Grow a Beautiful Garden the Water Wise Way

Posted on 18 April 2010 by admin

Grow a beautiful garden the water wise way

Saving water and enjoying the beauty and environmental benefits of plants are not only possible, but easy says the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN). “Water Wise” gardening is built on some basic, commonsense principles:

Planning

Planning a water wise garden or landscape is as easy and fun-as planning any type of garden. Talk to the professionals at your local center/landscape firm to see which plants will do well in your area. You may be surprised to find that some very beautiful, colorful plants are low on water consumption-and they may fit into your landscape perfectly.

Group together plants that require the same amount of water. Plant trees and shrubs to provide shade to cool buildings, air conditioning units, patios, decks, and other landscape features.  Shelter container plants by moving them to shady areas. Spike or aerate lawns to insure maximum water penetration. Control weeds which compete with useful plants for water.

Soil Improvement

Soil improvement is another easy and beneficial step in building a water wise garden. Soil that is well prepared at the time of planting influences the plant’s initial development and yields the best results. And plants placed in the proper soil will be healthier, often needing less water.

Soil characteristics include texture, structure, depth, and nutrients. To find out more about your soil content, test your soil with the following garden products: Accugrow Soil Test Kit or the Sunleaves Three-Way Meter.  

Wise Irrigation

Efficient irrigation is a critical part of water wise gardening. Your irrigation system can be simple, such as a hand-held hose, or elaborate, such as an in-ground sprinkler system. Consider a drip water conservation system, which can save up to 60% of water used by sprinkler irrigation. Whatever you choose, make sure you plan your watering to get best results.

Deep, infrequent watering, promotes root growth and is the wisest use of water and encourages strong rooting. This provides greater tolerance to dry spells.  Water early in the day, and on less windy days, to reduce evaporation loss. The ideal time is from dawn to 9:00 a.m.   Turn off sprinklers before water is wasted as runoff into gutters and streets.

Mulching

Mulching is always a benefit to your garden and can help prevent soil erosion and evaporation, conserving the water that is available and keeping your plants healthy and strong.

Maintenance

Maintaining your water wise garden means learning how to water all over again. You may find that watering less means having more time to sit back and enjoy your garden. Generally, plants should be watered less often and for a long period of time. Drip, soaker, or deep root watering promotes healthy plants and less water use.

Water Wise Gardening Tips

Follow these handy watering tips from AAN, and you’ll soon be started on your own environmentally sound garden or landscape.  For garden products mentioned in this article, please visit http://www.spray-n-growgardening.com

Look For Quality Kids Furniture That Will Grow With Your Child

Posted on 30 March 2010 by admin

Are you in the market for kids’ furniture? You may be tempted to purchase cute furniture that may only suit your child for a few years. This can be a waste of time and money. You may find that you are better off purchasing kids’ furniture from a quality manufacturer.

 

Ashley furniture has pieces that are specifically designed for use as kids furniture but that still show strong design elements that will grow with your child through the years. Functional pieces such as desks, dressers and armoires are all part of the Ashley furniture collection for children. They combine the durable construction that is so necessary with children’s furniture with clean, simple lines that make them fit well into any home.

 

Some of the newer designs in kids’ furniture include loft beds. These are a fresh new take on the old bunk bed idea and allow you to save floor space while still having a flexible, multipurpose piece of kids’ furniture. You can find loft beds with different features. Some include a second bed underneath which can be perfect if you have more than one child sharing a room. There are also models with desks and other workspace elements. These beds can travel to school with your child as they can be wonderful for use if you are boarding and have limited living space.

 

Ashley furniture ranges from pieces that are highly functional to some that are quite whimsical. The Doll House collection features a range of beautiful multi-colored furniture that most girls would love. It still retains its high quality and good design sense and features head and foot boards with shelves and a built in storage area for books.

 

Kids’ furniture needs to be durable to withstand the amount of punishment that children put their things through. Ashley furniture is made with this in mind. The finishes on all the furniture are designed to be low care. The dark wood finishes on some of their pieces of kids’ furniture can make it easy to keep it looking like new.

 

Features that you should look for in kids’ furniture include washable handles and other hardware. You should also look for heavy duty construction on drawer glides and high quality hinges as well. All of these things, as well as good solid construction in the products as well will help make sure that your investment is kept looking good for many years to come.

 

It can pay to shop around for the best deals. Checking online with furniture websites can be a great way to get kids furniture from a manufacturer like Ashley at a better price than you would in stores. Ashley Furniture also works to keep their costs down by eliminating a middleman and deal directly with online retailers as well as conventional retailers.

 

High quality kids’ furniture can be hard to find, especially if you are trying to steer away from pieces that are too childish. Ashley furniture can be that wonderful balance between whimsy and practicality that you are looking for.