The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

The forecast for the next few years is a bit gloomy if you’re a home owner - decreasing house prices are causing a great concern for numerous individuals. Some home owners will find themselves in negative equity later this year or next year, if not already. Even so, there are means to fend off this problem. Namely, to add value to your home. How to go about that? By making home improvements. Do It Yourself / home improvements can contribute far greater value to your home than the effective cost of those improvements.

So where to begin? A good place to start is to consider the least used rooms in your property. Perhaps it is an adjoining garage, or spare bedroom. Taking down a wall can transform such a rarely used area into an extended area for a kitchen or living room. Also take into account plumbing and electrics. Dimmer switches can transform ugly bright rooms into cosy, warm rooms just via a dimmer dial - it’s just a dimmer switch, but showing such a pleasant ambience in your home makes the prospective home buyer feel more relaxed! Maybe your home doesn’t have a downstairs lavatory? Then get one put in where your utility room is - again this can add a great deal of value to your property.

Possibly your 4 bedroomed house could be converted to 3 bedroom by taking a wall down, and creating a much larger room. This may sound slightly counter-intuitive, but in reality bigger rooms will give you a higher sale value, and quite often individuals use a 4th bedroom strictly as a spare room (meaning it’s not really used or important) .

Next take a look at your garden. Is there a shed there? If not, think about installing one there. Why is this of particular importance? Well, here is one place where you can stock all your gear that’s clogging up your garage / utility room / spare bedroom. Having a shed helps also with the gardening, and keen gardeners (read: your prospective house buyer) like a garden with a shed. And perhaps, well - you could into gardening yourself! If your garden’s been untended, then cut the grass, plant some flowers, cut the lawn edges. Also consider installing decking. Just providing a beverage to a potential buyer out in your stunning garden can really help sell the place - they feel comfortable in such surroundings - so it turns out that your garden can help sell your home, and add value to your property!

So where to look for some advice? Take a look online. A home and garden directory like homeandgardenlistings.co.uk has all kinds of home and garden websites listed there : including a directory of bathroom fitters, directory of builders, directory of painters and decorators, directory of garden furniture suppliers, directory of bedroom furniture and beds suppliers etc.

These are just some introductory points on maximizing the value of your home in these difficult times, but and we hope you find these useful.

How to choose the foundation for your log cabin

Full foundation sounds easier to build than a slab. The only
catch is that you’ll probably have to do a lot more digging.
This is especially true if you live in the northern part of our
country. A little north of New York City we usually extend our
foundations down 4 feet. You’ll want to find out how far down
the wall and footings should go; the local building inspector or
mason can tell you.

With this information in mind, lay out the outlines of the
building as described above and start digging. The walls that
form your foundation will probably be built of 8-inch concrete
block. This wall should rest on a footing. The illustration at
the side shows one way such a footing can be made.

Like the beam described above, the dirt may be cut square and be
used as the form. The footing should be at least 6 inches thick
and project 2 or not more than 3 inches beyond the thickness of
the wall. This concrete footing is made of I part portland
cement, 3 parts sand, 5 parts coarse aggregate, or a transit mix
that will have a minimum compressive strength of 1,500 pounds
per square inch in 28 days.

If you are making the walls of block, the mortar you should use
is composed of I part portland cement, 3 parts sand by volume,
and lime not exceeding 25 per cent of the cement by volume.
Stagger the blocks so that the joints of the second row of
blocks fall over the mid-sections of the blocks below. Use
closed-end blocks for corners.

Moistening the blocks before laying them will help hold the
mortar. Pour concrete into the top row of blocks and insert
6-inch bolts, 8 feet on center, for the sill.

Piers are the type of construction you will probably use. It is
the quickest way to get your summer home under way. Most cottage
plans have a pier plan which you should follow. There are
several rules to remember about piers. They can be built of
block (8 by 8 by 16 inches) or of solid concrete. Piers require
foundation footings just as walls do.

Take the advice of the local building inspector on the depth
they should extend below grade. You’ll want to have the footing
below the local frost line. The illustration at the side shows
the usual arrangement for the footings. Poured concrete piers
should be 10 by 10 inches if square or 12 inches in diameter if
round.

I have seen a posthole digger used to make the hole for a round
pier. It worked. The only trouble is that the center of the pier
is the used part and some portion of the pier will project
beyond the building line. The proper mix is the same as for
footings mentioned above. The maximum height above grade that
you should build a pier is four times its least dimension.

