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Next time you’re considering purchasing garden tools or marveling at that Gardeners’ Heaven garden spade, keep in mind that you couldn’t always obtain high tech machines and garden tools. Settlements were gardening thousands of years before anyone dreamed up the smart solar water features or the trimmer. The activity we look at as an old familiar pastime was already developing over sixteen thousand years ago. These early gardeners worked by a blend of practical reasons, pleasure, and spirituality. The vital fruit and nut bearing trees as well as other food-bearing vegetation would grow around pools for fish, being protected by stone walls. Certainly they consumed the majority of what was produced but some plants were grown in the name of their gods. And other herbs, treasured by the temples for magical purposes, grew elsewhere. Persians, Assyrians and Babylonians put together water features, vegetables, nuts, and flowers with fruits and stunning architecture to create peaceful areas. The Romans were another civilization who went in for tranquil gardens, though the Greeks did not. Food alone was grown in their farmland. In that era, hoes and spades were the modern, recent concepts that garden forks or rakes would be in a later age — and that’s before looking at the kind of materials employed. Hoes were initially hewn out of stone, but were made out of bronze, iron, and copper as time passed.

Everything was forced to a halt under the pressure of the Middle Ages. Horticulture was no different, but fortunately, the churches practiced what had been learned. Afterward, civilization began to grow harmonious gardens grown from vegetables, flowers, and herbs to provide a pleasant space. This movement continued up to the 16th and 17th century, at which point gardens became much more established and structured. You only need to appreciate the work that goes into a hedge maze to realize this. Such rules aren’t still the be-all and end-all, so there’s honestly no reason to be nervous — enjoy yourself, and don’t be embarrassed about investigating how to get rid of some irritating garden spade deformity or parsing some informative garden spades review. Humphry Repton and others glanced at the rules — so codified by that point as to be essentially stagnant — and tossed away those that interfered with their plans, blending a realistic panorama with interesting statues and similar decorative touches. Nowadays, their appearance may have altered but we still cultivate plants for the same reasons as our forebears. You’d be hard pushed to discover a more comfortable area than a garden paradise.

The borders that are used on a garden are great to see for your garden. This is because you can get many benefits out of the use of garden walling. It can work with a number of materials and can be easily protected.A useful thing about walling is that it can help to protect the soil in the garden bed. Rain can easily push soil downward towards the bottom of a hill. This in turn can impact the ability of plants to grow. A wall can work to keep the soil in the garden. This is especially helpful if you have a garden on a slope.A garden that does not have a protective wall can be suspect to ground insects that can impact plants. A wall can work to make it harder for these insects to burrow into your garden and attack things. This can help to improve the health of your garden.You can work with many things for your wall as well. You can use brick materials for a natural rural look or wooden materials. Concrete can also work for your wall. Stones can be great as well. This works by putting into larger stones first and then smaller ones to fill in holes.The influence of walling on the value of your home is a great thing to check out. A well made wall can impact the general appeal of your property. As a result your home’s value can be improved.Garden walling is great for all of these reasons. It can help to protect your plants and the soil that they are in. All sorts of items can work as well for your garden wall.

Easy-to-erect gazebos offer makeshift shelter for barbeques. Gazebos are also excellent for spring and summer special events like wedding ceremonies where outside is better than being indoors. So what to watch out for in respect to searching for an event tent?

A vital item to look for is that the event tent has passed British regulations. If that’s the case, you can be reassured it’s already had the applicable safety verifications. Nonetheless, it’s invariably a good move to assure this by yourself with the following points to check for:-

Matters of Health and Safety
Your event tent critically must endure a downpour. Are the contours of the gazebo inclined to water collection? The cloth ought to be effortless to clean so one can get grass and juice smears off. The cloth should have a plastic surfacing making it simple to clean. Make sure that all materials have a fire rating, since it’s likely that a barbeque will happen adjacent to the popup gazebo at some point. What if the gazebo collapses? Materials must be be light to prevent injury in this outcome, nonetheless the structure should be robust enough to make this event improbable.

Usability Matters to Consider
How painless is the popup gazebo to erect? Does it have detachable panels, so that you can select what side the entryway is? Are the fastenings easy to open/close (for example velcro)? Just how many parts does the gazebo have? Are any pieces potentially easy to mislay? If that’s the case, can they be replaced easily? Will the event tent have a carrybag making it simple to transport?

These are the sorts of points to watch out for in respect to buying a popup gazebo.

Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their
plants. When talking about house plants, there is no need to
worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.

