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If you’re looking to infuse your home with some lovely natural beauty, there’s no better way than to start your own home garden! Gardening is also a great way to relieve stress and make your life happier. Read on for some tips on how to get the most out of your home garden!

Gardening can be a very rewarding practice. Not only can you improve the look of the outside of your home, but you can be proud of it as well. There are plenty of tools and things to use in gardening and this can be a very rewarding activity. You can improve not only your home but your neighborhood, and quite possibly start saving on groceries by growing your own food!

Not only is gardening a great way to grow your own food, but you can also grow your own drink. You can grow apple mint to make a delicious tea or rhubarb stalk to make a tart alternative to lemonade. You should also can or freeze your berries and fruits to make them into soda, hard cider, or wine.

Weed the garden often and early. Plan on a feeding schedule for the garden at least three times. The first should be five to seven days after sowing, and again seven to ten days after that. The third time should be three to four weeks after planting, by this time the plants should be rooted well enough to add mulching and sufficient leaves to shade the …

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Making a flower garden can add value and the livability of your home. There is nothing that can brighten your home like a flower garden. The best thing about flower gardens is the fact that it is not as hard as it seems to be. You just need to have the right dedication and to have the right attitude in making things better.
Step 1. Choosing the perfect spot is crucial. You need to think about certain things to make the flower garden work for you. The first thing that you need to consider is the amount of sunlight that is going into the garden. If you are starting a flower garden in a cramped space such as a high-rise urban residence, you need to position the area of the garden in such way that it is able to be reached by the sunlight effectively.
Sunlight is important for the growth and development of plants. It is best to place the plants to get ample sunlight at least six hours a day. If you have ample space, check the soil condition. You may need to check whether the area has a rocky soil. If you have a big space allotted for your flower garden such as a big backyard, try to avoid big plants like trees. The trees may compete for the nutrients and get it away from the plants.
Step 2. Designing the area of the garden is a must! Never design a garden that is too …

Is Your Garden Protected By Your Home Insurance?

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With us Britons enjoying longer and hotter summers every year, we are spending more and more time in – and money on – our gardens. In fact, according to the Horticultural Trades Association, we spend a staggering £3 billion plus a year on furniture, plants and garden equipment.

However, many of us do not actually realise that our gardens may not be protected by our home insurance in the event of theft, loss or damage.

It’is something that probably many of us have not even thought about – insuring our garden. But it makes sense to protect our investment. The cost of garden furniture, ornaments, state of the art barbecues etc all soon mount up as we have seen and if something happens, you could find yourself seriously out of pocket.

And no matter how hard we try to protect our gardens, they will never be as secure as our homes, meaning that they are left vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

Recent research from the insurer Direct Line reported that one in ten of homeowners is likely to be a victim of theft from their gardens. They say that the most common items that are stolen are hanging baskets, lawnmowers, gnomes, furniture, tools and even the plants!

Similarly, the Nationwide list garden furniture as the most common item to be stolen, followed by bicycles, garden ornaments and statues. Even your clothes on the washing line are not safe, with them …

Improving Your Home Is Not Just About Making Money

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Look around your property and you’ll probably be able to savour the fruits of your hard work over the years which may have enabled you to add on attractive features such as an extension, a conservatory, en suite facilities to bedrooms and many additional features.

We all continually look to identify areas of our homes that we can alter to make our living experience more enjoyable and inviting and landscaped gardens have the added benefit of something you can enjoy all year round.

It’is a well-known fact that estate agents and property experts consider a well-landscaped garden to add a dramatic financial increase to the value of your home, often above and beyond a new kitchen or bathroom suite and people are increasingly turning towards a home improvement loan as a sure-fire way to reap the benefits of a beautiful, uniquely designed garden to add even more value to their home.

However, it’is not only the financial benefits that you’ll reap even though many people will tell you that the market price of their home as a result of their new garden far outweighs the cost of the home improvement loan used to fund it.

