter how pleasant a garden is, it is not being enjoyed to its full extent if there is no where for visitors to sit and admire the beauty of the garden. Luckily, few gardeners are willing to sacrifice design for comfort and with the wide choice of garden furniture available today, it is rare to find gardens bereft of furniture. Garden furniture will if anything look great with just about any style of garden.

Indeed, many gardens will provide several different items of furniture so that people have the flexibility to enjoy the garden from a variety of positions. So how does the gardener decide which of these many types of furniture you should be added and to which parts of the garden ? Firstly, they should decide how the garden will be used - formally or informally. Some people entertain a great deal and would use their patios or decks as an extra room for entertaining, while others just want to enjoy the peace and quiet of their gardens. Alternatively the garden may double up as an play area for excitable children.

In order to entertain properly, guest should not be crowded and so plenty of seating is required. If you entertain frequently, you should consider garden benches and deck chairs for more flexibility. Also should you be lucky enough with the climate to serve meals to your guests without leaving your beautiful gardens, then consider a large garden table and chairs so that you have plenty of room. Additionally you will probably need a decent parasol to your garden table so that you can entertain with protection from the sun (or rain).

Protection from the sun is something the gardener should be conscious of and what better way to relax in your garden, than to add a hammock to a shady area in the garden. Remember, that you do not necessarily need to obliging trees as you can fasten the hammock to two four by four posts that are cemented into the ground or you could purchase a hammock stand.

Some people prefer to just soak up the sun and for those people the ideal items of furniture are sun loungers on your patio or deck.

Indeed, a patio or deck doesn't look finished if it is bare of furniture. A patio is complemented well by either wooden, plastic or metal patio furniture. There should have no problems locating the right pieces for your garden patio and be sure to consider a patio heater. A heater can extend your use of the garden both daily and seasonly.

Finally, as you wander through the garden beds, you will find that there are certain places that are ideal to linger in and ponder. These places are ideal spots for benches or a couple of chairs and a side table. You also may want to add a decorative garden bench to any area in your garden that is a bit bland or in need of a focal point.

Matthew Anthony has contributed to several garden related sites including garden furniture and hammocks.

Bonsai Care The Hawaiian Umbrella Tree

Writen by Lee Dobbins

Bonsai trees are dwarf trees that can be a fun and creative hobby. These miniature trees are grown in containers and training and nurturing them is an artistic endeavor that can be enjoyed by most anyone.

One favorite type of bonsai is the Hawaiian umbrella tree. This tree has thick leaves that form a lush canopy. In spring it blooms with red flowers in a wonderful show of color. This bonsai is very hardy and adaptable, and therefore quite easy to maintain.

You can propogate the Hawaiian umbrella tree through both cuttings and seeds. When starting out a plant, you should provide it with full sun so that it can grow a thick dense foliage. Once this is accomplished, you can bring it inside and put it in a sunny window or brightly lit spot. You may find that the tree tends to drop leaves after you move it indoors - don't be alarmed as this is just it's way of getting used to the new environment. Once it is acclimated, it will grow it's lush canopy of leaves again.

While the umbrella tree does not need pinching or training like some other bonsai, it does need regular pruning as the shoots do sprout rapidly. While rather easy to maintain, you must keep a constant vigil against pests and disease.

As with any bonsai, the soil quality for the Hawaiian umbrella tree is key to key to it's successful growth. Plant in a mix of acidic and mildly alkaline soil for best results.

Water is also important and your umbrella tree should be misted and watered about every other day. Don't let the soil dry out as this can have adverse affects on the health of your plant. On the other hand, you don't want to water it too much either! You should soak the soil and allow the water to drain - no standing water and do not let the soil become overly dry. If you see the leaves turning black, this is in indication that you are watering too much, if they tips turn up then you are not watering enough.

Bonsai trees can last a very long time if properly cared for. Many people don't stop at one tree and you can collect and grow several different varieties for your own miniature garden. There are many groups devoted to this hobby where you can share your experience and learn from others.

Although it is fun to share your hobby with others, always keep your umbrella tree away from children and pets because it can be poisonous!

Lee Dobbins write for bonsai.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about the different types of bonsai trees and their care.

Harry Lauders Walking Stick

Writen by Alan Summers

Have you ever wanted to add a completely unique plant to your garden? This week we are featuring a plant that is one of the most unique plants that we have seen - Corylus avellena Contorta, commonly called Harry Lauder's Walking Stick or Contorted Filbert. What makes this shrub so unusual is that the stems grow into contorted, twisted shapes. The branches, twigs and even the leaves are corkscrew twisted.

Every Harry Lauder's Walking Stick was propagated from a single plant that was discovered in an English hedgerow in the 19th century. The branches will add outstanding winter and early spring interest to your garden. They are particularly ornamental in early spring when they are covered with pendulous catkins. Contorted Filbert works well planted as a specimen or as a contrast to more traditional shrubs. The branches can be cut and forced in water indoors. When the catkins dry they can be removed and the naked branches can remain handsome without water for years.

Planting and Care

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick performs well in average, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. Occasional thinning of the branches will help accentuate the contorted form. Expect it to reach ten feet high and wide.

For best results, plant in early spring or fall.

Does best in full sun with some protection from the hottest afternoon sun. Also performs well in full sun and light shade.

Fertilize with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal in early spring and late fall.

Hardy in Zones 5-8

Click here to view Harry Lauder's Walking Stick on the Carroll Gardens website

Alan Summers, president of Carroll Gardens, Inc., has over 30 years experience in gardening and landscape design. He has made Carroll Gardens one of America's preeminent nurseries, having introduced more than 20 new perennials and woody shrubs over the years and reintroduced numerous "lost" cultivars back to American gardeners.

Carroll Gardens publishes a weekly online newsletter written by Alan. It contains valuable gardening advice and tips and answers to customer questions.

Every Saturday, Alan hosts a call-in gardening forum on WCBM radio - 680 AM. For those outside of the WCBM listening area, they can listen to radio show via the internet.

Visit CarrollGardens.com to learn more about Carroll Gardens, the weekly newsletter and the radio show.

About Window Ledge Gardening

Writen by Balaji B

The growing of flowering or foliage plants on window ledges is a form of gardening in which most people can indulge. Those who live in flats, and others who have no gardens, and especially invalids who are confined to their rooms, derive an enormous amount of pleasure from this form of gardening.

Window ledge plants would be more popular if it were not for the fact that a considerable amount of work is involved in filling and emptying the boxes. In addition there is the watering problem, drainage water dripping on to the heads of people in the streets is liable to cause some annoyance. By taking proper precautions in constructing the containers and setting them in position, most of these difficulties can be overcome.

Suitable Window Ledge Plants for a Spring Display

Some of the most popular plants for spring are as follows:

Arabis albida (double variety)

The procumbent stems of this plant are clothed with grey hairy leaves and bear spikes of double, white flowers.

Aubrietia

It is more compact in growth than Arabis and forms a close carpet of blue, pink or purple flowers.

Bellis perennis flore pleno (Dwarf Double Daisies)

These dainty, free-flowering plants are ideal for window-boxes. There are red, pink and white varieties.

Myosotis (Forget-me-not)

This popular spring-flowering plant is obtainable in several shades of blue and forms an ideal carpeting plant for many types of bulbs.

Primula (Polyanthus)

The Polyanthus does not do well in a hot position and should therefore be used for window boxes which are set in a shady spot. These plants make a bright display, and many variously coloured forms are obtainable.

Suitable Window Ledge Plants for a Summer Display

Here again much information can be gained by visiting the public parks in summer, and making notes of the plants used for filling the flower beds... from florists shops many of the plants given in the following list will be readily obtainable. For example :

Ageratum houstonianum (mexicanum)

This is easily recognised by its compact, upright stems which bear small tufts of blue, fluffy flowers. There are numerous varieties in different shades of blue. The plants are compact and the bedding varieties range in height from 4-9 inches.

Lobularia maritima (Alyssutn maritimum)

Commonly called the white or sweet alyssum, this plant is used extensively for edging and carpeting flower beds. The variety Little Dorrit is the most popular. It grows 2-4 inches in height and forms a compact mass of white, sweetly-scented flowers. Lilac Queen and Violet Queen are two excellent varieties of recent introduction.

For edging, the variety Magic Carpet, which has a creeping habit, and forms a profusion of small blooms in many shades of colours, is most attractive.

Begonia semperflorens

For freedom of flowering and for providing a continuous display in summer the varieties of this species of Begonia are unexcelled. The plants grow about 6 inches tall and produce masses of flowers of various shades of red or pink.

Visit http://www.realniches.com/archives/category/gardening/page/2/ to know more about modern indoor gardening.

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Great Use For Straw Bale

Writen by Morgan Hamilton

A straw bale is usually sane as something that has little or no use. But if you were to take a closer look you would see that a straw bale is durable it can be sold for the bedding for animals, landscape supply, and used in construction. They are also on and burned to either get rid of them or provide warmth.

The straw is the plant material that is dry caused by it being left in the fields after a plant has fully matured. Upon the maturation of the plant is harvested and anything that is not used is tossed aside. That is usually the genesis of a straw bale.

One of the main uses for this type of material is construction. A straw bale can actually provide excellent material for constructing low-cost walls that are quite durable and are excellent insulators. The use of bales for construction purposes was used by the states of the plains in the late part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century. These structures are sturdy and many of which have stood the test of time and are still standing. Straw bale construction can and is used to build just about anything you can imagine including homes, schools and businesses.

Of course the attractive aspect here is the affordability of the material. The cost of a straw bale varies though as it depends on what time of year it is. During harvest time is when they are the least expensive as the added cost of storing the bales is factored out. A straw bale must be kept dry otherwise it's rigid integrity will be compromised. One of the main advantages of constructing buildings this way is that it's resistant to fire. The straw is packed very tightly which constrict the movement of oxygen and therefore is very difficult to set on fire.

It is also highly pest resistant. Once again the straw is packed so tightly that pests are unable to pour into it. The plaster that is put on the outside layer makes it so that pests can not penetrate it. The outside layer of plaster also helps to keep out small animals and rodents. Also, that straw has little if any nutritional value so it isn't all that appetizing to the little critters.

You may not have considered it but this type of material can make a very strong and well-built home. The pioneers and settlers on the plains used straw bale or construction of homes and barns for many years with great success.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gardening. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Straw Bale

How To Plant Spring Flower Bulbs

Writen by Seth Miller

Spring is the favorite season of many. It is a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejuvenation. One of the greatest joys of spring is the beautiful assortment of flowers. You can get this joy at home by planting spring flower bulbs. These are bulbs that bloom in early spring while other plants are still developing.

There are many spring flowering bulbs, but some of the most popular are crocus, tulip, narcissus, and hyacinth. These bulbs should be planted before the ground freezes, preferably in late September or early October. This enables them to develop a strong root system before the first frost.

Spring flower bulbs should be planted in an area that drains well. Bulbs will rot in standing water. They must also receive adequate sunshine—at least six hours daily. The soil doesn't need any special treatment, but it should be loose and workable. If you are working a new area, you might want to add some compost or peat moss.

When it comes time to dig the hole, follow the package directions. Most bulbs will require a depth of six to eight inches, but loosen the soil for an additional four inches. Place the bulb in the ground with the pointy end facing up. Pack the dirt firmly and water thoroughly.

Spring flower bulbs require very little care. Simply water them occasionally, and add a mulch cover when cold weather comes. With a little water, sunshine, and luck, you will be blessed with beautiful, fragrant blooms in early spring.

Flower Bulbs Info provides detailed information on wholesale, discount, spring, summer, and fall flower bulbs for sale, flower bulb catalog and company information, and advice on planting flower bulbs. Flower Bulbs Info is the sister site of Flower Delivery Web.

How To Ensure Early Bulbs Bloom Year After Year

Writen by James Kilkelly

I often notice when visiting gardens the great quantities of Daffodils and other early bulbs that we plant to herald in the spring. But how do we ensure we have a great display each year?

The early flowering bulbs

Quite a few seasoned gardeners have had their first horticultural "experience" by the planting of a few Daffodil or Tulip bulbs, thus spurring them onto more adventurous plantings. At the end of April the very early flowering bulbs will come to the end of their blooming season. This group of early bloomers includes Daffodils, Hyacinths, Bluebells, Crocus, Snowdrops and early Tulips. All these bulbs will flower well for any gardener the first growing season but for them to bloom well the following seasons we must give them some care.

Dieback not tieback

All bulbs leaves must be allowed a minimum of six weeks after flowering to die down, so if these bulbs are planted in a lawn that area of lawn must remain uncut for six weeks. Refrain from tying your Daffodil leaves in knots to neaten their appearance, also avoid folding them over and securing with rubber bands. If the bulbs leaves are naturally allowed to die back then they will take in the energy for next years flowering. I would also recommend nipping off the spent flower heads on bulbs once flowering is finished, this will prevent the bulb using vital energy for seed production instead using all that energy to bulk up its food store for next season.

Don't forget to feed

The final tip for blooming bulbs next spring is to feed your bulbs, this is especially important if you have a hungry soil. Apply a foliar feed to the fully emerged leaves before the blooms start to form. Choose a general purpose purpose liquid feed.I would also advise you to feed your bulbs just as the blooms have faded with a granular bulb fertiliser applied around the bulbs base. This is the most important feed they will receive. Ensure this feed has a higher potassium or potash content than nitrogen content. Apply according to the manufacturers instructions and heed safety warnings.

