Compost is one of the easiest was to keep your lawn healthy and green. This is preferable because it's safe and organic. Your are not constantly adding chemical based fertilizers to your lawn or garden. It is best to compost your lawn or garden 2 to 3 times a year.
Compast is great fertilizer because besides having nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus it often has trace elements in it. You normally do not find trace elements in commercial fertilizers.
Some additional benefits to using compost are:
Compost will not burn your grass
Compost won't smell smell as old manure-based fertilizers do
Compost won't stain your concrete or brick walkways
Compost works fast
Compast is not expensive compared to commercial fertilizers
So lets get started
Step 1
Start with good, fine-textured compost. Garden centers carrry good, bagged compost that is ready to use. You can also use home made compost if you have some that you have produced yourself. You just must make sure that it is fine textured so it will rake out evenly without leaving clumps. I suggest using some fine hardware screen to sift out the lumps with.
Step 2
Spread the Compost
You can use a shovel or just start dumping the compost out of the bag around your lawn. Do not apply it thickly.
Step 3
With a flexible garden rack spread out the compost over your lawn until it is about 1/4" thick. You want a fairly thin layer. Do not apply it much thicker thinking the more is better. This will only cause you problems such as smothering your grass.
When you are done racking you should not see very much compost showing through the grass.
Step 4
Water It In and Don't Mow your Lawn for One Week
Once you have racked a nice thin evenly applied layer of compost, water it in for 15 to 20 minutes.
Take care of your lawn as you normally do, applying water regularly. Do not mow your lawn for about 1 week. This is allow the compost 7 to 8 days to break down and release its nutrients. After one week you can return to mowing your lawn just as you regularly would.
Thats It!
If you compost your lawn 2 or 3 times a year, it will be very lush and healthy. You will never want to use regular chemical lawn fertilizers again. If you are looking for an organic way to ahve a healthier lawn, this is it.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Using Newspaper to Control Weeds
To save money instead of puchasing expensive landscape cloth, herbicides or spending hours on your hands and knees pulling weeds plain old newspapers are a great way to control weeds. Use several sheets of newspaper the same way you would a landscape cloth. Cover the newspaper with soil, mulch, grass clippings or landscape stones. The newspapers allow moisture into the soil and blocks weeds for 3 years or more. The thicker the newspaper is applied the longer it will last. Over time the newspaper will compost into the soil. Also you can run old newspaper through your paper shredder and add it to your compost pile. The shredded paper will compast within a few weeks.
How to attract Hummingbirds
If the birding world had a rock star, it would be the hummingbird. Swift, tiny, secretive and simply amazing to watch, "hummers" are so hard to spot that catching a glimpse of one can be a summer experience you'll long remember. But you don't have to be an avid birder to be thrilled by the sight of a hummingbird.
Hummingbirds can be found across the country, with ruby-throated hummingbirds common east of the Rocky Mountains and a dozen or more species common in western regions. To maximize your chances of seeing a hummingbird this summer, take a few simple steps to attract them to your backyard, where you can enjoy them at your leisure.
In spring, hummingbirds return from their tropical winter retreats in Central and South America, and this is the best time to attract them to your backyard. Like all wild birds, hummers have three basic requirements to make a place their home - access to food, water and a good nesting spot.
Offering nectar-rich flowers and feeders is a good start. But you also need suitable habitat that provides sheltered perches and good nesting places, encouraging females to raise their young.
Research shows that these tiny birds have a remarkable memory and frequently return to the same hospitable sites on the same day of each year. If you feed consistently, you may have return visitors, especially during spring and fall migrations. If you can get them to nest nearby, too, you'll have fledglings who also may remember your address in years to come.
Female hummers typically settle in deciduous trees over a clearing or stream. They fashion their nests from sticky spider webbing, using lichen to camouflage the exterior and soft plant fibers to cushion the interior. It's probably not practical for the average hummingbird fan to stock spider webs and lichens in their yard. But there is a man-made alternative.
Hummer Helper is the first commercially available product that has proven appealing to hummingbirds. Introduced by Songbird Essentials, the all-natural material (specially processed with oil left in) is contained in a wire frame painted red to attract a hummingbird's eye.
The product is endorsed by the Hummingbird Society (hummingbirdsociety.org), an Arizona-based advocacy group. In the March 2009 edition of the society's journal, Executive Director Ross Hawkins reported watching females at work gathering the material. "We recommend 'Hummer Helper,'" he wrote. "It has the potential to help bring in more hummers, close by where you can observe them, and to increase the odds that they will nest near you."
To start attracting hummers, hang a small feeder. Nectar mixes are available, but it's easy to make your own. Use four parts tap water to one part ordinary table sugar, heated until dissolved. Red coloring isn't necessary.
Increase the visibility of new feeders by hanging red ribbons nearby. The hummingbird's high metabolism drives it to feed about every 10 minutes, and it examines every square yard in its range for food, experts say.
Keeping the feeder clean and the nectar refreshed is critical. Spoiled solutions can turn to alcohol and support mold, both harmful to the tiny birds. In cool weather, fluid can be left for five to seven days, but during hot spells it should be replaced every two days.
For easy cleaning, pick up a specialized brush like Songbird's "Best Hummer Brush." Don't use soap or detergents, which can be hard to rinse thoroughly. A solution of ordinary white vinegar is a good non-toxic cleaner.
Two other handy accessories are a water-filled nectar protector ant moat, hung above feeders to keep ants at bay, and an overhead protector like Songbird's Hummer Helmet to keep rain water from diluting nectar solutions. While its shade helps keep nectar fresh longer, the red color acts as a big red "Food Here" sign. Songbird products are sold through outlets catering to birders.
