Pond lights are a good way to add nocturnal ambiance to backyard water features. There are many available illumination options that change dark and uninviting locations into secure enclaves by illuminating waterfalls, fountains, trees, decks and pathways with an almost magical quality. When adding pond lights to a landscape, safety must always come first. Water and electricity don’t go together and the consequences of a mishap could end up being fatal. As a safety precaution, only use solar powered or low voltage fixtures when working near ponds or other water features.

Pond Lighting Technologies

Light bulb efficiency measures the cost of producing units of light. Electrical costs for lamps are a direct function of the total wattage of the bulbs that are being lit and the light emitted by these bulbs is measured in lumens. The other major factor in efficiency is the cost of the bulbs themselves and the mean time to replacement. The most efficient lamp would produce the most lumens for a given wattage; have a low purchase price and the longest life before burning out. Unfortunately that bulb does not exist yet.

Let’s compare 2 basic low voltage lamp alternatives — Halogen and LED. Halogen lights have a lower purchase price, but will burn out faster and use more electricity. LED costs more upfront, but consumes less energy and has a much longer meantime to failure.

A typical low voltage halogen lamp produces 15 lumens per watt and has an expected life of 5000 hours. In comparison, a similar LED produces 50 lumens per watt and can last as long as 50,000 hours (almost 6 years if left on 24 hours per day) before needing replacement. So in this case the LED is 3 times more efficient and lasts 10 times as long as the Halogen. A 10 watt halogen lamp costs approximately $6 vs. $15 for a 3.5 watt LED. As LED technology improves and more manufacturers begin adopting this product, the purchase price should drop significantly and low voltage LED should eventually dominate the outside lighting market. There are 3 common classes of pond lights that utilize both these lighting technologies, submersible, floating and land based accent lights.

Submersible Pond Lighting

As the title implies submersible lighting are located underwater within the pond. Submersible pond lights are meant to give the pond water a glowing appearance and highlight and fish and plants. Nevertheless, submersible pond lighting also illuminates “anything” that’s in the water. So unless the pond is extremely clear, submersible lights can make the water appear cloudy. As a substitute, a light pointing down in the water from overhead will illuminate the actual pond without negatively impacting the appearance of water clarity. In particular, should you keep colorful fish within the pond, such as koi, lighting the pond from above will make the fish standout throughout the night against an opaque dark background. Submersible lighting is singularly magnificent, though, in illuminating waterfalls and fountains. Submersible lights can include different color lenses and may be located at the rear of waterfalls or under fountains to produce wonderful after dark light shows. Submersible ring lights are specifically effective with fountains.

Floating Pond Lights

For additional lighting effects within the pond, you can also include floating lights. These lights are fun to watch because they move in irregular patterns with the prevailing current in the pond. There are many kinds of floating lights available including lights which change colors progressively. These lights are generally constructed in the shape globes or water lilies. Whatever style you select, solar powered fixtures are well suited to this role since they will float freely with no power cords attached.

Accent Lights

Regular landscape accent lights are the third class of lighting to make ponds and water features shine through the night. This type of lighting may be used to frame the borders of the pond and to accent selected backyard features such as rocks, trees and shrubs. If a waterfall isn’t lit from behind with a submersible light, a land based spotlight from the front creates a pleasant shimmering effect. To ensure safe walking, paths close to your pond or in the backyard generally, should be well lit through downward directed lights. Accent lights are widely available in low voltage and solar powered fixtures for places where electricity isn’t easily accessible.

An effectively illuminated pond is unquestionably beautiful at evening and provides a means to enjoy your water garden whatever the hour.

To learn more about alternatives for back yard landscape light click on the links to visit Professional Outdoor Lighting Concepts and Spot Lights and Flood Lights

Many people are interested in growing their own plants, fruits and veggies. Most don’t have the temperate climate to grow year round so its attractive to come indoors and go for the year-round perpetual growth in their own grow box. Everyone can enjoy the fun hobby of indoor hydroponic growing but its best to ask yourself a few questions before you purchase an indoor growing system.

