Before spending a small fortune on replacing our tired and worn single glazed units it’s worth asking ourselves why are we going to do it? Double glazing is a large financial investment why should we bother. If your current windows are in disrepair then you really have no choice at all and the decision has been made for you. However, even if your current windows are still serviceable there are still many great reasons why you may wish to change them for double glazed units anyway. Energy efficiency and saving on heating costs has to be one of the main reasons most people finally decide to change.

Because single glazed windows only have a single sheet of glass when they are broken by accident or on purpose they shatter into many pieces some of which are long and very sharp. These sharp pieces can travel at some speed and cover a large distance. If hit by one of these bits injury of some sort is almost inevitable. Double glazed units on the other hand are very strong and much harder to break. They can also be fitted with safety glasses which makes them even safer.

A thief or burglar will have no difficulty in gaining access into your home if you only have single glazed units and frames. The elderly wooden frames are no real deterrent at all. The thief can easily either take out the entire frame or simply smash the single glazing to gain entry into your house. If you have good quality double glazed windows and frames fitted it’s much tougher for the would be thief to gain entry. The double glazed units are almost impossible to break and the frame is much stronger meaning the thief will have to spend much more time in order to gain entry.

One of the worst things about single glazed units particularly in cold climes is the fact they allow a lot of heat from the house to escape into the outside world. These days with energy costs as high as they are it’s like burning your hard made cash. Also large panes of single glazing are a cold spot in your house and are not very comfortable to sit by. Double glazed units can save you up to 40% of this lost heat. Standard double glazing is very efficient but if you pay just a little bit more you can add energy efficient glass which has a special coating to help reflect heat from a room back into the home.

Before deciding whether you should get double glazing consider these additional advantages over single glazing. The style and choice of look is staggering no matter what your neighbourhood or conservation area requirements are you will be able to find a look that will fit in perfectly and not look out of place. The colour of frame can be chosen from a wide variety and will be sure to blend in. If necessary instead of PVCu which requires little or no maintenance you could opt for the conventional timber frame. The advantage of timber frames is that they look great and generally fit in much better than UPVc. Although Aluminium is still available as a choice not many individuals pick it these days.

How I wish I could broadcast this instead of writing so that it would be on-the-breaking-minute news. But even so it would still be too early to know what damage the past winter has done; thats part of the excitement of gardening.

Some of the damage shows up now, more will be caused if we have very heavy late freezes and some wont show up until the hot, dry days of late June or July. That makes it difficult to diagnose winter damage.

Have you discovered the usefulness of sawdust? Although we long felt that it was too acid, if not completely injurious to plants, we now know that it is neither. For a mulch it is better to get the coarse sawdust from outdoor sawmills. The very fine sawdust that you get from the local lumber yard makes an excellent thatch roof that sheds water and consequently is-of no value for a mulch.

However, it can be mixed with the soil to replenish soil. Before the leaves come out this spring hunt through the neighboring countryside for sawdust piles even where the sawmill itself has long since moved on. If you dont have a trailer, get it by the sackful. I keep eight to ten gunny sacks so I can replenish soil in preparation for Spring season. And on those trips when I expect to pick up sawdust I take down the back seat and throw an old sheet out to protect it. The wife hates it!

Although it is of course best to get permission to take the sawdust, I have never yet found an old pile that anybody thought worth saving. You can use this sawdust instead of peat for mixing with the soil; you can use it as a mulch, you can mix it with your compost pile to increase the quantity.

I have even used it along with hardwood shavings as a top dressing for paths through my wild garden. If the sawdust is pretty well weathered so that it is dark brown you dont have to worry about any starving effect as the bacteria decompose it. But if its new and light colored, then it will be necessary to put on an extra amount of fertilizer containing nitrogen to feed the bacteria while decomposing the sawdust.

You get this nitrogen back after the material is decomposed and the bacteria have passed on. Yes, today sawdust is socially and horticulturally okay.

If you are looking for a great addition to your garden, add a water feature! Putting in a water feature is fairly easy and relatively inexpensive, and will add immensely to the pleasantness of your garden while the maintenance level is minimal. There is not much more relaxing than sitting in your garden to read a book while listening to your fountain.

