Home Improvement

No single person would decline to have a beautiful garden in their house. Not only that the beautiful garden is nice to look, but also it will bring the lovely atmosphere for the condition of the house, both in the interior part of the house as well as the exterior part. To make it into true, there are so many things that can be put or selected to be the ones that will beautify the house.

As mentioned, the accessories or additional items to make the garden look lovely are various. You can put the bird bath, water fountain, or maybe stone garden benches to complete the beauty. The stone benches are one selection of the garden benches that is known because it is classic and elegant. There are so many kinds of size, style, material, and finishing of the stone garden benches that can be selected to be the main attraction of the garden.

The stonebenches.com is the best online site that will provide the most complete selection of garden benches, such as stone benches and memorial benches. They offer so many features and bonuses for the customer that trusts the selection of the stone benches to the company, such as free shipping, personalized benches, expert customer service, low price protection, and of course, exclusive products.

How many times do you find yourself marching out to the garden like a pack horse, with your arms laden with hand tools? More often than not, you still have to return to the shed for more supplies. With a small ingenuity and a few items you probably have around the house, you can make your own garden tote to store all your garden “must have’s”.

Round up a canvas carpenter’s belt (the kind with a large pocket) and gather together all the hand tools you regularly use. Measure the width of each and add on 1 more inch. Use a pen to mark the sections on your belt pocket. Double stitch along the pen marks, making several pockets for the various tools. Get a small bucket or ancient cat litter pail, perfect for holding weeds, gloves or other items and tie the belt around the bucket. Next time you work in the garden, just grab your tote and go.

For a variation on this thought, use bungee cords to attach the bucket to a golf cart or luggage dolly, and place shovels or other large items in the bucket and wheel them around easily.

Knee Pad

Be kind to your tender knees by using a knee pad when you head out to the garden. Grab an ancient Styrofoam camping mattress and cut it to size, or go to your local carpet dealer and question him for some ancient samples.

Plant Supports

Get your sprawling plants in check by providing a support system that’s built right into your planter. Start with a medium sized container. Drive five 1 by 1 inch stakes or bamboo stems into the soil until they protrude about 4 feet. Plant your tomato or other climbing plant in the center of the pot. Get nylon twine and wind it around the stakes in a star shape in 6 inch rows. As your plant grows and develops fruit, it will have plenty of support for all those unruly stems.

Planter’s Pal

This is a handy small device to make planting seedlings a breeze. In fact, once you’ve used it a couple times, you’ll wonder how you ever gardened without it. Start with a piece of wood measuring four inches wide and four feet long. Leave one edge flat, or bevel it at a 45 degree angle. You can really get the lumber store to cut it for you. Along the other edge, mark “V” notches every six inches. Alternate the notches huge and small. Make the first one about one inch in depth and the second about 2 inches and repeat.

When you’re ready to plant, press the flat side of the board into the dirt, making a narrow channel for your seeds. Lay down the board on its side with the notches facing away from you. Use the notches to help you with spacing, and plant your seeds.

Sprinkler Stand

This is a simple method of making your oscillating sprinkler even more efficient. Start an in-ground sprinkler that has a stake and spigot attached to it. Get a bamboo pole and two plastic fasteners. Depending on the type of plants you’re watering, cut the bamboo pole. It should be 2 to 3 feet for low growing plants and vegetables and 4 to 6 feet for tall flowers or shrubs. Push the pole into the ground at least 8 inches, place the metal spigot from the sprinkler against the top of the pole, and fasten with plastic strips. Attach the hose and water away.

Shopping for garden furniture can be confusing for a man. You may not even have known how many choices were available to you for garden or patio furniture. You may have thought this was an easy choice and for some men it will be. For those of you who become confused and upset about the many choices, here is some advice. Rattan and wicker are fantastic materials for garden and patio furniture. Made from very durable but pliable wood, they are easy to carry and care for.

Synthetic Vs. Authentic

There are now synthetic and real rattan materials. Real rattan is a palm wood indigenous to Africa and Australia. It is more vine like and can grow to hundreds of meters long. This makes it an abundant and easy material to build with.

Synthetic rattan is made from plastic and imitates the look of rattan. Choosing the plastic rattan is better than basic plastic furniture from the drug store. Choose a color that is complimentary to your home and décor. If you have a glass door that leads to your yard, choose garden furniture that compliments but does not match exactly to your indoor furniture. You want the furniture to be a soothing experience for the eyes and the colors to blend nicely. Of course bold colored garden furniture is an easy way to update your look. Even if it is not bright, choosing a color like blue will allow for versatility in future decorating.

Pillows

Choosing the right pillows to accompany your wicker or rattan is an vital step. Most rattan garden furniture sets will come with pillows; they will more than likely be a light color. You want to take precautions up front to be sure they will not get stained. Question the manufacturers or sales clerk if the pillow fabric has been waterproofed. If it has not been, go ahead and invest in some Scotchgaurd and waterproof your pillows. You will be delighted about this when they withstand the elements and spills.