If the pier on the low side of your camp is 6 feet, the pier
size should be increased to 18 inches square. The forms for
solid concrete piers may be made from any old lumber. The
illustrations at the side should show you how.

Take your choice of these three ways to build your foundation.
Some may ask why I haven’t mentioned wood post construction. I’m
not convinced that they are worth using except above grade. If
you must use wood, be sure that you get pressure-treated posts.
Dipped or painted ends are little protection.

About the Author

About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
building a log home or choosing a house plan.

There are roses for almost every type of gardening. So which do you use when you have some vertical space such as a wall or blank side of a house or even an ugly old fence just begging for the splash of color roses can provide? Why, you can use climbing roses and ramblers of course.

Climbing roses can be used on some type of support structure or framework to provide color upward in a vertical fashion. They can even be used laterally like along a fence by training the canes out sideways.

These support structures can be the usual pergolas, trellises, arches and pillars. But did you know you could also get some ramblers to climb up into trees?

It’s simply a matter of providing a good place for the canes to be tied to. To have a tree that ends up being draped with roses, you start with a hole about three to four feet away from your tree that you plant your climbing rose or rambler in (depends on the individual variety and how tall or long the canes will grow). Tip the rose in the hole with the roots away from the tree and the top towards the tree. Finish planting your rose properly.

Now there are a couple ways to provide the structure for the roses to grow up into the tree. One, you can provide bamboo canes tied on each side of the tree going back down to the ground on each side of the rose (you can tie them in a travois type manner around the tree). Or provide wires or nylon rope tied up into the tree to a strong branch. As the climbing roses or ramblers grow, you tie the canes to the bamboo poles or to the wire. Once the rose is well into the tree, it should grow on its own well enough without further training. What a sight that would be - a tree blooming with roses the summer long.

You can also do something similar with climbing roses growing up the side of your home. As said above, you simply need to provide the proper support structure for them to climb. Either use a trellis or use eyebolts with wire secured to them. Run the wires in a horizontal fashion across your home or you could try a fan-shaped version of wires for the climbing roses to grow on. As before, you will need to tie the canes to the wire or trellis.

Should you decide to use the trellis, you just might want to consider a system for it that will enable you to lay it, and the climbing rose attached to it, down on the ground if you should need to do repair work or painting to your home. Some suggest putting hinges on your trellis to allow it to fold down.

Another point with the climbing roses growing up the side of your home, is to try to keep it about two inches or better away from the actual side of the house. This allows air circulation behind the rose, which we know, helps fight the various rose diseases.

Copyright 2006, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson

Do you have a space in your backyard you would like to fill with a water feature? Most home-owners would like a large pond, but don’t want it so big that a child or dog could fall into. You also probably don’t want to dig a 3-foot hole either- recently, you may have discovered that your “backyard dirt” can actually substitute as modelling clay, and it has a similar composition as concrete. Maintenance is also another issue- do you have the time to nurture your pond, to keep the water clean, keep debris from falling into it, and to periodically clean the filters and pumps? Or would a 800 gallon pond quickly turn into a cesspool and attract nasty glares from your neighbours?

If you’re like most home-owners, you would prefer a small maintenance-free and easy-to-install pond. A small pre-formed pond is probably the ideal solution for you. Unlike liner ponds, preformed ponds already come in a pre-defined shape. Mini preformed ponds are typically 2-3 feet wide/long, and 1 foot deep. They are especially low-maintenance since the volume of water is only in the 30 gallon range, it is quite easy to periodically empty the water and to refill your pond.

Mini-preformed pond kits, such as Algreen’s 30 gallon kit, sometimes include a small watercourse to add the trickling sound of water to your backyard. They typically also the pump and pre-filter that is required to circulate the water, and to pump the water to your watercourse. The pump is an essential part of any water garden, because, without proper water circulation, your pond will rapidly transform into a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

In addition to the pond, the watercourse, the pump, and the equipment included in a mini-pond kit, all you will need is:

1. A carpenter’s level.
2. Sand, to backfill your pond. In addition to backfill, the sand will also provide adjustable flooring for your pond shell, which will come in handy when you are trying to level your pond.
3. A shovel, to dig your hole.
4. A garden hose, to fill your pond with water.
5. A space in your backyard that is relatively close to your house, to maximize its impact. Be sure to consider the slope of the land and to ensure that the pond avoids rainwater runoff.