It is usually the natural ambience that a fountain adds that draws people to install a fountain in their garden. Somehow, being around a serene bubbling fountain while doing Thai-Chi or yoga grants one a positive energy, making their meditations much more fulfilling. The constant drone of water is enough to keep one focused on whatever it is they may be doing.

When you first decide to put in a fountain, you need to put great care into picking out one that will go well with the rest of your garden, especially if you have any other decorations, you want to consider if it goes well with your motif. Does the fountain you’re considering stand out in your garden llike a sore thumb, or does it look like it was meant to be there?

Another thing you might want to consider before buying a fountain or other feature is powering it. If your garden is not near your house or other power source, you can find simple solutions, such as an extension cord meant for being underground. A few hours of burying the cord, and you will have a fountain that looks like it was meant to be all along.

So if you’re looking for a way to make your garden a more classy and beautiful place to be, consider installing a fountain. The whole process is surprisingly inexpensive, and I think that you will be very happy with the results. Having a fountain in your garden is not only soothing, but it also adds a lot of character to an otherwise bland garden.

If you happen to notice small circular black spots, your plant probably has what is known as the Black Spot. The spots have fringed edges, and are a sign of a disease. Artificial sprays may be used to treat the spots, but the affected leaves should be removed from the plant, as remaining leaves will allow the disease to spread to the rest of the plant.

If you notice that the canes of your roses seem stunted or malformed, they probably have a fungal disease known as powdery mildew. Evidence of this is seen on the plant in white powder spread by the wind, and the leaves will start to curl and turn purple. It is best to treat the plant with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease.

If you start to see orange-red blisters begin to form on leaves that turn black during the fall, you should collect the leaves that come down in the fall, as they are signs of a disease called rust. Removal of the leaves is important as the disease can survive the winter and attack new sprouts in the spring. Spray with Benomyl or Funginex every 7-10 days.

If the leaves or the flowers of the plant appear to be stunted or malformed, you may have spider-mites living on the rose. They are easily found, yellow, red, or green spiders usually found on the undersides of the leaves, where they proceed to suck the juice from leaves. Use Orthene or Isotox to take care of the infestation.

If you notice mottled leaves, or if the leaves have small white webs under them, chances are it was caused by aphids. The brown, green, or red bugs have a soft body, and are often found clustered underneath the leaves and flower buds, and will also suck juices from tender buds. You can treat this with Malathion or Diazinon spray.

If your flowers don’t open, or are deformed when they open, Thrips could be the reason behind the problem. They are slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings that also suck juices from flower buds. Cut and discard the infested flowers. Orthene and malathion may also treat this problem.

Spring rolls around and its time to dip into the pocket book and start getting ready for the summer. There’s planting to be done, and repairs to do. Perhaps there’s a landscaping project on the horizon.

Once the plans are in place and the items are bought its time to get out the tools. Now this is where the real challenge begins. Where did you put them last fall? Probably find some in the basement and then there’s that corner of the garage that has some of the bigger ones. Oh yes don’t forget about the spare room probably tucked some away in there too.

This has all got to tell you something. As if you really need, a garden shed. It’s going to save you time and money in the long run. It’s going to save you time because all of your outdoor tools and equipment can be stored in one place. That means when you are in need of something you can just go and get it because you know where it is. When your garden and outdoor implements are scattered all over the place, it takes a lot of time just remembering where they are and then the search is on.

Money wise they save you a great deal. One of your agreements against the garden shed investment may be you just don’t want to put out that kind of money after all you’ve managed so far.

The longer you live in a house the more you accumulate. You may have managed up until now but the time is coming sooner or later you just won’t have enough storage space.

Yes, it’s going to cost you money to buy your garden shed. Think of it this way though how much has you spent on soil weeding products and fertilizer. You use a portion of them then one of two things happen. You let them sit outside where they get destroyed by the elements, or secondly you end up throwing them out because there is no place to put them.

