To learn about acacia honey and acacia fiber, visit the Acacia Plant website.
There is immense satisfaction in creating your own garden plan — the satisfaction derived from relaxing or entertaining in the garden as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The effort that you expend in planning and executing a design unique to you will add to the enjoyment your garden provides for years to come.
How do you begin to create a garden space that is unique to you? Here are ten simple steps that will help you move effortlessly through the process.
1. Identify WHY you want a garden.
How will you use it? Who else will enjoy the garden? Remember that you may not be the sole inhabitant, so get input from all family members on how your outdoor space will be used.
2. Do a little dreaming.
Now that you know why you want a garden and how you intend to use it, let your imagination play with all the possible features in your special space. A little dreaming will uncover those attributes that will put your personal imprint on the garden.
Also decide whether you want a formal or an informal garden. Formal gardens are highly structured, divided by a strong central axis and cross axes. Informal gardens have a more natural look with strong, flowing curves.
3. Make a list of “must haves”.
What items are essential? Listing your needs up front ensures that your final plan won’t be missing anything important. Do you need a retaining wall? A privacy fence? A path to the garage? More parking space? Do children need a place to play? What about pets?
Walk around your property and make note of everything that is essential. Your final design should balance dream features and “must haves” to create a satisfying and functional space.
4. Evaluate what you already have.
To get where you are going, it helps to know your starting point. Is your space large or small? Is the site flat or sloping? What is the climate? What type of soil do you have? How much water is available and from what sources? What are the predominate views?
5. Ballpark your budget.
Once you know what you want and what you need, it’s time to consider what you are willing to spend. This dollar figure will influence what features you include in the final garden plan — trees, plants, hardscape materials and architectural elements such as arbors, fountains, ponds and benches.
Remember that your “budget” comprises two elements: money and TIME. In terms of time, does the garden need to be finished by a certain date or can you create it over time? (Speed costs!) Also, how much time are you willing to budget to maintain your dream garden? Can you spare several hours a week or are you lucky enough to afford a caretaker?
As you develop and refine your plan, you may need to balance time and cash costs. Be flexible. You may need to spend more time if you can’t spend more money and vice versa.
6. Identify your garden’s focal points.
Every garden needs an eye-catching spot that causes you to pause a moment. When you choose a focal point, you are choosing the direction you want visitors to look when they enter your garden. Did your list of “wants” include a waterfall or fountain? An arbor retreat? A blossoming apple tree? If so, you are well on your way to identifying a focal point — or points — for your garden.
7. Create a rough design.
Take all the information that you’ve gathered and incorporate it into a workable design that balances the “wants” with the “must haves”. Your goal is to create a space that is both satisfying and functional.
Buy a pad of graph paper that contains 8 or 10 squares per inch and let each square equal one foot. (In other words, every inch on the paper will equate to 8 or 10 feet on your property.) Create a basic map with your property lines and house drawn to scale.
You will also need tracing paper, markers, a tape measure, a ruler, a pencil and a good eraser. Lay the tracing paper over your basic scaled map. Then refer back to your list of “must haves” and “wants” as you sketch the various areas of your garden. Show the approximate position of focal points, activity areas (“rooms”) and pathways. Use as many sheets of tracing paper as necessary until you find a layout that pleases you and meets the goal that you identified in Step 1.
8. Choose your plants and hardscape.
The colors and materials that you choose will create the character of your garden, adding interest, movement and visual appeal. Do you want harmonious colors or strong contrast? Warm hues or cool tones? Bold colors or soft hues? Mixing different colors and materials and textures will give your garden a strong sense of space.
Plants comprise a significant part of your garden. In addition to plants, hardscape materials contribute variety and texture — wood arbors, brick borders, gravel paths, bronze statuary, and wrought-iron benches.
As you review your preliminary layout, consider the best material for each of the hardscape elements. Keep in mind that each element needs to fit with and compliment the whole. For example, a terrace constructed of the same material as the house unifies while railroad ties around a formal garden create discord.
