Starting a Home Herb Garden

A home herb garden is a great source of fresh herbs any time of the year and has many benefits. Herb gardens can be specialized by the types of herbs grown: cooking, medicinal, ornamental to name a few. With a little bit of information, is fun and easy.

A home herb garden is a great source of fresh herbs any time of the year. Herbs have a rich history and have been referenced in many ancient documents, showing that herbs have been used by most household throughout history. Herbs are easily grown inside in containers or in an outdoor garden. Growing herbs has many benefits: as an addition to dishes to enhance flavor, to make tea, potpourri, or for medical purposes, and also to keep pests in check in outside gardens.  There are a variety of herb gardens: for cooking, for medicine, ornamentals, or for multiple purposes.

Types of herb plants include, interestingly, shrubs and trees, as well as annual and perennial plants. A short explanation of these types: annual plants live for one year: they sprout, flower, and die in the same year. Perennial plants live for two years, meaning that after growing and blooming during spring and summer, they die back during fall and winter and return again in the spring.

A key to herb gardens is using soil with good drainage. For compacted or heavy soil types, adding some organic material is recommended. Fertilizers are typically not necessary.  While a few herbs grow well in full shade, a sunny location is preferable, and a lot of herbs do just fine with afternoon shade.  Interestingly enough, herbs are not often affected by insects or diseases, with a few exceptions: in hot and dry environments, red spider mites can be a pest for low-growing herbs. Anise, caraway, dill, and fennel may be attacked by aphids and mint can be affected by rust.

To grow an herb garden, use a small area in your garden, about 6 feet by 4 feet, which would produce enough for the needs of a small family. Using indoor planters for a home herb garden is also an option. Culinary herbs are a popular herb garden use, mainly to add enhanced flavor to a dish, while other herbs are used as great colorful garnish to plates or salads. Other herbs are grown for their beautiful flowers or the aroma of their foliage.

There are two ways to start an herb garden: from seeds or from seedlings. Growing a plant from seed is a great joy, seeing the process from the beginning to the end. The majority of herbs can be started from seed. Herbs are very useful and growing an herb plant from seed is a rewarding experience. Well-drained, light soil should be used to grow seeds in. Plant seeds in a shallow box or pot toward the end of winter. The seeds should not be covered with too much soil since they do not have a deep root base. A rule to follow is: sow fine seeds in shallow soil. In the springtime, the seedlings can be transplanted to the outdoor garden. Some herbs will not thrive if transplanted, such as fennel, coriander, dill and anise and should be planted directly in the garden.

A home herb garden is particularly worthwhile and it is easy to grow. Having a good understanding of herbs and a lot of plant growing information available is important. This article is a good start and now it’s a good time to complete the journey with more information. You can find all of the knowledge you need at www.HerbGardenDIY.com – enjoy!

Home And Garden

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Home Herb Gardens

Are you tired of the kind of food we get from grocery stores these days? I mean, we are bombarded with artificial, processed food from all quarters and we don’t have much of a choice if we want to get fresh and chemical-free food from the local market. This is even more true if you live in a city. I think one way to solve the problem is to just grow your own fresh food at home. Which is what I did.

Growing your own food at home is easier than it sounds. I started out with my own home herb garden. I’ve successfully grown a variety of fresh, healthy herbs which I can now enjoy every day without having to worry about the amount of chemicals in them. It’s been worth the time and effort I’ve put into it and I think it’s one of the best things I’ve done with my free time.  

Let me share a little bit of my experience as a home herb gardener. I started off with a couple of containers and planted some herbs in them. I chose a window-sill on my kitchen which was just the right place because I could just reach out and get my herbs when I was cooking and used them fresh, right off the plant!  

I was lucky that my kitchen window, which faced south, received about 8 hours of sunlight daily because most herbs need a good amount of sunlight to thrive. But later on, as I began to learn more about herbs and tried growing more types of herbs, I discovered that there were some herbs which could thrive even on artificial light. My love for these plants grew deeper and deeper. I eventually ended up growing my own backyard herb garden which has been my pride and joy till this day. I did not even need too much space to grow them.  

But that was later on. I started with planting basil as my first herb. Basil seeds are really small so they don’t need to be planted deep. I planted a few seeds into one pot and slipped a plastic baggie over the pot to ensure a warm, humid environment. I just kept the pots in the sunny window sill and they germinated pretty soon. But if you’re not up to planting your own seeds you can always buy herb plants and care for them at home. Whatever your preference, I highly recommend having them at home simply for the joy they bring along with health benefits.

Solar Powered Garden Lights ? Effectively Light Up for All Occasions

You have a nice and lush front garden in your home property, one that is full of exotic plants and carefully and tastefully landscaped and manicured.  Artificial decors abound in many areas in your garden such as small and medium sized pillars and sculptures. Just imagine the area further decorated with outdoor powered garden lights. You can only be thrilled with the immense aesthetic value that these solar outdoor lights will lend to your garden.

How do you as a home owner maximize the benefits and advantages that you can get from outdoor powered solar lights? First of all, you should try and get an approximation of the total area of your garden. The larger the area of your front garden, the more lights will be needed to purchase and install. Installation should be done carefully. You must know correctly the strategic areas of your garden or yard on which to place your lights.

Remember that there are models of outdoor solar lights from which emit a rather low degree of brightness. Hence, if you intend to utilize such lights as your main source of illumination for your garden, you have to make sure that you install the right number of lighting units.

Normally, we would love to maintain a well-lit garden during the regular nighttime. On other times, there are occasional parties and get together events that we will all the more need our gardens to have bright lights. Certainly these can be achieved with the number of outdoor solar lights that are properly placed in your gardens. Even on ordinary nights, we definitely would want brightly illuminated exterior areas mainly for security purposes.

On the other hand, during romantic nights when dates and intimate meetings happen, we would need to make the ambiance more conducive to love and romance. We can achieve it by lessening the amount of lit outdoor powered solar lights. This will effectively maintain a dim lighting that is best for romantic occasions.

For more outdoor solar lighting and sun powered gizmos and gadgets, do visit our Solar Lights and Gizmos blog.

Exotic Flowers: Luxurious and Impressive for your Home and Garden Decor

There are several types of exotic flowers to best suit any occasion. And of course, depending on your personal taste, you will want to choose the best exotic flowers you can obtain to be the perfect flowers, the most adequate for the purpose they will be serving. For example: at someone’s funeral, you may want to choose bouquet of flowers that the deceased would have loved. Here are some other examples (after all, these flowers are for happy occasions as well as the more tragic ones.

Musas:

The Chinese Musa flower is a stunning example of the kinds of exotic flowers that are perfect for gardens or bouquets.

Calatheas:

The exotic flower called the Genus Calathea is in the Marantaceae family of plowers, however it differs from other genera. The Marantaceae family of exotic flowers, in which Maranta and Ctenanthe are included, are unbranched inflorescences cone-like clusters.

The calathea comes from tropical South America, Calathea, it has about three hundred different species. These flowers love the shade and humidity, they are virtually all grown in much of the world only indoors. These flowers require full shade from the sun. However, if they must, they can handle a small amount of morning sun. These exotic flowers need their soil to be moist but well-drained soil, the use of a fertilizer is recommended.

