5 Simple Steps To Care For Your Push Reel Mower

Writen by Jeff Boyd

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.

1. Wipe the blades clean after each use. This helps prevent moisture from the grass from staying on the blades and causing (over time) rust, or dulling the blades. You can use a cloth, brush, or small towel.
2. Periodically oil the moving parts. Do this before your first cutting of the season, then periodically throughout the season if it looks as though the mower needs it. This helps the moving parts to continue to work smoothly.
3. Clean the yard of debris before each use. This helps the blades maintain their sharpness by not having to "chew" on small sticks.
4. Check for, and tighten any loose parts. Do this at the beginning and end of the mowing season. This helps ensure you don't lose any loose parts in the lawn while cutting. This is a rare occurrence but an inspection of the mower is simple, fast, and could be worth it in the long run.
5. Watch what you're doing! Don't bang the mower into fence posts, rocks, or other immovable objects while cutting since this may damage the mower and/or the blades. It's better to either move the object, or, use an edger after you've finished mowing.
   

If you follow these 5 simple steps, you will ensure a long and productive life for your push reel mower.

Jeff Boyd is the Owner of http://www.reelpushmowers.com, a supplier of Push Reel Mowers and accessories for the environmentally-conscious and health-conscious consumer.

Flowers And Butterflies The Perfect Combination

Writen by Kathy Burns-Millyard

Spring is coming fast and with it the colors of the world come to life. The spring season is not just a time for the gardens to bloom, but a season for the butterfly to come to life as well. Your garden is an ocean of color and to keep this ocean of color coming back in the spring, your use of perennial bulbs, flowers, seeds, and shrubs will lessen tasks in the early spring. Butterflies that add that complete 'special touch' to your gardens will eagerly look for homes in your gardens if you can provide what it is they are searching for.

So what are the colorful butterflies searching for arriving at your garden? Flowers such as the Butterfly weed, the New England aster, Blue false indigo, Cheddar pinks, Blanket flowers, Shasta daisies, Garden phlox, Showy stonecrop, Orange cone flowers and the Red valerian are a few of the most popular plants that butterflies will seek out.

In some areas butterflies will be prevalent even if you are not planting the flowers or plants that attract butterflies the most, but this in rare cases. What makes most gardeners seek the addition of butterflies in the garden? The butterfly's grace, beauty, colors and the quietness of the butterfly is what attracts many gardens to butterflies. The butterfly moves through the garden, landing and taking off without ever really disturbing any on flower at all. This small creature is a pleasant addition to any area in the landscape.

The organic garden is the perfect place for butterflies to relax. Chemicals and pest controls that you use in the garden can affect and drive away butterflies from your garden. What you need to remember when you are using chemicals in the garden is, if it is going to kill the larvae, your butterfly population is going to decease significantly. The butterfly will only reappear in your garden after hatching from the larvae that is deposited in your garden.

Both fragrance and color are going to draw the butterfly to your garden. The scent from the flower must be strong to attract the butterfly. In planning a butterfly garden you will need to decide if any variety of plant is correct for your own grow zone. While the butterfly bush may be very successful in attracting butterflies, is it the correct plant for your temperature and environment seasonally?

What exactly are butterflies going to live off? Besides living off the nectar from the flowers their selves, the butterfly also thrive off tree sap, animal droppings, fruit, and sweet vegetables in your gardens. The size of the flower is never going to matter to the butterfly, only the sweet fragrance and the color of the flower will.

Additional flowers that you can consider for planting in the butterfly garden are the Butterfly bush, Liatris, Scaboisa, Sunflower, Verbena, Zinnias, Marigolds, Cosmos, Black eyed Susan, Lavender and Sage. Plan out your garden so the butterfly attracting plants are near the center of the garden, leaving the butterfly feeling highly secure from the wind, predators and even you!

If you need Live Plants, Flowers, Rose Bushes and Vines, visit http://plants.garden-source.com

© 2004. This article is provided courtesy of The Garden Source Network - a large gardening network devoted to helping you find all the gardening materials you need, such as Seeds, Live Plants, Roses, Trees and Beautiful decor. This article may be distributed and published on any website, as long as this statement and URL remain intact, and the website address is linked properly.

Repair And Maintenance Of Your Lawn Mower

Writen by Daniel Roshard

A lawn mower can be a homeowners best friend, and in many cases you will need to dig deep to find enough money to buy your lawn mower, which means that most of us want and hope that our lawn mower will work for at least a few years till we have to start thinking about changing or replacing it. There are a lot of different lawn mower models in the market today, from the very classic ones to the new and modern robotic lawn mowers, you will find that as the models are newer your basic understanding of it mechanism will probably be less and less.

The new lawn mowers are more complicated that what you would like to think, and this brings with it the question of repairing lawn mowers, what was traditionally a Sunday afternoon occupation is now an almost impossible task, involving commuter chips and remote controllers, the modern lawn mower is not an easy thing to fix. This is why you should try and get a warranty for your lawn mower, even an extended warranty when you are just buying it, to save yourself the trouble.

If you still own an older lawn mower you will know that repairing it can be a little complicated too, you will need to examine the mower to find what part it is that broke down, this is usually down by slowly eliminating the different parts that fail in your mower, this is a very time consuming job, but sometimes fun.

There are some problems that are easy to fix, and would probably not require any professional help or work, you can use your owners manual to learn how to change blades or cutting parts, in the worst case you can ask the person that sells the blades and they will explain this to you, replacing spark plugs and batteries is also not a very complicated repair and will not send you to a lawn mower professional for help.

The basics of taking good care of your lawn mower are simply good common sense, like keeping the lawn mower covered and clean, after you use the mower make sure it is clean and without grass of other things in its blades, wipe it and clean all the outside parts, the exterior should be as clean as possible, just like when you bought it, this way you will know that nothing is obstructing the blades or other parts of the mower. When you store it keep it covered and in case there are any special instructions for the use of the batteries follow them, especially if you do not intend on using the mower in the near future.

In the bottom line good maintenance and care will save you a lot of problems in the future and make your life easier, when buying a new mower you should think about getting a warranty and sometimes even think about getting a yearly renewal of that warranty, simply to keep you from thinking about how you need to fix your mower. If you own a new lawn mower, the robotic one or a self propelled mower you should also read you owner manual and avoid playing or changing anything you don't know, these are not the old mowers that were completely mechanical, so try and reduce your technical involvement with it.

Lawn mowers are a homeowners best friends, they will make your garden look like a golf course fairway without much effort, when you are looking at new mowers you should seriously think about what and how you will do if you need to repair your mower, Lawn Mower Repair is one of the things you don't think about until you need to, and you can save yourself a lot of time if you consider that before you buy a mower. To learn more about mowers visit http://lawnmower.zupatips.com/Lawn_Mower_Repair.html

Teak Furniture A Cut Above The Rest

Writen by Jennifer Akre

As you shop around for outdoor furniture, you will notice that much of the higher quality pieces are made from teak wood, and for good reason. Teak furniture is not just sturdy and durable, but also very beautiful with rich warm tones. Manufacturers obtain their wood from different countries but the two that always produce top quality is Thailand and Indonesia.

In addition to being used as teak furniture, this type of wood actually has a long history, having been used for shipbuilding along with other forms of construction jobs. For centuries, teak has been the preferred wood since it is extremely strong and resilient. In fact, centuries ago, the people of Malaysia and India played a big role in getting word about this amazing wood, sharing about its ability to handle a wide array of outdoor elements.

Then, people during the Victoria era took full advantage of the many benefits offered by teak and began to make their own style of teak furniture as far back as the early 19th century. In addition to teak furniture created for home use, teak furniture was also designed in the form of benches to enhance local parks and public buildings. Today, you still find teak furniture at the top of the list when it comes to wood outdoor furniture.

While teak offers several benefits, the durability is considered a huge factor for individuals looking to buy patio furniture. For example, the teak wood coming from Central Asia is grown and matured in the tropical rainforests where it must weather varying environmental changes. Because of that, teak wood is naturally a great choice for outdoor furniture, as well as indoor furniture. For this reason, people will make the investment in teak furniture, knowing it will last for many, many years.

A common problem faced with other types of woods used for outdoor furniture is insects and rot. Again, by choosing teak furniture, you get the benefit of having wood that naturally fights both of these inconveniences. The primary reason is that teak, unlike most other woods, is saturated with oils that fight off insects, mold, mildew, and various forms of fungi. With teak growing in the rainforest, for it to survive, it must have the high concentrations of oil as protection against the moisture. The interesting thing about this is that even when teak becomes old and dies it is still saturated with natural oils.

Finally as mentioned, of all woods used, you will discover that teak furniture has a rich, warm appearance. The color is typically a medium to dark caramel that will often have swirls of other colors. As the teak furniture is designed and shined up, it glows and looks absolutely beautiful. Therefore, if you want gorgeous furniture that can be used for weekend entertainment, you cannot go wrong by choosing teak furniture! Without doubt, your family and friends will be envious!

Jennifer Akre is a successful business owner of numerous furniture websites such as http://www.MoreThanTeak.com . Her sites offer product and information about teak furniture and other decor and furniture styles for your home or garden.

