Taking Care of Your Outdoor Landscaping Feature

For many homeowners, a koi pond or a small lake on their properties is the ideal showpiece. It is a gathering point for outdoor parties. It also provides a scenic view from the window that the family can enjoy year round.

As beautiful as the pond or small lake may be, it can also be a challenge to take care of if you are not well-versed in this type of landscaping. With professional landscaping, water level monitoring, and aquatic weed removal services, you can make sure your pond or lake stays blue, healthy, and beautiful at all times.

Checking the Level of Algae

Every body of water at some point will grow algae especially if the weather is warm and humid and there is very little rainfall. Algae itself in small amounts is not bad. It can even provide a source of food for creatures like butterflies and amphibians.

However, when your pond or lake is mossed over, it becomes an eyesore that also may raise a stench during the hottest times of the day. You may not want to clean it out yourself even if you know how to do so. You can have it cleaned by hiring services that offer this type of care for landscaping ponds or lakes.

The contractors can monitor the water levels in your pond or lake and use products like algae tablets to kill fungal growth before it becomes a problem. The healthy water will continue to be a haven for your koi or for other creatures that take refuge in it.

Maintenance and Repairs

Keeping a koi pond in good condition requires that you maintain the hoses or pipes that feed into it. These underground fixtures can be difficult to monitor if do not have the right equipment on hand for the job. The company has technicians that can come to your property and make sure the pond is not leaking or filling up too high for you.

A koi pond or small lake on your property can provide the ideal beauty for your home's exterior. You can keep it healthy and safe year round by hiring techs who are trained to monitor it. They can also make repairs to the pond if necessary.

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Green Thumb for Gardening

Mom always has a green thumb in planting any flower, tree or plant in our garden and backyard. Every single thing that she plants grows abundantly. Since she’s old now and we don’t want her to do any task in the house she concentrates her time on gardening with the help of my husband who does the hard tasks. She would smile every time she sees a bud that blooms and a root that produce stems.

She loves gardening so much that I want to give her some nice garden gifts as I know she’ll appreciate it so much. She’s been telling me few days ago that maybe we should buy more pots so she can distribute her growing flowers on different places. Her enthusiasm is infectious as my husband is into gardening too much to my surprise. Just imagine my astonishment that after 20 years of marriage he’s learning the gardening skills. His brother is a landscaper so maybe he’s got talents too.

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3 Easy Ways to Redecorate Your Living Room

If you don't have the time or energy for an extensive remodel, it can be difficult to browse Home and Garden articles about changing your interior design. The good news, however, is that you don't have to break the bank in order to shake things up with your interior design. Here are just three tips for a newer, fresher living room.

1. Paint the Walls

You can change the entire atmosphere of the room with a fresh coat of paint. Whites can become whiter; colors can become bigger and bolder. Best of all, if you don't like what it turns out to be, you can easily change it once again.

2. Modify Your Seating Arrangements

If you have a couch, replace it with a loveseat. If you have armchairs, rearrange them around a new centerpiece in the room. By changing how you see and interact with guests, you'll feel like you're in a whole different home.

3. Buy New Table Lamps

Table lamps come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so they're an easy way to add personality to your living room. You can also look for things like Tiffany stained glass table lamps if you want elegance as well as beauty.

These are just three ways to breathe new life into your living room. If you're ready for something fresh but uninterested in spending thousands of dollars on a remodel, these tips can help you make a positive and affordable change.

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Creating a Deck That Will Last

There is nothing like enjoying a barbecue on a backyard deck with family and friends. Designing and building that deck so that you can host that type of gathering comfortably can be a process.

Here are some tips that will help you save time creating a deck that will last:

Consider using green building material:

Real wood such as teak is beautiful and can make your deck into a showpiece. The downside of using it is that it requires refinishing every few years in order to maintain it. As an alternative, one of the most popular types of wood on the market is composite wood mixed with plastic. It is also known as green board because some of the manufacturers use only recycled materials in their manufacturing process. Composite wood is impervious to water and will not rot. You will therefore be pleasantly surprised to find out that it not only looks good, but is also normally warrantied for up to 50 years.