When, on the rare occasion that these exotic flowers are grown outside

Make your Home Appealing with Garden Lights

Only indoor lighting is not enough to make your home look attractive and charming. Outdoor lighting is equally important. Important parts of outdoor lights are garden lights which can make exterior of your house look stupendous. Along with functional needs it can also satisfy decorative needs. These lights have ability to create beautiful atmosphere and the important thing is you don’t have to spend more amount of money. Now there is no need for you to have a walk in lawn under the moonlight.There are various types of lights which you can use in your garden such as up lights, down lights, spotlights, floodlights, underwater lighting, etc. All such lights are made up of durable material such as stainless steel, brass, copper, etc. With these lights you can change the look of your garden and can make it more appealing. You will also be able to enhance the natural beauty, whatever the season may be. In order to maintain correct level of visibility it is advisable to place some of the lights at the entrance of your house.Garden lights can also fulfil security needs. Trees and flowers in your garden can also be illuminated with the help of LED lights. Don’t just place lights everywhere in the garden. You can create elegant atmosphere by placing lights in certain corners or some area of your garden. Lights placed by you should not disturb your neighbors. In order to enjoy meal during dark, place the appropriate light near the dinning area. This can make your home look attractive and can attract the guest coming in your house.Usually for garden lights people prefer to have low voltage lights as this can help them to create beautiful ambiance. Appropriately placed garden lights can make backyard or patio hospitable and you can enjoy spending time in dark. Make your home appealing with such lights.Lighting can give a magical appearance to your home. It can alter a simple and depressing home into more elegant and comfortable place of living. Lighting for homes are use to uplift its value and enhancing the charm and life of your home. It is not only used to illuminate your place but also to create a wonderful aura that people cannot control themselves from entering into the home.Designing the way in which you would light up your home is very important. Your choice of lighting selection and design would reflect your overall persona. It easily depicts your personal taste and your way of living. Therefore selection of light plays an important role in lighting up your home. For that matter you have to first consider the functionality and the general layout of your home and according make the selection. Providing all the lighting products you need in the entire UK.

Requisites of the Home Vegetable Garden

In deciding upon the site for the home vegetable garden it is well to dispose once and for all of the old idea that the garden “patch” must be an ugly spot in the home surroundings. If thoughtfully planned, carefully planted and thoroughly cared for, it may be made a beautiful and harmonious feature of the general scheme, lending a touch of comfortable homeliness that no shrubs, borders, or beds can ever produce.
With this fact in mind we will not feel restricted to any part of the premises merely because it is out of sight behind the barn or garage. In the average moderate-sized place there will not be much choice as to land. It will be necessary to take what is to be had and then do the very best that can be done with it. But there will probably be a good deal of choice as to, first, exposure, and second, convenience. Other things being equal, select a spot near at hand, easy of access. It may seem that a difference of only a few hundred yards will mean nothing, but if one is depending largely upon spare moments for working in and for watching the garden and in the growing of many vegetables the latter is almost as important as the former this matter of convenient access will be of much greater importance than is likely to be at first recognized. Not until you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools, or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass, will you realize fully what this may mean.
Exposure.
———
But the thing of first importance to consider in picking out the spot that is to yield you happiness and delicious vegetables all summer, or even for many years, is the exposure. Pick out the “earliest” spot you can find a plot sloping a little to the south or east, that seems to catch sunshine early and hold it late, and that seems to be out of the direct path of the chilling north and northeast winds. If a building, or even an old fence, protects it from this direction, your garden will be helped along wonderfully, for an early start is a great big factor toward success. If it is not already protected, a board fence, or a hedge of some low-growing shrubs or young evergreens, will add very greatly to its usefulness. The importance of having such a protection or shelter is altogether underestimated by the amateur.
The soil.
———
The chances are that you will not find a spot of ideal garden soil ready for use anywhere upon your place. But all except the very worst of soils can be brought up to a very high degree of productiveness especially such small areas as home vegetable gardens require. Large tracts of soil that are almost pure sand, and others so heavy and mucky that for centuries they lay uncultivated, have frequently been brought, in the course of only a few years, to where they yield annually tremendous crops on a commercial basis. So do not be discouraged about your soil. Proper treatment of it is much more important, and a garden- patch of average run-down, or “never-brought-up” soil will produce much more for the energetic and careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under average methods of cultivation.
The ideal garden soil is a “rich, sandy loam.” And the fact cannot be overemphasized that such soils usually are made, not found. Let us analyze that description a bit, for right here we come to the first of the four all-important factors of gardening food. The others are cultivation, moisture and temperature. “Rich” in the gardener’s vocabulary means full of plant food; more than that and this is a point of vital importance it means full of plant food ready to be used at once, all prepared and spread out on the garden table, or rather in it, where growing things can at once make use of it; or what we term, in one word, “available” plant food. Practically no soils in long- inhabited communities remain naturally rich enough to produce big crops. They are made rich, or kept rich, in two ways; first, by cultivation, which helps to change the raw plant food stored in the soil into available forms; and second, by manuring or adding plant food to the soil from outside sources.
“Sandy” in the sense here used, means a soil containing enough particles of sand so that water will pass through it without leaving it pasty and sticky a few days after a rain; “light” enough, as it is called, so that a handful, under ordinary conditions, will crumble and fall apart readily after being pressed in the hand. It is not necessary that the soil be sandy in appearance, but it should be friable.
“Loam: a rich, friable soil,” says Webster. That hardly covers it, but it does describe it. It is soil in which the sand and clay are in proper proportions, so that neither greatly predominate, and usually dark in color, from cultivation and enrichment. Such a soil, even to the untrained eye, just naturally looks as if it would grow things. It is remarkable how quickly the whole physical appearance of a piece of well cultivated ground will change. An instance came under my notice last fall in one of my fields, where a strip containing an acre had been two years in onions, and a little piece jutting off from the middle of this had been prepared for them just one season. The rest had not received any extra manuring or cultivation. When the field was plowed up in the fall, all three sections were as distinctly noticeable as though separated by a fence. And I know that next spring’s crop of rye, before it is plowed under, will show the lines of demarcation just as plainly.

Garden Lighting Made Easy With Solar Power

Anyone who has ever visited a public garden will know that they are usually illuminated after dark. The garden designer will often use accent lights to highlight specimen trees and shrubs, or to create a certain mood or tone in the garden space. Such a thing can be easily replicated by the home gardener who chooses to use solar lighting fixtures.

It is important to remember, however, that a lighting fixture doesn’t disappear when the sun rises and the loveliest bed of roses can be made ugly by several large and unpleasant spotlights stuck in front of them. This is something to always keep in mind when selecting and placing garden fixtures.

Fortunately, anyone who wants to add decorative garden lighting, but who also wants to retain the charm of their daytime garden can do so with the many stylish and lovely solar powered lights. Because they are designed to be used strictly out of doors, solar fixtures are crafted from the same high-quality materials as traditional, hard wired fixtures. This means that copper, bronze and cast iron appear just as frequently in the solar powered selections as in the others.

Garden lighting can encompass everything from beauty to security and solar lighting fixtures are available for every need. There are sturdy and strong lamp posts, motion detector fixtures and even decorative strings of lights for porches and patios. The important thing for the gardener to do is remember that the lighting should highlight and accent the garden, but not be distracting. A good garden lighting plan takes into consideration the changes that occur throughout the seasons and will really emphasize the well-developed areas of a yard or garden.