Understanding Integrated Pest Management

Writen by Michael Russell

Integrated pest management, also known as IPM, is a system that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical strategies to control pests. In plain English, that means using the easiest, least environmentally harmful, cheapest methods first and using more expensive, toxic methods only as a last resort.

Careful observation or crop monitoring is the first and most important step in IPM. You have to know exactly what pest you're dealing with, when it appears, how many you have and on what plants. For example, after you can recognize aphids, you may find them on a few rose buds on a single plant in the front lawn or covering every bush in your prize-winning garden. It may be the beginning of your gardening system or near the end. How you choose to control the aphids - or whether you choose to control them at all - depends on all these factors and more.

Integrated pest management strategies are like a series of steps. The first steps are the least toxic and the least harmful control methods. The most potentially toxic controls are last resort steps.

Cultural control: Giving plants optimal growing conditions - soil fertility, water, light and freedom from competing weeds - is the key to this first step. Other good cultural practices include using pest- and disease-resistant varieties and crop rotation, which means moving particular crops to new parts of the garden each year.

Crop sanitation: Keeping pests and diseases out of the garden in the first place is more than half the battle won. Inspecting new plants, cleaning your tools, eliminating weeds and using best watering practices help prevent the spread of potential problems.

Mechanical control: Prevent pests from getting on your plants by covering them with special fabrics or using hot water, air fire and the heat of the sun to kill them without poisons. Simply knocking pests into a can of soapy water does the trick, too.

Biological control: Every pest has a natural control, whether it's predator or disease. You can buy and release many of these control organisms or encourage the ones that already exist around your garden.

Chemical control: As a last resort, apply the least toxic pesticides. The best ones target only the pest and don't affect the innocent bystanders, such as bees, spiders and other beneficial insects. These pesticides also don't hang around in the environment where they can continue to affect other organisms long after their use.

Another factor that farmers - and you - must consider is how much pest or disease damage you can tolerate. Perfection comes at a very high price. Even farmers who must make a living or go bust based on the success of their crops have what they call an economic threshold, when the cost of the damage exceeds the cost of control. They expect to lose a portion of the crop completely and probably have another portion somewhat blemished. For them, it's an economic reality, but for most home gardeners, it's a matter of accepting less than perfection on 100 percent of your flowers and vegetables.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Gardening

Nontoxic Pest Control For Your Home And Garden

Writen by TC Thorn

Pesticides are toxic and, while often effective against pests, can be dangerous for your family and pets. Outdoors, sprayed pesticides might drift on a breeze and dust your vegetable garden or your neighbor's yard. Indoors, pesticides can linger in the air, exposing the family to harmful chemicals. For these reasons, many people are turning to nontoxic pest control methods.

Prevention is the best way to control pests, but there are times when even the most thorough preventative measures will not save you from intruders, so this article discusses both preventative pest control methods and nontoxic pest control products.

Preventative Pest Control Methods

Sanitation:

As they say, cleanliness is next to godliness. And it keeps pests out, too. Keeping your home clean is the most effective pest control method. If you don't leave food or dirty dishes lying around the house, animals and insects won't be attracted to the smell. Sweep and vacuum regularly. Remember, just because you can't see crumbs doesn't mean they don't exist. Clean inside pantries and cabinets cabinets, under and around the stove and refrigerator at least once a year.

Screens:

This may seem obvious, but screens on doors and windows are a simple and relatively cheap way to keep insects out of the house. Also, screens on crawlspaces keep rodents from obtaining easy access routes into the house.

Caulking:

By caulking cracks in your house, you can minimize places for insects to hide and nest. Target bathrooms and the kitchen, especially doors and windows.

Nontoxic Pest Control Products

Traps:

There are many kinds of traps available that target many kinds of pests. Some examples are sticky traps for cockroaches, glueboards for mice, flypaper, bug zappers, and traps specifically for rats, gophers, or moles. You can usually pick up traps at your local Home and Garden store.

Pheromones:

Pheromones, essentially insect scent hormones, can be used in traps as bait. By emitting the scent of the female insect, pheromones can be used to lure males into a trap, where they are caught in a sticky glue. Insects are only attracted by pheromones emitted by their own kind, so you need to know exactly what kind of insects you're trying to eliminate and plan accordingly.

Biological Control:

Biological control is more often used in agriculture but can sometimes be used in home and garden situations as well. Basically it means using desirable organisms to eliminate undesirable organisms. For instance, planting certain plants in your garden can deter certain pests. For example, spearmint repels ants. Garlic repels Japanese Beetles. Indoors, spiders eat fruit flies and houseflies, so it may be worth leaving some of those webs around.

Repellents:

There are nontoxic repellents available for pest control. Mosquito repellents are the most popular, but if you look around, you can find repellents that target other pests. Some herbs, like eucalyptus and wormwood, are known for repelling animals and insects.

About The Author

TC Thorn writes for http://www.pestinformation.com/ where you can find more pest control information.

Choosing Fish For The Garden Pond

Writen by Philip Swindells

Once a new garden pond has been planted and the waterlilies and other aquatic plants have been established for four or five weeks, ornamental fish can be introduced. There is no minimum number of fish necessary for a pond, although without any fish at all it will become a nursery for mosquitoes and there will be little chance of controlling aquatic insect pests. Even for the pond-keeper with little interest in ornamental fish, it is prudent to introduce half a dozen merely to control insect life.

The majority of pond-keepers find fish as important as plants, especially those who have a young family. Children love fish, although there is a danger of over-stocking, for there never seems to be enough in any pond for young children. There is also impatience to get the new pond stocked immediately it is filled with water. This must be resisted until the plants have had an opportunity to establish. While there is no minimum requirement for fish, there is a maximum number that should not be exceeded.

The most satisfactory stocking rate is 2ins length of fish to every 1 square foot of surface area. This is not of the total surface area of the pond but of open water uncluttered by marginal plants. This rate of stocking permits growth and development of the fish and makes natural breeding likely. Fish enthusiasts will often stock more heavily than this, but an absolute maximum is 6ins to every 1 square foot of surface area.

When purchasing fish a good guide as to whether they are healthy is the condition of their fins. Stout upright dorsal fins and well-expanded ventral fins are an indication of good health and this can be confirmed if the eyes are clear and bright as well. An obvious consideration when selecting fish is their liveliness. However, while a lively fish is likely to be a healthy fish, it could equally be a very hungry fish. It is common practice with many fish retailers to keep the fish a little hungry. This ensures that they swim and dart about the tank in search of morsels of food and therefore appear livelier than they would ordinarily. An added bonus is the reduction in the fouling in the tank.

With small fish it is important to see that there are no damaged or missing scales as exposed tissue is very susceptible to fungal infection. The same applies to larger specimens, although it is not so critical, and the likelihood of finding a large fish that has no scales missing is fairly remote. If an otherwise healthy fish has a few scales missing, then dip it in a proprietary fungus cure. It is prudent in any event to treat all newly purchased fish in this way as a precaution before introducing them to the pond.

Philip Swindells has over 40 years gardening experience. A former botanical garden curator and an international horticultural consultant, he has worked extensively in the UK, North America, the Middle East and Australia. The Author of more than 50 gardening books, he has been awarded a Quill and Trowel Award by the Garden Writers' Association of America. He is also a former UK Garden Writer of the Year. He is currently editor of http://www.internationalwatergardener.com.

That Turnheading Porch Is Yours

Writen by Kadence Buchanan

Turing your porch from ho-hum to head-turning does not have to mean that you need to do a major and expensive renovation. In fact, creating the porch of your dreams can be an easy and fun experience which can reflect your personal taste and also give that forgotten area of your house a lift that it so much needed.

Since how you feel about most things depends on their outside appearance, begin by examining your porch in its present state. Focus your attention to the floor, the house walls and then progressively to all the furniture or other things you have placed on your porch over time. Do they look old, used or outdated? If your natural reaction is to turn immediately your back to your porch and reenter your home, then you certainly have to seriously think of recapturing your porch's lost house-warming feeling. It is not that difficult and it will overall improve not only your mood, but also the market value of your residence.

So, if your porch's wooden, tile, or stone, floor requires your immediate attention, but the repairs it needs call for professional maintenance services, call the people that can help you reproduce a floor that is well-build and also looks great before the damage becomes any bigger. The floor renovation of your porch will probably be your biggest cost during this porch renovation house-project, but it will undoubtedly be a worthwhile procedure, which you should consider as money well-spend. But prior to calling a contractor and scheduling the repair dates and times, try to figure out whether the floor damage you can see is the outcome of poor maintenance or is caused by water leaks under the floor or from the porch's roof -usually mainly attributed to trapped rain water. Whatever the reason of the damage may be, you should first consider fixing the cause of your porch's poor floor appearance and then move on to repairing the floor itself; otherwise the damage will resurface and you will be left spending hundreds of dollars for no good reason.

