A – Z of Bird Feeders

Sunday, 24. January 2010 - 6:24 pm | No comments »

Bird- table or bird feeder is a platform on which food for birds is placed, usually in a garden. Bird feeders offer the best way to turn your own backyard into a mini oasis for the wild birds in your area. They are usually filled with a variety of grains to suit the different species of our feathered friends. The most popular varieties of seeds include millet, safflower, sunflower and thistle.

Apart from satisfying the hunger of birds, bird feeders also provide an excellent ornithological treat. To everyone’s surprise the conglomeration of the rarest species of birds are often witnessed in our very own backyards rather than go miles in search of a bird sanctuary. To capture the essence of bird behavior, modern bird feeders are fitted with web cams. Bird feeders come in different varieties and design depending upon the species of bird they cater to. The most common types are ground feeder, seed tube feeder, humming bird feeder, suet feeder, oriole feeder etc.

Seed feeders are very much popular; they come either with tubes or hoppers. Mainly these feeders are laden with sunflower seeds to attract birds like chickadees, nuthatches, siskins and finches. They usually have a partition to segregate the different types of seeds. A suet feeder comprises of a cage like structure made of metal, coated with plastic. It is this plastic that contains a cake or suet. Suet is basically a bird feed containing animal fat, which prevent the feed from turning rancid and protect it from the adverse effects of moisture. Also they could be hung from windows or any tree tops thus giving us a clear view of the birds in action. These bird feeders attract birds like woodpeckers and flickers.

Unlike the seed feeders Humming bird feeders offer the feed in a liquid form. This usually consists of sugary syrup solution that is particularly preferred by humming birds. To attract the bird, the solution is painted in bright color. But care should be taken while choosing the coloring material, for often birds fall ill to harmful coloring agents.

Oriole feeders are orange in color. They too supply a liquid form of nourishment. They specially cater to new world orioles, a species of birds having a uniquely pointed beak and tongue. Apart from the quality of the feed provided in a feeder, the success of a feeder largely depends on the strategic location on which it is placed, its remote proximity from intruders like squirrels and cats. Squirrels pose a persistent problem for the birds as they tend to carry away the feed to their home, distorting our entire objective of feeding the birds. The best way to deal with them is to build feeders that can withstand the weight of a bird and collapse under any further weight.

In spite of the various advantages it offers to the birds, feeders still do have their own negative impacts on the bird community. The water and feed if not maintained clean would lead to spread of diseases among birds as they come in contact with one another. It also leads to the growth of certain dominant species leading to an ecological imbalance. So go get yourself a bird feeder and experience the vicarious thrill experienced by our avian fellow mates.

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6 Styling Tips For Your Fresh Cut Flowers!

Saturday, 23. January 2010 - 1:00 pm | No comments »

So your going to bring your grocery store or florist bought flowers home, now what! I have seen many people just plunk them in a vase of water and that’s it. Sometimes that works but here are some simple tips to make you look like you’re a pro at it.

1) In a clean vase, take your greens first, snip the ends off to the size you want and then start criss crossing the stems into the vase so that you have stems all around inside the vase. There are two reasons for this. One is because you now have a base for the flower arrangement and two; a criss cross of stems makes it easier for flower placement.

2) If you are making a small, low arrangement, slide in the flowers in a criss cross so that the stems are all around the inside of the vase. You should now have a vase with a ring of flowers on the out side and nothing but stems showing in the middle. (The more stems you have in the vase, the easier it will be to have flowers stay put!) The rows of flowers are going to be higher each time you get them in until you have a nice rounded arrangement.

3) If you are making a tall arrangement, then use a tall slim vase. Your flowers will hold up better and it will look well proportioned. Great flowers to use are gladiolas, blue delphinium, lilies, snapdragons etc. Sometimes you can get tall tulips and that looks fantastic too.

4) A design mistake I have often seen is placing the flowers in a vase perfectly even. The reason this does not work is because it looks unnatural. Have a look at any garden and you will see some of the blooms are sticking out, some are tucked in; some are almost hidden but still contribute to the overall look. Mimic nature and you won’t go wrong! Don’t be afraid to tuck some of those flowers in a bit.

5) A good rule of thumb is to use odd numbers of flowers. What I mean by that is to use 3 roses together or 5. Even numbers are not as effective. If you use 5 roses for example, Place 3 together (touching but at slightly different lengths) near the bottom center of the vase and then two more higher up.

6) The next best advice I can give you if you are really new at floral design, is to collect pictures of floral arrangements you like and with the tips I’ve stated above, practice while looking at the pictures. Before long, you’ll be looking like a pro!

