One of the most popular perennials in North American gardens is the daylily or Hemerocallis. This wonderful plant deserves its best-seller status because it thrives almost everywhere in the garden. It will tolerate just about any kind of soil – from sand to clay. It appreciates full hot sunshine and the only place it does not thrive is full shade – preferring sunlight for at least four to six hours a day. A shovel of compost in the spring is all the feeding it asks and the only care necessary is to cut off the dead flower stalks once the plant is finished blooming. It is one of those perfect perennials in that it thrives from year to year without turning into an invasive monster or demanding dividing to renovate and increase its blooms. Plant it and ignore it for the next twenty years!

Old varieties of Hemerocallis would open one flower each day from each flower stalk and the blossom would last for one day (hence the name daylily). This bloom time was for approximately twenty-one days in the middle of the summer. New breeding brought us reblooming daylilies and the best known of these is ‘Stella de Oro’. Stella, with its two blooming periods in warmer areas and uncertain repeating in colder areas, has now been surpassed by new introductions.

Look for Trophytaker or Happy Ever Appster daylilies this coming spring. These daylilies bloom regularly almost all summer! In my garden, ‘Big Time Happy’ - a lovely yellow - bloomed from the end of June right through to the end of September. ‘Red Hot Returns’ with its rich, true red blossoms bloomed from early July through to the end of September. There are 40 new blossom colours to pick from – one for every garden palette and situation including containers and hanging baskets.

Doug Green, an award-winning garden author and syndicated columnist, answers your gardening questions in a free newsletter at http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com

No matter how pleasant a garden is, it is not being enjoyed to its full extent if there is no where for visitors to sit and admire the beauty of the garden. Luckily, few gardeners are willing to sacrifice design for comfort and with the wide choice of garden furniture available today, it is rare to find gardens bereft of furniture. Garden furniture will if anything look great with just about any style of garden.

Indeed, many gardens will provide several different items of furniture so that people have the flexibility to enjoy the garden from a variety of positions. So how does the gardener decide which of these many types of furniture you should be added and to which parts of the garden ? Firstly, they should decide how the garden will be used - formally or informally. Some people entertain a great deal and would use their patios or decks as an extra room for entertaining, while others just want to enjoy the peace and quiet of their gardens. Alternatively the garden may double up as an play area for excitable children.

In order to entertain properly, guest should not be crowded and so plenty of seating is required. If you entertain frequently, you should consider garden benches and deck chairs for more flexibility. Also should you be lucky enough with the climate to serve meals to your guests without leaving your beautiful gardens, then consider a large garden table and chairs so that you have plenty of room. Additionally you will probably need a decent parasol to your garden table so that you can entertain with protection from the sun (or rain).

Protection from the sun is something the gardener should be conscious of and what better way to relax in your garden, than to add a hammock to a shady area in the garden. Remember, that you do not necessarily need to obliging trees as you can fasten the hammock to two four by four posts that are cemented into the ground or you could purchase a hammock stand.

Some people prefer to just soak up the sun and for those people the ideal items of furniture are sun loungers on your patio or deck.

Indeed, a patio or deck doesn’t look finished if it is bare of furniture. A patio is complemented well by either wooden, plastic or metal patio furniture. There should have no problems locating the right pieces for your garden patio and be sure to consider a patio heater. A heater can extend your use of the garden both daily and seasonly.

Finally, as you wander through the garden beds, you will find that there are certain places that are ideal to linger in and ponder. These places are ideal spots for benches or a couple of chairs and a side table. You also may want to add a decorative garden bench to any area in your garden that is a bit bland or in need of a focal point.

Matthew Anthony has contributed to several garden related sites including garden furniture and hammocks.

For a gardener who is taking on some landscaping it is important for them to understand the basics of landscaping. There are certain elements of good landscape design. Knowing these elements is a part of creating landscaping that works. Landscaping basics are quite simple to understand and most will come naturally. The following list outlines these basic elements.

