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What is an indoor hydroponic gardening system? Indoor hydroponic gardening systems are methods by which plants can be groomed without the need for soil. Instead of using soil, indoor hydroponic gardening systems use nutrient solutions instead. This nutrient system is fed to the plants directly & avoids the need for other plants to compete with the scarce nutrients in soil.

Hydroponic gardening systems can be a great way to grow plants. They take up relatively little space & can be often used in a clean environmentally friendly way. With most hydroponic gardening systems, your plants will grow quicker & be more healthy. They take the nutrients directly from the solution. Moreover, hydroponic gardening systems can be often used throughout the whole year; there is no seasonal variation. You can use your gardening system almost anywhere in the house; there is little restriction. It will not cause much dirt or mess & it is quite environmentally friendly. The way hydroponic gardening systems work mean that the plants are now able to get a hold of their nutrients directly without relying on the growth of other plants nearby. You can even use hydroponic gardening systems in areas where there is very little useful soil.

In fact, hydroponic gardening systems can make you the envy of your neighbor. In door hydroponic gardening systems require very little work or input. They are usually relatively clean & most indoor hydroponic gardening systems can be often used with very little light & in small places such as cupboards & other small areas. I would certainly recommend indoor hydroponic gardening systems for all those who do not wish to get hot, sticky, dirty, & wet outside & you wish to avoid the manual labor associated with normal gardening.

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There are a number of pests willing & able to invade your yard, & depending on your location, some pests may be more common than others.

Ants

Ants do not really have any negative effects on your grass, but they can become a nuisance to the homeowner. They build ant hills in the yard, they seem to always be around when you want to relax under some shade tree, & some can even afflict a painful sting (such as fire ants).

Fire ants are more commonly found in the southern part of the country. If you do find yourself having fire ants, I had recommend that you take measures to rid yourself of the pest. So, how can you tell if you have fire ants? Unfortunately it can be somewhat hard because they look much like ordinary ants. They’re anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inches long & reddish brown to black in color. Again, sounds like your ordinary, basic, ant. Where they stand out is their aggressive behavior & characteristic mound-shaped nests (which are usually 12 inches or more in diameter & height).

Armyworms

Armyworms can strike in most regions of the country, but have a tendency to migrate towards the Midwest & southern states. With warm-season grasses, they seem to prefer bermudagrass & St. Augustinegrass, while amongst the cool-season grasses they go for the bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, & bentgrass.

The name Armyworm comes from the notion that the worms ?march? in quantity over an area, feeding on lawns in large masses, leaving a trail of destruction, & then moving on to greener pastures. The larvae stage of the armyworm is about a ¼ inch to 2 ½ inch caterpillar with a green/brown/black color. They have a light stripe running down each side. The adult stage is a brownish-gray moth with a wingspan of about 1 ½ inches.

Billbugs

Billbugs are not actually bugs, but rather belong to the weevil family. In their larvae stage, they typically have a white, legless, body accompanied by a brown head. When they reach their adult stage, they become 1/4 to 3/8 inches in length with a dark grey to black coating. In their adult stage they also feature a snout-like beak with pinchers on the end.

There are different varieties of Billbugs & each variety establishes itself in different regions of the country. Bluegrass Billbugs generally can be easily found in the northern states, from eastern New England all the way out west to Washington. These varieties of billbugs prefer Kentucky bluegrass, but will also occasionally infest Perennial Ryegrass, Red Fescue, & Tall Fescue. The Denver Billbug likes to hang out in the western part of the country in states such as Kansas, Colorado, & Nebraska. Like the Bluegrass, they also prefer Kentucky bluegrass. Finally, you have Hunting Billbugs which are generally a larger variety & have two line markings on their thorax. These are found more in the southeast part of the country & prefer bermudagrass & zoysiagrasses.

Chiggers

Chiggers for the most part are harmless to your yard, but they can be a big annoyance for the homeowner. Usually active during the late spring & early summer months when grass is at its heaviest, Chiggers will bite their host by inserting their mouthparts into a skin pore or hair follicle. Usually the victim will have no idea they have been bitten until some time later when a small, reddish welt appears on the skin accompanied by intense itching?sort of like you have a case of poison ivy.

With the naked eye, most chiggers will remain unseen. At the larvae stage they will be orange, yellow, or light red & only about 1/150 to 1/120 inches in diameter. At the adult stage they are usually bright red, have hairy bodies, & travel rapidly. They also will get to the humongous size of 1/20 inches in length.

Chinch Bugs

There are a variety of Chinch Bugs that attack lawns within the country, but the two that are most commonly found are the hairy chinch bug & the common chinch bug. The common chinch bug can be easily found more in the southern region of the country, ranging from South Dakota across to Virginia, & further south around mid-Texas to mid-Georgia. The hairy chinch bug resides more in the northern range of this area & extends all the way up throughout the northeast.

