Over time our approach to the environment has changed and so has our tendency to indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemicals to maintain our green lawn and keep them free from weeds and harmful insects.
The fad for a green lawn started in the 1950s when all and sundry started competing for a greener lawn than the neighbors. This gave rise to haphazard use of harmful chemicals. As our awareness about the environment around us increased people started treating such chemicals as part of a necessary evil. The situation has changed for the better now as we are becoming more concerned about our planet’s health.
Protecting your green lawn from weeds and other diseases does not necessarily require chemicals and pesticides. If you take care to put in some effort and care for the green lawn, it is possible to nurture it with out harming the environment.
A green lawn requires water but timing plays an important role in watering. Watering should always be done in the early hours of the morning. If we water in the hottest part of the day it is bound to scorch the tender green blades as well as waste precious water. Watering in the evening gives an opportunity to molds and fungus to grow, especially when nights are cooler.
Those of you who care for your green lawn yourself must have realized that weeding is a major bother requiring constant monitoring. Regular cutting of grass and its clippings play an important role in controlling weeds without having to take recourse to harmful weed killer chemicals. Cut the grass regularly to keep it about three inches, and it will automatically keep the weeds from showing by restricting their potential to grow.
Grass clippings too suppress weed growth along with providing valuable nourishment. Clippings, if let to remain in the lawn form a thin protective covering known as mulch which gets composted quickly, which, in turn, gives diet to the grass to give the lawn a lush and greener look.
During fall the soil, not the grass, needs fertilizing. Mulch, of decomposed and shredded leaves is a sound alternative to synthetic fertilizers. It is important to apply mulch thinly on a weekly basis especially during cooler months. The earthworms will do the rest on their own by burrowing in and loosening the soil for the grass to grow with renewed vigor during springtime.
Another thing that you need to do during fall is seeding which must be done before middle of September so that grass takes roots well in time before winter. Nowadays products that include seed and mulch are easily available. If they appear expensive, then seed using the one recommended for the area and mulch as suggested above.
If we make a conscious effort to restrict the use of harmful and expensive chemicals / fertilizers, our green lawn not only remains green but we also add our efforts to the global drive to leave our planet in a better shape than we inherited.
April 18th, 2008
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Gardening, landscaping, lawn |
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Pressure washers can be a great tool. They are an excellent method of washing or cleaning many types of surfaces that would be very hard to get clean the traditional way. But be careful - these washers are aptly named.
The spray from pressure washers is so strong that they’re commonly used to remove flaking paint from houses in preparation for new paint. That is one reason you should always be careful when using pressure washers on painted surfaces. If you want the paint to stay on, make sure that you are far enough away from the surface, and make sure to test a small inconspicuous area first.
Many people use pressure washers on the siding on homes and mobile homes. Siding that is old and stained can look new again with the strength of the water mixed with the correct cleaning agents. And it is very easy to do. All you do is point and spray. However, you may need to run clean water over it to rinse.
Many places will rent out pressure washers if you don’t need one often enough to warrant a purchase. However, you should check prices before you rent, because sometimes the cost to rent one is very close to the cost to buy one. It could be smarter to buy, use, and sell. You may think about buying used. If you find a washer that has a good motor but has a leaky hose, don’t despair – you can get replacement parts at almost any automotive supply store or retailers who sell pressure washers.
If you’re planning to do the work yourself, choose a small, inconspicuous spot for your first test. Remember that your water pressure to your house doesn’t have a tremendous impact on the amount of pressure you’ll get from your washer. A typical washer can cut into wood and dent aluminum. If your machine has optional settings, start on the lowest pressure.
In addition to renting and buying options, some businesses will carry out the pressure washing for you and bring their pressure washers to you for the task. All you have to do is tell them what you need done and when. This is good because you don’t need to do any of the work, and there is no liability for the washers on your part. And you don’t have to read any directions, instructions, or manuals. And it may or may not be cost efficient, depending on the company and your other available options.
Whether you buy, rent or hire someone, pressure washers can really get the grime shifted. Whatever you are cleaning you are bound to like the results. Most people are really amazed at the force these things can exert. The downfall is that you’ll never look at your garden hose the same way again.
February 12th, 2008
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Gardening |
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In a world of increased industrial activity and an overabundance of “manufactured” beauty, people are becoming more and more interested in the natural world. It is only natural then, that when considering how to divide their property from others; consumers are skipping past the chain link fencing and going directly to the garden center.
The idea of using trees and shrubs as enclosures or to mark off space is not a new one. Hedges were used in 16th century Italian gardens to make avenues for travel within the garden, and hedgerows, which are simply lines of bushes or trees of the same species planted close enough for their limbs to intertwine, have been in use in England for more than seven hundred years.
Hedges used as an alternative to fencing fulfill many more purposes than simply serving as a property line. They can keep wind and erosion to a minimum, cut out noise from traffic, and helps keep the neighborhood kids from running through your newly laid grass. Hedges also help to restore native plant life, which may have been dwindling because of construction and development. Also, as a natural habitat for all manner of insects, you will hear more songbirds early in the morning as they catch breakfast. Financially speaking, a hedge fence is usually less expensive than chain-link, won’t rust and break, and rarely needs replacing.
If you’ve made the decision to use hedges as an alternative to traditional fencing, there are a few things to keep in mind before you go in search of shrubs to plant. First, confirm in your mind that you will have the time to work with the hedges after work or on the weekends. Newly planted flowers or shrubs of any kind need a lot of initial attention so that they can spread their roots and settle into their new homes. You may have to water them more often and perform a lot of “routine maintenance,” such as weeding out invading species and pruning those plants that aren’t growing well. Just remember that the time you put into your hedge fence initially will come back to you in the way of a healthy and attractive landscape down the road.
Once you’re sure that you can provide the time and energy needed to establish your hedge fence, you will have to do a bit of research to determine what your native plants and shrubs are. You certainly don’t’ want to plant any kind of shrub that won’t survive the local climate. Native plants, those that are found growing wild in your area, are best to use as a foundation to your hedge fence because they have already proven themselves, they’re sturdy and well-suited to the soil. Check with your local nursery to find an appropriate foundation species if you are unsure of the native plants in your area.
Finally, the time has come to plant your hedges for your fence. It is at this time that you will want to remember the advantages of the fencing you have chosen rather than the work you will have to do to put the fence together. A little bit of planning now can save a headache later. Consider the final, mature size of the shrub or hedge that you are planting, not how close you can get them right now, and plant “extra” shrubs or flowers along the front or in between the row of foundation hedges, not in place of them. Replacing a section of a hedge fence because of disease is one thing; having to buy a hedge to replace a plant that didn’t belong in the fence to begin with is quite another. More than likely you’ll never have to deal with replanting or replacing once the fence is established and growing well.
Hedges serve as a wonderful alternative to traditional metal or wood fencing, because they increase the aesthetic value of your home in addition to inviting natural beauty into your neighborhood. As the world begins to slow down and realize the importance of preserving nature, hedge fences will overrun all of those old, rusty remnants of the industrial age and reveal the gentle potential of the future.
February 1st, 2008
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Gardening |
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