Garden design software allows you to put in the dimensions of your property, including the locations of buildings and trees, and then takes you through a step by step process of planning your finished project. If you are a not a computer whiz, there is one important thing to remember. "Help" is there to help you. If you get stuck, click on the help button and do a search to get the advice you need to get you out of your rut. If there is a tutorial, use it!

If you find yourself overwhelmed, start with just a small area. You can work your way up to designing your whole property. You don't have to be too precise either. It is ok to estimate building location, distances, and the size and shape of your property. The goal is to get a good idea of what you want. You don't have to be exact.

source - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/731089/the_advantages_of_using_gardening_design.html?cat=32

Read also about Charbroil patio fireplaces.

It is the minimum distance between your antique fireplace andirons and all homes or other structures must be observed.Most cities will also need to obtain a building before construction.They need and want attractive routes to the main living and play areas.This can be permanent or movable.Brick and stone give a homely, more natural appearance than concrete, but might be smoother safer.

Mulches are softer, but must be constantly renewed.For safety's sake, buying a prefabricated outdoor fireplace, which is sitting on a permanent basis.Thus, the risk of a chimney is to eliminate fire from an improperly constructed fireplace.The purchase of a prefabricated fireplace is also to facilitate the issuance of a building permit at City Hall.

Check out the manufacturer's instructions for the recommended size foundation.In general, you want to be a concrete slab foundation, 4-6 cm thick and is cast wider to also 8-10 inch than the footprint of the fire.A broader foundation will continue to protect against accidental damage from the fire.

During construction of a clay chiminea is beyond the abilities of most homeowners to install a prefabricated fireplace set on a permanent basis is within the range of most do-it-yourself enthusiasts.Before you make your outdoor fireplace, it is important to research the applicable codes or restrictions that may limit your building plans.

A good selection of fireplace accessories. These wood fireplace screens are the first line of defense while using a homeowner has a fireplace.There are a large number of heart-tools now widely used for maintenance and cleaning of the chimney. In addition, you can also andirons and a pair of bellows to give an old feel. .The objects that are contained in a fireplace tools are a broom, shovel and poker.The brush is used to clean the inner part of the fire and the scoop is used to remove the ash from her.The poker is to maintain the logs on the fire.

Yes, these creations are designed to burn, while providing heat inside logs, but they can sometimes get out of control.The fireplace screens help ensure that they do not.Operating a fire without an understanding of basic safety standards and maintenance is not recommended.

Each type of selection of accessories and screens only add to the warm effect of the adjustment.These items are as grains, as they are decorative.The people are perhaps not even to light the fire, but everyone loves accessorizing their fireplaces.

The tools make it easy for you to create and continue to fire.To give a unique touch, they will be coordinated with other wood patio fire-pits good accessories.You should apply to the purchase of the tool, as it will allow you to start a fire set thinking.A good selection of fireplace accessories should always be placed next to a fire if their operation.

If small children are present if one considers this to prevent storage on the mantelpiece to front pokers random weapons.After a fire, a good way to atmosphere, to add a house.It is with some responsibility to come but.Smart homeowners ensure that safety comes first.From the fireplace screen to the right maintenance plan, an ounce of prevention in this supply is absolutely worth more than a pound of healing.

Garage heaters portable devices
First, this assumes that you are not using your garage as a dumping ground for infomercial items you purchase and then stored in the garage.If you do this, we probably do not already have a workspace set up.I suggest strongly to have a yard sale and see if you can sell some of these items and then use the space for something constructive.Keep warning, if you work and have children hold companies around a garage heater portable model.A small operation in a closed area of heating can cause a fire.Read also run the manual to learn more about a garage gas heating and a garage heater propane learn.When you check an older model garage heating, to see how it functions from overheating.A toggle switch is a good safety feature: It is the garage heater off if it tips over.

* One of the most popular devices available today Enerco garage heater. Priced at $349. 00, this is a powerful heating system is perfect for your garage.It can compare up to 500 square feet garage space heat and you can read and more portable by exploring the garage heating options.* Another popular model is the cozy Direct Vent Heater.The durability and safety features have to give most consumers attracted to this model two thumbs up.

You can use next types of garage heaters:

1. Reznor gas garage heaters
2. Reddy heaters for garage
3. Hot Dawg garage heaters

* Finally, boasts of the 16 380 BTU Electric Garage Heater powerful durability, while the rapid heating of your garage.It is best to compare BTUs and other factors.Of course, this is not the only available units on the market today.You have the choice between the garage gas heating, electricity, heating and garage and propane units.Make sure to check online to determine the appropriate heating unit based on the size of your garage, the wattage required ventilation and other safety issues.