Chinch Bugs will go thru 5 larvae stages, each stage changing in color & markings. In the final form, their adult form, the wings will be completely visible, with white markings, & will rest flatly on their backs. They will range anywhere from 1/8 to 1/5 inches in length at this stage.

Cutworms

Cutworms are the caterpillar stage of the ?miller? moth. These are the moths that you see at night, during the summer months, hanging around your front porch lights.

The larval stage is when cutworms will occasionally infest lawns. During the day, the larvae will hide out in the soil & thatch, but at night, they will come out of hiding & conjure up injury to plants in a variety of ways. Solitary surface cutworms will cut off the plant just below or above the soil line, severing the stems. This is where the name cutworm originates from, the manner in which they cut down plants as they feed. Climbing species will go so far as to climb on the grass & dine on the leaves of the plants. Subterranean species will remain in the soil & feed upon the roots & underground parts. Finally, Army cutworms work as a team, consuming the tops of plants & then ?marching? on to other areas.

Leafhoppers

Leafhoppers are tiny wedge-shaped insects that fly or hop short distances when disturbed. They range in size from 1/4 to 1/2 inch long & can range in color from green, to yellow, to brown, & occasionally even gray. Found on the East & West coasts, Leafhoppers can reside anywhere within the country.

Mole Crickets

Mole Crickets get their name because of the similar features & characteristics that they share with actual moles. Mainly, they feed on grubs & they dig tunnels thru your yard. The damage caused by Mole Crickets is nothing to brush off. In Florida alone it is estimated that Mole Crickets do more than $30,000,000.00 in damages each year. Definitely a little more than just regular pocket change! So if you live in the Southeast or Southwest, such as Southern Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Gulf Coast or the Eastern Seaboard, it would be a good idea to keep an eye out for these pests. Along with the geographical location, mole crickets have also shown a fondness to grasses such as Bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine, & bahiagrass.

When they do reach the Adult stage they will be plump, winged, & about 1 to 2 inches in length. Their forelegs will grow enlarged, & robust, & are used to help the mole cricket with their digging. With wings, mole crickets have been known to fly as far as 5 miles during the mating season. They are nocturnal in their feeding & like the adult cutworm (Miller Moth) they are attracted to light. Flying along with the attraction to light can lead them to your home during the night. Once they land & begin searching for food, it is more than likely you have found a new friend. Sort of like a stray cat?once you feed it, it is there to stay.

Sod Webworms

There are four species of sod webworms that will perform damage to a lawn. They are the Vagabond, Bluegrass, Larger, & Striped sod webworms. There is more. The Vagabond webworm will rarely cause significant damage because they feed mainly during the late fall & early spring when turf is more actively growing. Bluegrass, Larger, & Striped are more of a problem because they will cause most of their damage during the summer as they finish their feeding late in the spring in late May to early June. Once feeding completes, they will burrow deep into the thatch or soil to begin the pupal stage. After a couple weeks, an adult moth will emerge at night from the cocoon, mate, & begin to lay eggs. The female will randomly drop eggs as she flies low to the ground. The larvae from these will hatch within 7 to 10 days & begin to feed immediately throughout the mid to late summer (July to early August), for 6 to 10 weeks they will continue to feed & then enter the pupal stage again, once complete, a 2nd generation of adult moths will emerge. The 2nd generation of adults will mate, lay eggs, & have larvae that will begin to feed in the fall. So where the Vagabond webworm goes thru 1 generation within a given year, the others go thru 2.

Spittlebugs

Out of all the pests we have looked at to this point, I have got to say that Spittlebugs have a distinctive honor that all the other pests could only hope for. I mean after all, would not you want a name that is derived from the foam or ?spit? that you create when you eat? Come on, who would not want that?

Right after hatching the spittlebug nymph is in search of food. The spittlebug nymph will make its way to the leaf joint of the plant. At this point, it will begin to eat & froth. When they eat, the nymph will face its head downward & puncture the plant stem with its needle-like mouth. Sap will begin to pump into the body with excess being expelled through the anus. As it is passed out, it is mixed with a substance that is secreted by the glands on the abdomen. When this mixture is forced out, the pressure & exposure to air will begin to form bubbles. The tail continues to move up & down throughout this entire ordeal allowing the bubbles to continue to come out. As they emerge, the nymph will use its legs to pull the bubbles forward to cover its back. After some time, the nymph will be completely secluded within the bubble mass, or spittle, that it has produced.

Ticks

Ticks are pests that actually cause a greater risk to homeowners then to their yards. Each & every year, ticks have been known to spread illnesses such as Lyme disease & Spotted Fever to thousands of people across the country. Though they cause little lawn damage, the effects that they can have on you, or your pet, is reason enough to stop a moment & take a closer look.