If your porch's floor is now repaired or does not suffer any major damage, start cleaning it thoroughly and if you can and wish to paint it over, go ahead and do so. Just remember to ask your local house-store professionals' opinion before purchasing any paint product, in order to make sure the one you will select is recommended for this kind of use. While you wait for your floor to dry, you should start repairing or replacing the furniture and all other items you used to have on your porch and wish to keep. Adding color by painting them with water-proof paints is one of the best methods you have to revive their look and include them again in your porch's enhanced version. Replacing the pillow covers with waterproof fabrics, which are both practical and beautiful, will renew the look of your bench and chairs. Finally, consider using fabric or bamboo curtains and hang them on the side parts of your porch in order to create the privacy you need from neighbors eyes. These types of materials are light enough to allow sunlight reach your porch, but since they are not transparent their use creates the desired feeling of exclusion.

Browse house decoration magazine pages and take ideas for the outlook you want your porch to have. Lots of pots with flowers and plants bring the garden look on your porch, while fresh and natural materials complete the scenery leaving you with a porch that brings outdoors a step closer to you. If your porch overlooks a garden, you have to allow the visitor's eye catch its beauty. In addition, it is recommended to combine the two spaces by adding plantation in both areas and having steps that lead from your porch to your garden. This renovation will let your guests think that the porch is as much an extension of your garden as much it is of your house. Finally, is your garden sitting area is not protected from rain or sunlight, you can always add a big white umbrella over the table and chairs, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy even more the outdoors.

Pieces of furniture that have not been adequately reserved or dirt and dust on pillow cases, walls and floors, act as repellants, keeping people away from spending time near their porch. Yet, your creative and hand-crafting abilities can produce a beautiful area without emptying your bank account.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Gardening, Home Improvement, and Investing

Cross Pollination Amp How Plants Attract Insects For Pollination From A South African Perspective

Writen by Andrew Smit

How cross-pollination of plants takes place

Everything inside a flower is arranged to make pollination possible. This operation involves the transfer of pollen from the anthers of the stamens to the pistil. It is very rare, however, that the pollen produced by one flower is used to fertilize the pistil in the same flower. Instead, flowers are designed to obtain pollen from other plants and their flowers. This enables better seed and fruits to be produced and is known as cross-pollination. Its usefulness was demonstrated by the great naturalist, Charles Darwin, in 1859.

Cross-pollinating flowers occasionally have their pollen waiting on the stamens before the pistil is ready to take it; or the pistil may be ready but the stamens have produced no pollen. Some plants produce flowers with stamens only (male flowers) while others produce flowers with only pistils (female flowers). These plants are pollinated with the help of the wind which blows the pollen grains through the air. Such plants produce huge amounts of pollen because much of it is lost in the air and only a small quantity finally reaches its proper destination.

How plants attract insects for pollination

Some plants entrust their pollen to the winds. Others use water as a carrier and still others simply pollinate themselves. However in most cases the vital task of pollination is left up to insects.

To attract insects plants produce flowers that have beautiful scents and colours. The shape of the flowers corolla, the part with the petals, is designed to let pollinating insects in but keep out other unwelcome creatures. Sometimes the pollinating mechanism inside a flower is amazingly complex. An example is the sage flower: when a bee is attracted by the scent or the nectar, it stands on the lowest petal to enter the flower. As it does so, the bee presses on a kind of lever which makes the flowers stamens come down and touch the hairy back of the bee, covering it with pollen. The bee then enters another flower and the whole operation is repeated. The sage is one of those plants that lets its stamens ripen before its pistils. So when the bee lands on a flower where the stamens and the anthers have withered away, there is a pistil waiting to pick up the pollen from the bees back to fertilize itself

http://www.turtleherbestate.co.za where you will find Global solutions and ideas. Turtle Herb Estate Holdings consists of 3 forward thinking entrepreneurs with expertise in marketing & DTP advertising, farming culinary and medicinal herbs, web design and online marketing, horse breeding (sport horses),animal health products, import and export, engineering and industrial design (water solutions), arts and crafts. With a combined wealth of 80 years experience in various lines of business, we embrace a holistic approach to entrepreneurship.

Woodpecker Bird Feeders

Writen by Pam Caouette

Woodpecker bird feeders are a great way to attract woodpeckers to your yard. Woodpeckers are a great bird to have in your yard because they eat insects and bugs that are in and on your trees as well as your garden. A woodpecker will eat grasshoppers, flies, wasps, beetles, grubs and can eat thousands of carpenter ants a day.

A great way to keep these pecking birds in your yard is to offer them their own woodpecker bird feeder. The bird feeder that is best suited for a woodpecker is a suet bird feeder. Suet cakes are available in a variety of styles from peanut, seed, berry and raisin flavors. Another favorite of woodpeckers and a great woodpecker feeder would be a perching bird feeder. This type of perching bird feeder would include a platform bird feeder. It is important that there is lots of perching space on your bird feeder for the woodpecker. On your platform woodpecker bird feeder be sure to include woodpeckers' favorite seed, black oil sunflower. Some woodpeckers will come to your platform bird feeder if you have cracked corn or grapes, raisins and apples.

Woodpeckers and other flickers also enjoy drinking sweet nectar, just like orioles and humming birds. You can place a hummingbird feeder or an oriole nectar bird feeder in your yard as a treat to the woodpeckers that you have attracted. With a humming bird feeder, or a nectar feeder make sure that the feeding holes are large enough for the woodpeckers beak.

There are many different varieties of woodpeckers, as well as different sizes. The most common type of woodpecker you are to seed at your woodpecker feeder would be the Common Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. If you are lucky you may even attract a Pileated Woodpecker to your woodpecker feeder. These are only a few types of woodpeckers there are at least 10 different types of woodpeckers that you could attract to your backyard wild bird feeding station.

Pam Caouette is the lead author for http://www.aplusbirdfeeders.com Visit http://www.aplusbirdfeeders.com for great information on bird feeders, wild birds, and how to attract wild birds to your backyard. http://www.aplusbirdfeeders.com/Sub_Pages/Wild_Bird_Feeder/woodpecker_bird_feeder.htm

Stock Lawn Mower Parts For Greater Availability Of Mowers

Writen by Andrew Caxton

Depending on the type of your lawnmower, you will need to stock different parts in your house. It may be possible to get these parts off the shelf from your friendly neighborhood dealer. But to ensure continued availability you need to have these parts with you, where you can get it easily. You will be able to save a Saturday, when you normally mow the lawn. These parts are not costly and one will always be able to afford the investment in the lawnmower parts.

Parts For Gas Engine lawnmower

For your gas engine lawnmower you need to stock larger number of parts and consumable than the electric or battery operated lawnmower. This is so because, the lawnmower has many numbers of parts and when upgrading their products the companies do not bother to make spares for the earlier products. In such cases, you may have to on a hunting expedition to get these parts. It is better to stock them instead of the expeditions. The lawnmower parts that you can store are

• Spark Plugs: Spark plugs of lawnmowers are different from the plugs of your car and are not quickly available and are the first thing to go wrong. So have a plug handy.
• Belts: Just as the spark plugs, belts have a habit of breaking down, when required most. (May be Murphy's laws is applicable here too). Belts are easy to change and you need not stop you lawn maintenance just because the belt has broken downat 7 o'clock in morning when no shop is open and your lawn needs maintenance as your guests are coming by 10 o'clock
• Blades, Mulching Kits, Shafts, Adapters & Accessories: You can also stock them for continued use of your lawnmower
• Make a stock of hardware necessary for fixing small problems with lawn mowers and small engines.
• Throttle and choke cables, battery lead etc. should also be stocked.

Parts For Electric Lawnmowers

Electric lawnmowers require less number of parts than the gas engine counterpart. The following parts may be maintained for electric lawnmowers

• Fuses and fuse holder: These are the easiest and cheapest parts to store. You may store them along with other electrical items.
• Cables and cable winder spares: The mess after the cable winder breaks down should be seen to be believed. A cable winder will not accept any joint in cable and cable if it gets damaged, should be replaced or shortened
• Switches tools and connectors are also parts to be stocked.

Parts For Battery Lawnmower

Such lawnmowers require least parts to be stocked. You may stock only the switches and battery leads etc.

Therefore, if you stock above parts your lawnmower will serve you for long periods.

The writer Andrew Caxton used to publish articles for an online gardening magazine, focused on lawnmowers and lawn tractors. Andrew helps people to find the best and most affordable lawn mower parts from amongst many different models and manufacturers.

Spring Wild Flowers

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Wildflowers are flowers that grow in the wild, undisturbed by human intrusion. These flowering plants are commonly annuals or perennials. Many of the spring wildflowers are weeds with attractive flowers. Blooming in a variety of colors, spring wildflowers vary in smell, size, and appearance.

Spring wildflowers are associated with sweet smelling air, singing birds and a spirit of enthusiasm. Most of the species of wildflowers emerge from the soil for the first time and produce flowers and seeds during spring. Some wildflowers may fade in the spring and some others may continue to bloom even in summer. Excursions and nature trips to the wild are occasions to come across these wild beauties.

