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Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Gardening, Home Improvement, and Home
January 9, 2008
Now you can create a spectacular backyard waterfall or water garden using the absolute easiest, lowest cost, method we?ve found. Waterfalls and water gardens are the most peaceful, soothing effects you can incorporate into your home environment. Home is where you find solitude, and what better way to feel completely relaxed, than the sounds of water trickling over stones into a small pool or fish pond.
Thousands of dollars are spent each year on vacations and therapy, so that we can unwind for a few days to regain our sanity and focus, in order to cope with our daily hectic routines. For less than you would expect, you can create that personal solitude right in your own backyard. No matter how large or small your space, you can custom build your own soothing waterfall for that perfect place to listen and relax to the sounds of water trickling over rocks.
CaveRock Design has designed a method of making artificial rocks and boulders so affordable, that you can literally create masterpiece rock gardens, caves, or waterfalls without the heavy lifting of stones, without the expensive tools used commercially, and without the cost you would normally expect. If any of these factors have prevented you from having your own home therapy for a peaceful place to enjoy and relax, then it would pay you to see what they can offer you.
Rocks and boulders are the key ingredient to the most natural looking outdoor landscaping project. With rocks, you can re-create nature?s most eye appealing landscape and have it fit into any location that you desire. Artificial rocks are nothing new, but when you see how CaveRock Design has made this so easy to do, you will want to get started this week, creating that perfect place to retreat to anytime you choose.
They took all the factors into account that usually prevent us from trying to make what we assume we can?t afford or don?t have the ability to do ourselves and made it so easy to duplicate their process. When you consider there are no two stones alike, you know that your rock design or landscape creation will not be measured against another. There are endless possibilities to what you can create and for literally pennies on the dollar for what you?d expect a project like this to cost.
Sharing their technique has been a pleasure and joy to their customers around the world. Within a very short period of time, they have acquired satisfied customers in all 50 states and over 16 foreign countries. The feedback has been tremendous and the personal satisfaction every customer gets from knowing they created their own masterpiece, is so exciting. Their process of creating artificial rocks and boulders is by far the easiest, the most economical, and your creations will last for years of enjoyment. There are no special tools or skills required, all you need is a couple of days to create years of visual and audio pleasure right in your own backyard.
http://wealthsmith.com
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Jim is an avid online writer, designer, entrepreneur that enjoys sharing his discoveries and creations that you can read about. Check out his landscape page =>http://wealthsmith.com/rocks.htm
January 8, 2008
Gardening in itself is an art form. And the art of fine gardening is just that, an art. Fine gardening may mean many things to many people, but to me fine gardening means more than just a garden. It encompasses all that?s good and graceful in gardening and combines them to make one garden that is the epitome of all your dreams.
My enjoyment of fine gardening comes not only from the finished garden but from the endless hours that I spend designing and planning the actual garden, from the moment I first have the germ of an idea, to the moment I place the last sapling, and plant the last flower. All I want, all that I can be, should show through when first a person steps into this land of fine gardening, a place of peace and calm where a person can meditate on the finer things in life.
Therefore, a water feature, ideally one that will make a continuously soothing gurgle, with a small stepping-type of waterfall-cum-pond, placed on lovely slabs of flat rock with a hint of moss growing on it. A nice water lily or lotus to give off a contrasting color, and perhaps a fish or two. A few ferns and leafy rain-forest type plants placed around the pond, and I?m finished with this stage of my fine gardening.
Ideally I would love a big tree to stand in a corner of the garden, with a luscious velvety dark brown trunk that I can just about span with my arms, overflowing with vibrant green leaves spilling onto the ground in heedless abandon. Since I might not always get what I want, I?ll settle instead for a few saplings that will one day fulfil my wish.
Since green is my target for the moment, I?d also see about laying a lovely shady lawn that you can sink your bare feet into when taking a turn about your garden.
I love the idea of a Zen garden, but prefer colors and lots of plants, so I would incorporate this feature into my fine gardening efforts by placing a path, naturally made out of rough hewn stone, zigzagging in a leisurely course through the garden.
