Archive for Life Of Gardening
May 22, 2010 at 12:04 am · Filed under Life Of Gardening
As a gardener you can be found considering buying garden accessories or perhaps checking out those Alan Titchmarsh lawn rakes — but let’s not forget, only over centuries have we come to a point where you can. Tribes were gardening thousands of years before the garden hoe or the rake. Your hobby began within the cradle of civilization itself. These early gardeners worked by a mix of pleasure, practical reasons, and spirituality. The critical flowers as well as similar food-bearing vegetation would grow around pools for fish, being enclosed by walls of stone that also brought form. Admittedly the bulk was grown as food but they also grew some plants in the name of their deities. Still other herbs, important to the temples, grew in places far from the gardens. Other tribes, too, were known for the design of ancient plantations. Also gardeners were the Assyrians, the Persians, as well as the Babylonians, all of whom also incorporated building projects of some dimensions into landscapes. As you’d predict, another example of a culture who practiced this was the Romans — though the Greeks dedicated their efforts to the potential for sustenance of their plantations rather than the visual. Although they wouldn’t have had lawn rakes or garden forks, these civilizations had created a variety of basic utensils which were prototypical of today’s spades and hoes. Tools were made of stone initially, but later pieces would fabricate them in bronze, copper, and iron.
Everything was abruptly halted during the Middle Ages. Horticulture was no different, but even then, the monasteries kept everything that had been learned alive.
Next, civilization started to grow quaint gardens grown from flowers, vegetables, and herbs to provide a pleasant enclosure. Guidelines began to evolve, a formal system determining the way the garden should ultimately turn out. Some great representations include knot gardens and hedge mazes, drawn from dense textures and patterns.
Such rules are no longer mandatory, so there’s really nothing to fret about — enjoy yourself, and don’t be embarrassed about checking out how to get rid of that irritating garden spades deformity or browsing some good lawn rake reviews. “Capability” Brown and those like him took the guidelines — so set by that point that they were metaphorically stagnant — and ignored those that interfered with their vision, blending a naturalistic panorama with appropriate statuary and other such decorative touches.
Today, the way they appear may have altered but we still tend plants as our ancestors did. Regardless, they are still some of the most peaceful spaces on earth.
February 19, 2010 at 7:37 am · Filed under Life Of Gardening
Gardening must be one of the topmost summertime interests, in the industrialised World. Along side horticulture, comes a large collection of garden tools and equipment, especially for those with experience. Then, for many, the summer and autumn times of year sadly come to an end, and it is time to get the storage arranged and everything put away for the wintertime. Don’t some of us just hate that chore!
Of all of the house-hold items that can be put in the shed, Garden accessories are the most problematical. Little hand tools such as the daisy grubber are rather easy to store away someplace. Their problem is their size, making them prone to be lost and be missing by spring. The superior problem comes with stacking away the problematic shaped bulky tools.
Lawn rakes are one of the most awkward large garden tools to find a place for, finding somewhere intelligent to put it for a long period of time can be very tricky. Hurl in the border fork with its lethal spikes, the garden hoe, garden rake, forged spade, shubbery spade and you can cause yourself a lot of trauma and pain in the future. These troubles grow 100 fold if you have kids.
With all of these ingredients in mind its is safest to have have your equipment housecleaned and then stored, in arranging this it will make it simple for you to encounter them in the new year That is why garden accessory racks, especially designed for the purpose of storing lawn tools, are such an essential feature of any shed, or garage if that is where you have to stash away your gardening things.
In order to make your garden accessories easy to find and to keep them in good condition you will need a effective accessory rack. The problem is, which rack do you select? There are a number of options, and most of these are very well designed for the aim intended. While detached stands, if dependable and hard, might be smashing, it is surely stabler to have a wall rack that is permanently secured to the shed or garage wall. In doing this it will be less likely to fall on top of you when too many burden is summed up. If you have children, a wall holder that can be heightened out of the scope of the youngsters is life-sustaining, as is choosing one that will hold the hoe and other severe gardening instruments steadfastly in place.
May 2, 2008 at 11:23 pm · Filed under Life Of Gardening
When looking to create that desirable and harmonious feeling you get in some properties, making sure you co-ordinate is a key area to keep in mind.
Matching and co-ordinating is all about making sure the different areas of your property gel and look their best. You can co-ordinate exterior features such as sheds, playhouses, fences, garages etc to create a welcoming and picturesque look to your property.
In order to create a co-ordinated look you might need the help of a designer initially if you don’t feel confident tackling this alone.
Simply learn from what they do and copy different looks that appeal to you. Soon you will get a better feel of what works.
Do research and get inspiration from magazines and shows. Look at other properties to see what has been done already.
- Look at the garage and see how to co-ordinate this with the house.
- Play off the house’s theme when painting and making over a shed.
- Think about the fences, front yard and garden and how to keep the look co-ordinated.
As with anything the more you do and try the better you become. Keep at it and you’ll soon be well on your way to creating that desirable home.
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April 29, 2008 at 2:57 pm · Filed under Life Of Gardening
(ARA) - This is a story of passion and passionate differences, experienced by couples facing the strategic and often wrenching shifts taking place on the home front. One aspires to live in a home filled with the warmth, beauty and romance of a log home, while the other agonizes over the concept.
Why are people drawn to log homes? According to surveys, nine out of 10 people who choose a log home say they made their decision because they liked its distinctive look. Given the weight of the aesthetics, why do so many couples agonize over the details?