Use the most experienced deck contractor:

It makes sense to hire someone who has been building for a while. It makes even more sense to go with an experienced, licensed builder who has leveraged their experience by joining a larger organization that pools design and engineering experience. After all, preparing your deck to handle certain loads and ensuring that it will last for the amount of time that you expected are worthwhile rewards. Archadeck is an example of a company that is national and only uses licensed, experienced builders to efficiently build custom decks to your requirements.

Require that the builder seal your posts and joists:

It won't do you much good if your decking planks are rated to last 50 years and your joists and posts are susceptible to moisture and therefore rot. Going with the best sealant available on the joists will make your deck easier to maintain. Similarly, asking to have the ends of your posts dipped in a sealant will save you innumerable headaches because without it, water will find a way to get next to your post eventually.

Adding a deck extends your home and allows you extra living space that will provide you with thousands of hours of fun. Ensuring that you build it to last will allow you to enjoy that fun instead of spending your free time underneath it and on top of it working on maintenance.

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Protect Your Family From Mosquitoes

Summertime is when friends and families love to get together and have parties, barbeques and other social gatherings in the outdoors. However, these gatherings often have many annoying, uninvited guests called mosquitoes. Everybody has experienced being outdoors and having fun, only to be attacked by a swarm of these hungry insects. Fortunately, you do not need to move all of your activities indoors in order to avoid mosquitoes. There are ways to fight back and prevent them from spoiling your fun. Here are some methods you can use for backyard mosquito control.

1. Eliminate standing water

This is the most important thing you need to do in order to stop mosquitoes from gathering in your back yard. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. If you keep your recycling containers and garbage cans in an open and uncovered area where they are exposed to rain, you need to drill holes in the bottom of each container. This will allow any rainwater that gets into the containers to drain out the bottom. Do not only drill holes in the sides. If the holes are in the sides and not the bottom, water will still collect at the bottom of the containers. You should also make sure your swimming pool has the proper amount of chlorine. Clean your gutters on a regular basis to prevent clogs. This will allow water to drain correctly and prevent areas of standing water from forming.

2. Call the professionals

If your mosquito problem is particularly bad, you might want to consider calling a pest control company that specializes in dealing with mosquitoes. They can come to your home and use chemicals that are specially designed to kill the mosquitoes without harming humans or pets. They can make your yard free of those awful pests, helping you to prepare for the outdoor gathering you are planning. Many of these companies use insecticides that are friendly to the environment. You can look online to find some companies in your area that provide this service.

3. Bug zappers

These are a very effective tool to use against mosquitoes, especially if you want to invite people to a gathering at night. Insects are naturally attracted to light, so bug zappers will not be nearly as effective in the middle of the day. If you are using a bug zapper and you have small children wandering around, make sure you hang it in the air so the children can't touch it.

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Top 4 Benefits of Landscape Lighting

When building a new house or renovating an older one, most people take plenty of time to choose the perfect indoor lights to accentuate their spaces, fit their personalities and match the style of the home. However, outdoor spaces are often not given the same degree of concern. What many do not realize is that adding thoughtfully placed outdoor lighting can be extremely advantageous for homeowners. Here are four primary benefits.

First, landscaping lights can greatly improve the appearance of a home, accentuating the positive features. This type of lighting is often used to highlight the home's architectural features as well as ornamental trees, bushes and flowers. It can make the home's curb appeal just as pleasing at night as during the day and can ensure that house numbers are seen by visitors and emergency personnel.

Second, outdoor lighting that is placed near patios, decks and fire pits will ensure that these areas can be used by the family even after dusk. Homeowners can consider having deck lights attached to posts, stringing lights from trees or placing tall lights on poles surrounding a patio. With proper mood lighting, pools and outdoor hot tubs can even be used after the sun sets.

