Garden pests are not hard to get rid of with a few simple precautions. Some successful gardeners use covered frames, which are wooden boxes covered with glass, cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. Glass and cloth coverings protect your plants from heat and cold. They also allow you to plant earlier than normal. Covered frames are used for vine veggies like cucumbers and melons.

You can protect other plants from pests like cut-worms by using a stiff collar. Collars are made of tin, cardboard or tar paper. Just place the collar around the stem of the plant for protection. It will dig into the soil about an inch or so to make it sturdy.

You can also spray your garden with poisons designed to kill pests. For this method, you'll need a spray. The best option is a compressed-air, hand-powered spray. You'll want to be sure it has a non-cloggable mist-making nozzle for easy cleanup.

For more extensive work, you'll want to get a barrel pump. Barrel pumps have wheels, making them easily mobile.

Be sure to get a brass sprayer or pump. Brass lasts longer and holds up better than cheaper metals. The cheaper ones tend to corrode easily from contact with chemicals.

High trees and vines are easy to spray with extension rods. You can buy these rods to fit almost any spray or pump.

If you do not have a spray, you can use a hand-syringe to apply the poison. Of course, a sprayer is a great investment. You can do more in less time, freeing you to enjoy other gardening work as well.

Tools for Harvesting

After the hard work of planting your garden, harvest day will arrive! Most small gardens can be harvested with a spade, hoe, or spading-fork. Larger gardens can be harvested with special tools that make your job a bit easier.

Use an onion harvester attachment with your double wheel hoe. This makes it easy to dig up veggies such as onions, beets, turnips and even spinach.

A hand plow helps loosen deep-growing vegetables like carrots and parsnips. Just run the hand-plow on either side of the row of veggies, and they'll come up easily.

Fruit trees can be harvested with a long handled, wire-fingered fruit picker.

Pruning Tools

In most cases, where pruning is done on a regular basis, a good jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears work nicely as pruning tools.

Plant Supports

Tidy up the look of your garden with stakes, trellises and wires. These supports are easy and convenient to use. With good storage, they'll last for several years.

Be sure to learn about the different gardening tools available. The right tools make gardening very enjoyable. Invest a little money up front, and your tools will last for several years. With each season, you can add another good tool and soon have a complete set to call your own. Remember, good tools make your gardening experience both profitable and fun! …

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Encouraging your children to spend more time playing outdoors is always a good idea. Outdoor play usually tends to be more active, ensuring that you’ll be helping your kids to exercise more. But are you worried that it will be difficult to convince them that playing in the garden can be fun?

This is a concern for many parents and it can be difficult to get the balance right. Many of us would like our children to exercise more and it’s difficult not to worry about their levels of activity. This is a particular concern at a time when a number of studies have shown that children aren’t exercising enough.

The problem is that many kids love to play video games these days – they often see alternative forms of play as being boring by comparison. That’s a shame and many of us will know that traditional toys and games can offer at least as much fun.

If you’re wanting your kids to get outside more then you’ll need to convince them that garden play can be fun. The key to achieving this is to find games that will excite and inspire them.

Fortunately this isn’t as difficult as it may sound. Many traditional games have been popular for years precisely because kids love them so much. Few children don’t enjoy the thrill of using a climbing frame or a slide, for instance.

It’s obviously important that you look for options that are suited to the space and budget that you have available to you. You’ll find that there are toys and games available that are suited to gardens of all sizes – you don’t need to spend masses of money either.

A good starting point is to make use of price comparison websites online. The best are likely to be those that specifically look at kids games. By using these sites you’ll quickly be able to establish where you can find the best deals on a variety of games.

Don’t forget that you can also use them to provide you with inspiration. You may well spot toys, games and activities that you wouldn’t otherwise have thought of using.

If you can find great games for your garden then you’ll be able to show your children that playing outside can be fun.…

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Thought about having a small container water garden for your patio or deck? Water gardening is a great hobby, but a container with aquatic plants and perhaps some fish will also look great greeting visitors by the front door. Here are some container water gardening ideas that will help you decide just how to create one or more.

A container water garden can be created using any type of container provided it is water sealed. A container that is not otherwise considered or designed to function as a fountain, must be fixed up so it can hold water and not deteriorate form being wet. Large ceramic pots work well as long as the insides are water sealed. Probably the most popular idea is to purchase a kit that uses a Whiskey Barrel design with a pre-formed plastic liner that fits inside to hold the water while still maintaining the rustic outer whiskey barrel appearance.

The larger the water surface area of the container, the more aquatic plants you can have. So you may want to get several containers and group them, perhaps even create a tiered grouping to create more visual interest and variety of heights. These container water gardening ideas ares also used when dealing with traditional containers for plants alone. You can work them in with your regular planting containers.