Spring wildflowers are seen everywhere in the wilderness, on dry open woodlands, wetlands, waste places, meadows, and mountains. Bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, Hepatica and Wood Anemone are some of the woodland blooms. Pasqueflower and shooting star are commonly found in prairies while skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds adorn wetlands. Spring wildflowers in California southern deserts include California fuchsia, desert lavender, desert asters, desert lilies, desert sunflowers, and ghost flowers. At Appalachians, one can find mountain laurel, wild azaleas, and rhododendrons in spring.

Some of the popular spring wildflower destinations in the nation are Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Antelope Valley close to Los Angeles, Texas Hill Country around Austin, Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve, Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Joshua Tree National Park, Saguaro National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Some tourist destinations arrange walks or hikes to enable a close look at the variety of spring wildflowers. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, organizes a seven-day event named Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in late April every year. The event mainly focuses on viewing spring wildflowers.

Spring Flowers provides detailed information on Spring Flowers, Spring Wedding Flowers, Names Of Spring Flowers, Spring Wild Flowers and more. Spring Flowers is affiliated with Fresh Flower Arrangements.

Flower Delivery Services

Writen by Eddie Tobey

Giving the gift of flowers has been a long time tradition. Flowers symbolize beauty, compassion and love and convey emotions and often communicate when words are not enough. Flowers are given for many occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, get-well wishes and just to say 'I Love You'.

Florists can usually plan on being exceptionally busy at some peak times of the year such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Many of the top performing florists stay busy year round by specializing in funeral arrangements and other important events. Birthdays, anniversaries and 'no-reason' gifts are in demand year round.

Traditionally the local hometown florist was only a phone call away and could handle most of the client's needs. The customer just had to give them a ring, tell them the occasion and have the flowers delivered. However, with the global community that we now live in, it has become necessary to expand ordering options and options for flower delivery.

A plethora of options are available for flower delivery for today's consumer. Many local florists offer a 'wire transfer' of your order to affiliate florists in other cities. A simple Internet search for "flower delivery" will certainly yield tremendous results. We regularly view television advertisements for some of the top floral delivery companies, many with catchy phone numbers or websites. It can be time consuming to first see the many options available and to attempt to figure out who offers the best prices, services and products.

It is in the best interest of the consumer to familiarize himself/herself with the choices offered for flower delivery. Making a purchase after comparing companies will give you the upper hand and give you a sense of control over your purchases. You need to be sure that you are getting the best price bargain while at the same time purchasing high quality flowers from a reputable florist.

Flower Delivery Info provides information on same day, next day, international, and online flower delivery in various regions Flower Delivery Info is the sister site of Flower Bulbs Web.

Hotweather Fish Feeding Facts

Writen by Brett Fogle

Summertime provides the best time of the year to water garden – and also to be on the alert for high-temperature problems.

To remain healthy and continue growing, fish need to get all the nutrients available from their food, so feed them food they can easily assimilate in their systems. If fish seem hungry, feed them once to three times daily.

Feeding small amounts guarantees all the food gets eaten, preventing leftover food from spoiling in high, summertime temperatures and dirtying the water. Don't feed fish that aren't hungry – it only wastes money and soils their environment.

Oxygen dissolves easier in winter, when water temperatures are low. Warmer temperatures mean harder-to-acquire oxygen in water.

In summer, therefore, fish sometimes find it difficult to get enough dissolved oxygen – particularly in severe summer heat. Even when fish eat, the motion caused by their feeding further depletes oxygen supplies.

Avoid stressing your fish in the summer by feeding them in the cool, morning hours of the day. And to increase oxygen in the water, add a fountain or other aeration method to circulate and add air to your pond water. Submergible plants also help to increase the amount of soluble oxygen.

So, pay attention to your fish. The best rule of thumb is to never give them more than they'll eat in five minutes. Unlike people (!), fish eat only what they need to survive, and as water warms past 77 degrees Fahrenheit, your fish will eat less.

About The Author

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at our website.

brett@macarthurwatergardens.com

Flowers For U

Writen by John Francis

Who doesn't like to receive flowers? Unless you have an allergy, flowers are one of the favorite gifts to give and receive.

There are birthday flowers, anniversary flowers, get well flowers, I'm sorry flowers, and new baby flowers. You can send flowers to remember special dates, to celebrate new homes and to wish people well with a new job or business.

Christmas flowers look beautiful above the fireplace or mantle. A Thanksgiving bouquet makes the table complete and an Easter basket loaded with tulips and other spring flowers looks lovely on the coffee table. Put a vase of Valentine roses next to your bed or send your Irish friend a St. Paddy's bouquet filled with bright flowers and greenery.

Even a vase of daisies brighten up the darkest winter day. Order flowers to welcome spring and to celebrate a graduation. Flowers can make an ordinary day less than ordinary and just a small bouquet makes a thoughtful gift.

A baptism is a wonderful time for a special bouquet. First communion or a confirmation is even more beautiful when flowers are sent.

Time for a wedding? You can choose from the most exquisite flower arrangements. Use flowers to decorate the church for the service. Plan gorgeous flowers for the bride and for all the attendants. Don't forget the groom and all the other family members and friends. You can use flowers at the receptions, too. Flowers will look wonderful on the tables and placed around the room.

If you are planning a party you may want to use flowers. Fresh flowers perk up a table and add flair to any party. You can use flowers in vases, bouquets, with candles and other decorating items.

Don't forget the other things that can be added to flower orders. You might have an occasion that calls for flowers and balloons, flowers and cookies, flowers and stuffed animals, etc.

For an excellent selection of flowers you should begin your search online. There are many sites that have fantastic flower arrangements and bouquets. You will be able to look at all kinds of flowers and then choose which ones you want.

Flowers can be used for many gifts and occasions. Don't forget the flowers when you need a gift or want to celebrate a special day or plan a party.

http://flowers-list.com Everything you need to know from silk to real flowers.

Artificial Flowers Are They A Solution

Writen by John Gibb

Does the mere sight of fresh flowers make you sneeze? Are you like the many thousands of people that are allergic to the pollen in flowers? Do you like colourful pretty things around you? If so then read on……

Its quite sad to say, but there are thousands if not millions of people who can not enjoy the both the sight and scent of having a bunch of flowers around the home or office for fear that they will end up with a running nose and/or itchy eyes.

So what is the solution? Yes you guessed – artificial flowers!. Not only do artificial flowers stop you sneezing but they can last forever if you look after them, and as such will save you more money in the long run so that you have more money in your pocket.

Today there are many homes, hotels, offices and restaurants that use the alternative to real flowers. Artificial flowers if arranged correctly can give any environment a touch of elegance without the hassle of all the maintenance one would expect with real flowers and plants. (i.e. no watering, no having to change the water regularly, and as such no spillages).

Not only can you get artificial flowers, but also plants and trees. So if you want something a little large in order to decorate a room or office then this could be the answer for you.

So what are the advantages and disadvantages to Artificial flowers:

Advantages
No insects
No spillages to clean up
You have the option to change them around when you feel like it (thus making it look like you have a new arrangement)
Low maintenance (a quick wash now and again)
No more worries about who will look after them, if you go away on holiday Cheaper than buying fresh flowers every week

Disadvantages
Of course everything has a downside, and although your flowers are artificial you will still need to keep then dust free and clean. So an occasional wash in soapy water should do the trick.

Where can you buy them?

There are lots of sources for buying artificial flowers nowadays, which include the following: Florist, Garden Centre, Department stores, and even your local Supermarket.

The can be purchased individually so that you can create your own arrangement that will suit your particular needs, or you can ask for them to be arranged for you.

So goodbye to those sneezes and itchy eyes – I feel we have a solution do you?

John Gibb is the owner of artificial flowers guides, For more information on artificial flowers please check out http://www.Artificial-flowers-resources.info

Trees In The Home Landscape

Writen by Paul Duxbury

Trees add so much to the home landscape! They provide shade, clean air, habitat for wildlife, value to your property, and even memories.

If your yard does not have any trees at the moment, you may want to consider planting some. Studies have shown that trees and landscaping add value to your property. Even if you do not intend to sell your property, trees can provide years of enjoyment. If you have trees in your yard, check to see that they are healthy. If they are near the end of their life expectancy or show signs of decline, you may want to plant new trees that will become established before the old trees are removed.

If properly located and planted, trees can help control energy costs. A large shade tree planted on the southwest side of the house can provide cooling shade in the summer, helping reduce air conditioning costs. Once the leaves drop in the fall, the winter sun is free to warm your house on cold winter days. Evergreen trees, planted to block cold winter winds, can help reduce winter heating costs.

Have you wondered what you could do to reduce greenhouse gases and address global warming? Planting trees will help! One of the greenhouse gases causing the most concern is carbon dioxide. Plants take this gas out of the air and use it in photosynthesis. Carbon is stored in the wood and living tissues of trees. When leaves fall and are composted, carbon is added to the soil. This improves the soil for plant growth and stores more of the carbon in the form of soil organic matter. Carbon can be stored for hundreds of years in the trunks of trees or in the form of lumber, furniture, and other wood products. By planting trees in your yard, you can help reduce greenhouse gases.