Optional backyard water gardening supplies include landscaping rocks, aquatic plants, fish, and a fountain and/or spitter.

As you can see, water gardening can be made relatively straightforward with a mini-pond kit! For further information and tips about water gardening, please go to GardenSM.com.

More information about the 30 gallon mini-pond kit can be obtained at http://www.gardensupermart.com/buypond/c229211p16771003.2.html

If you are interested in creating a simpler, healthier, and more balanced life, you can by choosing to go organic. Families across the country are now creating their own gardens, filled with wonderful, fresh foods that are completely void of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

Organic gardening is the best, most efficient, and healthiest way to grow plants and vegetables. Regardless of the size of garden, growing organically is something the entire family can do together as a project. There are many different reasons for starting your own organic garden, each extremely beneficial.

Whether you grow your own organic garden or purchase food grown professionally, you will taste the difference. Organic foods have become so popular that the United States Department of Agriculture states that the demand for organically grown food has increased in the last 10 years by 20%! In fact, to give you an idea of how substantial organic food is, at the end of 2005, the amount of sales reached a staggering $7 billion!

From a high-level view, organic gardening is a simple way to grow fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in an all-natural environment. This means that nothing is treated with pesticides or herbicides and that everything grown is clean, natural, and healthy. With organic gardening, not only is the entire family eating healthier but the environment is also saved from the many effects of harmful chemicals.

Although organic gardening does require a few changes in the way things are done from traditional gardening, you will quickly discover organic gardening is easy and fun. With organic gardening, two basic components exist. The first is creating soil that is natural and rich in nutrients and the second is managing diseases, pests, and weeds, using only natural solutions.

Keep in mind that when it comes to this natural type of gardening, various methods could be used. However, the method you choose will depend on the type of soil you have and the type of plants you choose to grow.
Being successful at organic gardening does require dedication but you can be sure the first time you taste your home grown foods or create a colourful bouquet, you will be convinced that the efforts are well worth it. Fruits and vegetables actually taste better and herbs and flowers will grow strong and healthy.

Organic gardening is much more than simply preparing soil, using mulch, avoiding synthetic disease and pest controls, and planting your plants. Organic gardening is a mindset, changing the way we think about plants in general. The approach to natural gardening is to view plants as a complete system found in nature that gets its beginning in soil.
The organic system involves water, people, soil, wildlife and yes, bugs. The key to organic gardening is to work with nature in the growing of plants so that any resources consumed by the garden can be replenished both minimally and consistently.

Read more at www.adamsorganics.com

Claus Stokholm is the Author of the book The Ultimate Organic Lifestyle

http://www.adamsorganics.com

Tulips are classified into 15 tulip groups or tulip divisions.
There are an enormous number of large-flowered hybrids and these
are classified into 11 of these divisions, according to
flowering time, plant shape, flower size and form. Species and
species hybrids make up the four remaining groups.

Let’s look at each group!

Division 1 - Single early tulips This tulip division flowers
have rounded petals forming small deep cup-shaped single
flowers, which sometimes open flat in full sun. They flower in
mid spring. They grow to 25-60cm (10-24in) high Their stems are
thick so they can handle the wind and rain. They are excellent
used as bedding plants. Some varieties can be forced indoors.

Popular Single Early tulips are ‘Apricot Beauty’ (apricot-pink),
‘Bestseller’ (copper-orange), ‘Generaal de Wet’ (golden-orange),
and ‘Ruby Red’ (scarlet).

Division 2 - Double early tulips These have large double flowers
resembling peonies. They flower in mid spring and are
long-lasting. They grow to 25-30cm (10-12in) high. They are good
for mass bedding layouts or containers. They prefer a sheltered
site.

Popular Double Early tulips are ‘Electra’ (cherry-red), ‘Mr Van
de Hoef’ (golden-yellow), ‘Oranje Nassau’ (orange-red), ‘Peach
Blossom’ (rose pink) and ‘Schoonoord’ (white).

Division 3 - Triumph tulips These are sometimes referred to as
Mid Season tulips in bulb catalogs. They have large, single,
angular flowers. They flower in mid spring and are long-lasting.
They grow to 40-60cm (16-24in) high. They can handle the wind
and rain so can be used as bedding plants in exposed sites.