Ticks are less of an insect & more of an arachnid, such as a spider. They have a one-piece body, crablike legs, & a harpoon-like barb which will extrude from their mouth & attach to a host (such as yourself or your pet) for feeding. Feeding proceeds slowly & may go unnoticed for a considerable amount of time. In actual fact, some ticks will take many days to complete feeding.

With the more than 800 types of tick species that exist throughout the world, they can be broken down into two groups, ?hard? ticks & ?soft? ticks. Hard ticks have a hard shield just behind their mouthpart & have a flat, oval shape. The mouthpart of the hard tick is visible at the front of the body. Soft ticks lack the hard shield found on the hard tick, & have more of a tough, leathery, wrinkled shape. The mouthpart is situated underneath the body & is not visible at the front of the body.

As mentioned, ticks are known to carry & transmit a variety of diseases to their host. The 5 ticks that you most likely will encounter that can spread disease are the?

American Dog Tick
Lone Star Tick
Deer Tick
Brown Dog Tick
Winter Tick

White Grubs

Out of all the pests we have looked at, white grubs may be the most damaging lawn pest in the country. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Japanese beetle grub alone is estimated to cause $234 million dollars $ in damage each & every year. And remember, this is only one species of the white grub. From the Japanese beetle, to the European chafer, or the masked chafer, or the Black turfgrass ataenius, white grubs are the immature or larval stage, of many different species of the scarab beetle.

During the summer, late June to early July, the adult beetle will emerge from the ground in search of food & for a mate. The female will spend 2-3 weeks in July laying anywhere from 40 to 60 eggs in a burrow about 3 inches into the ground. This is where the life cycle of the white grub starts?at the egg. The egg is creamy white in color, oval in shape, & about 1/16 inches in length. When laid in the soil & given time to absorb water, the egg will swell & become slightly more rounded.

Depending on outdoor conditions, such as soil moisture & temperatures, the eggs will hatch in about 2 weeks, & emerging from the eggs will be the larvae, or c-shaped white grub. The grub will have a thick creamy-white body, with short legs & a brown head. At this stage is where the majority of damage will take place, as the young grub will live in the soil & feed on grass roots close to the surface for a large part of the later summer months (typically August). At the end of summer, beginning of fall, the grub will molt (develop) into its 2nd & 3rd stages continually growing & consuming more & more roots. Damage often appears at this time. As the temperature continues to drop during the fall & winter, the grub will move further into the soil, & take refuge until spring arrives. When spring finally arrives, the grub moves on up & continues where it left off, feeding on the root?only this time for a shorter period of time. Now, a common misperception a lot of people have at this time is that the damage they see is from spring grubs?not true. Most damage seen in the spring is a result of feeding during the fall, not the spring.

Come late spring, the white grub will end its feeding & begin its third stage, or pupae stage. The pupae are slightly larger than the adult, & form in chambers 1-2 inches into the soil. At first the pupae will take on a cream color, but before it emerges as an adult, it will darken.

This finally leads us to the last stage, the adult. As we saw with the start of the cycle, the egg, in late June to early July, the beetle will emerge from the pupae & crawl out of the soil searching for food & a mate. The adult is a robust, oval beetle with antennae’s that end in a large club of flattened plates. Adults are typically of the scarab beetle type.

Grubs are perennial pests of the cool-season & transition zone grasses. As they begin to feed on the roots of tender grass plants, the damage will first appear as a sort of drought stress. As they continue to feed throughout the mid-to-late summer months, this will eventually lead to areas of the turf dying off which will appear as large irregular brown patches in your lawn. Unfortunately, grubs usually go unnoticed until damage begins to show up in early fall, but by this time, it will be too late.

Chris Harrison is an avid lawncare enthusiast & the author of the “EZ Lawncare Companion”. For lots more information on lawncare related topics please check out his website at http://www.ezlawncarecompanion.com or email him at info@ezlawncarecompanion.com

Landscaping your yard has often been compared to painting a beautiful picture. If you are an artist, then your teacher has probably told you that a good painting should have a focal point & the rest of the details should make the painting even more interesting & beautiful. In landscaping & gardening, this works in much the same way. You are creating a picture around a focal point to help make a cohesive, beautiful landscape that you can enjoy.

The lawn is a very important part of the landscaping design. Open, green lawn space is always beautiful & relaxing. It makes even a small space look larger & more open. If you plant trees here & there or plant flowers here & there, then the lawn quickly becomes less open & more cluttered & choppy. It is hard for the eye to concentrate on any one part of the landscape, which makes it seem more busy & cluttered. A small group of flowers or a tree or two is fine, but it is when you begin planting without taking into consideration how everything looks as a whole that you begin running into problems.