1. How much space do I have for my grow room or grow box?
Really important because the type of plant, numbers and expected yield are all correlated to the amount of grow space or grow room. Do you have a garage you can put a grow box cabinet system in? Will it reside in your bedroom? Can you bring it down to your basement? Do you want it on display in the kitchen?

2. How many plants do I want to grow?
Linked to space because the more space you have the more plants you can grow and the more varieties you can generate. Also, be aware of crowding issues and plant dominance. Plants can get nasty and will shade other plants from available light causing them great stress. It is recommended to get a grow box that is at least 6′ tall.

3. How much time do I have to spend on this hobby?
If you want to begin your hobby effortlessly with a guarantee, it recommended to purchase a pre-fab grow box. Most of these systems are plug-n-play and require just a few hours of maintenance every week. Some grow rooms or grow boxes can be serviced in under 20 minutes a week. It’s really important to be honest with yourself on your time allotment. If you travel on business, get a completely automated hydro system that you only have to attend to every 7 days. If you have a ton of time of your hand go for a grow room system that you can fiddle for hours on end doing your plant maintenance, cleaning, and water quality control.

4. What are my expected outcomes for my automated grow room or grow box system?
Many customers have blown-out expectations and become impatient. Patience is godliness in indoor growing. You can’t rush a beautiful thing and doing so only detracts from the finish. If its your first grow, you will not beat the world record for grams of dried plant matter per plant. By just your third turn, you will be closing in on a mid level gardener and feeling good about yourself.

5. Am I comfortable with the expenses for indoor growing such as electricity, water, nutrients, etc.?
There are a number of variable costs associated with indoor gardening. Nutrient companies will try to tell you that you can NOT achieve great results unless you use their expensive products. Nutrients don’t have to be that expensive but they do add up. Electricity for HID lamps can be quite pricey especially if you live in metro areas like San Francisco, New York and Honolulu. If your water supply has a TDS count over 300, is “hard” or possess heavy metals and chlorine you will want to use a water filter system like Reverse Osmosis, UV, or activated carbon. These systems are not cheap but are a necessary evil if you are not blessed with pure water. Being comfortable with the variable costs will help you keep your eye on the prize.

There are no dumb questions in indoor growing, only chances for discovering the balance for what you want versus what is actually grow-able in your growbox.
Happy Growing!!
Erik Elder
erik@supercloset.com
http://www.supercloset.com
http://www.superponics.com

Unwanted and nasty weeds can be a nuisance in any garden if they get out of hands. Most of the people use chemicals and other toxic substances to control weeds in their garden. However, there are many other home remedies that can be used for getting rid of unwanted weeds. These home remedies are non-toxic and they are also inexpensive weed killers.

Homemade weed killers are far better than the harmful toxins as they do not contaminate the soil. Excessive usage of chemical based weedicides can harm your plants and turf as well. So, it is advisable to use alternatives for weed control. One of the basic weed control method is to pull them by hand as soon as they appear. But this method is generally not very effective if the weed growth is excessive.

Some of the effective home remedies for weed control that you can try in your home garden are:

Vinegar: Vinegar can be directly sprayed on the weeds. It is advisable not to dilute vinegar as the concentrated liquid will be more effective. The best time to use vinegar is when there is no chance of rainfall as it gives vinegar time to penetrate the roots and kill the weeds. Take care while applying vinegar on the weeds and avoid spraying it on the roots of your plants and seedlings.

Boiling Water: You can pour boiling water directly on the weeds to kill them. This method can potentially harm the turf as well so apply carefully on the weeds. This method is safe for pets, humans and also the environment.

Salt: Salt is another very effective way which can help in getting rid of unwanted weeds. However, excessive use of salt can damage the surrounding soil, as salt can easily seep into the ground. You can apply salt directly over the weeds and diluted salt with water can also be sprayed on the weeds. Make sure to use this method only in places where you do not want any growth.

Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is pretty much like kitchen vinegar, you can apply it directly on the weeds to control them.

Newspapers: If you have a large area that has been affected by weeds then you can effectively control them by covering the area with a thick layer of newspaper. The newspapers will not allow sunlight to reach the weeds and it would eventually kill them.

Apart from all these easy homemade remedies you can also try Citrus Oil, Soap Water and Liquid dish detergent to get rid of weeds from your home garden.

For more information on best quality plants please visit http://www.dntnursery.com/

DNT Nursery is a certified wholesale grower located in Tennessee that provides all kinds of native plants, perennials, shrubs, ferns and ornamental trees. It specializes in native plants, wildflowers and wild plants. It is one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the country that ships to the entire US and Canada. Please visit the website for more information on different varieties of plants and trees.

Easy Steps to Construct a Pebble Fountain Using Simple Materials

Know all about building a pebble fountain with the use of simple materials

There is nothing like the nice tranquil sound of a water feature in your garden that you can enjoy and sit outside in peace and quiet. Water features are loved by many and many people dream of having one in their yard.

The main thing that deters a person from having a water feature in his or her garden is the thought that it might require too much maintenance or the cost might be too prohibitive.

But you can have a nice professional looking water feature in your yard without having to pay an expensive contractor or landscaper to build the fountain for you.

In fact, most of the materials you need for a pebble fountain can be found at your local hardware store. Furthermore, a pebble fountain or a “garbage can fountain” can be build for under $300 if you know where to get the right materials for the right price.

Basic materials needed for building a pebble fountain

Building a pebble fountain requires some basic materials that can be found at the local hardware store, however, as far as the pump is concerned, you might want to think about going to a specialized home & garden store that has a professional pond department and you can get professional grade pumps and fountain heads. The materials for the basic structure of the pebble fountain are listed below.

1. A 55 gallon garbage can or bigger should be bought to hold the water. When buying the garbage can, you should make sure that it is a heavy-duty plastic not metal and does not have any drain holes. Avoid using galvanized metal garbage cans because they can rust over time and start to leak, causing water loss.

2. Galvanized piping, metal fencing, and chicken wire to build the top of the pebble fountain. This is what actually holds the pebbles over the garbage can that contains the water and pump.

3. Decorative stone and pebbles to cover the core anatomy of the fountain and make it beautiful.

4. A pond or fountain pump, piping, and valve to build and run the fountain. The average pebble fountain pump should be at least 700 gallons per hour or GPh. You can get a pump that is 1000 or 1500 GPh to allow for more flow. This is why the valve comes into play.

If you choose to get a more powerful pump, you can use the valve to control the water flow. If you let a 1500 GPh pump run its water to the maximum water flow, you can loose a lot of water. As far as the piping is concerned, you can use either PVC or copper. PVC should be black, it looks a lot nicer, however, copper piping also looks nice and as it tarnishes, it will take on a nice green color over time.

5. A fountain head to add the splash to your fountain. There are all kinds of fountain heads that you can use to create great water features with. Some of these fountain heads include:

a. The bell head, which is a type of fountain head that has a funnel at the top which is covered with a flat top having a tapered stopper that goes into the funnel and forces the water out into the shape of a bell or umbrella.

This makes for a wonderful water feature and you can give it some extra zing at night with colored lights, making your front yard the talk of the neighborhood.

The only drawback of a bell head is that wind can cause the water to blow away from the top of the garbage can and can cause you to lose water. For windy days, you should add water to the garbage can so the pump does not run dry.

b. The throther head is another common fountain head used for pebble fountains. The throther head causes the water to throth out, making a loud splashing sound. This type of fountain head is great for those who do not want a super high geyser, but like the sound of loud splashing water.

c. The two or three-tier head is your classic fountain head and works much like the shower head in your bathroom or the flower watering hose head. It has the same concept with many holes that force the water to come out in a specific pattern.

