Creating a relaxing and peaceful backyard garden can be a daunting idea - but even an inexperienced gardener can achieve a good result with a little planning and effort. Here are some tips to making your backyard the envy of all your friends.It is important to realize before beginning that this landscaping project is a fun one. The inexperienced gardener often comes to realize that gardening can be a fun and relaxing hobby.Not only is it rewarding to watch as seeds and plant cuttings grow into mature plants but taking care of a garden and watching its development can be very fulfilling - even if you end up using a garden service contractor to carry out the regular garden maintenance chores and leave yourself with the gardening you enjoy doing.Begin with the end in mind - have a garden layout on planIt is not necessary to have a fancy or expensive landscape plan or layout drawn up but it is helpful if you have a sketch of what you want the garden area to look like.Take into account the size and terrain of the area that you will have to work with. Take into account the space you will have [more..]

I have one of those bench type hose reels and the instructions suck. There is a short length of hose that I think gets attached to my faucet and I believe the other end of it (that's inside the bench) is where the garden hose is attached. I hate to sound stupid; but the insert with the "instructions" doesn't explain squat. Thanks everyone--even if I gave the mfg name, it wouldn't help because their website and other sites where the product is offered don't even show a diagram of the thing. Anyway, I think I had the right idea (and you two responders have confirmed my thoughts)--thanks again to all. [more..]

While gardening can be a satisfying and beneficial pastime, many of us reside in climates that only allow us to garden outside a few months annually, due to seasonal temperature changes.  These temperature restrictions can severely curb our ambitions, and may frustrate many people enough to discourage them from the practice altogether.  This is why so many people in recent years have decided to build a garden greenhouse of their own in order to extend the growing season throughout the year.   Simply moving your crop indoors for part of the year can allow you to put your green thumb to use virtually year-round.  In fact, in addition to greatly increasing the length of your growing season, a properly configured garden - greenhouse can even allow you to grow flourishing plants that would not naturally reside in your area.Before you can successfully begin to grow your plants in a greenhouse setting, there are some things that you should keep in mind.  For example, the very aspect of greenhouse gardening that makes the practice so attractive in the winter-time (the higher than ambient air temperature inside) can actually kill your plants off during the warmer months.  The fact is that, on average, [more..]

I am replacing some old 12v outdoor garden lights for a friend's walkway. They look cheap and are falling apart after 5-years. I want to replace them with a set of durable ones that look nice. I am avoiding solar, because they are far too dim and I already have the 12v wiring in place. I would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks [more..]

Solar powered home appliances become more and more popular these days. Many people invest into solar powered water and pool heaters, and of course solar garden fountains. There are many benefits to having a solar fountain, but there are some downsides as well.How do solar powered garden fountains work?Usually fountains with solar pumps are very easy to install. As all solar appliances they use solar panels with Photovoltaic (PV) cells to collect energy of the sun. Since a fountain pump doesn't require a lot of energy, the panels are usually quite small.There are two main types. First are fountains where solar panels are incorporated in the design of the fountain itself. This type is the easiest to install, but you have to make sure that you place your new fountain in a sunny spot otherwise it won't work.Another type has remote solar panels, which can be positioned several meters away from the fountain. If you chose this type, it doesn't matter whether your fountain is in a sunny or shady spot as long as the panels are exposed to the sun. Most solar fountains with remote panels come with easy to set up mounting system for the panels. Usually you [more..]

Guillotine No one was awake. The living room was bathed in the soft, inviting glow of the scented candle that wafted an intoxicating cinnamon scent through the air. A small girl stood silently, clutching the light source to her with one hand, while scooped to chest she held a bottle of pure alcohol and a match. The girl dithered as a sudden pang of guilt mingled with nerves struck her. Some beads of perspiration formed on her forehead, and slowly trickled down it. She was quaking, her eyes filled with panic, but an almost unfelt tickle of a phantom grip touched her shoulder delicately. Her sombre face shone by the dim illumination, and she nibbled her lip. Then, with a surge of energy and defiance, she placed the candle and match neatly on the table, unscrewed the large bottle and threw its contents all over the carpet and furniture. The room reeked with the strong, sour smell as she lifted the match and struck it alight. A fluttering flame appeared, burning brightly, and it was with that that she lowered it to the edge of the sofa. The flame took a while to catch on into a raging torrent of blazing fire but [more..]