By nature I’m a lazy man and I really didn’t want to have to hoe the entire garden by hand. My idea of using the weed trimmer came because it seemed like a simple way to get rid of the weeds, at least down to the roots.

My first step was to buy a new grass cutter that would make the job easier. After visiting several hardware stores and lawn supply merchants, I developed a few tips on what to look for in a trimmer:

.01 Select the string trimmer that is right for the job. If you only have a small amount of grass to trim, don’t purchase a monster machine unless you just want to impress your neighbors. Get the right one for the job and both you and the grass will be happy.

.02 Decide whether you need an electric grass trimmer or a gasoline powered device. If you are only giving a small lawn a trim around the ears, then the electric is the right one for you. If you don’t have a long extension cord, then maybe a cordless weed trimmer is the answer for your light cutting needs. Most of them will run from 20-25 minutes on a charge.

I like gasoline engines on string trimmers because using an electric or cordless machine just doesn’t seem manly. After all, yard work is supposed to be a man’s job and it seems sort of sissified to rely on a trimmer that has to be plugged into a socket or runs on a battery.

Bigger and more rugged terrain requires a larger trimmer with a heavier cutting line, .080 or larger. If you really have a rough plot of ground that is cluttered with brush and finger sized trees, you may need a steel cutting blade or a small chain adapter that will cut heavy vegetation.

.03 Then there are weed whackers disguised as lawn mowers; grass trimmers on wheels. We have all seen the television ads of a smiling farmer type guy pushing a walk-behind string trimmer, busily cutting weeds, trees and shrubbery as if he were using a bush hog. Bush hogs are a heavy steel mower attachment that is pulled behind a heavy tractor that can cut through brush and even small trees.

.04 Four-cycle engines: The big problem for me with the standard two-cycle engine that has been on the market for years is keeping the oil to gasoline mixture perfect, which has been almost impossible for me to do. These small motors never seem to run correctly after the first tank of gas.

I have recently discovered the four-cycle grass trimmer that does not run on a gas/oil mixture. Treat it like your old reliable lawn mower that always starts after the second pull. Just put oil in the designated slot and enjoy the power.

.05 Don’t forget the safety glasses! As far as outdoor labor is concerned, I have lived by the WWJW rule. For the uninitiated that stands for What Would John Wayne Do? This line of reasoning has not always served me well for I have destroyed a couple of pairs of glasses from pebbles and stones kicked up by the trimmer.

Buy a trimmer that you want to have fun with and enjoy your gardening or lawn work.

Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, gardening, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:

http://www.homeandgardenbob.com

http://www.redfishbob.com

Indoor plants bring a warmth and natural atmosphere to the home or office and can be a great decorating tool to compliment your furnishings and architecture. Choose your color, size, leaf design and maintenance requirements from a bevy of indoor beauties to call your own, many of which only ask for an occasional drink and pruning.
 
Plants Toxic to Animals.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, there are over 700 harmful and sometimes deadly plants that can poison our pets and should never be grown inside or outside on your property. Cats in particular will nibble the leaves and seeds unaware of the adverse reaction to follow which, in many cases, is fatal. Check with HumaneSociety.Org for a comprehensive list of deadly houseplants that can harm your beloved pet. Cardiac arrest, kidney failure, neurological disorders and gastrointestinal disruptions are the most common symptoms from plant toxins and must be treated immediately.

Bonsai Trees.

The bonsai tree makes an excellent house guest with minimal maintenance and a lot of style. These miniature trees come with traditional green foliage or colorful buds, strutting their stuff in full animation designs. The bonsai plant does well in almost any kind of potting, from glass terrarium containers to simple shallow pans. Use richly textured color gravel to fit your creative space or design your own world with miniature ceramics and garden accessories. Larger bonsai, such as the Golf Ball Hawaiian Umbrella bonsai tree will require a heavy cast planting pot, but most of the unique bonsai species will thrive with minimal planting space. Use the bonsai for your kitchen countertop, wall niche or that perfect centerpiece for the dining room table. Most bonsai enthusiasts are ardent indoor plant collectors, where the first little tree is merely the flash point for a lifetime of bonsai appreciation. Buy a bonsai and join the club.
 