For example, a well-landscaped garden can actually lower your utility bills and help you to conserve energy. This is because newly planted trees, hedges, shrubs and grasses strategically situated can protect your home from winter winds yet simultaneously allow you to catch any winter …

Plant A Flower Garden And Enjoy It

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There are many ways to improve the look and feel of your home and lawn. I love seeing people do the small extra things that make their houses into homes. There is nothing worse than coming home to a house you hate at the end of a long and stressful day. I always encourage people to take the time and energy to make the inside and outside of their homes something that is enjoyable and relaxing for them to spend time in. One of the best ways that people can improve the look and feel of their outdoor space is to plant a flower garden.

Planting a flower garden is wonderful because it gives people a way to enjoy time outside and to make their outdoor space more beautiful. Never planted a flower garden before? Don’t worry, it isn’t as hard as you may think. Just drop in to a local gardening shop and talk to an expert about the things you must know before you plant your first flower garden. There is quite a bit to learn about gardening, but you can just take it a step at a time and remember that you can increase the size or variety of your garden as the years go by. For now, just tell the gardening expert that you want to start with something simple and easy for your first flower garden.

If you’d rather read up on making a flower garden, …

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If you feel that your home’s exterior is lacking something in appearance, the obvious solution is to add a garden! Gardens are beautiful, improve property value, and make your home look great! Gardening is also a great stress reliever. Read on to find out what simple steps you can take to make a great garden in your yard.

Don’t plant your seedlings or young plants too deeply. The top of a root ball of a large shrub or tree seedling should be just above the soil level and then covered up with mulch to protect it. This allows the roots to breathe and keeps the tree or shrub healthy.

Reworking an established garden. When you move into a home, you usually inherit an established garden. Before demolishing it, wait a full season. Something that initially appears unattractive may actually be worth preserving. In the case of an overgrown garden, dig out obvious weeds, but give established plants a chance to show you what they can do. Overgrown shrubs and trees may only need a simple pruning to look their best. Remember that certain plants take at least a season to come into their own, so try to give your inherited plants the opportunity to shine!

You can use small clay pots or milk jugs to protect your plants from a late-season frost. A bed sheet is also an effective cover of shrubs or large areas. Typically young sprouts are the most vulnerable. If you forget or your efforts …

A Home Garden – Fun for the Whole Family

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Home gardening is a wonderful pastime that the whole family can enjoy. In addition, gardening has become an increasingly popular hobby for people of all ages. Currently, studies show that in the United States, eight of ten households take part in some type of home gardening endeavor. Based on these statistics, gardening is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the nation.

Typically, when people start planting their garden, they start with flowers. In addition, most people will pursue planting roses. The novice garden does not realize that roses usually take the most time and effort as compared to other flowers. With such an enormous array of flowers to choose from, it is best for the novice to start of with easy care plants and flowers.

Vegetable gardens have become quite popular too. A vegetable garden can bring a sense of pride and accomplishment when you place those fresh vegetables on your dinner table. The list of vegetable plants is endless, therefore when planning your vegetable garden choose the right vegetable for your growing climate. For instance, cool weather crops would be green beans, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Many gardeners will consider planting fruits as well. In a warm climate, you could plant watermelons, and trees such as apricots and peaches. A berry garden is also fun, planting strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. These types of berry gardens are easy to care for and take less space than a …

Get Creative With A Garden Design

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Adding a garden can be the perfect way to spice up any home or office lawn. We have all seen enough boring lawns that have nothing other than a tree or a bush here and there. If you have some extra time on your hands this year, why not try getting creative by coming up with a garden design for your lawn and then getting to work making it happen.

If the idea of coming up with a garden design for your property sounds overwhelming, then get some help. There are countless numbers of landscape architects and professional gardening aides that will be more than happy to assist you in coming up with the best garden design for your needs and that fit your tastes. Do a quick search through the yellow pages or do an internet search to discover different options for getting help with your garden design.

There are things to be aware of when planning your garden design. First, consider honestly what kind of budget you can afford to put toward creating a garden design. Do not let the huge gardens of your neighbors or friends intimidate you. There is no shame in starting small. The important thing is to know your own budget and then to stick to it. Creating a garden design can get out of hand as quickly as any other home project can.

Another thing to be aware of when planning your garden design is …

Don’t Forget Your Garden When It Comes To Home Insurance

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While the majority of people do realise the importance of having contents insurance to safeguard their possessions from theft and other disasters, very often the contents of the garden are sometimes forgotten and, if you have expensive patio furniture or such like, then this could be a huge mistake.

