Posts Tagged ‘happiness’

How To Create A New Garden

Monday, December 19th, 2011

The question when you are thinking about making a garden is: do you have a choice of where to put it. For example, you may have a very big garden or you may be looking for an allotment from the local council. However, if you do not have a choice, then you will have to choose the kind of plants you want for your garden according to its location and condition.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have a choice, then the main consideration is the sun. In fact, even more significant that that is what kind of plants you want to grow. If you want flowers that like the sun or if you like flowers that cannot bear it, then the location of the garden is vital.

In the northern hemisphere, most gardeners would choose a south-facing garden, if they had the choice, but not everyone. Some gardeners are interested in marsh plants or woodland plants, for instance. If you do make the majority choice and go for a south-facing garden, then your planting beds should run from north to south, because that way they will receive maximum exposure to the sun’s energy.

If, however, you cannot obtain a south-facing garden, but you can acquire one facing southeast, then your flower beds should run north-west to south-east for the greatest exposure to the sun. Other directions can be worked out in a like manner.

The plan, whichever way your garden is facing, is to get the sun shining as near to 50% on each side of the plants as possible. The only real way of gaining success in this matter is by having a south-facing garden in the northern hemisphere or a north-facing garden in the southern hemisphere.

When you have determined the best place to put your garden, or which way it is facing, you should start designing it. This can best be done on graph paper. The first step is to draw a scale diagram of your garden. Once you have done that, you ought to prepare the ground by either clearing it of rubbish or clearing the scrub.

If your garden has decent turf, plan on your graph paper where you want your flower beds to be and draw them in. Then cut these parts out of your garden.

Depending how much area you have set aside for flowers, you can now either dig it over or rotovate it. Whichever means you choose, do it to the best of your ability, because once you have flowers and bushes in your garden, you will not find it so easy again. Dig plenty of manure into the earth while you are about it.

Now that you have a decent environment for your future plants, you can go about choosing your plants. This has to be done with the direction of your garden in mind, if you want to make the most of the plot that you have available to you.

If you want to modify a south-facing garden, this can easily be done by adding trees and bushes to provide cover, but it is not easy to heat up a cold north-facing garden.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is now concerned with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

Mosquito Repellent

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

The mosquito is the cause of many infectious diseases e.g. malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever etc. In fact, it serves as a vector to transmit such diseases from person to person. Mosquito control is the method used to manage mosquito numbers. Different methods are used to control mosquitoes from increasing and spreading illnesses.

Occasionally, regulating the source of reproduction and growth of mosquitoes is achieved by decreasing their number i.e. removing standing water. Natural predators like dragonflies, mosquito fish and killifish are used to prey on mosquitoes.

In this way their number is kept under control and the likelihood for mosquitoes to cause any damage are reduced. Different types of insecticides are also used to eradicate mosquitoes.

A mosquito repellent serves the purpose of saving an individual from the strike of mosquitoes which could cause serious damage to the health of the individual. A mosquito repellent is a substance which is used to repel and discourage mosquitoes from landing and biting. The out beak of mosquito-borne diseases can be managed and prevented by the use of such repellents.

The body chemistry of each person is different, which is why some individuals attract mosquitoes more than others and become a part of a mosquito?s? menu more frequently. Study shows that synthetic repellents are more effectual than natural repellents. The reason is the long lasting nature of synthetic repellents.

DEET and IR3535 are very commonly used repellents. DEET is a somewhat yellowish oil which is applied to the body or clothing to discourage mosquitoes. It should be used very cautiously because it can cause skin reactions and irritation.

DEET is the oldest repellent in use; it having been invented in 1946. Its protection lasts for about five hours. IR3535 is a chemical repellent which is found in Avon products such as their ?Skin So Soft? line of goods.

Rather than applying synthetic repellents, natural repellents can be made by mixing different natural oils in specific concentrations depending on the type of mosquito. Citronella oil, lemon eucalyptus, clove oil, cedar oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil and cinnamon oil are the most popular oils used as natural mosquito repellents. The refined form of oil of Lemon eucalyptus is a very effectual insect repellent.

