American Windows – Look out of the house

To begin with, do not grind your beans but purchase them whole. Ground coffee has a tendency to easily go bad. The freshness and flavor will last much longer if left whole until you decide to make your brew! You likewise need to keep the beans fresh for as long as you can. For this, you’ll need an airtight canister. There are a lot of alternatives for this but the OXO pop containers have a special place in my heart – I own several shapes and sizes.

BEST COFFEE GRINDER

So you will store your coffee beans in an airtight container until whenever you’re ready to use them. When it is time to grind, you’ll need the right kind of grinder and best kind of coffee maker. We committed the amateur blunder of utilizing a standard sharp edge grinder for our coffee beans for a really long time. For your coffee to be great, you have to grind it using a burr grinder and I guarantee, there’s a justifiable explanation behind it! Burr grinders can give you a uniform size of grounds and you can determine how fine you need them to be ground. For the French press, for instance, a coarser grind is required while trick coffee can be okay. Additionally, the burr tough on the beans amid the grinding procedure! The typical coffee lover gifts are quite often burr grinders.

BEST WATER KETTLE FOR COFFEE

Next on the list is your hot water. You’ll need hot water whether it is French press or pour over. You can do great with a stovetop pot but we strongly recommend the electric water pot. In the event that you travel abroad, particularly to places that are known for hot tea, you’ll see that the electric pot is great and it gets the job done so just stick to it! The electric pots are fast and are very great during times when you’re struggling to wake up!

MUST-HAVE: FRENCH PRESS + POUR OVER

At this point, we believe you have the beans and the water to make it. There are quite a lot of coffee mixes to make but we will concentrate on French press and pour over.

Many individuals prefer the idea and flavor of pour over coffee (actually pouring hot water over fine grounds coffee into a cup). The disadvantage of this method is that the coffee gets cold staying there to complete the process of preparing and trickling through so much air. We decided to get around this by wrapping the entire pour over carafe in foil. It sure helped, but the truth is that it takes a lot of time! Thus, to start with, you can complete a single pour over or you can utilize a large carafe – depending on the number of servings you need to make. In case you’re trying to make more than one cup, here’s a little secret to keeping your espresso warm… You require a bistro pitcher! You know those carafes they use at breakfast eateries? Turns out whoever made those stuff know exactly what they’re doing. So in case you’re brewing coffee for a few people or you simply need to make it once and pour yourself a cup, the pitcher is a magnificent idea! You can do the pour over right into the carafe if you want it so

Be that as it may, we love our French press! The charm of our Bodum French Press does make it interesting. We’re rooting for the more grounded coffee flavor since it doesn’t get cold before we take a sip, and that it’s a genuinely ideal coffee choice, regardless of the time you need it. Heat up the water and after that let the grounds sit with the water for a short while before pushing down the strainer. These lovable demitasse spoons were a lovely present I got for my spouse when we began making our own coffee at home.

Top 3 Ways To Make Dessert Table Extraordinary

Posted on June 14, 2018 in Home Healthy

Sweet

Candy buffets are a marvel and they what makes dessert tables so justified, despite all the trouble. I just go straight to pondering all the possible candies I can lay my hands on. I adore sweet candy more than any sweet treat or dessert I can think of. My love for them is just as a child cannot do without his toy. They are all but a rainbow of shades of flavor. How they make the fingers sticky and are the yumminess suction container on our teeth. I cherish them all! So will your visitor who happens to be around when your kids much away at these candies get to partake in the adventure? You decide.

Consider having a cotton candy table with a carnival theme spiced up with popcorn with white and red dishes. If that isn’t your thing on the other hand, how about a great of arrangement chocolates and a monster with a chocolate fountain?

Fried and baked

Try spicing up candy from a different perspective. Once in a while, I figure deeply fried or baked goods can simply convey you to a different dimension. Moist pancakes, soft fluffy donuts and powdered sugar are just a drop in the great ocean. Why would anyone not want to grab a quick bite? As a man who cherishes cupcakes generally, preparing them this way is a bit of an adventure. I’d rather go for a cupcake tower rather than conventional cakes. Likewise, have a go at having brownies, you should also try having cannoli or Rice Krispie squares as well as everyone’s favorite macaroons. With such a significant number of cakes and flaky treats, there will always be thoughts for your pastry tables. You will definitely come up short on table space.

You could even have an entire segment of simply extraordinary pies. Match it with some ice ream and before you can count to a hundred, your plate is empty.

Out of the Box

Do you desire to have your dessert table stand out? In the event that you don’t need the usual, then you should try the extraordinary? Now let us talk about frozen ice cream! One of the coolest approaches to cool off your head after a long night of dancing is to try out an ice cream bar. Is there anyone that can actually say no to ice cream? Cream, cookies, vanilla and chocolate are my favorite taste bud chills. If you happen to want more options or yourself and your guests, then you should try sorbet or popsicles.