Popular varieties include ‘Attila’ (violet-purple), ‘Bellona’
(golden-yellow), ‘Garden Party’ (white and carmine-pink), ‘Kees
Nellis’ (pink and yellow), ‘White Dream’ (white) and ‘Orange
Bouquet’ (red-orange) which has several flowers on each stem.

Division 4- Darwin hybrids These have large, round brilliantly
colored flowers. They flower in late spring. They grow to
55-70cm (22-28in) high on strong stems. Their colorful flowers
make them ideal for the main focal point of a display.

Popular hybrids include ‘Apeldoorn’ (rich red), ‘Big Chief’
(pink with white), ‘Elizabeth Arden’ (salmon pink), ‘Olympic
Flame’ (yellow and red) and ‘Red Matador’ (scarlet).

Click here to check out premium Dutch Tulips at Brecks

Division 5- Single late tulips These are sometimes referred to
as May flowering tulips. They have squared-off, oval or egg
shaped flowers. They flower in late spring. They grow to 65-80cm
(26-32in) high. These are usually used in bedding or border
layouts.

Popular varieties include ‘Avignon’ (red), ‘Golden Harvest’
(lemon yellow), ‘Queen of Bartigons’ (salmon-pink), ‘Queen of
Night’ (maroon black) and ‘Sorbet’ (white and red).

Division 6- Lily-flowered tulips These have long single flowers
with pointed petals, often curving out at the tips. They flower
in late spring. They grow to 50-65cm (20-26in) high.

They prefer a sunny site. Popular varieties include ‘Aladdin’
(crimson and yellow), ‘China Pink’ (soft pink), ‘Maytime’
((mauve lilac with white edges), ‘Red Shine’ (deep red), ‘West
Point’ (yellow) and ‘White Triumphator’ (white).

Division 7- Fringed tulips These have flowers similar to those
of the Single late group but with fringed petals. They flower in
late spring. They grow to 55-80cm (22-32in) high.

Popular varieties include ‘Arma’ (cardinal-red), ‘Burgundy Lace’
(wine-red) and ‘Fringed Beauty’ (red and yellow).

Division 8 - Viridiflora They are also known as Green tulips.
These are similar to the Single late tulips but the petals are
partly green. The flowers appear in late spring. They grow to
23-60cm (9-24in) high.

Popular varieties include ‘Artist’ (apricot-pink and green),
‘Golden Artist’ (orange-yellow and green), ‘Groenland’
(green-edged rose) and ‘Spring Green’ (lemon-yellow and green).

Click here to check out premium Dutch Tulips at Brecks

Division 9 - Rembrandt tulips These have large single flowers
with petals streaked or blotched with a second color which is
caused by a harmless virus. The flowers appear in late spring.
They grow to 45-75cm (18-30in) high.

Among the varieties available are ‘lnsulinde’ (violet and
yellow), ‘Lotty van Beuningen’ (lilac, purple and white) and
‘Jack Laan’ (purple, yellow and white).

Division 10 - Parrot tulips These have large, often bi-colored,
flowers with frilled and/or twisted petals. They flower in mid
and late spring. They grow to 50-65cm (20-26in) high. Their
stems are often too weak to support the large unsheltered
flowers and so staking is sometimes necessary.

They prefer a sheltered position Popular varieties include
‘Black Parrot’ (purple-black), ‘Fantasy’ (pink), ‘Flaming
Parrot’ (yellow flamed red) and ‘White Parrot’ (white).

Division 11 - Double late tulips These are sometimes called
Peony-flowered tulips, They have large showy flowers, resembling
peonies. They flower in late spring. The plants grow to 40-60cm)
(16-24in) high. They prefer a sheltered position.

Popular hybrids include ‘Angelique’ (pale pink), ‘Gold Medal’
(golden-yellow) and ‘Mount Tacoma’ (white).

Division 12 - Kaufmanniana hybrids These are also known as
Waterlily tulips. They have long, often bi colored, flowers.
They flower in early spring. They grow to 10-25cm (4-10in) high,
These tulips are ideal for rock gardens, containers, or along
the edges of orders.

Popular hybrids include ‘Heart’s Delight’ (carmine-red, white
and yellow), ‘Johann Strauss’ (red and white) and ‘The First’
(white tinted carmine-red).

Click here to check out premium Dutch Tulips at Brecks

Division 13- Fosteriana hybrids These have large, long flowers.
They flower in mid spring. They grow to 20-40cm (8-16in) high.
Their brilliant eye-catching colors make them good for focal
planting.