James Kilkelly runs a professional garden design service in Galway, Ireland. He has a regular gardening column in an Irish regional newspaper. Visit his website at http://www.gardenplansireland.com/ He also regularly posts his expert advice to a gardening community at http://www.gardenstew.com/

Article location: How to Ensure Early Bulbs Bloom, Year after Year

Growing Vegetables And Fruit By Organic Gardening

Writen by Bill McRea

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1. One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4. Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion. The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 - 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

5. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

6.A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

7. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Garden Facts also Garden Decor and Landscape Trees Landscaping and Gardening with information and products.

How Do I Go About Selecting The Right Lights To Enhance The Landscape Of My Garden

Writen by Allison Thompson

Over the years many home owners will finalizing many projects that they started around their gardens and one of this projects may involve them using lights to help not just provide ample lighting where required but also to provide an enhancement to their landscape as well. It may be that they just need some lights to brighten up a sidewalk or any other walkway or it might be that they require illumination for that beautiful gazebo that they had built.

But by visiting a local DIY store near to your home you will soon be amazed at the choice of lighting available for your gardens landscape. One of the most popular choices of landscape lighting is the solar powered version. It is quick to install as you do not need to run any electrical wires to them or hook them up to anything in fact if you want you can move them around your garden into the locations where they will most be needed and once winter sets in they can be removed from the garden altogether and stored away until next spring. What an ideal way of keeping your lights as pristine and as new as the day that you brought them by not exposing them to bad weather too often.

Solar powered lights are certainly a real innovative product for the garden as although they contain batteries to give the light at night the batteries themselves are powered by sunlight and because they are sat outside all day they soon become fully charged and ready for use. Often as soon as dusk begins to set in a sensor on them will trigger them to come on and the battery contained inside will certainly have enough power to last the entire night. All you need do is plan where you want them to be and stick them in the ground and enjoy them lighting up the landscape of your garden each night. Another benefit that many people have found with having solar powered lights in their gardens is that they don't have to remember to turn them as they do that themselves automatically.

But as previously stated landscaping lights do not only serve to provide light to your garden, but they can also be a decorative feature as well. There is such a large assortment of lights now available for the garden to choose from and it all depends on what you have in your garden as to where the lights will be in order to draw people's attention towards certain features (such as a pond or statute) that you may have in your garden. For example if say you had an majestic old tree in your garden what a wonderful way of showing all its glory off to those who see at night by directing a light towards it and illuminate it in all its glory.

However, whenever placing lighting within your garden you should always take some time to decide where you want to place them as it really depends on what type of look you are trying to create in your own garden. It is better to go for more subtle lighting within your garden as you don't want to upset the neighbours by going overboard and too much lighting will make a garden look harsh, whilst just enough will provide you with the lighting you require, but still allowing corners and areas of the garden to remain a mystery to your visitors. It is also advisable if you can to visit either a local garden centre or garden show as the professionals there will be able to provide you with essential tips for making the best of the space you have.

Allison Thompson a work from home mum living in Spain with over 15 years experience in the property management field. She has set up a number of site relating to property matters as well as being the partner in a small real estate company. The sites she has set up deal with all aspects of property and how to make the most of what you have both inside and outdoors. The latest site she has added relates to Landscape Gardening and if you would like to know more please visit www.landscaping.oneohtwo.info.

Basic Gardening Transplanting Potted Plants Into The Garden

Writen by Jonathan Johnson

When you bring new plants home from the nursery or receive them via mail-order, it is very important to unpack them immediately. Damaged leaves or branches should be clipped off. Place the plant in a protected, shady location and water thoroughly. Water should seep from the drain holes in the pot and the plant should feel "heavier" after watering. It is a good idea to wait 24 hours before planting to allow the plants to fully hydrate and adjust to their new environment.

Once you have decided where a plant belongs in your garden, dig a hole at least twice as big as the size of the pot. For larger planting, it may be more efficient to till or turn a portion of the bed. You may want to mix compost or potting soil with your native soil to improve root growth. Place enough of the mixture back in the bottom of the hole and tamp it lightly so the new plant will not be potted too deeply.

Gently remove the plant from its pot. It may help to tap down lightly on the top rim of the pot or squeeze its sides.

Place the plant in the prepared hole. Add or remove soil mixture under the root ball to insure that the top of the root ball soil is at the same level as the surrounding soil. Planting too deep can kill the plant!

Once you have determined the plant's original soil level is level with its surrounding ground level you can begin back filling around the plant. Work your soil mixture in firmly with your fingers between the root ball and the surrounding hole until you have reached existing ground level.

Finish the planting by applying a 2"- 4" inch layer of mulch extending the mulch a foot or more in all directions. Good mulch choices include shredded bark, pine straw, or even stones. Mulch will shield the roots from the hot sun, help retain moisture, and discourage weed growth.

After planting immediately water thoroughly and at least weekly until the plants become established. If leaves show signs of wilting, but the soil is moist, you can mist the foliage lightly. Fertilize 2-4 weeks after planting.

Cottage Farms Direct Check us out at http://www.cottagefarmsdirect.com Click here to determine your hardiness zone: http://www.cottagefarmsdirect.com/hardiness.asp

Outdoor Lighting

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Appropriate placement of outdoor lighting increases the aesthetic and architectural beauty of an establishment. Imagine going around in circles looking for a house in a darkened street or searching for your child's toy in the backyard or patio. Without proper outdoor lighting, you will have lost your way.

There is a difference between outdoor lighting and illumination. Outdoor lighting should be acceptable with proper placement and usage. Decorative and commercial outdoor lighting works in landscaping and highlighting certain areas differing for homes, commercial areas, decks and sports arenas. One cannot have low voltage outdoor lighting for tennis courts or exteriors of shopping malls, hotels or restaurants. Strategically-placed outdoor lightings complement the design of the establishment and provide an aesthetic ambience.

Finance is a major consideration, and before going in for outdoor lighting on a limited or large scale, we need to assess our requirements. The basic function of outdoor lighting fixtures is to provide safety and accessibility and designs and size of lighting fixtures should complement the function. One can select fixtures such as accent lights, spotlights, floodlights, backlights or decorative outdoor lights on basis of outlay of building. Certain outdoor lights are automatically triggered by motion and are moderately effective in safeguarding property. These motion-detecting lights can be connected to a camera, alarm, or other security devices.

Whatever form or type of outdoor lighting we use there is no need to splurge as over lighted places are health hazards and an unnecessary waste of resources. A commercially viable alternate to traditional outdoor lighting is solar lights for home or public use. The fixtures, mode or design of outdoor lighting is similar to gift wrapping enhancing the value of object inside.

Outdoor Lighting provides detailed information about outdoor lighting, decorative outdoor lighting, low voltage outdoor lighting and more. Outdoor Lighting is affiliated with Gazebos.

Greenhouse Watering Tips

Writen by Mike Conley

Watering is likely the most time consuming, but yet important task of maintaining a greenhouse. Watering too much or too little could cause you to lose the very thing you have worked so hard to grow, your crops.

What's The Best Time to Water?

Like your grass, it is always best to water in the evening or early morning. Watering during the hot daytime hours will cause burning.

Over watering your plants is also dangerous and will eventually kill your them. You must find the proper balance between too much and not enough water. As you become more experienced, you will learn the best watering cycles for your plants.

When growing plants in soil-less composites, they will dry more quickly and require more water than other plants. The larger and older a plant is, the more water it will require when compared to a younger, immature plant. When plants begin to droop, that is a tell tale sign they are thirsty. During the dormant seasons of January and February, your plants will require less watering.

Watering By hand

Determining how much moisture is in a plant pot can be difficult, particularly if the compost is peat based. A common way to determine the moisture content is to gently press you fingers into the soil mixture. Another common method is to use a moisture indicator. Placing these devices in just a few plants will serve as a general indicator as to the over all moisture content.

Hand watering is beneficial to larger, more mature plants. It is recommended to further break the force of water from a can by wrapping a cloth around the end. Smaller plants and seedlings must be watered with a very gentle spray. You may want to try a spray bottle for watering these types of plants.

In a personal or a small commercial greenhouse, watering by hand is still the most prevalent method used to water plants. However, more and more crops losses due to improper watering methods may force growers to change their methods.

Overhead Spraying

Watering by hand is time consuming so many growers prefer to use an automated overhead spraying system. There are many tubing designs available that make perfect overhead systems when suspended from the roof. There are one and two sided sprayers, you will need to determine which best fits your needs.

Watering Alternatives

If you can not or do not want to spend money on specially designed watering systems with reservoirs, there is an alternative. Go to your local hardware or garden supply store and buy a lengthy piece of plastic guttering. You will also need a capillary mat. Capillary mats allow the plants to be watered from the base of the pot. Using the gutter as a reservoir, insert one end of a capillary mat. Just place you plants on the mat and make sure the gutter is always filled with water.

If you prefer, low cost drip system kits can be purchased. These kits typically come with six to eight drip valves which can be easily synchronized. A few even have adjustment capabilities.

If you can afford to, it is best to have an automated watering system. If you are a part time hobbyist, or an owner that is often pulled away for short periods of time, these systems are invaluable. Timers and sensors can be adjusted to meet your individual needs to keep your plants healthy.

Mike Conley is an accomplished Webmaster and publisher of http://www.Free-Greenhouse-Plans.com/ where he provides information on greenhouse plans and maintenance.

An Introduction To Insects

Writen by Damian Sofsian

It has been said that insects are the most successful life form on the planet. We have gone through many evolutionary changes but one thing remains the same - the insect.

As much as you try to avoid these creatures, there isn't a place on earth where they do not exist. On the sea, you can find seashore collembolan and marine flies on the surface. While beneath the surface, small larvae of beetles and true flies live and swim. Even in the cold depth of Antarctica and the Arctic, you will find some insects living and very much active during the 'warmer' months. You could even find larvae of the psilopa petrolei, a kind of fly, alive in pools of crude oil.

Some insects are also a little bit scary because of their size and features. The Acteon beetle from South America measures 9 centimeters long, 5 centimeters wide and is 4 centimeters thick. Also found in South America is the South American Longhorn Beetle, which measures over 16 centimeters (the antennae are not even included in this measurement!) can look very intimidating. While a stick insect called Pharnacia kirbyi has a reputation of being the world?s longest insect.

Even though some insects are big and scary, a number of insects are so small that they measures less than one millimeter in length. A feather wing beetle from North America, called Nanosella fungi, measures .025 millimeters while another Alaptus Magnanimus, a fairy fly, is .21 millimeters long.

Several insects also travel in big numbers. A swarm of locust is known to destroy field crops in just few hours. The swarm may contain up to 28,000,000,000 locusts. That?s over 70,000 tons of locusts!

Insects provides detailed information on Insects, Insect Repellants, Insect Bites, Dangerous Insects and more. Insects is affiliated with Ring Worm.

Tips For A Long Lasting Amaryllis

Writen by Briscoe White

An amaryllis grows from large bulbs. In fact, the bigger the bulb, the larger the flower. Always buy a names variety.

The Growers Exchange carries the following:

- Appleblossom – Light pink and white striped

- Christmas Gift - White

- Oscar – Red

- Byon – Salmon

- Dwarf Amaryllis

o Picotee – White with fine red edge

o Pamela – Brilliant Red

- Extra Large Bulbs

o Christmas Gift – White

o Liberty

POTTING : An amaryllis bulb should fit snugly into its pot, therefore choose which pot will allow a 1" margin around the bulb. Layer the bottom of the pot with ½ " of gravel, and the bulb should be ½ way out of the soil. Use a good commercial potting soil, and make sure to firm the soil around the roots of the bulb. Water the soil well, and allow it to drain. Do not water the bulb again until you see the first signs of growth. This will vary from within a few days to a few months. The first sign will be a flower bud, and once this is evident, begin a routine of:

- constantly moist soil

- mild temperatures (nights in the 60's)

- sunshine

The blooms should last for about one month.

AFTER-CARE: If you want to ensure a healthy, blooming plant next ear, it is important to take care of your amaryllis after the show. Keep the plant in the sun and feed and water while the foliage grows. As the leaves turn yellow, cut them close to the top of the bulb. Stop water and food and give them a month or so of rest. To promote growth, wash away 1" of the old soil and give your bulb a new batch of top soil with ½ tsp. of bone meal.

In 1985, Briscoe White opened The Growers Exchange in an abandoned Texaco station on a busy urban street corner in Richmond, Virginia. The facility has grown over the years, and is now 5 distinct growing environments with 5 acres under cover. Briscoe has over 25 years of gardening experience. For further information on flower gardening products or gardening tips please contact Briscoe White at bwhite@thegrowersexchange.com

Need Landscape Design Help This Is The Time To Plan For Spring

Writen by Yvonne Cunnington

The great thing about landscape designers is that they help expand your horizons and present you with exciting possibilities. Professional designers spend every working day solving problems most of us only face once or twice a lifetime - no wonder they have better landscape design ideas than we do!

A landscape or garden designer has knowledge and training on plants and landscape construction and can provide you with drawings, construction details and lists of suppliers and plants. Landscape architects have a degree and belong to a licensed professional association; they generally do higher-end residential or larger commercial projects. Be sure to check credentials, references and ask to see a portfolio.

Designers and landscape architects can help the process of finding a contractor, getting permits and overseeing your project to completion.

Landscape design costs

It's difficult to generalize about fees, as they vary quite a bit, depending on where you live, the experience and training of the person you hire, and the scope of your project. A full landscape design (drawings showing landscape features and planting plan) can range from a couple of hundred dollars to over $1,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the design and the overall budget of the project.