9. Make a scale drawing.
Thus far, you have created a basic map of property lines and your house as well as an overlay sheet that shows focal points, “rooms” and pathways. You also have a list of the trees, shrubs and plants for each area of your garden. Now you need to create a scale drawing that shows EXACTLY where each feature will go. You will use this blueprint to lay the walkways, set the arbors and trellises, and plant the trees, shrubs and flowers.
It is important that you have enough information to help you create in reality the garden that you just designed on paper. As long as your scale drawing or blueprint is in sufficient scale to accomplish that purpose, you will be successful.
10. Execute your plan.
Before you begin actual construction of the garden, check all local building codes and regulations to make sure that you will be in compliance. Structures such as decks, patios and retaining walls may require a permit from the local city government. Once all permits are in place, you can start to lay out the garden.
With your scale drawing as a blueprint, use a tape measure to position all structures, walkways and plants. Be sure to measure accurately so each element in your design fits its assigned space.
If designing a garden space sounds a bit intimidating, don’t panic. Just follow these steps one by one and let a space unfold that feels right to you. You CAN do it. After all, a successful garden is just another room of your house, which you’ve already successfully decorated!
Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.
Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.
1. Materials
After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed.
These items are safe to compost at home:
* grass clippings
* trimmings from hedges
* vegetable scraps
* leaves
* potting soil that has grown old
* twigs
* coffee filters with coffee grounds
* tea bags
* weeds that have not went to seed
* plant stalks
These items are Not safe to compost at home:
* weeds that have went to seed
* dead animals
* pet feces
* bread and grains
* meat
* grease
* cooking oil
* oily foods
*diseased plants
2. What To Do To Make It Work
There are small forms of plant and animal life which break down the organic material. This life is called microorganisms. From a minute amount of garden soil or manure comes plenty of microorganisms.
Nitrogen, air, and water will provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to make the compost. Air circulation and water will keep the microorganisms healthy and working. The nitrogen feeds the tiny organisms. You may have to add a small amount of nitrogen to the pile.
Putting on too much nitrogen can kill microbes and too much water causes insufficient air in the pile. You just cannot add too much air.
3. Beneficial Microorganisms
Bacteria are the most effective compost makers in your compost pile. They are the first to break down plant tissue. Then comes the fungi and protozoans to help with the process. The arthropodes, like centipedes, beetles, millipedes and worms, bring in the finishing touches to complete the composting.
4. Smaller is Better
The materials will break down faster if the microorganisms have more surface area to eat. Chopping your garden materials with a chipper, shredder, or lawnmower will help them decompose faster.
5. Size of The Pile
The activity of millions of microorganisms generates heat in the compost pile but a minimum size 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot is needed for a hot, fast composting pile. Piles that are any larger may hamper the air supply needed in the pile for the microorganisms.
6. Moisture and Aeration
If you can imagine a wet squeezed out sponge with its many air pockets, then this would be the ideal enviroment for the microorganisms in the pile to function at their best. Pay attention while your pile is composting, to the amount of rain or a drought you may have. Water in a drought and maybe turn the pile in a lot of rainy days. The extremes of these two may upset the balance of the pile. The use of a pitchfork would come in handy at this time.
7. Temperature and Time
Keep your pile between 110F and 160F and the beneficial bacteria will love it. Not too cool nor too hot.
The temperature will rise over several days if you keep a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen, maintain lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration.
-Importance of Compost-
+Compost has nutrients, but it is not a complete fertilizer.
+Compost provides nutrients in the soil until plants need to use them.
+ It loosens and aerates clay soils
+ Retains water in sandy soils.
-Using the Compost-
+ A soil amendment, mix 2 to 5 inches of compost into gardens each year before planting.
+ A potting mixture, add one part compost to two parts potting soil.
+ Make your own potting mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.
