Author: Alan

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Adding a fire pit to your back garden

Fire pits in back gardens are becoming more popular over the recent years, and with summer around the corner, there is no better time to start building yours. During the summer months it is not uncommon to have a few gatherings with family and friends, but as the evening starts it tends to get a little cooler. A fire pit is a perfect way to create the perfect centre piece for your garden and also keep you warm as the sun goes down.

There are many different designs for garden fire pits, and the size you make the pit will depend on the size of your garden. You can look up some great design ideas online or on Pinterest, and you can decide what you wish your pit to be made out of, usually tin or stone.

Once complete finish it off with some outdoor cushions for a lovely relaxed seating area in your own garden.

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Creating the perfect flowerbed for your garden

Planning is critical when starting a flowerbed. It can big, small, curved, straight, raised or flat. Several steps need to be followed in order to come up with a fantastic flowerbed that can bring a good atmosphere and environment around your home.

  • Look around the property and choose an appropriate location. Consider lighting, nearby structures; underground utility lines and water source.
  • Make a sketch to determine the idea, size and shape of the flowerbed.
  • To create a perfect flowerbed, shape it with a hose or spray paint. The type and amount of material for edging should suit the height of the bed.
  • Remove grass and dig down four inches. A perfect flowerbed should be free from debris.
  • Buy seeds and plants according to their sizes. Get a variety to create a flowerbed with a perfect bloom always.
  • The flowerbed for your garden should be watered regularly for a healthy look.
  • Cut spent blooms and prune for a perfect finish.
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Maintaining a green lawn

The sun is your lawn best friend. However, this means it will require regular watering to keep the plants healthy. To prevent the root system from growing to the surface, it is much better to water deeply once a week rather than to water often and lightly. Your lawn will need about 1 inch of water each week in mild climates and warmer climates apply an inch of water about every three days. The easiest way to achieve this and not to waste and over water is to place a 1-inch deep container in the middle of your lawn and stop watering when the can is full.

Fertilising your lawn is essential to provide nutrients necessary for plant health and growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You will notice on the bags of fertiliser they will be labelled N, P, and K. The Nitrogen is needed for healthy green growth and regulation of other nutrients. The Phosphorus helps proper roots and seeds develop and resist disease, and Potassium which is also important in root development and disease resistance.

Sandy Loam soil is the very best kind of soil which is a combination of sand, silt, and clay. Have your soil tested to find out what nutrients are needed. For the health of your plants and the environment, don’t go to the home improvement store and buy pesticides to control harmful insects. We have learned that pesticides can pollute water and they also kill beneficial as well as harmful insects. Horticulturist has researched and discovered many natural alternatives to control harmful insects and save you money. Alternatives to chemical pesticides would be non-detergent insecticidal soaps, garlic, hot pepper sprays, one teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water, used dishwater, or a forceful stream of water to dislodge insects.

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What’s so great about real Christmas Trees?

Real Christmas trees are expensive, disposable and messy yet more people buy real Christmas trees than fake, so why is it? Well, there’s something quite pleasant about having a real Christmas tree in your home isn’t there? You can take in the smells from the natural tree, look at its fine characteristics and it just looks a whole lot better than fake trees. That said, real Christmas trees are a nuisance as they shed, leaving lots of sharp splinters on the floor but it won’t put many people off. Having a real Christmas tree symbolizes you’re taking part in Christmas and going all out. Having a cheap plastic tree will never be the same and even though we don’t like the fact these beautiful trees are cut down and killed every year, you have to appreciate their beauty in the house around Christmas. Perhaps all of these trees want to spend their final few hours this way.

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Combatting snails and slugs

With the winter weather conditions taking shape we’re all going to be spending more time indoors over the coming months, but there are some creatures that love these weather conditions. Yep you guessed it, snails and slugs. These will be out in full force this winter and they may be munching on your plants, flowers and growing vegetables right now so be sure to keep them at bay if you can. One of the best ways in which you can do this is by placing plastic cups into the ground near the flower, plant or shrub half filled with beer. This will attract them and should they enter the cup they will struggle to get out, so you can depose of them as you wish. It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep these slimy pests away from your precious plants, so do consider it if you’re finding snails and slugs are ruining your garden.