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Deer and raccoons, rabbits and gophers, moles and chipmunks! They capture your heart when in a book or zoo, but when they invade your garden. Oh! That’s a different story. Yet how can a rabbit resist munching on your crisp lettuce? Or a possum or raccoon stay away from your sweet corn patch? And your berries will always be attractive to a squirrel.

Fending off the various animals that want to enjoy both your flower and vegetable gardens can be both time consuming and frustrating. Learning how to chase them off without poisoning both them and your vegetables remains a crucial part of being a good gardener. As scientists begin to realize the damaging effects of pesticides and other poisons on the human body, the use of toxic methods needs to be carefully considered, and then rejected.

Birds are a bird-watchers delight and somewhere between a mild and major nuisance to the gardeners. They actually do less harm than the four-legged animals. Birds have a number of natural enemies, so you can scare the birds by fooling them into thinking their enemies are around.

A humming line made of very thin nylon will vibrate and hum in even the slightest breeze. It’s inaudible to us, but heard by the birds. This works well with strawberries. Unusual noises can be created with aluminum pie plates loosely tied to stakes or leaving a radio on at night. Installing some blinking lights, hawk-like balloons or kites that mimic larger birds can also be effective. And of course, the two old stand-bys – scarecrows, or a dog or cat – always help out with the bird problem. Because birds and other animals need a source of drinking water, eliminate any standing water near the garden.

Night time is prowl time for the four-legged pests. Each animal has a distinctive footprint and each has its favorite delicacy to munch on. Many of them, such as deer and raccoons, can be eliminated by putting an electric fence or other barrier around the garden. Pocket gophers can be stopped by putting a fence made of hardware cloth two feet below and two feet above the surface of the garden.

A chicken-wire fence works the best for rabbits, but the holes need to be 1” or smaller. Those young rabbits aren’t very big. To keep the mice from eating your fruit tree’s bark, sink wire mesh or ¼” hardware cloth several inches into the ground around the fruit trees.

How can you tell which animal is doing the munching during the night? Footprints are one way. Another is to place about 10 marshmallows out in one spot where the animal has been feeding. Cats won’t eat the marshmallows. Raccoons and skunks will eat all of them in one sitting.

Possums will only eat one or two, and then come back later for another one. Some animals will only be eliminated by being caught in a trap. After they are caught be sure to take them at least one mile away and release them in a natural habitat. And, be careful not to get bitten. Rabies is a reality among wild animals.

Gardening saturates one with a feeling of accomplishment and peace. The joy of picking your fresh vegetables right before dinner can hardly be matched by any other activity. Well, perhaps the fragrance of your freshly picked flowers can compete!

In the past decade and a half, organic products have achieved almost mainstream status. Where organic produce was a specialty item in a few upscale grocery stores in the early 1990s, today’s supermarkets commonly offer organically produced items.

An upward spiral is happening: Organics have become more available and more affordable. The result is that a larger proportion of the population buys organics. This leads to an increased general awareness of the benefits for people and the environment of organic production.

Greater awareness of the benefits contributes to a greater demand for organic products. Higher demand encourages growers to an even larger production of organics. Increased production results in organics being increasingly available and affordable… and upward the trend goes.

During the 1990s, organic product sales dramatically increased at the rate of more than 20 percent every year. By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of organic products passed the $9 billion mark. Today in 2006, the majority of US consumers (7 out of 10) buy organic food at least some of the time.

These statistics are encouraging indications that organic production is here to stay. This is good news for the well-being of people and the environment.

**What ORGANIC means**

Fifteen years ago, organic growers might have had to explain to shoppers at a farmer’s market what the label “organic” means. Today, most people understand that for a product to be labeled organic, it had to be grown without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormone supplements.

But organic growing is a system, and is not just a matter of substituting natural materials for synthetics. Whether on the large scale of the market farmer or the small scale of the backyard gardener, the underlying principles of an organic system are to work within the boundaries of nature to grow healthy food.

The system starts with a focus on healthy soil, which supports healthy plants. When plants are strong, they are naturally disease and pest resistant.

**Why ORGANIC is better**

Rather than apply chemicals to cure disease and control pests as conventional growers must do, organic growers are oriented toward prevention through continuous soil improvements. It’s a big difference in attitude: the chemical quick-fix vs. long-term soil building.

The benefits of taking the long-term approach are immediate. Rather than having to keep indoors during a “re-entry interval,” (after using poisonous chemical pesticides, there is a required safety period when people must avoid the area), organic gardeners never experience exile from the location where they grow food.

Also, there is the difference in the effect on local water sources. Organic gardeners don’t contaminate ponds and groundwater with synthetics.