Last Words

Is your mouth watering somewhat more as a result of this post? If that is the case, then this article nailed it. I needed this article to not just motivate you to think of imaginative thoughts for your dessert tables and get rid of the usual throw it all on the table look. Just as you hope your wedding will stand out, so will your dessert table. It might even become the center of attraction! In the event that this article has made it somewhat difficult to come up with a decision, then it is highly recommended you try a bit of everything. It was certainly make wedding stand out from the rest.

http://honestcooking.com/drinks/

https://hoosierhomemade.com/easter/

https://hoosierhomemade.com/breads/

https://hoosierhomemade.com/cakes/

Simple Lemon Chicken Soup

Posted on June 13, 2018 in Home Healthy

When it’s no longer the winter months but it’s still super cold outside and just for the most part dark and desolate? There is no better way to break out of the winter funk with a spectacular, warming lemon chicken soup that will take you just a few minutes to make. You heard that right, minutes!

This lemon chicken soup is pretty much one of the easiest soups I’ve ever made. What’s more, it’s super loaded with enhancing flavors because of the Ginger Chicken Bone Broth and Kitchen Basics Turmeric that I used as part of the ingredients. You could easily mistake it for liquid gold. Particularly this one I made! First, let us talk about the flavor. This little container of chicken bone juices has lemongrass, ginger and turmeric. I really love this stuff and I even utilized a portion of this in my dumplings and chicken recipe about a week ago. Next up – I’m placing it in some nicely prepared ramen for sure.

Second, the protein. This container has TEN grams of protein, so clearly that was the means by which I sold my husband on tasting it. Obviously. As soon as he set his eyes on them, he was in. I was also super shocked and impressed when I saw it.

Let me not forget how delicious and quick this soup turned out. I made the soup with what was left of the chicken I roasted a few days ago. Be that as it may, when there’s no other option, I have to use whatever I have in the house for the soup. You could just get off work, stop by a store, get some chicken and have this soup ready in just 30 minutes. Or on the other hand, you can utilize any kind of extra chicken you may have used for a previous meal; it doesn’t really matter.

To ensure things are kept semi-traditional, I added some celery, carrot and sweet onion. Most people usually think celery is the worst but it can do great in stews and soups. If you’re still not convinced, then you can take celery off the recipe. The same thing goes for zing, garlic and ginger.

In any case, I included some new lemon zest with the veggies as they were softening in the margarine as well. The bone broth, stock and chicken was next to go into the pot and I added an extra slice of lemon to boost the lemony flavor. After that, the pasta went in. This isn’t an essential step but one I took to beef it up a little for us. Also, in light of the fact that the soup without pasta would leave my husband extremely hungry after a few minutes.

You can include any pasta but my choice for today is Ditalini because it is simple and also adorable. It is super small, takes little time to cook and my husband loves it. Everyone loves a hearty spoonful of soup.

At the top of the soup, I love to add shaved parmesan cheese and a lot of fresh herbs. To sum it all up, I include some bread or a lot of crackers to be used for dipping. This is one aspect I can’t go without.

Words can’t express how much I love this. It’s soothing, comforting, warming and strangely enough, somewhat reviving! It resembles a hot embrace in a bowl with a slight trace of spring. And if my memory serves me right, is that not what we all need?

Oregano essential oil is a must have for every family

Posted on June 7, 2018 in Home Healthy

Plants, similar to people (and basically every other thing alive) are under steady attack from disease and they manufacture fundamental oils to guard themselves against microorganisms, balance immune function and invigorate diverse physiological pathways to flourish. Those same fundamental oils created in plants can be utilized to reinforce our own wellbeing in comparative ways. You can discover a great deal of data about basic oils or growing at home with seed germination kit, however today we need to speak somewhat around one oil specifically and that is Oregano oil.

Oregano oil is a fundamental oil that has various intense uses, such as its ability to defend and cleanse but this oil can do way more than just that. For a very long time, it has been utilized as a part of the mediterranean to treat respiratory problems, to stave off illness, to relieve indigestions, several other gut problems and more.

Oregano oil is viewed as restorative since it has recuperating properties that are both supportive and restorative in that when taken inside and securely, the oil battles pathogens inside the body while in the meantime sustaining the body with a huge supply of supplements and minerals.

The dynamic restorative segments that give oregano oil its intensity are as per the following:

CARVACROL

Research has demonstrated that this phenol can help battle a few sorts of interior bacterial contaminations, for example, listeria, salmonella, Candida albicans, E. coli, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

THYMOL

Another phenol, this compound has amazing properties that help prevent diseases and secures the body against toxic agents.