Consider the size of your lawn to make certain that you do not select trees that may overpower your lawn. A tree should have good shape, with interesting fruit, flowers, bark, or leaves to draw your interest. A poplar tree is a good choice because it grows quickly, but it does have some drawbacks. It drops its leaves early in the season, which means that it sits there barren & ugly for quite a while. You need to take that into consideration before choosing poplar trees for your landscaping design. A catalpa is a lovely choice as well. It has broad leaves, beautiful flowers, & it has seed pods that stay on the tree for quite a while during the winter. Other trees that you may want to consider include an ash for its brightly colored berries, a tulip tree for its beautiful blossoms, a white birch tree for its interesting bark, & a copper beech tree for the beautiful leaves.

Where the tree is going to be located should be a major consideration in where you decide to place the tree. If you are locating the tree in an area that is moist & low, then you may want to consider a willow. Mixing different trees close together will not look quite right either. By example, a neat & tidy juniper tree would look very out of place when placed next to a chestnut tree that spreads. You must keep the features of the trees in mind to make certain that they are proportionally right together.

You will want to avoid planting evergreens near your home or in the front yard. Evergreens block the sun from getting to your home & yard & this can make your yard seem dark & gloomy if there’re quite a few of them. You will find that you house looks more alive & it will be healthier if there is some sunlight allowed into it.

Just as trees are carefully considered due to certain things that you like, you should select your shrubs in much the same way. In a group of shrubs, you will want to select some that bloom early & some that bloom late, as well as some who color during the fall. You also want to take into consideration those that have beautiful bark or fruit. This will often help you to have color in your landscaping all year around.

If you are searching for a shrub to use as a hedge, then you are most certainly in luck. A California privet is a great choice, as well as a buckthorn, Japan quince, Osage orange, or Van Houtte’s spirea.

You also need to select your trees & shrubs based closely on your climate & locality as well. This will help them to thrive & flourish in your yard & climate.

You may find that landscape gardening can be formal or very casual. A formal garden would have straight lines, while a casual garden would have more curving & bends.

A formal landscaping design may look to stiff & boring, while a casual design may look too busy or fussy. If you are making a path, then keep this in mind. A path should always lead somewhere. If not, then it is not a path. Straight paths are easier to create on your own, so keep that in mind in your landscaping design.

Paths in your garden may be created by using grass, gravel, or dirt. Grass paths are used in some very beautiful garden areas, but they may not hold up well in smaller gardens, due to their high maintenance. A gravel path is a great look, but you may not have easy access to gravel to make your path. A dirt path is easier to create. All you really need to do is dig out your path with a depth of two feet. Use six inches of stone to line the patch & then pack down dirt over the stone, rounding it slightly toward the center of your path. Make sure that there’re no depressions in your path or you could find that you have a problem with standing water. The stone in the pathway makes a natural drainage system to help get rid of the water.

You may find that a building in your home may need some d?cor help in the form of vines or flowers to help make it a cohesive part of your home. A perennial vine is a great choice, including the clematis, trumpet vine, Virginia creeper, & wisteria. These vines will grow to make them a permanent part of your landscaping design.

Imagine a house that is a natural color with gray, weathered shingles. Now include a purple wisteria in front of the home. Do you see how much beauty that this vine can add? We had a very ugly corner in my childhood home where the dining room & kitchen met. A trellis was placed in this corner where a trumpet vine made a beautiful statement. It helped brighten up a dark, ugly corner with great beauty.

An annual vine is the morning glory, wild cucumber, & moon vine. These vines work great to help cover up an ugly spot. It is occasionally necessary to use a vine to help cover up something that does not look very appealing. Do you follow? These annual vines are perfect for this work.

If you have an old fence, then you may want to add a hop vine. This will give your fence more of a natural look, much as it is in the forest.

If you need a plant to border a walk or to go beside your home, then you may want to consider planting some flowers. You want to keep in mind, however, that you really need to keep the front yard lawn space open. Daffodils in the spring can make your yard lovely. If you add hyacinths or tulips, you will be giving your landscaping a touch of beautiful color. They do not take much effort & they will bring spring to your yard. Planting some bulbs in your front lawn can net you a beautiful display of color. This is a rule that can be broken in the open lawn space. They blend in with the whole picture, rather than taking away from the picture. You can simply drop the bulbs as you walk through the yard & plant them where they land. You should plant them in groups of four to six to help make them more appealing to the eye.

Flower gardens are great for the side or rear of the home. You do not want to have a beautiful front yard, only to have some one walk around the side & back to a dead, deserted yard. You can lay your yard out in straight, formal lines or you can select to make it more casual. It is up to you & your personal preferences.

You need to consider all of the different colors together to make certain that they mesh & blend well. Even though this is not a enormousconsideration in nature, we have to keep it in mind in our yards because it is a smaller area. We need to be fully aware of the impact that color has upon our yard so that we can keep the yard neat & beautiful, rather than busy & cluttered. If you really need to break up a large group of colors, you can use white flowers or something like mignonette, which is green in color.