Most of the lawn and garden equipment that you have probably purchased has not been cheap either. When it’s not stored properly, it can become damaged or even ruined. The other thing to consider is some of the equipment is not safe to be laying around especially where there are young children.

Finally, a garden shed really does add to the ambience of the landscaping. It makes it look neat and just shows that someone really cares about their outdoors. If you aren’t sure, what style to get just look around your neighborhood and you will get a good idea. You need to base your choice according to your needs. If you don’t own a lot of garden supplies and equipment then one of the smaller ones will work nicely. Don’t forget though that those winter items can be conveniently stored here as well so plan your required space accordingly. Once you have got past the fact that you had to lay some money out for your shed you are going to be most glad that you did.

Hydroponics was coined in the USA in 1930’s to name the scheme plant growing with the roots based in mineral-rich waters. As a matter of information, the Aztec Indians had a similar scheme of producing crops on rafts in lakes with shallow levels of water; these are seen in their floating gardens in Mexico City.

Formal research on the nutritional requirements of plants and the hydroponics system of growing plants started since 1699 through today. Developments went on and the use of hydroponics commercially opened worldwide.

Hydroponics has come a long way since the Aztec Indians. Since water care and land care is today mandated in numerous countries to promote sustainability, well maintained hydroponics gardening systems will provide yields of high quality crops through the environmentally friendly way of farming.

Hydroponics is already an established and fast growing part of modern commercial agriculture. Hydroponics is in fact a developing field where you can see a large range for experimenting with plants. Hydroponics gardening will also supply you with fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. Even the banana trees are being grown hydroponically now for better and reliable yield.

The development of a system known as NFT by Dr Alan Cooper in the 1970’s successfully made the hydroponics system of growing a wide range of plants commercially viable. Nowadays, with the automatic control systems becoming accessible too with digital testing equipment for better quality control, it has made this NFT hydroponics system more accessible to the ordinary home gardener.

Anyone willing to learn the principles of hydroponics culture and the requirements for a home garden can be successful in operating a highly productive and rewarding home hydroponics unit.

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Potato gardening is simple. You don’t need many gardening accessories. The potatoes we eat are starchy tubers that grow underground very naturally, swelling and getting larger as the top half of the plant matures. Many claim to grow 100 pounds of potatoes in a small 4 square foot gardening area as they cover their emerging crop in layers of soil as it matures.

First off you need garden seed potatoes. These are potatoes you’ve seen in your kitchen that have sprouted shoots. Individual potatoes that are sold at grocery stores sometimes have growth inhibitors sprayed on them, but bagged potatoes that you see sprout are good seed potato candidates.

A week or two before you plant your potatoes you’ll want to sprout your seedlings. Put them in a warm location with 60 to 70 degree heat and in the sunlight to accelerate the sprouting process.

Prepare you potatoes the day before by cutting them into golf ball size portions with each cube having at least 2 eyes. You’ll want to keep them exposed to the air overnight which hastens a callous covering the cut part. This callus prevent the seed potato from rotting in the garden.

Potatoes need full sun and loose, well-drained soil. If your soil is full of clay make sure to add compost and lots of peat moss so the vines can grow easily. Make sure they get about an inch of water a week.

A mound or container gardening accessory makes hilling easy and takes up less space. Plant your seed potatoes in the bottom of a tall container, like a clean garbage can or whisky barrel. Put about 6″ of soil in the bottom first, and add 6 potato seedlings inside and cover with 4 inches of soil. A few weeks later as the vines emerge to about 8 inches high; cover them with another layer of soil.

As your garden potatoes start to sprout (generally in about 2 week’s time) add some soil to partially cover the sprouts. Every few weeks, add some soil to cover the spouting plants. Keep adding soil so the potatoes do not sick above the soil line and turn green.

New potatoes are small, immature potatoes. The days to harvest your crop range from 2 to 4 months. You can harvest a few of these without harming the plant, by gently feeling around in the soil near the plant, once the plant reaches about a foot in height. When the tops of the plants die off the entire crop is ready for harvest. All the sprays and fertilizers to grow healthy potatoes: Gardening Accessories