And to finish it all off I?d have a little alcove, unseen from afar, that afforded the curious visitor a wide-angled view of the whole garden, with a sun shade, and a low-lying bench with a few plump cushions strewn carelessly about, and all of it surrounded by a profusion of welcoming flowers.
In the distance I would set about placing a few boulders, pleasing in stature and color to the eye, surrounded perhaps by a few flowers.
And amidst all this fine splendor I would walk amongst my heartfelt efforts of fine gardening and sigh in satisfaction and peace. For what more is there to gardening, than the art of fine gardening.
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Quentin Williams is the author of The Gardener’s Handbook. Learn the steps to creating your dream garden at http://www.gardeners.quentsinfo.com.
December 31, 2007
?TFCSOTSPBWL OCTOBER XVIII MDCCC.? This curious inscription was carved by a stonemason, John Lewis, into a block of granite that he had lain as a support for a bridge that was being built by Timothy Palmer. Because of space restrictions, he simply used initials, instead of writing, ?The first corner stone of the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge was lain on October 18, 1800.? When the bridge was nearly finished, in 1804, a Philadelphia judge, Richard Peters, suggested that, in order to preserve its trusses and extend its life, the bridge should be covered. The cover was designed and built, and the first covered bridge opened for travel on January 1, 1805.
Judge Peters had no way of knowing what he was starting. His simple idea for covering that bridge led to a wellspring of folklore, legend, myth, and mystique, that would turn the reasoning behind it as murky as the waters surrounding its original cornerstone, which, it is believed, still supports what is now known as the Market Street Bridge.
The speculations were numerous and humorous. Some people thought that covered bridges were intended to look like barns, to make animals feel more comfortable while crossing them. Others maintained that the covers were there to keep horses from being frightened by the rushing water beneath them. It was also said that covered bridges were designed to keep travelers from seeing what kind of town they were approaching, until it was too late to turn back. Although many people said that the coverings were meant to keep snow off the bridges, old toll signs that designate fares for horse-drawn sleighs contradict that notion.
Covering bridges also enabled them to be used for scores of purposes, other than getting to the other side of a stream. They were used for campaign rallies, religious services, family reunions, meetings, weddings, debates, shelter from a storm, fishing and diving platforms, and even hanging clothes to dry during inclement weather. Favorite places for couples to steal a few kisses, covered bridges were commonly called ?kissing bridges.? They were also sometimes referred to as ?wishing bridges? because it was believed that any wish a person made while passing through one would come true.
The most powerful effects of the decision to cover that first bridge, however, are intangible. Even for those who know none of the specific details of their history, covered bridges evoke nostalgia and stir strong emotions, while their gradual disappearance from the country?s landscape incites a growing passion to preserve them as precious, irreplaceable landmarks.
Although it?s true that the covered bridges that were built and used by our ancestors are decreasing in number every year, a new era in covered bridges is just dawning, at CedarStore.com. The best part is that these new bridges, which are designed for your own creek, stream, or walkway, have all of the charm of their predecessors, but, constructed from your choice of treated pine or Dura-Temp siding, many times the durability.
At CedarStore.com, you can customize your own gorgeous covered garden bridge in three simple steps, choosing from a variety of sizes, styles, materials, and accessories. Visit CedarStore.com today, and begin your own tradition of swimmin?, fishin?, whistlin?, and kissin?.
For more information, call 888-293-2339, or e-mail contact@cedarstore.com.
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Kathy Moran - Writer for CedarStore.com
December 27, 2007
In case you like birds you must know that there is nothing more welcoming to the feathered creatures than a bird bath. That nice installation filled with clean, fresh water will be like an oasis for the neighborhood birds. And if you decide to make one, your kindness will be fully repaid by the daily visits of our entertaining and delightful flying friends. Just watching a bird bathing is quite a pleasurable and repaying experience itself.
Of course people may decide to build such a place for people too, but in fact a nice bird bath can simultaneously be the perfect garden accessory and service a good purpose. And if you manage to choose the right style to design it in, you?ll definitely improve your garden setting. In the end you?ll have something for all to enjoy ? both birds and people.
