I want to make flower gardens in my yard, but I want flowers that bloom often or last a long time. I don’t like flowers that last 2 days and then they are gone.

Thanks for answering this.

It depends on where you live. There are numbered growing zones used by nurseries to help you decide what to plant. If you live in North America find them here: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

A favorite here in S.C. is Lantana. There are many colors and they begin blooming in late spring and continue until frost. They hibernate during winter and come back every year. Very tolerant in hot weather. The yellow ones and multi-colored ones, for some reason, seem to do the best having mounds of unceasing blooms.

To prevent replanting each year ask for perennial plants or seeds.

I have heard that you need at pond, and idk how to get one. I think its the water you dig up with the shovel, but im not shure. If its not then PLEASE tell me how to get a pond! Thx

hiya sweety
yhoo need a shovel upgrade which lets yhoo dig ponds
for watercress and water Lillie’s yhoo need a lots of space to the right of the plant as the grow quite long lol
hope this helped xx

i want to make a koi pond but i dont know how deep to make it. What is a good depth for a koi pond to house about 8 koi, about 8 in in length and still growing.

Around 2 to 3 feet. Our pond has a deep end of 3 feet and a shallow end of 2 feet, we have 3 koi and 5 goldfish and they do just fine!

With those backyard ponds that you can by (i.e. the black plastic ones), how does the water not overheat? It stays in the sun during the summer the whole day, so how do the fish stay alive? I’m thinking about getting one…

they can and do… shade is important… whether it comes from trees nearby or plants in the water, like water lily…. that’s the easiest way.(there should be at least sixty percent of the water surface covered in plants!!!)… otherwise, algae and green water is your first problem…. warm water grows lots of algae…. keep the water cycling thru a fountain or waterfall helps keep it cool… and the deeper it is, the cooler, as well… mine is where my hounds and other garden critters can always find a cool drink even on the hottest days!….

HYDROGEN BONDS!!!!! Evey unique property of water stems from hydrogen bonds. These are weak, temporary bonds formed between the slightly negative hydrogen atoms of one water molecule, and the slightly positive oxygen atom of another water molecule. These give water many cool properties. First, it creates surface tension. Also, it is the reason that water expands when it freezes. If this didn’t happen ice wouldn’t float. Instead it would sink to the bottom of a body of water. There the water on top would insulate it and the ice would never melt. Eventually every body of water would be solid ice, and life on earth wouldn’t have developed. Hydrogen bonds also allow plants to take water up their xylems. There are many more properties that hydrogen bonds cause, but I think I’m beginning to ramble.

Trinidad and Tobago, two islands set in the Caribbean Sea. The name Caribbean conjures up images of blue seas and white sand beaches set against green hills. It brings to mind images of lying on the beach sipping pina coladas or rum and coca-cola. For the holiday traveler Tobago meets those expectations. For the outdoor enthusiast however, Trinidad and Tobago can be islands of outdoor recreation adventure with hiking trails and hidden waterfalls, bird and turtle watching, cycling through verdant countryside or kayaking past wildlife filled forests.

Trinidad and Tobago has a range of hiking opportunities with many of the hikes leading to waterfalls. Rincon waterfall in the Rincon valley on the north coast of Trinidad is a 250-foot vertical drop. The hike begins in the valley amidst small farms, fording several crystal clear streams and then winds uphill, culminating with a steep descent to the base of the waterfall. The 32 kilometer trail from Blanchissuese to Matelot on Trinidad’s north coast is considered a jewel. Along the hike one alternates from unspoiled rainforest to untouched beaches. Starting from Blanchissuese you encounter Paria Bay after two to three hours (depending on the hiker’s level of fitness). A short trail from the beach leads to Paria waterfall where there is a deep clear pool below the falls surrounded by heliconia, fringed lilies, and philodendron. If you choose to continue the hike after Paria Bay, the trail rambles over a succession of small ridges, crossing several small streams, until you next encounter Gran Tacarib, which is a 1.2 kilometer crescent shaped beach. From Gran Tacarib the trail continues to the Madamas river and then Madamas Beach. Both Madamas Beach and Gran Tacarib are nesting sites for Leatherback turtles, during the nesting season of March to September. After Madamas it is a continuation of the up and down hiking and crossing small streams and then the Petite Riviere river. The trail continues through abandoned estate lands with cocoa, coffee, tonka bean, nutmeg and papaya (pawpaw) until you arrive at the Matelot River and the village of Matelot.