In short, gardeners who live where they grow food have a particular motivation and advantage in using an organic system: personal health and safety. But everyone benefits when organic methods are used because they are sustainable: wholesome food is produced in a system that respects the natural environment.

In 1981 the year prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement to be married I was hired as part of a team of florist to decorate the marque that held the Berkeley square ball in central London.

We had to arrive very early that meant leaving home at two o clock in the morning . The theme for the flowers was to be love and romance and the colour scheme pink and white
Beautiful exotic flowers had been imported from all over the world , it was like opening Pandora’s box , large oriental Asiatic and cala lilies , cymbidium and dendrobium orchids roses and Gerber’s were used in the large pedestal arrangements whilst freesia were used in the table posies. Garden trellis were erected to create separate smaller areas to make the setting more romantic. Hours were spent pinning cut ivy and rusks to the trellis to give the appearance of creeping vines. Cut flowers were then attached to the foliage, we used carnations as hardy flowers that would not wilt out of water.
Whilst we worked we were entertained by the celebrities rehearsing their routines.It mad us feel very special listening to Elaine Page singing her hits from Evita and Bonny Langford dancing with Lionel Blair and his sister. They even took the time to come over and admire our work.

As a finishing romantic gesture several pairs of love birds were hung in beautiful white cages around the marque. Unfortunately one cage was dropped and the door sprung open realising one love bird into the marque. It flew around a couple times whilst we all gave chase. One florist came close to catching it but it managed to find a gap under the canvass and was lost. We all felt very upset and sorry for the one bird left on its own. A decision was made to release the remaining bird into the square so that they could be together.

I have often wondered if the birds did find each other and always hoped they lived happily ever after.

+ Electric Lawnmowers Are the Silent Workers.

This article describes electric lawnmower development over the last century and the advantages of electric lawnmowers over the gasoline lawnmowers. In general, advantages are low pollution and low noise. How electric lawnmowers help us is described in the following article.

+ Stages Of Development Of Electric Lawnmowers

In the countryside, there are no high-rise buildings. Each house is a stand-alone one with neighbors spread apart by at least 10o yards. This leaves great chance for each household to develop a good garden and a nice lawn to enjoy evenings.

A well-developed lawn has to be nicely maintained to make it look good. A maximum 3 to 4 inches of lawn blades look good and beyond that, it looks ugly.A 2” lawn blade looks better but it requires lot of efforts to keep it short. Lawnmowers were developed to help the home gardener to reduce the efforts of keeping the lawn trim.

Manual lawnmowers are good for smaller lawns. Larger lawns require considerably more efforts. Since the time required for trimming the lawn was not available with many persons, the new breed of lawn mowers with engines or electric motor were developed, and they soon became popular with all home gardeners

The electric cable soon became a problem to be handled with electric lawnmowers and automatic cord winding was developed. The next variation was development of cordless electric lawnmowers and now the in thing is the remote controlled electric lawnmowers.

This is perhaps pre final stage in development and last one may be computer controlled electric lawnmowers operating on sunlight. The new ones (not yet developed) will trim your grass without on their own, and will keep the blade length as per your desire or the setting that you have fed in the database. These lawnmowers will have to be electric lawnmowers and cannot go back to manual or gasoline powered ones

+ Future Belongs To Electric lawnmowers

With these major advantages of electric lawnmowers, it is no wonder that the gasoline engine powered lawnmowers are being phased out for smaller lawns. The future belongs only to electric lawnmowers whether powered from mains or batteries.

Lawn mower offers to keep your lawn pretty and beautiful all the time. Since a well-maintained lawn is a reflection of the owner’s personality and aesthetic senses, so one should always take care of the lawns. A poorly kept lawn overrun with yellow patches and dried weeds is definitely an eyesore to say the least. So to provide good ambience to the entire surrounding of your home you should regularly mow your lawn.

What to consider while purchasing a lawn mower?

The first thing to consider while purchasing a lawn mower is the size and texture of your landscape. Is you lawn sloppy or in a flat ground? What type of lawn mower will exactly suit your purposes? Considering these factors are very important. If your lawn is sloppy in nature, then you should get a lawn mower with high wheels. This will not only make it easier to push up or down a hill but also mow at the fastest speed. The other type includes a cordless or electric lawn mower. This second type is much less messy and mulches your lawn perfectly. However, the third type including the reel lawn mower does not contribute to the environmental pollution and is quite easy to use.

How to maintain your lawn mower?

