Teak Patio Table - Why You Need One
August 8, 2008
Do you love to cook outdoors but end up having to dine on makeshift outdoor furniture or maybe even inside because you simply do not have the furniture to properly entertain in your yard, deck or patio? Would you love to find the perfect patio table or set to transform your empty space to an elegant outdoor dining room? If so, maybe you should think about enhancing your outdoor space with a teak patio table.
Teak patio tables are crafted using the finest Javanese teak and come in a wide range of styles that can be easily matched with your personality, décor and budget. Far from just being exquisitely beautiful, teak patio tables and teak furniture are also very functional. In addition to teak tables you can choose teak furnishings such as benches, chairs, tables, swings, dining sets, sofas, chairs, rocking chairs, gliders, and chaise lounges; each one beautifully sculpted and handcrafted for optimal quality and style. You can also accessorize with teak tea carts, planters and spa accessories to create an outdoor entertainment space that dreams are made of.
Teak is often called the premium wood for outdoor furnishings and there are very good reasons why. Teak is a hard strong durable yellowish-brown wood that is both resistant to the elements and requires little maintenance.
Iris Flowers Remind Me Of Mom!
August 6, 2008
Iris flowers always bring memories of mom to mind. Let me share with you three reasons why…
- Iris flowers are naturally beautiful
- Iris flowers posses the ability to survive in all kinds of hazardous environments
- The sweet scent from some iris flowers remind me of mom’s perfume as a kid.
My First Iris Flower Experience:
Now apart from the subtle mom reminders, iris flowers (in my opinion), have got to be some of the most beautiful you could ever imagine.
After locating a place in my garden for them, I soon discovered how fast they can grow. They showed no shame in overtaking the rest of the garden and all that was planted in it.
Now if you’re new to the world of iris flowers, then you’ll soon begin to feel like a kid in a candy store. There are literally hundreds of different types to enjoy, so you’ll always be spoilt for choice.
And what’s best of all is…
- They’re really easy to grow
- look great in your flower beds
- and even better around your customized rock gardens
Using Annuals in Your Perrenial Garden
August 5, 2008
Annuals in your pernnial garden are something to think about! Annuals give you season long color, easy propogation, they’re cost efficient, and provide first season interest.
If you’re just starting a perennial garden annuals are a great choice to fill in gaps. I remember my first garden. I bought a couple of plants thinking “This is gonna be great!” A few weeks later I realised this wasn’t true. I needed a whole lot more plants and they cost a bunch! I opted for some annual seeds and I had a really pretty garden by the seasons end. Annuals can certainly help to fill in a garden while you wait for perennial to mature.
Even an established perennial garden may have spots where little is blooming at one time or another. Annuals are a great way to fill those gaps and keep color in your garden. They bloom from summer to fall and with a bit of dead heading you can continue to coax them back.
Annuals are simple to start from seed which makes them very cost efficient. You can certainly purchase annual bedding plants from a local garden center, but mail order or seeds at the garden center offer you a much wider variety than your standard petunia, pansy or snapdragon.
Using Bulbs in Your Landscaping
August 2, 2008
Naturalized bulbs look beautiful in a wooded setting. You can plant them and leave them to multiply. After the bulbs bloom the foliage will die down, but you can interplant bulbs with ground covers for a carefree and beautiful garden.
For a natural look you should arrange your bulbs informally. If you toss them and plant them where they land, with small adjustments for spacing, it’ll look much better than if you arrange them.
Bulbs also work well in a perrenial garden. When your bulbs finish blooming your perrenials are just ready to get started and they’re now filling in the spaces and hiding the soon to be dormant foliage of your bulbs. This is a great way to extend color in the garden for a good 6 weeks.
Summer bulbs can be used to fill in areas that need color when perrenials have finished. Keep in mind that most summer bulbs do need to be dug up and stored over the winter. The good part is that next season when you replant them you can totally redesign with them.
Whatever your garden style, make sure you add some bulbs. They’ll provide you with years of enjoyment!
Gardening in Containers
July 31, 2008
Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens. They add interst and variety, plus are easily moved around. If you live in an apartment or have a small area to work with this may be the only solution for you.
Your Container
Your container can be pretty much anything and is only limited to your imagination. Just make sure there is adequate drainage for your plants. I love old buckets, discarded kitchen pots and baskets for a rustic feel. For a formal garden choose a more traditional container.
Regardless of your choice of container, make sure it’s not to big or too small for your planting.
Your Soil
Do not use garden soil for your container plants. Garden soil is too heavy, dries out too quickly and will not provide the needed nutrients your container plants need. You can find good potting soil at your local garden center or you can mix your own.