Helpful Hints.

Your bonsai plant may be moved outdoors in the spring and summertime, however, they do not thrive well when the temperatures drop below 40 F. In addition, all types of indoor plants may be temporarily moved to a protected patio when you are on vacation. Just be sure that you keep a cardboard or canvas barrier over the plants to shield them from intense direct sunlight or wind conditions. Plant sitters are available in the phone book, but if you are not comfortable giving them the key to your home, send your indoor foliage to the back porch for two weeks and all will be well when you return.

Pots and Containers.

Part of the decorating fun is finding the perfect plant container to mix and match with your interior color schemes. The best pots and containers for your indoor plant to thrive should have drainage holes and plenty of room for your plant to grow its roots. Small terra cotta pots are often used as a transport vehicle from the store or greenhouse to the home, but are insufficient to sustain a healthy plant life. Ceramic and clay pots remain the number one choice of indoor plant enthusiasts, however, lightweight plastic and fiberglass containers will work just as well. Larger plants may be complimented with bold brass and copper pots, available in sweet petite to astronomical sizes.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin real estate . Other articles written by the author related to Austin Texas homes for sale and Austin Texas real estate Blog can be found on the net.

Imagine you have commissioned a new build property and want to feel that the garden has been there for 20 years. Perhaps you want to disguise an eye sore in the garden next door or a new development has sprung up within your favourite view. Corporate clients may want to impress their customers with lavish mature landscapes or perhaps the Planning Authority have insisted that mature stock must be replaced like for like. One of the greatest challenges in any landscaping project is the use of semi-mature trees but one that certainly affords the greatest rewards.

In the last decade this area of the market has developed leaps and bounds. A new growing industry has evolved to supply mature trees and shrubs to the landscape industry. These specimens are used widely in projects such as business parks, shopping malls and townscapes. Corporate clients realise that a mature landscape has become as essential an element as something like air conditioning, The up shot to this Corporate revolution is that a much greater array of plant material in now available to you, the home owner.

The stock comes from Northern Europe, with Germany, Holland, France, Spain and Italy the major suppliers. The nurseries are really something to see; hundreds of acres of neatly planted fields of a bewildering selection of trees that in some cases have been tendered for up to 20-30yrs. They are repeatedly lifted and re-planted each autumn when the trees are dormant. This encourages the tree to make fibrous root growth that allows it a speedy recovery and establishment when finally planted. All year round armies of Nurserymen tend, water and prune the trees. I often think it like looking after a fine wine that has been laid down for years. Every autumn the Nurseries race to lift and root ball’ the trees, wrapping the roots in hessian sacks and wire to retain soil around the fibrous root ball. They are carefully tied up and loaded onto covered articulated trucks bound for all countries. For example wealthy Russians have brought up large conifers by the thousand as they build brand new houses in the more affluent areas of Moscow. This can have a dramatic affect on the supply chain, so much so that some species are no longer available.

Some of these trees are sold to UK nurseries that pot’ them on to then sell them throughout the year. This takes out the seasonality of the process and means you can purchase and plant a tree at any time of the year.

The impact of semi-mature tree planting can be amazing the instant WOW factor. Imagine planting a 12-15metre tall Oak tree with a canopy spread of 4-5metres which will literally block out any eye sore that lies behind it. Costs vary so much from type to size and also the location. Some of these trees will weight up to 10 tonnes and costs can be up to several thousands of pounds each. We were recently asked to source two amazing trees for the entrance to a substantial home. They had to be evergreen and unique. We found a pair of cloud pruned Yew that were 120yrs old and to die for! These are the most expensive trees we have planted at a cost of 20,000.00 each. You may find this staggering but there were only a few left out of a batch of 30 in a Dutch nursery. Size should never be a barrier – Landform were contracted to plant six 14 Metre+ Quercus palustris (Pin Oak) for the Tree Top Walkway, Kew Gardens in May 2008. The trees weighed in at 8 tonnes each were manoeuvred using a 100 tonne crane.