Research, such as a garage heated thoroughly to ensure that you are fully trained to install the type of garage heaters portable device.

Water Features

A water feature can make a striking addition to your landscaping, this not only add interest but to create soothing sounds that can provide a relaxing atmosphere to relax after a long hectic day.Water features can be designed to fit any size or shape and almost any landscape.They can be formal and well defined or naturalistic and informal in appearance.A characteristic of water may play a dominant role in the design of the garden or it can be discreetly placed as an element of surprise.Whether running water or even water games allow you to bring the natural beauty in your garden.

Know how - How to clean fireplace chimney?

There are many different styles to choose from, and most are readily available in garden centers and retailers in the pond.Before implementing any type of water features in the garden, you should always plan ahead.Determine the style and purpose of both the garden and pond.Do not forget to consider security, especially for those with children and animals.The style and purpose of the garden are important in determining the location of your pond and the outline of the landscape.
For example, a sloping landscape is ideal for integrating a waterfall feature.As with any model of gardening, you want to carefully integrate the water with your environment.Implementing the wrong type of water feature can make it appear in its place.Generally, whatever the water feature that you choose must be kept clear of trees and windy areas.Also, consider the effect you want to create, like a bubbling, spraying, trickling fountain or cascading waterfalls.

See more on http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46429/water_features_for_gardening.html?cat=32

Gardening tips - all about size and shapes

Now some tips for your home gardening. The original square foot unit is 4x4ft, 16 sq ft, which can supply one person with vegetables and salads. But many gardeners have found this square block unwieldy. Some people use 3x3ft blocks instead, and this seems to have become a standard size for school gardens using the square foot system.

We've found 3ft-wide beds are too wide, 30" is about the maximum for easy access, though if they're only 3ft long as well, there's access all round.

We adapted the square foot principle to the space we had, as many do, and ended up with two long adjacent beds and several other smaller ones.

We prefer long beds in general (like the traditional Chinese farmers in the local villages), and this is what we recommend: units consisting of two adjacent beds, each 2ft wide and 8ft long, with a 15"-wide path between and around them. This is enough for two people, or if you want more or there are three of you, make two units with 6ft-long beds instead of 8ft, or two units with 8ft-long beds, and so on. Paths should normally be wider, wide enough for a wheelbarrow, but these beds are short, so save space and use buckets if you need to.

Square foot beds face the sun, so there's a front and a back. At the back there's a trellis for climbers (see below), so if you want to make ranks of units, one behind another, they'll have to be quite far apart to allow the sun to reach the rear ones over the trellises in front. You'll have to figure it out. Otherwise have them in line. Or both. Or scatter them about wherever you can fit them in.

The sides in your home garden

The beds are now too high to stand on their own, and making sloping sides that will not fall down will greatly reduce the surface area. Some gardeners make rounded mounds and use the whole area.

Better to board up the beds so the sides are sheer and stable, with the whole surface area to grow in.

There's a great debate over which kind of boards are best. We think free boards are best -- recycled container pallets will do, or thicker boards if you can get them. Don't use pressure-treated lumber! It's got arsenic in it and other toxins, and no matter what they might tell you, it will leach out and get into your plants, and quite possibly into you too. There's another debate on how to weatherproof them. Don't use creosote! -- it's a plant poison. Paint or spray them with vegetable oil, or, better, linseed oil. Some linseed oil has toxic preservatives added -- check the label (or use food-grade flaxseed oil, it's the same thing). Or try this 100-year-old recipe for "Everlasting Fence Posts":

"Take boiled linseed oil and stir in it pulverized charcoal to the consistency of paint. Put a coat of this over the timber, and there is not a man that will live to see it rotten." (From "Lee's Priceless Recipes" 1895)

The sides should be about 12-15" high, but use your judgment. When you've built them, spread a third layer of compost on top and hoe it in lightly to condition the path soil. The soil will settle a bit in time, but it should still leave your plants with an easy root depth of about two feet of highly fertile soil to wiggle their toes in. This will support the kind of cropping intensity and crop quality you require from a square foot garden.

Put more boards on the paths, or flagstones, or gravel. Or fill them with dead leaves or mulch (top up as it sinks). All these will help protect the soil from compaction as you walk on it, while mulching will steadily enrich it -- useful space for deep-rooting vegetables.

