by Kent Higgins
Whilst landscaping can give many benefits to the homeowner, there are a few basic problems that we have to deal with. The following article will list some of these problems and suggest a solution to them.
Dealing with Pests
The unwelcome insects and animals that come uninvited into our gardens can, if not dealt with, lead to significant damage. They can also create problems for humans and our pets through the spread of infection. One solution is to use pest proof products, repellants or traps, but these can have a negative impact on the environment as well if they are not carefully used.
To avoid this, it is wise to consider alternatives. Talk to other people in your area about their methods of pest control - this may include pest controllers, who wil be able to advise you on the safe use of chemicals.
Dealing with Irrigation
The correct use of water is a significant issue and if you are installing an irrigation system it must be done properly. Too little or too much water can kill a plant or retard its growth and in some cases can spread disease through pathogens living in the water that has pooled.
The best option for do it yourself gardeners is the drip system. It should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that there are no unwanted leaks or blockages.
Dealing with Climatic Changes
If you choose the wrong types of plants for the climate in your area, you are doomed to fail. There are some plants that do not cope well with too much snow, rain, cold or heat.
To avoid this problem, your landscape should be created in “layers” - taller plantings at the back, then a middle level and short level. This will reduce damage to the more sensitive plants from wind. If you have extreme weather conditions, it is best to choose plants that are native to the area and are adaptable to the climate.
Dealing with Maintenance
It is vital that regular maintenance be carried out to keep the landscape looking good. This can be a rather arduous task, especially if there are changes in climate or if the area is a large one and the plants are spaced out.
If you want to avoid this, once again choose native plants as they will generally require lower levels of maintenance. Smaller gardens with less “busy” designs will be easier to look after. Choose less variety in plantings to lower the workload.
Dealing with Plant Diseases
Diseases and pests are common in gardens. Many plants are susceptible to disease or pest attack, for example, thrips or black spot on roses. Trying to control disease can be difficult once it takes hold, so it is best to employ preventative measures.
In the first instance, ensure that the plants you choose are healthy and keep a watchful eye on them for the first few months. Any diseased parts of the plant should be removed as soon as they are found. You can apply an organic pesticide to prevent pest attack.
Dealing with Drainage
Drainage is not something that we give much thought to, but it is important. Without proper drainage, erosion, leaks and boggy areas can form. These boggy areas can in turn create an ideal environment for algae, fungi and mosquitoes, ruining all your efforts.
Make sure that you include drainage in the initial plans and if you do not feel confident about dealing with the drainage yourself, consult an expert.
Dealing with Weeds
Weeds are just unwanted plants in all gardens and landscapes and are something we all have to cope with. If you grow anywhere and if let them take control, they will ruin the look even of your hillside landscaping designs and all your hard work will have gone to waste.
Mulching the garden is a great weed suppressant and you can use weedicides or herbicides as well, taking care to avoid contact with the plants you want to keep.
Dealing with Hazardous Chemicals
There may be times when a landscaper has to use hazardous chemicals in the garden and they must ensure that they follow the precautions on the labels to avoid serious health problems. Some of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, nerve damage or birth defects when they are not used properly.
One solution to this problem is to avoid using the more hazardous chemicals and wherever possible using organic alternatives.
by Keith Markensen
Architectural lighting is often used to highlight the unique design elements of a home, garden, or professional building. It is generally placed around and near entryway porticos and arches, on and around columns and the textured exteriors of buildings including walls and other structures and to highlight statues, ponds or other structural features.
When used appropriately in any garden setting, architectural lighting can accentuate the asthetics of a selected garden bed, a swimming pool, patio or decking around the house.
The coach light is one of the more popular and widely used styles of architectural garden lighting. It is a reminder of the old fashioned gas lights that were used to light the paths, streets and driveways of the past and lends a romantic charm to the setting. The typical coach light is placed on top of a pole and allows a dazzling light display through clear glass or perspex panels and can often be installed along one side or both sides of a driveway or at the corners of an outdoor deck. Coach lights may also be used in a garden or used to accentuate a flowerbed or pathway.
Another example of popular architectural garden lighting is the hanging lantern. These are usually attached to a pole inserted into the ground with a spike. These lanterns are now made as works of art as well as serving a functional purpose and are constructed from durable materials including high-impact plastic, stainless steel or even copper. Some include the use of solar lighting as an economical and environmentally friendly choice of lighting and all are easy to maintain.
Walk lights are quite often used to accentuate the beauty of a flowerbed as well as providing illumination for safety purposes along a walking path. These lights are set low to the ground and usually attached to a short pole or sit on top of a spike pushed into the ground. Many of these also incorporate the use of solar lighting. This eliminates the need for awkward cables or electrical boxes as well as costing virtually nothing to run.
LED garden uplights are used in architectural and outdoor garden lighting to highlight elements of the garden that are attractive or a main feature. They are usually inserted into the ground and the light source is directed upwards. Elements such as trees and other tall plantings are thus showcased. Uplights can also be used to light an entryway or arch entrance.