Landscape designs for free? Too good to be true?

Be careful when garden centers or contractors offer "free" design services. They may be more interested in selling their plant inventory than creating a design that meets your needs. And the people hired to do these designs are generally not as experienced as someone who has invested time and training to become a professional landscape designer. Nothing is really free: design costs are built into the mark-up on plants and materials.

You say formal, I say casual

Be as clear as you can about what you want – a good reason to have pictures on hand. Garden magazines are full of inspiring ideas. Be upfront too about how much you have to spend. Professional landscaping usually costs a little more than you think it will.

Think ahead, way ahead

Every spring, landscape madness grips every neighborhood in the country. "Let's do that project we've been thinking about," everybody says, all at the same time.

Spring fever means that landscape designers and contractors are run off their feet. If you want your work done early in the season, contact landscape pros the previous fall or in early winter – they'll love you for it – and you'll have their full attention.

Fall can be a much less hectic time to have a landscape project done – and it's still warm enough for construction and planting in many parts of the country. Of course, if you're lucky enough to live where winters are warm, landscape projects can be spread over more months of the year, but even so, spring is still a busy time.

Garden writer, photographer and lecturer Yvonne Cunnington gardens on a country acreage, where she has plenty of space to try out the new plants and garden design ideas that she writes about. She is the author of a book for beginner gardeners, Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless. For more gardening tips, visit her website, http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com | For more garden planning ideas, click on http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/landscape-design.html

Waterfall Ponds

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

When a waterfall is built outdoors, the best thing to increase its appeal is to have a pond at its base. The pond may be large or small, depending on the space the landscape provides, and may house plants, fish or both. Such waterfalls are ideally built of stone, so that they seem in harmony with the naturalness of the pond. They may have two or three steps in their cascade so that the water bounces repeatedly before finally falling into the pond.

Constructing the pond requires much care. Its size must be taken into consideration. Pond waterfalls are placed away from trees to prevent their leaves from falling into the pond and cluttering it. Also, they are sloped in such a way to prevent rain runoff from emptying into them. Their depth depends on how many fishes and plants are to be housed there.

The pond is dug in a step-like formation. The coastal area is shallower; the middle is deeper. The pond must be lined with a polyvinyl material, or concrete, to prevent the water from seeping into the surrounding soil. This lining must be further camouflaged with a layer of bed soil. Then water is filled into the pond. The pond itself also has a pumping unit to keep the water circulating.

Waterfall ponds are housed with plants such as water hyacinths, water lilies, cattails, arrowhead and others. Plants generally occupy two-thirds of the surface of the pond to provide shade to the fishes. Local fishes may be ideally selected as they are better suited to the habitat. Alternatively, there may be goldfish. Ponds also contain snails and tadpoles to eat away the algae.

Ponds are usually constructed simultaneously with the waterfall. The whole thing will require a lot of space in the garden or the backyard, so proper planning is required. However, a completed pond waterfall adds immense aesthetic value to the landscape.

People may construct their pond waterfalls themselves if they have the time and the inclination to do so. If not, there are several landscape designers who can be hired for such a job. It is necessary to seek permission of the authorities before digging in the ground, and also ask utility companies if they have any underground cables running through the landscape. The costs of pond waterfalls may run into several hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on their size and the organisms they contain.

Waterfalls provides detailed information about waterfalls, indoor waterfalls, waterfall gardens, waterfall ponds and more. Waterfalls is the sister site of Preformed Pond Liners.

About Hummingbirds And How To Attract Them To Your Garden

Writen by Lesley Dietschy

Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving from flower to flower in search of the tasty nectar within. These beautiful and tiny birds weigh about 2 to 20 grams and are found in a wide variety of environments from the high Andes to lowlands, and from dry desert areas to rainforests. They have slender beaks, extensible tongues, ten primary feathers, and tiny feet suitable for perching but not walking.

Hummingbirds can fly straight up, straight down, backwards, left, right, and even upside down. While most birds obtain their flight strength only from the down stroke, hummingbirds have power on the up stroke as well.

Most hummingbirds flap their wings about fifty times a second and have a very fast heartbeat and high body temperature. They feed every ten minutes or so throughout the day and typically consume two-thirds of their body weight in a single day. Their source of nutrition is primarily nectar from flowers, as well as sources of protein from insects and tiny spiders.

The key to attracting hummingbirds to your garden mainly consists of the right type of flowers and places where they can perch and rest during the day, such as trees or large plants. Hummingbirds are guided by visual means and are particularly attracted to certain shades of red. According to The Hummingbird Society, there are several possible explanations for their preference of red blossoms. Given that insects also see nectar, they can be regarded as competitors. Nearly all insects see well in the visible and near-ultraviolet light but poorly in the red end of the spectrum. Also, a red blossom may appear nearly black and unattractive to a number of insects, but not to the hummingbird, which can see the full visible spectrum but also some in the ultraviolet. This makes it less likely that an insect has taken nectar from a red flower. Another likely explanation is that during migration, red blossoms effectively contrast with a green environment more than other colored flowers do.

Hummingbirds are welcomed guests to nearly all gardens. By planting flowering shrubs and plants that are their favored food source, we can easily attract them to become regular visitors to our gardens. Below is a short list of their preferred flowering plants by common name, separated by region:

Southeastern United States:

• Butterfly Bush

• Cardinal Flower

• Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle

• Cypress Vine

• Native Trumpet Creeper

• Texas Sage

Southwest United States:

• Indian Paintbrush

• Lantana

• Lily of the Nile

• Mexican Honeysuckle

• Texas Sage

• Western Coral Bean

West Coast United States:

• Beebalm

• Bottle Brush

• Cape Fuchsia

• Colombine

• Salmonberry

• Woodland Orchard

Northeastern United States:

• Blue Lobelia

• Cardinal Flower

• Hollyhock

• Red Morning Glory

• Salvia

• Scarlet Sage

Midwest United States:

• Coral Bells

• Coral Honeysuckle

• Foxglove

• Hosta

• Impatients

• Lilac

Even though flowers are the natural means to attract hummingbirds to your garden, man-made feeders filled with a mixture of water and sugar (sucrose) are an essential alternative. Sugar, whether from a flower or a feeder, is a necessary nutrient in a hummingbird's diet. Tests have shown that hummingbirds favor sucrose in flower nectar more than other sugars such as fructose and glucose. Therefore, with the proper ratio of ingredients, your feeder becomes a good substitute to the flowers that hummingbirds like best.

The formula for the mixture used in hummingbird feeders is 4 parts water (not distilled) to 1 part table sugar. Boil the mixture for one to two minutes, then cool and store in refrigerator. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Do not use red food coloring, honey, or artificial sweeteners in your mixture, as this could be harmful to the hummingbirds.

If one of your goals is to attract hummingbirds to your garden, a visit to your local nursery is a great starting point. Find an experienced employee who can tell you which species of plants grow well in your area and have a history of successfully attracting hummingbirds. Most importantly, be imaginative and have fun planting and growing your garden to attract beautiful hummingbirds.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.

http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com

http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com

Solar Lights For Your Garden

Writen by Richard Chapo

We all care how our homes appear to others and lighting is a big part of that. Solar lights are a popular and cost effective option for adding a little zing to your landscaping efforts.

Many people enjoy the look of lights in their landscaping. Whether you want to light a path to your door or the area around your pool, proper lighting can heighten your night time enjoyment of your yard. You can choose from several options for lighting outdoors, but by far your best choice in this area are solar lights.

While you can choose from other different powering options for your outdoor lights, such as electric and battery powered, a choice of solar landscaping lights will definitely be the right one. Electric powered landscaping lights may seem economical and easy at first, but then you have to realize that they will add to your homes electric bill, as well as needing many dangerous extension cables and cords in order to obtain their power. Battery powered lights can be safer, but even more expensive, once you figure in the cost of batteries and the time and effort it takes to change them.

Solar lights work by recharging during the sunlight hours, and shining bright with that power at night. Solar panels are located on the lights, and these panels collect solar energy and charge a battery with that energy. The battery, in turn, powers the lights at night, eliminating the need for another power source. This is a very economical and eco-friendly way to light your yard area, and solar lights require little maintenance from you, the home owner.

You also have different options in styles of solar garden lights. Whether you would like to have a hanging solar lamp, a solar flood light above your garage, or even a solar security light that detects motion, there are options that can meet your needs. Solar post lights can be used to line a driveway or garden path to make your yard safer for nighttime use. Solar garden lights are available in a number of different wattages and sizes, so you can choose just what you need for your project. Most solar lights use LEDs, which are tiny but emit a strong light. They also take little energy to power, so your solar powered battery will last longer at night.

Choosing solar lighting for your garden is a great way to help the environment, while you are also helping to beautify your home. These lights can add value to your property, while also making your yard more useful at night – all in the most economical way possible.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power.

Greenhouse Kits

Writen by Jason Gluckman

The age-old experience of farmers is that once you have decided the structure, layout and position of your greenhouse, you can then buy a greenhouse kit to help you through the construction. A greenhouse kit is probably your best option, as it is most cost effective and probably the easiest way to construct a greenhouse.

There are many types of kits, and your choice will depend on the kind of greenhouse you want. The parameters for your choice are the size of the greenhouse, its shape and design, and what you want to plant in it. A greenhouse kit is probably your best option as if you try to build it on your own, the project will be time consuming and expensive.

A greenhouse kit will normally consist of a frame, panels, joineries, vents, windows and doors and most importantly, your bible for the construction, the installation guide. The construction itself will take only a few hours, and all you need to have is a basic home tool kit. The sight of all these pieces in various shapes and forms can be overwhelming, but if you follow the instructions carefully and go about the construction in an orderly fashion, you will be able to finish the greenhouse without major catastrophes. The installation manual will clearly explain what each piece is supposed to do, how to assemble them and how to go about the construction.

If you get stuck, do not worry; the kit dealer will have a customer service division that will be able to guide you. All the pieces of the greenhouse kit should fit together perfectly. If they don't, you should check with the manual to see what went wrong.

Greenhouses provides detailed information on Commercial Greenhouses, Greenhouse Gardening, Greenhouse Kits, Greenhouse Windows and more. Greenhouses is affiliated with Bonsai Pots.

Ornamental Fountain

Writen by Tamil Selvi

The word 'Fountain' is derived from the Latin word 'fontis' which means spring. Fountains add life to your home and joy to your life. Fountains may be wall fountains or free standing. These are available in variety of designs and materials.

The most common fountains are made of copper, bronze, concrete, stone, resin and fiberglass. Let us discuss about each fountain and pick your fountain. Bronze fountains are high end fountains, somewhat costly but they are long lasting and durable enough to be moved from house to house. Copper Fountains have elegant look made of copper with glass and slate. These fountains are bit too expensive. Concrete fountains are inexpensive and long lasting fountains, but it's not portable. Resin and fiber glass fountains are easy to handle than concrete fountain.

The fountains are placed both indoor and outdoor; it gives beauty and seizes attention of all. Many fountains are normally seen in small, artificial decorative ponds, basins and formal garden pools. Wall fountain are trendy with homeowners across all cost-effective segments. These fountains are easily available, easy to install and require less maintenance. Among the wall fountains, steel wall fountains are lightweight and do not stress the walls too much. Wall fountains made of copper are exceptionally stunning and hardy.

Fountains will create calm atmosphere and also soothes the mind of listener. The pleasant flow of water will enhance the serenity and peacefulness of your outdoor areas. Choose the right ornamental fountains for your landscape depending on some features. Consider the size of the fountain you crave, since it has to fit well in the available space. Other than size, materials used, color and price also taken into account.

Keeping most general features in mind we have to choose our fountains. The chosen Fountain should be durable, long lasting, easy to clean and install and it should be decorative.

Tamil Selvi is a SEO copywriter for smdblue.com, She has written many articles in various topics. For more information visit http://www.smdblue.com She can be reached at tamil@searchenginegenie.com

Caring For Your Wroughtiron Furniture

Writen by S. Johnson

Wrought-iron furniture is very versatile and beautiful. The smooth curves and designs can really catch a person's eye.

Surprisingly enough, wrought-iron furniture is very easy to care for.

Check with your supplier to find out if the furniture piece is primarily for use indoors, outdoors, or both and as to the type of finish, if any, that is on your furniture.

For most indoor and powder-finished furniture:

1) Use a regular rag and wash with a mild dish detergent soap and warm water.
2) Always make sure to rinse and dry your furniture thoroughly.
3) On wrought iron with smooth finished, non-matte frames, use of a paste car wax to finish is recommended.

For most outdoors wrought iron furniture:

1) The frames should be washed with a soft-bristled brush and using an automobile type soap. Make sure that you rinse thoroughly.
2) While washing, you should inspect for rust spots or chipping in the finish. If found, simply sand or brush away the finish in that area and repaint. A simple can of touch-up paint will suffice.
3) After cleaning, use of an automobile type wax as a finish. To save time, you could use a wash that has soap and wax mixed together and then just rinse and dry thoroughly. It's recommended to wax you furniture twice a year.

Of course, it never hurts to cover your outdoor wrought iron furniture prior to harsh winter weather.

S. Johnson is the owner of Azeche Co. and creator of http://www.shopazeche.com and http://www.letmeoutdoors.com which are popular shopping sites for all your home and garden needs.