ROSMARINIC ACID

A cell reinforcement that may help alleviate the side effects of allergic reactions.

TERPENES

Has h3 cleansing propensities.

LINALOOL

May help alleviate stress and the likes of it.

NARINGIN

Battles free radicals and backs up the alternate cell reinforcements in oregano oil.

Things to consider when picking your oregano oil

In case you’re hoping to add oregano oil to your regular living collection, there are a couple of things to consider before picking them.

HOW YOU WANT TO TAKE IT

Oregano basic oil can be found as an unadulterated basic oil, in capsule form, or pre-weakened in a transporter oil to be utilized internally and topically. The shape you pick will rely on what you intend using the oil for. If you intend purchasing unadulterated oregano basic oil, don’t consume it or apply it to your skin without first diluting it—it is amazingly solid and will cause serious burns!

THE QUALITY

A few oregano oil products will list their convergence of the principle dynamic compound, carvacrol. The higher the focus, the more grounded the antibacterial impacts.

Other very important things consider when picking your oregano oil are:

Hand selected and developed on local soils (i.e. wild mediterranean oil of oregano)
Certified natural
Steam refined oil (for purity of higher levels)
Without additive

Are you a fan or user of essential oregano oil? Let us know more in the comments section.

From: https://gardenseason.com/

Easy Guide for Choosing the Role in a Paintball Game

Posted on February 1, 2018 in Other activities

Paintball is a game based on missions designed to accomplish certain objectives while offering a thrilling and fun experience to players. To achieve this, players with different skills and personalities are assigned different roles that suit them.

The Roles in a Paintball Game

Below is an easy guide to help you choose roles in a paintball game:

Frontman/ Pointman

This is the first set of people in line and they are always involved in almost all the action. Their main aim is to achieve the team’s objectives and ultimately win by getting their opponents flag. They come up with creative tactics to attack their opponents and also inform the rest of the players of impending danger, traps and creates a path for the rest to follow.

Being the most influential position in the game, it is ideal for leaders who are fast and are capable of taking risks.

Infantry

Most of the players make up the Infantry and they follow the frontmen. Their main objective is to eliminate the opponents by weakening them and this is done by setting traps, shooting their opponents’ frontmen and finally taking their positions.

This position would best suit team players that are ambitious, intimidating and good shooters.

Mid Player/ Floater

Mid players are a linking block between the frontmen and the backmen. Their main role is to protect the backmen from attacks and pass information between the frontmen and the backmen. They also replace the fallen soldiers or men in the game and they are always on the move to provide support to other players being attacked and always use a lot of paint.

Players at this position posses many skills and are fast learners. They are also good communicators who are swift and strategic. As they are expected to play different roles, they should be flexible, physically fit and have high endurance levels as this role requires a lot of vigorous actions such as running, diving, sliding and even jumping.

Backman/ Rearman

Paintball, being a territorial game, some players are expected to play that role and offer overall protection. This role is assigned to Backmen. A Backman’s role is to protect the team’s flag and provide cover to the other players attacking their opponents or retreating.

Players playing this role should be protective, alert, and watchful. They should also be good shooters with the ability to shoot from different positions and ranges.

Sniper

A sniper’s main aim is to eliminate the opponent’s key players and weaken the barriers set, they always want to have the best paintball sniper rifles in their hands. They should be located on a raised or elevated ground for a better view of the whole playing field or at the back where there is minimal interference with their view. They are also responsible for eliminating unseen attackers approaching their field and are always expected to use most of the paint.

Players playing this role should be good shooters, precise, thoughtful, watchful and strategic. They should also be fast and able to shoot from different ranges.

Insert Players

These are players that can easily fit and play any role. They are meant to replace any players that are gunned down. They are quick to adapt to new positions and can also shoot from different positions.

This role is always assigned to players with the ability to cope with any situation and are flexible.

Advantages of choosing roles in a paintball game

It is a fun game and can be played by most people from different age groups as it can be easily understood.
If played by family members, friends or colleagues, it can strengthen bonds and create room for making new friends within the teams created.
Paintball encourages the ability to work together and enhances teamwork. It can be used by organizations as a training tactic on teamwork.
Paintball is an active sport and can be played as a form of exercise meant to increase an individual’s physical endurance and also keep fit.
It encourages creativity by devising tactics to attack an opponent and survival tactics.
Leads to the implementation of various skills like speed and accuracy.
It can be played as a form of competition during holidays and even during team building activities.
Encourages individuals to discover untapped potential and skills making them more confident and bold.

Cons of choosing roles in a paintball game

It can be risky if not played with caution and can cause accidents.
If not correctly set up, the objectives meant to be achieved may fail.
It may be a hard task to choose players to suit different roles, especially for new players.
It can be a source of disagreement between players for failure to follow instructions.