The great thing about choosing solar lighting for a garden is that the fixtures can be quickly and easily installed without disrupting the plantings in any way at all. Consider that traditional electrical fixtures would require wiring, which could mean digging trenches to bury the lines, which in turn could mean digging up established beds and destroying roots.

Additionally, the appeal of solar lighting of any kind is that it requires only the initial investment, and then operates entirely for free thereafter. The bulbs used in solar lighting are usually LED, and they offer an average life span of roughly sixty to one hundred thousand hours. This is compared to the standard fluorescent lifespan of twelve to twenty four thousand hours.

This means that solar garden lighting fixtures are free to operate, require little to no maintenance, install without disturbing the garden and are just as durable, lovely and sturdy as traditional fixtures. 

Anyone who has ever visited a public garden will know that they are usually illuminated after dark. The garden designer will often use accent lights to highlight specimen trees and shrubs, or to create a certain mood or tone in the garden space. Such a thing can be easily replicated by the home gardener who chooses to use solar lighting fixtures.

It is important to remember, however, that a lighting fixture doesn’t disappear when the sun rises and the loveliest bed of roses can be made ugly by several large and unpleasant spotlights stuck in front of them. This is something to always keep in mind when selecting and placing garden fixtures.

Fortunately, anyone who wants to add decorative garden lighting, but who also wants to retain the charm of their daytime garden can do so with the many stylish and lovely solar powered lights. Because they are designed to be used strictly out of doors, solar fixtures are crafted from the same high-quality materials as traditional, hard wired fixtures. This means that copper, bronze and cast iron appear just as frequently in the solar powered selections as in the others.

Garden lighting can encompass everything from beauty to security and solar lighting fixtures are available for every need. There are sturdy and strong lamp posts, motion detector fixtures and even decorative strings of lights for porches and patios. The important thing for the gardener to do is remember that the lighting should highlight and accent the garden, but not be distracting. A good garden lighting plan takes into consideration the changes that occur throughout the seasons and will really emphasize the well-developed areas of a yard or garden.

The great thing about choosing solar lighting for a garden is that the fixtures can be quickly and easily installed without disrupting the plantings in any way at all. Consider that traditional electrical fixtures would require wiring, which could mean digging trenches to bury the lines, which in turn could mean digging up established beds and destroying roots.

Additionally, the appeal of solar spot lights of any kind is that it requires only the initial investment, and then operates entirely for free thereafter. The bulbs used in solar lighting are usually LED, and they offer an average life span of roughly sixty to one hundred thousand hours. This is compared to the standard fluorescent lifespan of twelve to twenty four thousand hours.

This means that solar garden lighting fixtures are free to operate, require little to no maintenance, install without disturbing the garden and are just as durable, lovely and sturdy as traditional fixtures.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Garden Lights

Solar lighting, though once a fashion statement is now being considered a necessity. There is a collective understanding on the importance of the fact that energy is a fast depleting natural resource. When you use solar garden lighting, there are a few things you should keep in mind to get the best out of your fixtures. Placement of your lights is the most important. Place the panels or the cells out where they get maximum exposure to the Sun. This way they will remain bright for a large part of the night. Considering the size of the area you are going to illuminate, invest in bigger cells. Consider investing in those fixtures that come with sensors. This will allow for them to turn off automatically when there they are not specifically in use. The advantage of solar garden lighting is that you get them in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colors. Scan your landscape to see which areas would best do with some enhancement. For example, spot lights would look great on top of those spots in your garden that hold your prize roses. It could also be placed to highlight your bird house or even your outdoor pond. Think of decorative fairy lights or string light versions for accents. String lights are also available as bee lights, ladybird lights as well as hedgehog and frog lights. All of these are shaped such to accent your garden in just the right manner. There are also several other beautifully colored fixtures like solar garden globes in shades of midnight, aqua, and even in the colors of the sunset. You can bring the best of Nature into your own personal space. What works in favor of these fixtures is that they give a boost to your existing outdoor décor. Path lights that are used for the driveway and the patio could be chosen in hanging or floor embedded varieties depending on which way you would like it. Solar garden lighting is easy to install and in most cases you don’t have to worry about calling in the experts. The lack of complex wiring components makes it easy. It is also an easy and safe option when you have boisterous children and hyperactive pets at home. It is also an extremely safe option to have when the elderly at home decide to take stroll in your garden. Getting the best out of your solar garden lighting is just a matter of choosing the right models and placing them in the right places all around.

Solar Garden Lights Are A Wonderful Case Of Inexpensive Garden Decor

There is perhaps no better place than a garden for appreciating the bounties of nature. Though some people believe that cheap garden decor is hard to achieve the fact of the matter is that it is really not all that difficult because there are several useful ideas worth pondering about in this regard. Artificial lighting can add a lot to the overall ambiance of a garden and so too can statues as well as ornamental items. However, these items can prove to be more expensive than you would want.

Eco-Friendly Solutions

Why not then consider cheap garden decor ideas such as turning to eco-friendly solutions such as solar garden decor. There no doubts the fact that solar energy embodies a powerful yet cheap source of energy and so, products that use solar power can be used to affect cheap garden decor. Many decorative products as well as applications make use of solar energy and these are the items that you should check out in regard to finding cheap garden decor solutions.

Solar garden lights are cheaper than any other form of lighting and they provide enough illumination; provided of course, they are exposed to sunlight throughout the day. Even better, when you incorporate solar garden lights in your cheap garden decor ideas you won’t need to worry about messy wires, which makes this item of garden decor safe as well as easy to install.

However, when using solar garden lights you need to ensure that these lights are not allowed to come into contact with other light sources as that would prevent the photocells from switching on till it gets sufficiently dark. A fully charged photocell will allow the solar garden lights to illuminate the garden for about eight hours, provided the cells have received sufficient amount of sunlight during the day. The bulbs never burn out and this only underscores the viability of using solar garden lights for cheap garden decor.

Solar energy is available for free and so, helps to cut costs and maintaining the solar garden lights too is relatively inexpensive. For hanging garden decor ideas why not consider installing wind chimes that will emit sweet sounds each time there is slight breeze. These soothing sounds will help you to relax in your garden while at the same time are also as beautiful as they are melodious. Bird baths too lend them well as garden decor items that are particularly suited to adorning small sized gardens.

The Use Of A Solar Power Garden Light

Solar power is energy from the sun’s radiation which is then taken and converted into heat or electricity. There are a number of uses for solar power, and one of the best ideas is to use it for a solar power garden light. A solar power garden light works by charging up its power through the day while the sun is out, and then using this energy to produce its light at nighttime.

These lights are very interesting because they generate and store their own power during the day and release it at night. The typical light will consist of a plastic case, a solar cell, single battery, small controller board, LED light source and a photoresistor to detect darkness.

The Benefits

There are many benefits offered by a solar power garden light, and this includes the cost savings, safety factors, and flexibility. You will save a great deal of money by using a solar power garden light, as most of these units are self contained and so they do not need to be connected to any type of external power source. This means that you will be saving an enormous amount of money on your electricity bill by not having to produce energy for the garden light to work.