Using The Propagation Technique Known As Budding To Grow Beautiful Ornamental Trees

Writen by Michael McGroarty

Flowering Dogwood trees can be easily grown from seed. However 99.9999% of the seedlings that sprout will be Cornus Florida, which is White Flowering Dogwood. It doesn't matter if you collect the seeds from a White Dogwood or a Pink Dogwood, the seedlings are likely to be white.

The only predictable way to grow a Pink Dogwood, Red Dogwood, or one of the beautiful Dogwoods with variegated leaves, is to bud or graft the desired variety onto a White Dogwood seedling. That's why the botanical name for Pink Dogwood is Cornus Florida Rubra. Cornus means Dogwood, Florida indicates White, Rubra indicates Red or Pink. Cornus Florida Rubra indicates Pink Dogwood grown on White Dogwood rootstock.

Between budding and grafting, budding is the most common technique used in the nursery industry. Grafting is usually done in the late winter months when the plants are dormant. When you graft a plant you remove a small branch (4 to 6 inches) from the desired variety, trim the end of the branch to expose the tissue under the bark and then trim a taper on the end. You then trim the seedling in such a way to match and receive the branch you are grafting on to it. Timing, temperature, and humidity are all critical to the success of the procedure, which is usually done in a greenhouse.

Budding is much easier, and does not have to be done in a controlled environment. Most budding is done later in the summer when the bark on the seedling slips easily. That means that when a cut is made in the bark of the seedling it can be easily pulled away from the tissue layer under the bark. This tissue is known as the cambium layer. Here in the north Crabapples and other fruits are usually ready to bud around mid to late July, while Dogwoods are not ready until late August.

Unlike grafting where you use a small branch to attach to the seedling, when you bud you insert a single bud under the bark. Budding is usually done down low on the seedling, very close to the soil. You can bud up higher, but any new growth that appears below that bud must be removed because it will be identical to the rootstock and not the desired variety.

The budding process is quite simple. Just clip a branch from the tree of the desired variety, this is known as a bud stick because it has many buds that can be used for budding. The buds can be found at the base of each leaf. Look closely where the leaf emerges from the branch and you will see a very small bud. In the fall when the tree goes dormant the leaf will fall off, and bud will remain. The following spring the bud will grow into a new branch.

When you slip that bud under the bark of a compatible seedling, it will grow the following spring just as if it were still on the parent plant, with all of the qualities of the desired variety. Almost all fruit bearing and ornamental trees are grown this way.

Just make a "T" shaped cut in the bark of the seedling. A horizontal cut about ¼" long, with a vertical downward cut about ½" long. The two cuts should intersect at the top of the "T". Don't cut into the cambium tissue, just slice the bark and open it up slightly with your knife or razor blade. Now you are ready to remove the bud from the bud stick.

First clip off and discard the leaf from the bud that you are about to remove. When you remove the leaf, leave the stem attached to the bud stick, just remove the leaf itself. The stem makes a nice little handle to hold on to. To remove the bud from the bud stick just cut into the bark and under the bud, it should pop off easily. Again, don't cut into the cambium tissue, but make sure you are under the bark so you don't damage the bud. Along with the bud you will have a small piece of bark shaped like a tiny banana peel, and the stem from the leaf.

Visit this page for photos of this complete process: www.freeplants.com/budding_fruit_trees_ and_ornamental_plants.htm

Holding the bud by its handle (the stem) slide it into the "T" shaped cut you made on the seedling. Make sure you put it in right side up. The stem and the leaf should protrude through the slit, and the stem should be pointing toward the sky at an angle. Push the bud all the way down into the slit by catching the bark, (not the bud) with the tip of your knife.

Now cut a rubber band so that it is no longer a loop and wrap it around the seedling to close the opening so dirt, water, air, and insects can't get in. Make a wrap below the bud, and a few wraps above the bud. Use a rubber band approx. ¼" wide, and be careful not to wrap too close to the bud, nor too tight.

You don't want to strangle the seedling, it needs to be healthy and happy so the new bud will bond to the cambium layer. Leave the rubber band on until early spring, at which time you should remove it, and clip off the top of the seedling just above the bud. As the plant comes out of dormancy the bud will begin to grow into a new branch just as if it is still attached to the parent plant, except that now it is going to grow upright and form the stem of a tree.

When this new growth reaches a height of 3 to 4 feet, clip the tip off, this will force it to start putting on lateral branches. Once these lateral branches are 18" long or so, you can remove all the growth from the stem below where the lateral branches start. Now the plant should look like a beautiful little tree. And that makes you the proud parent!

With all of that said, today it is possible to grow Pink Dogwoods by rooting cuttings under intermittent mist, however, it is tricky, and my few attempts have failed. ??? Most nurseryman still bud them.

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com

Porch Swing Places Where To Put A Porch Swing

Writen by Kevin Snook

So you've purchased a Porch Swing (or are about to) and you plan to hang it on the Porch? Not so fast!

Where you install your Porch Swing is as much a function of the need you are trying to satisfy as tradition and practicality. If nostalgia is your motivator, then the porch may well be the best place for your Patio Swing. But if you want a "Swing with a View", you might want to consider other options. And what about privacy and solitude? If these are your deciding factors, then you might consider a more secluded area. Finally, if romance is your #1 concern, then the immediate surroundings will factor into the decision of where to put your Porch Swing.

If you bought your Porch Swing because you long for the good old days, then the porch is probably the best place for your swing. It is after all where your memories probably happened. Perhaps you have cherished memories of swinging with Grandma on hot summer days trying to catch a breeze. Or maybe you fell in love as a teenager on your parent's swing. Whatever your memories, to capture the right "feeling", you'll probably want to hang your swing on the porch.

But if your primary concern is have a great view to enjoy, then you may want to consider some less traditional places to hang your Porch Swing. If, for example, you live on the seaside with a great view of the ocean and the passing ships, you may want to build a support to position your swing to face all the action. Or if you love a gorgeous sunset, then being able to see it from your swing may be important to you and this will help you decide on the perfect spot.

If privacy and solitude is more your ouvre, then a secluded area of your garden could be the perfect place for your Porch Swing. You could hang the swing in the shade of an old tree or backed onto thick and tall hedges. You could even build the swing support and then landscape around it to create the perfect place to sit quietly or read.

Finally, if romance is your primary motivation, then a place of beauty will be perfect for your swing. You'll want to consider a spot that is private and surrounded by fragrant flowers and blossoming trees.

Whatever your primary need, you'll be able to satisfy it with a little imagination and creativity. Of course, a good contractor can take care of the more technical aspects of designing and building a support for your Porch Swing.

Kevin Snook is the owner and operator of Cedar Patio Furniture Retailer; http://www.GoCedar.com. GoCedar.com ships Porch Swings free to Homes and cottages throughout the Continental USA and Canada.

Extending Your Growing Season Both Spring Amp Fall

Writen by Jim Kennard

Today I want to assist many of you who are wondering how to extend your growing season for a few more weeks. For some it may be too late, as in high elevations like Randolph, Utah, where it was below freezing more than one night in August, but most of the lower elevations in Utah and around the country are still frost-free as I'm writing this article.

How can you deal with the special challenges of living in colder climates? Several difficult weather conditions make successful vegetable gardening an "iffy" proposition, unless you learn how to protect your plants against them. The Mittleider gardening books are excellent sources of information on this topic. Let's discuss briefly what these challenges are, and how you can successfully mitigate their negative effects.

First off, many places have late spring frosts, which keep us from getting started in our gardens – often until mid or late May. Second, many of us have strong winds throughout the growing season that buffet our plants and dry everything out. Third, others of us face the scarcity and cost of water. And finally, we often have early crop-killing frosts, usually followed by several weeks of mild weather that could support continued growth and harvesting.

So how do you handle the shorter growing season with unseasonable frosts, the constant drying winds, and the lack of water? Let's deal with the wind first, since the solution to that also helps reduce the other problems. To protect your garden's tender plants, build solid fences or plant trees and shrubs between your garden and the prevailing winds - but put them far enough away that you do not shade your garden! Always remember that growing vegetables need direct sunshine all day long. This means that you also want to place your shade trees so as to leave the garden in full sun.

Some of you do container gardening, or raised boxes. When these are subjected to hot winds they are difficult to keep cool and moist. Consider either larger Grow-Boxes - we recommend 18" or 4' wide and up to 30' in length - or growing in the regular soil. Remember that Dr. Jacob Mittleider promises "a great garden in any soil, in almost any climate."

Next is watering. You will save ½ or more on your water usage by following these procedures. And it's amazing how much heat and wind plants can handle if they are properly fed and watered. First, make certain your Grow-Boxes or raised Soil-Beds are accurately leveled, and that Soil-Beds have a 4" ridge around them. Then apply 1" of water right at the soil surface (not by sprinkling!) before your soil becomes the least bit dry – even every day in the heat of summer if needed. This will place the precious water right at the plant roots, and waste none. Finally, automating your watering using ¾" PVC pipes, with 3 tiny #57 holes every 4", will make watering fast, easy, and efficient.

Extending your growing season is accomplished in two ways. Next February and March we'll discuss the first, which is how to grow healthy seedlings in a protected environment and transplant them into the garden after the danger of frost is past. The second thing you can do, even right now if frost hasn't already killed your garden, is to make "Mini-Greenhouses" for covering your plants. By themselves they are good, but with a small heat source they can extend your growing season in both Spring and Fall even more, often by 4-6 weeks.

Use PVC pipe, bent in a capital "A" shape, but with a 6" flat top, to fit your bed or box, and covered with 4 or 6 mil greenhouse plastic. This provides some protection against frost at night, and will warm the plants on cold days. Cover the edges with dirt all around when frost threatens, and open up when it gets warm. More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the Gardening Techniques and FAQ sections. © 2006 - James B. Kennard

Jim Kennard, President of Food For Everyone Foundation, has a wealth of teaching and gardening training and experience upon which to draw in helping the Foundation "Teach the world to grow food one family at a time." Jim has been a Mittleider gardener for the past twenty nine years; he is a Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor, and has taught classes and worked one-on-one with Dr. Jacob Mittleider on several humanitarian gardening training projects in the USA and abroad. He has conducted projects in Armenia, America, Madagascar, and Turkey by himself. He assists gardeners all over the world from the http://www.foodforeveryone.org website FAQ pages and free Gardening Group, and grows a large demonstration garden at Utah's Hogle Zoo in his spare time. Gardening Books, CDs and Software are available at http://www.foodforeveryone.org

Tips For Preparing A Planting Bed

Writen by Michael McGroarty

If you are preparing beds for landscaping around your house this article should simplify the process for you. I say that because of everything that is written about this subject, some of it is accurate, some of it is just plain wrong, and much of it is much more complicated than it needs to be. I like to think of myself as Simple Simon. I find the easiest, yet most effective way to do things, and they work.

Let's assume that the area where you are planning your bed is now planted in grass. How do you get rid of the grass? Chemicals or no chemicals? Chemicals are easy, so we'll look at the chemical method first.

My favorite chemical for killing grass and weeds is RoundUp, and used properly it is effective. Rule number one: Read the label on the package, and mix the chemical exactly as recommended by the manufacturer. Rule number two: Assume that every plant that the RoundUp touches is going to die. It is a non-selective herbicide.

The first thing you need to do is mark out where your planting bed is going to be. Spend some time on this step. If you are landscaping around your house, give careful consideration to what is going to be planted in the bed, and then decide how large each plant is going to be when fully mature.

You can keep plants trimmed to a certain size, but be realistic when you make these estimates. Trust me when I tell you, this is the number one mistake made by Do-it-Yourself landscapers. People are just afraid to make those beds large enough.

Typically, a bed should never be narrower than 42", and corner beds should be 12' in diameter. Islands. If you make those little tiny island beds that I see everywhere I am going to come over to your house and snap you with a wet towel! The island bed in your front yard should be 20' to 40' long, and a minimum of 12' in diameter on at least one end.

The easiest way to mark out your planting beds is to buy a can of marking paint at the hardware store. Unlike most spray paint, this only works when the can is inverted, and it is designed specifically for painting lines on the ground. They even have cans that spray chalk instead of paint. I've always used the paint, it holds up better if it gets wet.

Once you have the outline of the bed established and marked, mix up some RoundUp and spray all the grass and weeds inside the bed area. Do not put RoundUp in a sprayer that you intend to use for other purposes. You need a sprayer that is dedicated for the use of herbicides. When applying the spray, be very careful not to let the spray drift onto the grass and other plants that you do not want to kill.

To minimize spray drift, adjust the spray nozzle so the spray pattern is narrow and the droplets are larger. A wide, fine spray pattern is sure to drift outside of the intended area. Also keep the pressure in the sprayer quite low. Pump it just enough to deliver the spray. High pressure causes the spray to atomize and drift. Apply just enough spray to wet the foliage. If you have liquid dripping off the blades of grass, you are applying too much. More is not better.

Once sprayed, be careful not to step in the area that has been sprayed. Many a people have had golden footprints across their lawn because they forgot and walked through what had been sprayed.

This is the difficult part, and the part that many people do not get, so pay close attention. The only way that the RoundUp can possibly work is if you leave it alone. Did you get that? Once you apply the RoundUp, don't do another thing with that bed for 72 hours. That's three very long days. I know you're anxious, but this is the price you pay for not planning ahead.

RoundUp is a systemic herbicide, which means that it has to be absorbed by the plant, then translocated throughout the plant. It takes three days for that to happen. If you go digging and chopping, you might just as well skip the spraying step. Go build a compost bin while you're waiting.