This concludes our lesson in landscaping. Your grounds are the setting for your home & other buildings. Free, open lawn spaces, well-placed trees, groups of flowers that are well thought out, & shrubbery that is grouped together can make your home & landscape into the place that you are needing. By learning all of these lessons, your landscaping will help make your house into a home.

Andrew Caxton is the author of many articles on different web publications, with subjects like lawn care published on line for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com A website with tips on landscaping.

Window bird feeders are small bird feeders that attach to you window in one of two ways. Window bird feeders can either uses suction cups & or Velcro or window bird feeders can be mounted on to your window. This easy application also allows for easy removal. Which is great for cleaning your window bird feeder, or adding more bird seed to it.Window bird feeders are usually clear on all sides, occasionally they may only be clear on the front & the back of the window bird feeder. Some window bird feeders will have a mirror type of glass so that the wild birds are unaware that you’re watching them from inside your house. Window bird feeders are a great way to view wild birds up close.

Window bird feeders can be often used to attract many types of birds. Window bird feeders can attract finches, & cardinals depending on your bird seed.

Here are some more birds that will be attracted to a window bird feeder with the right bird seed.

With black-oil sunflower seed - goldfinches, woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, redpolls, pine siskins, cardinals, crossbills, white-throated sparrow, white-crowned sparrows, jays, purple finches, house finches

With safflower seed - chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, grosbeaks

With mixed seed - doves, Carolina wrens, thrashers, cardinals, sparrows, juncos, goldfinches, woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, white-throated sparrows, white crowned sparrows, jays, purple finches

Window bird feeders are great because they attract many types of birds. Window bird feeders are also easy to clean & maintain to keep the wild birds & you happy. When you use a window bird feeder, you bring the beauty of outside nature inside your house. Window bird feeders a great for entertainment & for learning about birds. You can get a close look at the birds that come to your feeder, that you’ll soon become a wild bird expert for your area!

Pam Caouette has had a wonderful garden full of wild birds. Learn more about wild birds & bird feeders at http://www.aplusbirdfeeders.com

Wiring is the practice of wrapping aluminum or copper wire around bonsai trees trunks or branches, in order to shape the tree gradually. The branches & trunks are wrapped in either anodized aluminum or annealed copper wire & held in place for a few weeks or months until they fuse into position. Once the wires are removed, the branches & trunks that were wired, stay in shape & place.

It’s important to remember that the wire should be anodized aluminum or annealed copper. This is because harmful metals can leach out from other types of wires & be ingested by the tree, resulting in sickness or death.

Wiring bonsai trees will put stress along the trunk or branch. it is essential to exercise caution & patience during the process. Right. When performed correctly, the inner cambium of the bonsai tree will be stressed, & then fracture, which will result in the tree adapting to the stress & growing in the desired direction that you want. Incorrect wiring can easily result in a cracked branch, or worse, a cracked trunk & a dead tree.

In order for the wire to shape the tree, it needs to be placed at various points along the length of the trunk or branch. The wire will have to be stiffer than the trunk or branch, otherwise, the wire bend instead of the tree.

Always keep an eye on your bonsai tree, during & after wiring is done. There is a high chance of the wires cutting into the bark & having the bark growing around it, especially at high tensile points. It is possible for this to occur if you do not get rid of the wires soon enough. Several weeks is enough time to start rechecking & evaluating how much progress has occurred. If the tree appears to be growing fast, get rid of the wires, & rewrap again. Some fast growing species will require regular checking & you may even have to constantly wrap & rewrap.

The worst mistake is wrapping & forgetting all about removing the wires! If the wires cut into the branch later on, cut off the wire with special secateurs that are now able to sever at the blade tips. It is not a good idea to unwrap the wire, as you could break off some twigs or leaves in the process.

Wiring bonsai trees is a learned art & small steps will take you to wonderous places. Take it slowly & carefully & you’ll be rewarded with a satisfaction that can not actually be expressed with words alone.

Tyrone is an enthusiast that is beginning his journey into the gentle art of creating bonsai trees.

Learning to identify potential hazards inside & outside of your home can help you take precautions for safeguarding your home for your children. Try this fun exercise: Crawl around your home on your hands & knees. There is more. This will give you a perspective of what your little one is looking at & what they could potentially get into.

Even the most watchful parents can not keep children completely out of harm’s way but there’re some simple steps to take that can help stop injuries. There is more. The following checklist gives an outline of items to consider when childproofing your home & lawn.

