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Even A Small Garden In Your Home Can Make A Difference

Human beings have ever depended on the trees and plants around them to provide food, clothing, shelter, medicine and above all oxygen. Now, various researches are increasingly revealing that plants and flowers can also contribute to better physical, mental and emotional health.

We can easily trace the fragility and beauty of life through flowers. They evoke and share the feelings of love, health, trust, age and the fleeting fragments of time. Flowers and people and flowers - they have been identified with each other through life's greatest and darkest moments.

Over the time, flowers have gained much importance in our daily lives and it has become part of our daily lives and we use them for all purposes such as to express something to someone, to greet, to congratulate, to welcome and most importantly for rituals and weddings. We place them even on graves.

Gardening of flowers has become an important aspect of our lives. A small garden filled with various kinds of flowers in front of our house is a delight to everyone. Everyone admires and even dream of such a house. If we have a special love for any flower then we can make it an everlasting beauty of our garden with innovative cultivation and enjoy the beauty of the flower of our choice even though the climate and other conditions are not quite favorable. But then if we want to divide the flowers on the basis of their life cycle then there will be three divisions, namely, annuals, biennials, and perennials though we can certainly go out of our way and plant flowers according to our choice.

Annual flowers complete their life cycle in one season so it is easily changeable and it also gives a bright color to our garden. These flowers are quite comfortable in the summer season and they are sun-lovers. Some names of flowers that can be grown in March and April - ageratum, aster, balsam, celosia, cone flower, cosmos, crotalaria, cypress vine, dahlia, floss flower, globe amaranth, gourds, marigolds, morning glory, nasturtium, petunias, rose-moss, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnia. There are also bright shade loving flowers like impatiens and bedding begonias.

Biennial flower plant
Flowers grow more during the fall and spring. The life cycle of biennial plants begins during the fall continues all through the winter season and ends at spring. During the fall the biennial plants produce only leaves. Then the winter period passes and they bloom in the spring, produce seeds, and then die. Some popular biennial plants include foxglove, hollyhock, stocks, and sweet williams. The only disadvantage of biennial flowers is that it produces too much of leaves.

Perennials are considered to be ornamental plants that do not die after one season of growth. This does not mean they live forever. In fact many perennials are considered to be short-lived, lasting only 2-3 years. Rose campion is a short lived perennial, but because it self-seeds so readily, it appears to live much longer. Some important perennials are; Pink Astilbe, Blue Pincushion Flower, Blue Perennial Sage, Purple Coralbells, Threadleaf Tickseed, Russian Sage, Blue Speedwell
Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and Purple-Leaved Beard-Tongue.

Practice Water Conservation With Irrigation And Mulch

As we near the end of summer and thoughts of getting our children back to school and making those last minute end of season trips abound, we also need to spend time on our lawns and making sure that it is prepped for the coming fall. Homeowners in today's green-conscious world have quickly turned more and more to the most efficient lawn care methods that will translate into savings for our wallets. Beyond saving money is water conservation, which affects both us and the environment we live in.

In this article, we will focus on irrigation and mulch, two areas of lawn care that should be considered for all homeowners with the desire to conserve and decrease water consumption and a cost-efficient way to cultivate the lawn and landscape.

Irrigation

Lawn sprinklers and irrigation systems are known to be quite wasteful, consuming two or three times more water than the water used indoors. Experts report that much of the water applied to a lawn is lost due to poor application practices, high evaporation, uneven distribution, and excessive runoff. To combat these lawn ails, an efficient irrigation (or sprinkler) system and watering schedule is necessary.

Irrigation Techniques

To make the best use of irrigation, divide your plants up into groups or zones with the same watering needs. Lawns, plants in containers, vegetable beds and fruit orchards may need more water than other plants such as trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs. Your irrigation system should reflect your different plants' watering requirements and only fulfill what is absolutely necessary to maintain your greenery. Be sure to understand your watering zones and check that these systems are not giving too much or too little water to the plants or lawn area.

An efficient watering system such as drip or soaker hoses can be used to minimize water loss through evaporation or runoff. Lawn experts further recommend that, for reducing evaporation, operate your irrigation system during the cooler hours of the early morning rather than during the heat of the day or in windy weather.