A container water garden should be designed primarily around the kind of aquatic plants you would like. You may want to create a Zen like container water garden with a low profile container with a single Lotus or single Water lily. The design principles of arranging plants in a conventional container apply to a water garden as well. Groupings of plants that provide contrast, a variety of textures and colors will add to its appeal. Select plants of different shapes and size and make sure you read about how large they grow and their tolerance to freezing temperatures. Also consider the balance of water surface to the plants so it doesn’t look crowded or overgrown.

If you add fish to your water garden, the volume of water the container can hold will be important. The more the volume the better as the temperature of the water will not undergo drastic extremes which most fish do not like. Mosquito fish however, can tolerate warm water quite well. If your container holds more than 20 gallons of water you can add any type of goldfish.

With the addition of fish, along with the plants, you are creating a mini ecosystem and as such, a harmonic balance must be achieved between the capacity of the bacteria in the container and the debris and waste contributed by the fish. Adequate oxygen levels must also be provided and so a small recirculating pump that has some kind of way to aerate the water should be included. This could also provide the element of sound and splashing. It will also disturb the water’s surface and prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

If you have ever …

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The perfect bodybuilding diet consists of 5 or 6 meals every day. That means that you should eat every 2 to 3 hours. At the end of the day you should have had nutrients from each of the food groups and pick foods that build muscle. To help you here are some sample meal plans you can start out with. Remember that you should consume 3 grams of carbs and 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound body weight daily.

Sample Meal Plan #1

Meal 1:

Vegetable omelet (3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 cup veggies) You can also add some chicken or lean beef if you want.

Meal 2:

One cup yogurt or a protein shake

Meal 3:

6 oz Chicken,

Small raw vegetable salad,

1 bagel

Meal 4:

1 piece fruit,

3-4 oz Chicken

Meal 5:

6 oz fish,

1 – Cup grilled veggies,

1 – Cup brown rice

Sample Meal Plan #2

Meal 1:

3 packs instant oatmeal,

1 banana,

1 cup of yogurt,

1 cup of cottage cheese

Meal 2:

Protein shake,

1 large baked potato

Meal 3:

8 ounces chicken breast,

2 cups pasta,

1 apple,

1 cup yogurt

Meal 4:

1 can of tuna,

1 – 2 cups broccoli

Meal 5:

Protein shake,

1 cup brown rice

Meal 6:

8 ounces broiled fish,

1 cup veggies,

2 cups rice

Sample Meal Plan #4

Meal 1:

Breakfast burrito (3 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled, 1 cup onion/green pepper mix, salsa),

1 cup cottage cheese,

1 cup berries,

Meal 2:

Protein shake,

1 cup raw veggies

Meal 3:

Salmon burger on whole wheat bun (canned salmon, 1 egg white, onions cooked in a non-stick fry pan),

1 large potato cut into strips, brushed with olive oil, and baked in oven until crispy,

1 garden salad drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar,

Meal 4:

Protein shake,

1 cup yogurt

Meal 5:

8 ounces chicken breast, cut into chunks, fried in olive oil and seasoned with oregano, garlic salt, and basil,

1 cup cooked tomatoes,

2 cups pasta,

1 cup broccoli/cauliflower mix

Meal 6:

Protein shake,

1 cup melon,

1 cup yogurt

There’s really no need to measure carefully for the portions suggested. This isn’t an exact science! Eyeball your portions and consider the following chart:

Portion/Size:

1 oz. meat = Matchbox,

3 oz. meat = Deck of cards,

8 oz. meat = Thin paperback book,

3 oz. fish = Checkbook,

1 oz. cheese = Four dice,

1 med. potato = Computer mouse,

2 tbsp. peanut butter = Ping pong ball,

1 cup pasta = Tennis ball,

1 bagel = Hockey puck

Of course, these are only suggested meal plans. You can mix it up as you want to. It’s a good idea to plan ahead and pre-cook your meals. Keep vegetables cut up in the refrigerator so you don’t have to work too hard at meal time.…

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Gardening advice is relatively easy to find and is not hard to come by. We can get the gardening advice from various sources such as gardeners, gardening catalogs, gardening books, gardening magazines and also on the Internet.

The thing to remember when you want to start gardening is to start small. We should always start with a small plant bed first, about 25 or 30 feet square which can accommodate for about 30 plants. This will allow you to try out your green thumb. If you like and enjoy your garden, then you can always expand and increase your planting.

Gardening must be done in an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight. We must choose a site with good soil. We can add mulch or compost as nutrients to the soil so that the plants will grow better.
Plants need to be fertilized through their growing season. The type of fertilizer we use will depend on the soil content and pH balance but fertilize will definitely be needed for most plants. Compost can be also be used. Just by adding a few inches of organic mulch will improve fertility and help the soil to hold moisture.