Keep the following items out of children’s reach:

• Cleaning supplies & other chemicals
• Curtains & blind cords
• Houseplants
• Cigarettes, matches & lighters
• Firearms & ammunition
• Alcohol
• Knives
• Plastic bags
• Prized possessions
• Small items, such as coins & buttons

Household Safety:

• Safeguard heating & gas systems against accidents
• Ensure that furnaces, fireplaces, wood burning stoves, space heaters & gas appliances are properly vented
• Place screens around fireplaces, radiators & space heaters to create a barrier
• Install carbon monoxide detectors & smoke alarms outside each bedroom & on every level of your home
• Safety-proof windows & fire exits
• Make a fire escape plan & practice the plan twice or two times per year
• Test your home for lead paint if it was built before 1978
• Learn first aid & CPR
• Make a listing of each type of houseplant in the event your child eats one
• Cover unused outlets with plastic outlet plugs to protect from accidental shock
• Put doorknob covers & locks to stop children from entering rooms & dangerous areas
• Use safety latches & locks for cabinets & drawers in the kitchen, bathrooms & other areas
• Replace doorstops with a one-piece design to eliminate a choking hazard
• Make sure any string or ribbon around the house is no longer than 6 inches
• Making a first aid kit & emergency instructions
• Compile a list of important phone numbers, such as poison control (800-222-1222), your child’s pediatrician & the phone number of a nearby relative or neighbor & place the list by your phone
• Use a cordless phone or cell phone to make it easier to watch children (without leaving the vicinity), especially when they are in the bathtub, in a swimming pool or at the beach
• Tape down loose rugs & electrical cords that might trip children

Children’s Rooms:

• Place your child on their backs to sleep (until he or she is 12 months old)
• Place nightlights away from the crib, bedding & draperies to stop a fire
• Use a safety belt when changing your child on a changing table
• Check the area for potential choking hazards
• Keep a fire escape ladder in each room upstairs

Bathrooms:

• Put locks on medicine cabinets
• Move vitamins & medicines out of reach
• Install locks on toilet lids to stop drowning
• Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees
• Consider using anti-scald devices for faucets & showerheads
• Test the bath water temperature prior to bathing a child
• Place non-slip mats in tubs & showers
• Install ground-fault circuit interrupters on outlets
• Never leave your child unattended in a bathroom

Kitchen:

• Use protective covers on stove knobs to stop children from turning them on
• Teach your child how to respond to a fire
• Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove so children can notpull pots down on themselves
• Cook on back burners whenever possible
• Put younger children in a playpen, or a secure area, when cooking to avoid being splashed by grease or spilled foods
• Never carry hot food or liquids near your child or while you are carrying your child
• Keep sharp knives in a locked drawer or out of reach
• Unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use
• Replace frayed cords & wires
• Keep chairs away from counters & appliances
• Contact Poison Control for recommendations (such as keeping syrup of ipecac on hand to induce vomiting)
• Cut food into small pieces to avoid choking

Furniture:

• Situate furniture away from windows, especially on second floors
• Place corner bumpers on furniture & fireplaces with sharp edges
• Secure any furniture that could fall on your child if pulled on, such as bookcases
• Place the crib away from blind cords, draperies & windows
• Make sure the crib meets the national safety standards
• Make sure the mattress & crib sheet fit snug
• Make sure the crib bumper, if you use one, is tied securely
• Use railings for children when transitioning to toddler beds

Stairs:

• Ensure stairs & hallways are well-lit
• Install carpeting on stairs to protect from slipping
• Install safety gates at the tops & bottoms of stairs to stop children from climbing & falling

Lawn:

• Store tools & lawn care equipment in a locked closet or shed
• Use a power mower only when young children are not around
• A lawn that has been treated with fertilizers or pesticides should not actually be played on for 48 hours
• Fence in the swimming pool & other dangerous areas
• Enclose open deck railings with mesh or other material
• When using your outdoor barbecue, do not leave children unattended around it
• Store propane grills in an area where children can notturn the knobs

Hilary Basile is a writer for http://www.myguidesusa.com The MyGuidesUSA.com network of sites is the ultimate guide to the USA. Individual portals offer valuable tips & resources for dealing with life’s major events. Find parenting tips & resources at http://www.myguidesusa.com/becomingaparent

A beautifully mowed lawn is the cornerstone of a beautiful property. During the growing season, if you look around at the yards in your neighborhood, it is usually pretty easy to tell the lawns that look as though they were mowed by a professional lawn care service from the ones that look as though they were hacked down by the kid who lives up the street. Whether you use a walk behind mower, or a ride on machine, this technique will work for you.

Here are 8 steps that, with a little practice & patience, are sure to give your lawn a professionally mowed appearance.

Before you begin, though, make certain that your lawn mower has been properly maintained, in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications. Make sure the mower blade is sharpened & balanced - replace if necessary, taking care to disconnect the sparkplug before reaching under the mower. Also, be sure to wear appropriate safety equipment like noise reducing ear-muffs, or earplugs, vibration absorbing gloves, & protective eyewear.

