Posts Tagged Garden
Get Rid Of Unwanted Flying Bugs In The Summer With An Electronic Insect Killer
Posted by Tiffany Ellis in Garden on June 6, 2010
The Spring and Summer months are all about being outdoors because the weather is fine and everyone is usually ready to escape from being cooped up indoors. There are flowers to plant, yards to mow, and gardens to grow. It is great to be able be out in the wide open spaces again and shed those winter coats, hats and gloves. They can be put away until they are needed again next year. Once again it is time for shorts, t-shirts and sneakers.
If you are like everyone else, there is a lot of things that must be done outside in the yard, but then there are also things that you want to do too. Weekend cookouts, swimming parties if you have a pool, and just sitting outside in the late evening watching the sun go down. All of these summer activities are great until the bugs come. It can be horrible trying to swat and squash your way through an evening with mosquitoes swarming, bees buzzing, gnats and flies biting you every second.
Spray on insect repellents are always an option, but they are sticky and usually toxic in some way. Citronella candles are said to be helpful, but some people don’t think they work very well. Spraying toxic insect repellent in the air will kill some of the bugs, but it also means that you are likely to breathe in some of that toxic spray as well. Well then, how can you safely rid yourself of all of those flying pests that just will not leave you alone?
It is time to go electronic and get serious that’s what. Investing in an electronic insect killer, or better known as a bug zapper, can put an end to your buzzing buddies. The great thing is that there are no toxic sprays involved, no messy candles to burn and best of all, nothing that you have to put on yourself! All you have to do is plug in the zapping device and wait for the bugs to come to it. They fly into the zapper and are killed quickly one after the other.
You can purchase electronic insect killers that reach a range of however far you need. Some bug zappers cover as much as one and a half acres. The great thing about the electronic insect killer is that you can use one year after year. Use it during the months when flying insects are at their worst and pack it away when the cold weather rolls in. Keep the fun in your summer time and keep the bugs at bay the easy way!
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Five Great Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Posted by Adriana Noton in Garden on May 9, 2010
Mother’s Day is a special day celebrated all over the world that is designed to celebrate our mothers. Giving our mothers gifts is a meaningful way to express our appreciation for all that they do for us as well as all of their hard work. It does not matter how much you spend on the present because it is the meaning behind the gift that will make mom smile. If you are looking for a special gift to show your mother how much you appreciate her, below is a list of 5 great Mother’s Day gift ideas that will help you select the best gift to show your mom how you feel about her:
Flowers: The gift of flowers is always a popular gift for this special day. There are Mother’s Day flowers available in a variety of different types. A mix bouquet of colorful flowers in a beautiful vase will make mom very happy. As well, flowers can be purchased in special decorative wrapping. Flowering plants also make a popular Mother’s Day gift. They will last a long time and they can be planted in the garden and provide long lasting memories. Don’t forget to include a special card with a meaningful message.
A Day at the Spa: Most mothers would love to spend the day being pampered at a spa. You can purchase you mother a special gift voucher. She can take advantage of relaxing saunas, massage, and aromatherapy. As well, mom can get a luxury manicure, pedicure, and facial. A spa is a great place to relax and unwind.
Memory Album: A memory album not only makes for a meaningful Mother’s Day gift, but it is very personal and will show mom how much you care. You can get an album and decorate it, and inside, you can include family pictures and pictures of meaningful moments in life. As well, you can include other special mementos such as movie ticket stubs or concert tickets that have significant meaning. If you have items that cannot fit in an album, you can create a pretty memory box.
Gift Basket: A lovely basket full of gifts makes for a great Mother’s Day gift. You can fill the basket with everything that your mother loves. This can include soaps, chocolates, books, flowers, scented candles, and more. You can even have a special themed basket such as a garden basket, entertainment basket, health product basket, chocolate basket, etc. The best part of a gift basket is you can create a beautiful basket that fits your budget.
Personalized Gifts: Mothers love gifts that come from the heart. There are many types of gifts that can express your sentiment such as jewelry, special mug, CD, a homemade gift such as a picture collage, gift certificate to a favorite store or restaurant, meaningful calendar, maid for a day, home cooked meal, etc. You just have to think about something that she would really love to have or love to do.
Every day of the year, our mother’s work hard to make sure we are happy and have a good life. Mother’s Day is a time to show our mother’s how much we appreciate their love and dedication. Giving a special gift will show your mother how much she means to you and that she is loved and appreciated.
Remember to send flowers on other special days too, like birthday flowers, on a friend or family member’s birthday. It’s a great way to express friendship and gratitude.
Improve The Quality Of Flowering Bulbs With Fertilizer
Posted by Keith Markensen in Garden on April 10, 2010
If you have room in your garden for more shrubs and want a splurge of spring color, grow some of the named hybrid brooms, which are handled by several nurseries in the Fog Belt. They do well in this area. Try to see the brooms in bloom before making your choice, for they vary in color, size and vigor.
Some flower as early as March, but the peak of bloom is in April and May. One cool year my bushes (mostly grown from seed) began to blossom late in January and wound up with scattered flowers in August. At that time most of them were heavy with black seed pods.
Take a look at Dorothy Walpole. a May-blooming broom which is quite distinctive with its 3- to 7-inch spikes of dainty red and purple flowers. Geofiry Skipwith, one of the earliest to bloom, has a creamy pink banner and keel and dark crimson wings. Pomona, orange and apricot, is a powerful grower and should be placed at a distance from other plants or it will crowd out weaker neighbors. St. Mary, which is lower than the average broom, is delightful when covered with white bloom. McGill is a redand-white dwarf.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys
The lily-turfs, Liriope muscari and its varieties and Mondo (Ophiopogon) jaburan, are adapted to the Big Valley garden in shade and borders where the sun is not too strong. The roots spread by means of stolons, often becoming sod; the evergreen foliage resembles coarse grass and is sometimes variegated.