Turf would be best irrigated with sprinklers, since infrequent, but deep watering can encourage deeper root growth and greater tolerance of soil moisture fluctuations. Keep in mind that about 1.5 inches of water are needed per week for the summer. If you are not sure how much water your system is delivering to your plants, simply place a bowl or a cup in the area before the sprinkler system comes on then remove it when the system cuts off. Then all you have to do is measure the collected water. If this amount is more or less than the recommended amount, adjust your system accordingly.

Maintain Your System

It is important to not only make sure sure your irrigation is working efficiently to get your plants and lawn the water they need, but also crucial to check up on your irrigation system to be certain that it's functioning correctly. This includes checking the system for leaks, broken heads, faulty valves, and other malfunctions. You may also want to check that water isn't being misdirected onto sidewalks, driveways, or streets.

Mulch

Mulch can act as both a protection for your plants from the heat as well as an agent to trap and retain moisture. With water conservation a big issue for homeowners, mulch is more important than ever as a way to efficiently keep your plants healthy and protect from harsh conditions. Mulching helps to maintain a more consistent soil temperature and can also control weeds that may otherwise consume water meant for garden plants.

While you may not be able to control your water consumption all the time, you can definitely make an impact on both your water bill and your local community by following lawn care methods that are focused around water conservation and efficient cultivation methods.

Beautiful Flower Arrangements On Wedding Occasions

Wedding is the special occasion that brings two loved one together for entire life. It is the bond that is based on love, trust, respect and honesty. Special day which changes the life of man. The day which is not easy to forget. To make that special moment then the arrangements should also be special. At this time flowers plays a vital role in making the day special. Flowers have the power of expressing the feelings without saying anything. Flowers impart elegance along with beauty to that special day. Flowers form an integral part of wedding celebrations.

Wedding is the time when not only two souls are united but also is the union of two families into everlasting bond. To add some beautiful aroma to the wedding arrangement of sweet and lovely flowers is added advantage. Decorating the wedding place with flowers gives royal look. A single flower has the ability to add that extra amount of Freshness to the day. . All the flowers are beautiful and every kind of flower arrangement looks good, but then also certain things need to be kept in mind while making these flower arrangements. Wedding flowers need to be of special kind. There are so many different kinds of flower bouquets having different varieties of flowers with different colors. For imparting that look some of wedding flower arrangements is:

Hand-TiedOrLoose-Tied Bouquet in this design the stems of the flowers are shown which convey the greenery of the garden, thus giving the bouquet a casual look. The flowers are tied around the stems using ribbon or lace. The florists choose flowers like roses and sweet peas giving a beautiful look to the wedding bouquet. Silk Flower Arrangement, Artificial Flower Arrangement, Dried flower arrangement the unique smooth color adds to the charm of the decoration. Fresh Flower Arrangement the fragrance and tenderness they imbue makes the best for Wedding decoration. Exotic Flower Arrangement is in brilliant colors and basal nature. Add the refreshing beauty of exotic flowers. Table Flower Arrangement done for decorating table for making the day nice. One can also go for Japanese Flower arrangement it is special and quite different type of arranging flowers.

People can also give the touch of elegance to different place by making unique arrangements. If the theme of wedding is fusion then Contemporary Flower Arrangement. By combining tradition and contemporary ideas together. Rose Flower Arrangement is one of the most famous of the arrangements. For presence of rose it symbolizes love and affection. It fills the entire air with beauty of red color which is the color of everlasting bond. Then there are Centerpiece Flower Arrangement, Orchid Flower Arrangement, and Outdoor Flower Arrangement. Beautify the outdoor of the venue for special occasions by these flower arrangements. Append a charm to the entrance gate by decorating them with myriad colors of flowers. Floating Flower Arrangement in this tender petals floating in a beautiful bowl of water give an out of the world look. Daisy Flower Arrangement in this by choosing the right daisy flowers is additional advantage. Flowers and weddings make for a perfect combination of celebration with elegance. Wedding flowers need to be of special kind. For wedding it is the special occasion in the life of man. So making the wedding an everlasting decorating it with flowers can reveal many sweet feeling of love.

