That Heading-Turning Porch Is Yours

Turing your porch from ho-hum to head-turning does not have to mean that you need to do a major and expensive renovation. In fact, creating the porch of your dreams can be an easy and fun experience which can reflect your personal taste and also give that forgotten area of your house a lift that it so much needed.

Since how you feel about most things depends on their outside appearance, begin by examining your porch in its present state. Focus your attention to the floor, the house walls and then progressively to all the furniture or other things you have placed on your porch over time. Do they look old, used or outdated? If your natural reaction is to turn immediately your back to your porch and reenter your home, then you certainly have to seriously think of recapturing your porch's lost house-warming feeling. It is not that difficult and it will overall improve not only your mood, but also the market value of your residence.

So, if your porch's wooden, tile, or stone, floor requires your immediate attention, but the repairs it needs call for professional maintenance services, call the people that can help you reproduce a floor that is well-build and also looks great before the damage becomes any bigger. The floor renovation of your porch will probably be your biggest cost during this porch renovation house-project, but it will undoubtedly be a worthwhile procedure, which you should consider as money well-spend. But prior to calling a contractor and scheduling the repair dates and times, try to figure out whether the floor damage you can see is the outcome of poor maintenance or is caused by water leaks under the floor or from the porch's roof -usually mainly attributed to trapped rain water. Whatever the reason of the damage may be, you should first consider fixing the cause of your porch's poor floor appearance and then move on to repairing the floor itself; otherwise the damage will resurface and you will be left spending hundreds of dollars for no good reason.

If your porch's floor is now repaired or does not suffer any major damage, start cleaning it thoroughly and if you can and wish to paint it over, go ahead and do so. Just remember to ask your local house-store professionals' opinion before purchasing any paint product, in order to make sure the one you will select is recommended for this kind of use. While you wait for your floor to dry, you should start repairing or replacing the furniture and all other items you used to have on your porch and wish to keep. Adding color by painting them with water-proof paints is one of the best methods you have to revive their look and include them again in your porch's enhanced version. Replacing the pillow covers with waterproof fabrics, which are both practical and beautiful, will renew the look of your bench and chairs. Finally, consider using fabric or bamboo curtains and hang them on the side parts of your porch in order to create the privacy you need from neighbors eyes. These types of materials are light enough to allow sunlight reach your porch, but since they are not transparent their use creates the desired feeling of exclusion.

Browse house decoration magazine pages and take ideas for the outlook you want your porch to have. Lots of pots with flowers and plants bring the garden look on your porch, while fresh and natural materials complete the scenery leaving you with a porch that brings outdoors a step closer to you. If your porch overlooks a garden, you have to allow the visitor's eye catch its beauty. In addition, it is recommended to combine the two spaces by adding plantation in both areas and having steps that lead from your porch to your garden. This renovation will let your guests think that the porch is as much an extension of your garden as much it is of your house. Finally, is your garden sitting area is not protected from rain or sunlight, you can always add a big white umbrella over the table and chairs, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy even more the outdoors.

Pieces of furniture that have not been adequately reserved or dirt and dust on pillow cases, walls and floors, act as repellants, keeping people away from spending time near their porch. Yet, your creative and hand-crafting abilities can produce a beautiful area without emptying your bank account.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Gardening, Home Improvement, and Investing

Plants That Help Keep Your Fish Pond Healthy

Plants can add interest and beauty to your fish pond but did you know that they also are vital for maintaining healthy water quality which will help keep your pond clear and your fish healthy?

There are five different types of plants that you want to think about planting in and around your pond - floating plants, oxygenating plants, marginal plants, bog plants and deep water plants. These plants not only give your pond and authentic look but can also help keep the water oxygenated, cut down on algae growth, give your fish a place to hide as well as a place to spawn and can also provide food.

When adding plants to your fish pond you want to think about how large they will get and how fast they will grow. You don't want to add plants that will totally overwhelm your pond or that will make a full-time job of cutting back their growth. You also want to be sure that the plant can survive winters in your area. Plants don't have to be planted directly in the soil of your pond, you can set them in mesh pots or fabric pond pots which will allow the air to pass through but will also prohibit the soil from getting into your pond and turning it muddy.