Paintball is a game that requires planning and proper selection of role players and if done right, it can guarantee success and achievement of the set objectives.

How to Prepare Soil before Planting Flowers

Posted on January 22, 2018 in Gardening, Gardening tips

Stable and healthy roots are the foremost factor that warrants the well-being of a plant because of the crucial functions it carries out, for example, water and nutrient absorption and holding the plant to the ground. For the roots to execute these functions, the soil must be well prepared and all necessary action to enrich it taken. So, planting your flowers should not be just plopping them in any type of soil. It needs to be pampered with all the care or else no plant will survive in it. Preparing is a step by step process and quiet laboring sometimes but it sure pays off when the flowers do really well.

Before preparing the soil, you will need to equip yourself with the right information on how to test contents in the soil, the nature of the soil and how well you can maintain and manage it before and after planting your flowers to keep them in good shape. Random dirt may not contain the nutrients and required characteristics for the flowers to grow in and that is why it needs to be examined and adjusted where necessary. Some of the basic exercises you need to carry out include the following;

Determining the Soil pH

To test soil pH, you can either hire a professional to do it for you or you can do it yourself using simple soil test kits that you can get from the nearest source. Ensure that you select flowers that are compatible with the pH of your soil and if they are not, it is important to adjust the pH levels to suit them or, you can go for the flowers that can survive in that soil. Altering with the pH will demand some keen considerations:

– When the soil is acidic, lime is added to neutralize it. Pouring the lime randomly might result to overuse, making the soil harmful or might end up using less than what is required, which ends up not completely doing away with the acidity so make sure you follow the given instructions on usage. The amount of lime you will use will be determined by the acid levels in the soil and the size of your piece of land.

– When the soil has high alkalinity levels, it is neutralized by:

+ Organic fertilizers like sulfur or pine needles and barks etc.

+ Other inorganic fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K fertilizers).

+ Compost, that has multiple functions i.e. fertilizing and adding nutrients to the soil.

If you don’t plan on planting immediately, mulching the piece of land will help protect the soil from extreme weather conditions, hold weeds in check and using organic mulch keeps the soil rich.

Note: Annual frequent checkups will be necessary if the soil pH levels are okay and therefore, there will be no need of making any immediate adjustments to it.

Carrying out a Soil Test

The importance of a soil test is to know the type of soil you are dealing with and how productive it is. Acquire or procure a soil test kit, and follow the guide given for perfect results. Only use what is necessary and avoid adding an excess of anything to the soil to avoid weakening or making the soil toxic.

Examine the Soil Texture

Determining the texture of the soil helps to know how clayey, sandy or even loamy the soil is. This helps to know how quickly or slowly the soil will drain water and predict the nutrient level in the soil. Soils with relatively high sand volumes tend to be well aerated. On the other hand, since they lack ample nutrients and drain water very fast, they need frequent watering and lots of fertilizing to supply nutrients and moisture.

Clayey soils are highly fertile, contain enough nutrients and retain water for longer periods than sandy soils. They, therefore, don’t need frequent watering or fertilizing.

Soils with equal or almost equal amounts of both the clay and the sand have a very good drainage system and enough nutrients.

Testing the Soil Drainage

Carrying out a soil drainage test will help you know how frequent watering will be needed and if you will need to make adjustments to the draining system in case it is poor. To test the drainage, carry out a simple test by digging up a hole, filling it with water then wait to see how long the water takes to drain in the soil. 12 to 30 minutes means that the soil has an ideal drainage, below 12 minutes means that the soil is likely to dry quickly and above 30 minutes means that the soil is soggy.

Bed Preparation

After learning about the soil and making all necessary amendments to it, you need to prepare a bed. The bed can be a raised bed that should be at least 6 inches high to allow for proper penetration of roots or a double-dig bed – usually tilled twice – for flowers with deep roots like roses. The size of the bed should be determined by the number of flowers you wish to plant. Attach strings to pegs or use a hosepipe to measure and mark boundaries and to ensure straight or curved edges.

To prepare the bed, you will need to:

– Dig the marked place to remove sod and stones if it is a new bed, but if it was planted before and there is no sod or stones, no digging will be required. Optionally, place no less than three layers of newspapers, proceed to cover them with 3-inch compost and wait for at least 3 weeks for them to decay and for the area to be ready for planting.

– The next step will be tilling the bed(s). This aims at smoothing out the soil by loosening huge impenetrable lumps. Moist soil is the best to work with, so always avoid working with soil that is either wet or dry. Doing it more than once will rather tighten the soil so one round of tilling is enough.