On watering the plants, it is a little more varied as every type of plant needs different amounts of water. The amount of water will also depend on where you live, the climate and how much rain your area receives. Watering is more effective during the cooler parts of the day. During the hottest periods, plants will need watering about 3 times per week. Never mindless, always make sure your plants receive enough water as it is essential for the plants to grow.
Plants need to be pruned from time to time. Pruning plays an important role in our garden maintenance. If you did a bad job while pruning, do not worry, treat it like a bad haircut. The plants will grow again.

Gardening is not an easy task as we have to fight against many outside forces such as weather, insects, disease and weeds. Most of the time, we are more concerned about how to get rid of insects and pests. When pests invade our garden and if we do not get rid of them, they will takeover and ruin our garden. There are many different chemicals and pesticides in the market that can be used. The methods use will depend on individual eg. which chemicals are better, which are harmful and which ones are easier to administrator.

Not many people are aware that gardening can actually harm the environment as a large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil. This will contribute to global warming. Cultivating and compacting the soil will destroy good fungi. Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out of the soil and pollute the water we drink. The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when titled. But we can minimize the tilting …

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The genus of the Ficus contains 800 species and 2000 varieties of trees, shrubs and vines. These plants are grown in many different climates including the tropical forest, the Middle East, Africa and the United States. With the wide array of ficus trees available, you can actually find them almost any place in the world.

The Common Fig tree is a ficus variety and can be traced back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, mentioned in Genesis. There are fig trees found and excavated outside of Jericho that are 11,400 years old! This find is the oldest cultivated crop of fig trees found to date. The ficus genus has existed for 60-80 million years! The Banyan species of ficus seems to replant itself as it grows, dips itself down into the earth, and shoots off new growth.

The fig and ficus trees have been produced for food, religious and practical uses. The fig fruit was part of the food found in the Promised Land – it was referred to as “honey”. Butterflies feed on figs, as do several other species. The soft wood of the ficus was used in Ancient Egypt to produce the caskets that mummies were later found in. Uganda used the bark of the ficus to make paper similar to the Egyptian papyrus. The fig/ficus is held sacred by Buddha; and in Islam and East Asia. The World Tree in the Hindu religion is of the Ashvastha species. As you can see – the ficus is quite common throughout history and this is just the top of the iceberg! Is it any wonder that the ficus, therefore, is considered a keystone species; meaning that many of the living rely on it for their existence?

The fig varieties come in two forms: the edible and inedible. The Common Fig is inedible, as the fruit is of the male and female variety. Only the female fruit is edible. The fig is formed as compressed, minute male and female flowers grown inside the “pod” and is considered an inside-out flower. Only one species of wasp per species of ficus can pollinate. For that reason, some ficus varieties never bloom because the tree outnumbers the wasp.

The ficus can be a bit hard to grow. The genus requires temperatures of 60-72º; only moist, not wet soil, and bright or filtered light. They can be an insidious plant, with high leaf-litter in season. With these varieties being this picky and hard to upkeep, they are still a good indoor plant.

The ficus works well indoors potted and with southern exposure. If you use a live one, leaves will still fall. Lifelike artificial Banyan, Rubber and Fig trees are available for purchase.

The artificial ficus varietals can be produced with natural wood trunks and polyester or silk leaves. The foliage can seem real enough that you may find someone watering your (fake) office plant! There is a wide range of sizes available for your artificial ficus. These will live forever …

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With many holidays approaching this year as well as birthdays and other occasions, you may find yourself at a loss for what to get some of the people on your list. If you have not considered it before, now is a great time to think about homemade gifts. Anyone can make a homemade gift, even if you've never seen yourself as the crafty type. There are homemade gift ideas to fit every craft experience level and there are even some that are great for children.

So why would you want to consider giving homemade gifts when it's so easy to just go out and buy something? There are many great benefits to giving a quality homemade gift over a store-bought gift. One benefit to you is that you can save money on homemade gifts. It also shows that you put more time and attention into the gift you are giving. In the times we live in, it may seem that most people already have everything they need or want. Buying gifts for people like this can seem difficult. Or what about the person in your family that you buy something for every year; do you feel like you are running out of ideas on what to get them?

A homemade or hand crafted gift solves all of these dilemmas. When something is crafted by hand, you can guarantee that it will be original and unique. Homemade gifts show the person you give them to that you care enough about them to take the time to make them something special. They also have the added benefit of being sentimental items that your receiver will want to keep for many years to come.

When they look at their homemade gift, they will think of you and the occasion you gave it to them on. It may conjure up good memories for them and reminders of special times. Many homemade gifts also become family heirlooms that get passed down for many generations. Great stories and memories often get passed along with them.

Some examples of homemade gifts include:

• Handmade greeting cards
• Wall decorations
• Scented potpourri
• Scrapbooks of a special event
• Garden stepping stones
• Pot holders
• And other accessories and décor items

Stay tuned to upcoming posts for some more great homemade gift ideas for every occasion! …

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