There is also the versatility factor that is offered by these garden lights. They are available in all different shapes and sizes, and because they are solar powered they do not have any cords or wires that you will need to hide away and so you can put them wherever you want in your yard or driveway. The solar power garden light will rarely break down because it is a solid state device, and so here is another area where you will be saving on cost.

Where You Can Find One

If you are interested in getting one of these lights, there are various stores and companies around the world that offer these sorts of solar power products, but there is also the option of making your own. The process is really not all that difficult and you can find used parts and components to make up the light at scrap yards and used solar panel companies.

Just make sure that you take your time when you are looking for something like a solar power light, because you want to be sure that you are getting a good quality light, one that is durable and going to last you.

Shopping For Home And Garden Accessories

When you are considering which kinds of pots to use to put your plants in, you will also want to be creative here as well. You can buy a variety of pots for your plants in many different designs and colors. Just think about what would look best in your garden and go from there. You might even want to think about color-coordinating the plants with the pots that they are in. That way your garden area can look more stylish than ever. Garden candles can add a much more intimate and personal feeling to the garden area. It can breathe all new life into it if your garden seemed to have started becoming bland and lifeless. It should have a personality of its own and really say something about the person who created in. In your garden you will get the chance to express your personality.

There are a lot of different copper and metal plant holders that people are starting to put in their gardens, as well as wicker decorations. Both of these are becoming very popular and if you have a garden, you should start thinking about getting some of these for yours right away. It can transform the whole area into something completely different that will look a lot better. Putting an orb or a crown in your garden may be just the thing it needs to start feeling like a real garden again. These are available online and in many different stores that sell garden accessories. Even getting a few garden baskets isn’t a bad idea when it comes to making it look unique and different from all the other gardens in your neighborhood. It’s important to stop and take the time to be creative with just how you decide to decorate it.

Improving Your Home With Garden Paving

can be a very rewarding undertaking. It adds a totally new dimension to your patio or garden. It enables you to escape from the old boring slabs of yesterday, and add an artistic touch and feel to your home and garden surroundings. There are experts available with some good tips and excellent advice as well.You can choose from a wide variety of stones and arrangements. From circular designs to paths to steps and winding paths from garden end to end, you can find a pattern that will deeply enrich and enhance the garden experience for your home. You can make use of flag stones and aggregates, pattern imprinted concrete, and even add walls to improve the garden paths for your dwelling.There are so many options available for . Good pavers are able to place stones in strategically artistic places along your garden path to edify the whole experience. They can spice up the color of your plants and flowers. They can enhance the walkway or pick up a nice little spot for sitting around on some neat little chairs and taking in the garden view.Many people like the look and feel of sandstone for their garden paving. With sandstone you get a lot of options for the fit and shape of your stones. And the colors are very diverse as well. You can get shapes like tiles, cobbles, L shapes, circles, steps, palisades, and many more. And the surfaces can even be different. From natural to polished or honed, you can find beautiful stones for garden paving out of sandstone.When you begin , you may hear it referred to as ‘hardscaping’. This is because the stones and materials used are hard. From concrete to natural stone and ceramic, you utilize these hard raw materials to enhance your garden and create a more pleasurable experience.Garden paving is just one aspect of garden landscaping, but it’s one of the most visibly effective. It adds a great value to your garden and property. But in reality, it’s just one piece of the total puzzle, to go along with lights and plants and fountains and garden furniture, to make an artistic statement. There are a lot of professional companies out there who can do the job for you if you’re not one with a lot of input in this area.Your garden theme is an important part of your landscaping process, and will determine what type of garden paving you’ll take advantage of. You can have a formal garden, that displays lots of pretty shrubs, and trees, and flowers. Or you can choose a theme that’s more open and focuses on a quiet circular setting for sitting and appreciating the fresh air. is an undertaking that reaps rewards for years to come. The beauty that these gardens bring to the atmosphere of your home is noticed by all who come to visit. They’re impressive, and are great for having cookouts, holding meetings, or just for relaxing and reading your paper. It truly is well worth the cost and effort.

American Home Vegetable Gardening - the Tomato

vads.clvads« Improving Your Home With Garden PavingWrought Iron Decor Works For Home or Garden »American Home Vegetable Gardening & the Tomato

A hundred years ago, almost every American family grew some of their own produce at home.  In rural America, farming families would grow almost all their vegetables, as well as raise livestock for their meat and dairy needs.

Today, with the advent of mass transportation and the growth of suburban America, there are fewer and fewer self-supporting family farms.  Many Americans living in urban or suburban areas do the majority of their grocery shopping at large commercial grocery stores.  However, home vegetable gardening has reemerged as a popular hobby for families.

Of all homegrown vegetables, the tomato is considered the most popular crop.  Many American families plant at least one tomato plant each year, either in their backyard or somewhere in the landscaping around their home.  What is the reason for the tomato plant’s widespread popularity?  It is an extremely easy plant to grow, thriving in almost all U.S. climate conditions and soil types.  Tomatoes will grow in almost any location that receives at least four hours of sunlight per day.  They do require regular watering for optimum fruit production, but will produce some fruit even in dry conditions.

Tomatoes are a fairly disease resistant crop, too, suffering only occasionally from leaf wilt and blight.  Good planting and pruning techniques can usually prevent these problems.  Tomato bugs, white flies, and cutworms can also pose threat to tomatoes, but these pests can usually be kept at bay with soap spray, cutworm collars placed at the bottom of the plant, or other commercially available pesticide sprays.

Because tomatoes are such a popular plant for home gardeners, they are usually readily available for purchase as young plants from local garden centers and discount stores during the early spring months of the year.  Plants found in stores will probably be of the more common varieties and hybrids such as Better Boy, Beefsteak, Sweet 100 (a cherry type tomato) and Early Girl.  Less common varieties may have to be purchased as seeds and grown “from scratch” by the gardener.  Growing plants from seed is certainly a more economical option than buying already established plants, and can be worthwhile, particularly when planting on a large scale.

Growing plants from seed is not difficult, and seed packets for many vegetables and herbs usually begin appearing on store shelves as early as January or February.  Starting plants from seed indoors is a good way to get a head start on the growing seasons, and can often result in bigger plants and larger harvests.  All you really need are pots full of soil and a warm, sunny location for them during the day.  For optimum seed starting conditions, you can also use a grow light or heat lamp.

Greenhouses can also be enormously helpful in starting plants from seed, because they create warmer growing climates for the plants than the surrounding air outside.  For the gardener with space restrictions, indoor tabletop green houses can be a good option, as they occupy no more space than a small table or workbench.  For the serious gardener with plenty of outdoor space, a larger outdoor greenhouse may be the better choice.  Greenhouse kits to help you build your own greenhouse are readily available through specialty catalogs and online stores.

Though home gardening isn’t what it used to be a century ago, it has adapted along with the American family and our growing and changing way of life.  Most families today obtain the vast majority of their food from grocery stores; however, the small suburban garden continues to thrive as a source of good food and a leisurely pastime for millions of American families today.

