The Indoor Garden: Plants that Clean the Air
February 29, 2008
There are many reasons for creating an indoor garden ? significant among them is the need to clean the toxins from our homes and offices. As a consequence of the energy crisis in the 1970’s, today’s homes and offices are built to conserve energy and the outcome has been a lack of air exchange, with the resulting increase of indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization has stated, "there’s probably more damage to human health from indoor pollution than from outdoor pollution." Symptoms associated with indoor pollution include allergies, asthma, eye, nose, and throat irritations, fatigue, headache, nervous system disorders, respiratory and sinus congestion. In today’s society more and more people exhibit these symptoms as a result of staying indoors the majority of the time.
One of the ways we can change this predicament is to become knowledgeable about and responsive to the environment that we live and breathe in. Foliage plants give us the opportunity to not only provide the calming influences of nature in our homes and workplaces, but also provide us with the oxygen we need to live. In a study conducted by N.A.S.A., researchers found that plants also clean the air inside our homes, buildings, and offices. The sources of chemical emissions that cause indoor air pollution include: acetone, alcohols; ammonia; benzene; chloroform; formaldehyde; and xylene.
Gardening Tips for Early - Mid July
February 29, 2008
Now we are fast approaching the hottest time of the year, there are still some things that can be done in the garden. Below are a few gardening tips for those that love the summer warmth. For you who aren’t particularly appreciative of the hot hot, then do your gardening chores early in the morning.
As the flowers in your garden start to fade, you should see seed pods begin to appear. What does this mean as far as the plant’s growth is concerned? How does it affect the appearance of your garden?
It means that the plant puts most of its resources towards the seeds and creating them. If the seed pods are allowed to remain, the plant will not continue to give you flowers like it would if the seeds were removed once the flowers go by. You could end up with a garden with lots of seeds and few blooms. This of course, depends on many factors. Therefore, faded flowers should be cut off. You can go around every day as you go about youyr gardening with some type of trimmers or scissors and cut off all the dead flowers. You can add this organic matter to your compost pile.
5 Simple Steps to Care For Your Push Reel Mower
February 28, 2008
Though most Push Reel Mowers made today are durable, they do require some basic care and simple maintenance in order to keep them running smoothly. Taking the following steps will ensure you have years of use on your push reel mower.
If you follow these 5 simple steps, you will ensure a long and productive life for your push reel mower.
Pressure Washing Decks
February 27, 2008
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 pollutiom 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 mildrew 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
Using Push Reel Mowers
February 26, 2008
If you’re not familiar with push reel mowers or if you haven’t used one since “back in the day”, there are a few points you should be aware of before using a push reel mower:
- Don’t expect to cut tall weeds or dandelions. You notice how your gas-powered mowers get a little “overwhelmed” when cutting weeds or very tall grass? Those issues are a bit worse with reel mowers because they become harder to push and they are limited in the height of what they can cut. When cutting with a power mower, you can tilt the mower in order to access hard-to-cut areas. That’s not so with a reel mower, you can only cut grass below the cutting height bar.
- Don’t cut wet grass. The wheels need traction in order to move the blades and if the wheels are slipping, especially if you’re cutting taller grass or weeds, the mowing becomes that much more difficult.
So, in order to get the best use from your push reel mower, make sure you do the following:
- Keep your grass cut often enough so that it’s manageable and easier to cut using the reel mower.
5 Things To Consider Before Purchasing a Push Reel Mower
February 25, 2008
Push Reel Mowers are making a “comeback” of sorts, though, in reality they’ve never really left; they’ve just gotten better. There are a number of reasons why purchasing a reel mower would make sense such as: better for the environment; more exercise; lighter; and, better for the grass, to name a few. However, a push reel mower is not for everyone nor for every lawn situation.
Ecological Landscape Design and Organic Lawn Care
February 24, 2008
There is a growing recognition, that the expanding suburban landscape is having a negative environmental impact. Suburban development often includes vast energy dependant monocultures (perfect, grass lawns). They consume a significant amount of natural resources, (water to keep them green and gasoline to keep them trimmed), and they reduce the amount of habitat available for native wildlife. Over use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides can leach into water supplies and be harmful to children and pets. Trends toward ecological landscaping and organic lawn care are lessening the detrimental effects of these designs. Many landscape designers are recommending native plant species, and even golf course managers are moving toward organic methods.
In practical terms our goal should be to move away from designs that depend on an extensive use of energy, without asking people to give up their lawns entirely. There are a number of options:
* Buffer zones and open space requirements in subdivisions allow for wildlife corridors and bird habitats.
* Leaving a portion of each lot in a natural state will invite birds and beneficial insects into the yard, while reducing the amount of grass to water and mow.
Create a Hummingbird Garden Habitat
February 24, 2008
It’s not difficult to create a garden that will attract hummingbirds, but if you’d like to build a habitat in which they will happily nest and live throughout the northern summer, you need to provide them with more than a sugar-water feeder and a plant or two. An active hummingbird garden doesn’t need to be large, but it will have all of the following key ingredients to attract and keep the attention of “nature’s fairies”.
Choose plants that attract Hummingbirds Flowers are, of course, the key ingredient in attracting hummingbirds to your garden. The tiny birds feed on nectar that is produced by flowers, and they seem particularly attracted to plants with trumpet or tubular bright red and orange flowers. Favorites include rhododendrons, azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes. For northern gardens that attract the ruby-throated hummingbird, choose plants that flower at different times during the blooming season to provide food for them throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Spring Bloomers - Azaleas, rhododendrons and rose of Sharon bushes make a great ‘background’ for hummingbird gardens. They bloom early in the spring and continue blooming through the early summer. Pink and bright red varieties are favored, but hummingbirds love all Rose of Sharon varieties.
Tips on How to Plant Roses
February 23, 2008
When spring comes and the ground is thawed, it is time to start planting your rose garden. Roses have been a cherished aphrodisiac since biblical times. They have been around for over 3000 years, yet they still hold a particular mystery and fascination, not to mention the fact that they just look and smell good!
One of the most important rules of growing roses is to plant the rose bush in an area that receives around 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day.
It is preferable not to plant too many trees or other plants around the rose bush because most of these are likely to either mix with the rose or stifle it’s growth. If you are replacing an old rose bush, approximately 1 1/2 cubic feet of old soil should be removed, and fresh soil added to replace it. When positioning your rose in the garden or landscape, consider the growth habit of the rose.
For example, place climbers and ramblers along fences, trellises, or next to arches or pergolas. This location offers them free range of growth, and optimal potential for the showiest blooms.
Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives
February 22, 2008
For best health, it is important to keep your environment as chemical free as possible. With better weather coming up, consider this:
Many people do not realize that using pesticides and weed killers on lawns can cause health problems for your children and animals, as they often are on the lawn daily in the summer.
Some pesticide studies have raised concerns about the connection between pesticide exposure and childhood brain cancer and leukemia. Also impaired development of the reproductive system and neurological and developmental problems.
Both children and pet’s body composition is smaller for the amount of chemical they are exposed to, so the health threat is bigger for them. Of course, it is not good for you as an adult, either.
For a safe alternative to weed killers, try vinegar. Yes, the vinegar you have sitting in your kitchen cupboard.
You can use straight household vinegar and put it in a spray bottle, and spray that on the weeds you find in your yard and garden. You could also add a little dish soap to the vinegar, which will help the mixture to stick to the weeds.