Furthermore, these fountain heads often come in two or three tiers and allow the water to come up in several tiers with the top tier shooting the water out the highest.

d. The geyser head is the most basic type of fountain head. Geyser heads can be special attachments which have wings inside to cause the water to shoot up in a specific pattern or a geyser head can simply be the top of the fountain pipe shooting the water straight up like a natural geyser.

Construction of the pebble fountain

Now that you have all the materials needed to build the pebble fountain, you need to go about building it. If you do not have any experience in water features, don’t worry.

You do not need much experience to build a pebble fountain. All you need to do is take a shovel, dig a hole for the garbage can and fill the sides outside of the garbage can with the dirt that you dug out of the hole.

You can also mound the rest of the dirt around the top of the pebble fountain to plant low growing flowers around your pebble fountain for that extra color and beauty. If you follow the simple steps below, you can have a stunning pebble fountain that can be the envy of the block.

1. Dig the hole that is a bit larger than the garbage can that you bought. You should have at least two-thirds of a foot to a foot of the garbage can above the ground.

2. Place the garbage can in the hole and using a level, make sure the garbage can is level so that water will not overflow out of one side.

3. Fill the gaps around the sides of the garbage can with some of the dirt that you extracted when you dug the hole for the garbage can, once you are satisfied with the position of the garbage can.

You can use some of the left over dirt to mound around the part of the garbage can that is above ground. You should keep in mind that the lip or the rim of the garbage can should be left above the dirt, so dirt will not get inside the garbage can when the water gets into it.

4. Place the pump on a cinder block in the garbage can so when you drain the fountain in the winter the pump will be out of the water and freezing will not break the functioning components of the pump.

5. Install the pipe for the fountain head to the outtake of the pump and using a level, make sure that the pipe is plum and the pump is level. When the fountain pipe is plum, you can be guaranteed that water loss would be at a minimum.

6. Build the structure for the pebbles, using the galvanized piping, fencing and chicken wire. This is probably the most complicated step in building your pebble fountain. Building the lid requires several steps and they are as follows:

a. Using elbows and galvanized piping make a square large enough to cover the top of the garbage can. You may want to position some cinder blocks at the corners of the lid to make the lid level over the top of the garbage can.

b. Take the fencing wire and heavy-duty wire and tie it to the galvanized piping frame. Pebbles, like all stones, are heavy, so the lid must be strong enough to support the weight of the pebbles.

Some people will even use rebars in the middle of the frame to support the fencing to give extra support. When adding the fencing, you want to make sure that in the center of the lid is a hole big enough to allow for the fountain pipe to come through.

c. Add the chicken wire over the fencing. There are different sizes and grades of chicken wire. You want to get the smallest square possible without it being mosquito netting. This will prevent the pebbles from falling into the garbage can and allow for the water to go back into the garbage can, not disrupting the water circulation.

7. Use four-inch cinder blocks or concrete slabs that are found at any home improvement store to evenly support the lid and make sure that the fountain pipe fits snugly into the hole in the middle of the lid and place larger stones or small boulders around the sides and the rim of the garbage can.

You can also place the bigger stones around the edge of the garbage can to form a circle and then place dirt around it to give it the circular look and allow you to plant flowers around the stones.

8. Carefully place the pebbles on the lid until none of the chicken wire shows anymore. Once you have placed the pebbles around the lid, you can place some slightly larger pebbles around the fountain pipe to give the illusion of a real natural feature. Be sure that the valve is on the part of the pipe just above the pebbles so you can control the flow of the water feature.

9. Run the power cord of the pump under the ground and plug into a GFCI outlet. If you need to use extension cords, you should use a waterproof tape to seal the connection to keep the moisture out. Better yet, position your fountain in an area where you can place a fake boulder to keep the connections above ground. Fill the garbage can with water.

