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Archive for the ‘Garden’ Category

Nothing is more enjoyable than sitting around a camp fire with family and friends; the conversations, the laughs, the guitar sing-alongs and of course the marshmallows. Why not bring the county into the city with a backyard fire pit.I've had a fire pit at every house since I was kid. I remember the 1st one my father made out of old furnace parts. The fire was on top of a cast iron piece that we could then easily shovel out the ashes from below (my father wasted nothing!)The first thing you will need to decide when choosing a fire pit is whether you want a portable or permanent one. Portable ones include the popular Chiminea. Chimineas can be made out of cast iron, clay, aluminum and copper to list a few.Another type of portable looks basically like a big bowl made out of many of the same materials as the .. more»

There are two things to consider in fllower garden design. Especially when you consider yourself a beginner. One is the location and the other is you. Let's look at location first.What do you have to work with? Sketch out your yard on a plain piece of paper and then on a sunny day, mark the areas that have full sun, partial sun, full shade, and any other variations that you can find. You may need a couple of copies of this paper before you begin because morning sun is different from afternoon sun. Mark the directions on the paper too. Now you can see where the full eastern sun hits and the full western sun.I made a big mistake with my geraniums the first year by putting them where they could be seen from the street. Unfortunately that was at the northeast side of the house and the geraniums spent .. more»

Garden design for organic vegetable gardens is all about knowing what to plant and when to plant while taking sun exposure, watering and fertilizing into consideration. An organic garden is just gardening using only natural fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and soils. In every other aspect such as planning, preparing, planting and maintenance organic gardening is just regular gardening.Preparing For Organic Vegetable GardensIrrigation watering is the best method for watering a vegetable garden. A vegetable garden must have exceptional drainage. Root vegetables, especially, will rot in the ground with poor drainage. A raised bed is the easiest and most effective way to guarantee good drainage and for creating irrigation channels. Creating a raised bed is quite easy to do and can be accomplished in just three or four hours.The first step is to remove all grass and weeds from the garden spot. Then, instead of tilling the existing soil, you will need .. more»

In preparation for the fast approaching BBQ season, many of us will no doubt be thinking about our general garden design and layout and how best to incorporate the 'outdoors living' way of life into our new garden design.Gardens up and down the country are now busy being designed, built and crafted into relaxed outdoor eating areas where families and friends can relax over the summer months.Designing the very best garden to fit into your particular lifestyle can be just as important as the interior design of your house. There are many factors you need to think about before you start designing and 'building' your garden with a specific BBQ area in mind.For starters, do you want your garden to have a modern and contemporary feel? Do you live in a country style cottage? You may be wanting to maintain the traditional feel of your garden? Do you have children .. more»