Easy to Care For

Rattan will also allow you to leave your furniture outside all year round. It is easy to clean and can withstand most weather extremes. Plus if there is ever a time when you must bring it in, it is light and easy to carry. You will be able to find a place to store it easily and it dries quickly. If you become really desperate, it also blends in fantastic with indoor furniture.

When it comes to gardening, there are some additional benefits to just having your own fruits and vegetables. Not only can you be a “green” thumb, but you can be a  contributor to the “green” living movement by recycling common household “garbage” items into useful, and helpful, garden utensils.

Take the common soup can. By removing the top AND bottom lids, this cylinder becomes a useful starting pot. Removing the top and bottom lids will help aid in the removal of your plant start with greater ease. Now, don’t throw away those lids! The lids can be placed at the base of light loving plants, such as tomatoes! The lids will reflect sunlight, thus providing extra light. In addition, the reflected light has been shown to repel plant eating insects and aphids. To deter birds from your fruits trees, punch holes in the lids and hang them from tree branches. Apparently the reflected light and movement scares these rascals away.

Another “green” thought for recycled starting pots are used, washed, individual jello or pudding containers! They are just the perfect size to start individual plants! It is also wise and frugal to wash and reuse any and all previously bought vegetable or plant containers. It is vital to wash the containers out, and even use a mild bleach solution, to kill any bacteria or pest that may have hitched a ride with the previous “owner”.

Styrofoam or plastic trays from pre-packaged meats make brilliant holders for peat pots or pellets. They are also practical holders for your individual plant starts and help prevent water from getting on your window sill or potting bench. Pre-packaged dinners, such as lasagna, come in perfect containers in which you can convert to a medium for starting various herbs or vegetables.

One gallon plastic milk jugs have a variety of uses. The milk jug can be either used as an individual miniature green house, or, by just using the top 2/3rds of the jug, you can make your own “hot” caps for tomatoes or peppers. I have also used the extra plastic to make plant markers. With a “sharpie” and a plastic marker, I have a winning combination…all water resistant so I don’t forget what I planted and where!

Popsicle sticks are another brilliant choice for garden stakes or plant markers. I even keep the plant markers from the previous garden season.  I just simply reuse them if it is the same type of plant or I turn the marker over and write on the back the new vegetable I am growing!

Instead of going to the land fill, raked leaves, lawn clippings, spoiled hay, etc., can and should be used for mulching around individual plants and on garden pathways. Please see my article, “Have The Most Successful and Productive Backyard Garden Ever!  Plant These Mulching Tips”, for a much more detailed description of the benefits and advantages of mulching.

As you can see, there are many practical, useful, and helpful applications that can be employed in your backyard garden from “recycled” items.  By employing these “green” tips in your garden, you will not only improve the environment, but you will greatly enhance your “green” thumb!

There are scores of advantages in growing container plants. Firstly, due to easy mobility of the plants; and as per their requirement they can be shifted to any area which has exposure to adequate sunlight, temperature and moisture. Secondly, they avert the growth of undesirable weeds in the garden and also eradicate diseases which are borne by the soil. If you like nature and wish to beautify your surroundings with lush green plants, you can opt for container gardens. Growing plants in urn gardens do not entail much expenditure and you can set up one with the available space, and with minimum expense. There are numerous varieties of plants and containers sold in the market and you can exercise your discretion in making the right choice by using your imagination. The greatest advantage of a pot garden is that there is no necessity to spend much on buying pots. You can use any type of urn that can retain mud and water e.g. mug, bucket, shoes, sinks and barrels. You can use your own thought and skill in decorating them. But make sure to drill a hole at the bottom of the pot to prevent accumulation of moisture. Next, your focus should be on coloring the pots by using different shades. You can either paint them with striking contrast colors like pink and orange or blue and yellow; or you can use soothing colors like varied shades of green, blue or pink.

The next step is to select the appropriate soil and plants. Make sure to choose the right type of soil for the particular plant. Since fertilizers may be expensive, you can use cheap composts for your plants in the container garden. You can get information about different composting programs from your city as well as Government websites. You may be aware of the fact that a container garden comparatively requires more water than a soil garden because the water tends to dry up quick in containers, particularly in the summer season. You can possess a gorgeous container garden which can be used constructively for growing different types of herbs. They not only look appealing but are also very useful for your kitchen. You can enhance the appearance of your jug garden by growing lovely bonsais. You need to regularly water the plants and annually cut and trim them to present a clean look. You can grow different types of plants, creepers and shrubs in bottle gardens. Presently, the concept of container gardening is gaining ground. Now the latest trend is towards adopting jug gardening as a favorite pastime. So why not use this leisure activity to your advantage if it can bring you pleasure and at the same time keep you engaged in growing and maintaining lovely green plants in your urn garden.