10. Attach the fountain head of your choice to the top of the fountain pipe and then plug in the pump. Watch how strong the water flow is from the pump. If water is coming out too fast and is overshooting the garbage can’s circumference, use the valve to control the water flow.

These are the steps to build the pebble fountain and now you can enjoy the water feature without much maintenance for the summer and part of the fall.

Winterizing your pebble fountain

If you live in colder climates, you need to take freezing into consideration. Freezing can wreak havoc to any water feature, causing pipes to break, etc. Winterizing a pebble fountain is rather simple. First unscrew the fountain head from the top of the fountain pipe and screw on a hose. You may need an adapter for the hose.

Place the other end of the hose away from the water feature and turn the pump of to drain the garbage can. This is why above, it was mentioned to have the pump sit on a cinder block. What happens is when water freezes, it expands, causing cracking. This is why in colder climates, you want to drain the garbage can. Furthermore, keeping the pump on a cinder block will insure that no water will remain in the pump during the winter months.

As an added precaution, you should rent an air compressor and blow it through the fountain pipe to get whatever residual water is in the pump out. Keep the fountain head off the pipe in the winter and place a cap on the pipe to prevent rain, ice, or snow from accumulating in the pipe during the winter.

In the spring, when you want to start up the pebble fountain again, simply move some of the pebbles until you see enough of the garbage can and refill it with water and add the fountain head and you’re set to go.

A pebble fountain is a great water feature for those of you who want to have the sound of water, look at a fountain; but do not want to have to deal with the maintenance of a pond and deal with messy filters.

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Trees and shrubs are vulnerable to damage during the harsh winter season. Northern part of America experiences very cold winters and it is advisable to protect the shrubs and trees in your garden from potential damage. Cold winters can be really hard on young shrubs and trees. Proper care and maintenance can help these shrubs to survive during the freezing temperatures.

Evergreen shrubs can get sun scald on the bark. Sun scald is characterized by open cracks on the bark. The shrubs can also suffer from winter discoloration if they are not taken care of properly. The foliage of evergreen trees and shrubs turn brown due to excessive cold.

Some of the tips to protect your shrubs in the winter season are:

Ample Watering During Fall: Water your shrubs thoroughly during the fall season as they need to store enough water to utilize during the winter season. This way the shrubs will be healthy and they will be all geared up for the coming season.

Pruning: During the fall season, it is advisable to prune the overgrown branches of your shrub. This avoids breakage of stem and branches due to the accumulation of snow. Pruned shrubs are less vulnerable to damage as they are stronger and sturdier.

Tree Wrap: Tree wraps are easily available in the market and they are very effective in protecting the shrubs and trees from frost cracks and sun scald. Tree wrap or tree blanket is especially designed from a fabric that can protect shrubs and tree from winter damage. Tree wraps are wrapped around the trunk for winter protection. This blanket allows transmission of light and it is very effective in protecting shrubs and trees during harsh winters.

Mulching: Apply thick layer of mulch around the shrubs and trees to prevent the loss of moisture during extremely cold weather conditions. Mulching also effectively controls the temperature of soil during rapid weather fluctuations.

Burlap Screen: Shrubs and small trees can also be protected with the help of a burlap screen or a barrier made out of similar material. You can place this barrier around the shrub leaving one side and the top open to allow air circulation and sunlight penetration. This method avoids chilling winds to come in direct contact with the shrubs as the screen effectively blocks it.

These are some of the methods of protecting your shrubs and trees from winter damage. You can also seek help of a professional arborist who can help you to winterize your garden for the coming season.

For more information on best quality plants please visit http://www.dntnursery.com/

DNT Nursery is a certified wholesale grower located in Tennessee that provides all kinds of native plants, perennials, shrubs, ferns and ornamental trees. It specializes in native plants, wildflowers and wild plants. It is one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the country that ships to the entire US and Canada. Please visit the website for more information on different varieties of plants and trees.