For some, a little research can give pause. That’s how it was for John and Katherine Overbee, who had long dreamed about building a log cabin as a retirement home. “We backed off a little,” he said. “Unless you have a lot of time and money, the intricacies of solid log construction can be worrisome.”
Even with all their uniqueness, there are basically two different types of solid log home construction: handcrafted, the most extreme log home, which may take years and millions to complete; and the milled D-log, in which the top, bottom and one side of the log are milled flat. With both methods, one log is stacked on top of another to form a wall, and then the roof is built off the walls. Proper allowances must be made around windows, doors, stairs, and cabinetry to allow the log walls to settle through the years.
“I love the look,” says Katherine. “But it seemed like everyone we spoke with has had problems.” The problem is the way cold air finds its way through the solid log wall. “During the first three years the log walls can actually shrink and settle,” John says, as he shows how he held a piece of paper by a log wall and watched it move from the air infiltration. “If a guy likes to caulk there’s less of a problem,” he adds with a smile.
So . . . should you go out on the limb? For many, like the Overbees, building a solid log home was not a logical decision. The solution came when the couple discovered a hybrid form of log home construction.
It was more than two decades ago when David Janczak, founder of Wisconsin Log Homes, began testing new-energy-efficient designs and introduced the Thermal-Log building system. To eliminate heat loss and stop the settling problems, Janczak designed a super-insulated, 6-inch thick-framed wall. Just as important, he also originated the precut half-logs with full log corners. In essence, he created an entirely new category of log home construction.
The insulated log home construction not only satisfied John but also gave him the peace of mind to build the home they dreamed about. “I absolutely love it,” says Katherine. “We’re at home — it’s a place of peace.”
Just under 2,000 square feet, it’s a home of pleasures for Katherine and John. “We were surprised at how well this space accommodates our daily activities,” Katherine says. The people at Wisconsin Log Homes suggested they look carefully at their lifestyle and how they really live.
“We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to work with a team of people who want to help you build your dream home,” says John. “They guided us through every step of the process.” He credits Wisconsin Log Homes for making their home a better place to live.
Katherine admits that she did get ahead of the process when she selected a 3,666-square-foot floor plan within 10 minutes of paging through Wisconsin Log Homes planning guide. The 144-page catalog is filled with color photos and over 100 floorplans but most importantly, helpful building information to guide people in a logical sequence.
Upstairs, two bedrooms flank the bathroom. The loft doubles as an office. The open downstairs contains a kitchen, living and dining room, plus the master bedroom. Just off the dining area is a cozy room that Katherine uses as her art studio.
The Overbees were also delighted when they discovered that Wisconsin Log Homes had a Design Center and an in-house interior designer for creative support. Working with an open floor plan, it was important to integrate the kitchen. Wood flooring connects the kitchen with the living and dining space. Lighting, cabinets and unique furnishings complement the elegant yet rustic log interior.
“It all came together so nicely and it’s so beautiful. The end result is a home that emphasizes who we are,” Katherine says. “Friendly, relaxed, nothing fancy, nothing extravagant. It fits us like a glove.”
Oh, one other thing: It wasn’t the large floor plan that Katherine loved, it was the large custom-tailored window wall — it makes a striking statement and frames a special view from the great room.
If you would love living in a log home but have concluded that the intricacies of solid log construction are depriving you of your dreams, then perhaps you should contact the people at Wisconsin Log Homes. And if your choice is this hybrid form of half-log construction it will not only satisfy, but also delight you. For more information about designing and building log homes, call (800) 678-9107 or visit www.wisconsinloghomes.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Courtesy of ARA Content
April 4, 2008 at 11:31 pm · Filed under Life Of Gardening
Let’s face it: Our houseplants aren’t the most important things
on our to-do lists, and even the most attentive gardeners will
sometimes forget to water the hanging baskets. The good news is
that unless the plants are completely dead, they can usually be
revived.
Begin by clipping off dead flowers and browning leaves. See! It
looks better already. Now cut back yellowing stems and stems
with a good many yellowing leaves to encourage the plant to send
out new shoots. If your plant has trailing stems, you may have
to detangle the stems first to determine which are worth
keeping.
If you’re like me, you may find it hard to clip off buds that
will be opening soon, so use your own judgment to determine if
this is necessary. A plant with a lot of damage will have more
trouble recovering if it’s trying to support buds during the
recovery period, and the buds may eventually fall off without
opening anyway. If the damage is mild, leave the buds that are
on undamaged stems in place.
Watering a dried out basket can be difficult. You may find that
as you pour water into the basket it simply runs out without
wetting the soil. The best way to overcome this is to run a pan
of tepid water, and add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. The
dishwashing liquid acts as a wetting agent and allows the water
to soak into the soil. Set your plant inside the pan of water
and leave it for at least an hour, or until the basket is
saturated, and mist the plants a time or two while they soak. If
there are heavy chains or ropes attached to your basket, support
them with a stick so that they don’t lay on top of your plants.
When the plants are dry, it doesn’t take much weight to break
the stems and leaves.
At this point we want to do everything we can to help our plants
get back on their feet, but it’s best to avoid feeding them for
about five days. This gives them time to overcome the shock
before trying to send out new shoots.
Watch your recovering plants closely for signs of insects or
disease. In their weakened state, they are more susceptible to
pests and fungus, and they should be treated right away if you
suspect a problem. Before you know it, your basket will be
bursting with blooms again.