If you are planning to plant semi-mature trees, make a plan before you visit the nursery. Ensure you have a qualified and experienced contractor on board to carry out the planting works. Think about access to the planting location we often use cranes to place a tree if access is restricted. Visit the nursery and tag’ the tree (s) you want. Just be aware that if you are someone who loves your trees/plants you’ll be like a kid in a sweetie shop.

Mark Gregory is a director of the college of garden design, one of the leading garden design schools in Britain

One of the biggest problems you are going to encounter when you are landscaping small spaces if the amount of light available and how well the ground drains. In larger spaces this is much less of a problem because you can always vary the design according to the conditions, moving a particular idea into another section if required. This is one luxury you don’t have in smaller gardens. Landscaping small spaces doesn’t have to be about growing plants. Where there is little natural light you could still landscape – but without using any plants or just a few of those plants that thrive of poor lighting conditions. Just fill the area to be landscaped with gravel and then place a bench in a strategic position and dot around some garden statues and sculptures – perhaps a bird-bath or an ornamental birdhouse for feeding birds off the ground and away from predators.

You could, of course, lay a crazed paving walk, lined with the many varieties of shade-loving plants. If you are landscaping small spaces you could let your eye move skywards: install some frames and train some climbing plants over them – perhaps variegated ivy or Virginia creeper, both of which are lovers of poor lighting conditions. Try Oakleaf hydrangea and, perhaps, a deciduous shrub such as one of the varieties of tree holly or, if you really have green fingers, try growing an azalea or two – I am told they are a bit tricky to grow but some people seem to have the knack! For ground cover try coleus, a plant that comes with some beautiful variegated leaves, and other ground covering plants such as the various Erica species.

Landscaping small spaces can be particularly effective if you look around you and carefully take stock of the whole space at your disposal. Part of the key is to look up. You are bound to have a perimeter fence or wall around your property and these can be ideal to support climbing plants against – not just the Leylandii that everybody loves to hate, but honeysuckle, passion fruit and climbing roses – to name just a few. There are literally hundreds of varieties of climbing plants you could use. You could even plant fruit trees – yes, honest! Even the smallest patio space has sufficient room to grow a couple of espalier apple trees or pear trees which are trained horizontally along a wall rather than allowed to grow into their natural state.

Once your actual landscaping has been implemented you could finish off with some night-time lamps dotted alongside your crazed paving path. Nowadays you can get those solar lamps that absorb sunlight during the day and then use that energy to light up at night. I think they are a brilliant idea. Landscaping small spaces really can be quite fun if done properly with plenty of research up front: you could end up with a beautiful complement to the rest of your house and a delightful place to relax in the evenings – especially if you plant some night-scented stocks and other plants whose aroma tends to waft out during the late evening.

Learn how to decorate Small Spaces . Also enjoy, furnishing tips, photos of small spaces and projects for the DIYer.

1. grouping together of the same kinds of fruit;
2. proportions of the areas to be devoted to soft and tree fruits;
3. rootstocks for the tree fruits;
4. shapes and types of tree and methods of pruning.

By grouping together the same kinds of fruit, spraying is made easier. It is also an advantage to keep together those fruits which have the same manurial requirements. For instance, apples, gooseberries and red currants need plenty of potash, whilst pears, plums and black currants require more nitrogen.

The question of the proportion of soft fruits to tree fruits is largely one of personal taste, but with a very small garden it might be best to grow mainly soft fruits with a single row of apples or pears on dwarfing rootstocks. When possible wall or fence space should also be used.

Large free-growing trees are unsuitable for most small gardens. With cordons, dwarf pyramids and other trained forms of trees which require a restrictive type of pruning, it is possible to grow many more trees in a given area and so obtain a wider variety to spread the season than could be grown if bush trees were planted.

The purchase of good healthy stock is one of the secrets of success. In soft fruits vigour may be considerably reduced through infection with virus diseases and the Ministry of Agriculture has a scheme for inspecting and granting certificates to stocks of disease-free black currants, strawberries and raspberries. Where possible always buy this Certified Stock.

Virus diseases also affect the growth and crop of tree fruits, but in recent years, nurseries have been able to obtain virus-tested cultivars and rootstocks as ‘mother’ trees which can be used for propagation. Trees of many cultivars of apple, plum, pear and cherry from these healthy sources are now available from some nurserymen.