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unduhan (73)What should you compost?

It's recommended to compost vegetable waste, shells, flowers, fruits, tea leaves, droppings of household animals, leaves, small branches. It's not recommended to compost weeds with seeds still in them. Once this kind of compost is distributed in soil, it becomes polluted. You can't compost carcass meat, pieces of meat and fish, boiled vegetables. This kind of waste attracts rats and smells terribly.

When should you begin to compost?

It's best to begin in the spring or at the end of the summer - August and September due to the good weather conditions and dry soil.

Where should you compost?

It's recommended to compost in special containers or on specially prepared places on the ground. Using containers is more convenient since it takes less space and the right temperature rises much sooner. Containers provide faster maturity of the compost, and it's easier to sustain humidity. On top of that, it's easier to maintain and take care of the compost this way.

How should you compost?

The two most important things to take into consideration is temperature and ventilation. In

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WHWWH101-FUTruthfully, growing orchids can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Most people get intimidated by them, thinking that is too difficult to care for them, but in reality is the complete opposite. To help you, I will share with you some tips that I have used in my own garden when growing and maintaining orchids that will have them lasting for years. First, let's talk about what you need to do. In order to be successful in their development, you will need the following:

1 - Light

Most orchids need little or no direct sunlight. In doors, you should look for a location near windows. Outdoors, it is important to keep them in the shade. Good light conditions are essential to stimulate flowering and growth.

2 - Water

Water, in addition to the light, is an extremely important element when caring for orchids. Try to use soft water when watering your orchids, such as bottled water, running water, or rainwater. Avoid water saturation of the roots. Good drainage is crucial to

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unduhan (74)Everybody hopes for an amazing garden for spending time with family and friends. Nevertheless, garden maintenance takes a lot of time, skills and attention. If you can't do it alone, you can always book gardening services.

Step-by-step to excellence

It's better to make a plan and a list of services that a home owner might have to do for their garden.

- General maintenance

Clearance of lawn, leaves and hedge cutting (including elimination of weeds and re-turf), clearing of patio or driveway are a number of the main things. Lots of families hire skilled lawn experts who have the right equipment for commercial and residential work. The hedge needs lots of attention. It could grow onto the pavement, lose its shape and obscure the windows.

- Mowing

Grass cutting and lawn moving are general services used for industrial estates, hotels, domestic gardens of various sizes, communal areas and schools. The services might be rendered on a consistent basis so that the grass area would look tidy and neat all the time. Lawn maintenance furthermore supposes over aeration and seeding.

- Cutting of

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For those who are interested in gardening and want to explore the different ways of growing plants, aquaponics is a method that deserves some strong consideration. Aquaponics, as the name suggests, involves the use of the aquatic ecosystem to grow plants and also breed aquatic animals. In a way, it aims to recreate the aquatic ecosystem in order for the plants and animals to grow as nature intended..

If you are interested in starting an aquaponics system, then there are some things that you should take into consideration. Just as there are selected plants that grow on specific mediums, the aquaponics medium, too, has some specifications. In this article, we take a look at what plants can be grown on a hydrated medium, so that you can be well informed before you start your own aquaponics practice.

Plants That Can Be Grown with Aquaponics

There are a number of plants that can be grown with aquaponics. These are of different classes and types, which makes the entire system more versatile and better suited for an increase in yield. The plants that thrive best in an aquatic medium are:

Cruciferous Plants: The aquaponics system is

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Flowers can add colour to your garden and make it more inviting. It is something that most people want, but they are not too sure about the types of flowers to add to their garden. In certain cases, where water shortages are in place or people are too busy to maintain their gardens, it may be necessary to look for flowers that require little water.

Here are a few types of flowers to add to your garden.

Salvia. This is a lovely purple flower that has a lot of green leaves at the base. They are part of the sage family and require little water to survive. Be sure to cut them down every now and then to keep them under control and neat.

Coneflowers. These daisy-like flowers come in an array of colours such as pink, purple, orange, yellow, burgundy, red and white. You can plant one colour or multiple colours to enhance your garden. They can also survive with little water.

Coreopsis. These are daisy-like flowers but are glowing bright in colour and have distinctive shaped petals. They come in red, yellow, and bright pink. If you have many of them together,

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Why Use Mirrors In The Garden?

