How To Choose Water Garden Plants
September 22, 2007
So. The water garden bug has bitten. You’ve dug and leveled and sweated and said words you hope that no one else has heard. Now it’s time for the fun part ? picking out your water garden plants!
Plant varieties within these four categories are what you need to eyeball: deep-water, marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (If you think these words are big and weird, just thank your stars we’re not talking medicine.)
After you’ve diligently planted your babies in plastic tubs, pans, or clay pots, packing the fertilizer- and chemical-free soil down tightly, load the container down with pea gravel to keep the soil from floating away. (Don’t ask why this works, but it does.) Plunk your prize into the water at the appropriate depth (You’ll read about that in just a minute, so hang on to your hat.) and you’re on your way!
Plant-dunking should be done during the growing season. Wait four or five weeks for the water plants to do their thing before you add your fish. If you just can’t hold your horses, er, your fish, for that long, you can jump the gun a couple of weeks, but the idea is to let the plants first get established.
Reduce Noise to Reduce Stress: Sound Advice From the Rug Doctor
September 21, 2007
Maybe getting the silent treatment at home isn’t a bad thing after all.
With the constant barrage of leaf blowers, lawn mowers and loud appliances swirling around us, it’s no wonder “I need some peace and quiet!” has become such a popular plea. If your neighbor decides to fire up the chainsaw Sunday morning while you’re sipping coffee and enjoying the newspaper, chalk up another frazzled nerve. And scientists and health officials aren’t just dismissing noise at home as a nuisance; they’re taking the issue seriously.
The noise inside your home will never rival that of the outside world. However, it should be a sanctuary from the clatter and commotion of our environment. With simple solutions to reducing indoor noise, you can turn a hurly-burly home into a healthy, happy one.
Volumes of Information on Noise and Health
Sure, we have all heard there’s too much fat in our diet. Well, maybe there’s too much noise in our diets, too. Now, you can’t eat noise like pint of Haagen-Daz, but you sure can feel it, and the end result can be more stress and frustration.
Let?s ?Clear the Air? Shall We?
September 20, 2007
What can you do to "clear the air" indoors, at work and at home? You want to know you are breathing clean air in the places you spend the most time, promoting a clear head and a sense of well being. It’s no longer okay to allow clean air into your life just at the cabin or lake. If getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine is just a dream, you need to take steps now to clear the air. More people are becoming sick from their homes. We button them up so tight that they don’t breathe anymore.
All kinds of allergies are on the rise from being overexposed to chemicals, molds, and spores that are in our environment. It’s time to strike back and take control of what we breathe. Most of us take for granted that our workspace has clean air. Don’t tell that to the people that are exposed to formaldehyde, asbestos, Legionnaires disease, radon and more every day. HVAC systems have been changing greatly over the last few years because of the rise of complaints. Newer more powerful electrostatic air cleaners reduce over 90% of dust instead of the recent 40 ? 50%. Activated oxygen systems are very new on the market. Ionized, ozonated oxygen is probably one of the most important aspects of fresh air. When we take advantage of the air given to us and work with the nitrogen and oxygen levels, our air is enlivened and we feel more energetic and alive. Air conditioning units have added to the problem by just cooling the air and increasing the levels of bacteria and mold in the ductwork. Chemicals are then used to treat it causing even more problems. Activated oxygen systems are a much healthier means of cleaning the air.
Outdoor Ceiling Fans Complement the House
September 19, 2007
Fans extending from the ceiling have been around for centuries and the modern ceiling fan as we know it today has been used since Victorian times. Savvy homeowners use the ceiling fan in every room imaginable. They like their looks as well as how comfortable they make them feel. Why keep all of this style cooped up inside? Take the ceiling fan outdoors to the patio for a focal point of a great outdoor room. Look at your patio furniture and the style of home before you purchase an outdoor ceiling fan. If you own a log home, you wouldn’t want a futuristic black enamel ceiling fan or the contemporary pastel home in South Beach may not look good with dark oak fan blades. A Victorian mansion speaks of a matching outdoor ceiling fan that fits the period of the house. You get the idea, common sense and your decorating style will dictate which fan you go with. Lighting kits are available for these fans but I prefer your outdoor lighting to come from other sources. My husband and I think it feels much cozier when a glaring ceiling light isn’t shining on us. There are great looking area lamps and sconces that will compliment your ceiling fan. Let a fan be a fan when it comes to the patio.
Landscaping of Hindu Religious Places
September 18, 2007
Traditionally Hindu tepmples were located either on hills or forests or river banks.In ancient times, the temples were constructed in such locations faraway from human habitations for providing a calm, peaceful and pleasant environment and also for ensuring a close bond between man and nature.Hindu temples are generally associated with trees such as Ficus benghalensis, Ficus Religiosa, Aegle marmelos,Azardirachta indica, Temple tree, Bauhinia spp, etc, Herbs such as Vinca rosea, Nerium spp etc.The gigantic trees like ficus spp and some other trees are closely associated with temples since time immemorial.The mixed fragrance, the flowers and the leaf litter on the ground gives a pleasent experience to a pilgrim or tourist.