Trees also provide shelter and food for a variety of wildlife. While installing bird feeders will help attract birds to your yard, providing them with nearby trees and shrubs to escape danger, build nests, and obtain food, will be even more effective. Squirrels and other small mammals use trees for nesting sites and food sources. When selecting trees, consider what food value they may offer to the wildlife in your community.

Trees can offer years of enjoyment. Planting trees and watching them grow can be part of your family's memories. Consider planting a tree to commemorate a milestone in your family's life. While raking leaves may seem like a chore as you get older, jumping in piles of leaves can be a treat for children. Hanging a swing, building a tree house, or simply relaxing under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day can be a memorable experience.

Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) and has just published a Home Owners Guide to Landscaping eBook which can be found at http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk/home_landscaping.htm

Y Fun Garden Plants

Writen by Valerie Garner

I have a love for funky, fun and unique garden plants. Here's one to try. It's called Sea Holly, and it's actually in the thistle family.

Sea Holly is a perennial garden plant, which means you plant it once and it comes up year after year, somewhat depending on your climate.

This plant never did fail to bring attention and comments from people seeing my garden. It grows about 3-4 feet high, very branchy and the branches are a brilliant electric blue color. It's stunning!

The only drawback to this lovely plant, in the fall you must cut it to the ground and burn or compost the plant. Do not let it go longer than that, casting it seeds or you'll soon discover it's family trait of being in the thistle family, if you know what I mean. The following spring, it'll come back again to it's beauty.

It is an easy plant to grow and does best with full sun, or as much sun as is available to you. I live in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. so we get a lot of rain and fairly mild summers and yet it seems to be enough for this plant.

You can search for Sea Holly seeds in seed catalogs or sometimes you can find it in some nurserys. An internet search would surely find you a source for this lovely plant.

I thought I'd let you know about one of the coolest, funky plants for outdoors I've ever run across. It's called Evening Scented Stock, it is NOT the common stock, however.

This is an annual plant, that needs to be sown early spring, directly into the soil where it is to bloom and grow. I recommend planting it nearby windows and doors, porches, etc. This plant really doesn't look like much in and of itself, it's not a pretty plant per se..but when about 5:00 PM rolls around watch it do its stuff! This plant has a VERY powerful fragrance similar to hyacynths or lilacs. At the gentlest breeze it sends a waft of fragrance to die for. This is why it's so excellent to plant near a window, door or pathway. When you open up your screen in the evening, this will scent your entire house.

One place that I have found the seeds for this rare plant is at Fragrant Path, PO Box 328, Fort Calhoun, NE 68023 They were about $1. a packet but the price may have gone up. Please write and ask them. Enjoy!

Here's another one to try. This one is called Autumn Crocus.

In this case you can tell a lot by it's name. You generally purchase it as a bulb, which are usually quite large. It does return year after year without needing to re-plant it.

In the spring it shoots up a lot of foliage, this is preparing the plant for it's autumn blooms, be sure to just leave this alone. Come about June or so, this foliage starts looking like it's dying, again just leave it be.

In late August/early September, when most of the flowers are past their prime and the garden is starting to look sparse, out comes the Autumn Crocus, with their beautiful lilac colored blooms. They bloom for quite a long time when few things are blooming. A fun plant, give it a try!

This one is an annual (only lives 1 growing season) plant called Love Lies Bleeding. It's as strange as it's name.

It is very easy to grow. You just simply direct seed it in the soil (full sun preferably) where it is to grow in the spring. It's height seems to vary greatly. I've seen it be as small as about 2 feet high, and reach up to 6 or 7 feet high. It's "flowers" are long, burgandy colored ropes that hang. It is simply stunning. Always gets attention! It will usually re-seed itself so you'll get new plants the following year without doing anything.

It's best to try to find this seed in an unusual type seed catalog. It is in the amaranth family.

Here's the last one. Ever tried the hellebore family? There are many varieties. They are perennial which means they come back year after year. These are best planted in shady areas, but where they will get sun in the winter, like under leafed trees or something of that nature.

What is so unusual about hellebores is that they bloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are very few plants that do that! One variety is called a Christmas Rose. It's quite striking to see flowers in the midst sometimes of snow.

These plants usually must be puchased at a nursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderful family of plants.

About The Author

Valerie Garner - Get a series of no cost traffic builders that work to get traffic to your website, plus a few ideas for earning income too. Many unique resources you'll love! Mailto:Moredetails@quicktell.com

Gardening Facts

Writen by Michael Colucci

Gardening can be described as an art in which plants are grown for the purpose of creating an impressive landscape. Gardening can take place at a private home, or it can be used at public buildings. The space that is used for gardening is called the garden. While most gardens will typically be located on the ground, some have been built on top of roofs as well. A large garden is often referred to as being a park, and will often be a tourist attraction. In a large facility a number of workers will be responsible for the maintenance of the garden, and are called gardeners. Gardening falls under three primary categories, and these are outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, and water gardening.

As the name implies, indoor gardening is the art of creating gardens inside buildings and homes. Houseplants will often be used, and the garden may also be used as a natural heating or cooling unit. Water gardening is the art of growing plants near ponds or pools. The most basic water garden will be a small collection of water that will contain plants. While many people compare gardening to farming, there are a number of notable differences. Farming is designed to grow food that can be consumed by individuals, while gardening is done primarily for design purposes.

While food may be grown in a garden, it will generally only be consumed by the gardener and their close relatives. Farming is almost always done on a much large scale than gardening. While very few tools are required for gardening, extensive equipment must be used by those who want to create even moderate sized farms. Despite this, it should be noted that the lines between gardens and farms often become blurred. Despite the fact that most gardens are much smaller than farms, they tend to be much more productive.

The design of the garden is considered to be sacred in many cultures. While gardening is often considered to be the work of women, Samurai warriors in feudal Japan were expected to create elaborate gardens in a process called ikebana. Throughout history, architects have been used to design beautiful gardens, and this process continues today. There are a number of social roles that gardens have played in societies, and this is also the case in the United States. Gardening is not only a form of art, but it can be an important source of food. Many governments have now begin banning the importation of plants to different countries. While some say it is merely to stop the spread of bacteria, others feel that it destroys and important part of gardening.

Gardening is a practice which has existed since antiquity, and it is likely that it has been in existence in some form since humans first discovered agriculture. One of the most impressive historical gardens was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In addition to this, ancient Rome was famous for having a large number of beautiful gardens as well.

Michael Colucci is a writer for Gardening which is part of the Knowledge Search network.

Take Your Chime

Writen by Mick Burrows

The origins of the windchime date back thousands of years, when chimes and bells were used as warning signals immediately prior to the events of uncontrollable forces. It was believed that God's wrath brought windstorms, snow storms, hurricanes, fires, erupting volcanoes, avalanches, tidal waves and so forth. Thus, it came about that still today, they are known to bestow peace, good fortune and happiness.

Even at weddings, church bells are rung before and after the ceremony, forming a protective, sacred space. They promote relaxation, a willingness to listen and they are mood and atmosphere changers, stimulating creativity and uplifting feelings. In addition, windchimes shows that they have always had healing effects as they reportedly relieve fatigue and restore vitality. Their tones calm minds and awaken spirits. The resonance and vibration of sound releases stress and emotional blockages in the body. There are various types of windchime, from pipe to bamboo through to the basic bottle! There is no specialist piping required, indeed some of the nicest ringing pipes are often originally intended as commercial grade electrical conduit and chrome plated piping for sink drains.

Second hand bottles make an excellent and very cheap version of the windchime. The only expense will probably be the purchase of an electric kiln and bottle cutters, but should an individual decide that the creation of this type of windchime can be a nice little earner, then the outgoings will soon be recouped and a second income could be developed. The bottles are all around us, in gutters, waste ground, or simply out of the re-cycling bins. Local markets, festivals and craft stores will always be excellent venues for attracting customers.

Mick Burrows writes for http://www.must-winchimes.com Point yourself in the direction of this site to find out more about windchimes!

Adjusting Soil Ph For Optimal Grass Growth

Writen by Jack Greenwood

The pH of your lawn soil is an important factor that affects how your lawn grasses will grow. The pH value is an indicator that tells you whether your soil is acidic or alkaline. A balanced soil pH will ensure that your grasses are growing optimally.

First of all, you need to do a soil test to find out the pH value. You can do this in two ways. The first is to buy a do-it-yourself soil pH test kit at any nursery near you and follow the instructions provided by the kit. The result is not highly reliable but it is enough to give you an approximate pH value.

The other way is to let a soil test lab do the test for you. Obviously this is more expensive than the first option but the result is much more complete and reliable. Moreover, the lab result often contains much more information about your soil and not just the pH value. A good lab report will also advise you the remedial action to take if the test reveal any potential problems with your lawn.

The pH scale range from 1 to 14 with a pH of 1 being most acidic and a pH of 14 being the most alkaline. A neutral pH value is 7.0 but most lawn grass will thrive in slightly acidic soil which has a pH value of 6.5 to 7.0.

If your soil has a pH value under 6.5, it is too acidic and you have to add ground limestone to bring it back into balance. If it is over 7.5, it is alkaline and you have to add soil sulfur.