To make your pond look its best and be it's healthiest you need to select plants for each pond layer. These different plants perform different functions as described below.

Deep water plants like Lotus, Water Lilies and Water Hawthorne grow in the deep waters of the pond. These plants will help remove the waste from the pond and act as sort of a natural filtration. They need oxygen and sunlight to grow their best. You might consider using an aquatic fertilizer that is safe for ponds. The Lotus and Water Lilies prefer water that is 2 feet deep but the Hawthorne can grow in as little as three to 24 Inches.

Oxygenating plants provide important oxygen to the pond as well as help to control the growth of algae by eating the same nutrients and carbon dioxide that algae needs to grow. Oxygenating plants also can provide food for your fish and act as shelters and spawning areas. Some good oxygenating plants include Hornwort, Water Violet, Water Buttercup and Water Milfoil.

Floating plants look great in the pond and they also provide shade and shelter for the fish and other creatures that live there. Be warned, however, that many of the floating plants will grow quickly and soon take over your pond. This can not only be an eyesore but can also be bad for the pond itself as it prevents photosynthesis which will decrease the waters oxygen level. Floating plants like Duckweed grow very quickly so you probably want to avoid that and stick to plants like Water Lettuce, Bladder Wart, Water Soldier, Water Hyacinths and Water Chestnut

Marginal plants like Sweet Flag, Golden Buttons, Marsh Marigolds, Japanese Arrowhead, and Lobelia grow in the shallows around the edge of your pond and depths of 2 inches to 1 foot. Cattails are also a marginal plant but they can be very invasive so you probably want to avoid those unless you plan to spend a lot of time weeding your pond.

Bog plants like Astilbe, Primula and Lysimachia grow at the very edge of the pond in the wet soil. they are important as they help siphon off surplus nutrients which allows control of algae growth thus keeping your pond clear.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

Lee Dobbins writes for www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com where you can learn more about gardening and creating the perfect fish pond.

How To Climb Roses And Vines With A Trellis

Climbing roses and vines are beautiful and visually appealing. The easiest way to achieve this is to use a trellis. Below are 12 helpful tips to get you started.

1. Twiners

Honey suckle, clematis and morning glories are among the many vines that twine. These plants have one of the following: twining leaves or twining stems. Plants having twining leaves use their leaves like a stem, or a tendril; the leaves are capable of twisting around strings, wires or twigs, but it has to be thin enough so the leaf could curl around. Twining stems however can twist around to whatever they come into contact with.

2. Scramblers

Climbing roses and bougainvillea are the best example for this category. Scramblers have stems that are very long and have thorns. They look like vines, but are unable to climb on their own. They should be supported by an arbor, pagoda or a trellis and be tied unto the structure.

3. Adhesive Pads

The Virginia creeper and the Boston ivy possesses stem tendrils which allow them to stick to any surface by means of their touch sensitive adhesive pads.

4. Clinging Stem Roots.

The stems of such plants cling and stick itself to any surface. These plants stick so well, that they can damage the paint of the wall if you try to remove them. Examples are the

- English ivy
- Irish ivy
- Euonymus

5. Choose what type of vine to plant

Roses need to have at least six hours of sunlight and a well-drained, fertile soil.

6.Plant your rose as soon as possible

Buy climbing roses as bareroot plants. When at this stage, they are dormant and easy to handle as well as to plant. In the early spring or late winter is the season to plant bareroot, when the soil is not frozen anymore and can be worked on. At this time, the roots will have plenty of time to get established before summer.

7. Choose a type of support

A trellis will be a good choice. Roses will grow more flowers if the structural cane is growing horizontally. Select a trellis that you have easy access when pruning time comes. Also, it should be sturdy enough to hold the rose vine in wet as well as in windy weather.

8. Installing the trellis

Ideally, you should install the trellis first before planting the roses. Make sure that the structure is secured well into the ground, as well as it should be strong to handle the weight of the plant when it matures. If installing it against a wall, set it a few feet away from the wall to provide air circulation and easy maintenance.

Plant The Roses

When digging a hole, it should be about eighteen to thirty inches from the base of the trellis. A mixture of compost and superphosphate is then added to the soil.