Popular hybrids include ‘Cantata’ (deep scarlet), ‘Orange
Emperor’ (pure orange), ‘Rockery Beauty’ (orange-red) and
‘Purissima’ (white-yellow).

Division 14- Greigii hybrids These have lovely colorful flowers
with maroon or purple-brown veined or spotted foliage. They
flower in early to mid spring. They grow to 23-50cm (9-20in)
high. As most are short, they look best in rockeries and
containers. Popular hybrids include ‘Cape Cod’ (bronze-yellow
and apricot), ‘Dreamboat’ (amber yellow), ‘Plaisir’ (creamy
white with red stripes), ‘Red Riding Hood’ (carmine red) and
‘Toronto’ (salmon-orange).

Division 15- Species tulips The flowers of this final tulip
division tend to be smaller and more delicate in form than the
garden tulips. They are ranging from 7.5-45cm (3-18in) in
height. Those listed below are the most readily available
species, though others are sometimes sold by specialist bulb
growers.

Tulipa clusiana (known as the lady tulip) The clusiana ‘cynthia’
has red pointed petals flushed yellow with grey-green leaves
that are upright and very narrow. They flower in mid spring. The
plants grow to 23-30cm (9-12in) high.

Tulipa praestans The praestans ‘Bloemenlust’ has long red
flowers with blunt petals. Each stem has between two and five
flowers accompanied by broad grey-green leaves. They flower in
early and mid spring. The plants grow to 30-45cm (12-18in) high.

Tulipa tarda The tarda has white narrow petaled flowers with a
yellow eye, with up to five flowers on each stem. The narrow
mid-green leaves form a rosette at flowering time. They flower
in early spring. They grow to 10cm (4in) high.

You can find more detailed information about tulip divisions at

http://www.elegant-tulip-bulbs.com/tulip-divisions.html

When I give presentations on water features, many people ask, “What about mosquitos?”

Given what they can carry, the concern is real and legitimate. The truth, however, is that there need be no fear of breeding mosquitos whatsoever, for any kind of water feature. Here’s why.

There are both biological and mechanical means for ensuring that not one mosquito breeds in your water feature. If the water is moving, as in a stream, a wall fountain, a tub garden with a fountain or a small pond with a waterfall, the mosquitos will not lay their eggs there. It’s a high risk situation for the larvae and newly hatched so they just don’t do it.

If you have a pond with still water, simply put in a fish or two. These don’t need to be mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) either. Ordinary pond fish or Koi will eat the larvae and I’ll tell you how I first discovered this. I built a pond for a man, filled it with water and let it sit over the weekend to ensure there were no leaks. On Monday there were thousands of mosquito larvae squiggling about, going from the bottom to the top and down again. I bought three small pond fish and put them in. The next day there was not one larvae left.

The presence of fish ensure no mosquitos. But there are other means too. There is a naturally occuring bacillus called Bti you can add to your pond. The mosquito larvae eat them and die, yet it is not harmful to pets, fish, wildlife or humans. You can buy it as Mosquito Dunk or Mosquito Bits.

If you like the idea of encouraging various forms of wildlife, there are several natural predators to mosquitos and their young. Toads can consume quite a quantity of mosquitos and can be encouraged to make a home of your pond garden. Dragonfly nymphs can be purchased and will wantonly devour mosquito larvae. Because Dragonflies have a very long (up to two years) nymph stage, a few added to your pond now and again not only will prevent mosquitos from hatching, they will reduce the mosquito population.

If you don’t like the idea of more creatures in your garden, get a propane powered mosquito trap. These have a tremendous range and will also reduce the overall mosquito population of your area as the mosquitos are attracted by the scent, drawn into a trap from which they never emerge.

One or more of these methods will ensure that you can have your water feature without ANY risk of breeding mosquitos.