A successful greenhouse doesn’t mean a big greenhouse. Even if you have limited space, limited carpentry skills, and even limited gardening skills, there are small greenhouse plans available for everyone.

Here is how to build a quick and easy greenhouse you can start right away – a hoop style greenhouse for your backyard.

Supplies:

Greenhouse Plastic 6 millimeters thick at a size of 7 by 7 feet.
More of the same Plastic 2 sheets at 5 by 5 feet.
4 half-inch PVC Pipes -10 feet in length each
1 half-inch PVC Pipe – 2 feet in length
4 three-port half-inch corner elbow connectors
4 four-port connectors
Saw
Cutting Blade
Rubber Mallet

Estimated time of finishing building this is approximately 3 hours and estimated costs around $40.

So here are the steps:

1. Saw 2 of the PVC pipes in half so you have 4 5-foot pieces

2. Hammer in the elbows to each end of the pieces you just cut.

3. Grab 1 10-foot pipe and hammer it into one of the remaining elbow ports on one end.

4. Bend the pipe into the other end and hammer it in the opposing elbow port. Be careful. Get help if needed. Now do the same thing for the other side.

5. Take your 2-foot PVC pipe and saw off multiple 1-inch pieces. We will use these as clamps. Take these pieces and saw one end open to essentially “open” the ring.

6. Place your plastic over your frame and attach the plastic with your new clamps that you just made. It doesn’t hurt to clamp down the plastic in multiple places.

7. Take your remaining 5 by 5 foot plastic and cut it to a size slightly larger than the open ends of your greenhouse. This will be serve as doors for your. After attaching them, slice it straight down the middle to make two flaps. Now you have the option to tie the flaps.

And presto, you have yourself a small greenhouse.

Here are more tips: You might want to weigh down the sides of your greenhouse with big cinder blocks or rocks. If it rains heavily in your area, you might also want to poke small holes on top of your plastic to prevent puddles from forming.

You can scale this to a larger version, but I would suggest to add more “ribs” and maybe throw a wire mesh over your frame before placing your plastic. This will help with stability and strength.

Now, don’t get ahead of yourself, this is a very simple and cost-effective way to get your crops started early. We can still talk about heating, watering, cooling, and humidifying systems, different styles, frames, and pest prevention. But all of this is beyond the scope of what we’re trying to accomplish.

So in the mean time, enjoy your new greenhouse and next time, you’ll start on a new project on a larger scale.

How Did I help over 23,674 people build their first greenhouse? For more of the best advice on small greenhouse plans, Click Here today!

Yard sprinkler systems have a wide range of edge over manual way of irrigating of lawns. Your lawn needs well-timed watering and by using a sprinkler system, you can attain that without any failure. You will be able to put together your yard sprinkler systems for it to start with irrigating instantly for a certain length of time. By using a highly efficient sprinkler system, there is no need to be overly concerned about irrigating your lawn at a consistent basis. While sprinkler systems are valuable means of properly taking care of your lawn, it demands some magnitude of maintenance. The quality of maintenance solely is determined by what type and excellence of system established in the lawn or garden. Nevertheless, whatever the kind of sprinkler put up, there are specific standard steps or procedures that you should think about to guarantee efficient water management and lawn care. Leaks are probably the major issues related to a sprinkler system. These tiny holes in the hose or the sprinkler system can result to over-watering. Additionally, it can result to accumulation of small pools of water from where the leaks are generated from.

This can result in corroding of the sprinkler systems across the parts that leak as a consequence of regular wetness. See your sprinkler systems at work and examine whether there’s any variation in the water pressure or occlusion. It might be due to the leakage. Irregular irrigating or extreme watering from a leaking sprinkler system can jeopardize the expansion of plants and grasses. Water obstructions at homes or anywhere can produce breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other dangerous insects. Similarly, it leads to inefficient use of water that’s environmentally damaging. As your sprinkler system gets old, it deserves more care. On account of the number of years spent in using this system, sprinklers often become rusty which is particularly because of the presence of calcium in water. Sometimes, the valves in the internal part of the sprinklers moreover corrode.