Floodlights have similar characteristics to uplights, the difference being that their light can be directed either up or down. They can be used to illuminate entrances and to highlight exterior architectural elements such as archways, porticos or landscape elements.
You will find a huge array of different styles of architectural garden lighting in the market. Architectural garden lighting can be purchased through lighting stores that specialize in this field, lawn and garden stores, and even on-line.
by Kent Higgins
The definition of “house plant” is pretty loose now days. Everything from exotic flowers to stark cacti to lush trees can be a house plant. If you can fit it through the door and it grows, it’s a house plant. Coming in all shapes and sizes, these plants all have special needs to keep them healthy and looking good in your home. Even if you’re not a green thumb, you can keep them looking great with just a few simple tips.
First, choose a plant that’s right for you. The infinite variety of house plants is great, but you’ll want to make sure the one you pick is suited to both your home and your abilities. If you plan to locate the plant at a northern window of your home, then low-light needs plants will be best (orchids, ivies, small trees). If your choice is a south or west-facing window that gets lots of light, then you’ll want to place a plant that needs that such as cacti and ferns.
When looking at plants to purchase for your home, make sure they look healthy. A plant that shows proper color and buds or new growth is a healthy plant and will be much easier to transplant and care for than one that isn’t so healthy. Bushier plants are generally stronger than “leggy” (long-stemmed, heavy root growth) plants. This is because you’ll be transplanting it and if there is too much on the bottom and not enough on top to support it, it will not do well. Remember, plants eat sunlight, so the more plant on top, the better.
Walk past plants that have browning or yellowing on the leaves as this is a sign of under and over watering (respectively). Once you choose a plant and move it to a new container and place it in your home, expect it to lose some leaves and get a little sickly-looking for a day or two. It’s acclimating to its new home, so it will take a little time.
The plant should fit the room, not just based on sunlight exposure, but also on the room’s climate. Your bathroom and kitchen are likely to be more humid than your living room or bedroom, so plants with heavy water requirements (like ferns) are better off in kitchens and baths while plants with dry needs (like cacti) might be better in other spots.
Remember that to care for plants means that you need to provide them with adequate light and water. Light is what they eat and water is what they drink, so supply both to keep your plant healthy. Plants will “bend” and grow in the direction of light, so make sure to turn your plants regularly to give each “side” time in the sun. Usually a 180-degree rotation with each watering does the trick. Other plants like the Spathiphyllum Peace Lilly need moderate or filtered light most of the day.
Most plants do their growing at night, so make sure yours have some darkness daily. This means that natural lighting or light bulbs that mimic the sun should be turned off at least a couple of hours a day to let the plant have darkness. Likewise, if you live in the northern parts of the world and have seasons with little sunlight, supplement your plants for a couple of hours a day with lights that mimic natural sunlight. These are available at most garden stores and aren’t very expensive.
Finally, keep pets off the plants to avoid them getting injured by rambunctious animals. Remember to water regularly, according to the plant’s needs, and enjoy your new-found green thumb!
by Thomas Fryd
The components of a tree can be divided into three main parts: the root system, the leaves and the woody “skeleton” that connects them. The function of the root system is to provide the raw materials necessary for growth such as mineral salts, dissolved in water, to the tree. The leaves perform photosynthesis though the absorption of carbon dioxide from the surrounding air and using the energy from the sun, convert this into the simple sugars. These sugars are then combined with the moisture from the roots to give the tree its nutrients.
The trunk, limbs, branches and twigs act as the tree’s skeleton to hold the leaves in position so that they receive the life-giving sunlight and air. They are also used for transportation as they carry raw materials between the roots and leaves. Capillary attraction pulls up the materials absorbed through the roots and this is also assisted by the osmotic action induced by the evaporation of water from the leaves. This loss of water through the leaves is known as transpiration. On any summer day, a birch tree can transpire between 700 to 900 gallons of water.This is what causes the sap to continuously flow from the roots to the twigs at the very top of the tree.
A gardener’s most important consideration is to protect the tree’s root structure, especially when the tree is to be transplanted or preserved on a building site. The larger roots close to the stem are the tree’s “anchor” and the fine root hairs at the ends of the smaller roots are those responsible for water absorption.
The stem or trunk of a tree is made of three parts: the bark, the wood and the pith. The pith is the central part and is surrounded by the wood. Between the wood and bark is the cambium which is a thin layer that produces new wood and bark. Should the cambium ring be severed, for example, by a wire cable, the tree will die. As the cambium protects the tree against insects and disease, anything driven into it can severely damage the tree.
There are many things that can cause damage to a tree, including man. There are around 200,000 known species of insects that are known to attack and damage trees. As well as these, there are diseases such as blight, rust and rot, and natural occurrences such as storms, fires and droughts can also damage a tree. As some form of balance, birds help to control the spread of caterpillars, borers, harmful beetles and other insects that are likely to damage the tree.