+ A mulch, prodcast 2 to 4 inches of compost around annual flowers and vegetables, and up to 5 inches around your trees and shrubs.
+ A top dressing, mix finely sifted compost with sand and sprinkle evenly over lawns.
The final thing I would suggest once you have mastered the art of composting is to look very seriously at making your very own aerated compost tea. This elixir will give you results that are hard to believe.
Read about false acacia and umbrella thorn acacia at the Acacia Plant website.
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Thousands of homeowners are faced with deciding the best method to perform a mold treatment each and every year. There does however seem to be much confusion as to the best solution to choose when faced with this tough decision. Many ask themselves, “Could I clean it up myself? Should I bring in a professional? Will it affect my health?”
There are three primary determining factors which should be considered before deciding how to proceed.
- What is the size of the mold contamination? The mere size of a mold cleanup and treatment project can determine whether or not it becomes a do-it-yourself procedure. A 3 by 3 foot area (9 square feet) is a consideration for making such a decision. Usually if the areas exceeds 9 square feet, it just becomes too big of a task to tackle for the average homeowner.
- What type of mold is it? The type of mold species can also be a major determining factor and can require time-consuming laboratory results from 3 to 10 days. This can be a dilemma since nobody would wish to wait that long to clean up the mold if the structure is occupied. This can be a judgment call since the mold can be cleaned up days before receiving lab results.
- Who lives in the home environment? The health and well-being of household members should always be a primary concern before making a decision. Are there persons living there who are immuno-compromised? Are there small children in the home? Are there severe allergy and asthma sufferers in the home? These are all important questions to ask before attempting to perform a do-it-yourself mold cleanup.
Mold treatment plans can include spraying and wiping with a bleach solution to remove a few spots of mold on a wall to a full-blown isolation of a mold-contaminated area with the full removal of contaminated wall board. The 9 square foot rule has been used by many homeowners with little negative consequences but should only be attempted if the three questions listed above in, “Who lives in the home environment?” are answered fully. However, any mold remediation contractor or consultant, including myself, would always be inclined to recommend that a mold removal professional be contracted for any size mold clean-up procedure. Removing mold from an indoor environment can be a much larger task than just cleaning visual mold from a surface. There will always be dead (non-viable) mold particles present which should be removed following a cleanup procedure. The problem lies with the fact that mold particles like many indoor air pollutants cannot be seen with the naked eye. Proper removal requires a specific cleaning protocol with specific equipment by an experienced professional. Follow these guidelines once an area has been determined to be contaminated with mold of any size and type.
- Limit the area of mold contamination by shutting or locking doors.
- Tape off all ventilation return air and supply air diffusers.
- Wear a disposable N95 mask when entering the contaminated area.
- Operate a HEPA (High Efficient Particulate Air) air purifier and vacuum cleaner in adjacent areas to limit the spreading of mold particles until a cleanup procedure has been performed.
Read more about Mold Solutions or view Mold Pictures.
Stan K. Hall is a recognized specialist in Indoor Air Pollution as well as Health & Safety in the home. He has performed over 400 indoor environmental evaluations over the past 26 years and has helped hundreds of homeowners make their home a haven. He is widely known as the originator of T.E.A.M., the scientifically proven approach to controlling and resolving indoor air pollution.
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Jan
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on January 12th, 2010
Using plans to build an outdoor rabbit hutch has many advantages. First you can get great ideas on how to make a great hutch so your rabbits have enough living space and a run to exercise. The idea is to build the hutch to last and to fit the needs of the rabbits so down the road you won’t have to do it again.
If you have been shopping for a rabbit hutch either online or in stores, you will agree that the prices are really outrageous for what you get. The most common mistake people do with rabbit hutches is that they go out and by a small rabbit house. You really need to understand the needs of the rabbits before you buy.