1. Frame a pretty view or plant

2. Create the illusion of a larger, brighter space

3. Borrow the light, especially useful in a basement area

4. Conceal and reveal, depending where you place your garden mirror

5. Match the mood, with coloured frames or styles

Garden mirrors can frame a view or create the illusion of a way into another garden.

They give the impression of a larger space and reflect more light into your garden.

You can easily disguise an ugly wall or transform an unsightly fence by reflecting your beautiful garden.

Using garden mirrors you can quickly add a touch of fun or even fantasy.

Choose a style to suit your garden or paint or stain to harmonise.

Even the smallest space can be enhanced with a garden mirror.Outdoor mirrors for gardens, either free standing or attached to a wall will reflect the light. A carefully placed mirror could double the interest of a small space.

Creating the illusion

It's important to keep the element of surprise. So when you are positioning your garden mirror make

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Gardening is a hobby that calls for special techniques and skills. Being equipped with this arsenal of skills and techniques is vital to maintain a green garden, healthy, especially through summer - the hottest and driest season of the year. As the temperature rises before and through summer, cleaning the garden will help to ensure you have a beautifully maintained garden.

Before the summer season arrives, you need to give the garden a complete clean. One way to do this is by removing debris, such as dead leaves and twigs, in addition to any rubbish. Weeding the garden would be recommended as well, as it eliminates the requirement for plants to compete for water during summer time.

Infected plants have the potential of spreading illnesses to other plants and the warm summer temperatures would be just right for diseases to spread. That is why, it is vital to discard all infected plants if there are any around the garden.

When to start

The best time one should start cleaning one's garden in preparation for summer is a week or two before the summer season. This will give sufficient time for all issues in the

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There are more than 25,000 different species making the orchid plant one of the most diverse in the plant family. Below are some of the common ones grown in a home environment

Phalaenopsis (fal-en-OP-sis)

This is probably the easiest orchid to grow for beginners and would be the most popular. This orchid is often referred to as a "Moth Orchid". These can be grown under fluorescent lights; they can burn quickly if left in direct sunlight. Re-potting only needs to happen every 2-3 years. With showy colours of red, purple, white, yellow, pinks and spotted harlequins, this type of orchid is sure to please. A happy mature orchid can stay in bloom for most of the year.

Cattleya (CAT-lay-ah)

This is another good choice for those starting out growing orchids. They are a perfect selection for those who live a busy lifestyle and sometimes forget to water their plants. These produce lovely fragrant flowers that come in orange, purple, pink, red white and yellow. Re-potting only need to happen every 2-3 years. The Cattleya is used for corsages. This orchid loves the bright light. Give them full sunlight and warmth.

Dendrobium (den-DRO-bee-um)

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Cook up something great - herbs every gourmet needs

Why look any farther for fresh flavors than your very own garden? A culinary garden can be the ultimate inspiration for budding cooks and gourmet chefs alike. Like any recipe, start your kitchen garden with the basics. Think light, placement, planning. Place plants of similar size and water needs together, for example. You wouldn't want your woody rosemary to crowd out your herbaceous chives. More tips to get you cooking...

5 Cardinal Rules of Culinary Gardens

Location, location, location: Close to the kitchen, not to close for aesthetics. You want your culinary garden to be close enough to cut quickly. But remember, you'll be cutting your herbs often, so the plants might not be the prettiest. If it will bother you to have cut-back plants as your first view out the door, rethink placement.

Shoot for the sun: By and large, herbs hanker for the sun. Choosing a sunny locale gives you the best chance for overall success with your culinary garden. Added to that, they just taste better, with more nutrients and richer colors that add up to better flavor.

Flowers begone!: When

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General Information and Description

Malva moschata or musk mallow as it is often more commonly referred to due to the basal leaves having a slightly musky scent, is probably one of Britain's prettiest native wild flowers.

A deciduous, hardy perennial in most parts of the United Kingdom and with rounded leaves, the foliage is delicate and almost fern like. Musk mallow flowers from mid-summer through to early autumn with a succession of the prettiest, fairly large, saucer shaped flowers in the most delicate of pale pinks, a delightful sight in any herbaceous border.

Easy to grow and requiring no maintenance, musk mallow has a bushy habit and will grow in most moist but well drained soils, although a rich soil can make it liable to flopping.

Plants are available from most good garden centres with the variety 'Rosea', probably the prettiest of them all with its deep pink flowers, whilst f. alba is a delightful albino variety. Seeds can also be purchased from garden centres for those who wish to have a go at raising some themselves.