The small, drooping flowers, carried in quantity close to the stem, may be violet-blue, lilac or white. You can find these plants in at least one California nursery. Liriope muscari and L spicata are only about 8 inches high; L. grandiflora and Mondo jaburan are much taller.
Pacific Northwest
You can improve the quality of next year’s flowering bulbs by applying fertilizer now. Old manure is a good mulch; phosphates and potash are particularly needed to help bulbs store up food while they are in active growth.
In making up your list of summer bulbs, don’t forget two that are so tender that they must he taken up in the fall: ismene (Hymeno. callis calathina), from tropical America. and Mexican tuberose (Polianthese tuberosa), which is called a tuberose because of its tubers, not because it looks like a rose. Ismene bears large spicily fragrant flowers which resemble cream-colored daffodils. It should be planted between the middle of May and the middle of July. See that the bulb is planted 6 inches deep in rich soil in a sunny location and do not let it dry out. As for the Mexican tuberose, you can hurry the bloom along by potting up the bulbs late this month and keeping them in the house until they can be set out in May. The fragrant white flowers, which may be single or double, are carried on tall stems.
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Busting The Drain Clog Without The Auger
Posted by Scott Rodgers in Garden on March 25, 2010
Clogged drains is a common household problem. Often your kitchen or bathroom drains become clogged due to the accumulation of debris like soap scum, hair and even the coffee grounds. Although, the clogging of the drains seems to be the minor problem but, if not taken care of at the right time, may lead to chaos.
Blocking of the shower drain is also one such situation. When soap scum, hair etc gets into the drain on daily basis, can completely choke the shower drain. Therefore, clear away all the mess from the drains as soon as possible. Well, the task is not that difficult and you can surely do that by yourself if you have an auger.
Cleaning the drains and unplugging them easily and in virtually no time can be done with the help of an auger. At times, when you don’t have the auger, the steps below will help an individual to unclog them.
Remove the trap from the drain. Usually, the trap is secured with the help of two screws, just unfasten them. If there are none, use a pair of pliers, preferably long nosed ones. Catch the holes in the drain and lift it aside.
Fill your shower with some water. Now using a good plunger, plunge over the clog several times. This may work. If plunger doesn’t remove clog, consider using some other techniques as mentioned in the following paragraphs.
If you find no improvement in the drains, you can simply take the help of the garden hose. Just put the garden hose into the drain so as to plight the drain hole. Now, make a roll of a towel and hold it tightly around the drain opening. Turn on the water and let it strike the drain at full speed. Do it several times.
As a result, the clog slowly dissolves thereby clearing the drains. After the drains are open make sure, you clean the drain thoroughly from in as well as out. At last, place in the strainer and tighten the screws. Turn on the water to the faucet. This will further carry away with it the left over residues.
Situation may occur that all the above methods fail to unclog the drains. In such circumstances an auger is needed. You can call in a talented plumber to look into the matter, if you fail to handle it by yourself.
John Borden is a respected author specializing in plumbing. His articles contain a wealth of information, written in a concise manner. For a clear understanding of solar water heater construction (click here) and hot water heater repair (click here), visit eLocalPlumbers.com.
Do You Want To Build Outdoor Shed Quickly? – Use A Shed Kit
Posted by Coleman Collins in Garden on March 22, 2010
A shed is an outbuilding, commonly, with a single story, which is used for protection or warehousing. Some individuals start to shape a shed with full of exuberance; however, soon they will drop it out as they might not have good planning and experience. Manufacturing a shed is not difficult at all; you simply need to know about your accomplishments well before hurrying into the actual building. When you want to construct a shed, you must keep many things in mind before you start making it.
First, you should determine a shed design, and then you must have a plan to fulfill it by considering the location of the shed and the materials to be used. We have done all this research for you. You can make a shed using scratch; however, use shed kits instead of making a shed from scratch to get best result.
You can right away download shed plans just for about $5 to $30. Building from scratch, instead of purchasing a shed kit, you can fabricate a shed cheaper and exercising with the plans yields you more freedom. Of course, the designs comprise meticulous instructions and measurements; however, if you are well versed, you can effortlessly make betterments and customizations to them before you start cutting. You can even pick out the material you favor the most. However, constructing a shed yourself utilising only a shed plan is harder.
To do things yourself, you must have experience and good skills. By utilizing this method, you may exhaust many days, sometimes more than a workweek, to build a shed. Moreover, there are many chances to do the things incorrect and waste the materials. Sometimes, plan with complex measurements, you may consume all the materials!
Building a shed using a shed kit is elementary. Using a good shed kit, you can build an averagely complicated shed in a day or two. This method never fails. A shed kid will furnish you all the parts cut out and chopped; simply, you cannot fail. Even So, you can likely to misplace some parts but it is simple to realise the mistake and settle it.
The other advantage is that these shed kits are obtainable universally. Since each of these kits has been exhaustively verified, sold, successfully made, fixed, and proven to be successful many times, you will never fail to build a shed using these kits. Most of the manufacturers and stores are providing complete details about the shed kits on-line.
Thence, it would be very easy to you to do total research online for the model of the kit you plan to buy and you can check opinions of the workforce required to build your sheds if you are seeking for it. Most of the shed kits are very expensive. Sometimes, the more intricate and good quality kits cost many thousand dollars for a single shed. Normally, the delivery of the shed kid may squander many days. If you buy them online, you must pay for transportation and wait further. Even though there are some minor disadvantages, a shed kit will always provide you more convienence and a marvelous look.
Do you want to learn how to build a shed? MyShedPlans has over 12,000 shed plans and woodworking designs for you to download. From small birdhouses to large sheds, you’ll find what you want.