In a recent study it was found that here in the UK we spend millions on garden furniture, plants and equipment to enjoy what little summer we have. With theft of garden and patio furniture on the increase it is essential that you make sure if you are covered for these in your home insurance policy.

Another fact that came to light was the fact that while people protected their homes with security features very few people gave much thought about enhancing the security in the garden or patio. This has left them wide open to the rising figures of garden and patio thefts which are thought to be around the 1.4 million mark.

However there are many simple ways that you can help to protect your home and garden. One way is to make sure that you get into the habit of enuirng that you put all expensive garden equipment in a locked shed. One of the best precautions that you can take when it comes to securing your garden is to make sure there is plenty of good protection to stop thieves even getting close; a …

Beautify With Garden Plants

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There are many ways to make your house and lawn turn into a home. Every bit of careful touch you add will help your space feel more personal and inviting for your friends and family. As a landscape architect, one of my favorite ways to improve the look and feel of a home is through garden plants.

I love to encourage all of my clients to invest in some great garden plants when they are at work creating a lawn or renovating their lawn. I love garden plants for so many reasons, but the obvious reason is that they are beautiful. There is nothing better than spending time in a home and a yard that is filled with uniqueness and beauty. Planting a wide variety of garden plants is a great way to add much-needed beauty to the outside of a home. Even the most beautiful homes can look mediocre when there isn’t a great lawn and garden to accompany them.

Another reason I encourage my clients to invest in garden plants for their home is so that they will have a reason to get outside and work the land with their hands. I believe that people take much more pride in land that they have to work to cultivate. Our culture has lost something dear and precious since we stopped being a farming culture, and planting even the most simple arrangement of garden plants can be a great way to feel the pride …

Why I’ve Always Wanted A Garden Fountain

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I have always been smitten with the smallest things in life. In fact, even as a kid I remember being fascinated with small things and with finding beauty in places that most people ignored. So when it came time to purchase a home for me and my own family, there were naturally so many detail things that I was concerned about. As an architect, I was obviously concerned in detail with the layout of the house and with the way each room would fit into the bigger plan for the house. But I was also concerned with whether or not the home we chose would be able to accomodate the small things that I wanted to have for my home like a garden fountain.

I think that I first started liking garden fountains in a movie I saw. The first word that comes to mind when I think about a garden fountain is magic. I belive that there is something truly magical about a garden fountain begin part of a backyard, and that is the main reason why I have always wanted one in a home of my own. I love sitting in a backyard on a warm summer night and watching the fireflies dance around a garden fountain. I love seeing fish swim and play in a garden fountain too.

If you are thinking of adding an extra special touch to your home and yard, then consider carefully putting in …

Create The Perfect Garden Pond

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One of the biggest privileges in my life is the ability to own my own home and property. My family and I have been blessed to be able to purchase land and create the home of our dreams on it. When I am not busy writing, there are few things you can find me doing as often as tending to my ever- messy home and overwhelming lawn and garden. I have a love and hate relationship with these chores. One the one hand, I love caring for the things I own because I feel a sense of pride about them. Yet, on the other hand, it is frustrating how much time and energy it takes to keep your home and lawn looking presentable. Recently I added to my chores by putting a garden pond in my backyard.

Frankly, I had always thought that garden ponds or really decorative pieces like them were a bit too much in most yards. They looked a bit too perfect and made the property feel less homey and inviting. I had a change of heart about garden ponds when I toured the home of a friend and discovered the most quaint and brilliant garden pond situated in a corner of her backyard. The garden pond brought an extra touch to her landscaping that became irreplaceable as soon as she began.

What I now love about garden ponds is that they bring a sense of nature and of wildness …

Turning Your House Into A Garden Home

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If you’re like many homeowners, you have a blossoming desire to bring the outdoors in-and to expand your living spaces onto porches, decks and courtyards. Carefully planning the style of windows and doors in your home is an important step in creating a seamless transition from the inside comfort of your home to the natural beauty of its surroundings.

“Transitional spaces between the home and garden invite residents to spend more quality time outdoors,” says award-winning garden designer and host of the public television program “P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home,” P. Allen Smith.