For more information on ponds and water features of all kinds, visit us at www.water-features-online.com

Keith Davitt is an internationally recognized landscape designer and garden builder and author of four garden design books and numerous articles. You can see more of his work at http://www.landscape-design-garden-plans.com To download his free report on landscape professionals and how to identify which of the seven different categories is best for you and your garden needs, go to http://www.landscape-design-garden-plans.com/landscape-design-report.html

My friend Peter J May, one of the UK’s top water gardening
landscapers puts it best. He says “To have the sight and sound
of water near them in a garden has been an almost instinctive
urge to people of all cultures in all ages. Now as then, the
beauty of reflection, the relaxing sound of moving water and the
life that it attracts make the water garden as desirable to many
people as a lawn or patio.” What a beautiful description yet so
many water features and fish ponds do not achieve this goal. Let
me explain why . When a water feature is installed and
especially when goldfish or koi are placed into a pond a cycle
of events takes place briefly described and simplified as
follows. The fish are fed and the waste products are released by
natural metabolic processes. These waste products are
essentially ammonia and if allowed to build up the ammonia
reaches levels that are poisonous to the fish and the fish die.
Do you remember that lone goldfish in a goldfish bowl when you
were a kid? The fish lasted about a week then died. Yet goldfish
are capable of living for many years. Well the fish died from
poisoning itself. In a pond environment it is absolutely
essential to install 2 things. 1. A pump to circulate water
containing life-giving oxygen to the fish and to the bacteria
that purify the water s make sure you select the correct pump
for your own pond or waterfall 2. A biofilter in which bacteria
grow and thus provide a mechanism for purifying the water
similar to what happens in a natural pond. These bacteria
convert the ammonia to nitrate fertilisers that can be used by
pond plants … UV & bio filters. The pump must circulate water
through the biofilter 24 hours per day or the bacteria will die
from lack of oxygen. You can build your own biofilter for a
small garden pond up to 1,000 litres (250 gallons) very simply
and cheaply using Alfagrog (called Supra in the USA) or you can
buy one for a small sum of money if you choose wisely. Virtually
all fish ponds go green in summer owing to large concentrations
of suspended algae forming in high sunlight, warm water
conditions. The only effective way to keep a fish pond crystal
clear is to install many plants and in most cases even with
planted ponds to use an ultra violet light that kills the algae.
These algae (algae are tiny plants that multiply by
photosynthesis) are then removed in the biofilter. The simplest
equipment to install which will guarantee you crystal clean
garden ponds are called combo filter/UV units … in other words
a combined biofilter and Ultra Violet light (UV for short) all
in one to make for easy installation. Golden rules of fish pond
keeping: 1. Pump water into biofilter 24 hours per day 2. Do not
overfeed your fish and buy the best quality fish food you can
afford. 3. For crystal clear water all year round buy an UV
light … normally buying UV and pond filter combo is best and
cheapest route to go … see above

It’s a fact that fruit, vegetables and herbs are very rewarding
to grow. There’s an extra special flavor to produce you’ve grown
yourself. Moreover, the look and taste of fruit and vegetables
are even better than those sold in the supermarket. If you add a
few decorative herbs to the mix, there’s absolutely no reason
why your kitchen garden can’t look as good visually as your
flower garden.

Even though a kitchen garden has a charm all its own, a kitchen
garden is going to be very labor-intensive. If you’re not into
hard, manual work in your garden, a kitchen garden may not be
for you. The only way you’re going to get bumper crops of the
fruit, vegetables and herbs that you grow is by lavishing tender
loving care and attention on them.

Starting your growing early can produce a bountiful crop weeks
ahead of its normal time, giving you a home-grown harvest at a
time when those fruits and vegetables are particularly expensive
in the shops.

With a careful planning, you can make your kitchen garden as
visually attractive as possible. If space is at a premium you
can choose some of the more decorative vegetables and herbs and
plant them in your flower beds.

It is better to choose a sunny site in your garden for most
herbs and vegetables to do well. If you are growing fruit trees,
you should ensure that they do not cast a shadow over the
vegetables and herbs.

Please note that although most herbs are leafy and lacking
flowers, they will provide greenery in your garden, even in the
winter. Just exercise a little thought as to where to place them
and think in terms of what your garden will look like in each of
the seasons and factor this into your planning.

Different from most plants, herbs will normally do very well
when planted in containers, so they are an excellent option even
if you don’t have much space in your garden. Tall herbs can be
planted at the back of a traditional flower garden and
low-growing herbs make excellent flower garden borders.

The normal method of growing vegetables is in regimented rows.
If they are kept properly weeded, this can still look good.
Again, if you don’t have much space, you can still grow a large
range of vegetables in containers e.g. peas and potatoes. Some
vegetables are even attractive enough to be planted amongst the
flowers - but remember that you are going to have gaps once the
vegetables are harvested.

Even if you do not have several acres worth of orchard plot,
there is a large range of fruit that you can grow. Small apple
trees can grow in pots on the patio, you can grow strawberries
in containers and there are even certain varieties of
cordon-trained apples and pears that can be grown against a
garden fence.