Wrought Iron Decor Works For Home or Garden

The look of wrought iron enhances the home and garden area. This has become very popular in the last few years and the look is so unique. Outdoors can be brought indoors and vice versa. There is no wrong way to decorate when using wrought iron.
Wrought Iron Indoor Decor
Decorate your home with the beautiful pieces of wrought iron that are available today. When it comes to the living area of your home, the pieces can be anything. From the depiction of a beach scene to the mountains this iron is used to make wall decor. Craftsmen have perfected this art to cut and shape the wrought iron into anything you can imagine. Wrought iron lamps, candle sconces, wall décor, shelves, magazine racks and coat racks are all part of the décor that can be used to enhance the home.
Wrought Iron Clocks
A wonderful idea for any home is a wrought iron clock. Perfect for gift giving, they are available in all sizes and shapes. From huge wall clocks for the large home to smaller versions for apartments, the variety is one that will add to the beauty of your home. Not only do they show the ultimate in good taste but wrought iron has a style all its own.
Wrought iron mantle clocks and table clocks are another style of this particular type that looks great in any room. The blend of the wrought iron with old style furniture or modern shows a professional décor that you will enjoy for many years. This is a special and thoughtful gift giving idea as well. If there is someone on your list you find difficult to choose a gift for, this can be the perfect solution.
Wrought Iron Magazine and Wood Racks
Everyone will enjoy a wrought iron magazine rack. Not only will they keep your magazines organized but they will add a great look to your living space. There are many styles from which to choose. Some are made of a combination of wrought iron and wood. This is the perfect look for a home that uses a lot of wood furniture décor. The combination can be one of light wood or dark wood. This will vary depending upon your tastes.
Shelf Brackets & Coat Bars
One of the great aspects of wrought iron is their use for shelf brackets. There are many styles and they can be as elaborate or as plain as you want them to be. The brackets compliment the wood they are paired with to give your shelves a unique and fantastic look for holding all your knick knacks, candles and photos of the family. Another great thing about the shelf brackets is the ease of installing. Simply measure where you want to put them, attach one shelf to small areas or several to large areas for a beautiful decorating statement.
Coat bars are another great way of providing a convenient place for hanging coats and hats. They can be used in the entranceway or your laundry room because not only can they be used for coats and hats for the winter but as a place to hang them out of the way in the summer. How many times have you wished there was a convenient place for hanging your children’s backpacks? They can also be used for this and they are readily available when they are ready to head out in the morning for their day at school.
Kitchen and Garden
For the kitchen, a look that will be in style for many years is wrought iron. There are spice racks, shelves for displaying your kitchen décor, cup hangers and hanging racks for your pots and pans. Wrought iron plant holders are one great way of displaying ivy and various other hanging plants. Either in the kitchen or the garden, this is a timeless look.
They are also great for gift giving. Someone on your list would love one of the plant holders and a pot of ivy to place in their garden. With the decorating of garden walls becoming a great place to display your wrought iron, there are baskets, wall art and various solar lights made with wrought iron fixtures.
Wrought Iron Wall Art
No matter if it is fleur-de-lis or flowers, wrought iron will be the perfect wall art for your home. Adding a charm that is not often found in other types of wall art, this look is a timeless and beautiful look to enhance your walls. Skilled craftsmen model this ‘made in America’ home décor as a unique blend for your style preferences.

Necessities Of The Home Vegetable Garden

Requirements Of The Home Vegetable Garden. In deciding upon the place for the home vegetable garden it is well to dispose once & for all of the old thought that the garden “patch” must be an scary spot in the home surroundings. If properly planned, cautiously planted and soundly cared for, it may be made a glorious & harmonious feature of the general scheme, lending a touch of comfortable homeliness that no bushes, edges, or beds can ever produce. With this fact in mind we will not feel limited to any part of the premises merely because it is out of sight behind the barn or garage. In the small medium-sized place there will not be much alternative as to land. It will be essential to take what is to be had & then do the very best that can be done with it. But there will credibly be a good deal of selection as to, first, exposure, and second, convenience. Other things being adequate, select a spot near at hand, easy of access. It may seem that a difference of only a few hundred yards will mean nothing, But if one is counting largely upon extra moments for working in & for watching the garden & in the growing of many vegetables the latter is almost as primary as the former this matter of favorable access will be of much greater importance than is likely to be at first acknowledged. Not until you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools, or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass, will you understand fully what this may mean. Exposure.But the thing of first importance to consider in picking out the spot that is to yield you happiness & delicious vegetables all summer, or even for many years, is the exposure. Pick out the “earliest” spot you can find a plot sloping a little to the south or east, that seems to catch sunshine early & hold it late, & that seems to be out of the direct path of the chilling north and northeast winds. If a building, or even an old fence, protects it from this direction, your garden will be helped along marvelously, for an early start is a great big factor toward success. If it is not already protected, a board fence, or a hedge of some low-growing bushes or young evergreen plants, will add very greatly to its usefulness. The importance of having such a protection or shelter is totally underrated by the unskilled. The soil.The chances are that you will not find a spot of ideal garden soil ready for use anywhere upon your place. However all except the very worst of soils can be brought up to a very high degree of productiveness specially such small areas as home vegetable gardens need. Large tracts of soil that are almost pure sand, and others so heavy and mucky that for centuries they lay uncultivated, have frequently been brought, in the course of only a few years, to where they yield every year tremendous crops on a commercial basis. So do not be disheartened about your soil. Proper handling of it is much more essential, & a garden- patch of average run-down, or “never-brought-up” soil will produce much more for the energetic & careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under limited methods of cultivation. The ideal garden soil is a “rich, sandy loam.” and the fact cannot be overstressed that such soils commonly are made, not found. Let us examine that description a bit, for right here we come to the first of the four main factors of gardening food. The others are cultivation, moisture and temperature. “Rich” in the gardener’s vocabulary means full of plant food; more than that & this is a point of vital importance it means full of plant food ready to be used at once, all prepared & spread out on the garden table, or preferably in it, where growing things can at once make use of it; or what we term, in one word, “available” plant food. Practically no soils in long- inhabited communities remain naturally rich enough to produce big crops. They are made rich, or kept rich, in two ways; first, by cultivation, which helps to change the raw plant food stored in the soil into obtainable forms; & second, by manuring or adding plant food to the soil from outside sources. “Sandy” in the sense here used, means a soil containing enough particles of sand so that water will pass through it without leaving it pasty & sticky a few days after a rain; “light” enough, as it is called, so that a handful, under ordinary conditions, will decay & fall apart readily after being pressed in the hand. It is not essential that the soil be sandy in visual aspect, But it should be crumbly. “Loam: a rich, friable soil,” says Webster. That barely covers it, however it does describe it. It is soil in which the sand & clay are in proper ratio, so that neither greatly predominate, and usually dark in color, from cultivation and enrichment. Such a soil, even to the untrained eye, just naturally looks as if it would grow things. It is significant how quickly the whole physical appearance of a piece of well cultivated ground will change. An instance came under my notice last fall in one of my fields, where a strip containing an acre had been 2 years in onions, and a little piece jutting off from the middle of this had been prepared for them just one season. The rest had not received any extra manuring or cultivation. When the field was plowed up in the fall, all 3 sections were as clearly noticeable as though classified by a fence. And I know that next spring’s crop of rye, before it is plowed under, will show thedemarcation lines just as plainly.We have a large collection of Bonsai trees for sale at extensive discounts compared to the marketplace. Read articles, news and all about how to take care of Bonsai trees.