1. Watering A watering can is a must-have in every garden. It is
recommended that you purchase the one with a narrow spout to
ensure adequate watering. But that does not always apply, so the
finger test may come in handy. Insert your index finger up to
the first joint into the soil. If you feel that the soil is
damp, don’t water it. Otherwise, do.

2. Feeding With foliage plants, they always need to be high in
nitrogen. For flowering plants, on the other hand, K2O is
needed. Fertilizers such as the slow release ones can be mixed
with the compost. However, some plants like cacti and orchids
need special feeds. Feed plants on the height of their active
growth.

3. Lighting Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no
shade. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need
semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that
does or does not get sunlight. Others need sun or no sun at all
like cheeseplants.

4. Temperature With houseplants, they can survive in
temperatures a little bit higher than 15 - 250 C or 55 - 750 F.
But drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for
them.

5. Humidity Some houseplants require a humid environment. One
tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot
and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the
moisture. The compost will not dry out. Plants are capable of
creating their own climate if grouped together. This tip can
also be used for keeping the soil moist. If you want, you can
spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the day’s
temperature.

6. Repotting Other plants require repotting for optimum growth
but some plants may not be suitable for this idea. They would
not want their roots to be disturbed or other plants’ root
system is small. One way to check if your plant needs repotting
is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and
check its roots. If roots are all you see, then repot.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn,
you’ll reap its benefits. You don’t only have a garden that can
add to your house’s beauty you can also learn how to respect and
nurture life in its varied forms.

Some of the best gifts you can give to a bird lover are those that have to do with birds!

Here are a few favorites of all bird lovers:

* Bird Houses

You can find a wide variety of bird house designs and styles. Usually anyone that really loves birds also really loves different types of bird houses too. Also, when shopping for a bird house, keep in mind that some bird houses are made for specific types of birds, and others can be used by multiple types and sizes.

* Bird Baths and Fountains

These also make wonderful gifts for bird lovers because they tend to attract more birds to the yard. Birds love to play in water as well as drink and bathe in it. So these make fantastic gifts for bird lovers. Something to know when buying bird baths and fountains though: Birds are easily scared. So try to avoid any bright colors - especially red - and try to avoid shiny things that reflect the sun.

* Bird Feeders

Another nice gift for bird lovers because this also tends to draw birds in from miles around. Birds also remember their feeding spots over the winter… and when they come back to their feeding spot the following spring they’re likely to bring more birds with them.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is brought to you by The Bird House Shop Section of The Garden Source Network. Attract Wild Birds to your Garden this Spring with Bird Feeders, Bird Houses, & Bird Baths!

If you are new to live house plants, you may not have noticed the popularity of some of the tropical plants. Many thought for years that those tropical plants would not survive the dry hot atmosphere inside the house. Naturally some do better than others and you should look for thick leathery foliage, for placing in your home. Their ability to survive and to thrive is because the leaves are tough in texture and some are constructed so that minimum amount of moisture loss is slowed down. The Christmas Cactus is a typical example.

On the other hand plants like the maidenhair fern have thin leaves allowing for quick evaporation and do not fair well in dry hot rooms. However, you could hang a Maidenhead Fern in a bathroom where steam form the shower or bath would help it retain its moisture. If you added moisture to any other of your rooms, say with a humidifier, it may be detrimental to your furnishings or art work.

There are steps to take when decorating with house plants. Try to buy your plants after the need for heat is over. This will give the plant time to get use to the atmosphere with plenty of fresh air, and allow the foliage to harden while preparing the plant for the unfavorable conditions of heated rooms. It is always important to keep the leaves free of dust so as not to clog their pores.

Watering is always a delicate balance. Rule of thumb is that a plant in active growth will always need more water that those that are dormant. During the growing season, April to October, plants will use more water then in other times of the year. To be really safe buy an inexpensive water meter from your Nursery Garden Supply store. Generally, potted plants should be watered when moderately dry. Be sure to give a good soak right down to the drainage hole. A few sprinkles of water a few times a week will do nothing for the feeding roots that are situated at the bottom of the pot.

There is a tip for checking if the plant is dry at the bottom. Tap the plant half way down the pot with your knuckles, if a hallow sound is heard it needs water. If you heard a dull noise, it does not require water. Always water the plant with water that is at room temperature so as not to shock the roots. One sure sign that the plant is over watered is sickly yellow leaves. Stop watering immediately. Use a pointed stick to aerate the soil around the plant and do not water again until the soil is quite dry.