But contemperoray gardeners and landscapists fail to appreciate this aspect while attempting gardening at these places, which have become tourist and mass pilgrimage centers in modern times.Most contemporary gardeners design symmetric gardening with huge lawns and tiled floor sorrounding the tree bases.The representation of trees is very poor in comparision to the lawns and plants.
Assymmetry should be the rule while designing landscaping near these temples.The asymmetric garden should have abundant representation of Tree species such as Ficus, Neem, Wood apple,Alexandrian laurel, Jack Fruit, Mango atc spread in a random manner.
Allow Me to Introduce You to the Fungus Family
September 17, 2007
What exactly is mold? There are over 100,000 different kinds of mold in the world so it is literally everywhere. Molds are organisms and are members of the fungus family. Mushrooms, mildew and yeast are also part of this lucky family. They have been given the job in nature of decomposing dead plant material such as leaves, bark, wood etc. If we didn’t have mold we would be finding ourselves totally covered by a pile of leaves. We also wouldn’t enjoy eating cheese or using penicillin because they wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for mold. However, as with some family members, we love them when they aren’t visiting our house. We enjoy talking on the phone or sending e-mails, but they need to stay at their place. When mold starts digesting organic material in the home, that’s where the problems occur.
Work From Home and Make Money from On-line Rewards and Incentives Programs
September 17, 2007
You’ll be amazed at how much free money you can make when you work from home answering surveys, accepting offers, and reading e-mails. Simple tasks like these can help you earn cash without leaving the house.
Get Paid to Work From Home… It’s Easy!
We could all use some extra money now and again. Now, there are Internet rewards programs that make it possible to work at home and earn cash.
There’s so much you could do with some extra cash every month. But getting an extra job will take too much time away from your family, your hobbies, your LIFE.
When you work from home, you do as much work as you want to. The amount of free money you earn is based on how much time you’re willing to put in. There are no schedules, no clock-in times, no quotas… just free cash on your timetable.
You’ll be able to spend more time with your family and doing the things you want to do… all while you make free money.
It’s Never Been Easier to Work From Home
Heat Up the Hot Tub from 20,000 Feet
September 16, 2007
Homeowners are getting high-tech when it comes to controlling the appliances in their homes, but they insist the control systems are reliable, convenient and easily understood. Technology isn’t fun to use if you feel like you need a master’s degree in engineering to make things work. This is true when it comes to controlling the thermostat on your spa, hot tub or swimming pool. Picture yourself arriving home from a long day at work or getting off the airplane from a grueling business trip. You open the door to the patio and the Jacuzzi is steaming with soft music playing so everything is ready for a relaxing soak; all you have to do is stir the martini. This isn’t possible if you only have a touch screen control in the living room. You must wait until you actually arrive home for this pampering luxury.
Beauty With Indigenous Species
September 15, 2007
A garden a serves a man’s every day need for s refreshing and pleasent experience.We have to appreciate that the garden serves as a home not only to the trees and plants that appear, but is a home to lots of small and big creatures of animal kingdom. Thus a garden is a conservatotory in these modern times of fast industrialization and increasing threat to ecological balance.
Thus a gardener has to keep in mind the need for aiding ecological balance or nature conservation when designing or planning or restructuring a garden.
In India, garderners (government and private) show a strong tendency for planting exotic species (totally foreign species or exotic to that particular microclimate, as seemingly they beleive that exotic species are attractive.Yes every thing new is attractive and indigenous species look ugly as our eyes got used to them.This tendency for exotic plants and trees either in gardening or largescale social forestry is atrocious and gives no regard for the essence of nature conservation and ecological balance that these gardens can serve for!
A indigenous plant or tree supports numerous other soil flora and fauna, birds and other animals through various ecological relations.An exotic plant or tree on the other hand, while not supporting the flora and fauna of that particular area, may actually have a deteriorating effect!
Bakers Racks Add Flair And Style To Your Kitchen
September 14, 2007
Many items a person can add to the kitchen are stylish and functional. Bakers racks fit this description nicely. This kitchen furniture has been seen in homes for decades and their popularity is increasing all the time. Bakers racks can be used for extra storage space and to brighten up a lonely corner. Uses for them seem endless.
Some are hand-painted with beautiful designs, including flowers. The detailed work on some bakers racks is one of many appealing features they have. Lovely curved frames and many have pine shelves with a charming finish to them. A bakers rack is one accessory in your kitchen that will be used quite frequently.
The space that bakers racks add to a kitchen is really amazing. One can store pots and pans, along with other kitchen utensils. Serveware, cookbooks and houseplants have been seen on many of them to. Need to store bottles of your favorite wine? No problem, many are made with wine holders in a convenient place.
Other features include:
—>roomy drawers for holding kitchen gadgets, etc. —>extra space behind double doors —>adjustable metal shelves —>top cantilevered shelf —>utility bar and hooks