Generally, these parts of the yard sprinkler systems are made of case iron and they become in danger to rusting and corrosion particularly when they combine with other chemicals in the water and air. Corrosion can lessen the water flowing throughout the valves or even destroy them entirely. In these events, you need to have your sprinkler parts analyzed by a professional and replaces immediately. When substituting the spoiled portions, you have to ensure proper installing of these new parts. Productive use of inground sprinkler systems would bring you a sophisticated-looking lawn. Most people keep their sprinklers open for quite a long time which then leads to over irrigation. This can also destroy the standard of the entire area of your lawn. This may result to fatigue of particular soil components and you will then discover plots of ground with grasses beginning to die out eventually. Also examine whether or not the sprinklers are irrigating in the proper direction. If you have any portion of the lawn where water cannot reach, you have to try to remedy it or spend time to irrigate these areas manually. Through wintertime, inground sprinkler systems must also be winterized. Extremely low temperatures can cause freezing of water in the PVC pipes. Freezing may cause expansion of water and this might occur to leakages due to cracking of pipes.

You must manually empty the remaining water in the piping part of your sprinkler prior to the onset of winter. You may put up freeze sensor on your Lawn sprinkler systems that robotically breaks off the water system as soon as the temperature minimizes beyond a particular degree. This will keep your sprinkler heads from freezing.

Flower beds are great for providing a secured place for the flowers to grow at their best condition. These are also designed to prevent soil erosion which can dislodge the roots causing the plants to get stressed which will eventually stunt their growth. Aside from this function, they are also considered as additional effects to the whole landscape of a garden as they can give extra elegance to the place.

Building flower beds can be fun especially if you are doing it with your family or friends. It is a job that can be accomplished by any average individual as all it requires is an artistic mind, materials, and the right set of tools. You don’t need to be very good in arts though to be able to make a beautiful flower bed. Building a flower bed around trees is also a great method to make your garden a wonderful place.

Before you start your project, make sure that you have the right tools for digging and clearing purposes. You will need a shovel and a rake to dig and even the soil. Sharpened and well-maintained tools can be of much help as compared to those that are poorly taken care of.

Below is a step by step guide on how to make your own flower bed around trees in your garden:
• Preparation – in case there are weeds and debris that needs to be removed, use your rake to catch all the unnecessary plants that are present in your garden. You can also use your shovel to dig the roots of sturdy plants to be able to properly eliminate them from the soil. Repeat the process until there are no traces of weeds left on the area around the tree. Always remember to work carefully with the tools though as you can cause damages to the tree with every blow you do with your rake or shovel. Wear protective gears to make sure that you are safe while handling the tools.
• Secure Barrier – if you are into do-it-yourself programs, you can gather materials that you can use as your barrier for the circumference of the tree. These can be made from bricks, river stones, pebbles, and garden rocks that will also provide additional visual appeal to the place. Make sure that they are properly placed and secured to avoid falling especially during harsh weather conditions where the soil is prone to erosion.
• Topsoil – as soon as you get your desired height for your barrier, the next thing to do is to add your topsoil. Make sure that it does not exceed the barrier to avoid unnecessary mess on the place especially during rainy season.
• Customize – add layers of rocks, pebbles, or anything that will draw the attention of visitors to the flower bed. You can also paint the top part of the barrier which is also known as the border to highlight its beauty. After the paint settles in and dries on the material, you can then pour water on the soil to tamper it in its place.

I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage kit accessories. I also write about basalt stones and massage stones.