Third, outdoor lighting can be a safety feature for homeowners. Having lights scattered throughout the landscaping gives intruders fewer places to hide. One of the best options for safety lighting is around key doors into the home or garage, which will dissuade burglars from entering the premises. Some homeowners even use motion-sensor floodlights on driveways.

Finally, another aspect of home safety should be considered with outdoor lights. Not only can lights keep intruders away, but they can also prevent dangerous falls on the property. They are especially important for tricky stairs and bumpy garden paths. Low lights can be placed along pathways for guidance, and small lights can be placed around trees to prevent individuals from tripping on the roots.

Outdoor lighting does more than just beautify a property. It can add structure, provide safety, illuminate architectural or historical details and add a measure of home security. Outdoor lighting that fits in with the mood and style of the home can do much to boost curb appeal and welcome guests in a friendly manner. Homeowners should be sure to find a company that has years of experience and knowledgeable professionals when looking for an installation service.

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How to Clean a Green Pool

Green pools with look visually unappealing but there are ways to fix this problem so you can enjoy a clean sparkling pool once again. Keeping your pool clean only takes a little time each week and will save you quite a lot of money.

Manually remove debris

Using a scoop remove any large leaves, small branches or other debris that has fallen onto the surface of your pool and any debris that may have sunk to the bottom of the pool. Removing this larger debris will prevent the skimmer, pipe and filter becoming clogged.

Run the pump

Next, you must run the pump and filter for at least 24 hours. Keep an eye on the filter reading, as having to do this much work means the filter will have to be cleaned out when the pressure increases. Once the pressure gets 8-10psi above the normal reading, it’s time to clean the filter. The filter is helping to rid your pool of minute amounts of dirt and debris that have accumulated in the pool.

Check the chemical balance

A clear pool relies on the correct chemical balance. The water must first be tested. You can use a testing kit yourself at home or take a sample of your pool water to a pool shop where they will test it for you and print out the results. Always take a water sample from at least 30cm below the surface water. You will probably also need to use chlorine. Chlorine is a sanitiser and a stabiliser. Refer to your reading to ensure you put the correct amount in your pool. You will have to measure the water’s acid-alkalinity balance and make sure the correct pH level is maintained. The incorrect level can damage metal equipment, make the water cloudy and irritate the skin of swimmers.

Give the pool a brush

If slimy algae have grown on the walls of the pool, give it a brush. Brushing breaks up the slime that protects algae and therefore exposes the algae to the chemicals that will kill it.

Give your pool a shock

You will also need to add pool shock and acid or conditioner. Several bags of pool shock may need to be added over a few days. If you have trouble with algae growth, you might also need to add an algae preventative. A dose of metal remover will remove traces of metal that comes from tap water. For tips on getting rid of a green pool click here 

 

During long periods of non-use, the pool can be covered with a pool blanket. This will help prevent leaves falling into the pool. Restoring a green pool will take some time but once the task is complete, try not to let it get to the green stage ever again! A sparkling clean pool always looks inviting and will be a visual delight that can be enjoyed throughout the entire year. Even when it’s too cold to swim, the surrounding area of your pool area can be used for entertaining or relaxing.

Kim Blair 

Content Writer SF

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Beautiful Landscape Garden for Your Homes

The beauty of our homes lies not only on the interior designs but on the exterior as well. The outdoor area is the first place that people see when they go to your house so it’s good when it has a good welcoming atmosphere. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful homes with a good landscape garden and I must say that it completes a home. There are various ways on how to do landscaping, you can do it yourself or hire professional landscaper who knows the right approach and materials to use to create your most wanted aura of garden. It can be extravagant with expensive plants and flowers to plant or just the simple garden with the regular blooms you often see around. 

You can be creative with whatever you want for your own garden and you can consult and hire landscaper london to do these things for you. If you’re in London and needs a perfect landscape design for your garden you can count on them to do the job for you. They offer landscape design, water features, interlocking patio paving, waterfalls, tree services and a lot more. You can be assured of a high quality service for complete redesign of your outdoor garden or specific installation of water garden or anything you want to do or maintain. Be ready for a well-planned stylish and artistic garden that you will love to see around your house.