Nearly all fruit trees prefer a sunny site. You will certainly
suffer from poor crops if you allow frost to damage the blossom
on apple and pear trees. Pears are particularly vulnerable
because they tend to flower earlier than apple trees. If you
don’t have space in abundance but still want to try your hand at
fruit growing then you should look at planting trained fruit
trees such as espaliers, cordons and fans against a fence or
wall. They can look very decorative and take up very little
room.

You will enjoy growing and harvesting food for your own kitchen
table in from your own kitchen garden. Is this wonderful? You
know how your vegetables and fruits are grown without any toxic.
Is it a relief for you to know that what you are eating is free
from pesticide.

Anyone with older aluminum siding is well aware of the paint chalking problem. Just rub your hand along the old siding and the chalky old paint will be all over your palm. Trying to get paint to stick to this could be a real problem. This is due to oxidation of the paint. Siding manufacturers originally referred to this problem as a “benefit”. They called it, “self cleaning”, as the paint literally washed off the house.

Older vinyl siding is also a problem. UV light fades vinyl siding over time and the siding becomes very unsightly.
Many unfortunate homeowners and contractors have experienced the dismay, when they repainted their homes, only to find the new paint peeling off a few months later. Both problems with older aluminum and vinyl siding can be overcome with proper cleaning, surface preparation and re-painting.

Cleaning

You will need to rent a powerful pressure washer with at least 3000 psi. You will want a pressure washer powerful enough to remove most of the old chalky paint off the aluminum siding or, to remove any dirt buildup on the old vinyl siding.

Start at the top course of siding and work your way down. You will need to keep the pressure wand fairly close to the siding surface to effectively remove the old paint. In some areas, you may find that the paint comes off to the bare metal. Be careful near windows, corners, soffits and doorways. The water under pressure, can be forced behind these areas causing damage. You can add TSP or other cleaning solutions to the reservoir for mildew, algae or other grime built up. If you do use a cleaning solution, be sure to completely rinse it off with your pressure washer. You should allow your home to dry for several days in dry, sunny weather before proceeding to the painting process.

If you are repainting vinyl siding or vinyl coated aluminum siding, you may need a surface de-glosser. This is a solvent type product used to remove any shine on the surface and to help your first coat to adhere better. You will have no trouble finding a good de-glosser at your local paint supply store.

Application

I like a commercial type airless sprayer. It will draw the paint directly out of your 5 gallon paint pails, through the hose and into your spray gun. These are available to rent at many tool rental locations and even some paint supply stores that supply contractors. If your paint is real high quality latex, it will be thicker than regular latex paint and will require a more powerful airless sprayer.

Priming

This step is equally as critical as the step above. Actually, the cleaning and surface preparation phases will make or break the results of your project.

I like a latex paint additive called emulsa-bond for the first coat. Emulsa-bond is a bonding agent you will add to the first coat of paint or primer, to help it to bond to the old siding.

I buy the best grade exterior latex paint, rather than oil or other solvent based paint. Latex paint seems to keep up with the expansion and contraction of the siding very well. The high quality latex paint I buy needs no primer. I add the bonding agent directly into the first color coat. Check with your paint supplier whether or not to use a primer. The rule of thumb is, when in doubt, use a primer. If you use a primer, add the bonding agent into it before applying. There are also bonding agents available for oil or other solvent based paints. One type is called penetrol. These are usually available at a painting contractor supply store.

Many contractors will spot prime areas, especially where bare metal is exposed. I don’t like spot priming because it can lead to an uneven looking top coat. When I put a primer coat on, I prime the entire home. This gives a uniform surface finish later on.

Finish Coat

Your top coat will be color only. You should check with your paint manufacturer to see if you need one or two top coats after the base coat. Like I mentioned above, buy the highest quality exterior paint.

In Conclusion

Proper cleaning and surface preparation are the two main ingredients to a successful painting job. A bonding agent in the first coat is also very critical to avoid paint peeling off later on. Using these techniques, I’ve re-painted homes that have lasted far longer than the original factory applied finish.

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About the Author: Robert Clarke has operated home improvement companies over the last 30 years. He is the owner of ContractorsUSA,Inc, a nationwide contractor referral service at http://www.contractorsusa.info/ . Get more information about aluminum and vinyl siding at http://www.contractorsusa.info/install-vinyl-siding.html

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