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6 Indoor Plants That Love The Dark: A Tip From The Garden Center Nursery

Saturday, 23. January 2010 - 10:19 am | No comments »

It was a long search that took me more than ten years. But finally I found it – the indoor house plant that will brighten up the end of a corridor 5 meters from my front door. The Aspidistra, commonly known as the Cast Iron plant, has graced the drawing rooms of many an otherwise drab Victorian English manor, and now graces my suburban Sydney brick home.

Many gardening experts describe the Aspidistra as one of the toughest and most adaptable house plants. Its long blades of slender dark green or variegated dark green and white leaves shoot straight out from the soil but in clumps and up to 75 cm in height and 15 cm wide.

It is such a low maintenance plant much like an even-tempered woman who does not need any fussing over but still maintains its sweet nature. It needs very low light, average temperature and humidity and just occasional watering.

Other plants that do not need much light

Low-light plants are usually defined as those that can survive in 25 to 75 foot candles – that is, a spot that is 4 to 5 metres from a bright window, just enough light to read by comfortably, but where artificial lighting switched on by day would give a brightening effect.

You can easily find the Aspidistra in your local garden center nursery. In addition, five other plants that will suit very low light situations are the following:

Aglonema (Chinese Evergreen) which are among the few plants that prefer only moderate light and adapt well to low light. It has large dark green oval then tapering leathery leaves later developing a caney base.

Drachaena deremensis varieties (also know as Happy or Fortune Plants) which are slender leafed and usually white variegated. The Drachaena family are caney plants crested with decorative rosettes of straplike foliage.

Holly fern which adapts to low light and Boston fern a fishbone type of fern that will remain in low light for many months but need a spell in brighter light to rejuvenate.

Neanthe Bella or Parlor Palm which is more suited to low light situations than most palms.

Sanseviera (also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue) which stands low to very bright light has waxy, erect straplike leaves usually with cream-colored margins and an unusual banding of the grey-green center.

If you are finding it difficult to find a plant that will brighten up that dark corner, why not try one of these hardy and lovely favorites of mine?

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6 Easy Tips On How To Care For Your Plants

Saturday, 23. January 2010 - 8:18 am | No comments »

Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants. When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.

1. Watering
A watering can is a must-have in every garden. It is recommended that you purchase the one with a narrow spout to ensure adequate watering. But that does not always apply, so the finger test may come in handy. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If you feel that the soil is damp, don’t water it. Otherwise, do.

2. Feeding
With foliage plants, they always need to be high in nitrogen. For flowering plants, on the other hand, K2O is needed. Fertilizers such as the slow release ones can be mixed with the compost. However, some plants like cacti and orchids need special feeds. Feed plants on the height of their active growth.

3. Lighting
Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no shade. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Others need sun or no sun at all like cheeseplants.

4. Temperature
With houseplants, they can survive in temperatures a little bit higher than 15 – 250 C or 55 – 750 F. But drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them.

5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. The compost will not dry out. Plants are capable of creating their own climate if grouped together. This tip can also be used for keeping the soil moist. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the day’s temperature.

6. Repotting
Other plants require repotting for optimum growth but some plants may not be suitable for this idea. They would not want their roots to be disturbed or other plants’ root system is small. One way to check if your plant needs repotting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then repot.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap its benefits. You don’t only have a garden that can add to your house’s beauty you can also learn how to respect and nurture life in its varied forms.

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5 Tips For Planting Roses

Saturday, 23. January 2010 - 6:16 am | No comments »

When spring is on its way and the ground is soft, it is the perfect time for planting roses. Roses have been a very popular bloom over the years, not only do they look good, but they smell wonderful too.

However, planting roses cannot be done just anywhere or in just any climate. They need special care and treatment. Here are some tips that you need to consider in order to successfully grow roses:

1. Roses require about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight everyday. It would be best to plant your roses in a clear area where there are not too many trees or other types of plants. The reason behind this is that the rose may lack sunlight exposure and the roots are also likely to become intertwined with the rose and throttle its growth. If you wish to replace an old rose bush, you should remove about 1 ½ cubic feet of the old soil and replace it with new soil so that the newly planted rose will have fresh soil to start with.

2. When thinking about the position of your roses you must consider the type of rose you are planting. Place ramblers and climbers along trellises, fences and next to pergolas or arches. This is important to consider because they need space to grow freely and these positions are perfect for bigger blooming roses.