After three days the weeds and grass are going to look as healthy and happy as ever. Don't let 'em fool ya. They're as dead as dead can be. Providing the RoundUp didn't get washed off by rain within the first 24 hours of the waiting period. Now you can dig and chop to your heart's content.

However, the only digging that I do is to go around the edge of the bed and strip the sod back about 15". Just peel off about 1" and flip it into the center of the bed. This makes it easier to edge and mulch the bed if you get the sod out of the way. Now for the non- chemical method.

Mark out the outline of the bed as described above. Strip the sod back 15", just like above. Since you aren't using any herbicides I would dig down about 1-1/2" when removing the sod from the edges. Take the sod you stripped back and lay it in the center of the bed upside down and pack it down firmly. Now take newspaper or brown paper grocery bags and cover the entire bed area. Use 9 layers of newspaper. No matter what method you used, chemical or non chemical, you are now ready to fill the planting bed with topsoil.

Put 8 to 12" of good rich topsoil in the bed. Make sure the soil is higher in the back, closest to the wall, so the water drains away from the building. If you are creating an island planting make the center of the bed the highest point. Make sure the topsoil you buy is well drained and rich in organic matter. Buying topsoil is a tricky game, you've got to be careful and shop around. Topsoil is one item that you do not want to order over the phone, sight unseen.

This is what you are looking for when buying topsoil:

Topsoil that is rich in organic matter will be very dark in color. If the soil is light in color it is probably just fill sand. The other thing you've got to watch for is how well drained the soil is. Topsoil that has a clay base is poorly drained and sticky, and your plants will not be happy at all. They might even die if they are too wet. Once a clay based topsoil dries out it gets very hard.

Today most topsoil is run through a screener to remove the clumps, rocks, roots, and sticks. There is nothing wrong with buying unscreened topsoil, especially if you've visually inspected it and have found it to be of good quality. Actually, really good topsoil shouldn't have to be screened, but there is little of that quality topsoil to be had.

When you visit the yard where the soil is stockpiled, scoop up a handful of the topsoil and run it through your fingers. If it seems to be grainy, it is probably good soil. But if it appears to be tiny round balls that can be smashed between your fingers, it is probably a clay based soil that will trap water during rainy seasons, and get as hard as a rock when it's hot and dry.

Pay attention to how the soil is screened. Some machines just shake the soil over a set of screens to separate the debris, and others actually shred the soil. If the soil needs to be shredded, you don't want it. Look closely at the pile that the raw soil is coming from. If the soil in the raw pile is as hard as a rock, that's what the screened soil is going be once you get it in your beds. If it appears to be fairly loose, it's probably good soil.

Put 6-8" of topsoil in your beds. You are now ready to plant. Did you notice that I didn't get into rototilling and all kinds of extra work? Nor did I suggest that you add bone meal or any of those other goodies that the garden centers sell. I skipped the part about checking the pH too. pH is important, but I've found that good topsoil almost always has a suitable pH.

I've got a confession to make. In almost 30 years of growing, planting, landscaping and the like, I've never tested the pH of the soil on any project that I was working on. Is that smart? I don't know, but I've been successful in my efforts, and I have landscaped several hundred homes and grown tens of thousands of plants.

It's something to think about. What I'm really trying to say is don't get caught up in too many details, and be careful who you take advice from at those garden stores. Many of those sales people were flipping burgers last week.

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.  Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com

Hydroponics Gardening An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners Part 7 Hard Water

Writen by John R. Haughton

The Basics of Hydroponics

Your Water Hardness is a Critical Factor for Success.

What Is Water Hardness And Why Does It Matter?

Water Hardness refers to the alkaline mineral ion count, usually from Calcium Carbonate and bicarbonate. Water with a high count is called Hard Water. You can usually tell if you are in one of the many hard water areas of Europe because your kettle will get a build up of 'Lime scale' on the inside.

Hardness of water can be measured in parts per million by using a total alkalinity test kit. These cheap simple test kits are available from your local hydroponics retailer and are quite accurate enough for the purpose. If your water tests at anything over 150ppm it should be considered to be hard. Do not be alarmed if your water is hard, it does not mean you cannot grow things using hydroponic methods.

Why Does It Matter If My Water Is Hard?

For many years growers in some areas have had unacceptable results, with low yields and poor plant performance. The reasons for this have been unclear until it was realised that the plants were suffering from a chemical imbalance. Hydroponics growers were particularly badly affected in these areas.

Growing hydroponically using normal nutrients means adding a balanced solution of chemicals to the hard water. The hard water already contains an excess of some of the essential minerals that the plant needs and so the solution quickly becomes imbalanced in the nutrient tank.

In order to reduce the pH of the standard nutrient solution the bicarbonate ions have to be neutralised. Because these alkaline ions buffer the solution it is necessary to add large amounts of Phosphoric acid to the nutrient in order to reduce the pH. This in turn increases the Phosphate ion content of the solution causing an imbalance. This imbalance can have serious consequences for your plants in a very short period of time.

What can I do abut it?

The simplest way around the problem is to use a nutrient formulated specifically for hard water areas. A Hard Water nutrient has been produced with the correct balance of nutrients to compensate for the excess alkaline mineral ions in the water. These nutrients are also much more acidic to combat the buffering action of the bicarbonates.

The benefit of using this formulation is that you will not have to add large amounts of adjusting chemicals to your nutrient in order to achieve the correct pH. Also your plants will have a balanced nutrient solution containing all the ingredients they require to thrive. This means that your crop will grow up healthy with better growth and a superior yield.

Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006.
J R Haughton.
--- All Rights Reserved ---

A partner in a thriving retail hydroponics supply business, Rickie Haughton is the owner of hydroponics-gardening-information.com which aims to cater for all levels of expertise in the field of hydroponics gardening. The website is packed with good content about all aspects off hydroponics gardening and offers a free hydroponics Club membership to all subscribers.

Lawn Mowers Guide Cut A Fine Figure Of Your Lawn

Writen by Sardool Sikandar

Lawn maintenance is a quite wide term, which encapsulates the activities like landscaping, lawn care, growing grass, cutting or mowing grass.

A layman may reckon that the lawn maintenance is a simple activity of just growing and mowing grass, but it isn't so. Lawn maintenance means meticulously grooming a lawn. It's not just growing or mowing grass, rather keeping a professional savvy about growing & cutting grass.

The two adverbs 'when' and 'how' are very important in lawn maintenance. They raise scores of questions like 'When should the grass be mowed? How frequently the grass be mowed? How high should the grass be cut? How low should grass be cut? How should the grass be mowed?'

These are not simple questions to answer. One needs to have professional knowledge on the subject and an unprofessional approach may prove insalubrious for a lawn.

When should the grass be mowed?

There are few important things that should be kept in mind before getting ready to mow the grass.

First, it should be made sure that the lawn is not damp or wet. One shouldn't try mowing even dewy grass. A damp or wet lawn may lead to lousy mowing by mower getting clogged with grass or bogging down. The mower may pull out the clumps of grass from the wet land. The simple solution in such cases is to wait and let the lawn fully dry.

Secondly, it's high time to mow when the grass has grown to at least a third past its mowing height.

How frequently the grass be mowed?

The frequency of mowing grass depends on the type of grass and season. The different grasses have different growing patterns and different peak growing seasons. They grow quickly in their respective peak growing seasons.

The warm season grasses flourish when temperatures exceed 80 degrees F. They grow very fast during summer and thus may need mowing every 3-4 days. The growth rate of these grasses may decline in the fall season and thus may only need mowing every other week. These grasses usually become brown and dormant depending on the drop in temperature in winter.

The cool season grasses, on other hand flourish in 60-75 degrees F. They are active in spring and fall months and thus may require mowing frequently. The growth rate of these grasses declines during hot and dry summers and they require less cutting. These grasses cannot bear hot summer and may also turn brown and dormant in extreme hot conditions, but the damp climate and higher elevations are very conducive for them. The bluegrass or fescue lawn grasses grow actively in spring. They should be mowed every three to four days during the spring and only once every seven to 10 days when their growth is stumbled by heat, drought or cold.

The grass grows fast in rainy season and thus requires to be mowed quite frequently.

About Author : The Author owns a website about Golf Vacations. The website offers quick and easy tips to find Cheap Golf Vacations.

How To Raise The Strongest Most Beautiful Bulbs

Writen by Louanne Baelde

Bulbs are your best bet for success. It's almost impossible to make a mistake because all the nutrients that the flower needs, are in the bulb. What you may find difficult, is actually choosing which bulbs you want.

This article will help you select healthy bulbs and will give you tips on how to get them ready, from preparing the soil, fertilizing, and planting.

Selecting Healthy Bulbs

The secret to a fantastic flower garden is choosing high-quality bulbs. Make sure that you always buy your bulbs from a reliable source, whether you are shopping from a catalog, outlet or local store. Even if the bulbs are a little more costly, you will save money on the long run, if the source is a good one, than simply searching for the best bargain.

Because the bulb stores the energy in the bulb (in the form of starch,) larger bulbs may produce larger flowers. This does not mean however, that you should buy only large bulbs. Don't hesitate to buy smaller ones as well from a reliable source. These smaller bulbs may just need a season or two to catch up to the larger ones. If you want to have spectacular blooms this year, then buy the larger bulbs.

If you're buying your bulbs from a local store, inspect them carefully. They should be firm and not have any cuts, blemishes or spots on them. They should not feel dry or light, but more on the heavy side for their size. The basal plate (where the roots emerge) should be solid and firm. It's okay for the bulbs to have loose skin or little nicks. This would not affect their development in any way.

Getting Ready

It's always important to choose the right spot for your bulbs, whether it be inside or outside. You probably know about the differences in planting in the garden; how certain plants will thrive better under certain conditions than others.

When you select your location for your new bulbs, try to think about its needs and where it may do best. Don't forget that even a few feet can make a huge difference with levels of light. What may be suitable lighting at the edge of your shrubs may not be suitable over by the corner of your house, even if it's only a small jog away.

Preparing the Soil

Except for Siberian irises, most bulbs prefer loose, porous soil because they need to have good drainage. If your soil does not drain well, improve it by adding nutrients, raising the beds, or installing drain lines.

Almost any soil can benefit from organic materials, especially sandy and heavy clay soils.

Fertilizing

Mix bone meal or superphosphate into the soil at the bottom of each planting hole. Because phosphorus does not move easily; it must be planted deep enough to allow the roots to reach it.

Planting

Try to plant your bulbs as soon as you can when the weather permits and is suitable for planting. If you can't plant them right away, store them in a cool place such as your refrigerator. Never store them in closed bags as they might rot. Bulbs need to breathe! Open the bags or place them instead in paper ones.

Most bulbs are planted at a depth three times their diameter. It's easier if you dig up a larger area at the proper depth, set them inside the hole, and then cover them.

For more great gardening tips: http://www.ez-gardening-tips.com

Container Vegetable Gardening The Easy Way To A Mouthwatering Harvest

Writen by Donna Hill

Container vegetable gardening is so simple even your kids will love it. Vegetable gardening in versatile garden planters is easy and enjoyable for everyone.

It's your perfect answer!

In only weeks you could be enjoying the first quality harvests from your container vegetable garden. Stop buying expensive and bland produce at the grocery store (think tomatoes). You can grow your own natural and tasty food.

Your family will be delighted with fresh salad greens everyday. Imagine ripe tomatoes, colorful vegetables, and fragrant herbs, sweet, red strawberries and even a cheerful flower bouquet for your kitchen table is always just out your door.

You'll be delighted with the quality garden planters, unique flowerpots and windowboxes that are available. Your container vegetable garden can be bountiful and a joy to look at.

So, why is container vegetable gardening the hottest new gardening trend? Let me show you...

* Growing vegetables, plants, herbs, and flowers in containers, offers all the benefits of a "traditional" garden but without all the exhausting outdoor work (weeding and more weeding).

* A big plus is how easy it is have an organic container vegetable garden. Organic gardening is healthy for you, your family, and your plants and is good for the environment.

* Container vegetable gardening is ideal for balconies, terraces, patios, porches, decks and other small spaces.

* It is easy to choose stylish containers for your plants that complement your outdoor furniture, decor and landscape design. Some garden planters even have attached trellises to instantly create your own private courtyard.

* It's a great choice for everyone. Even if you have a large yard available, you will enjoy the ease of container gardening throughout the seasons.

* The innovative new features of gardening products and accessories like self-watering planters are a great solution for gardeners with busy lifestyles.

* Container vegetable gardening is the perfect choice for the lazy gardener (my hand is up!). It's less work, so there is a lot more time to spend outdoors in the hammock; with a cold glass of lemonade watching your plants grow.

* Everything is so simple to manage and requires only a few tools to start. Best of all, your garden is only steps away.

The Simple Solution!

Are you ready? OK, put on your gardening gloves and let's get started. In no time at all you will have a productive vegetable garden grown entirely in your beautiful outdoor garden planters.

It really true -- even if you're a beginner, you can create your own beautiful and abundant vegetable garden that is grown entirely in containers.

Donna Hill is the owner of http://www.ContainerVeggieGarden.com, a site for beginners. Check out our free step-by-step container veggie gardening guide at http://www.containerveggiegarden.com/container-gardening-guide.html and get started on your container veggie garden today!

Pressure Washing Decks

Writen by Randall Madon

A beautiful wooden deck, properly maintained, can add greatly to the aesthetic and resale values of a home.