For those who want to lie on the beach but also engage in some outdoor activity there are several less strenous hikes. Argyle waterfall on the outskirts of Roxborough in Tobago is an easy hike along the Argyle River to a three level waterfall. The hike to the Rio Seco waterfall on Trinidad’s north-east coast goes through semi-cultivated land and then through stately mora forests to a small waterfall with a refreshing emerald pool, ideal for swimming.

Both Trinidad and Tobago abound with birds and at almost every turn an avian spectacle can be observed. Trinidad and Tobago has some of the most diverse bird species to be found in one location with over 460. This variety in species can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the islands lie close to South America so migration is easier, resulting in unusually diverse fauna. Asa Wright Nature Center, is Trinidad and Tobago’s premier birding location and it has been widely recognized as one of the most successful eco-tourism stories in the world. The listing of birds that can be seen at this center is too long for this article but has been identified in the vicinity of 159. Some of these birds include; Purple Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Crested Oropendola, Silver-beaked Tanager, White-necked Jacobin hummingbirds, Bananaquit, Red-legged Honeycreeper, White-chested Emerald hummingbird, Cocoa Thrush, Chestnut Woodpecker, Great Antshrike. This Nature Center is located at a height of approximately 1,200 feet in the hills of the Northern Range, seven miles from the town of Arima. It is reached by a single lane road that winds through verdant countryside dotted by small villages and isolated houses. There are numerous trails throughout the property and very knowledgeable guides.

Grafton Wildlife Sanctuary, Tobago, is a former cocoa and coconut estate that was destroyed by Hurricane Flora in 1963 and as a result was converted into a wildlife sanctuary. It is approx. 200 acres in size and is covered in secondary forest. There are three main forest trails. As you enter, the first trail on the right leads downhill and is relatively short. The second trail on the left also gradually leads downhill and then eventually climbs uphill. The main trail, which is directly facing the entrance, leads uphill and winds past several abandoned estate buildings and stables. There are benches along the main trail and at some points they provide panoramic views. There are at least three smaller trails that branch off from the main uphill trail but these are not always maintained. The three main forest trails are maintained. It is possible to spend an enjoyable hour or an intense four hours. The entire sanctuary abounds with birds of varied species.

Trinidad and Tobago are islands in the Caribbean Sea so there are myriad opportunities for kayaking. However for those who do not want to contend with large waves, ocean swells and ocean currents, Trinidad and Tobago offers a choice of sheltered saltwater and freshwater kayaking opportunities. Two kayaking areas of particular note are Bon Accord Lagoon and the Godineau River.

The azure waters of Buccoo Bay and the Bon Accord Lagoon in Tobago are sheltered by the offshore Buccoo reef, providing a kayaking area with only gentle swells. Kayak rentals are available at the nearby Storebay and also at Pigeon Point. The fringing Mangrove swamps of the Bon Accord Lagoon provide a scenic contrast to the white sand beaches along Pigeon Point and at the center of Buccoo bay. The offshoots of the reef also shelter the adjacent Milford Bay, allowing one to kayak to the south-east from Bon Accord Lagoon around Pigeon Point and into Milford Bay or vice-versa.

The Godineau River in south Trinidad, also known as the South Oropouche River, is one of the rivers in Trinidad that provides a year round kayaking opportunity as the water level is always sufficient. Kayaking in the Godineau area takes you through a variety of habitats, from saltwater mangrove swamp to fresh water marshland to partially cultivated areas. A variety of birdlife can be seen on these kayak trips including Scarlet Ibis, Southern Lapwing, Osprey, Savannah Hawk, Wattled Jacana, Cattle Egret, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Whistling Duck and a variety of migrating ducks (during the northern winter). This kayak trip can be started either from the sea along the area known as the Mosquito Creek or inland from the Woodland area.

Trinidad’s network of old agricultural & oilfield roads plus (relatively) quiet country roads, along with hiking paths provide a range of surfaces and environments for cycling. In addition terrain ranges from flat land to rolling inclines to hillsides. For those with a preference for road biking almost every area of Trinidad has country roads with reduced vehicle traffic. The cross-country rider will be able to find undulating land with natural vistas. Those whose interest lies in mountain biking can find forest trails with logs, bamboo and streams across the trail requiring navigation and dexterity.

So the next time you are looking for outdoor recreational activity with a difference, experience Trinidad and Tobago, islands of Adventure.

brian ramsey
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/trinidad-and-tobago-islands-of-adventure-91900.html

Do you want to enjoy the outdoor world caged within interior beauty? Free from mosquitoes, escape from bugs, nasty natural weather conditions and intense harmful UV rays? Then building a Temo sunroom in home exteriors should be your first option. In earlier days Temo sunrooms were built from simple homemade concepts of wood posts and stapled screens to surround the front and back porches for keeping out unwanted elements. But over the years, the concept of Temo sunroom has undergone fast developments and today it comes designed with screened-in-porch systems, roof systems, and advanced thermal window systems. So today Temo sunrooms are the result of an engineering wonder and creative marvel in the construction industry.