Inspect your plants daily since some pots retain water while others do not. If using unglazed pots do not place them directly on a table or you will get damage from water seepage.

You must feed the plants to keep them healthy and happy. Plants that are well rooted and thriving need more feeding. Be diligent from May to August. Use a fertilizer like Miracle Grow for easy nourishment.

Visit Mary Hanna’s websites at: GardeningHerb, CruiseTravelDirectory and ContainerGardeningSecrets.

American Standard Announces the 2002 America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest

(ARA) - Floor to ceiling harvest-gold ceramic tile … foam-padded toilet seats … that lovely peach and teal wallpaper from the ’80s. These are just some of the “fashion don’ts” still masquerading as bathroom décor. American Standard realizes that homeowners with such dated bathrooms will go to great lengths to avoid the public eye (or maybe even seek a 12-step program to deal with the embarrassment of harboring such heinous bathing facilities). Regardless, American Standard announces its call for entries in the 2002 America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest to prove that even an ugly bathroom can be transformed into a comfortable and stylish space.

Think your bathroom is atrocious? American Standard wants to see it. If your bath is judged the ugliest in America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest, you will win the beautiful bathroom you’ve been longing for.

“This is the chance for one lucky homeowner to have their unattractive bath turned into a beautiful retreat,” says Jeannette Long, director of marketing communications for American Standard. “The winner will receive a bathroom makeover with American Standard’s elegant new Town Square fixtures, faucets and accessories.”

The America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest winner will choose bathroom fixtures and fittings from American Standard’s Town Square collection of bathtubs, whirlpools, showers, toilets, sinks, faucets and accessories. Town Square is the first bathroom suite designed as one complete solution for new and remodeled bathrooms of any size. Inspired by Shaker and Prairie School designs, the Town Square collection features clean lines for a look that is both sophisticated and comfortable, creating a timeless and elegant appeal.

Designer Barb Schmidt will work with the contest winner to transform their ugly bath into a Town Square dream suite. Barb Schmidt is a nationally known home interior set designer and stylist with more than 16 years experience working with clients like Target, Formica and Hurd windows. Her designs have been featured in many national publications and at kitchen and bath tradeshows.

America’s 2002 Ugliest Bathroom Contest kicks off on July 1, 2002. To enter the contest, American Standard invites homeowners to send a 100-word essay explaining why they deserve a bathroom makeover, along with photographs of their current bathroom. To receive a complete list of the contest rules and regulations, homeowners can visit www.americanstandard-us.com/press or call (866) 455-6118. Entries must include the homeowner’s address and phone number and must be entered online at americanstandard-us.com/press or postmarked by Aug. 31, 2002. The mailing address is America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest, c/o Carmichael Lynch Spong, 800 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

In late August, American Standard will announce a finalist from each of the seven U.S. regions — West, Northwest, East, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. Finalists’ essays and photographs will be posted online at www.americanstandard-us.com/press where visitors can read the essays, see the photos and participate in a poll for the bathroom they deem most in need of a makeover.

A panel of designers and American Standard experts will select the Ugliest Bathroom Contest winner based on the originality of the essay and need for a new, updated bath. The winner will be announced in late October, 2002.

Last year’s American Standard contest awarded Mike and Bonnie Smith of Edina, Minn., with their dream bathroom makeover. The Smiths’ previous master bathroom was functional and roomy, but the style of the room was a source of discomfort for the couple. From floor to fixtures, the bathroom was decorated with ’70s style turquoise, mustard yellow and brown.

Bonnie Smith explains, “Our bathroom was badly in need of an update, and we were thrilled when we won the American Standard contest. The remodeling is almost done. The new American Standard products look fantastic and have transformed our blah bath into a really beautiful room.” Thanks to American Standard, the Smiths’ wish for a dream bathroom will soon be fulfilled. Their elegant new bath is scheduled for completion July 30. For more information on American Standard and Porcher, call (800) 524-9797, Ext. 199 or visit www.americanstandard-us.com/press to locate the nearest showroom.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information contact Sara Mulder for American Standard, (612) 375-8544, smulder@clynch.com or Stephanie Hoch for American Standard at (612) 375-8526, shoch@clynch.com. American Standard is a global manufacturer with market leading positions in three businesses: Trane, the nation’s leading supplier of central air conditioning equipment for commercial and institutional buildings and a premier brand for residential buildings; American Standard and Ideal Standard, the world’s largest manufacturer of plumbing products; and WABCO, the leading supplier of electronic braking and control systems to the world’s manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and buses. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 36 countries. American Standard is included in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.