The paradigm of indoor horticulture is rapidly changing as more indoor gardeners begin to take advantage of the recent and profound advances in LED grow light technology. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been a staple of the electronics industry since the development of the transistor back in the 1960s, but advances in the science behind these super-efficient light sources over the past two decades have pushed LEDs to the forefront of consumer options for artificial light sources, not only for the home and office, but for specialised applications such as automotive, aviation and even the use of LED lighting sources for indoor horticulture.

Indoor horticulture requires a balance of a number of variables to successfully grow plants indoors, whether it’s flowers, vegetables or exotic tropical specimen plants. These factors include a precise and properly timed balance of water and nutrient release, maintaining a correct balance of temperature and ventilation, and perhaps most importantly from the perspective of indoor gardening: a light source with the necessary intensity and spectral qualities that will allow plants to thrive in an indoor environment.

For those who are new to the world of indoor gardening, and even for successful veterans of indoor horticulture, there are a few things to remember when making the switch to LED grow lights to help ensure that balance of factors necessary to maintain a healthy growing environment for indoor plantings. Below are a few tips to take the guesswork out of indoor growing with LED grow lights:

LED grow lights operate at much cooler temperatures than conventional grow light systems so can be positioned much closer to the plants. If replacing conventional lamps with LED’s in an existing indoor garden, be sure to slowly reposition the lights closer, over a number of days, to avoid stress-shocking the plantings, and monitor plants regularly for any signs of heat stress.

Make sure to discuss output specifications with an LED grow light supplier, and ask about lighting coverage designs to get the most out of an LED grow light system.

Always consider planting type, indoor garden size, other lighting sources and budget when planning to purchase LED grow light systems. Any reputable retailer or distributor will be happy to discuss all these parameters, and suggest solutions tailored to each individual situation.

Watering regimens will have to be adjusted with the use of LED grow light review, as LED’s do not produce the massive amounts of waste heat that conventional grow lamps do. Hydroponics growers may need to adjust water/nutrient release rates, and soil growers should utilize a soil dampness meter to develop a proper watering schedule.

Veteran and commercial indoor growers may wish to record water and nutrient use and other environmental factors like temperature and ventilation air-replacement rates before switching over to LEDs in order to establish a baseline, which will be useful in calculating a return on investment.

For all growers, be sure to closely monitor indoor garden temperature after switching to LED’s. Room temperature needs to remain between 68 degrees and 86 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain optimal plant growth.

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How do you keep your grow room cool enough? Heat is good for plants. However, too much heat can do serious damage. Your grow lights will put off a certain amount of heat. How do you keep that under control? You have quite a number of options. First, you can choose to use bulbs that do not generate a high amount of heat. However, those bulbs may not provide the light spectrum your plants need. If you find you want to use the high heat bulbs, then you need to use your head. Keeping those bulbs cool will help keep your grow room warm, but not hot. Try a water cooled grow light.

One option is using a water cooled grow light. These systems use water to draw the heat away from the lamp. The system consists of a water source, a pump, and interconnected reflectors. The water flows through tubes between the reflectors. As the water goes through the reflector, it absorbs the heat. That water then goes down the drain or back into a reservoir. As the water flows and sits in the reservoir, the heat dissipates. It is ready for recirculation back through the reflectors. This effective system is easy to expand and maintain.

Another option is putting in a dedicated air cooling system. This sort of system connects a ventilation blower with air tubes that connect to each grow light. The air pulls the heat off the lamps and vents it to the outdoors. There are advantages to this type of system. It involves no need to monitor water in a reservoir. It does not require a dedicated source of water. However, it can be very energy inefficient. It makes a lot more noise when compared to a water cooled grow light system. You will have to weigh these differences to see which one works for you.

A final option is automating everything. You can choose any system you want. For effective heat removal, you will either have to do everything by hand, automate some of it, or have it all automated. You can use either a water cooled grow light or an air cooled model for this type of system. You set the system up on a temperature gauge. When the temperature reaches a certain level, the system kicks in. When it gets below the critical stage, it turns off. The choice is completely up to you.