Attractive to bees, musk mallow is ideal for flower beds and borders, wildlife and wild flower

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It's not surprising that many people are opting to grow their own vegetables, especially since the food prices continue to rise. Many gardeners find themselves planting and tending to various plants and flowers, so why not add vegetable plants also. There are quite a few vegetables that you can grow in your own garden. Of course, you need to consider your climate when you choose particular vegetables.

Firstly, you need to designate a certain section of your garden as a vegetable patch. Create a pathway with cobblestones that leads you to the vegetable patch. You can build a low brick wall around the vegetable patch and add some cladding to the wall to give it a modern appearance. Within this section, check the soil and dig to loosen it. Then remove all the weeds before you plant anything. You may need to get a quality soil and fertilizer.

Once your vegetable patch is ready, you can go to your local garden centre to get a few vegetable seeds or young plants. Be sure to keep your climate, and the season, in mind when you choose the vegetables that you want to plant in your garden.

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We all find ourselves busy and worn out because our lives are packed with so many tasks. Quite often we forget to go to the grocery store after a long day of work to get herbs for a meal. I find myself getting home after work and realising that I didn't get basil for the pasta dish we planned to cook. That's when I decided to grow my own herb garden in the back yard.

My garden was already decorated and complete with a braai area. I have flagstone walkways with grass alongside them, along the walls of my fence I have rose bushes, and the braai area is paved with cladding. So I had decided to allocate a small section of about half a metre by two metres nearest to my kitchen's back door. This section runs along the wall of my house. It doesn't get too much direct sunlight during the day, because I didn't want the herbs to be exposed to direct sunlight all day long. I placed one layer of bricks to partition this area. Then I added copings along the edge of the bricks to give it a rounded and neat appearance.

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Let me share with you some extra healthy benefits and interesting facts about this small tree which we can plant and grow in our yards.

Short Presentation

Elderberry or Sambucus is a big shrub native to Europe and to the United States. The plant is member of honeysuckle family. Its white and delicate flowers turn into berries - black or dark blue. Their flavour is sharp sweet and a little bitter but it is preferred in many recipes. I will tell you more about that later. Its leaves are pinnate with 5 to 9 leaflets with length 5 to 30 cm. You can see the whole beauty of Elderberry in late Spring when it blooms.

Health Benefits

Elderberry contains tannin, amino acids, organic pigments, carotenoids, flavonoids, rutin and large amounts of vitamins C, A, B. Many studies have proven that some of the ingredients in the shrub are strong antioxidants and can protect the cells against damage. In a Oncology laboratory in Israel doctors have found that the plant stimulates the better function of the immune system and they have treated patients with AIDS and cancer with it. From colds and flu to fight

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Summer can be one of the toughest times of the year for lawns, especially when we live in one of the warmer climates. While Summer is a time of thriving for many lawns, likewise it is also a time for less well looked after turf to suffer many different problems that can lead to stress and poor health. With a few simple lawn care practices we should be able to greatly improve all lawns as they navigate their way through the warmest months of the year.

Best Practice Lawn Watering

Watering is of course the most important aspect of turf health in Summer. Correct lawn watering practices will enable a lawn to send down roots much deeper into the soil profile, past the evaporation level of the very top of the soil, which as a result will make our turf more heat and drought tolerant.

We can slowly train our turf to create a deep root system by only ever watering the lawn once it's showing signs of leaf wilt, and then giving the lawn a deep drink of water at that time. This is an easy method to grow a deep root system for

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In order to attract butterflies to your garden, you need to know exactly what they look for nectar. Plant annual blooming plants amongst your perennial blooming plants to ensure continuous nectar throughout the year. Asters and Parsley are two of the perennials that provide food for the larval hosts. Remember that the more food you provide, the more species of butterfly that you will attract. Plant a garden that will provide continuous bloom as butterflies are active from spring to fall.

Additionally, they like sunny open spaces, shelter from the wind, and freshwater. Specifically, they look for host plants to lay their eggs. Herbs are very attractive to butterflies because they provide a great environment for their eggs.

The following are some of many flowering plants that are attractive to butterflies:

Lilac: comes in seven different colors, but most of us are familiar with the lilac color. They are perfect for your garden due to their pleasant fragrance. Most lilacs which bloom in the northern states for 2 weeks in late may. They also bloom in early- mid- and late season. They can grow from 5 to 15 feet. They need full sun exposure.