Just look around, decks are almost everywhere. Not just houses but both municipal and commercial facilities use wooden decks and walkways extensively. Because of this pressure washing decks can be a great profit center for your business or even the whole business.

The great news is that decks need maintenance. As beautiful as a wooden deck can be it can be a real eyesore if not properly maintained.

Why Decks Need Maintenance

When a wood deck absorbs water the natural resins and color can be washed out over time.

The combination of wood and water creates a food source for mildew, fungus and mold promoting their growth. Wood and water combined with dirt and even air pollution will also contribute to the proliferation of mildew, fungus and molds. One thing to remember is that a wet deck with a thick coating of mildew is very slick and slippery. This creates one heck of a "slip and fall" liability problem. Keep this in mind when speaking to the decision makers of commercial and municipal facilities.

Learning Curve

There is a learning curve involved when getting proficient enough to clean/seal/restore wood decks for the public. It is best to learn on your own deck or on the decks of close friends and relatives. When learning make sure to do more than one. Different decks can present different challenges.

Inspect

When organizing your project or preparing your bid make some simple observations.

Has the deck ever been sealed? Is there old sealer that needs to be stripped and reapplied?

Do I have all the chemicals, tools and equipment required for this project?

( we will include a sample list at the end of this article)

Is there any damaged or rotted wood that needs to be replaced?

( Now is a good time to measure.)

Are the any missing or loose bolts, nails or screws?

Are there any adjacent bushes or plants that need to be protected?

Are there any electrical appliances, outlets, light fixtures or telephone jacks?

Note: these will have to be sealed water tight. Remember water and electricity is a dangerous combination. Decks in upscale neighborhoods will probably contain most of these challenges. Make sure the circuit breakers will be accessible to you prior to starting.

Beginning

Ok you've cleared everything from the deck and placed it far enough to be out of harms way. You've locked out the circuit breakers that provide electrical service to the deck area. Outlets, fixtures and jacks have been sealed water tight.

Close proximity plants and bushes have been protected with a clear plastic tarp.

Loose bolts. nails and screws have been tightened or replaced.with galvanized fasteners.

Rotted or damaged wood has been replaced.

Only now are you really ready to begin.

Clear the Deck of Dirt and Debris

With a stiff bristle broom or a leaf blower clear all loose dirt and debris from the surface of the deck..

What Chemicals to Use

Sodium Hydroxide ( a high caustic chemical) is very popular with professional deck cleaners. Because this chemical does most of the work very low pressures of 500-1200 PSI can be used which helps avoid the condition known as "furring".

Safety note: Always wear headgear with face shields and cartridge type respirators when working with high caustic or acidic chemicals. This is not a suggestion it's a must.

While Sodium Hydroxide is a very effective chemical it will darken or may even blacken the deck. Because of this the PH will have to be neutralized with a mild acidic solution. Acids used are Citrus,Oxalic or Phosphoric.

These acid solutions will act as brighteners. Neutralizing the PH of a high caustic cleaner will restore a deck very close to it's original color.

Add approx. 5oz. acid to each gallon of water.

Citrus Acid- Used on hardwoods.

Oxalic Acid- Primarily used on redwoods.

Phosphoric Acid- Used when an unfinished deck has turned "gray".

I'm very hesitant to suggest a pressure level when it comes to cleaning decks because it's just so subjective. One deck will have harder wood than another and

other decks will have softer and harder areas on the same deck. In this respect only experience can really guide you. As a general rule of thumb use the least amount of pressure that will get the job done.

Test pressure on an inconspicuous area of the deck. The underside works well for this

Excessive Pressure.

Excessive pressure will cause a deck to "furr".This is the appearance of small hairlike fibers protruding from the wood.. Your customers will not like the way this looks and light sanding will be required to correct this condition.

Ready, Set, Go!

Soak the area to be cleaned thoroughly. This serves several purposes but most importantly, the deck must remain damp throughout the entire cleaning process.

Apply cleaning chemical with the applicator of your choice.When just starting out a pump up type sprayer will work nicely. Allow your chemical to dwell for 15-20 minutes. Do not allow to dry. If necessary spray more water or reapply chemical.

If you've sufficiently dampened the deck and haven't dawdled this shouldn't be a big problem.

Clean. Remember when cleaning use low pressure. Never clean against the grain or across the grain. Feather each pass. The pressure used should be enough to remove dead wood but not enough to cause "furring" Experience will be your best teacher.

Rinse deck thoroughly removing all chemical. Apply neutralizer/brightener solution, wait 10-15 minutes and rinse well again.

If you are going to seal wait 24 hours if not 48. If you chose your day well rain won't become a problem.

"Furring" Happens.

Sometimes "furring will become apparent even at low pressures. These short hair like fibers are the result of a "tearing" action on the wood. These will probably be gone in 2-3 weeks but your customer will want them gone sooner than later. Give them a light sanding with a bronze metal scrubbing pad. Use bronze, steel wool can leave rust stains.

What not to leave behind

Here is a general list of things to bring to your job site. Some of this may not apply to you. The point is to always work with a job list to avoid the embarassment or expense of missing that tool you need right now.

Pressure Washer- Cold water gas machine 5.5-11HP commercial grade unit.

(Hot Washers are also used but at very low temperatures not exceeding 110F)

Hoses- Sufficient lengths of both pressure hose and supply hose.

Brooms/Blower- A stiff bristled push broom (not metal) and/or a gas powered leaf blower.

Chemical applicator - Pump-up type sprayer or Flo-Jet type sprayer

Mixing Buckets - 2or3 5 gallon plastic mixing buckets.

Mixers- Drill type chemical mixer.

Respirator- Cartridge type with spares

(When working with high caustics and acids)

Face and Eye Protection- Some type of helmet with face shield.

Cordless Drill- With phillips screw bits and chuck large enough to acommodate the chemical mixer.

Hammer- If nails are required.

Deck Screws, Nails and Bolts- As required, use galvanized only.

Duct tape, Clear plastic sheeting,Cardboard- To protect areas

Extension Cords- Must be adequate length and gauge. 12 gauge minimum.

Electric Rotary Sander- With 60 and 80 grit sandpaper

Knee Pads - You didn't think you'd always be standing when sanding did you?

Remember practice makes perfect get out there and start learning.

About the Author

Randall Madon is the founder and president of ATT Pressure Supply along with a new educational resource site:

Discover more about your pressure washer at http://The-Power-Washer-Advisor.com

Want To Build A Pond

Writen by Robert Dorrance

A pond, logically, the first question you should ask is WHERE? Do you have a huge yard with a lot of trees and shrubs and flowerbeds? In other words what is the present landscape like? Would you prefer your pond in a sunny spot or in the shade? That may not seem too important, but if you should decide to surround your pond with flowers, it becomes very important. It seems (to me at least) that there are many more varieties of flowers that are sun lovers rather than ones that prefer shade. Another consideration also is that if you place your pond too near to trees, then falling leaves become a cleanup problem.

Once you've decided on a location, then the next question is HOW BIG? Do you want a small pond that will only need a few hundred gallons to fill, or something more like what you see in the pictures that accompany this text that holds around three thousand gallons? Do you have a water spigot close enough to your pond location so that you don't need three hundred feet of hose to fill it?

If you are going to have a pond with a pump and filter to re-circulate the water, then you will need an electrical source nearby. Are you thinking of having a water fall or fountain? Do you think that you are going to want fish or other aquatic life in your pond?

Will you need a fence? Does your city or township require fences or any other kind of safeguards around ponds? If there are no local ordinances in this regard, then how about your own personal feelings about keeping such an area safe for small children, who all seem to love water and gravitate to it like bees to honey?

Where is the one really good spot in your yard where you love to sit and commune with nature? If you have a spot like that, then that is probably the perfect place for your pond. Just sitting and watching a waterfall or fountain is very relaxing, and if you've decided to liven up your private little lake, then choose fish like Koi, Comets, and Shabunkins which seem to be quite hardy specimens. They winter well, even here in northern Ohio. We haven't lost one fish to the weather in the eight years we've had our pond.

Now, as to the basic "hardware" needs. Set your mind to having a strong liner, even if it's more expensive. This is the key to a trouble free pond. Firestone makes a liner material called EPDM PondGuard that is tough and very puncture resistant. (Holes in the liner are a real pain in the neck!). Besides the liner, you'll need a submersible water pump, a pond filter, a UV light (sometimes called a UV filter), and a few pond plants.

Just some things to think about before you build your pond.

Robert Dorrance has had a pond for the last eight years and would like to share his experiences with you. Be sure to come by and download the free e-book, How To Build A Beautiful Backyard Pond. Find out more at http://www.Backyard-Pond-Guide.com

Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

Writen by Jason Gluckman

The outer spaces are no longer neglected, unutilized places relegated to darkness with the setting of the sun. Outdoor lighting is important for both safety as well as security. The external spaces of a structure are often the first thing a visitor encounters. The ambience, mood and look of the outdoor environs prepares one for an internal treat. It also reflects the style, personality and tastes of the dwellers, and balances and complements the internal lighting arrangements, scheme, color and ambience. Proper outdoor lighting fixtures are required to accomplish all this.

Outdoor lighting fixtures hold the bulbs in position and direct and guide the light in the desired direction to produce the proffered lighting effect. A light designer's dream is transformed into reality by the infinite range, style, designs and types of outdoor lighting fixtures on the market.

Outdoor lighting fixtures are available in an array of brands like Vista, SPJ lighting, Kane Schrader, Hadco lighting and numerous more. Various types of outdoor lighting fixtures are used to produce different effects. These lighting fixtures can be used either for landscaping, pathway or walkway lighting, water feature lighting, or lighting patios, decks, and outer spaces for festive seasons or otherwise.

A moonlight effect is achieved by putting an outdoor lighting fixture high up in a tree and positioning it such that the light is directed down wards. Silhouetting is accomplished by placing a fixture at the back of the object and directing light away from it, so that the dark contours of the object's form are visible.

Shadowing involves putting an outdoor lighting fixture right in the front of the object to produce a shadow and light effect. Up lighting, spot lighting and many kinds of other effects can be accomplished by using the appropriate outdoor lighting fixtures. There are different lighting fixtures for lighting up water features from the inside. They come with a water-resistant coating and have an enclosure to protect the bulbs. There are sculpted outdoor granite, marble and stone fixtures that lend beauty to the outdoor environment.

Outdoor lighting fixtures are exposed to all the elements. Most of the outdoor lighting fixtures come with different protective materials to protect the bulb and remain resistant to the various elements they are exposed to. It is always advisable to buy good-quality outdoor lighting fixtures.

Lighting Fixtures provides detailed information on Lighting Fixtures, Bathroom Lighting Fixtures, Ceiling Lighting Fixtures, Outdoor Lighting Fixtures and more. Lighting Fixtures is affiliated with Outdoor Lighting.

Furniture Benches Are Perfect For Every Outdoor Space

Writen by Jennifer Akre

The task of selecting outdoor furniture for your natural spaces can seem daunting at times. There are just so many options to choose from that many people get confused browsing through the large collections that can be found in catalogues, stores and even online.

One of the simplest, yet beautiful solutions for people who are overwhelmed when it comes to choosing outdoor seating is to incorporate the use of furniture benches into outdoor spaces.

Whether you need furniture for your porch, garden or yard, benches provide not only a practical solution to your problems but a beautiful and durable one as well. One of the best ways to create an outdoor space that is both warm and inviting is by using furniture benches in your favorite natural spaces.

Whether they are simple or grand, furniture benches send a subtle message to your neighbors and guests that you want your outdoor space to be appreciated and enjoyed by all.

Benches are an open invitation to slow down, to linger, and to enjoy the beauty that has been created in spaces such as gardens, ponds and orchards. They present more than just the opportunity for outdoor seating; benches help to create breathtakingly beautiful outdoor rooms that can be used for meditation, relaxation or for visiting with friends and family.

One cannot help but to be drawn to these spaces as they walk by, or as they admire them from a nearby window. They are ideal gathering places for not only the family, but for your friends and neighbors as well.

And there are so many benches to choose from that you are sure to find the perfect bench to fit your unique spaces and match your decorating style. You can choose from teak benches, park benches, plastic benches, glider benches, tree benches, potting benches and storage benches, among others.

You can choose from distinguished styles such as the Hyde Park teak bench which is mirrored after the original English park bench. This furniture bench's classic proportions are fashioned from heavy teak stock which makes the bench ideal for spaces with a high amount of traffic, and the bench's graceful lines and high-raked back design affords comfort and a dignified beauty that is truly exceptional.

If you are looking for a furniture bench that is a little more romantic with flowing lines and smooth contours, perhaps the Marlborough teak bench is for you. This bench's graceful curved lines and scrolled arms make it a breathtaking addition to any outdoor space.

And there is no need to worry about affording that perfect furniture bench to enhance your space. Some benches start out as low as $200. Of course, you can spend well over that amount if your tastes and your budget take you that far.

But no matter what you choose or how much you spend, decorating your outdoor spaces with furniture benches could be the perfect solution to your outdoor decorating woes. The only thing you have to lose is empty space, so why not browse the selection of furniture benches today.

Jennifer Akre is a successful business owner of numerous furniture websites offering product and information about furniture benches, teak benches and other styles for indoors and well as outdoors. Visit http://www.SimplyBenches.com for ways you can buy and know more about decorating your home and garden in style.