Gardening

 

 

Indoor vegetable gardening

Growing plants indoors is especially fun and rewarding. When you are able to eat delicious vegetables from your plants it is even more exciting. Indoor gardening is a wonderful tool for those who have very little space and for those who are unable to bend. Indoor gardeners also love the fact that there is very little weed problem, no hot sun shining down on them, and it is so much easier to have good soil without covering a large area.

Indoor vegetables can be grown easily in any pot or container. Plastic is less expensive usually, but anything will work. Plastic gets hotter than ceramic containers. Ceramic containers seem to be the favorite among indoor gardeners. The most important part of the container is making sure that there is drainage in the bottom. If you are using plastic or metal containers, using an ice pick or another sharp object easily makes holes.

Different gardeners will tell you different ingredients to prepare the best soil. The soil should be lightweight and drain well. A mix that works well is and equal amount by volume of silica, sand, perlite and forest mulch. There is another favorite of equal parts of sharp coarse sand, native soil and compost or peat moss. If your vegetables are growing in hanging containers, you will need a light mix of equal parts of perlite, black peat moss and vermiculite. All nurseries also have premixed mixers, but you will pay a little more for these.

Getting the containers ready for planting is easy. After you have established the fact that there is adequate drainage, add the mixed soil. The soil should be lightly packed. If the soil is packed too tightly, there will be problems with root development, drainage and aeration. When you fill the container with soil, make sure there is between one and two inches of space at the top for watering.

It is best to stick with the same basic schedule for indoor gardening as you do with outdoor gardening for when to plant which vegetables. You can start vegetables from seed much easier indoors because you don’t have to wait for certain weather conditions. As the seeds sprout, make sure that you thin them. One squash or broccoli seed will make a very large plant. Starting your indoor gardens from nursery purchased plants is fun because you have instant beauty in your containers.

Cherry tomatoes are especially fun. They will continue to grow for a very long time as you continue to pick off the little tomatoes. They are very pretty. They can be grown with or without stakes to hold them up, depending on your preference.

Herbs are another favorite for indoor gardeners. They are perfect for container gardening. Many of them are very attractive and will spill over the containers. Most also have a very fragrant odor. Mint, rosemary, chives and cilantro grow best in the cooler months. They can be grown from cuttings, seed or transplants.

Plant stands are an excellent way to show off your indoor gardens. They come in many varieties so let your imagination run wild. Plant stands can be easily made with bricks and any boards. Window sills, ladders, ledges, shelves, tables, and just about anything, can be used to make a beautiful indoor garden.

Garage sales are a perfect way to purchase inexpensive plant containers. If you decide to paint your containers, make sure that you only paint the outside. Painting the inside could contaminate the soil and give you all kinds of growing problems. If you are using spray paint, make sure that you cover the top of your container while painting. Sponge painting is an excellent way to decorate your containers. Take any sponge one half to one inch thick, cut into any shape, dampen the sponge and dip lightly into any ceramic coat paint. Most people use too much paint in sponge painting . Sponge a couple of times onto another surface first before sponging your containers. Your indoor garden becomes a bright, lovely area with a little paint.

The only downside that is usually found in indoor gardening is the watering. Plants grown in containers need more care and more attention than plants grown outside. Outside you can use timers and irrigate with drip systems. Indoor gardeners need to water by hand and more frequently because plants dry out faster in containers. If you are patio gardening, this is especially important. Sometimes new, small plants have to be watered more than once a day.

Enjoy your indoor gardening. It’s fun, inexpensive and rewarding.

Gardening 
 

Cement for gardening design

You can have a small square foot garden on a balcony, a bigger one on a rooftop. Check the weight considerations for your rooftop, and it might be wise to check the local by-laws.

A square foot unit measuring 16 sq ft and 12 inches deep will weigh somewhere around 300 kg, depending on the soil, the water content, etc.

You can break up a unit any way you like to fit the space available, right down to single one-foot squares, in boxes or baskets or whatever containers you can find. It then merges with container gardening.

If you use beds, say two 2x4ft beds with wooden sides, you can just stand them on the cement. If the soil is rich and 12" deep your plants will thrive, and the beds won't leak unless there's a real storm. It might stain the cement underneath, and if that bothers you, try putting them in big wooden trays covered with two thicknesses of heavy-duty plastic.