Attach The Canes

Choose the strongest structural cane and tie them onto the trellis with a loose and stretchy cloth, a panty hose is a good example. Evenly space them and preferably close to the horizontal.

Maintenance

For at least two years, let your climbers grow and do not prune them. Just remove the dead leaves and branches. Once established, you can then prune damaged and overcrowded canes, and be sure to tie in new canes as replacement. Also, during the dormant season, flowering side shoots are to be pruned two or three buds above the structural cane.

9. Selecting a trellis for your garden:

Strength

Consider the strength of the trellis to be put up in your garden. Climbing vines are heavy, so the trellis should be very sturdy to withstand the weight of the vine.

Durability

The material to be used in building a trellis should be weather proof. Pressure treated wood, galvanized bolts and nails are sturdy enough to endure outdoor climate.

Shape

Fans and arches are the popular shapes in trellis forms. Consider though, the look of your garden. If you have a Victorian garden, then an arched trellis would match with it. However, if you have garden with a Japanese theme, then consider too, a trellis with a somewhat Japanese form.

Height

The height of your trellis will also depend on your garden. Before buying a trellis, take the time to measure your desired trellis height.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

For more great trellis related articles and resources check out trellis.lawnngardens.com

How To Plan And Layout A Flower Garden

A flower garden adds a great deal of variety and beauty to the landscape. Many people find that laying out flower gardens is a very rewarding task. And, while it is possible to create a very attractive flower garden without planning it out first, it is much more efficient, in the way of saving time and money, to make a plan for what you would like in your flower garden, and to have an idea of where you might like some of the different flowers.

Then when you are ready to lay the garden out, you have a pretty good idea of what to do, and you are not bothered with having to re-arrange things to account for something that you may not have realized before.

The first order of business to determine when planning out your flower garden is how many annuals and how many perennials you want. Annuals last only one growing season, and therefore have to be replanted each year. Perennials appear yearly on their own. If you have all annuals, you can change your garden layout as you wish every year, and with perennials you have the same layout (unless you wish to transplant all of your flowers).

However, it is possible to have a combination of the two, keeping the perennials where they are each year and varying the charm of the flower garden with a few different annuals in different placement.

Next, you should determine where you will likely place your flowers, taking into consideration the comparative heights of the plants, what time of the year they bloom, and what colors you will use. These things all contribute to an aesthetically pleasing look to your flower garden - one that implies order and beauty rather than looking ill-planned with some plants looking wildly out of place.

Also to take into consideration when planning your flower garden: climate and sun exposure. Make sure that all of the plant you choose for your garden will flourish in your region, and that your garden is placed in a location that will allow the flowers to receive a proper amount of light.

After you have determined what will go in your garden, it is time to prepare the flowerbed. You should mark of the dimensions of your proposed garden carefully. Using a garden hose to mark the boundaries is advisable, as it is heavy and will stay in place, but it also provides the flexibility needed to tweak the proposed shape of your garden.

After you have determined on your boundaries, you need to strip the enclosed area down to the topsoil. This can be done using a shovel for smaller gardens and a sod cutter for the larger sections.

After getting down to the topsoil, you should loosen the dirt by prying up a section with a shovel and then turning over the dirt. This loosens the soil and provides a good place for flower roots to establish themselves. You can make improvements to the soil but adding organic materials such as peat moss, mulch, compost, or manure.

You should probably also roto-till the area to better mix the soil amendments in with the original soil. Next, use a rake to smooth out the soil without packing it down. Create your border with plastic edging, concrete, stones, or by digging around the edges, angling the soil down and creating a gap between flower garden and lawn.

After you have prepared the bed for the garden, acquire the flowers you would like to use. Seeds are less expensive, but you will not be able to see the final result until they spring up. If you purchase flowers in containers, set the containers, with their plants, in the places in the garden that they will inhabit. Then you can get an idea of what the garden will look like.

If you need to move the flowers around for greater attractiveness, it is simply a matter of moving the pot around until the garden looks as you wish it to. After you have settled that everything is in place, begin removing the flowers from their containers and placing them in the ground, beginning from the back and working up toward the front.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. Get flowers delivered at www.flowers-delivered-plus.com