If you are going to raise rabbits, remember that they multiply very quickly and they also grow very fast. The last thing you want is a over crowded hutch with not enough space for your rabbits. Rabbits are territorial animals and they are going to fight is they don’t have enough space.
So rather than buying an expensive small rabbit hutch, getting some good plans to make a good size rabbit hutch with a run is a much better option for you and your rabbits. If you don’t plan on raising rabbits and you only have one or two of them,fine, they will only be happy to get more space.
Remember that if your rabbits are going to spend their entire life in a hutch, it is worth it to give them as much space as possible. Your hutch should be above the ground with a compartment inside for the rabbits to go get warm in cold temperatures.
To avoid your rabbits to get feet injuries, avoid having the hutch floor made of wire. Use a hard plastic sheet instead just like an indoor rabbit cage and give them a litter box.It is also important for them to have an old blanket or some hay in their bedding area.
Plans to build an outdoor rabbit hutch can allow you to make a great one at less than one third of the price you would pay retail but also to make it much better. The hutch solidity is very important to protect your rabbits against predators such as racoons, dog,cats or foxes. Some dogs even dig under the wired fence to try to get them so you must put the fence around your rabbit run at least one foot under solid ground.
Plans will help you build a good solid hutch and provide you with a list of the material needed and several different hutches designs.
I would not want to take a chance buying a rabbit hutch. I would prefer building it myself and make it good, large and sturdy enough to protect my rabbits.To find great <a rel="nofollow" onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" plans”>http://www.squidoo.com/simple-and-easy-woodworking-projects”>plans to build an outdoor rabbit hutch, go to <a rel="nofollow" onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" http://www.squidoo.com/simple-and-easy-woodworking-projects”>http://www.squidoo.com/simple-and-easy-woodworking-projects”>http://www.squidoo.com/simple-and-easy-woodworking-projects and get the woodworking plans kit.
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When making your dog house, be careful if you are relying on free dog house plans. I used some of them when I build my first one and I had to do an other one the following year because I did a lot of mistakes. I’ll tell you what I did wrong.
We suddenly realised that our dog was spending a lot of time inside the house while we were at work during the day. Since we have a fenced yard and he is not a barker, we taught that he would be a lot happier outside. So I decided to build him a dog house and give it a try.
I quickly went online and found some free dog house plans.They did not say much about what to use, in fact it was just a drawing with measurements and a picture of the actual completed project. I taught that would be good enough to built it.But there are things I did not know that I wish I knew so I could do it right the first time.
Be Careful What Material You Use
First mistake: I just bought some of the cheapest plywood to build my dog house.I did not realised that plywood is pressed wood and when it gets wet, it softens and bubbles. The layer on top separate from the middle.Next thing I noticed after a few months is a bunch of ants sharing the place with my dog. Besides my dog started to chew the corners and pretty fast the dog house started to look like hell.
Later I learned that only rot resistant, untreated,bug proof wood such as cedar should be used to built a dog house. That is a very good thing to know but my free dog house plans did not specified it. Remember that treated wood contains toxic chemicals that could make your dog sick if he is a chewer.
Make a House That Fit Your Pet
Second Mistake: The house I build was way to big for my dog.The perfect house should be just big enough for the dog to get in, turn around and lay down. If the house is too small, he will not want to go in after a while. If it’s too big, the house will not warm up in cold temperatures.
Build Your dog House With Insulation And a Compartment
The walls, the roof and the floor of your house should have a layer of styrofoam in between two layers of wood. This will keep it cool in the hot summer months and warm in the cold winter temperature. Also don’t do the same silly mistake like I did to put a large door right in the middle. The door should be on one side and there should be a panel inside to split the living area in half.Your dog has to find a place to protect himself from the wind and the rain.
So thanks to free dog house plans, I completely messed up this project and I had to redo it from scratch. Thank god I found some real good dog house plans and got it right the second time. To find those plans go to http://www.squidoo.com/simple-and-easy-woodworking-projects and enjoy building your project!
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