Unity - The idea of unity means that everything works together. It applied to colors, shapes, heights and every other aspect of the design. Using consistency and repetition is a great way to ensure unity.

Simplicity - Simplicity does not have to mean the design is limited. It means the design should be limited in different color shades, types of plants and also keeping the design looking clean. An overwhelming design is confusing to the eye. This is especially true if working with a large area. Having too many things going on creates chaos.

Balance - Balance is simply keeping the design proportions equal throughout. One side should not be full and the other scarce. Balance includes colors and heights, in addition to the overall look of the landscaping.

Focalization - This simply means the design should have some central element that catches the eye. Some landscapers use a special tree or bush, while others use things like fountains and statues. In a large scale landscaping design the focal point may be a garden.

These four elements are the basic keys to landscaping design. It doesn’t matter if it is a small garden or huge yard, these elements apply in every landscaping situation. Ultimately, though, the beauty of a landscaping design is in the eye of its creator. What is beautiful to one may not be to another. However, the having a knowledge of the basic elements of landscaping can help a beginner develop a landscaping plan easier and give them a starting point to use.

About the author: Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides landscaping resources on Just Landscape!

The charming and delicate beauty of flowers has fascinated people of all nations and backgrounds for centuries. Flowers have been bred and cultivated for their decorative beauty as well as their ability to heal diseases. Flowers are the subject of poems and myths, and religious symbols are associated with flowers as well. Many girls are named after flowers. The main reason for the popularity of flowers though is their ability to bring good cheer.

For all fellow lovers and admirers of flowers here is some background information about flowers. This will help give your flower gift giving and buying a greater context.

Asters

There are over 600 species of asters, the most popular being the Monte Casino. Ancient societies believed that the odor of its leaves, when burnt, drove away serpents. While this might not be as applicable today, perhaps its connotation is still relevant: Giving asters means, "I am not sure whether you have been faithful to me". Be careful who you send asters to!
Meanings: charming, patience

Bells of Ireland

Although the name suggests these flowers come from Ireland, they originated in western Asia. Bells of Ireland have a spicy/peppery scent and are part of the mint family. They stand for good luck.
Meanings: good luck, whimsy

Carnations

Turn of the century dandies would not leave the house without a white or red carnation in the buttonhole of their suit. With the end of this tradition and the fact that carnations are so easily cultivated and grown, the flower has lost some of its popularity. However, carnations are not only beautiful and long lasting flowers, they also send a message: When you receive a red carnation bouquet, it means, "My heart aches for you" and when you receive white carnations the sender is saying: "I am still available."
Meanings: fascination, devoted Love

Chrysanthemum

Imagine, chrysanthemums have been cultivated in Chinese gardens for almost 3000 years! The name chrysanthemum comes from the Greek chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower). Today some of the meanings associated with this flower are: innocence, cheerfulness and loyal love.
Meanings: cheerfulness, innocence

Dahlias

The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico and this is also its birthplace. An old Aztec document states that the Aztecs used dahlias as a treatment for epilepsy. Only in the 19th century did the flower come to Europe where it was bred and cultivated into today’s varieties.
Meanings: dignity, elegance

Iris

Did you know that there are so many different varieties of iris that they can be grown wild year round, in water and on land? Iris was most significant in history as the emblem of France — Fleur-de-Lis — established in the 11th century by the king of France. Today, it is the state flower of Tennessee and its meanings are faith, hope and wisdom.
Meanings: faith, hope, wisdom

Lilies

Lilies have been associated with many ancient myths. They are mentioned in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, and symbolize chastity and virtue. Even today, lilies are associated with purity and faith.
Meanings: purity, faith

Peruvian lilies or alstroemeria are named after the Swedish botanist Baron Klas von Alstroemer. He brought the flower seeds back from a trip to South America in the 18th century.
Meanings: friendship, devotion

Calla lilies were first imported from South Africa to America in the mid-nineteenth century. The waxy white blooms and spearheaded leaves of the calla lily stand for radiant beauty and sophistication.
Meanings: sophistication, beauty