To mix your own make sure you include soil, peat, sand and a slow release fertilizer.
Maintenance
CO2 for Free
July 30, 2008
We’ve all heard that there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’; well the process described in this article may be as close to one as you get. Most of us already know the benefits of CO2 enrichment for photosynthesis. To maximize indoor growing and greenhouse potential, CO2 is supplemented to maintain an approximate level of 1500 ppm, this can require frequent trips to an industrial gas supplier and/or a lot of propane or natural gas use, and related costs. It is ironic that many indoor farmers are exhausting CO2 to the outdoors from home heaters and hot water heaters while simultaneously releasing or generating CO2 for an indoor grow room or a greenhouse.
Propane and Natural gas burn clean enough that small non-vented gas devices have been approved for indoor use. These gas burning devices all use oxygen (in the air) to burn the gas, resulting in the by-products of CO2, H20 (humidity), and heat (Reusch). Exhaust from gas appliances can provide 3 essential conditions for maximized growth: humidity, temperature, and CO2 level. Most heat from the exhaust is removed by the heat exchanger of the furnace or water heater; resulting in mildly warm exhaust. Photosynthesis for many plants, including marijuana, in a CO2 enriched environment,is most efficient around 85 degrees F.
Outdoor Furniture: Exploring the Benefits of Teak
July 27, 2008
Of the many types of materials that are available for the construction of outdoor furniture, teak is often overlooked. This beautiful wood ? of tropical origin ? adds character and elegance to your outdoor design through a blending of nature and man-made elements which provide an outstanding aesthetic presentation to any yard.
Teak (technically known as tectona grandis) has been proven to be the best wood for use in the great outdoors. As a result of its high rubber content, this wood has a natural resistance to heat, water and frost without the benefit of any treatment or special coating.
In addition, its natural properties render it termite resistant due to the high content of oil that it possesses. The durability of teak is another benefit that makes it very popular with consumers, as well as the way in which it wears. Over time, weathering causes the teak to develop a silvery gray patina that heightens its beauty without compromising its integrity.
Though it may be higher in price than other types of construction, teak can be considered an investment, since its durability will provide you with many years of classic comfort and design.
Secrets of Growing Killer Tomatoes
July 26, 2008
Tomatoes have always been my favorite garden vegetable to grow and to eat. I have had success with the other standard garden vegetables, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower etc. but tomatoes became my specialty over the years.
I start my seeds indoors approximately 5-6 weeks before the last expected frost date. I use a commercially available starting flat that will hold 72 seedlings. I prefer plant the Tomato Park’s Whopper? Cr Improved, VFFNT Hybrid which can be ordered from Park Seed Co. . This is a large, luscious, disease resistant tomato that I have seen grow to excess of 3lbs.+. It makes for an awesome BLT since a slice of one of these beauties will hang off the toast at least one inch or more all the way around!!!!!
How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails
July 24, 2008
Slugs are one of the most hated of garden pests. You may have spent time carefully planting out your seedlings into the bed, but when you return next morning, you find chewed leaves, the growing points nibbled away and a mass of slimy trails all around. All clear evidence that garden slugs, or sometimes snails, have been enjoying a nocturnal feast at your expense.
Slugs thrive in moist temperate conditions and feed at night when temperatures are greater than 50°F. They love mild winters, wet springs, moist summers, and irrigation. When you look at ways of protecting your plants, the large number of defences and remedies that have been suggested indicates the extent of the problem.
Since slugs need somewhere to hide during the day, the first line of defense is to keep your garden tidy and remove any flat stones, boards, pots or piles of damp plant refuse. Once you have achieved this, here is a list of other methods that you can try:
How to Find and Work With a Porch Swing Contractor To Install the Porch Swing of Your Dreams
July 22, 2008
You’ve found a great Porch Swing and you know exactly where you want to put it, and it’s not on the Porch. If you’re a Do-it-Yourselfer, no problem. All you have to do now is build a Porch Swing support on your chosen spot and hang the swing. But what if you don’t have the first idea how to build a Porch Swing support or couldn’t build one if you did. Then you’ll need to hire a Porch Swing contractor.
Finding a contractor to build a Porch Swing support and install your Porch Swing is not as easy at it appears. It’s not as if you can go to the yellow pages and look up “Porch Swing contractors”. Instead, you’ll have to find a carpenter or general handiman who works by the hour and who is willing and able to do the job.
Finding a carpenter can be easy enough. But how do you find one who has the required knowledge and experience? The yellow pages is a good place to start. Look for carpenters who specialize in small jobs. Narrow down your list to approximately five. And start calling.