A bird bath is the perfect device for bird watchers to use for attracting birds. Taking the time to create such bath is always rewarded by the view it offers afterwards. It gives the birdwatchers the possibility for a close proximity watching, and most of them guarantee that you can in fact attract more birds with a bird bath than with seeds.
This is absolutely true, because bird feeders, wonderful in my opinion, still do attract only seed-eaters and that?s why the species that gather around them are much more limited. From time to time you can spot a finch or a bright red cardinal, but you are more likely to find around always the same visitors ? mostly blue jays and sparrows is what you you?ll see hovering near the feeders.
There are lots of birds that prefer fruits and insects to the seeds. Although species like waxwings, wrens and catbirds won?t offer a great variety to your garden, they can not be found anywhere around the seed feeders. That is the main difference between the two, and areas with bird baths are much more abundant in species than the seed feeders as not all birds do eat seeds, but all birds drink water.
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Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gardening. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Bird Bath
December 13, 2007
By nature of trees they are meant to be outdoor.
Maple are cold hardy tree, and they will thrive in ideal condition. Who best then mother nature for creating ideal climate. Maple will grow in cold climate because they need a period of cold to rest and rejuvenate. This apply to all tree’s, hence bonsai, that grow in cold climate. Growing a tree indoor will lack natural elements. One, it will lack light, wich is essential to growth. It will lack humidity, wich will cause leaves to dry faster. Leaves are in constant transpiration, and humidity help the process. One thing, is that indoor, you most likely keep your temeprature to at least 20c in winter. Colder climate tree that need a period of rest after they loose their leaves, will require a maximum of 5c to go dormant and rejuvenate.
Now, their must be a type of tree that dont need sleep in winter? Yes there is. What you must ask yourself, is what climate conditions can I offer to a future tree?
Well, you can start by having a constant temperature in the house, maybe hotter in the summer. Reducing lighting and maybe humidity by misting my tree once or twice a day.
So with these condition on hand, what type of tree can live with these conditions?
Surely a tropical tree would liked to be in hot temperature all day.
That is why Tropical types of trees do well indoor.
I have a few tropical tree’s, and keep them indoor in winter but I always bring them outside in late spring. Their growth rate is 10 times faster outside because it has lots of suns, humidity and hot temperature.
Indoor, the tree survive, but is a really slow grower
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Avid full time hobby bonsai grower. As been practicing bonsai and gardening for more then 8 years. Owner of http://www.mishobonsai.com, a website with ressource for Bonsai seeds and tree seeds.
December 9, 2007
For those landscapers living in a Northern climate, it is essential to consider hardy winter resistant plants and shrubs. The reason behind this is not only so they can continue adding to the beauty of your winter landscape, but also so they will persevere through the winter season and add texture and color in the early spring months.
While many Northern climate zones can enjoy a beautiful array of trees like Birch, Maple, Oak, and Dogwood, many homeowners would also like their landscape plants and shrubs to remain beautiful even as the snow falls. With this in mind there are a variety of beautiful winter resistant plants and shrubs that can easily be added to the landscape any time of year.
Longstalk Holly
This winter resistant element can be either a large shrub or tree, depending on the type of product selected at the landscaping company or store. Although it is called a ?holly? the leaves are a beautiful evergreen that look more like mountain laurel than holly. One of the best reasons for selecting the Longstalk Holly is that it not only does well as a winter resistant shrub but it is also extremely heat resistant, making it excellent for climate zones that will warm up in the summer months. The trees will don a beautiful fruit throughout different seasons but especially in the winter, making this an excellent choice to spruce up your winter landscape.
Bayberry
If you are looking for a winter resistant shrub with fruit that won?t attract the deer throughout the seasons, the Bayberry shrub is an excellent choice. For those homeowners who enjoy birds munching in the spring, summer and fall months, the wonderful part about the Bayberry shrub is that while the deer stay away, the birds love the fruit on this winter resistant plant. The Bayberry shrub also does well in warm weather and can be planted in shade or full sunshine without being disturbed.