Feeding Trees
In nature, trees grow and shed their leaves. These leaves decay, forming a good soil for the tree. These leaves also assist in preserving moisture in the soil. When a tree is grown on a lawn, it must compete with the grass for its nutrients and moisture. Leaves are raked up to prevent problems with the grass. As such, a successful gardener would be well advised to supplement the tree’s nutrients every two to three years.
This feeding should be done when the ground is easily “worked”, preferably in the spring or in the fall. A difficult but nonetheless worthwhile way of feeding is to strip the grass from an area all around the tree at least 2 to 3 feet beyond the outer branches, as the root system extends this far. Apply stable (horse) or barnyard (cow or chicken)manure to this area, ensuring that it is around 3 inches thick and then dig it in. After this is done, firm down the soil, rake it level and replace the grass.
One of the easy and simple backyard ideas is to drill holes over the same area, 12 to 18 inches deep. In order not to destroy any garden landscape ideas, these holes are spaced about 15 inches apart. Then fill each of these holes with a prepared fertilizer made from bone meal, tankage, peat moss or humus plus chemicals, in a formula equivalent to 10% nitrogen,6% phosphoric acid and 4% potash.
Water and Trees
During the hotter days of summer, lawn and specimen trees must be given a deep watering at least every 10 days to counteract the effects of transpiration and reduce stress on the tree. Light watering is inadequate, as the roots are very deep, so the hose or sprinkler should be left to run for at least an hour. Loosen soil that is compacted with a garden fork or similar and in the case of a large tree, holes of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, 3 to 5 inches deep and 3 feet apart should be bored into the soil around the perimeter of the outer branches. The hose should be covered with sacking and left to run, or alternatively use a canvas hose. A good idea when planting a new tree is to place a piece of hose into the hole over draining tiles and this will ensure that water reaches the subsoil around the tree’s roots. The drain holes should be covered with stones to avoid evaporation.
by Ramona Mackgil
Few projects in life are as satisfying as restoring an older home to its original glory. But if your restoration involves the removal of old linoleum, the project quickly becomes extremely challenging. Taking up old linoleum and removing the adhesive is a huge job, but there are steps you can take to make it a little easier. The age of the linoleum and the type of adhesive can certainly make your job more difficult. Some people simply lay the new floor over the old linoleum, while others dig in with tools and plenty of elbow grease to get the job done.
In a perfect world, the linoleum and adhesive would lift together. Unfortunately, that’s just not likely. You won’t know what’s in store until you remove the initial layer of linoleum. If the underlying floor is made of concrete it can be relatively easy to remove the old adhesive. Wood floors, however, present a much bigger challenge. Most people use paint scrapers or razor blades to remove the old adhesive. This is fine on concrete, but wood floors require a gentle touch. Old adhesive can hard enough to damage blades and scrapers, so be prepared to stock up.
If you try to remove everything at once, you’re in for an ever bigger and messier job. Try cutting the linoleum into sections or strips. Then, peel the smaller pieces away. Using this method, you should be able to remove most of the surface layer of linoleum along with a good portion of the backing. It’s also easier to get at the underlying adhesive when you use this method.
After the top layer is taken up and you’re down to scraps, you have options for removing the adhesive. Chemical solvents such as Krud Kutter can be effective. Research these products and read the customer reviews. Follow the instructions on the product label carefully, and wear protective gloves and a mask. Work with a small area at a time and take a breath of fresh air before moving to the next.
Some home renovators have had success using boiling water to soften the adhesive. Working one section at a time, pour the water directly onto the backing and adhesive. Leave it to soak, and then scrape up the softened debris. Another option is to lay a folded towel over the adhesive, pour the boiling water, let it set and then begin scraping.
One method that may help you remove linoleum, then, is to heat it. Select a very inconspicuous area, such as behind a door, to try it. Heat the adhesive with a hair dryer and scrape it up with a straight-blade scraper (such as a stiff putty knife with a beveled edge). Push the scraper in the direction of the grain of the wood if you are uncovering a hardwood floor. Keep a pan or some other container handy to drop the scrapings into — one that is unlikely to either melt or ignite when coming in contact with hot materials.
A heat gun can be a great tool in removing old linoleum adhesive. You’ll need to be careful not to scorch or char the wood. It’s also important to know that this method can cause softened adhesive or mastic to creep into any of the natural crevices and the cracks between floorboards. Work a very small area, with a constantly moving heat source. Scrape as quickly as possible for best results.
Bear in mind that this trick will never remove all of the old adhesive. Trying to scrape up all the old adhesive is likely to damage the wood. Scrape up the amount that will come up readily, sweep and vacuum, and consider your next step. In some cases a gentle sanding may be best. In other cases you may be able to scrub enough of the residue off with rags dampened with turpentine, mineral spirits or some similar solvent to get the floor ready to refinish. If you were going to apply a new covering that required new mastic, seal the wood and go ahead.
Douglas Blackwall on November 17th 2008 in Home