Numbered in with various facetted features the temo sunrooms are designed in a way you want to utilize them. For example, you can use it as your living room, sitting room, guest room or your kitchen, but you need to install various features that will be amply evident of its immediate use. With these new features implemented, the temo sunrooms become a far cry from the “box on a house” concept. Therefore the sophisticated look and the advanced features of temo sunrooms are amply evident of its varied usage in contemporary lifestyle.

Features Of Temo Sunrooms

Before you proceed further with your thoughts of building a temo sunroom in your home, you should be amply aware of its outstanding features. The temo sunrooms showcase in itself the wonderful wall and window systems, exclusive roof systems, and unique door systems. To begin with the wall and window system, it has internal weep system that channels the water away from the room. The exclusive indestructible exterior/interior polymer surface prevents any type of denting, scratching, chalking, fading and blocking of UV penetrations to protect the insulations.

The dual vinyl bulb seal very similar to a refrigerator seal is usually located at the top and bottom channel of the walls and windows of the temo sunrooms. This unique feature provides the luxury of making the sunrooms weather-tight and insect-resistant between walls and foundations of the sunroom. A great amount of structural integrity is promised to the sunrooms through the interlocking meeting rail and lift screens structured into the windows. These E-Z lift self-healing, puncture-resistant lift screens are removable from interior for easy window cleaning. The doors of the temo sunrooms come exclusively studded with attractive brass or French handles that add both beauty and durability to the doors. While the deadbolt lock systems provides extra security against intrusions, the welded corners and dual door sweep in the doors promise reinforced commercial strength that provide a extra dimensions of security against weather, insects and unwanted manly intrusions.

Last of all are secrets in the roof systems of the Temo sunrooms. While the standing roof seams provide most effective protection against weather and seasonal expansions, the interlocking tongue-and-groove construction system provides structural integrity, longetivity and overall roof system. The vinyl roof cleat is designed to conceal the interior seam and provide additional seam integrity against harsh weather. The leaf guard protection blocks debris from accumulating and aids in maintenance-free gutter performance of the temo sunrooms.

Types Of Temo Sunrooms

Apart from these exclusive features temo sunrooms also promise the three outstanding Ps- performance, perfection and protection. Each of the temo sunrooms are built of superior materials that come with lifetime warranty. The temo sunrooms come in several styles like the studio rooms, solarium model style. California style and cathedral designs. The studio rooms are one of the popular designs that can adapt to almost any style home or architecture. While the studio style comes with maximum ceiling height it is ideally suited for skylights. The solariums-style temo sunrooms transfer the outdoors to indoors with their state-of-the art designs. They allow maximum exposure to the ecstatic beauty of moon, sun and stars while providing you protection from their harmful aura. The cathedral style temo sunrooms with their traditional design of gables, split-gables and step-down roof designs must be a matter of your choice.

A great advantage of a temo sunroom is that it is customized to fit your home creating a home addition of your dreams. The most popular sizes of temo sunrooms that are available are 10′x8′, 10′x12′, 10′x14”, 12′x8′, 12′x12, 12×15, 12×20 and 16×20. As per the size of the temo sunrooms, you can increase its incredible flexibility by using it as a spa, entertainment centers, exercise and working centers. The temo sunrooms have designs that help to regulate the temperature of the interior of the sunrooms in all seasons.

Get temo sunrooms in your home to unwind, relax and spend time with your family and friends.

A.Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/features-of-temo-sunrooms-95350.html

Both purchasing a pond kit and installing a water garden yourself can save you a lot of money. Landscapers usually charge thousands of dollars to install professional liner ponds. In fact, even the supplies that the landscapers provide you with are marked up! Why not purchase the supplies online at significantly discounted prices? With the advent of the Internet, you can now gain access to the same pricing that the landscapers have access to. For further savings, all you need are some friends and family, and some time, you can even complete most, if not all, of the installation yourself.

Purchasing Your Materials

If you’re thinking about a water garden for your backyard, the first thing you need to do is to layout your design. Take a good look at your yard and make sure that the location of the pond can be enjoyed from any decks and windows. Pull out the garden hose and create the shape of your pond right on the lawn. Experiment with it for a few days and observe how both the sun and slope of your yard will effect the space you have chosen. Most importantly, get your ideas on paper!