To find out how much sulfur or limestone you need to add to your soil, obtain a soil chart from any soil laboratory, lawn and gardening centers or cooperative extension offices. The scale is usually based on pounds of material to add per 1,000 square feet. Thus it is imperative that you know the size of your lawn. If you have not done so, measure your lawn's length and width with a measuring tape. Multiply the two figures to get the square footage of your lawn.

Once you know the amount of sulfur or limestone required, use a drop spreader to apply these materials. A drop spreader is not expensive and will help your spread the materials evenly on your lawn. It can also be used to spread fertilizers. So invest in one if you have not done so.

You may have to apply sulfur or limestone on a regular basis in order to keep your soil pH in balance. Sometimes, applying both sulfur and limestone may be necessary. However, do exercise caution when applying sulfur as too much of it can burn your lawn. Break up the sulfur application over a few parts and apply them evenly will ensure that you have a pH balanced lawn for your grasses to thrive.

Jack Greenwood is the webmaster of GreenLawnCareTips.com which provide information on lawn care and easy soil maintenance tips. Sign up for a free 7-part Green Lawn Care mini course at http://greenlawncaretips.com today.

Seeding Flowers Indoors An Inexpensive Way To A Beautiful Summer Garden

Writen by Debbie Rodgers

Every year you plan that THIS will be the year you have pots and pots of lush plants on your balcony or deck. Then you visit your local nursery in the spring and reality hits -– the cost for your fantasy is just outrageous! Sound familiar?

But you can have the planters of your dreams at a fraction of the cost and with a choice of varieties far beyond what the local garden center offers. How? Start your own flower seeds now.

If you've never grown from seeds indoors before, it's best to begin with just a few types. Easy starters: Trailing lobelia and petunias make a bright and simple garden for sunny spots. Licorice plant and dwarf nasturtiums are also attractive.

Once you've decided on your plants, you must know two things to determine when the seeds should be started: the last frost date for your area, and the time required before transplanting.

• The last frost date is the date beyond which there is a low chance (usually about 10%) of temperatures at or below the freezing mark. This is important because many traditional plants for hanging baskets are tender, that is, they will not survive when frozen. You may already know what the frost date is for your area. If not ask gardening neighbors or your local gardening center. If you are in the USA, visit http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/documentlibrary/freezefrost/Spring32F_hires.jpg for information from the national Climatic Data Center.

• The time required before transplanting is different for each type of flower. You'll see this listed in seed catalogs or on the seed packet. For example, a packet might tell you to "start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost date." Some seeds such as nasturtiums, zinnias, or cosmos may be sown directly outside but if you have to wait after the danger of a frost has passed, you may want to get a jump on spring by starting those inside too.

  Licorice plants and geraniums need 12 weeks to sprout from seed. So if my last frost date is May 15th, I'll want to start them around the last week of February. Petunias, impatiens and lobelia require 10-12 weeks, so I would start them around the first of March. Morning glories, which make a beautiful privacy fence from a plain piece of latticework, need six weeks from start to transplant, but can't be put outside until two weeks after the last frost date. This would mean starting them indoors about mid-April. I'd start nasturtiums and zinnias about then too.

  Your goal is to promote germination (with heat and water) and seedling growth (with light) while preventing your seedlings' chief enemy, "damping-off" (with air circulation and proper drainage). Here are some tips for successful seed growing.

• Use plastic containers, about 2" deep, fairly wide and with multiple drainage holes. Growers' cell packs are ideal but you can also use yogurt or cottage cheese containers as long as you sanitize them with a mild bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) for 15 minutes and then punch several holes in the bottoms.

• Use commercial seed-starting mix. It's sterilized and contains the necessary food to aid germination. You might also want to try using a product specially formulated to prevent damping-off.

• Plant seeds sparingly. You'll have to thin them anyway. Some growers plant only two seeds per cell pot. If you're planting in flat trays, place seeds 1/2" to 1" (1 to 2.5 cm) apart, depending on the seed size, and space the rows 1 1/2" to 2" (3-5 cm) apart. Make a depression in the soil with your finger or a pencil and plant the seed about three times as deep as its diameter. If the packet says the seed requires light to germinate, then put it just on the surface of the soil.

• Set the containers in a water-filled tray. This allows the pots to draw water from the bottom without disturbing the seeds. Cover tray and pots with plastic to help hold moisture and heat.

• Place the entire set-up on a heat source between 75 - 85° F (24 - 29° C). Although a heat mat designed for this purpose is ideal, you can also use the top of a fridge, or a spot near a radiator or space heater.

• Once the seeds have germinated, remove the plastic and put the pots (with the water tray) near a light source at a reduced temperature. Good light is crucial at this point to ensure good growth. Fluorescent shop lights within a few inches of the tops of the seedlings are perfectly suited. You can also try a sunny south window but ideally the light should be on the plants for 16 hours out of each 24-hour period. In my climate, we just don't have 16 hours of daylight this time of year! Seedlings respond best to daytime temperatures of 60 - 70° F (16 - 21°C) and night temperatures of 50 - 60° F (10 - 16°C).

• Here's where it becomes critical to prevent damping-off. One way to do this is to let an electric fan blow gently across the surface of the soil during daylight hours. There are also specially formulated products on the market that can be applied to the surface of the soil when you are planting seeds that will help stop damping-off from developing.

• When the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves (not the round little germination leaves), pull all but one plant per cell. It's hard, I know, to pull up living plants but it's necessary to prevent overcrowding that will kill all of them.

• When the seedlings have developed their second set of true leaves, start watering them (from the bottom) with fertilizer diluted to quarter strength.

• A week or 10 days before you plan to plant them outside, start "hardening off" the tender seedlings. Stop fertilizing, and cut the amount of water in half. If possible, keep them in a cooler space inside and start introducing them to the direct sun and fluctuating temperatures of the outdoors. Begin by setting the trays outside for an hour in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon ad gradually lengthen the time to several hours. Don't put them out in heavy rain or cold, strong wind and be sure to bring them indoors at night.

Follow these steps and you'll have a bounty of young, strong plants to fill your hanging baskets and pots. This year, you'll have the planters of your dreams!

About The Author

Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Visit her on the web at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space". Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com

debbie@paradiseporch.com

To Salt Or Not To Salt Your Pond

Writen by Brett Fogle

The important question of whether or not to add salt to your pond is often confusing for beginners and forgotten by experienced pond-keepers. To newbies and pro's alike we have this to say:

"Add Salt Today to Keep the Fish Doctor Away"

True, there are some negative effects of higher salt levels on plants in the pond, but overall we think it is absolutely the very best thing you can add to your pond in terms of keeping your fish happy and healthy. Salt acts as a natural 'stress coat' and essentially thickens the slime coat on the fish's body - which is it's own natural defense system against bacteria and parasites.

Salt is also very effective in killing bacteria and parasites in the pond. When added in proper doses, salting your pond can dramatically reduce the threat of disease affecting your fish.

It's just like with humans - we are always exposed to the common cold cells in their body, but can usually resist if their immune system is strong. Similarly, pond fish and KOI are always exposed to some degree of parasite and bacteria presence in the pond, but by keeping their immune system strong and their slime coat thick, you shouldn't have any problems.

Pond fish actively maintain a natural balance of electrolytes in their body fluids. Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium are removed from the water by chloride cells located in the gills. These electrolytes are essential for the uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide and ammonium across gill membranes.

The lack of electrolytes can cause serious health problems to the fish. Pond Salt is an all natural salt, providing the essential electrolytes fish need to survive. Pond Salt is not just a table salt ( sodium chloride ). It is made from evaporated sea water. Evaporated sea water contains the necessary electrolytes pond fish need.

How Pond Salt helps Improve Gill Function to Reduce Stress....

During periods of disease and stress, healthy gill function is disturbed. This can lead to the loss of electrolytes through the gills, sometimes called osmotic shock. Osmotic shock interrupts healthy gill function by reducing the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide and ammonium from the fish. Pond Salt reduces the risk of osmotic shock by supplying natural electrolytes through the chloride cells in the gills.

Nitrite Toxicity

Overcrowding and overfeeding can lead to elevated nitrite levels especially in newly set-up ponds. The nitrite ion NO 2 enters the gills and prevents the blood from carrying oxygen resulting in nitrite toxicity or "methemoglobinemia". Pond Salt will temporarily block the toxic effect of nitrite.

All natural Pond Salt is safe and non-toxic to all pond fish when used as directed. Pond Salt can be used safely with Pond Care water conditioners, filtration materials and fish foods.

Directions for Use:

1. When used as a general tonic for fish, and as a stress reducer, add 2 -1/2 cups full (728g) of Pond Salt for each 100 gallons (378 L) of pond water. Sprinkle salt evenly around the perimeter of the pond. Avoid any contact between salt crystals and pond plants. If this is not feasible, pre-dissolve salt first.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once added to a pond, salt does not evaporate and is not filtered out. Pond Salt should only be added as directed; with each water change, or when fish have been treated with medications.

2. When used to reduce stress in separate treatment tanks or during fish transportation, use 4 tablespoons full (95.2g) of Pond Salt for each 10 gallons (37.8L) of water.