How To Grow Winter Cabbage And Savoy Cabbage

Writen by Terry Blackburn

Winter Cabbage

Sowing

The seed is sown as for summer and autumn cabbages; in the north it may be necessary to sow it in the middle of March, but in areas where the weather is mild it can be sown in April or May. To save time the seeds can be sown where they are to grow. Sow three seeds every 2 ft. (60cm) along a drill; later the plants can be thinned out to allow room for good growth and development. Those that were not sown in their final growing position can be planted out in July allowing 2 ft. (60cm) between the plants.

Harvesting

Winter cabbage will be ready for cutting any time between November and the end of February depending of course on the variety sown. It will be a long time before the hearts burst and run to seed once the cold weather has arrived.

Savoy Cabbage

The Savoy cabbage is a very popular variety; it is mellow-flavoured and cooks well. The loose, full head of crinkled leaves may be seen in most greengrocery shops, but it is the home-grown ones that have the best flavour. To improve the flavour it should be touched by frost, which is generally not a problem as this is a winter cabbage. They do best in heavy loams and it is usual to plant them in the plot where early potatoes or peas have been growing, it will then not be necessary to add farmyard manure to the soil. Fork or rake the soil well and add fish manure at 3 oz. (90g) to the sq. yd. Lime should be applied as a top dressing unless the soil is already chalky. A top dressing of dried blood should be given in early August just to boost the nitrate level.

Sowing

March is the time to prepare a seed bed in a warm position in the vegetable garden. A second sowing can be made a little later in April. Tread the bed firm then rake it to make the soil fine. Drills about ½ in. (12mm) deep and 8 in. (203mm) apart should be made where the seeds are then sown thinly. Do not use all the seed at this sowing for a second sowing should be made mid April and the final sowing at end of the month. For a good succession of Savoy throughout winter, start with the earlier maturing varieties and end with the late varieties.

Planting out

Plant out the early varieties at the end of June and the later ones at the end of July. The rows should be 2 ft. (60cm) apart and allow 2 ft. (60cm) between each plant. However if the varieties are dwarf ones they can be planted as close as 1 ½ ft. (45cm). with only 15 in. (381mm) between the rows. Use a dibber to make a good size hole, after planting them firmly in the ground, water in well.

General Care

Keep down the weeds; watch out for pests such as greenfly, whitefly, and caterpillars. A good way to protect the crop is to add a barrier of fine netting or fleece to keep the flying insects off the plants.

Harvesting

Cut the Savoy's for use when they are fully hearted. Do not be temped to cut until the hearts are quite firm otherwise the flavour will be inferior. Always remove the stalks from the ground after cutting the heads, as they will continue to take up nutrients from the soil, robbing the soil of its richness.

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article.

Some Tips For Gutter And Downspout Cleaning

Writen by Allan Wilson

Downspout Cleaning:

Here Is How To Go About Downspout Cleaning

A downspout is that vertical pipe which carries water down from a roof gutter. Water trapped in gutters can cause serious damage to roofs and walls. Thus maintaining clean gutters and downspouts is very necessary and helps to keep one's home in good shape.

Some Steps in cleaning of downspouts –

1. Firstly gain access to the roof with the help of a ladder. See to it that you don't lean the ladder against the downspout or the gutter. It can easily bend or break them.

2. Then remove leaves and twigs from gutters and with a large spoon, a gutter scoop or a small garden trowel.

3. Also, wet down the caked-on dirt, which is sometimes difficult to remove without causing damage to the gutter or downspout. Remove it with a gutter scoop or trowel.

4. Regularly check whether the downspouts are clogged or not. You can use water to unclog your downspouts by placing the garden hose in the opening. But be very gentle, as downspouts are not designed for withstanding the same pressure as that of a house drain. If a plugged downspout cannot be cleared with a hose then make use of a small plumber's snake or even an unbent clothes hanger. Again, remember to be gentle.

6. Alternatively, use a leaf blower to clean the gutters; however, remember that you'll be high up, often in awkward postures, and carrying a good-sized machine that not only is awkward to use but also can blind you with dust.

7. Further, you can use the hose for flushing the gutters with water after cleaning. (At this time, you can also find out if there are any leaks in the gutter or in the downspout.)

Some Tips For Downspout Cleaning –

Firstly, one can use the hose of the pipe and spray it forcefully at an angle less than 40* in the gutter for forcefully pushing the twigs and leaves towards any corner where one can use a trowel or hands to take it out with. That is much more convenient! But before doing this, make sure that the gutter spouts are not clogged, as water needs to go down there otherwise it will fill up the gutter. Secondly, remember to be especially careful when using a hose or a plumber's snake for unclogging the down spouts. It is likely that the clog has caused the gutter to rust, making it more likely that you will punch a hole in the gutter.

Cleaning your gutters regularly can save you a ton of work and headaches later. For more tips visit: http://www.easyguttercleaning.com

Vegetable Gardening

Writen by Bruce Houston

Successful vegetable gardening involves far more than just popping a few seeds into the ground and waiting for a tomato to appear. I'll briefly cover the basics of vegetable garden design, but you might also want to get some gardening books.

Planning your garden is one of the most important parts of vegetable gardening, and it's quite simple. Whether it's a vegetable garden, a flowerbed, indoor houseplants, or some combination, successful gardening requires planning, patience, and a little detective work. Whatever you do, do not choose garden soil, no matter how rich it might be, for indoor vegetable gardening! No matter what gardening zone your garden is located in there are catalogues with myriad variety of vegetables. Use these vegetable gardening tips to prepare your garden and keep your home full of fresh vegetables. Preparing your garden soil for planting is the most physically demanding part of vegetable gardening and may also be the most important part.

The patios and balconies of apartment buildings and condominiums often have good exposure for container vegetable gardening. Container gardening makes it possible to position the vegetables in areas where they can receive the best possible growing conditions. Container gardening can provide you with fresh vegetables as well as recreation and exercise. Although vegetable production will be limited by the number and the size of the containers, this form of gardening can be rewarding. Soilless mixes such as a peat-lite mix are generally too light for container vegetable gardening, since they usually will not support plant roots sufficiently. MEDIA A fairly lightweight potting mix is needed for container vegetable gardening. Soil Conditions The right type of soil for the right type of plant is key to successful vegetable gardening. Clay and sandy soils must be modified for successful vegetable gardening. Proper fertilization is another important key to successful vegetable gardening.

Buy seeds, seed starting kits and gardening supplies for vegetable gardens. If you are new to gardening, starting vegetables from seed may be too huge an undertaking, instead purchase plants. Practice crop rotation in your vegetable gardening by planting tomatoes and other vegetables in a different spot every year. Mulches can be used effectively in all types of gardening situations from vegetable gardens to flower gardens and even around trees and shrubs. I know an eyebrow or two might be raised at the suggestion of indoor vegetable gardening, but it can be done, within limits.

Added to the pleasure of gardening will be satisfaction derived from relishing vegetables freshly picked from your very own plot. Learning is a process, vegetable gardening needs time. As in so many other pursuits, so it is in the art of vegetable gardening: practice does make perfect.

For More articles and resourse's visit my website at vegetable Gardening Tips

How To Grow Avocado

Writen by Hans Dekker

Fruit gardening and vegetable gardening is a very exciting venture. Growing Avocado's was one of the challenges I took on as a hobby fruit and vegetable gardener. When you are not an inhabitant of state with a tropical climate you can grow avocado's in containers.

So, if you're a fan of the avocado, chances are you already know how to grow avocado plants. Although the avocado tree is a tropical plant that thrives only in zones 9, 10, and 11, many gardeners grow avocado plants indoors, they grow it as a houseplant. Avocado plants are typically started from the seed in the center of the fruit. Many gardeners begin their avocado plants by piercing the seed with toothpicks and then suspending it (pointed end up) over a glass, vase, or jar of water. You can keep the water sweet by adding some charcoal in the bottom of your container. In two to six weeks, if the seed germinates, you should have a young plant, ready to pot. However, not all avocado seeds will germinate in this way. If your seed hasn't sprouted in six weeks, toss it out and try again.

Another method of how to grow avocado plants is leave the pit in the sunlight until is begins to split and then potting it in soil partly exposed like an amaryllis bulb or sweet potato vine. Use a four or five-inch pot to start your plant and set it in a nutrient rich potting soil that has good drainage. After your plant is about a foot tall, pinch it back to half. Pinching it back produces a rounder and fuller plant. Once your plant has filled its pot with roots, it's time to move it to its permanent home.

When you're learning how to grow avocado plants, don't expect fruit. Avocado trees take up to ten years to mature enough to bear fruit and indoor grown plants rarely last for that length of time. However, if you provide it with a moist soil, plenty of sunlight, and fertile soil, your avocado plant will be an interesting addition to your home container garden for three to five years.

You are free to publish the above article in your ezine or website, provided credit in the form of an (HTML clickable) hyperlink is given to the author.

Hans is an enthusiast gardener and one of the authors of the "How To" section of http://www.gardening-guides.com

Winterberry Holly Red Sprite

Writen by Alan Summers

Ilex verticillata, commonly known as Winterberry Holly, is one of Carroll Gardens' most popular shrubs. Native to North America, Ilex verticillata is a deciduous shrub that loses it's shiny deep green leaves each winter, right after they turn orange and then yellow. The female varieties, when pollinated by a male, produce gorgeous red fruit that will remain on the branches long after the leaves have fallen, well into winter (unless eaten by birds). This week we are featuring the most compact Ilex verticillata - 'Red Sprite,' maturing at about half the size of other winterberry hollies.

'Red Sprite' is a neat compact rounded shrub that matures to an average height and width of only 3-4 feet - ideal for foundation planting or in the smaller garden. This female variety produces unusually large red berries, reaching close to 1/2 inch in diameter. Like all winterberry hollies, the stems can also be cut and kept in a vase with no water for months.

In order to set fruit, 'Red Sprite' needs a male Ilex verticillata. We recommend 'Apollo' because it blooms as the same time as 'Red Sprite.' One male is sufficient to pollinate 4 females. Apollo will grow somewhat faster and taller than 'Red Sprite'. If necessary, it can be cut back in spring for consistency with 'Red Sprite.'

Planting and Care
Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite' will thrive in full sun, but will also tolerate partial shade. 'Red Sprite' prefers a slightly acid soil that is moist, but does just fine in normally moist soil. For best results pruning should be done in early spring just before the new growth begins.

Plant in spring to early fall.

Prefers full sun to part shade.

Plant 3-4 feet apart.

Water regularly until established.

Fertilize with Holly-Tone in the spring and fall.

Alan Summers, president of Carroll Gardens, Inc., has over 30 years experience in gardening and landscape design. He has made Carroll Gardens one of America's preeminent nurseries, having introduced more than 20 new perennials and woody shrubs over the years and reintroduced numerous "lost" cultivars back to American gardeners. Carroll Gardens publishes a weekly online newsletter written by Alan. It contains valuable gardening advice and tips and answers to customer questions. Click here to sign up for the Carroll Gardens weekly enewsletter. Every Saturday, Alan hosts a call-in gardening forum on WCBM radio - 680 AM. For those outside of the WCBM listening area, they can listen to radio show via the internet. Visit CarrollGardens.com to learn more.

My Spring Bulbs Wont Bloom Why

Writen by Doug Green

You can hear the wailing from here. "Why aren't my bulbs blooming?" "There are a lot of leaves on them but not a single flower."

The overall cause of a bulb not producing a bloom is either the bud wasn't formed or it was damaged in some way. No bud equals no flower.

Here's why your bud might have been killed:

There wasn't enough sunlight last summer or you planted your bulbs in too shady an area. For the most part, spring blooming bulbs want full sunshine for at least six hours a day. If you do not give them enough sunshine, they may live but not have enough energy to produce a flower bud.

You might have cut off the foliage last year before it yellowed naturally. If you cut off the foliage before it yellows, the bulb will not be able to get enough sunlight to produce a bud. Remember Doug Green's number one rule for growing bulbs, "Grow the foliage, the flower will take care of itself." You might have tied up the foliage over top of the bulb to give yourself room to plant annuals. This is an old trick that won't go away but is still not recommended for growing good bulb leaves. (Do you think you'd grow very well if you had to hold your arms over your head all the time?)

You might have planted them too early last fall. Once the bulb had rooted and the ground was still warm, it might have started to produce a flower bud. Once that bud emerges, it either lives or dies on the soil temperature. An emerged bud that hits frozen or too-cold soil is going to die and this means there won't be another bud for the following spring.

Perhaps you overfed or overwatered those bulbs. Overwatering bulbs will most often kill them because they will rot (think of leaving an onion in a glass of water). Spring flowering bulbs have developed in areas where there is winter-cold and spring-rains but summer drought. When you water your garden in the summer to keep the annuals and perennials happy, you are making your bulbs unhappy. Too much water and the bulbs will disappear taking their flowers with them.

Perhaps the bulbs have grown up magnificently and multiplied. If so, they might simply require dividing to produce flowers again. This is not likely in a normal garden setting but possible. You can tell if there are scads of leaves all coming from the same small area if the bulbs are too crowded.

You want to know if it is a disease. The odds are that it is not. Bulb diseases either disfigure flowers or kill the bulbs. None just kill off the flower bud.

The odds are it is a cultural thing and not a disease. You just have to figure out what you need to give the bulb to make it happy. You can do this at Doug Green's flower-garden-bulbs.com website

Remember, grow those leaves to make the flowers bloom.

copyright Douglas Green 2005

Doug Green is an award winning garden writer with over 30 years experience in the horticultural industry. His bulb website is at http://www.flower-garden-bulbs.com and his garden blog is at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com

Flower Garden Ideas

Writen by Doug Green

How do you create flower garden ideas? Let me count the ways.