Evergreen Holly
Holly is popular as a Christmas decoration because holly is one of the best available as far as winter resistant plants and shrubs go. Evergreen holly is also one of the most popular winter resistant plants because it also dons beautiful bright berries and elegant, evergreen colored foliage. Although many homeowners believe the Evergreen holly is excellent in all cold climate zones, it really does not do that well in extremely cold climate zones.
Acacia
While both Prostrate Acacia and Acacia Redolens fall under the category of excellent winter resistant plants and shrubs, they also fall under the category of excellent drought and heat resistant plants and shrubs. Although there are no blooms on the majority of acacias, they do provide beautiful green foliage in the winter months and will be a wonderful addition to any winter landscape.
Cranberry Bush
Although the Cranberry bush is considered a shrub, it is a small shrub that can easily be mistaken as a plant and can be placed nearly anywhere in the garden to add color and flair. The Cranberry bush really is excellent for almost any season, but does well as a winter resistant plant. It produces large quantities of red berries in the wintertime, which add beauty to the winter landscape and feed the birds as well. In the early to middle summer months, the Cranberry bush will produce beautiful little white flowers and in the late summer there will also be red berries. The Cranberry bush foliage also turns a deep reddish purple, so is a plant that offers something for every season?s landscape.
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Ted Roberson owner of landscape living is a landscape and garden enthusiast who has years of experience working and creating outdoor living areas. Discover how you can improve and maintain your landscape and garden area with simple projects you can do around your home and garden that you will enjoy.
http://www.landscapeliving.com/
December 6, 2007
There are numerous things a home owner can do to make his or her garden humming-bird friendly. Comparatively easy adjustments can soon be rewarded by the presence of feeding humming birds as well as nesting females and their young ones.
Hummingbirds feed from nectar filled flowers and are important pollinators for many species. Planting a lot of suitable flower species in your garden is therefore a great way of attracting hummingbirds. Ideally include a lot of colourful blossoms, especially red ones since hummingbirds are known to be fascinated by the colour red. This is way a majority of the humming bird feeders are red. The recommended species flower will naturally depend on your geographical location, soil type, gardening skills etcetera.
Hummingbirds are preyed upon by many types of predatory birds and tree climbing snakes, and they can also fall prey to cats and other mammals. The Hummingbirds will therefore appreciate densely grown shrubs and bushes where they can stay hidden from above. There should preferably be a lot of twigs strong enough to support the tiny hummingbird, but weak enough to carry snakes and cats. By including such environments in your garden design, you may very well turn your garden into hummingbird territory. The hummingbirds might not only visit your garden to drink from a feeder; chances are that they will spend a lot of their time resting there too, especially if the surrounding gardens contains few suitable hiding spots for hummingbirds.
Offer the hummingbirds one or several feeders to drink from is naturally also an excellent way of making sure that you receive plenty of hummingbird visits. If the hummingbirds have trouble locating the feeder, you can hang the feeder next to some showy and colourful plants that can be easily seen from above. Using a red feeder is also a good idea, since the hummingbirds are known to investigate red objects. Once your hummingbirds have learned to associate hummingbird feeders with food, it is usually easy to make them understand that feeders of any colour contain food.
Using red dye in the hummingbird food is not necessary. Red food dye has been suspected of promoting tumour development in hummingbirds. The jury is still out on the subject, but until red food dye have been proven safe for hummingbirds, it is a good idea to stay clear of it. If your feeder is not red, you can instead place some red stickers on it to make the hummingbirds notice it.
You can often find hummingbird feeders for sale in garden depots, birding shops and department stores. If you fail to locate a vendor in your area, you can always order a hummingbird feeder from one of the many Internet shops that offer hummingbird feeders and food for sale online.
When you choose hummingbird feeder, it is important to pick one that is easy to clean. Hummingbirds are sensitive to mould and can be really sick if the ingest it. Hummingbird food will also ferment quite rapidly, especially in high temperatures. The feeder should therefore be cleaned frequently.
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More information about humming birds and humming bird feeders.