For the health of your pond and environment, it is important that you test pond water regularly. We recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Dry-Tab Master Test Kit for Ponds to test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

For more information about Pond Salt, click here: http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Additives/pondcare_pondsalt.html

About The Author

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at his website.

Fertilizing To Create More Blossoms On Your Flowers Flowering Shrubs And Trees

Writen by Michael McGroarty

The secret to making your flowering trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials bloom more is in the numbers. All fertilizers have analysis numbers on the package. These numbers represent the percentage of each chemical the fertilizer contains.

For example, 12-12-12 is a typical garden fertilizer that would contain 12% nitrogen, 12% phosphorous, and 12% potassium. The quick explanation is; nitrogen produces vegetative, or top growth, phosphorous produces flower buds, fruit, and root development, while potassium builds strong healthy plants.

Most lawn grasses are vigorous growers and therefore require significantly more nitrogen than the other plants in your yard. A lawn fertilizer would have an analysis of 26-3-3, indicating a fertilizer high in nitrogen. You would not want to use a fertilizer containing such a high percentage of nitrogen on landscape plants because it would be very easy to burn them. You must also keep in mind that many lawn fertilizers contain broadleaf weed killers, and most ornamental plants have broad leaves. The fertilizer doesn't know the difference, and it will damage or kill ornamental trees and shrubs.

During the summer months the growth rate of most plants slows down, and when plants are not actively growing, they need very little nitrogen. Although not vigorously putting on new growth, many plants such as Dogwood Trees, Rhododendrons, and Azaleas are quietly working to produce flower buds for next year. Annual and perennial flowers are also busy making new flower buds.

To encourage flower bud production you can apply a fertilizer that contains a small percentage of nitrogen, a higher percentage of phosphorous, and a little potassium. I recently purchased a liquid fertilizer with an analysis of 5-30-5, ideal for flower production. Because the product is sold as a bloom producer, the manufacture also added a little chelated iron, manganese, and zinc, all good for your plants as well.

Most garden centers and discount stores carry similar products. I chose a liquid fertilizer because liquid fertilizers are absorbed both through the roots and systemically through the foliage, so they work quicker. I used a sprayer that attaches to the end of the garden hose to apply the fertilizer, but do not use the same hose end sprayer that you use for lawn fertilizers. There could be residual weed killer still in the sprayer.

About those hose end sprayers. I purchased one that is supposed to automatically mix the proper ratio for you. I used it to apply a general insecticide, and it worked, but it sure seemed like I went through a lot more insecticide than I needed. When I used it for the fertilizer the screen on the little pick up hose inside the jar kept getting clogged with the tiny solids in the fertilizer. I recommend using a solution of one part liquid fertilizer to one part water in the sprayer jar, and applying at a heavier rate.

Watch the liquid in the sprayer jar, and if it isn't going down remove the lid and clean the little screen by spraying it with water from the garden hose. Read the application instructions on the container to determine how much fertilizer to apply, and how often. A fertilizer high in phosphorous will increase flower production. You will see a difference. Remember the golden rule of applying fertilizers. "Not enough is always better than too much."

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com

How To Make A Festive Snowflake Plant Pot

Writen by S. Roberts

How to make an inexpensive and festive plant pot, ideal for adding additional festive cheer to your Christmas decorations. Christmas plant pots also make fantastic Christmas presents for any plant lover. They can be used inside or out. Super for potting springtime bulbs, or a little Christmas tree or dwarf conifer.

You will need...

A terracotta plant pot in whatever size you wish.
A base colour paint. Gloss or silk emulsion is great. Use up leftovers from the shed, they have just come in handy.
Metallic spray paint, scissors, selotape, paper, newspaper and paintbrushes.

Before you begin you need to cover your work area in newspapers to that you don't spoil any furniture with paint.

Take your plant pot and apply two coats of the base coloured paint. This will take a couple of days to complete because of drying times. Complete as directed on the back of the paint tin. Only continue when the paint is completely dry.

To add a snowflake design you need to make paper snowflakes. Take a square piece of paper and fold it in half to make two triangles. Then fold in half again, and fold one more time. Always fold the paper in the same direction, and keep the centre of the piece of paper at the tip of the folded triangle. Now using the scissors cut interesting shapes along the folds, along the top and snip the point off your folded triangle. Don't cut too much paper away so that it all drops to bits. Unfold the paper to reveal a beautiful snowflake. Make several different snowflakes, you can also make them in varying sizes if you wish.

With small amounts of selotape or blue-tac, tack the snowflakes to the plant pots. The snowflakes mask off parts of the pot. Any part of the pot masked off will remain the base colour.

Once you're happy with the snowflakes, you're ready for the metallic paint. It is important that you use spray paint in a well-ventilated room and that there are now naked flames present. Read the paint ca for full instructions.

Spray your plant pot and snowflakes with a thin coat of paint. Keep the paint tin moving at all times. You need to avoid a build up of paint because it will run and spoil your design. You can always spray another coat later.

When the paint is dry, carefully peal off the snowflakes to reveal a beautiful frosty snowflake theme plant pot, great to keep for your self or to give away as a gift.

S. Roberts writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/ a Christmas website packed with festive ideas of things to make and do. Get Santa to send a FREE letter to your child. If you publish this article, please add a link back to http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/ - Thanks

How To Grow Organic Cigar Tobacco

Writen by Edward Brown

Nicotiana Tabacum - Solanaceae or Nightshade

I've been working in or around tobacco since I was a kid. I worked the fields of the tobacco belt as a 12 year old, and in the years since have had an infatuation with the many different strains of tobacco which are available to the home gardener. The beautiful plants produce a medley of varying blossoms with different colors, shapes and sizes, and is quite an attractive, enjoyable plant to grow.

Unlike the tobacco grown when I was a kid, the varieties that I have focused my attention on are more exotic and require specialized treatment to ensure a "bumper crop". Connoisseur tobacco is grown in much smaller quantities than the 300 acre fields I was accustomed to cultivating and tending as a child. This is because each plant requires more TLC from the grower, and one BIG part of treating, cultivating and caring for these wonderful giant plants, is to leave the chemical sprayer in the barn. I'll skip the organic lecture, it's pretty self explanatory. While I realize that smoking anything habitually will eventually cause health problems, it should go without saying that the tobacco produced using only natural additives is considered the lesser of 2 evils. If you think it would harm a person to have prolonged physical exposure to a certain chemical, why in the world would you spray that same chemical on the vegetation that you're going to consume on a daily basis? Organically cultivated crops may cost more, and involve more work, but the reward is quite satisfying.

When to get started is a timing issue that has everything to do with where you are planning to grow your crop. Tobacco can never be touched by frost, so germinate your seedlings according to your regions climate. Seeds can be bought very inexpensively online. A quick google of 'tobacco seeds' will produce plenty of stores that would love to sell you their seeds. To produce cigar quality tobacco, you'll need at least 2 different varieties of tobacco. I suggest HAVANA 503B for your natural wrappers, and SMALL STALK BLACK MAMMOTH for your maduro wrapped cigars. The wrapper type tobacco produces a thinner, less veiny leaf and should be reserved for outer cigar wrappers only. For the filler, the basic choice is VIRGINIA GOLD but as a grower you can produce different varieties and create your very own blend. And remember, you will need much more filler tobacco than wrapper, so plant your seedlings accordingly. AND ALWAYS KEEP YOUR DIFFERENT PLANT TYPES MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION! Keep these ID signs with their respective plants throughout the growing and curing process or you'll not have a clue as to which tobacco is which, especially after curing.

It takes anywhere from 6-12 weeks for seedlings to mature into plants large enough to be transplanted into their permanent spot in the garden. This figure averages out to around 9 weeks, just a touch over 2 months. Here in the southeastern united states, the climate dictates that you should germinate and begin planting your seeds indoors in late February, early March. If you have a late spring and frost is still threatening you may have to keep the plants indoors longer. I start all seedlings indoors, in individual cups, with a mild soil blend that is kept moist and warm. Some people sterilize the soil prior to planting seeds either by burning, steaming or chemical applications. This soil sterilization process helps prevent disease, weeds and even insects and is recommended for organic projects. Prevention is always easier that cure. Take this important first step and use only sterilized soil to start your seedlings.

In the meantime, while it's still bitter cold outside, you can be preparing the spot where you plan to transplant your tobacco seedlings. The soil should be cultivated to remove old root systems. Apply generous amounts of compost and manure and work it deeply into the existing soil. An unpleasant chore, but one that is absolutely necessary if you want your tobacco to thrive and produce large healthy leaves suitable for working into cigars.