Take garden tours. There is no substitute for actually seeing gardens in the flesh. I routinely take one or two tours every spring and summer just to see what I don't like.

Read magazines. These dead-tree monthlies are full of pictures of great gardens. How else do you think they market their products ? :-) I go to a bookstore and browse the racks. No, I don't subscribe to any because (quite frankly) I get most of my raw information from the Net. But I do get some interesting design ideas from magazines.

Check out books. If you flip through pages of garden design books, (while you're in the bookstore) you're going to see tons of examples of great gardens. In fact, many of these gardens are unreal they are so perfect but you'll get great ideas.

Let me quickly tell you that pictures in magazines and books are often "staged". I mean that the magazines hire professional photographers and crews to "improve" the look of the garden. Extra flowers are brought in and tucked in to make the garden appear fuller. A bit of garden whimsy is added here – a potted plant is tucked there and suddenly.. what was a good garden becomes just a little more special in the eyes of the camera. For the next shot, flowers are moved, statuary adjusted and once again, the look of the garden changes. And you get a great looking garden magazine picture.

The internet is a tough place to find pictures of great looking gardens. I tend to write about individual plants (the how-to of plants) but am moving towards design items (I wrote a paper book on Perennial Garden Design) and incorporating more real pictures in my website. One of the practical problems of course is that most of our garden photography is on slides and it takes a lot of work to transfer these to digital images. But this is about getting you good flower garden ideas not about the problems of garden writers.

Sign up for my newsletter. You'll find I routinely talk about design or about parts of design in abstract terms. I can't solve your design problems but I do try to give ideas. Also sign up for my blog at http://doug-greens-gardening.blogspot.com/, you'll find I talk more about garden design over there as I run into elements of light and space in my own gardens.

Doug Green award winning garden author has written 7 books and answers questions in his free gardening newsletter at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/gardeningnewsletter.html.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn Good Or Bad

Writen by Connie LeGendre

I admit, trees provide color, shade, healthy benefits for humans by oxygenating the air, food and habitat for small animals and microorganisms, and reduce the impacts of storm water runoff. Sounds good?

In fact, May 24, 2006 in the style section of The New York Times, an architectural couple living in Brooklyn settled for limiting rather than expanding the renovation of their 600 square foot house with a 400 square foot rental in the back to save the tree in their front yard. They felt it not only shaded their home in summer, but provided a park-like atmosphere. This sacrifice also produced some might creative design solutions. It's worth taking a look at the article. And you ask, "Isn't that a good thing?" N-O, no! Not only did they squeeze themselves into a space sardines would have problems inhabiting, but they did the same to cash-paying tenants.

A client lives in a new development in an Atlanta, Georgia suburb. She bought her house because it was at the end of a cul de sac at the edge of the woods with a huge tree in her backyard. Again, that park-like atmosphere. She loved it even though as an asthmatic she can not go outside and enjoy it. However, one day she did go outside when she kept hearing something on her roof. It turned out it was the overhanging tree branches. In one season, the canopy covered her home from the backyard to the front yard with no end in sight as to its growth.

She immediately had the tree cut down--not because of the problems it could cause to her house, but because she was deathly afraid of the various rodents using the tree as an animal condo--squirrels, possums, and rats. Indeed, the men who cut her tree down found a possum. When my client saw how carelessly they were handling the apparently lifeless creature, she was horrified. She ran from the house and yelled, "Get rid of that thing. Don't you know it's dangerous?" Laughing at her concern, the men insisted it was dead but were astonished when they finally took it across the road, let it go, and it lumbered away. She asked them, "Have you never heard the phrase 'playing possum'?"

Her explanation for braving an asthmatic attack from the surrounding greenery was that when possums bite you, their jaws lock and they can't let go. Yikes. Anyone still think trees are good?

That was not the end of her run in with the rodent condo. Sometime later the client called and said she had a leak in her Kitchen ceiling. Now, this is a three-year old house. Roofs don't deteriorate in three years unless they were poorly installed or something beats them up. I told her it was probably from the tree swaying in the high winds. When the builder took a look, you guessed it, flashing was bent and shingles were damaged or missing due to her beloved tree whipping around and scraping her roof.

You may think pruning the tree would do the trick. Another client's shower drain was backing up. It was an old house with several mature trees in the front yard. Her ranch house had a kitchen on one end and bathrooms on the far end--some sixty feet apart. She wanted to call the rooter guy. I told her to save her money for the tree cutter. Of course, as most homeowners, she thought that was sacrilege. Cut down her beautiful trees with the shade, the color, blah, blah, blah. She would sooner cut off her right arm. I finally convinced her the tree roots had invaded her plumbing pipes because trees will seek water and strangle your pipes.

When the plumber dug up the ground around the pipes, sure enough, they were completely throttled. She had to replace the pipes from the kitchen to the baths and cut down two threes that were against the house. Did I mention she lived in California where they build houses on concrete slab on grade? They dug a trench through the concrete slab from the kitchen to the baths like a surgeon performing a cesarian section. Are you beginning to see a pattern? Ready to concede?

One more fact if you are still not convinced trees are bad. In architecture school, we spent what seemed like five minutes on landscaping and thirty seconds on the dangerous effects of trees and bushes on houses. Maybe it was a little longer, but in a five-year bachelor program, things go by pretty quickly. What I remember is, trees are like icebergs; the part you see is a tiny fraction of what is below. To be perfectly fair to trees, some spread their roots less than others. But they don't call an oak tree a "mighty oak" for nothing. Any tree can harbor unwanted critters, damage your roof, strangle your pipes, crack your foundation, split rocks, and open craters in your driveway large enough to swallow small cars.

Finally, trees can be bad and good. Do some research before you plant a tree near your home. And if the battle is between your home and the tree, the tree will win. So, cut it down. Believe me, even in Brooklyn there is more than one tree.

Connie LeGendre empowers homeowners designing their interiors through e-courses and newsletters. Do-it-yourself homeowners are encouraged to ask questions about their projects when signed up for a Free, downloadable e-course, "7 New Secrets to Unles the Designer in You," at http://www.interiordesignclinic.com

A trained architect and interior designer, fifteen years teaching and running her design business with high-end clients demanding cost-effective and unique solutions, Mz. LeGendre brings that considerable background to her online tips, information, solutions, and Q&A website. The mission is to help translate financially out-of-reach design into affordable creations for anyone who wants to do it themselves.

Lavender Plants

Writen by Steve Valentino

Also known as 'English lavender' and 'French lavender', lavender's fragrance is so mesmerizing and ubiquitous that it has captivated the entire world. Lavender gets its name from the Latin word 'lavare', meaning 'to wash', most likely since it was often used as a scent in baths to help cleanse the body and spirit. Its botanical name is 'Lavandula angustifolia', and it is widely used throughout the globe owing to its ability to cure various illnesses.

Lavender plants are found in the mountainous areas of the Mediterranean, owing to the sunny and stony habitat. Today, it grows throughout the south of Europe, the United States and Australia. Lavender is a greatly branched petite shrub that grows up to a height of about 60 centimeters. Its wide rootstock bears branches with upright, rod-like, green, leafy shoots. The aromatic fragrance of lavender comes from the blue-violet flowers in the herb. These flowers are arranged in a spiral formation of about 6 to 10 blossoms.

This herb is a natural remedy for several ailments ranging from insomnia and depression to anxiety and mood instability. Various parts of the lavender plant serve different purposes. The fresh flowers give out essential lavender oil as an extract which is used for medicinal treatment. In order to combat restlessness, pillows are filled with dried lavender flowers. This is due to the fact that lavender slows down the movement of the nervous system, thereby improving sleep quality, promoting relaxation, and lifting the mood of people who suffer from sleep disorders. Lavender is also used to treat headaches, exhaustion and nervous disorders. Also, massaging the scalp with essential lavender oils is said to result in significant hair growth.

With the help of essential oils and dried flowers, commercial preparations are produced which are available in different forms such as bath gels, infusions, lotions, tinctures, extracts, teas, aromatherapy oil, soaps and whole dried flowers.

Lavender provides detailed information on Lavender, Lavender Plants, Lavender Pillows, Lavender Oil and more. Lavender is affiliated with Best Breast Pumps.

Artificial Grass For Ideal Lawn

Writen by Peter Drinkell

What do you have to do when you want to have ideal lawn? You spend much time on spraying, mowing, trimming, and fertilizing the grass. You pay bills for watering, when you are going on holidays you ask your neighbors to take care of your lawn. And when you finally have the perfect lawn you are afraid that kids or pets can damage it…

Too much worries…Is there another way for having ideal lawn without extra efforts and problems?

Yes, if you use artificial grass.

Artificial grass is a pioneering product made of polymer fibers that offers the opportunity to own a healthy lush looking, practically no maintenance lawn all year round offering numerous advantages:

• Never again you will have to look at ugly scorched grass in the summer
• You will never have to water your grass
• It stays green and lush all year round
• It is child friendly making it perfect for playing and rolling on as well as picnics and inflatable swimming pools.
• It may be applied to any size or shaped garden including roof terraces and patios.
• It is the perfect answer to muddy patches that arise in shaded areas, and moss does not easily occur.

How to choose artificial grass for your lawn?

Choose high quality product that will ensure beautiful color in all weathers, season after season, year after year. To ensure lasting color of the lawn, the artificial grass must have no fade guarantee. For safe usage it must be made of non-toxic materials.

Artificial grass is the only way to forget about cutting the grass and trimming the edges. With artificial grass all you do is just enjoying your luxury garden and lawn with no efforts.

Peter Drinkell Artificial Turf Royal Grass® from UK's premier supplier of Artificial plants EasyPlants & EasyLawns has 10 years of No Fade Gaurantee, it is safe and child proof. View and buy Artificial Grass online

Make Your Rose Garden Bloom Successful Rose Gardening Tips You Can Easily Implement

Writen by Tim Gorman

Many of the tasks that need to be done in the garden are the same for most types of plants. So if you've recently added roses to your garden, you will find that you're already many of the required tasks to keep them healthy and flourishing. Still, there are some particularly things that need to give your roses the proper care and attention they need. Here are some tips to remember when maintaining and cultivating your rose garden.

When you're first planting out your rose garden, make sure you allow plenty of room between the rose bushes. Leave at least eighteen inches between standard garden varieties, up to thirty inches between bushes, and as much as eight to twelve feet between climbing roses. Miniature roses aren't as fussy, and can be planted as close as twelve inches apart. If your roses are smothered and competing for the available food and water, they won't thrive and reward you for your effort.

It's important to give your rose garden plenty of water. Roses are very thirsty flowers, and it's important to make sure you always saturate your roses when watering. Don't make the mistake of thinking that sprinkling your rose bush with the house for five minutes a day is sufficient. Take the time to soak the soil around your rose bush thoroughly, so that the water can seep down deep into the soil and supply plenty of water for your roses to drink.

Roses love the sunshine, so make sure you plan your rose garden to maximize the amount of sunlight your roses receive. However, rose blooms can get burnt by the sun, so if you live in an area that's particularly sunny and warm, you might want to be careful about which breeds of roses you plant in your garden. Your local nursery should be able to help. Even so, most roses like to receive at least six hours of sunlight a day, so plan accordingly. If your garden is a little shadier than that, take the time to choose shade tolerant varieties.

By planning your rose garden sensibly in the first place, and then taking the time to give your roses what they need, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful rose garden that all your friends will envy.

For more expert winter rose gardening tips try visiting Rose-Gardening-Made-Easy.info where you will discover a wealth of information and rose gardening resources.

Hypertufa Concrete Molds Making A Plaster Case

Writen by Delmar Germyn

If you are casting hypertufa, plaster or concrete in your new silicone mold you will need to build a casing for it. If you only plan to use the mold for one casting you should make a simple plaster cover. The fastest way to do this is by using plaster of Paris. Mix it and soak some strips of cloth in it and build up over your mold. You should go for at least ¾" thickness. Don't worry about how it looks you will be cutting it off and throwing it away when you are done.

I probably should tell you to make sure that the master is in the mold when you start. Remember that you will need to take out the master. Be sure to leave some way to do this. I can't tell you how because every mold is different. Sometimes you can get away with filling the mold with water and making your casing around it. Test this buy filling your mold and seeing if it stretches. If it doesn't stretch the water idea will work. The nice thing about water that it is easy to take out! You can take it out once you have built up to the point where your plaster will support itself. Once it is out you can finish the buildup.

Keep in mind you will need a hole to pour the concrete into the mold. You will also need a base on the casing so the whole thing does not fall over when you are pouring. Generally the casing is set up so that you are pouring into the bottom of the mold. This means that it will be sitting upside-down.

I guess by now you are starting to see a little more clearly just how much work there is to making a "simple" silicone rubber/RTV mold?

Wait 'till you see my 'short' story about making a fiberglass supporting cover!

An old time Seer, I have been around this Planet for 2.34 centuries. I used to travel with my dragon to fairs and teach gardening skills. I did a lot of work in the UK a couple of hundred years ago. It was me who got queen Mary interested in Hypertufa. The old gal really liked making her own planters, statues, and she even made a couple of bird baths that are still there today. Now, thanks to the Internet I can stay at my home in the new world with my wife and dog and dispense my knowledge without the hassles of passports and taxis to and from the airport. Dels Molds Hypertufa Projects Hypertufa News