Home Security - Garden Security

Many people pay more attention to the interior security of their house, but ignore the security of garden. Your garden security is a crucial part of a complete security strategy for your home. If a burglar can gain easy entry to your garden and any cover it provides, without attracting attention, he can then take his time to find a way to overcome the security of your home.

An insecure shed or garage will usually provide him with the tools he needs for the job.

Thieves are targeting gardens for easy pickings of valuable plants, furniture, ornaments etc. and sheds offer expensive equipment, tools and bicycles.

Review your garden security now and take action where necessary, to reduce the risk of burglary and the loss of your valued possessions.

1. Make sure your fences and gates are in good repair. Gates should be locked every time. A thorny hedge can be an excellent deterrent and may be all the protection you need around your property.

2. Cut any overgrown bushes or tree branches where an intruder could hide.

3. Photograph valuable garden plants and ornaments and mark your possessions with your postcode. Note the serial numbers of mowers and other valuable equipment.

4.Consider installing a security camera, connected to your TV or computer, to afford a view of your garden, thus enabling you to check on any suspicious noise or activity without personal risk.

5. Fix outdoor garden security lighting – A light activated by a sensor will switch on automatically when darkness falls and switch off when it gets light. This acts as a good deterrent to burglars because your property is lit during the night. Low energy dusk to dawn lighting is cheap to run.

6. Secure your tools in a lockable box or cupboard and use a padlock and chain for ladders.

7. If the garage has a connecting door to your house ensure it is also well protected. Secure all opening windows with key locks, a grill or wire mesh.

8.The prickly bush is an effective security barrier but in return for its pains it demands to be well maintained, not least because of its tendency to attract litter.

9. If you have a burglar alarm, extend it to protect sheds and outbuildings, or use a simple battery operated alarm.

Above is the basic steps you should take care to protect your garden and house. If you want to get more information to secure your home, please visit: http://www.security2020.com

Accent Your Home and Garden the Right Way

We all want to make our house our home, so after the walls are done, and the furniture bought and placed, it’s time to decorate.  The most important way in making your home your castle and have that welcoming feeling is the decor and accents.  This also means your garden and yard, because we spend alot of our time outdoors when the weather is nice.  We like to entertain indoors and outdoors so just the right decor and accents bring out the complete feeling of home.

A warm, welcoming, place where we feel safe, and enjoy being in and having our family and friends around us.

There are all kinds of decor and accents to consider. Candles, Candle Holders,Vases, Mirrors, Pictures, Clocks, Figurines, Pillows, Statues, Ornaments, Indoors and Outdoors Fountains, Birdfeeders, Chimes, Birdhouses,Planters, Birdbaths, just to name a few. Use your own personality and themes. You can stick to one theme or you can pick several themes. This is entirely up to you. And the kids always have fun thinking of their own theme for their rooms.

Decorating can be so much fun, and isn’t hard to do. Some of the things you might consider and might be helpful are if you have a room in your house that always seems a little dark, a great way to brighten it up is to add a mirror. Place the mirror on the darkest wall opposite a window, and then try to find a low hung light.  This will allow the light to reflect off the mirror and reflect around the room. Also, remember a picture should be the feature of the wall, but never over power the room. It’s a good idea to use a nice dark colored frame to highlight the image. Also, when considering vases, remember,nothing adds more drama to a room than beautifully colored vases. Try to find a vase that suits the character of the room. It should be in a contrasting color to the rest of the room.  Another important accent to consider are the pillows. Use pillows to brighten up an otherwise drab sofa or chair. Try to find a contrasting color to the sofa and chair, but make sure you accent them with other accessories within the room. And remember a few plants here and there can add drama and fragrance to a room, but try not to go overboard. A few featured plants in beautiful vases is all you need.

And the rest is displaying all the home accents and decor for the tables,walls,shelves,etc.

Decorating the garden and yard can be just as much fun as the inside of your home. This is where you spend lots of your time also, so you want to make it a peaceful and inviting as much as possible to watch the wildlife and nature around you. This is where you can just let go and really let your imagination take over. Just remember your wildlife friends when placing fountains, and birdhouses and birdfeeders. Don’t be afraid to put accents on your fences, and building around your garden and yard. Put statues out, and hang several wind chimes around that cling in the gentle breeze. Running water from a fountain is so soothing and releases the stress and your birds will love it too.

So, now its up to you how you want to make your house your home. Be proud of what you decide, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Decorating with accents and decor is really what makes a home and the love within ourselves.

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This article can be published on websites or blogs after authorization through the author Paula Jo (email: pj.cleanstar

Light Up Your Home With Down Lights

The solar collection cell can then be located a distance away, for example, on the roof where it will get plenty of sunlight. Before purchasing outdoor Flood lights, ask yourself a few questions such as where do I need light outdoors and for what purpose do I need this outdoor light? Remember that too much glaring light improperly directed is worse than no light at all and that light that is too weak defeats the purpose of installing outdoor Flood lights. Try to get it right before going to the trouble if installing outdoor lights.

We have all seen them, maybe while trick or treating or just walking home from the neighbour’s house at night. Outdoor security light helps keep your home light during the hours of darkness. Most of these outdoor lights provide motion detection and will turn on automatically when something or someone moves in the vicinity of the exterior of your home. Security lights are very cost effective and a great addition to any home security system. They flood the exterior of your home with light at the slightest detection of movement. There are many reasons why you should look into adding outdoor security lights to your home security system.

Outdoor security lights help to prevent crime, how you ask well let’s just say that you are a burglar and you have picked the house you were going to burglarize. You step onto the lawn or the driveway and whoosh you are flooded in light. Wouldn’t you run? I know I would. You can’t break in to someone’s house in the light without the fear of being seen and then recognized. Chances are the burglar is going to pick a house where they can break in undetected under the cover of darkness. Security lights also provide and added safety benefit to you the homeowner who gets home late after dark. Your security lights will come on the second you walk up to your door, letting you see in the dark and getting you to your front door safely. Unless you are a teenager trying to sneak in your house at night, this is a great alternative to trying to see in the dark.

Outdoor security lights also save you the homeowner money. The lights only come on when there is movement, instead of having your porch light on all night long. The police even recommend that you get Studio lighting for you home, saying that they are a great crime deterrent for keeping criminals away. Also a little added benefit for having outdoor security lights is it scars away pests such as cats and rabbits and if you live in the mountains, deer and raccoons. This is great if you have ever woken up to garbage everywhere because a raccoon decided to go through your trash in the middle of the night. Now you know the many benefits of outdoor security lights and how they can keep your home safe. If you have a security system and you want to protect your family and your home, think about adding outdoor security lights to your home security system today.