Selecting The Right Patio Furniture

There is nothing better than being able to sit back in comfortable patio furniture after a long day at work. Patio furniture has been a trendy outdoor addition for many years. With so many homes being built with decks and patios, you want to have the ability of taking advantage of them. By buying nice,furniture, you can. Patio furniture comes in a plethora of styles, colors, and materials, so no matter what the kind of home you occupy in or the size of your deck or patio, you will be able to find. The following information will aid you choose the ideal furniture so you can spend much needed time outdoors while lounging.

Comfort Patio furniture made today is not just trendy and stylish, it is comfortable. Whether exploring for something rustic, traditional, or modern you will find great varieties. many of the most popular varieties include sling chairs, double glider chairs, and swivel chairs.

Sling: The fresh sling-style chairs are the primary in exquisite appearance and sleek style. Fabric used for sling chairs is intended to dry fast making this the optimal choice for pool or beach side. Best of all, when this type of fabric becomes filthy, you can use a mild soap and water and have it cleaned in no time.

Versatility: Depending on your situation you might want to think about choosing patio furniture that can be relocated easily. Many options include wheels so you are able wheel the furniture from one area to another with little effort.

Clean Up: to reiterate, many of the options in the industry today include fabric that can be used with simple soap and water and no-rust aluminum frames for strength.

Height: Many customers overlook the importance of being able to gaze up at the stars while relaxing in patio furniture. One option is the novel balcony height chair, which lets you see abovethe balcony railing without having an obstruction as you gaze out over the ocean or look up to the tops of the mountains.

Face lift: If you have patio furniture that is still in nice but it looks old and worn, you can spray paint the metal and add new cushions, giving the furniture a needed make-over. Just be sure that you choose fabrics that are lasting as well as spray paint that is rust resistant.

Cover Up: If you've decided that you want great outdoor furniture but have hardly any time to give to its upkeep, you can buy covers that will conserve it during vicious weather. These covers keep fabric colors from becoming dingy, during the sweltering summer and protect the fabric from snow and rain. also, patio furniture covers are not pricey and can be obtained at most home improvement stores or gardening centers.

Growing Orchids For Your Home

Few plants evoke more attention than an orchid; once so rare and costly, their exclusive reputation still renders them precious. Orchids in a living room immediately seem to lift the area into another dimension of luxury and ease of living.

Many orchids will only have one bloom open at a time, yet people can gaze and appear mesmerized for several minutes whilst absorbing the intricate details of the bloom.

It is only fairly recently that people have thought about growing their own orchids, yet already 'orchid societies' have grown up all over North America to give advice, to offer orchid 'swaps' and encourage the growth of them.

If you have ever thought of growing and displaying your own orchids, then it is advisable to put them in an east or north window as they prefer bright, filtered sunlight. South windows are best shaded for orchids.

Orchids do not grow in soil, but rather in charcoal, fir bark, cork or stones. In the Tropics where they are quite common, it is not unusual to see an orchid growing proudly out of a tree trunk! Most of the mixes (i.e. stones, cork etc) for growing orchids are available in garden centers.

The room temperatures for the best orchid growth are 59F to 81F during the day and dropping to around 52F to 59F at night. (This is 15 C-27 C and 11C-16 Centigrade).

Some orchids will bloom and last for weeks and others will bloom twice a year. Although orchids usually only need watering once a week, they are humid plants and like a spray spritz every day.

Many of the orchid societies run a newsletter andsome have monthly meetings with guest speakers, a yearly show and many will offer tips on how to obtain, and grow, orchids.

There are over 30,000 different species of orchids in the world, but only certain ones are suitable for the window sills of North America.

The color of orchids are mostly bright and contrasting, although the pure white orchid is equally arresting. Orchids come in many varied and intricate designs and waiting for a new bloom to unfold has been known to excite the most reserved of people!

Orchids can be ordered mail order from the Internet and, in some cases, from the orchid societies. Beware though, it seems orchid ownership is like eating candy - one is never enough!




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