The lawn mower should not rip or pull the grass and weeds. It should mow the field perfectly. After mowing is complete, you should undertake a good maintenance program so that the lawn mower gives the grasses better cuts for years to come. Every spring you should clean and maintain the following parts of a lawn mower:

- Nuts and bolts should be checked and tightened wherever necessary
- Spark plugs should be cleaned and replaced for good firing systems
- The air filters should be cleaned and replaced on a regular basis.
- Apply oil in your lawn mower to lubricate the engine
- Clean the underside deck throughout the season to remove grass and dirt
- Sharpen the blades at every alternate months so that the grasses get a clean cut

When you are keeping your lawn mower in storage for a long time, it is advisable that you remove the oil and gas and clean the exterior.

Safety tips while using lawn mower

To keep the lawn mower in perfect safety, you should properly read the instructions on the manual. While you are using the lawn, make sure that the children are not playing near the mower. Do not fill the tank of the lawn mower with gas in an enclosed area like under the house, garage or in a shed. It can lead to combustible fumes. Lastly, you should never add fuel to your lawn mower while the engine is running.

Japanese have perfected the technique of growing miniature Artificial
Bonsai trees in containers, but many people all over the world have taken up the Bonsai cultivation as a sort of hobby. Artificial Bonsai trees are generally used for aesthetic purposes and are popular as beautiful showpieces or gifts.

Common types of Artificial Bonsai trees include plum, semi-cascade, bamboo, pine, and azalea. Modern techniques have led to five different styles of Artificial Bonsai trees which include cascade, semi-cascade, slanting, informal upright, as well as formal upright. The braided Bonsai money plant tree is one of the most popular out of devoted bonsai growers. This type of tree consists of a group of four or five trees whose trunks have been braided together. Braided Artificial Bonsai trees can be ten to eighteen inches in height, and is said to bring good fortune by Feng shui practitioners.

Artificial Bonsai trees are usually very small with a height that varies from around two inches all the way up to three feet and the shape of Bonsai trees can be changed by wiring the branches and trunk of the tree. You can place your tree in a nice decorative container that matches your décor because they can live for literally years if you take good care of it.

Maintaining Bonsai isn’t difficult at all. You will need a decent set of tools such as root trimmers, shears, pliers, and branch cutters if necessary. If you are a first timer you can enlist the help of a skilled professional who is willing to teach you the art of training and maintaining Bonsai.

Your plant can be trimmed using bypass pruners and the roots should be trimmed to reduce the size. All Bonsai trees need appropriate amounts of fertilizers to grow nice and healthy. Be careful not to over water you Bonsai tree. Those who are new can begin with a common variety such as azalea, boxwood, hibiscus, camellia, or cotoneaster.

When buying house plants whether it is from Lowes, Home Depot or a local garden center there are several things to consider. Many people just pick up a house plant without giving any thought, especially if the cost is low. But think about this, every house plant you purchase can give you years of enjoyment if it is properly inspected before you buy. Take time to choose a perfect house plant. If you hastily buy a house plant, it has the potential of causing devastation to your other house plants. And one rule to always abide by is never buy plants when you are in a hurry, that’s a gardening tip everyone should heed.

Take the time to inspect the leaves on the house plant for pests. Aphids, spider mites and scale will not only wreck havoc on this house plant but on your others as well. And be sure to look under the leaves and at the nodes where many pests thrive. Here is what to look for on your potential house plant:

Aphids appear as small green or black insects, usually found on buds and new growth. These insects suck the juices out of house plants, and also secrete honeydew.

Spider mites are small insects, which appear as small white specks, usually on the undersides of leaves, or on flowers of the house plant. Spider mites will form webbing, like a spider’s web around infected house plants. The spider mites will be visible in the webbing as white specks.

Scale looks like tiny, brown, oval-shaped bumps visible on the house plants leaves and stem. The scale is actually a protective covering which protects the insect. Scales produce honeydew, a clear sticky substance which can be seen on affected house plants.

You may want to search the internet for other gardening tips on how to treat these pests if one happens to infect some of your house plants.

If the house plant seems too big for the container, pass it by, it is likely to be root bound. Remember bigger isn’t necessarily better. I always pull a house plant from it’s container to check the root ball; reputable stores should allow you to do this. If the house plant is already root bound you will have to open your wallet not only for the plant but for potting soil and a new container. Then YOU have to re pot it and hope it will continue to be healthy. If you don’t mind this, then by all means buy the house plant. If you are going to re pot you may want to look at the self watering containers that are available now. These are great for someone that travels and isn’t around everyday to check the soil.

Examine the container of the house plant for cracks. Be sure the container will harmonize with your existing house plants containers. Try to purchase plants by shape and height when using the house plant for groupings in and around your home. Keep the small tag that is attached to the plant in a notebook so you will always have the directions on the plants needs. This is a really good gardening tip!

Now you know the secrets of buying spectacular house plants.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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