Set your mower to an appropriate mowing height of 2 ?? to 3 ??, for most cool season grasses. There is more. To avoid damaging your lawn, do not cut more than one inch, or one-third of the total current length of the lawn, at any one mowing. Mowing your lawn every 5 ? 7 days, with no bag, ensures relatively short grass clippings that will quickly dry up becoming unnoticeable, & eventually compost, nourishing the lawn.

Now you are now ready to mow the lawn, well, almost;

1. Using either a manual or power trimmer, proceed around the perimeter of the area to be mowed, trimming grass that would be hard to reach with the mower. Trim the grass to the height you plan to mow the lawn ? from the property line in about 4? to 6? should suffice. When the perimeter is done, continue trimming around trees, fence & lamp posts, islands & flower beds, drives & walks, & also around things like sprinkler heads & decorative rocks, making mental note to watch out for these obstacles when mowing.
2. Now, grab a trash bag & do a quick walk-about, picking up any debris & sticks, so they do not get run over by the lawn mower. In your mind, divide the lawn into major sections for mowing.
3. Start your mower & make 3 complete passes around the perimeter of one of the major sections of lawn, allowing the grass clippings to discharge toward the center of the lawn. This gives you plenty of room to turn the lawn mower around without leaving patches of un-cut grass.
4. About half-way down one side of the section, turn so that you are facing the opposite side; with approximately equal amounts of lawn on your right & left.
5. Look across the section & pick a spot on the opposite side, directly across the lawn. Walk directly toward the spot you picked on the opposite side. Focusing on the spot, rather than the area directly in front of the mower, will often help you make a straight line. Proper trimming & mowing in straight lines are the keys to a professional looking job. It is impossible to emphasize enough, though, the importance of bearing in mind the obstacles mentioned above. Pay attention & do not run something over just for the sake of keeping a straight line.
6. Once you get across the lawn, carefully turn your mower around & look back at the line you just made. You can now see any places where the line varies from straight and, usually within the next pass or two, true it right up. Finish one side of the section, then the next, & then proceed to each section & repeat the process until the whole lawn is mowed.
7. When you are done mowing, take one more look at the important spots like entrance ways, walks & drives, & other places that draw your attention. If you missed any patches with the trimmer or on turn-around spots, now is the time to go back & get them. Paying close attention to the details is what sets the professional landscape contractor apart from the kid who lives up the street.
8. Finally, use a broom or leaf blower to push stray grass clippings back on to the lawn. Beginning with the area around the primary entrance to your home, clean off the landing & steps, continue along the walkway & out the driveway to the road. Clean off any decks or patios you may have, or anywhere else that has collected unsightly grass clippings.

Here are three more things to keep in mind while mowing. First, when using a power trimmer, like a line feed trimmer, the grass is ripped, not cleanly-cut, where it makes contact with the string. It is really easy to damage the grass, so be very careful not to over-do ? better it look a little less than perfect than you wind up whacking a hole in the lawn. The next one applies when using a self-propelled mower, on turn-a-rounds. If the pivot wheel stops turning completely (or the power wheel loses traction), it will almost certainly tear up the grass, below. Always turn around slowly, but make certain that all the wheels of the mower keep turning, at least a little bit.

Finally, while you may have a favorite direction in which to mow your lawn, front-back, side-side, diagonal, or even something more unique, it is probably best to mow it a different direction, at least every other time, in order to reduce the stress caused by turning around, repeatedly, on the same places.

Jay Purner is President of Synergistic Environments, Ltd., dba Creative Greenery, 1552 Helderberg Ave., Ste. 14, Schenectady, NY 12306. In addition to regular lawn care, robust selections of professional landscape maintenance services are available to commercial & residential clients.

No longer does the bird feeder you select have to be something plain propped in a spot in the yard. You need not buy a plastic, metal or wooden box to put off in the corner of the yard, unsightly, but practical. If you want something that is both practical & attractive to put in your garden consider purchasing gazebo bird feeders.

These incredible little works of architectural wonder can be made to order, bought premade or built by you from a set of plans that can be purchased, among other places, online. If it’s the latter that you select the plans are usually available for no more than twenty dollars. There is more. They will include complete instructions that will take you through the process in a very orderly step by step fashion. It will also have a comprehensive inventory of what needs to be bought to build the gazebo bird feeders & drawings showing how to easily assemble it… Once you have made it you’ll need to have the right pole to mount it on. It’s recommended that what you use a stand about four feet off the ground. This makes it harder for small animals like squirrels or chipmunks to get to the seeds.