Lisianthus

Lisianthus may sound like a Latin name, but it is one of several common names associated with this plant. It is also referred to as Prairie Gentian, Prairie Rose or Texas Bluebell. The flowers existing today are derived from an American wildflower that is native to prairies ranging from Colorado to Nebraska and down to Texas.
Meanings: outgoing, thoughts

Orchids

During the 19th Century, orchids were widely collected. With nearly 25,000 varieties, some orchids are among the most exquisite and expensive flowers available. In antiquity, orchids were correlated with love and fertility. It was common knowledge that they would protect against diseases. Given as a gift they stand for preciousness and seduction.
Meanings: seduction, preciousness

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are an old decorative flower, widely used by the Romans. From its origin in southern Spain the cultivated form was spread throughout the whole Roman Empire. Nowadays remnants of this original population which all belong to the species Antirrhinum majus are found among Roman remains like temples in southern France, Malta, and Italy. The flower, also called "gracious lady" stands for deception.
Meanings: desire, strength

Roses

With their far-reaching popularity, roses are the queens of flowers. After buttercup, the roses are the second oldest variety of flowers on the planet. Biologists can trace roses back some 200 million years! Although there is a huge number of meanings and symbols associated with roses, the most common of course is love, which originated in Greek mythology. When Aphrodite cried about the death of her lover Adonis, she had red "Adonis Roses" grown with his blood, - thus red roses are the symbol of never-ending love. Important to mention are the roses’ thorns, of which we all probably have some painful memory. Symbolically, love can be painful and full of suffering when not treated carefully.

Red roses: I love you, unconscious beauty
White roses: spiritual love, purity
Yellow roses: joy, gladness
Orange roses: fascinated, enthusiastic
Pink roses: grace, gentility

Tulips

Originally from Persia, tulips were introduced to Western Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century. When growers started to hybridize the flower, they found ways of making it even more decorative. Hybrids of the flower were a scarcity at the time and a symbol of high status. Soon tulips became very popular as a trading product and bulbs were traded at the highest prices. The months of late 1636 to early 1637 would make history in the Netherlands as "Tulipmania". A bed of tulips was worth up to $5,000, the value of a small house in Amsterdam. The bulbs became currency, and their value was quoted at the stock market.
Meanings: perfect lover, fame

Sunflowers

Sunflowers turn their heads toward the sun and this how they got their common name. They originated in Central and South America. Sunflowers are not only pretty to look at but sunflower seeds are power-packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamin E - all important to the nutritional quality of your diet. Wait! That doesn’t mean you’re supposed to eat the seeds out of your sunflower bouquet.
Meanings: adoration, sunshine

Josh Grossman is cofounder of online florist Beyond Blossoms (http://www.beyondblossoms.com). The company ships farm fresh, hand-tied flowers nationwide.

Enhance Your Yard Or Flower Bed

There are several types of garden statue available that will enhance your yard or flower bed with a tastefully decorative touch. You can choose from several different sizes, shapes, materials for your statue depending on your taste and your budget. You may want the statue to be a focal point on which all the other landscaping depends, or you may just want something to give that finishing touch to its small corner. There are statues on bases, statues that hang, and statues that are simply set on the ground. When you are putting in a garden statue you will need to consider the size, the location, the material, the design and where you will buy it.

Resin Statue

A resin statue is very popular because it is virtually indestructible and can be created to look like almost any other material. It is really hard plastic that can be molded into nearly any shape and painted to look like metal, stone, or wood. It is also a lightweight garden statue and can be cleaned simply by cleaning with soap and water.

Concrete Or Cement Statue

Another fairly inexpensive type of statue is the concrete or cement statue. These statues can be left “as-is” or painted. They can be molded into any shape, but they will not have the fine detail of some of the other garden statue materials so they are often fairly large. They are relatively inexpensive when compared to the real stone statues. They are heavy and withstand the elements fairly well, but if they are hit or knocked over they can be broken.

Fiberglass Statue

A fiberglass statue is much like a resin garden statue. Fiberglass is another form of lightweight plastic and can be easily cleaned, but they are often smoother than the resin statues and shinier as well. You can also clean it easily with soap and water.

Metallic Statue

For a more unusual look you might want to get a metallic garden statue. They come in copper, brass, iron, bronze and other metals. Some are meant to retain their sheen over time while others begin to oxidize and get a patina of green, turquoise, or rust coloring.

Stone Statue

When you think of stone statues you may envision the Roman or Greek masterpieces, but you will find that you can find some that may be perfect for your yard as well. Simulated stone is an alternative for your garden statue that allows the artist to get more detail without as much room for error. The simulated stone is just as strong and durable as real stone. Marble is a real stone that has been used for centuries to make statues in palaces and the finer homes. Marble comes in several colors and is beautiful and elegant and will add a touch of class to any garden statue.

Style Your Garden

If you want a new look for your garden, there are statues that have a beautiful glass ball incorporated into some part of the garden statue, either hanging from a chain or a hook or resting in a base. Some of the glass balls are just clear, but others have an iridescent quality. They reflect the sunlight and are really very charming.

As far as style, you can choose the whimsical-like fairies or gnomes, or the more classic styles that look like something from Rodin or Michelangelo’s studio. There are modernistic forms filled with geometric shapes and straight lines. There are statues of children, animals, and almost anything you can think of. There is even a statue that fits right into the trunk of a tree that has an old gnome-like face, giving your tree a personality of its own.

Margarette Tustle writes ideas for home and family. Find statue resources for animal statues at dreamstatue.com

Most of us regard a sundial as an attractive ornament for a park or garden. Their effectiveness as time keepers is highly variable

That’s unfortunate, because it is not at all difficult to ensure that your garden sundial will be an accurate timepiece, provided, of course that the sun is shining.

But that will be covered in another article. For now, let’s see what a sundial is, and what it is capable of.

Sundial History

We forget in this modern age that accurate, affordable watches and clocks have been around for much less than 200 years.

Before then, sundials were one of the few ways to tell the time with reasonable accuracy.

Shadow clocks dated at 1500BC are known from Egypt, but the first dials appear to have been Babylonian. The Greeks adapted the idea, the Romans developed it further, and by about 100BC had perfected the horizontal sundial (and placed it in their gardens).

Even in ancient days some people had schedules to keep, and both agriculture and religion required knowledge of the seasons and the movement of the sun to determine planting and the timing of ceremonies.

The sundial was an important means of providing that information, and considerable advances in mathematics, geometry and astronomy were made while it was perfected. The knowledge gained forms part of the foundations of modern science.

Types of Sundial

There are four reasonably common types of sundial.

They all have two things in common. Each consists of a raised structure, called the gnomon (silent "g") which casts a shadow onto a plate called the dial. The dial is divided into hourly or shorter time divisions and may also show other information.The part of the gnomon whose shadow indicates the time on the dial is called the style.

The most abundant form is the horizontal sundial, happily sitting on its pedestal or column and adding beauty and interest to the home garden.

Related is the equatorial sundial, with its dial oriented at the same angle as the latitude. It works slightly differently, and is easier to use when properly calibrated.

Thirdly, there is the vertical sundial, ideally located on a wall facing due south in the northern hemisphere, and north in the southern hemisphere. The principle is much the same, but the sundial only occupies a semicircular area. Vertical sundials displayed the time to the public, and were used to correct unreliable public clocks.

And the most elegant of all, the portable sundial. George Washington had one - at that time pocket watches were most unreliable. Modern examples can be a work of art. They combine a compass with an adjustable dial. The dial is tilted to correspond to local latitude, and the compass defines north. Pretty neat!

Sundial Accuracy

A properly designed and installed sundial can be a very accurate means of telling the time, down to intervals of less than a minute.

I won’t go into the mathematics, but on a sundial 16 inches (40cm) in diameter, the shadow of the gnomon will move about 1/30th of an inch, or just under 1mm, in a minute. This may be small, it’s enough for our eyes to see.

Two Major Problems

Apart from the frequent absence of sunlight (Problem 1), all sundials show time by calibrating outwards from the position of the sun at noon. If you live east or west of me, your noon is different to mine.

Although the earth moves around the sun, we see it the other way. The sun appears to move from east to west across the sky, and local noon is when it’s vertically overhead. But if you live 100 miles west of me, my noon is still your late morning, and your noon is my early afternoon. This would be inconvenient if we used our sundials to arrange a lunch date, but a real problem if I had a plane to catch in another city.

Solar Time and Official Time

People managed to live with this problem until communications and transport became faster. Imagine calculating train timetables when Boston, New York and Buffalo all worked on different local times.

The answer was the development of local time zones. US Railways did this in 1883, but in 1914 the world’s governments agreed to divide the globe into 24 zones, each 15 degrees of longitude in width, and each one hour different in time to its neighbours. Boundaries were altered slightly to account for state and national borders.

There are four time zones in the contiguous 48 states of the USA: Eastern, centred on 75 degrees W longitude; Central, on 90 degrees; Mountain, on 105 degrees; and Pacific, on 120 degrees. Noon was identified astronomically for each of these meridians (now it’s done by atomic clocks), and accepted everywhere else in the zone.

Noon on sundials in places very close to these longitudes will correspond to official noon. For every degree east or west of the central meridian, for 7.5 degrees either side, you will need to add or subtract four minutes respectively to correct your sundial.

A few other adjustments are necessary to compensate for irregularities in the earth’s path around the sun - not too difficult to make but the theory is beyond this article.

They add to the inconvenience, and that’s why sundials have been superceded by more convenient and reliable forms of time keeping. But problems with time zones and orbital paths can be corrected, and there’s no reason why you can’t find the correct time from your sundial.

No reason, that is, provided it has been properly installed in your garden. And that’s the subject of another article.

Copyright 2005, Graham McClung.

A retired geologist, Graham McClung has had a lifelong interest in the outdoors. And where there’s outdoors there’s weather. He is the editor of http://Home-Weather-Stations-Guide.com, where you can find reviews and advice to help you choose and use your own home weather station. You can contact him by email at information@home-weather-stations-guide.com

One of the most beautiful additions to any home is a deck. Not only does it add beauty, a deck also adds value to your home.

But there is much to think of when preparing to build a deck. A poorly built deck can be a disaster. Following are 10 things to consider before you build your deck.

1. Purpose

First of all, what is going to be the primary purpose of your deck? Entertaining guests — you’ll need to consider how many guests you want the deck to hold, because more guests equal more weight. A play area for small children — safety is essential. Whatever your intended purpose, think it all the way through before starting to build.

2. Location, Location, Location

The next thing to consider is the location. Landscaping issues may crop up exactly where you think you should place your deck. You should consider entrances and exits to your home. Access to your deck is essential — if you can’t get there, you can’t enjoy it.

3. Deck Plan

You will need to have a deck plan, which will serve as a guide for the entire project. It doesn’t require a professional work-up, but you should be thorough.

4. Attaching Deck To Your Home

There are many ways that a deck can be attached to your home. Although the deck can be freestanding, it is not very practical or safe. If you decide to attach your deck to the house, you will need to decide how you will cut away the siding at the joining point. You will also need to determine if the framing of your home is strong enough for the deck.

5. Deck Supports

Deck supports are an important part of this process, so you will need to decide exactly how many footings and posts you will need, and where to place them.

6. Decking Material

What type of decking material do you plan to use? Composite decking materials are a good choice because they have been chemically engineered to avoid the problems of traditional wood. However, if wood is your choice, redwood, cedar and pressure treated pine are all popular because they resist rot and decay. If you choose another wood decking material, you will often need to provide protectant and sealant material.

7. Permits

Remember, different areas have different zoning laws and requirements so it is important to find out what permits will be required to build your deck in your area. While some areas require an official building permit, others will require only a periodic site inspection. Some require both. Check with your city government to decide what actions you need to take.

8. Tool Time

Make sure you have all the tools on hand that you will need for the project. There may be additional expenses added to the project to buy these tools. If you do not have this kind of experience, you should consider the next point very carefully.

9. Professional Help

Decking is a big project to undertake if you are a weekend handyman. If you have little construction experience, decking is not a good beginning learning project. Poorly built decks are very dangerous. If you cannot handle the project, it needs to be in the hands of a professional.

10. Extras

The final thing to consider is any extras you might want to build into and onto your deck. You might add a decorative handrail or you might want flower boxes on each corner, or perhaps built-in seating for your guests. Whatever extras you choose will personalize your deck.

All Decked Out

Although building an outside deck can be a huge undertaking, it is a great place for many activities — sunbathing, barbecues with friends, a safe place for the children to play, or a hot tub. To name a few.

Visit Home Landscaping to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Articles for authors.

Copyright 2006 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

Is it possible for a garden sundial to tell perfect time?

The chances are very good if you can make one yourself, or get one custom made for your location. But both these alternatives will take either time or money.

The reason for this is that apart from adjustments for time zones and daylight saving , covered in another article, there are three things that must be done.

Compensating for the Earth’s Path Around the Sun

If the earth followed a perfect circle as it revolved around the sun, life with sundials would be easy. But its path is elliptical or oval, and this causes errors of up to 16 minutes in sundial time at some times of the year. The corrections are straightforward, and can be made using a table, or from a figure 8 line called the Analemma, often seen on old globes and sundials.

Correcting for Latitude

Let’s consider the components of a sundial for a moment. It consists of a dial on which the time divisions, and sometimes other information is marked, and a triangular piece which sits vertically on the dial. It is called the gnomon, pronounced nomon, and the part which casts the shadow onto the dial is called the style.

For more information on how sundials work, including how to design your own, go to Google and type "how + sundial", without the quotes but with the +, in the search box.

To be accurate, the angle between the triangular part of the gnomon and the horizontal must be the same as the latitude of the place it is to be placed in (You can find the latitude - and longitude - of your home from any topographic map or good atlas).The arrangement and distance between the hour markings on the dial must also be correct for the latitude.

Hmmmm! This means that unless you are very lucky, that elegant sundial in your local garden supply shop will probably not show the time particularly well. It may be calibrated for an average latitude (commonly 45 degrees), which is good if your latitude is not too different. Or it may be purely ornamental and will really only be useful around noon.

Now of course this doesn’t matter at all if you are looking for something pleasing to the eye, and don’t mind answering the inevitable question "Does it tell the time?" But if you’d like your sundial to be more useful, make sure you find out which latitude it is calibrated to.

Once you know this, all you need to do to compensate is to work out the difference, and tilt the dial towards or away from due south depending on whether you need to add to or subtract from the latitude the sundial was designed for. There may be slight differences to the ideal spacing of the hour marks, but the apparent time will be reasonably close.

Finding North

The final essential in sundial installation is to make sure the gnomon is oriented north-south. Sounds easy and, with a little patience, it is.

One way, suitable for the northern hemisphere, is to identify the pole star. This is very close to the projected position of the earth’s axis, about which the sun and stars seem to revolve. You could mark the direction from your sundial’s location to the pole star, but this method isn’t quite accurate, and needs to be done in the dark. And the southern hemisphere doesn’t have a pole star.

Method 2 uses a compass. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it. But you guessed it - there are some complications.

Firstly, the needle on a compass points to magnetic north, not true north, which is what we want. The difference between the two is called the magnetic declination, and is usually shown on good topographic maps. And while a simple addition or subtraction of the difference between the two norths should give you the right direction, there may be some local magnetic effects which can’t be compensated for.

The third method goes back to the ancients - and there were some pretty smart operators around in the old days.

You’ll need a stick, some paper or board, a marker, a tape measure or long rule, a sunny day, and a bit of time on your hands. Set the stick up vertically at the location you have chosen for your sundial, so that the top of its shadow falls on the sheet of paper or board. If you stand with your back to the sun, behind the pole, set the paper up so that the morning shadow falls on its left hand side.

Now mark the end of the shadow with a permanent marker. Come back through the day and mark the new positions of the tip of the shadow - the more often the better. As the day goes on, you’ll notice the marks form a curve.

Later in the afternoon - any time after three is OK - connect the marks you’ve made into the smoothest curve you can manage. Do this while the pole and paper are still in place. Then carefully measure the distance between the base of the pole and the curve. The shortest distance corresponds to true north. Mark it in some way, and align the gnomon in the same direction when you put your sundial in place.

You can find true north in other ways - again I suggest you try google as suggested above.

Once you have set up your sundial, check the time, compensate for differences with your official time zone, pat yourself on the back, and if the sundial tells you it’s after midday, pour a glass of your favourite beverage and put your feet up. Your time is now your own.

Copyright 2005, Graham McClung.

A retired geologist, Graham McClung has had a lifelong interest in the outdoors. And where there’s outdoors there’s weather. He is the editor of http://Home-Weather-Stations-Guide.com, where you can find reviews and advice to help you choose and use your own home weather station. You can contact him by email at information@home-weather-stations-guide.com

We all know that the pieces never fall into place quite as expected. In fact, when doing a landscape the only thing you can expect is the unexpected. Designing landscapes can make or break a homes over all aspect. Having pleasant outdoor surroundings can be the first step to inner peace and tranquility. Landscaping plays a very important role to make a home warm, welcoming and relaxing.

Landscaping is an art of nurturing an environment where the essential elements; the land, trees, plants, stones and water co-exist in harmony. Here are several landscaping ideas that if used cleverly can give your house an inviting and interesting look as you approach the entrance from the street or driveway. When building a home people give little thought on landscaping.

Beautiful landscape need not be designer made. It has to be shaped by you, just as your children and your pets are molded and shaped by you. After all it is your private living space and should reflect your personality. All you need is a little bit of imagination, a little bit of innovation and a little bit of inspiration.

Sometimes it is hard for the clients to understand this because most of them think that building a landscape is just a snap of a finger. They don’t know the importance of the equipments and their uses in building a landscape, maintaining the landscape area clean and pleasant to the eye. Much about yard maintenance involves cutting vegetation, in one form or another.

Your lawn will always need landscaping year-round, and it does matter if its spring or fall.

For your convenience I’ve gather up some of the hottest landscaping equipments for you to make cutting easier.

1. Electric Chain Saw it is more convenient to have an electric chain saw. All you have to do is plug it and go. All electric landscaping equipment starts up easily to. There is no need for tugging a starter rope like a gas chain saw has. It is also easy to yield once you begin the cutting.

2. Pruning Tools easily cut thick tree branches. Clicks and moves to the next setting, providing ever-increasing pressure as you cut. This is more advisable for those people who have a hand ailment.

3. Hedges Trimmers make for inexpensive and lightweight landscaping equipment.

4. String Trimmers are lightweight automatic string release makes it easy to use. No cord or messy gas to deal with when using electric string trimmers.

5. Eliminator spreads top soil, and removes vegetation and sod. Also Prepares a final finish, does wide-ranging grading.

6. Front Mount Scarifier allows easy removal of material and rips asphalt and hard-packed earth or gravel.

7. Grade-Lite can be used as a box blade and a grader or by locking the end plates forward.

8. Grade Master Smoothes surfaces, sifts soil to remove large chunks and rocks, and can carry small loads of dirt to fill low area.

9. HD Grader a versatile landscaping and ground preparation attachment.

10. Preparator The perforated bucket floor that allows dirt to sift through, for tilling, fluffing, and grooming soil. A rotating drum carries rocks and debris into its bucket while leaving soil ready for planting.

11. Tree Spade completely transplants trees and shrubbery, digs holes for incoming trees.

The landscaping ideas give you choices of looks and the means to achieve them, even if it is one piece at a time. With these ideas you can add creative dimension to your landscape and you will find the best equipment to be used in maintaining your yard.

The author operates a website landscape-secrets.com which is all about landscaping and landscaping software

Whether you have a preformed or a liner pond, a pond pump is a paramount component of any water feature. Stagnant bodies of water attract mosquito infestations, which are a nuisance, and also undesirable, due to the recent outbreaks of the West Nile virus. Therefore, it is paramount that you utilize a pond pump that circulates your body of water.

Pumps are available in both submersible and external (out-of-pond) models. For the smaller pond (up to 1000 gallons of water), a submersible pump is the more economical and practical option. Submersible pumps can be placed directly in the pond and require relatively little installation. They are free of distracting noise, and for smaller ponds, can easily be utilized to drain your pond (if you hook up a hose to the output flow).

In the old days, the main disadvantage of submersible pumps was that the pump seal could rupture and release oil coolant into the water. However, this is not the case nowadays, because newer pumps are magnetic-driven, and no longer require coolant. “Mag-driven” pumps are slightly more expensive, but they have the added advantage of consuming less electricity.

Pumps are sized by gallons per hour (GPH) output at one foot of lift or height. Manufacturers usually offer charts that break down the power of each size pump according to incremental heights of one foot. It is recommended that you circulate your body of water at least once every 2 hours. Therefore you will need to size your pump to ensure that it has half the GPH rating as the volume of your pond in gallons. For example, if you have a 1000 gallon water feature, you will require at least a 500 GPH pump.

Calculating the proper pump for waterfalls is a bit trickier, because you must estimate your waterfall’s height. To do so, you must measure the vertical height from the top of your pump to the top of your waterfall. In addition, you must add another foot of height or lift for every 10 feet of hosing you will be using (this will allow for loss of volume from resistance within the hose). To calculate the required pump GPH, a general rule of thumb is that each inch of width of the channel will require an extra 100 GPH. For example, if your stream or waterfall spillway will be 10 inches wide, you will need a pump that produces an excess flow of 1000 GPH at your waterfall’s height.

If you plan on having fish, your water circulation demands will be drastically increased. Fish rely on the oxygen in the water to survive, hence a proper pump for a fish pond must ensure that extra oxygen is both introduced into the pond, and distributed throughout the pond. The general rule of thumb is that you must double your pump GPH if you plan on raising fish. An example of a pump that would be appropriate for fish is GardenSuperMart’s UltraFlo line of pumps. These pumps have oxygen intake valves and an unique air/water air mix system which effectively increases the oxygen concentration in your pond.

The advantage of GardenSuperMart’s low-maintenance, magnetic-driven UltraFlo pump kits is that they contain a sealed unit with a large enclosure that prevents debris from clogging the water intake. The UltraFlo line of pumps starts at 200 GPH, and increase up to 660 GPH. All UltraFlo pump kits come complete with a telescopic riser and diverter and 3 fountain heads.

If you require a more powerful pump, GardenSuperMart also has a SuperFlo line of pump kits that can provide up to 1585 GPH. All SuperFlo kits come complete with a telescopic riser and diverter, 4 fountain heads, and a sponge pre-filter. An optional SuperFlo Mechancial and Biological filter can also be added to the pump to provide additional water filtration for your fish.

Both the SuperFlo and the UltraFlo pumps can be purchased online at GardenSuperMart’s store, www.buypond.com. In late May 2005, GardenSuperMart will also introduce a new line of MaxFlo waterfall pumps that can provide up to 2780 GPH of pumping power. Please stay tuned for further news and details.

Gerry Fung is the Vice President of GardenSuperMart, http://www.GardenSuperMart.com

More information about their pond pump lines can be obtained from buypond.com