As a gardener, watching your flowers bloom and become a beautiful garden can be exciting and quite satisfying but for it to be so, you need to do the first things first and do them correctly by properly preparing the soil, which is home to the flowers i.e. from carrying out all soil tests to digging and tilling it. The fruits of all the hard work, of course, come later so when they do, be strict and disciplined when it comes to taking care of the flowers in that you water, fertilize at the right time and even trim them if need be. It sure is a lot of handiwork but totally worth it.

What are the most appropriate types of garden to choose?

Posted on January 22, 2018 in Gardening, Gardening tips

As a hobby for some people, gardening is an artistic way expressing one’s passion for enhancing the beauty of a home and making it appear more vibrant. As it is an activity that some people love and enjoy doing, other people prefer hiring a gardener to do it, which is also okay. If you are thinking of having a garden in your home perhaps, then you should know that there are several aspects you should take note of before putting up any kind of garden.

First of all, will you be able to afford the type of garden that you are thinking of growing? Go for a choice that best suits your pocket. Secondly, how compatible is your garden choice to your home? This is in terms of the landscape and how favorable the climatic conditions are for a particular type of garden. Putting these factors into consideration, choose the most appropriate from the very different types of gardens according to your taste and preferences.

Flower Gardens

Different types of flowers grow at different times during the year, but most of the growing basics are quite similar. Different theme selection from varying the flower colors to varying the flower types and blending them perfectly together will irresistibly be attractive and electrifying.

Rose Flower Gardens – Roses are grown in a different bed from the other flowers and this is if you are looking to have them amidst other flowers. Alternatively, you can have a purely rose flower garden with the different assortment of colors. They undoubtedly have that appealing look and what could be better than the sweet scents they release in the air? They are sometimes also referred to as the flower of love, no wonder they are a favorite to many people.

Vegetable Gardens

These are the edible gardens that can be flat-earth or raised bed vegetable gardens in most common cases. With this type of a garden you don’t have to limit yourself to vegetables only because you can also grow fruits e.g. passion or herbs like rosemary, it all depends on what you prefer to have. The ground, however, needs to be well prepared before planting and the vegetables require rotation after a certain period of time for fertility purposes.

Urban Gardens

For those homeowners who live in cities and other urban places, there is always something for you and you can also enjoy gardening. There are two popular types of urban gardens; container and rooftop gardens.

Container gardens – Like the name, they are done in containers and are the simplest form of gardening, for example, wheelbarrows or flower pots. These can be placed on the patio, at the corner of the living room or at the balcony. The good thing about container gardens is that they are movable and you can have them whenever you want them to be. Also, with a tight budget, a container garden is an excellent choice because it will cost you little money to put it up and also to maintain it.

Rooftop gardens – If your house has rooftop space and you are inseparable from nature, you can take advantage of that and have a simple rooftop garden. The open air and direct exposure to sunlight can be the perfect conditions for some greeneries. There is a limit to what should be grown in these types of gardens because, for instance, you can’t have huge trees or garden plants growing on top of the house.

Water Gardens

They are not very common types of gardens despite their uniquely splendid representation. For homeowners who love an aquatic experience, you can opt for a water garden and add on to its gist by having some aquatic plants and fish.

Rock Gardens

A rock garden will best suit an area of land that is mostly sloped, is difficult to mow or can’t be grown anything because of the type of soil. For instance, it can comprise of low-lying shrubs and optionally having a waterfall will definitely add more life to the garden.

Woodland Gardens

They simply grow naturally and require little to no effort or costs. Mostly, wildflowers and woodland plants that do perfectly fine on their own will be found in a woodland garden setting. Some of these need shade and others do well in an open place with direct sunlight. It is the best type of garden for the lovers of nature or homeowners who enjoy wildness.

Butterfly Gardens

If you prefer a beautifully vibrant-themed garden, then a butterfly garden will always make that magic happen. They are the most vivacious insects and a garden full of these adorable creatures is a garden in another league. Basically, butterfly-attracting plants are grown in these type of gardens for example; butterfly bush, fennel and salvia among others.

Tropical Gardens

If you reside in a place with nice warm climate, you may want to consider a tropical garden. The kind of plants that are grown in tropical gardens is mostly characterized by dense and big leaves and colorful flowers. Examples of tropical plants include palms, ferns, and orchids among others.

Scented Gardens

These are purposely grown to create a sweet-scented environment. In this kind of setting, plants that release strong sweet scents will be grown and this is for sure a good natural way of creating a fragrance-filled environment. They can even be designed in a way that allows for events holding like weddings.
Gardens are simply a combination of art and science and will give your home or any desired place a particular defined look. Whether you prefer an aquatic appeal or a terrestrial allure, there’s always a way of enjoying nature by bringing it to where you are through gardening. Always make sure your choice matches your pockets, the climatic conditions are favorable and the landscape is appropriate for the type of garden you are planning to put up. Gardens and gardening itself give that relaxed feeling and are a sure way of getting intimate with nature.