3. Roses will look good in island beds which can be mixed with perennials. Smaller roses make great edging plants, which are perfect for combining in front of taller species. Dig a hole large enough for the size of the root ball, but remember to loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. You can also add bone meal which acts as a slow acting resource of phosphorus. This will help establish a healthy root growth for your roses.

4. You should be careful when considering the planting depth as this depends on your climate. If you live in a cooler climate, plant roses deeper, but if you wish to plant in a pot, you must dig about 1 inch deeper than the usual potted level.

5. Make sure that you place roses in the hole carefully. The hole should be refilled with soil so that the roots are covered completely. Before you make the final covering, water the rose. Then mound the soil about 8 inches high around the base of the plant. The earth will keep the stems from drying out until the plant is completely rooted. As the leaves open, you can remove the excess soil that surrounds the plant.

These some important tips you need to consider when planting roses. It will be worth the effort, as your roses will bloom beautifully.

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5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden

Saturday, 23. January 2010 - 4:16 am | No comments »

If you’re lucky enough to have a lawn with a good topsoil base, much of the hard work of keeping a lawn beautiful is already done for you. But many of us do not have this luxury, and besides, even with a good topsoil base, you still have to work hard to keep a beautiful lawn and garden.

1. The best time to mow a lawn is when it is cool and dry. Wait for the morning dew to dry off, and before the afternoon heat takes hold. Alternatively, late afternoon or early evening following a watering in the morning is also a good time.

2. A hedge is a much better boundary divider than a fence. It will provide better privacy and keep pets and children in – or out. It will attract birds to its shelter, and provide a great backdrop for plants and flowers.

3. Bring the beauty of your garden to you; plant hyacinths near walkways and doors. Their magnificent perfume will swamp the spring air and make your garden really come alive.

4. Add your garden to non-garden items, such a lampposts and mail boxes. Surround these items with flowers planted to take advantage of the earliest to the latest flowerings. You could have white snowdrops, purple and gold crocus, blue hyacinths, and various colored tulips. You could also surround the posts with rocks to provide added interest.

5. Simple, but effective weed control can be achieved on your lawn by mowing often during spring. This will prevent dandelions spreading by eliminating the yellow blossoms and preventing seed formation. Mow high during late spring and early summer. This will allow grass blades to shade the ground, and will help prevent crabgrass from sprouting.

Your lawn and garden should be a source of pride and beauty. You don’t need to spend lots of money on expensive fertilizers and herbicides, or fancy lawn furniture and ornaments. A little commonsense and thought can go a long way to making your lawn and garden a much better place.

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5 Quick Gardening Tips to Save You Money

Friday, 22. January 2010 - 11:30 pm | No comments »

It’s easy to spend a fortune every year creating a beautiful yard. These five tips can help save you money in both this, and future gardening seasons.

1. Plan your vegetable garden according to what your neighbors are planting so you can share your vegetables when they’re ready for eating. Often I’ve had too many of one kind of vegetable I couldn’t give away because my friend’s were ripe at the same time.

2. Select perennials rather than annuals for your flowerbeds. As they multiply each year, cut them back and exchange with your friends so you both have lovely gardens and save money at the same time.

3. Compost your kitchen scraps, as well as your coffee grounds. The end result is much better than any potting soil you can ever get buy from a nursery or hardware store. The price is right, and this is definitely recycling!

4. Instead of using mulch, try pebbles or small rocks in your garden as ground cover. This will save you lots of cash since you won’t need to buy mulch in the spring and fall of every year.

5. Spend more money now by purchasing better quality gardening tools and you will save in the long run. They will last for years, saving you dollars because you don’t need to replace them every planting season. Same goes for gardening gloves- make sure you buy the best you can afford so they last all season.

Happy Gardening!

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3 Easy Tips for Successful Container Gardening

Friday, 22. January 2010 - 9:24 pm | No comments »

Here are several tips for creating a wonderful hanging basket or container this summer. The first is to use an artificial soil composed mostly of peat moss. Good soils such as Fafard or Pro-Mix use perlite, peat, and other ingredients to produce a soil that will not compact over the summer. Real garden soil compacts and turns into concrete under the pressure of regular watering. And when it does, plant roots stop growing because they require good open spaces to move into and absorb nutrients. Hard, compacted soils do not grow good plants so do not use real soil in your containers. I re-use my artificial potting soil from year to year. I dump it out of the pot. Chew it up with a shovel to cut up all last year’s roots and add approximately 10 % by volume of compost. The compost increases air spaces and gives plants a boost in healthy nutrition.