If on the other hand it’s your preference to buy one already constructed there’re many potential outlets where you can find them. They can be bought from many nurseries, garden shops, occasionally from landscapers, or from individual persons or on line shops. There is more. These gazebo bird feeders very much resemble a gazebo in miniature with the same shape & decorative sides that you would expect to see on a gazebo that would sit in your yard. Prices vary greatly depending on the size of the bird feeder you buy. A tiny one may cost you under twenty dollars $ but if it’s a masterpiece you’re looking for, a large feeder to add beauty to your garden, perhaps one made of cedar, you can expect to pay closer to two hundred dollars. Of course, there’re many models in between so you can find the one you want along with the price you want to pay.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://www.bird-feeders.wares-are.us/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Gazebo Bird Feeders

The most important aspect of a successful Bonsai gardening is the proper watering care given to Bonsai plants. Proper water supply & watering schedule could spell the Bonsai’s continued life or caused their death. The lack of ample supply of water would cause the Bonsai plants to lose energy or dispose waste properly. Just like a human being, Bonsai plants need water to survive. Too much water will drown the Bonsai & too less water will cause the Bonsai to dehydrate. Bonsai artists should learn the proper steps & facts about watering Bonsai plants in order to become successful Bonsai artists or gardeners.

When providing water to Bonsai plants, there’re two major things to consider. One is the amount of water to give to Bonsai plants. And the other is when to water the plants. Right. When determining the amount of water to give the Bonsai plants, bonsai artists especially those who are new to the art of Bonsai gardening must not give too much or too less water. To know the amount of water to give the Bonsai plants, the Bonsai artists must know many factors about the Bonsai plants. There is more. These are size & specie of the Bonsai, size & shape of the pot, the soil mixture used & the weather conditions where the Bonsai plant is to be grown.

Smaller Bonsai waters need less water than bigger Bonsai. For Bonsais that are planted on smaller pot, less water should be supplied as compared to a Bonsai planted in a given pot since the water supplied is sipped in by more soil mixtures. There is more. Thus, the soil mixture dries up quickly.

The other factor to consider when caring for Bonsai plants is the watering schedule. The best time to water Bonsai plants is in the morning where the weather is colder. And the frequency of watering Bonsai plants depends on the season. During winter, Bonsai plants should be watered periodically to stop the soil from drying up. During spring, summer or fall, Bonsais should be watered daily. During rainy season, the Bonsai artists must make certain that Bonsai plants, especially located outdoors gets ample supply of water from the rain.

Additionally, for better supply of water, watering containers should also be considered. As a general rule, use watering sprinkles which have holes that when the water passes through can create droplets that is similar to soft rain showers. There is more. Too much or too strong droplets will damage the soil mixture where the Bonsai is planted. And lastly, when watering the Bonsai make certain the water is completely drained to avoid over flooding the soil mixture. There are various water sprinkles available in the market that have built in holes that are specifically meant for watering Bonsai.

Avid full time hobby bonsai grower. As been practicing bonsai & gardening for much more then 8 years. Owner of http://www.mishobonsai.com, a website with resources for Bonsai seeds & tree seeds.

You may be asking, “What is Xeriscape gardening?”. Pronounced “zera-scape” gardening, it is simply a more efficient way to water your garden.

Though the word Xeriscape may seem unusual to some people, it is an easier & more adaptable way of gardening that is used in a wide variety of kinds of gardens. You will be easily able to plant & maintain your annuals, perennials, vegetables & trees using the most water-smart method possible, by following the basic principles of Xeriscape gardening.

Today, up to 25% of our water supply is being used for keeping lawns & gardens growing. With this in mind, it is getting more critical for all those that love to garden, to find out how to plant smart, by considering the kind of soil you have, what kind of sun exposure your plants need, along with what your plants water requirements are.

Plants that use a lot of water can certainly, still be grown & enjoyed, by simply planting the heavy water users all together. Not only will this help save water, but will also help keep the plants that need less water thriving. Do you follow? This method is one of the keys to Xeriscape gardening.

It is also a good idea :idea: for you to get to know about the Hydroponic way of gardening, which does not use any soil.

One of the main differences of Hydroponic gardening, & benefits, is that the nutrients are put right into to root system of the plants, without needing to be fed more slowly through the soil.

The plants are then able to use less growth energy into sprouting the root system & have more energy left for producing leaves & fruit. Vegetable plants will have bigger & more vegetables, & leafy plants will produce larger & fuller foliage.

In addition, Hydroponic gardens do not need a large area of land or yard space. To grow large amounts of vegetables or foliage, you can simple use a balcony, deck or just an inside room.

Even though setting up a Hydroponic garden might cost more than starting a regular garden, it can give you a greater amount of healthy & delicious plants, which will more then cover your initial investment.

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Tom Straub is a successful author, & webmaster of the Best Gardening Tips web site, where you can read more on Water Gardening & more than a dozen other gardening topics.