Mosquito coils i.e. mosquito-repelling incense, is also commonly used in Asia, South America and Africa. It is usually a coil made of Pyrethrum powder, shaped into a spiral. Contemporary mosquito-repelling coils burn for about eight hours without a flame.

Their ability to repel mosquitoes is very strong; it is also cheap and simple to use. Health and safety concerns are of great importance when using such coils. The spark from the coil could ignite a fire and the smoke contains formaldehyde which is very harmful to health.

Children and pregnant women ought to use mosquito repellents very cautiously. The label on the repellent must be read very carefully before use and the directions should be followed precisely. Mosquito repellents should be kept out of the reach of children because of their deleterious effects on health.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on a number of topics, but is currently concerned with the Aedes mosquito. If you would like to know more or check out some fantastic offers, please go to our web site at Indoor Bug Zapper.

How To Choose Your Garden Furniture

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

If you are going to take your garden seriously, there are a couple items that you have to do. This first thing to do is work out a plan of how you want your garden to look like. This is easily done using graph paper or the more artistic may choose to draw it. Then you have to landscape your garden according to your plan, although you can adjust your plan as you go. After all, you are the boss. Put in any electric leads and water pipes that you might require. Erect your shed and greenhouse, if required then you can begin planting and start to choose your garden furniture.

The purpose of this article is to help you choose your garden furniture. There is so much diversity of garden furniture that it can be quite difficult to make up your mind. Do you go for hardwood, softwood, metal or plastic?

Which colour and which style? Some of your choice will be restricted, if you are on a budget, but in reality, over the long term of twenty or thirty years, hardwood is the cheapest alternative and plastic the most expensive. Over the short term, two to five years, the opposite is the case.

Whether you want armchairs or recliners is certainly up to you and so outside the remit of this piece, so is the style that you prefer, although I will say that the most successful choice of garden furniture should blend in with the garden rather than stick out like a sore thumb. Plastic tends to look alright on a patio or deck, but rarely goes well with a garden full of pretty plants and bushes, whereas hardwood garden furniture tends to fit in well everywhere. You need to be a bit careful with softwood and metal.

In a way, it is a good idea to tackle choosing your garden furniture in the your same way that you would select the furniture for inside your home. It has to blend in with your overall style.

Therefore, you might want to put off purchasing your garden furniture until you get your first crop of flowers up, unless you can imagine it in your mind. The only trouble with waiting for Spring is that that is when garden furniture is at its most expensive.

Ask yourself what you intend doing in the area where you are planning putting your furniture. Are you and the family just going to collapse there after work and on weekends or are you going to hold more formal garden parties there? If you are going to have guests, it should be large enough for the number you expect and the furniture should be robust enough so that it will not collapse under some of the larger guests. If it is just for the family at least you are dealing with known information: how big they are and how many of them there are.

Another aspect to keep in mind is maintenance. Plastic does not possess to be maintained, but it will perish – become brittle – after a few hot summers and cold winters. You can lengthen the life of your plastic garden furniture by keeping it in a shed when not in use. Metal garden furniture may require anti-rust treatment from time to time and if the seat is made of fabric, you should also check for signs of rot, which could lead to someone falling through the chair.

Softwood has to be treated with preservative, paint, varnish or oil quite frequently and you should check for signs of rot or splitting, which can still come about no matter how much you take care of it. Hardwood garden furniture needs to be treated once a year as well, but it is by far the most robust material used for constructing garden furniture.

Plastic and metal furniture are available in many colours; softwood can be painted or stained any colour you like and hardwood is available in all shades of brown from light oak to rich dark mahogany, but it should never be painted only oiled and stained, if you want to.

If you select hardwood, it can be a bit hard on the backside after a couple hours, so buy a couple of cushions that match the colour and style of your garden furniture too. These can be stored inside when not in use or they will become unbelievably grimy and if they get wet it can take days for them to dry, during which time they might start to rot and smell. Removable cushion covers are a good idea.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now involved with large dining tables. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Solid Oak Dining Tables.


Powered by Yahoo! Answers