After designing your pond, you should take the materials required into consideration. Use your design to compose a list check-list of all the things that you require. Do you need a waterfall? How many tiers do you want in your pond? Do you want a stream leading into your main pond? Are you willing to install extra filtration to support your fish? How do you plan on landscaping the pond? Do you require underwater lighting? How powerful of a pump do you need?

Once you are sure about your material requirements, the most affordable way to proceed is to check online for professional pond kits that meet your requirements. Liner pond kits usually provide most or all of the basic materials required to install a pond, at a discounted price. Purchasing a pond kit also reduces the risk of mistakes that are often associated with purchasing the incorrectly-sized equipment. Have you ever tried to return liner, after it’s been cut up? Or a pump, after you have run water through it? Good luck convincing a retail outlet that it came like that!

Installing Your Pond

After purchasing your pond kit, you may have to visit a garden center and/or a hardware store to pick up the items from your checklist that you still require. Keep in mind that one of the most highly recommended and comprehensive pond kits available is currently offered by Algreen Products. Unlike other kits, whereby extra filtration and lighting must be purchased separately, at retail prices, they include everything in one single kit for a low price. You cannot go wrong with their professional pond liner kits because they include everything you might possibly need, including liner, liner underlay, a skimmer, biofalls filter, all your charcoal/mechanical/biological filtration media, a properly-sized waterfall pump, underwater lighting, and all your tubing and construction materials.

After you’ve arranged all the materials together, it’s time to get your friends together to start excavating a hole. At this stage of the game, a backhoe rental may be required for larger ponds. Ensure that the excavation is dug according to the dimensions that are laid out in your initial design. Make sure that a cavity for the biofalls filter and the skimmer are excavated on opposite sides of the pond, with the biofalls cavity being situated next to the highest pond tier.

After the excavation has been completed, the skimmer box can now be installed into the hole at the end of the pond, with the drainage hole facing out toward the pond. The skimmer should be set so that the top of its mouth is no less than 1 inch above your intended water level. Make sure that the skimmer is level and secure. The biofalls filter should be inserted into the hole at the opposite end of the pond.

Before laying the pond liner, cover the pond area, extending over the pond shelf, with underlayment and tuck it into pleats to conform to the shape of the pond. Cover the fabric with the heavy-duty (45-mil-thick) pond liner. Use caution, because even a small tear can result in a leak. You can use stones to weigh down the pond liner in the center of the pond.

Try to minimize the folding and pleating of the liner, because folds have the potential to trap dirt and debris. If you are worried about debris collecting in the folds, you have the option of sealing the folds with seaming tape. To do this, form each fold as a large triangle, and secure it with double-sided seaming tape. Sealing the fold makes it less obvious, keeps debris out, and prevents small fish from being trapped.

Cut a rectangular hole in the pond liner with sides that are 1″ shorter than the rectangular opening of the skimmer. Connect the hole in the pond liner to the skimmer, using PVC tape.

The bulk of the pond installation is now complete! Now, all that remains to be done is to backfill around the edges of the pond with topsoil, and fill the pond with water. The pond is now ready to be landscaped.

As opposed to paying a landscaper for a pond installation, there are savings to be had from purchasing the supplies yourself. Since materials from landscapers are usually marked up, you are paying a premium for the materials right off the bat. You can obtain these supplies yourself, over the Internet, for significant savings (E.g. Algreen’s Pond Pro Kits). And if you’re really adventurous, you can even complete the installation yourself!

Congratulations on your first professional water garden!

Gerry Fung
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/installing-a-professional-water-garden-on-a-budget-98789.html

Fresh flowers can lend a lease of life to just about any place. Your home which is your special place deserves to be decorated with fresh flowers. Often we tend to use fresh slower arrangements only on the dining table. However, there are many other places in your home that can be decorated with fresh flowers.

The living room could do with some revving up with fresh flowers. Select a beautiful vase and put in fresh flowers which ever ones you like, it could be a bunch of the same flowers or a combination of different flowers and put it in the corner or any mantle in your living room. Another good idea could be to create a float with the flowers by placing them in a crystal bowl full of water. This could be further enhanced for some occasions by lighting floating candles in the bowl along with the flowers.

This bowl can be placed anywhere in your living room on the center table, or in your bed room in the corner and it will look simple and beautiful. The kitchen too deserves to be remembered. Placing a vase with flowers might not be exactly the best idea in for the kitchen. What you can do here is on a windowsill put potted plants like sun loving primroses and African violets etc. The best part about putting flowering plants in the kitchen is that you can use just about anything to serve as a pot. This could be old tea pots or clay pots etc.

Now in the dining room of course the dining table is one obvious place to put flowers. Instead of the simple arrangement in the center of the table, you can go in for a slightly more elaborate arrangement. This could be done by combining flowers of different varieties and also use some dried grass decoration along with them.