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Lovely Garden Hideaway

Source: buddhainteriors.tumblr.com via Race on Pinterest

Did it ever occur in you to sometimes hide from your daily chores and just rest in the afternoon or the rest of the day?  Well it would be expensive to travel far just to sneak a nap for few hours so it would be more enjoyable if we can do it near or within our own homes.  With this garden hideaway it's easy for tired Moms to sneak and hide in this oh so comfortable garden bed which looks like a modern floating hut. 

It's so inviting that I'm sure you'll have a relaxing and comfortable sleep.  If you're not sleepy and just want some time out from daily scheduled chores you can just relax here and read or bring your lappy and surf.  This is just a nice suggestions for Moms out there who never stops working, it's time to unwind and spend some time outdoors in your own garden.

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Landscaping Services for Homes and Buildings

In every home and office environment it’s always better to look at when you see it surrounded by beautiful plants and trees. A green environment creates a fresh and cool ambiance the reason why buildings put up a landscaped garden in their front area so the place would look so inviting. Some of the homes in the urban areas especially those within the villages find it necessary to get landscape services to have a greener and nicer background for their homes. It somehow completes the total look of their homes. 

I’ve seen many kinds of landscape designs when I worked in a company located in one of the plush subdivisions in the city. All houses have their own kind of landscaping depending on the type of house and on how much they want to spend for the beauty of their surroundings. I’m actually a lover of plants and flowers and I like looking at those creative landscape designs. 

Getting a good landscaping service is not that easy when you talk about quality service coupled with competitive pricing. Well if you’re in the North Bay area you can rely on Schutz Landscaping to give you quality landscape design North Bay without hurting your budget. They’re on the top list when it comes to landscaping and offers expert and knowledgeable handling of landscaping design for your garden. 

If you want an impressive landscaping North Bay work that speaks of quality and premium design you can count on them to give you exactly what you envisioned for your outdoors. As they use the finest quality materials for their landscaping service you can be assured that you’re getting the best landscape for your home.

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Grow Light Kits for Hydroponics

There is a current trend of hydroponics and we hope it keeps rising as it is a great alternative to outside growing. If you are in search of supplies, try searching online for grow light kits or perhaps led grow lights for hydroponics online and you may get to the website shop TheLaShop.com which is very helpful. Hydroponics is basically growing plants without soil, but still using water and nutrients or whatever ends up being chosen. There are tons of helpful nutrients that you can add to your plants that will be able to help you grow more efficiently and safely. 

Some of the nutrients that are available include tons of different hybrid mixes and whatnot that were formulated to help with the growth and health of your plants. Some mixes are only a dollar each, which means it’s very easy to keep your plants growing and happy! Some would recommend the “Organic Feeder” which would mix nicely with most plants, no matter what you are growing. LA shop Hydronics has been BBB accredited since 2011 and is thrilled to keep serving its thriving customer base. Specializing in garden and plant life, LA shop Hydronics will surely help you create a garden that is easy to maintain and serves you well. 

Tons of indoor gardening supplies are available as well as quality grow tents and lights that will help any aspiring indoor gardener to get started. From organic to aeroponic and many other types of indoor gardening, you can be sure to find everything you need from LA shop. Hydroponics isn’t hard at all and anyone who is curious should read a little bit more on it and see just how easy it is! After you have all the supplies set up, it’s really only a matter of maintaining. We hope that hydroponics continues to be a growing trend so that people can start becoming more involved in their gardening once again and never having to worry about weather ruining their crops!

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The Development of LED Grow Lights

As early as the year 1927,LED grow lights were already discovered. But during those years, their amazing features and benefits were not yet known by then. It was only after many decades that, after studies, experts have developed the wonders of LED grow lights similar to what are being used for indoor gardening these days. It was in 1972 that the first LED was made and it was in the red color. Ten years later, LED became 10x more effective than it was when it was first discovered. These gave birth to more studies and even more detection of how effective LEDs are than other lighting products before. 