How to Grow a Beatiful Home Herb Garden in 7 Days

What I love about indoor gardening is that all you need is a window with southern exposure and a windowsill, and you can plant so many things. And with new hydroponic technology, you don’t even need that window! The photo above shows exactly how the indoor herb garden kit will look when all of the plants are fully grown. Rather than the photograph being a usual mock up the reality is that these kits are so finely designed that such results are easily attainable even by those with no previous gardening knowledge.Ready to grow thyme, this garden will provide a fresh herb to enhance many dishes. Perfect for women who love to cook, this thyme herb window sill garden will provide loving thoughts of you and delicious dishes. Herbs are generally easy to grow, but, like most things, it is best to know a little about them first. Brew your own herbal teas from fresh herbs that you grow in your own kitchen. Enjoy the fun and benefits of indoor gardening.Herb Garden kits are an especially easy way to try your hand at indoor herb gardening, and some will even come equipped with artificial light to keep your plants happy and growing without the need for a sunny windowsill. If you prefer, go for the window herb garden kit that will provide the pots, dirt and seeds for your garden, while you supply the sunshine and water. These indoor herb garden kits are not all the same. Each consumer should look at the herbs and plants that are included in each kit.Whoever plants an indoor herb garden will get to enjoy the wonderful fragrance that fresh gardens give off. Delicious smells like fresh basil or rosemary that is how your kitchen will now smell. Indoor herb gardens have a lot of great benefits, they make a home a lot more cozy, they make your home smell really good and they keep your garden bug free which will keep your herbs chemical free. Why not add a few practical plants to your kitchen to achieve the same result. If you are thinking of planting a enormous outdoor herb garden you should rethink it and consider putting one inside the house and grow an indoor garden instead. When choosing to grow the smaller dwarf assortments of herbs they do grow quite well in small pots that can easily be placed in the kitchen window sill.

Add Elegance to Your Home With Decorative Lights -Stylish Light Fixtures

vads.clvads« Go Green With LED Lights in your Homes and GardensImprove the Curb Appeal of your Home With Outdoor Lighting »Add Elegance to Your Home With Decorative Lights & Stylish Light Fixtures

The minute that you first enter somebody else’s house, one of the first things that you will look at is the way that it was designed. How does the color scheme look against the décor? Is a particular room used to its maximum benefit, or could the space have been used more wisely? What about the placement of the furniture and the lights? When decorating your own home, these are the same things that you will naturally be looking at. Now, if you are thinking about revising your decorating scheme – the easiest way to add instant drama to any part of the house is with the help of decorative lights and stylish light fixtures.

Before delving deeper into the many ways that you can add style and contribute to the theme of a particular room in your house, here are a few basic tips when purchasing lights and light fixtures. First, make sure that the brand that you will purchase has long been in the lights manufacturing business. Second, make sure that the design and size of the lighting fixture that you will use is suitable for the area that you plan to install it in. For example, small pendant lights can be used to illuminate hallways, while desk lamps with a dimmer switch are more suitable for the bedroom. Third, see to it that the quality of the lighting fixture is good enough so that it can last you for a long time.

So how exactly can you use indoor lighting fixtures to up the ante in your decorating scheme? There actually is a wide array of lights and light fixtures that you can use to brighten up and accentuate each area in your house. Table lamps are ideal for any part of the house that you want to brighten up, but it is particularly suitable for a part of the living room which can double up as your living area. Floor lamps and under cabinet lights can be used in the bedroom or in some parts of your living room.

For the main room in the house which is the living room, you need a more dramatic lighting effect so you can use chandeliers or a centerpiece which is a combination of a lamp and a ceiling fan. Another great way to use lights and light fixtures is to bring your home décor outside of your house. There is a wide array of lighting fixtures that you can use to light up your lawn, garden or landscaping. If you have a dining alcove outdoors, this is a great way to place some strategic lighting. Not only will outdoor lights and light fixtures add beauty to your home, but it can also serve as protection for the safety of your property and your family. All in all, lights and light fixtures are great decorating tools to use to instantly change the look of a room in your house, add elegance to your home and add style to your favorite room.

Improve the Curb Appeal of your Home With Outdoor Lighting

Every year homeowners busy themselves with an array of home improvement projects. Beautiful trees, gardens and landscaping are once again a source of enjoyment and home beautification. But a little outdoor lighting can increase the value of the investments these homeowners make in their landscaping.

Outdoor lighting is an easy and cost effective way to make a dramatic improvement to your home’s landscape. Not only can you enjoy the landscaping after dark, but the lighting itself creates an elegant, unique atmosphere.

Outdoor lighting not only adds warmth and beauty, but also valuable curb appeal. Landscaping can increase the value of a home by 15 percent, and can allow homeowners to recoup 100 to 200 percent of their investment. Landscaping is one of the first things people notice, so there’s no reason to let some of the most beautiful features of your home and yard be shrouded in darkness half of the time. First impression is so important that some realtors estimate that 95 percent of house shoppers will not even consider a house that lacks curb appeal.

Here are some tips to help improve upon normal landscaping: Uplight to create depth

A light on the ground, pointed up towards an object is perfect for showcasing a beautiful tree, sculpture or an architectural feature like a gazebo or arbor. Setting an uplight behind an object emphasizes that object’s silhouette, while setting an uplight in front will cast an interesting shadow on the yard behind it. This not only highlights the object, but also creates a layered look, extending the yard. Downlight for safety, security and aesthetics

Another technique is downlighting, or moonlighting, where lights are mounted high above eye level. When light comes from above, the effect looks natural. Mounting lights high in trees or on walls will cause light to shine down through tree branches, creating a unique, layered look. Illuminate a flowerbed by mounting a downlight closer to the ground on a tree trunk, fence or wall.

Downlighting is also an effective way to illuminate spots where someone might stumble or dark areas that may look inviting to an intruder and the elegance of the soft light will add a look all its own. Path lights

Small, low voltage lamps create a third layer of lighting in your yard, and also can be used to effectively line a path to help you and your guests safely navigate through your yard at night. Placing lights under railings, benches and stairs can help eliminate accidents and increase the usability of decks, porches and patios.

Landscape lighting is less expensive than painting or remodeling, but can deliver powerful and dramatic results at a fraction of the cost. The right outdoor lighting bathes your home and yard in a warm glow and enhances your home’s charm and adds to the curb appeal all year long.

Transform Your Home with Fairy Lights

If you think back to the magic moments in your life, you’ll surely remember the many wonderful festivals you celebrated with family and friends. Christmas, birthdays and weddings need that special festive touch to be truly memorable. If you have a special day coming up, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a fast and easy way to make it an event to remember – just transform your home into a place of festivity with fairy lights.

Christmas is the main time for using fairy lights but are you using them to their best advantage? When it comes to indoor fairy lights, you have a huge range of colours and styles to choose from.

Choosing the right colour is the key to creating your desired mood. For a traditional Yuletide feel, choose lights of white and gold; blue brings a relaxing feel to any room, while red is livelier creating a party atmosphere.

Style wise, other than the traditional strands that are draped over Xmas trees, you can get curtain lights – an array of strands which hang down from a main wire. There are perfect for use on windows and doorways.

Then there are net lights which can be cast over objects such as furniture and bushes. Also you can opt for the highly flexible rope lights. These are long strings which are especially suited for outdoor use. They can be wrapped around trees, posts and other structures.

You also have a range of effects to choose from. These include static, flickering and twinkling. Static lights create a more tranquil effect while twinkling provide a relaxing cadence of illumination. Flickering lights radiate energy and are perfect for parties.

Don’t forget the outdoors. Fairy lights strung on your trees or cascading down from your eaves can add an irresistible sparkle to your gardens and patio and imbue those drab winter nights with a festive glow. Static blue lights create a dazzling glow while multi coloured fairy lights create an amazing effect.

With so much variety at your disposal, you need to make a plan rather than just draping your lights over the Xmas tree and leaving it at that.