Top 6 Types of Garden Grasses You Should Choose

Posted on January 11, 2018 in Gardening, Plants & Flowers

A beautifully manicured lawn begins with knowing and selecting the most suitable grass to plant. Blending different grasses in a way that the limitations of one are the strengths of the other grass is an added advantage that guarantees an evergreen grass garden.

There are two types of grasses in relation to seasons:

– Cool-Season Grasses: The cool-season grasses often thrive during spring and fall seasons and struggle through winter. Mostly, this type of grasses is accustomed to the northern climate and there are different varieties for each type. Mixing them up when planting is always advisable so that they interchange in case one fails due to unfavorable weather, the other type of grass will take over.
– Warm-Season Grasses: They are the reverse of cool-season grasses and do quite well in the southern climate. They turn brown during cold season because they are accustomed to hot weather even though they are shade tolerant. They can be planted in the form of sod or seeds.
The warm-season and cool-season grasses have several varieties, below are six of the most common ones.

6 Types of grass you should choose

1. Fine Fescues

This type of grass looks best presentable at an average length of 2 ½ inches, has fine narrow leaves that contain a red tinge. It is a cool-season grass that can be grown on its own or can be mixed with the Kentucky bluegrass or the tall fescue grass. It is low maintenance grass and doesn’t require high-grade soil for it to do well. The fine fescue grass has four kinds that include red fescue, sheep fescue, chewings fescue and the hard fescue.

2. Kentucky Bluegrass

It is the most common type of grass. If you prefer a smooth lawn, this is definitely your go-to grass and its fine texture is a plus especially for a home lawn. The best mowing height is up to 3 ½ inches and has little shade tolerance. It quickly grows during winter and during summer growth stagnates. It grows up to a minimum period of one month and a maximum of three months and is highly disease resistant when compared to other types of grass. To maintain its lush green color during hot seasons, it needs thorough and frequent watering. One of the unique features is that it has an assortment of more than 200 types. It blends well with the fine fescues grass and the perennial ryegrass.

3. Perennial Ryegrass

The only notable differentiating factor the perennial ryegrass has from the bluegrass is that its base and sometimes the crown is red. Its color shades, however, differ because of the wide variety. It is mostly used in playing fields and homesteads with lots of outdoor activities due to its high traffic tolerance. It needs to be watered regularly especially during hot seasons and can’t survive in extreme conditions. It is a low maintenance grass, grows very fast and can be mixed with the Bermuda grass. A length of 3 ½ inches is the ideal mowing height for this grass.

4. Buffalo Grass

The buffalo grass grows perfectly well in hot areas with well-drained soils. Even though it is of poor quality, it is sometimes used for soil erosion prevention. Less cost will be incurred for maintenance, but weekly mowing is important during peak seasons. 2 ½ to 3 ½ inches should, however, be maintained for it to look neat. Six to eight hours of sun are perfect for the grass and it is also important to note that excess watering encourages weeds and disease vulnerability. Sometimes rainfall is usually enough to sustain the grass.

5. Tall Fescue

As the name suggests, the grass is tall with broad, flat-like rough leaves. Living in a hot and dry place, you can consider selecting the tall fescue because of the high resistance it has for drought and diseases. This is due to its deep roots that also allow it to persevere high heat. It requires low maintenance, regular watering and has a high compatibility with other types of grass

6. Centipede Grass

This type of grass is high maintenance, the texture is fine and is a cool season grass. Just like the tall fescue, it can tolerate very high heat and equally some bits of shade. Of all types of grasses, it grows the lowest to form a carpet-like appearance and texture. Sufficient air circulation in the grass suppresses diseases. For the grass to turn out well, you need to take care of it by properly mowing it to a height of ¾ inch and ensuring that you regularly water it.

Ornamental Grass

To break the monotony of these grasses, you can patch the lawn with ornamental grass to add some life to it. They can, however, be grown on their own and turn out perfectly okay. They change colors at different stages of growth into deeper tones when they are fully grown. Examples include fountain grass, little bluestem, and switchgrass among others. You can never go wrong with these grasses and you might want to consider growing them in your lawn.
Most of them don’t need high maintenance and planting them requires little effort and less time. They also grow within a short time and are dense and for that reason, they can be grown in little amount but turn out to be pushy but neat.

Always go for grass that is pocket-friendly, in terms of purchasing it and maintaining it. Don’t choose, for instance, centipede grass and end up not being able to maintain it as it should be. Also, compatibility with the climate and the soil are crucial factors to consider. Choose the best quality that also tolerates the number of activities, for example, perennial ryegrass can be used for a golfing course. Blending the different varieties is also recommended, but not necessary. Always make sure that the grass is well trimmed, and they are well supplied with the required nutrients and sufficient moisture.