Fresh flowers are believed to be therapeutic and definitely are more attractive than artificial ones. Of course the artificial ones too are required in places where changing flowers regularly is not possible. However, this is not the case at home where we don’t need to make too efforts to find fresh flowers.

Another place to put flowers is your own bedroom. This is the sanctum of your home and indeed a very private space. This place deserves your favorite flower and that too generously. Of course what you can do is place them on the mantle, on the bed side table, on your reading desk if you have any in the room etc.

Amy Nutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/decorating-your-home-with-fresh-flowers-105998.html

Miy Christmas Tabletop Theme Decor,

“Zen Christmas Decor”

Miy Project: “Christmas Tabletop Theme Decor”, An inviting holiday table, Zen Fusion Style.”

My fusion theme is based on a composition of different décor-style influences. It is modern and transitional, yet contemporary at the same time. It includes the simplicity of Zen, combined with elegance and nostalgia. You could say that I spiced things up a little by adding touches of holiday elements such as glitter, snowflakes, stars and Christmas greenery.

With an idea of Oriental spice in mind when I went to choose my table, the whole vision came together as soon as I spotted the perfect table for my composition – an elegant dining room set of a modern transitional style, in a rich black-and-ginger-brandy-coloured combination by Dinec. The table runners are in rich tones of ginger spice, burgundy and auburn with black accents, in assorted textures of organza, cotton and novelty ribbon trim, adorned with tassel ornaments. The centre runner is in an ecru cotton fabric with Oriental cinnamon-coloured symbols. It is trimmed with a black satin border. Here’s a simple trick in order to save on hours of sewing. Just fuse the hems with fusing tape (available at fabric stores), then add a decorative ribbon border or tassels.

I chose an organza fabric as the main table cloth in order to be able to see the richness and beauty of the table displayed through the fabric. To create a festive table setting for eight, I chose a glass aubergine place setting with a wicker texture by Studio Nova.

I used Pébéo Vitrail 160 glass paints on the back all of the dishes. I painted the charger plates with assorted splattered patterns in burgundy, gold, red and black. The dinner dishes were all painted copper. Painting the back allows the texture and pattern to be visible. I then painted the entrée plates in shades of red and burgundy, leaving a square pattern unpainted at the centre in order to see the copper colour of the dinner plate through it. For the finishing touch, I added a fine detailed square design with a copper-coloured liner. I also used glass paint to add a basic copper square on the water glasses.

I wanted a simple contemporary floral arrangement as my centerpiece. White Christmas lilies and spiral copper branches at the centre with river stones and wooden cranberries were placed at the bottom of a clear glass rectangular-shaped base. I added touches of greenery on the gifts and to the cutlery sets and I placed one copper leaf on each plate setting.

Six slender burgundy candles for the table were adorned with copper leafing and placed in square glass candle holders by Misaka, which I ornamented with beaded wires.

I created assorted holiday artworks to embellish the walls for the season -a poinsettia painting made with Textured paste to add dimension and a paper montage frame made with assorted rice papers in various colours. For holiday nostalgia, I made a family photo Advent calendar on a canvas.

I made several customized greetings cards out of recycled cards, gift tags, ornaments, scrap paper, ribbons, beads, copper trim and sequins. Making a tree ornament and placing it on a card is a great way to say happy holidays to loved ones. I revamped an old louvered door panel in a red, gold and copper weathered finish to display the cards.

Even the backs of each of the chairs were trimmed with care. A red satin ribbon, combined with an organza fabric bow, with a tassel ornament and a pine branch at the centre.

I covered two red candle lanterns with a copper mesh cuff and beads. I recycled four black jars, made red and copper letters out of Super Sculpey, a polymer clay, to spell the word Noël, and attached them to the jars with golden raffia. Red decorative jars were embellished with beads and greenery accents. A simple black vase was enhanced with a copper paint square to repeat the pattern on the glasses.

I also transformed plain chopsticks by dressing them up with rice paper and copper wire bands. Again, Super Sculpey was used to make the chopstick and place card holders, which were painted with black acrylic then top coated with a bronze metallic gel.

Each project that I have created for my theme table requires only a few basic craft supplies combined with recycled items, all of which are of basic skills to make.

For More Great Miy Holiday Decorating Ideas and decor Projects visit our MIY-Decor library.

Copyright Miy-Decor.com © 2006

For more Miy decor projects visit www.maddylane-decor.com

Madeleine M Langlois
http://www.articlesbase.com/accessories-articles/miy-christmas-tabletop-theme-decor-zenfusion-christmas-decor-82220.html