Tulips have been, and are still, being admired by people in many different regions and cultures. Wild Tulips are found in Europe, Africa and Asia. Their native area stretches from southern Europe to northern Africa, and proceeds eastward into Asia from Anatolia and Iran. The most prominent Tulip habitats are found on the steppes of Kazakhstan and among the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains, but wild Tulips can be found all the way into the very eastern parts of China and Japan.
The Tulip has always been held in high esteem by the Middle East cultures and the European name ?Tulip? is actually derived from the Persian word for turban. Some etymologists claim that the name was selected since a budding Tulip resembles a traditional turban, while other etymologists suggests that the term is instead the result of a misunderstanding ? Tulip flowers were commonly used to decorate the folds of the turban. If you study traditional folk art from Persia and Turkey you will
Today, the Tulip is the national flower of Iran as well as of Turkey and the tulip is even suggested on the Iran flag. If you look at traditional Persian and Turkish folk art you will clearly see how important the Tulip motif is and have been. The Netherlands in Europe is another country strongly linked to the Tulip, and the Netherlands will for instance send Tulips to the Canadian capital Ottawa each year. During World War II, Canada aided in liberating the Netherlands from the German invasion and also served as a refuge for the Dutch Crown Princess who was later to become Queen Juliana.
In the Europe as well as in the Ottoman Empire, episodes of so called ?Tulip Mania? when tulips have been used for speculation have occurred. Historians still debate exactly how severe these waves of speculation was and how damaging the Tulip booms and subsequent crashes was to the respective economies. Some even claim that Tulip Mania strongly contributed to the final financial decline of the Ottoman Empire.
Historians do not now exactly when and how the Tulip was introduced to Western Europe for the first time, and perhaps Tulips were brought to this part of the world several times before the flower really became appreciated and famous. One story claims that ambassador Oghier Ghislain de Busbecq brought Tulips to German attention as early as 1554. Oghier Ghislain de Busbecq had been sent from Ferdinand I of Germany to Suleyman the Magnificent and in one of his letters he write about seeing ‘an abundance of flowers everywhere; narcissus, hyacinths, and those which the Turks call tulipam, much to our astonishment, because it was almost midwinter, a season unfriendly to flowers’. Botanists are however a bit sceptic to this letter, since Tulips do not bloom in midwinter, not even in the warm Middle East. Perhaps Oghier Ghislain de Busbecq confused the winter journey with an expedition that he participated in during a warmer part of the year of 1558. We know that Oghier Ghislain de Busbecq wrote and dated all his letters after his journeys, not while he was actually travelling.
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Tulips are just one of many flowers that have an important cultural significance in numerous religions. Others include the cherry tree and the Bamboo plant
December 4, 2007
The enjoyment of fine gardening comes not only from the finished garden but from the endless hours that is spent designing and planning the actual garden, from the moment of the first thought, to the moment the last tree is placed, and plant the last flower. All that work should show through when first a person steps into this yard of fine gardening, a place of peace and calm where a person can meditate on the finer things in life.
Consider constructing a water feature, ideally one that will give a continuous soothing gurgle, with a small stepping-type of waterfall-cum-pond, placed on lovely slabs of flat dark rock with a hint of moss growing on it. A nice water lily or lotus to give off a contrasting color, and perhaps a few fish. Some ferns and leafy rain-forest type plants placed around the pond big it to life and this finishes this stage of fine gardening.
Consider a large tree to stand in a corner of the garden, with a luscious velvety dark brown trunk that can just about span an arm, covered with vibrant green leaves spilling onto the ground in heedless abandon.
Since green is a peaceful color, Consider also laying a lovely shady lawn that you can sink your bare feet into when taking a turn about the garden area. I dont think there is a better way to spend a relaxing after noon than in your Fine Gardening acheivement.
Create a little alcove, unseen from afar, that would afford the curious visitor a wide-angled view of the whole garden, with a sun shade, and a low-lying bench with a few plump cushions strewn carelessly about, and all of it surrounded by a profusion of welcoming colorful flowers.
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Ron is an avid gardener who would like to share his gardening experiences and ideas with eveyone. Ron is the webmaster of Gardening Moments website and has a wealth of gardening information to share.
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