Easy Guide for Planting Flowers in Your Backyard

Posted on January 5, 2018 in Gardening, Gardening tips

Having your backyard full of colorful flowers and fragrance is satisfying but it requires a lot of work to arrive at such a rewarding outcome. You don’t just begin gardening blindly because it is a step by step activity. You also require certain information on flowers and general gardening.

So What Basic Factors Should you be Aware of before the Pursuit?

Location

The location here is in terms of how accommodating it is for flower gardening. This is the first thing you should be wary of when growing a flower garden or even any other kinds of the garden. Will the kind of flowers you have chosen survive in that particular soil type or will you be forced to acquire a more favorable type of soil: how fertile is the soil? Is the environment, your backyard, garden/flower-friendly? How well is your backyard landscaped?

Design and Growth Variety

When you think of growing a flower garden, the first thing you think of is how you want it to look like. You should have a plan on how you want to partition the garden: Do you want to plant your flowers in raised beds, or flat earth? What color pattern do you want or what kind of flowers would you prefer to grow?

When it comes to variety in terms of growth, there are:

Annuals – These are flowers that have a short life since they survive through one season of growth then die. For this reason, it will be easy for you to grow a variety over a particular period of time before you settle down for a specific one. The only drawback is that once you are satisfied with one, you will have to plant it back again when it dies but sometimes some annuals self-sow.

Perennials – Although they have a longer lifespan, they are more expensive than annuals. They bloom up to a guarantee of three seasons: they stay up on the soil during summer and spring periods and then die during winter.

Biennials – They take a lot more time to glow when compared to the annuals and perennials because, during the first season, only the stem grows then the flowers bloom in the preceding season. They are however a bit similar to annuals in that after the flowers bloom, they die during the following season and in some cases they self-sow.

Planting the Flowers

Step One: Ground Preparation

This begins by clearing the sod, in this case, the backyard to create an appropriate ground for growing the flowers. The sod can be cleared by placing at least three layers of newspapers all over the ground and covering them with compost 3 inches high. After around four months, the sod will have died, the newspapers will have decomposed and the ground will be ready to begin planting. A quicker way to get the sod cleared is by digging through the backyard, but it is more engaging and tiresome since you also need to remove all stones as you dig.

Step Two: Tilling

Loosen the soil by tilling it to enable easy planting of the flowers. Another upside of tilling the ground is that it smoothens out the soil.

Step Three: Enrich the Soil

Most of the available organic matter works best in improving the soil. Soil enrichment is an important step because some soils may not contain rich content for flower growth.

Step Four: Get Your Flowers

After you are done with preparing the land, you need to obtain the flowers you chose to plant. They are planted in three forms:

Pre-grown Flowers

They are also the potted flowers. To get the best results, you need to make sure that;

They have leafy stems – They signify a healthily growing plant.
There are no roots at the bottom growing through the holes because if there are any, it is evidence that the plant has been in the pot for too long. As a result, it may not be as healthy as it should be.
The soil is not frozen, flooded or dry because that means that the plant is not ready for planting.

If all the above is in check, then proceed to plant the flower and make sure the holes are deep enough to keep the roots inside the ground.

Seeds

It is advisable to check directions if any on the seed packet to ensure that you follow the right procedure to plant them. This is because different seeds are handled differently when planting. For seeds that you plan on planting in a pot first, make sure that you use a sterile potting mix because this guarantees health and curbs diseases. If you are keeping the potted flowers indoors, take them out during the day for sunlight which is an essential factor of growth.

Bulbs

When planting bulbs, make sure that the side that is showing roots should be the one placed on the ground. In simple terms, the pointed side should face upwards. When digging a hole for a bulb, a good rule of thumb is digging one that is two to three times the size of the bulb. It is also advisable to put a small fence to deter pests away.

Step Five: Watering

To tightly seal and provide moisture to the seeds or bulbs, water the entire area. Develop a habit of watering the plant on a daily basis mainly because the roots are not well established and it is after they are that you water them depending on the soil or how humid the place is.

Step Six: Mulch

A decomposing mulch will be the most suitable for the flower if it is an annual but if it is a perennial, then go with mulch that takes time to decompose. Mulching is important because it will lock the water in.

It just doesn’t end there, you need to take good care of your flower garden. Keep the garden well groomed by trimming the flowers that need trimming and weed it when necessary.