The advancements in LED grow lights have been so dramatic that a trend known as the Haitz’s Law was coined. This stood for the outstanding LED output development of doubling every 36 months until to this present time. Indoor gardening has improved simultaneously with LED grow lights and more equipment like the grow tents for sale widely in different stores have undergone enhancement, too. 

Since refinements of indoor gardening tools like the LED grow light became a phenomenon, a lot of companies have produced products with lightings using LED by year 2010. Almost every product became cheaper when new innovations came out which affected other merchandises, too. There were then cheap LED bulbs, cheap light reflectors and cheap grow tents.  

LED grow light that uses LEDs became a huge hit in the business world due to its worldwide use for many company products. Unfortunately, not all are true to their advertisements. Sadly, Some companies lied of using LED to encourage consumers that their products are infused with the great benefits of LED.

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Farm Fresh Herb Plants

My Mom loves taking care of her garden and since she has a green thumb all that she plants will eventually grow. She never misses a day to look into her garden and inspect buds from some of her flowering plants. It serves also as her daily exercise as she would water the potted plants one by one in the morning and in the afternoon. It relaxes her and she feels strong doing those kinds of chores. I also indulge in her hobby once in a while when I have free time and I’m into planting either flowering shrubs or herbal medicinal plants. 

This is the reason why I got interested with The Growers Exchange  because if you’re busy and you want farm fresh herb plants you will never worry about filling in your garden. They grow farm fresh herb plants naturally without harmful chemicals. They have garden kits, garden gifts and a lot more. They also offer gardening accessories, gifts and all herbal needs. When it has grown right already clients can buy it online with the right packaging that will ensure proper handling and shipping to your doorstep. Now you can add variety of their products to your garden without waiting for weeks and months to grow.

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Fruit Trees Online

Gen asked me to help her do some sort of pot or animals out of clay. It’s their assignment to bring out some images out of clay but she told me to get materials from our garden. Kids are sometimes like that they just repeat what their teachers told them exactly, no explanation or procedures. Anyway since I can’t do this kind of thing without explanation I just accompanied my daughter in school to talk and ask directly how we’ll possibly comply with the required projects. I was actually right in thinking that I should get clay specifically suited for making pots and I can buy them at nursery plant.

The teacher also told me that there are two choices, we can do the clay or just submit at least three vegetable seeds. I was wondering why they want the children to do this kind of project and before I left the school I learned that there will be some display show of agricultural things. Anyway I chose to submit seeds of bitter gourd, squash and beans. I’m lucky that they have stock of these seeds because I don’t have the time to look for these kinds.

I remember a friend who buys her planting materials and fruit trees online. It’s now available in the net, you can order mature fruit trees and plants like Mulberry trees, grapevines, shrubs and flowering bulbs. Imagine having your trees and plants delivered to your home.

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Shopping For Your Home

Home is where you rest your body after a day’s work, it is where you start building your own family and build a nice foundation for them. Home is where the heart is as they say and if your heart is in it you must express your heart through it. The things that you put in your house are a reflection of your personality and your taste. To create an ambience that truly describes the family that lives in it you must furnish it with a home and garden furniture, accessories and appliances that suits your style.

And if you want to do it but don’t have the luxury of time there’s a lot of available sites online which will give you ideas on what products to buy. I found online Shopwiki site which offers complete lines of products for your home and garden. No need to waste your time walking endlessly to search, canvass and purchase items for your home as their site caters to online shoppers and offers products from wide variety of stores they seek on the net. Yes you can find your favorite stores through their site. They provide all sites including those who did not advertise with them.

This is really nice especially for busy working moms out there who can’t find the time to explore furniture or appliance store on foot. With this online shopping they can search for their home furnishing, houseware, home maintenance, kitchen, dining, and workshop, home improvement, outdoor and garden to complete their shopping for their homes. It’s easier to look for beautiful oriental rugs to exude a warm look on my living room. This is really a big help as they have all the things you will need for your home and garden.

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