To learn more about hummingbird research, visit the Hummer Bird Study Group at www.hummingbirdsplus.org.
The above is thanks to Mel Tellner "The Birdman"
Hummingbird feeders can be found at www.gardenaccentheaven.com
Hummingbirds can be found across the country, with ruby-throated hummingbirds common east of the Rocky Mountains and a dozen or more species common in western regions. To maximize your chances of seeing a hummingbird this summer, take a few simple steps to attract them to your backyard, where you can enjoy them at your leisure.
In spring, hummingbirds return from their tropical winter retreats in Central and South America, and this is the best time to attract them to your backyard. Like all wild birds, hummers have three basic requirements to make a place their home - access to food, water and a good nesting spot.
Offering nectar-rich flowers and feeders is a good start. But you also need suitable habitat that provides sheltered perches and good nesting places, encouraging females to raise their young.
Research shows that these tiny birds have a remarkable memory and frequently return to the same hospitable sites on the same day of each year. If you feed consistently, you may have return visitors, especially during spring and fall migrations. If you can get them to nest nearby, too, you'll have fledglings who also may remember your address in years to come.
Female hummers typically settle in deciduous trees over a clearing or stream. They fashion their nests from sticky spider webbing, using lichen to camouflage the exterior and soft plant fibers to cushion the interior. It's probably not practical for the average hummingbird fan to stock spider webs and lichens in their yard. But there is a man-made alternative.
Hummer Helper is the first commercially available product that has proven appealing to hummingbirds. Introduced by Songbird Essentials, the all-natural material (specially processed with oil left in) is contained in a wire frame painted red to attract a hummingbird's eye.
The product is endorsed by the Hummingbird Society (hummingbirdsociety.org), an Arizona-based advocacy group. In the March 2009 edition of the society's journal, Executive Director Ross Hawkins reported watching females at work gathering the material. "We recommend 'Hummer Helper,'" he wrote. "It has the potential to help bring in more hummers, close by where you can observe them, and to increase the odds that they will nest near you."
To start attracting hummers, hang a small feeder. Nectar mixes are available, but it's easy to make your own. Use four parts tap water to one part ordinary table sugar, heated until dissolved. Red coloring isn't necessary.
Increase the visibility of new feeders by hanging red ribbons nearby. The hummingbird's high metabolism drives it to feed about every 10 minutes, and it examines every square yard in its range for food, experts say.
Keeping the feeder clean and the nectar refreshed is critical. Spoiled solutions can turn to alcohol and support mold, both harmful to the tiny birds. In cool weather, fluid can be left for five to seven days, but during hot spells it should be replaced every two days.
For easy cleaning, pick up a specialized brush like Songbird's "Best Hummer Brush." Don't use soap or detergents, which can be hard to rinse thoroughly. A solution of ordinary white vinegar is a good non-toxic cleaner.
Two other handy accessories are a water-filled nectar protector ant moat, hung above feeders to keep ants at bay, and an overhead protector like Songbird's Hummer Helmet to keep rain water from diluting nectar solutions. While its shade helps keep nectar fresh longer, the red color acts as a big red "Food Here" sign. Songbird products are sold through outlets catering to birders.
To learn more about hummingbird research, visit the Hummer Bird Study Group at www.hummingbirdsplus.org.
The above is thanks to Mel Tellner "The Birdman"
Hummingbird feeders can be found at www.gardenaccentheaven.com
Sunday, June 14, 2009
History of Gnomes
At GardenAccentHeaven.com we feature the Kimmel line of high quality gnomes that are made in the USA. The following is the history of gnomes from the experts at Kimmel.
The first clay German Garden Gnome ("der Gartenzwerg") was made in Graeferoda, Thuringia, Germany in the 1800's. The first recorded appearance of a Garden Gnome in England was around 1840 at the estate of Sir Charles Isham, the 10th Baronet of Lamport Hall.
The first two individuals to produce Gnomes in quantity were Philipp Griebel and August Heissner around 1872, with Heissner Gnomes being the most well known throughout the world. Gnomes were, and still are, considered to be more then decorations. It is good luck to place a Gnome in the home and garden.
With the advent of war all of the German Gnome manufacturers dissappeared, their workshops and factories taken over and used for other purposes by the military. During the 60's, a few companies sprang up producing plastic Gnomes that were much easier and cost effective to make and mass produce.
To date, there is only one company, 'Kimmel Gnomes', that exclusively manufactures high quality, handmade clay Garden Gnomes. With new designs and careful reproductions of rare antique Gnomes, Kimmel Gnomes is leading the way and keeping a charming, much loved tradition alive in gardens around the world. View 'Kimmel Gnomes' at www.GardenAccentHeaven.com
The first clay German Garden Gnome ("der Gartenzwerg") was made in Graeferoda, Thuringia, Germany in the 1800's. The first recorded appearance of a Garden Gnome in England was around 1840 at the estate of Sir Charles Isham, the 10th Baronet of Lamport Hall.
The first two individuals to produce Gnomes in quantity were Philipp Griebel and August Heissner around 1872, with Heissner Gnomes being the most well known throughout the world. Gnomes were, and still are, considered to be more then decorations. It is good luck to place a Gnome in the home and garden.
With the advent of war all of the German Gnome manufacturers dissappeared, their workshops and factories taken over and used for other purposes by the military. During the 60's, a few companies sprang up producing plastic Gnomes that were much easier and cost effective to make and mass produce.
To date, there is only one company, 'Kimmel Gnomes', that exclusively manufactures high quality, handmade clay Garden Gnomes. With new designs and careful reproductions of rare antique Gnomes, Kimmel Gnomes is leading the way and keeping a charming, much loved tradition alive in gardens around the world. View 'Kimmel Gnomes' at www.GardenAccentHeaven.com
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