You can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. You might just opt for a simple set up of indoor fairy lights with a few colours to create warm, festive feeling. If you have children, arranging lights around door frames creates a magical ambience for children and gives them the feeling of entering an enchanted room.

When it comes to indoor fairy lights, the possibilities are endless, you really need to find out what’s available and think about how you can best use them.

The great thing about fairy lights is that they’re not just for Christmas. You can use them to add sparkle to any occasion both inside and outside the home. Birthdays always seem more festive with coloured lights strung up around the room and a wedding celebration is magical with white and pink bulbs glowing. Engagement parties, baby showers, graduation celebrations – the list of occasions that can benefit from fairy lights is endless.

When it comes to buying your lights, here are a few things to consider.

Modern fairy lights mainly feature LEDs (light emitting diodes). These bulbs are extremely economical and long lasting. They’re also very cool and virtually unbreakable. LED fairy lights will give you years and years of safe use.

Also you can get battery powered and solar fairy lights. These give you great flexibility as you don’t need to have a power socket handy. Battery powered lights can run for up to 36 hours and solar lights soak up the sun’s energy during the day to power your lights in the evening.

If you want to transform your garden into a winter wonderland, look into using fairy lights. Whether blue fairy lights for a relaxing living room or rope lights to illuminate your garden, they’re the best way to bring the magic to any occasion.

Fairy lights are the ideal, affordable way to transform your home into that special place for celebration. To see the huge range available, just visit the web sites of the UK’s leading vendors and make your choice from their illustrated catalogues. Just place your order for prompt delivery and start transforming your home into a festive place.

Gardning Information- Home Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable Gardening is fast becoming a favorite way for people concerned about food safety and cost to get quality fresh vegetables right at home. If you do some planning of crops you can arrange to have plants producing in early spring right through late fall.With container plants you can move them indoors when weather gets rough and keep them in the garage, a small plant light may do the trick. But you will need to provide those indoor plants with some light about 6 to eight hours a day but if you can leave the lights on do so for the plants don’t need to sleep.As with any garden you’ll want to keep up on the watering wheather the plants are indoors or out. Also I recommend the use of a fertilizer mixed into the water for container plants or broadcast for a garden plot.Keep your eyes open for garden pest and at the first sign manually remove them if possible or you can have a real problem on your hand that could require a pesticide and if you like me you want organic not chemical food.  Organic gardening is the healthy option.  If you must use pesticides make try and not use it close to harvest time.  After the harvest if you have space you can start a compost pile, or better yet invest in a com-poster they are sanitary and you’ll avoid rodents that way.If you have a garden plot and can put up a fence you may save yourself some heartache over dogs and other animals trampling your garden .  I had a very high fence around one garden I had and it seemed to be a favorite climbing toy for a family of raccoons so there is no guarantee.  You may want to tie plants to the fence, like vine tomatoes for example and that would be another pay off.  When working the garden area  prepare your soil for  your plants.  Work towards  the perfect mixture of sand, silt, and clay.  A 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and 20 percent clay mixture is usually ideal.  However for containers I am comfortable with the pre-mixed bags of potting soil from the local superstore. Test the soil by compressing it in your hand. To much sand and it will sift away add more soil and clay.  Make a ball of soil in your hand if it doesn’t fall apart with a slight pole then your may have to much clay add a little more sand.Starting a vegetable garden will be a rewarding quality time if you do it with your children, they always get a kick out of getting their hands in the dirt and watching new life grow and produce is a good experience for them..

Add Brilliance To Your Home With Exterior Lighting

If you really feel good about your home and exteriors, then there is no reason why you should not consider exterior lighting. The one good thing about such lighting is that it makes your exteriors look great and generally lends a feel good air to the décor and surroundings. Choosing the right exterior lighting for your home is not as easy as it sounds. You need to take a close look at all the lighting related products available in the market and select the best model that matches the style and grandeur of your home.

If you choose the right product, then it can really make your exteriors look grand and majestic, but incase you are unable to pick up the right one, then the whole thing can start looking out of place. Instead of making things look good, your exteriors might start looking weird and odd.

Hence before you go take the final decision on such lighting, the best thing that you can do is to take some advice from a professional about which type will suit your home. Incase you do not want to consult a professional, then you should at least do some research yourself and with a bit of trial and error, you should be able to discover which lighting will look good for your exteriors.

There are many varieties available for you to suit your budget and liking. To give you a gist, outdoor ceiling lights, pendants, spot lights, post lights, wall lights, landscape lighting, path lights, post lights, LED lights, and street lanterns are just some of the products available. If you do not know what you want in the first place, you could end up very confused. Therefore, it’s better to understand the function of the lights you intend to buy and then go in for them.

Exterior lights can fulfill a variety of needs depending upon which ones you buy. For example, you may need these lights for security, or for highlighting certain aspects of your garden. At the same time, you might need to simply light up your pathway. You might need exterior ceiling lights to light up the outdoors or you might require sconces to light up the sides of your house.

So, depending upon the function, you can select exterior lighting to fulfill your requirements. If you want to protect your home from burglary, then the recommended lighting is flood lights so that you can easily keep a watch. Alternatively, if you want to light up your path, then exterior path lighting is more suitable for you. Moreover, if the focus is on accenting or highlighting your garden, then accent lights or directional landscaping lights may be the right answer. If you want to be economical on your lighting, then you can either use solar power lighting or LED lights that give adequate lighting and are eco-friendly as well.

Thus, while adding extra appeal to your home and fulfilling the right kind of function, buying exterior lighting should also be easy on your pocket so that you can go in for the right product that is the best buy for the money you spend. Let’s hope that you are able to pick up the best exterior lighting product for your home.

Choosing garden light bulbs is easy with new labels

It’s easier than ever to choose the right light bulbs for your garden. New labeling requirements laid out by the FTC require light bulb manufacturers to display key facts about each light bulb. This makes it simple for consumers to compare light bulbs on the spot. In the past it was on the consumer to do research and compare light bulb facts at home or work, but now the work is already done and printed right on the package.

The new labels display information pertinent to the energy efficiency, life, and light output of the light bulbs within. Rather than having to compare light bulbs by their wattage, which is not uniform between different light bulb technologies, consumers can now directly compare brightness. Brightness is the first figure displayed on the new label, expressed in lumens. While light bulb packaging previously displayed this information, it is now in an obvious place and titled as “Brightness” so there is no mystery to the consumer.

After “Brightness” comes the life of the bulb, displayed as “Estimated Yearly Energy Cost”. This number is computed using a fairly conservative usage of 3 hours per day, at a cost of $0.11 per kWh. It’s easy to find your real yearly energy cost by substituting the estimate numbers with your own usage numbers and energy cost. This is very useful information for the consumer that previously did not appear on any light bulb packaging.

Next the estimated life of the bulb is displayed in years. The “Life” of the bulb uses a similar estimated daily usage of 3 hours per day, so you can once again easily estimate the lifetime of your light bulbs by changing the 3 hours per day to your usage. After “Life” you will see “Light Appearance” and “Energy Used”. Light Appearance refers to the color temperature of the light that the light bulb produces. The FTC has included a horizontal bar which reflects how “warm” or “cool” the light is. Energy Used is simply the wattage of the light bulb.

With these new labels consumers have the information at hand to make informed decisions about their light bulb purchases. It will be especially useful to those purchasing light bulbs for gardens.