Choosing the Most Appropriate Fertilizers for a New Flower Garden

Posted on January 5, 2018 in Gardening, Tools and products

The reason as to why we use fertilizers when planting flowers is to add nutrients to the soil because some soils are not rich enough to fully support growth. Also, as a flower grows, it uses up the available nutrients in the soil and thus fertilizing the soil or the flower as it grows will boost its nutrient content. It is necessary to change fertilizers for flowers at different stages of growth because there are different fertilizers that work differently for the flowers as they grow.

Before applying fertilizer, it is important to test the soil for nutrients and lime levels. Carrying out a soil test will help ascertain the amount of fertilizer and/or lime to be used on the soil before planting. Also, these amounts will be determined by the size of the piece of land you plan on planting your flowers.

Best Flower Fertilizers

Complete Fertilizers

Flowers mainly use these types of fertilizers because they consist of three important elements that are;

Nitrogen – which endorses healthy foliage by stimulating the production of chlorophyll. A fertilizer highly rich in nitrogen will best suit flower plants that are leafy.
Phosphorus – A phosphorus-rich fertilizer is important for blooming of flowers and the development of healthy roots and fruits.
Potassium – This element acts as a boost for healthy stems and is also necessary for food manufacturing for the flowers.

Normally, complete fertilizers contain nitrogen contents either less than or equal to the phosphorus content because it is higher, it slows down flower production and encourages foliage.

Chemical Fertilizers

These are the artificial fertilizers like ammonium nitrate compounds that are obtained by combining different inorganic chemicals. They are less expensive and their nutrients are quickly absorbed in especially by the annual plants. One limitation is that they need frequent re-application since they are quickly absorbed by the plant and this results in burning. Another drawback is that they don’t enrich the soil.

Organic Fertilizers

Bagged humus and animal wastes are good examples of organic matters used as fertilizer. Using organic fertilizers improves the soil’s holding capacity for both water and nutrients and adds necessary nutrients to the flower. The downsides, however, are that;

They are slowly absorbed into plants and due to this reason, there is need to apply on a frequent basis.

Due to their slow absorption, they are not suitable when immediate attention is needed.

Care and keenness should be taken when preparing the soil for planting to avoid excesses and imbalances on different parts.

Controlled Release Fertilizers

Also known as time-release fertilizers, they are designed to release little amounts of fertilizers over a certain period of time and are applied twice in a single season. They are packed in small round or capsule-shaped shells and are most appropriate for container flower gardens. These are the best choice for you if you might forget to fertilize the flowers.

On the downside, it is difficult to know when the content is finished because the shell remains the same even after the plant has used up all the fertilizer. Therefore, close monitoring to see negative changes in the plant will be required so as to know when they are used up.

Non-controlled Granular Fertilizers

The time release fertilizers are the controlled granular formulations but there are also the non-controlled ones that stay up to a maximum of 8 weeks. They work similar to the controlled ones but the only difference is the plant feeding mode.

They have to be reapplied on a regular basis because they are prone to leaching when the plant is watered or when it rains.

Water-Soluble Fertilizers

These fertilizers come in both liquid or powder form and are ready to use since they are directly absorbed in the soil or plant. The application can be done on the soil or on both the leaves and the soil: they can also be mixed with water and used to water the flower. One advantage of the water-soluble fertilizers is that they are cheap.

A disadvantage is that they require frequent application when compared to other fertilizers like the controlled-release and non-controlled release granular fertilizers.

Foliar Fertilizers

When your flowers begin turning yellow, foliar fertilizers will be the best type of fertilizer to address the problem since they are readily absorbed in the leaves. However, some leaves don’t absorb nutrients through their leaves but for plants that allow for nutrient intake through the leaves, use this fertilizer. All potassium-related problems can be attended to by use of foliar fertilizers because it is a quick way to feed the leaves with potassium.

DIY All-purpose Fertilizers

Instead of incurring costs procuring fertilizers, you can easily make your own using the available resources in your homestead. This is a good go to because you make the amount you will need, and the fertilizer works perfectly in boosting the general growth and blooming of flowers. Examples include fish emulsion which is made out of water and fish waste and compost tea which is a mixture of water and sack-filled compost.

Homemade fertilizers on the downside will take longer to prepare because you have to let the mixtures sit for several weeks for the fertilizer to be ready for use and to work effectively.

Bottom Line

Choosing the most appropriate fertilizer for your flower garden might be a tricky task because you first need to know how efficient the fertilizer(s) is. This is because you have to balance their application-know how to apply a certain fertilizer and when to apply it so that you don’t end up overfeeding or underfeeding the plant. It is also crucial to carry out a soil test because it provides a way forward for how to prepare it, that is, the kind and amount of fertilizer to use and if you will need to spread lime over the soil. Most cases flowers should be fertilized frequently but with weak solutions. Don’t go for very expensive fertilizers when you have a cheaper option that works the same.

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