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Everyone who's seen a Japanese garden would like to emulate the feeling of calm and relaxation it brings into their own homes. After all of these gardens are created to invoke meditation and reflection, and are meant to be havens of Zen.

If you're looking for a place to unwind in the comfort of your own home, it is a perfectly good idea to create a Japanese garden in your backyard. Here are some tips to help you design your own garden:

1. Consider creating a rock garden

Designed to portray a scene of mountains and rivers, a rock garden makes use of different sizes of rocks and sand. Sand gravel is meticulously arranged to symbolize water, while rocks layered on sand symbolize mountains.

2. Make use of moss

As moss thrives in Japan's humid and rainy climate, it doesn't need much rain to flourish. This easily makes it a key component of Japanese gardens.

3. Invoke zen

The main purpose of a Japanese garden is to invite calmness and meditation. Whether that means creating a pond, a rock or a moss garden, the goal is for you to recreate the

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What kind of sod should you pick for your yard?

One of the most important factors to consider is the climate of where you live. The two main categories are cool season grasses and warm season grasses. One must also consider the function of the grass; will it have a lot of foot traffic? Will it be in sunlight or shade? What kind of soil do you have? How much grass do you need? All of these things must be accounted for when picking your grass.

Cool Season Grasses

If you live in a region with cold winters and hot summers and has regular periods of rain. Three of the most common cool season grasses are Kentucky bluegrass, Ryegrass, and Bentgrass.These grasses can go dormant during times of droughts and experience two periods of shoot growth annually, once in mid-spring and again in early fall.

Warm Season Grasses

If you live in the hot and humid climates found in places like the southern United States, one should choose warm season grasses. Warm season grasses only have a single expanded shoot growth during the summer. Many kinds of warm season grasses require special care

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It feels so good to just go to the garden and pick what you need from there instead of running to the pharmacy. I try to have a lot of plants in my garden. Sometimes we have them and we don't even know the benefits that they have. They're hiding in our backyard in plain sight.

There are numerous varieties of plants with amazing benefits, but I will only mention a few.

Tomatoes are packed and full of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants and are a rich source of vitamins A and C and folic acid. The tomatoes are associated with the benefits of the cure for cancer combating the formation of free radicals, diabetes and heart diseases. Also, they have folic acids that help with depression. Whether you refer to a tomato as a fruit or a vegetable, a tomato is a nutrient food that most people should be eating.

Water spinach is another one that has essential nutrients like vitamins A and C as well as a high concentration of beta-carotene. Due to its healing and detoxifying properties, it helps in providing relief in case of skin itching or insect bites. Just add salt

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Watering the lawn is another one of those simple things which many of us give little attention to. Many lawn owners will have an irrigation system in place that comes on and waters the turf at preset times, set and forget and the lawn stays green and alive. Or if we don't have an automated watering system we may have our set routines of when we water the lawn on certain days of the week. However in good lawn care practice, neither method is efficient in water use or in gaining the best results for the lawn from our watering methods.

Instead, many of us may need to rethink how and when we water our lawns and for how often, as the results can be remarkably different between the different methods of watering lawns.

Watering turf the old fashioned ways of a quick 10 minute water cycle on set days of the week has never been good practice. This short watering never gives a deep soil wetting, but instead keeps only the top level of the lawn soil moist. Then when combined with the regular watering cycle of twice or more times per week, the lawn

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Talking about the perfect garden shed plans one may think that it merely features a gable roof, double doors, and side and rear windows for natural lightning. Well, the reality is, these factors only provide you with the basic understanding of what your shed may include but not the complete detailed description which serves as a staircase towards your building objective.

Most of the beginners and even experienced builders fail to outline a step by step guide before initiating the construction process which ultimately results in wastage of bucks, sweat and a heck lot of time without getting the desired result. Let us dig some miles deeper. Consider a situation in which you are trying to prepare a chocolate cake with ingredients provided but not a single hint of procedure.

What will be the outcome?

In best cases you will end up preparing something that looks like a cake but doesn't taste like one and the worst cases will lead you to mix everything randomly in indefinite proportions and make a chocolate "soup" rather than a cake. Even though you have been provided with the ingredients but still you can't produce a cake without knowing

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