Feed your plants weekly. Nitrogen, the engine of plant growth, is water soluble and as you water your containers from the top the dissolved nitrogen is leaving from the bottom. I use a fish-emulsion liquid feed with seaweed to provide all the trace nutrients my plants require and recommend it highly. You can use any liquid plant food (like Miracle Grow or Shultz) to promote growth. Compost tea is the Cadillac of liquid plant food and if you make your own compost tea, your plants will respond with bigger and better blooms as well as increased vigour.

And finally, no matter the size of the container, it is important to soak it all the way to the bottom at each watering. Continue watering until water emerges from the pot bottom. This ensures the roots can reach all parts of the container and grow properly.

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Riddex Pest Repeller

Tuesday, 8. December 2009 - 8:00 pm | No comments »

If you are tired by using sprays and drugs to kill the pesticide and you are still facing them then you should try Riddex digital repellers that can be used in homes, gardens or offices to get rid of the pesticides like flies, cockroaches, ants, mice and many others. This electronic repeller works in the same way as the other devices that release electromagnetic waves which will start to irritate these pests and force them to leave the place due to the discomfort. You can use this repeller anywhere you like to because it does not harm humans. Sometimes, people ask question that these repellers really work and the answer is yes they do work by making changes in your wiring which continuously provide discomfort to these creatures and at the end, they go away from your place.

The usual range of frequency for these repellers to work is about 20,000 square feet but you can optimize its performance using huge devices if your house is bigger.

There is another concern about this product which is the cost. People usually think that it is very expensive but it only costs you about nineteen dollars which is really affordable and is much more less than all the sprays, drugs and powders you use to keep pest away from your home. You only need to do one time expense and leave the rest on the device. It will make your home, your garden or your office bugs free. This device also works on the mouse, rodents and frogs and they all can not bear such high frequency waves and as a result, they leave your area and go at some else place.

The best feature of pest repeller is that it is totally safe on your pets. Unlike, other devices which can create problems for your pets, this device has nothing to harm the pets, so you can use it without any fear in order to keep all pesticides away from you and your family. Another advantage of using repeller is that it does not release any harmful chemicals and it is safe to breathe in the air near these gadgets. They are not only safe for your pet’s life but they are also safe for humans.

If you really want to get rid of the pesticides of your house, you must give this electronic repeller a try to make sure that you get all benefits of this device because you are paying a cost for buying this device. But one thing is for sure that this device is going to work for you as it is specially designed and the waves it is releasing are in frequency which can annoy the pesticides and they can not survive in the environment from where they are getting constant torture and they are going to leave the place immediately. So fear not and go and get the device straight at your place where you want to use it to protect yourself against pesticides who are creating troubles for you every time.

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Ultrasonic Dog repellent

Tuesday, 8. December 2009 - 5:21 pm | No comments »

Ultrasonic dog repellent help you to get rid of the dogs who viciously bark at you and anyone coming at your home. We all know that dogs are best companions of the men in animal kingdom but still there are some unfriendly dogs which can cause harm to the humans. Anyone can meet with these dogs when we going out to walk or walking in the street at night. These dogs make life miserable and their bark seems threatening whenever you cross them. Sometimes, you can get away from them by shooing them but most of the time; they do not stop following you. From these wandering dogs, everyone can get scared even all of those people who think themselves as the bravest because barking dogs are really dangerous.

If you are doing a job in which you have to wander from street to street and house to house, you might face such problems everyday and may be you are tired of the stray dogs barking at you without any reason.

Sometimes, you try to throw things on the dogs who are annoying or growling at you but these dogs can bite you if you do such acts so what is the way to get rid of these barking dogs? The answer is very simple perhaps it is the most effective way to get rid of such dogs. You can use the dog repellent to push these dogs away from you. There are many repellent available in the market in different forms which you can buy to keep away them. You can find out repellent sprays, maze, or dog mace etc but in all these products, the best thing is the ultrasonic repellent which is not only used to get away dogs from you but they can be used for training the dogs as you want to. It is basically a device which releases the rays in the frequency of about 20,000 to 25,000 Hz which dogs can feel and they start to obey you. This frequency is going to irritate dogs and they will stop barking at you and will go on their way silently but this frequency can not harm humans.

For using this device, you only have to switch on the button on the device and direct it towards the dog who is barking at you and it will start working as the dog would get disturbed by the ray’s pressure and will leave your way. The LED ray that is coming out of this device can also used to confuse the dogs. You can also use this device for the cats as well.
Although, this device can not harm humans but still you should not direct it towards humans and you should avoid using it on your home pet to check the behavior of the device on them. Only use this device to scare the dog who is annoying you and do not use it on other dogs and cats.

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