Once the seedlings are around 8 inches tall, they will be ready for transplanting. Growing the hearty tobacco plant really isn't very difficult. There are topping and suckering stages during the second half of the plants life which are necessary to ensure that the nutrients are delivered to where it counts, the main leaves, and not wasted on useless parts of the plant. Do not use sucker suppressing chemicals! Sucker your plants by hand. The two main types of sucker control chemicals are contact and systemic chemicals. Contact chemicals work by burning young suckers that are newly formed. Systemic chemicals inhibit cell division and can either work locally or throughout the entire plant. Maleic hydrazide is the most common systemic chemical used for sucker control. Avoid these chemicals like the plague because they are certainly not naturally occurring compounds. One drop of either of these harsh chemicals, anywhere near your plants, and your efforts to produce an organic crop will have been in vain. Spend the time and do it right, and just break the little suckers off as they shoot out of the limb/stalk intersection. Once the top has reached 12 inches break or cut it off and discard it. Keep your plants watered but don't over do it. Tobacco is a moisture sensitive crop, and can easily drown. Make sure your plants have sufficient drainage at all times. Standing water around your plants for very long is almost always fatal. Go to your crop after a hard rain to check that the water is running off. If it isn't draining away you'll need to cut small trenches to direct the water away.

Harvesting the tobacco should be done by hand. Never try to speed up the ripening process with pre-harvest chemicals which cause yellowing of the leaves so more can be harvested at one time. Plants indicate their ripeness by beginning to yellow, a signal that chlorophyll is beginning to break down. Each leaf should be carefully inspected before it is removed from the stalk to ensure that it is ready for harvest. If it is collected too soon, the curing process will be flawed. The leaves will ripen in stages, from the bottom up. Usually 3-4 passes are required to allow each stage of leaves to fully ripen. This process of collection is referred to as "priming", and is used the majority of the time. Burly tobacco plants are stripped all at once, referred to as "stalk-cut", and left in the field for 2-3 days to wilt before being sent to the curing facility.

Curing the tobacco is an entirely different subject. There is plenty of information readily available online, just do a quick search for "Curing Tobacco".

Ed Brown is the webmaster of http://www.tarheelcigars.com/
Email: admin@tarheelcigars.com

Beat The Heat 7 Tips To Help Your Lawn Survive A Drought

Writen by Matt Morrison

With temperatures rising and rain fall decreasing, summer time is putting a serious strain on your lawn. If you are not careful, your lawn could end up dead. No rain and water restrictions can really take a shot at your ability to take care of your lawn. However, there are some tried and true tips that are sure to beat the summer heat.

When your lawn is suffering from a drought, these tips will help you survive:

1. Raise the blades on your mower. Taller grass provides more protection from sun and grows deeper roots, which makes it more resilient.

2. Resist the temptation to bag your lawn and use a mulching mower instead. The clippings will provide a barrier that keeps moisture in your lawn longer.

3. Aerate your lawn twice a year (fall and spring) to keep out thatch and help the roots grow deeper.

4. Sharpen your lawnmower blade. Dull blades put your grass under lots of undue stress. Stressed grass needs more water.

5. Water early in the morning and when it is not windy to avoid unnecessary evaporation of your rationed water.

6. Use a drip type irrigation system like a soaker hose. It put water in the ground, where it is needed, more efficiently.

7. Do not fertilize in the summer. Experts will tell you that fertilized lawns are more sensitive to heat and require more water.

Green is definitely a color to envy in the heart of the summer. Do yourself a favor and follow these tips to keep a green lawn that makes your neighbors squirm with envy.

For more information on Lawn Care visit Blades Lawn Care.

Landscaping Stone

Writen by Kevin Hendrix

If you have interest in using landscaping stone in your yard, garden, koi pond or walkway, don't limit yourself to the traditional. Consider finding or shopping for unique stones to add flair or accent to your plans. Landscaping stone can be versatile, used for simple decoration or as a foundation for much more.

Some of the uses for landscaping stone include flooring, such as for a patio, foundations for outbuildings, such as a gazebo, or even outbuildings completely made of stone. Fireplaces look great in stone (just watch out for river rock; pockets of steam could heat up and explode in a fire pit or fireplace) as do bases for planters. Entire columns could be made of stone, either as end caps for a stone wall or to support lamps or planters.

Whatever you eventual use of landscaping stone, seek out the unusual. Below are just two examples of what you might find.

Geodes

Geodes, on the surface, seem like unremarkable, round, fist sized lumps of white or tan rock. They could serve well in a planter or flowerbed for a little hardscaping, but the real gem about these rocks lays inside. Some geodes are lined inside with layered siliceous material of various color or even clear quartz crystals; the effect is a wavy, smooth, crystalline surface. You may not have a diamond-saw handy to slice one open, but you should be able to find nice specimens in a rock shop. They make great bookends for indoors, and can frame a showcase plant in your garden.

Thunder Eggs

It is almost worth using Thunder Eggs as a landscaping stone just for the great conversation possibilities. If the name was not unusual enough, it is also the State Rock of Oregon (although it is more a stone than a rock, but I suppose State Stone is asking too much.) Thunder Eggs are very much akin to geodes, as they are a shell filled with agate. They are different from geodes in that they have a solid center, often displaying a great contrast between the rocky shell of brown and the milky white and clear crystal center. Even solid, undivided Thunder Eggs are interesting to look at, with bubbly protrusions that do give the appearance of some strange egg.

Check with rock shops that cater to rock hounds for some unique finds. While the expensive might prohibit you from paving your patio with Thunder Eggs, a combination of a few unique specimens with more traditional landscaping stone would work well with almost any plan.

Kevin Hendrix makes it simple to learn how to landscape your property quickly and easily. To learn more visit Easy Landscaping

Orchid Supplies

Writen by Daniel Roshard

Orchids are beautiful, ornamental flowers that are grown especially for their delightfully fragrant flowers. The two main types of orchids that are widely grown are called Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium Orchids.

Orchids need special fertilizers and growing mediums to reach their full growing potential. Orchid supply companies or greenhouses can usually supply these for you and offer helpful advice and tips on how to get the most out of your orchids. Another way to learn more about the art of orchid growing, what the best type of orchid supplies are and the nicest types of orchids to grow is to find a good book on the subject.

Different orchids have their own preferences about where they like to be kept and the humidity, light, air, the type of fertilizers are used on them and the amount of water they are given. Many orchids also have a preference to the temperature they are living in and the pot and potting mixture they are housed in. Your orchid supply professional will be able to explain the preferences of most of the orchids and by taking note of where an orchid is situated when you buy it, will also tell you about where it likes to be.

Orchids mostly like about 60% humidity. It is possible to buy a humidity tray at your local orchid supply store. If you don't buy a humidity tray, a saucer with rocks and water will also help with humidity. This is especially important for orchids that are being grown indoors.

Orchids vary in the amount of light that they prefer. So make sure that you choose a spot that is like the area that the orchid was already being grown in. Orchids that are kept indoors also need fresh air and a well-ventilated area to grow in. By opening a door or window or even turning on an indoor fan will help decrease the risk of the orchid getting bugs or bacteria.

Orchids require a special orchid fertilizer once a week. An orchid supplier will be able to recommend a suitable fertilizer to suit the type of orchid you are growing. Orchids also require a special potting medium to help them grow. By using a medium that already has an added dose of fertilizer you will give your orchids a boost. Potting mixtures and growing mediums can be found at your local orchid supply store along with the other things needed to grow orchids.

Orchid supplies can be ordered online by doing a search on your favorite search engine or by visiting your local orchid suppler. Remember to research which type of orchid will suit your conditions and what type of fertilizers and potting mediums the orchid will require before buying it. That way you will be well on your way to having a stunning feature in your home or greenhouse when your orchids flower.

Daniel Roshard is an interior designer fascinated by garden architecture, orchids, orchid garden design public parks. Daniel is writing Orchid Supplies articles.

Outdoor Canopy Tents

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Canopy tents are not only meant for taking rest in the outdoors and for partying, but are also concerned with the protection of your valuable outdoor assets. However, there are a number of varieties of canopies and one has the opportunity to choose from hundreds of canopy tents that are easily available at retail shops and online.

Usually all the canopies are attractive and sturdy. They serve as cover, shade and shelter for your patio, greenhouse, party, flea market, parking space, nursery, plants, flowers, camping area, garden area, pet, storage, deck, pool, barbeque, dog kennel, outdoor event or construction area.

These fancy and multi-functional canopies can also be used as a free-standing carport, dock house, gazebo, garage and virtually any other cover. These canopy tents are water-resistant, fire-retardant, and UV protected. Most of the outdoor canopy tents are portable.

A portable outdoor canopy tent is the one which can be carried from one place to another without much effort. Usually these canopies are foldable. The portable canopies are basically tents without sides, just a top supported by poles. These canopies are very simple to set up, equipped with trouble-free storage facilities, have innovative as well as attractive designs, and steel field spikes for setting them up.

Some of the very popular and quality outdoor canopy tents are: Majestic, Hexagon, Star Shade, Star Twin, KD Kanopy, Caravan 10 x 10 Aluminum Canopy Package Deal, Caravan 10 x 10 Alum shade Canopy Package Deal, and the Caravan 10 x 10 Display Shade Canopy.

Outdoor Canopy provides detailed information on Outdoor Canopies, Outdoor Canopy Swings, Outdoor Shade Canopies, Outdoor Canopy Tents and more. Outdoor Canopy is affiliated with Solar Outdoor Lighting.