He says regardless of your neighborhood or the type of house you have, you can use the windows and doors in your home to take full advantage of what nature has to offer.

Smith suggests planning your home in a way that maximizes your views, increases natural light and provides easy access to outdoor entertaining. When he recently built his own garden home retreat, he focused on these areas and used windows and doors made by Marvin Windows and Doors. Here’s a closer look:

• Bi-fold doors, which open up accordion-style, provide a vast opening that maximizes the amount of warm, natural sunlight in a room and perfectly complements outdoor entertaining.

• Frame stunning views of landscapes with large picture windows. Marvin offers a Venting Picture Window that provides the unique combination of unobstructed views and cross-ventilation to bring in the fresh air.

• Sliding patio doors are …

10 landscaping design ideas to enhance your home garden.

A home garden is a place, which can give identity to your home building in a neighborhood. You can use very little creativity to enhance to look and feel of your garden so that it stands out from the rest of the gardens in the neighborhood. Here is a list of probable elements you can add to your landscaping garden so that everybody loves it and you get the credit.

1) The compound wall of the home plot defines the boundary of the garden as well. Use paintings on the wall surface (inside), that will add excitement to your garden . You can go for a theme based paintings such as nature, waterfalls, sunsets etc..

2) Use stone sculptures of actual human size. These statues greatly add a uman touch to the garden and also defines a scale to the space. Everything we use in our daily lives such as clothes, kitchen utensils, office equipment, computer parts, are all always related to human measurements. If this is the case with all other objects, why exclude a garden from it.

3) Use a fountain with artificial mood creating lighting. This adds a great amount of curiosity during night.

4) Use Japanese stone lanterns instead of the normal ones. This is because stone has its own rough texture as against the smooth and fresh look and feel of the plants in a garden. This creates “hot-spots” in the garden if you plan to …

Home and Garden Trade Show

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If you are a homeowner interested in getting information on how to remodel your home and enhance your garden or lawn, it is best to visit your local area’s home and garden trade shows. These shows and exhibits will present you with very helpful insights and ideas on home decoration and remodeling, rearrangement of your home interiors, creating, crafting or landscaping of your garden, caring for the lawn or your backyard, and a lot more. Aside from the exhibits, trade shows also conduct seminars on related topics about home and gardening.

In Canada, there will be a Home and Garden Trade Show on March 2007, which is also the largest Home and Garden Show in Southern Alberta. The show is a joint project of Exhibition Park and the Lethbridge Home Builders Association. Held annually, the venue turns into an amazing display of home landscapes and homey atmosphere. Visitors can find different exhibitors with wide array of choices from flooring and cabinets to hot tubs and fireplaces.

Portland Fall Home and Garden Trade Show just recently finished its exhibit last October 6-8. It displays building materials, remodelers, home accessories, gardening tools, greenhouses, etc. The show was intentionally scheduled for the fall season because Portlanders believe that fall is the best time to plant in preparation for spring. And along with planting is learning how to give your garden an ornamental look. In Washington, there is also another show that is planned in time for …

Home Garden Shopping Ideas

There are many helpful garden shops that can be found on the Internet that can provide you with all sorts of projects that will make your backyard a floral wonderland. These virtual stores can also give you some home garden shopping ideas at the same time, that might provide the design layout that you could use to make this dream yard a reality.

This dream design could include brisk flowing streams of water, that include rapids and waterfalls throughout parts of the yard. While these designs are quite extensive, with the right home garden shopping ideas, you will be able to turn your yard into a backyard water park that all of natures backyard animals can enjoy to keep cool from the heat of the Sun.

Perhaps your plants are not growing well, and you think that they may need a doctor. There are some home garden shopping sources that will point you right to a garden specialist that can advise you about minerals and foods that can be added to the soil, to boost its vitality to help your plants to grow.

To find out which tools you need to have on hand, there are landscapers and home garden enthusiasts standing by to give you home garden shopping ideas that will tell you what the best tools would be to weed out your lawn, and give you advice on the right moves to make to use them properly.

When a homeowner places their home for …

Home & Garden Decorating

Home and garden decorating is a hot topic. This is evident in television programming. Every second television show is related to decorating your home and garden. Programs such as The Decorating Challenge, Curb Appeal and The House Doctor are great examples of home and garden decorating shows. These programs are quite interesting and quite helpful for people who are looking for ideas to make changes to their home and garden. These shows take everyday living spaces and transform them into beautiful, inviting places. Since these programs generally work with a budget, they help people realize that home and garden decorating can be accomplished without going to great expense. They also demonstrate that even small changes can make an enormous difference in home and garden decorating.

Home and garden decorating involves anything, materials, paint, fabric, accessories; items that can be used to make decorative improvements to a home or garden. When considering making changes around the house or in the back garden, some people may feel intimidated because they are’t creative nor do they have any crafty skills. Home and gardening programs, magazines, books and catalogs, show homeowners that it is’t necessary to be a skilled individual to make home and garden decorating changes. These resources teach people that simple, basic changes and additions can transform a space, either home or garden, into something completely different and beautiful.

Many homeowners and decorators decorate so that the home and garden compliment each other. When people have beautiful gardens, …

Home Garden Shopping Design Alternatives

There are certain elements of style you can use to achieve the mood you are trying to create in your backyard. When you search for home garden shopping alternatives, remember that you can use a large variety of plants and accessories to create a formal, cottage, or even an Asian garden in any area of your yard to serve as a welcome greeting for you to see every time you arrive home.

Perhaps there is a contained area in your yard, that you set aside specifically to create a relaxing place to read, and cherish the quieter moments of life in utter tranquility. When thinking of home-garden shopping design alternatives for this special area of the yard, think about how this private area could be transformed into a beautiful and tranquil and floral Asian garden with very little trouble at all.

Large stones could set the background to building this beautiful retreat, and a water source could be placed, to where the bubbling waters would make it almost complete. When thinking of home-garden shopping design alternatives for an Asian garden, think about surrounding the jagged stones, with moss and some peat, and you could create a great rustic landscape, that had gnarled pines that gathered at your feet.

When thinking of home-garden shopping design alternative for an Asian garden, think about how the raked gravel could be spread through the yard and the water and create trickling streams for the birds to enjoy. With careful …

What is Home and Garden Furniture?

Home and garden furniture is furniture that can be used inside as well as outdoors. Some people have opted to enclose a large patio in glass or screen, carpet the floor with indoor/outdoor carpeting, furnish with a fireplace, and install ceiling fans along an air conditioner. The patio area can be adjacent to the house or separate. The plans of the room or structure can come equipped with a kitchen separate than that of the primary section of the house. This area would require home and garden furniture to furnish the surroundings. When looking for plants for this area, you would still opt for house plants but maybe that of the larger variety.

Home and garden furniture can be made from wicker and wood. Metal and plastic garden furniture can be used but would probably be considered inappropriate to adorn this region of your home. You would want furniture that is not too elaborate, but on the other hand you don’t want the furniture ill-suited for the region either. You will want it to blend with the surroundings you have created. The enclosing of the back patio area convince visitors that this is just an extra room in the house. You will want the room to give off the look of casual comfort. A room in which to relax and have fun. Home and garden furniture fabricated from wicker have a classic appearance. The simplicity of the designs leans to the casual look of …

About Town Home Garden Shopping

As you run about town home garden shopping, you are looking for inspirational flowers and garden designs that will make your home living space a pleasant retreat that you can go and visit and enjoy for many hours if you have the time. You can get ideas to use in your home garden setting from every landscaped space around you that you pass including other homes and commercial businesses.

From these bits and pieces of garden designs that you find as you go about town-garden shopping, you can afford yourself the opportunity to dream about how your home garden retreat could include such luxurious features as a whirlpool spa nestled in a bed of ivy, or an oceanic style retreat with a built-in pool and sauna, with fountains carefully placed for effect among the apple trees.

As you go about town home garden shopping, you can pay particular attention to ever flower garden design that you see and compare the garden designs of many people to see which designs offer a particular flair that you want to achieve in your own home garden setting. You might be able to see exactly what an English country cottage would look from someone else’s perspective, when you pass by homes that feature them on shady, well manicured streets.

As you walk about town home garden shopping, pay particular attention to the shade trees that are placed along the property lines and how the various flower beds are sculpted …