Gardening

Gardening design - trellises

Standard square foot trellises at the rear of each unit are a simple hoop made of electrical conduit pipe, two sides and a top, with wires or string running from the top bar to the ground every foot for the plants to cling to (or be tied to).

This is a neat system, but you can use whatever you like, as long as it fills the function. We use bamboo. The standard height is 6ft, but our last tomato crop went up nearly 12ft, and so did the cucumbers, and the beans appreciated as much height as they could get. Higher is better -- if it's needed it'll be there, if not it won't be in the way.

 Gardening

Benefits of hydroponic gardening

 

Hydroponics is proved to have several advantages over soil gardening. The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30-50 percent faster than a soil plant, grown under the same conditions. The yield of the plant is also greater. Scientists believe that there are several reasons for the drastic differences between hydroponic and soil plants. The extra oxygen in the hydroponic growing mediums helps to stimulate root growth. Plants with ample oxygen in the root system also absorb nutrients faster. The nutrients in a hydroponic system are mixed with the water and sent directly to the root system. The plant does not have to search in the soil for the nutrients that it requires. Those nutrients are being delivered to the plant several times per day. The hydroponic plant requires very little energy to find and break down food. The plant then uses this saved energy to grow faster and to produce more fruit. Hydroponic plants also have fewer problems with bug infestations, funguses and disease. In general, plants grown hydroponically are healthier and happier plants.

Hydroponic gardening also offers several benefits to our environment. Hydroponic gardening uses considerably less water than soil gardening, because of the constant reuse the nutrient solutions. Due to lack of necessity, fewer pesticides are used on hydroponic crops. Since hydroponic gardening systems use no topsoil, topsoil erosion isn't even an issue. Although, if agricultural trends continue to erode topsoil and waste water, hydroponics may soon be our only solution.

Hydroponic system, Gardening

Buying a hydroponic system or building a system

 

This is the most asked question relating to hydroponics. Should I buy one or build one? This author recommends a little of both. If you have an engineer's mind and dream of building your own hydroponic system, buy one first! Getting an inexpensive system will allow you to get your feet wet and give you a better understanding of how hydroponics works. The hands on experience is worth the cost of the system and chances are, you will be able to reuse the parts in that system when you set out to build your own.

If you would rather get right into building your own, do your research. Get all the information you can and don't rely on just one source. This is a constantly changing industry and there are many books still on the shelves that are already outdated. Building your own system can be very rewarding or extremely frustrating. It's mostly trial and error so, be patient.

Hydroponic gardening is the wave of the future. It is currently being studied in classrooms around the country, local horticultural societies and in government funded research at major universities and NASA. It is also becoming a popular hobby. Hydroponics is fun, exciting and easy to get involved in.

 Hydroponic System, Gardening

Flower Garden - Early Blooming Flowers

 

Gardeners in cold climates can still enjoy colorful flowers in the garden as early as March and even February in some areas, even when there is still snow on the ground. How early certain bulbs, perennials and shrubs will bloom varies from one zone to the next, and even on the location within your own garden (depending on sun, shelter, etc.). The following list is by no means exhaustive, but will give you ideas for some early bloomers that are good bets for producing flowers in late winter and early spring.

EARLY BLOOMING BULBS
Plant these tiny early risers in the fall for late winter/early spring blooms. They will bloom well before your daffodils and tulips.

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa gigantea)
Flower: Blue, Pink, or White
Height: approx. 4 inches

Siberian Squill ( Scilla sibirica)
Flower: Blue or White
Height: approx. 5 inches

Snow Crocus (Crocus chrysanthus)
Flower: White, Gold, Blue or Purple
Height: approx. 4 inches

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)
Flower: White
Height: approx. 4 inches

Winter Aconite (Eranthus Hyemalis)
Flower: Yellow
Height: approx. 4 inches

EARLY BLOOMING PERENNIALS
As soon as the snow melts (and sometimes even earlier) these hardy perennials spring into action.

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectablis, D. eximia, D. formosana)
Flower: Red, Pink, or White
Height: varies with species
Hardy to Zone 3
Full shade to Partial Sun

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Flower: White
Height: 6 to 8 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Primrose (Primula denticulata, P. vulgaris, P. veris)
Flower: White, Pink, Yellow, or Purple
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Hardy to Zone 5
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)
Flower: White, Pink, or Purple
Height: 12 to 18 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Flower: White or Purple
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun

Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
Flower: Blue, Purple, or Pink
Height: 6 to 8 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun