Home & Garden Special

**annie** · 03-27-2010, 06:28 AM

Garden Pond

Adding a garden pond to your landscape is an effective way to increase property value and aesthetic appeal to your backyard. The sound of flowing water is naturally soothing and has been proven to reduce stress and improve overall health. Creating this type of water feature looks harder than it actually is. Here are instructions on building a basic garden pond on your land. Once you have mastered the basic construction, you can get creative and employ added touches like fountains, statues or live fish.

Analyze the space you have chosen for a pond. Are there trees, rocks or special soil conditions to think about? Can these items be removed or worked into the landscape? Will this be a small pond with a water feature emerging from a slope, or is it a large pond filled by an incoming stream? When you have considered these factors, chalk an outline on the ground.

Begin the excavation. If a smaller water feature is being constructed, a depth of three to five feet is ideal. If a hard tub liner is needed, slide this in to place, making sure there is little chance of leakage over the sides of the pond into the space beneath the pool liner. If a flexible liner is being used, make sure that there is enough overlap on to un-dug ground until the rest of the work is done. These liners may require a water plant or two to keep them submerged until the air is worked out. Stones work well also

Attach the pump. Some tubs have a pump outlet hole for the associated tubes and cords. You will need to find an inconspicuous space among the water plants to hide them. Lay some weed fabric into the streambed along with some washed stone to keep it in place. Lay the pump hose along the bed to the start of the stream and then add larger stones around the hose.

Add the water plants. Remember to be consistent with your choice of plants around your pond. If you are in a dry climate, you will probably not use ferns. Conversely, if you happen to live in a wet forest region, you will not be planting cacti.

**annie** · 03-27-2010, 06:39 AM

Easy-to-Maintain Indoor Plants

If you are planning to decorate your house with indoor plants, but think that they are tough to maintain, you'll be surprised by the variety of easy-to-maintain indoor plants. These plants don't require direct sunlight or regular nurturing and yet they look beautiful.

Indoor plants add a special charm to both modern and classic interiors. They blend in with all types of themes and can be used with different types of pots according to the theme of your home.

Plants to Beautify Your Home

Palm, pepromia, and money plant, look pretty and require minimum sunlight. You can control the height of your palm plant by simply planting it in a small pot and cutting down the over grown leaves. Money plants are available in three different types - golden, green and phillodendron.

**annie** · 03-30-2010, 04:43 PM

**annie** · 03-30-2010, 04:44 PM

Outdoor Plants

**annie** · 03-30-2010, 04:48 PM

**annie** · 04-22-2010, 08:28 AM

Indoor Plants

**annie** · 04-22-2010, 08:29 AM

**annie** · 04-22-2010, 08:29 AM

Indoor Garden

**annie** · 05-20-2010, 06:23 AM

Harvesting frequently and spending time with your garden to see what is happening to the plants on a daily basis if possible does them good and it is good for you too! Picking fruits and herbs often stimulates new growth and makes everyone happy.

Add a little more every year. Experiment with something new each season and try adding fruits or nuts, Asian or Italian types of produce such as Lemon grass or Arugula and spice up your kitchen garden for the best flavor possible.

Remember that no one is more of an expert than you are about the plants that you grow. Watching their progress will help you to understand their needs and the environment around them. Just because a bug is spotted in the garden, does not mean that a catastrophe has occurred, there is likely a larger bug around the corner that wants to eat him! Always spray food plants with caution and make sure the product is approved for vegetables, do not use Raid on something you are planning to eat. There are many organic type pesticides which are very safe not only for you but for those good bugs too.

Whether you plant a large kitchen garden or a small container garden, everyone can find room for a few vegetables which add so much to our lives.

**annie** · 05-20-2010, 06:38 AM

Quick ways to use fresh herbs

1. Chop fresh rosemary leaves, garlic, squeeze a lemon and drizzle some olive oil to marinate chicken, steaks, pork chops, tenderloin, or lamb before grilling or roasting for amazing flavor.

2. Mix fresh herbs with cream cheese or goat cheese for a quick, elegant snack spread. Use lighter herbs such as parsley, basil, chives, dill or marjoram. Add zesty sun-dried tomatoes for more flavor.

3. Add fresh herbs to a blender or food processor with shallots, 2 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tsp. dijon mustard. While blender is running drizzle 1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil until well emulsified for a fresh dressing for grilled vegetables or salads.

4. Bundle fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley and marjoram with kitchen string and simmer in canned chicken stock with a peeled onion and garlic clove for quick flavorful soup bases. Add vegetables, chicken, pasta or rice for a healthy low cal meal.