Archive for September, 2010

Sep 30

Starting your own organic hydroponics gardening setup – hydroponics gardening supplies and points to remember

When Starting your own organic hydroponics gardening setup, you should remember that you will need to arrange two beds or layers in your hydroponic garden. The upper bed is, actually, a box to keep the plants in. This box should contain a growing medium for the plants to grow in. You can use perlite, coconut fiber, lava rock, Styrofoam pellets, rockwool or vermiculite for this purpose. The main thing about medium is that it should be able to keep a small amount of moisture for a long time. Experts assure that lava rock is best in this respect.

The lower bed is necessary to keep the water with the dissolved nutrients in it. The water is pumped with the help of an aquarium pump to the upper bed in order to water the plants. This procedure is repeated several times a day at equal intervals, being controlled with a timer.

Gardeners sometimes find it difficult to maintain the pH level of the water, its nutrition rate, and the ration of nutrients at the right level. These are, actually, the key factors, due to which a hydroponic garden or an organic hydroponics prospers. If these three crucial things in gardening are kept in balance with the help of Organic fertilizers, such technique of plants growing is called an Organic Hydroponic Garden.

Organic fertilizers are better for the plants than the chemical ones, as the latter are capable of burning the roots if used in higher concentrations.

When water solution is pumped to the trail with plants, it is partly absorbed by the medium and by the plants roots till saturation point. Consequently, the pumped water, returning back to the reservoir, contains lesser amount of parts per million (ppm) than before. 

Organic nutrients make hydroponic gardening easier, as they do not contain any chemicals, which can change the pH level or ppm of the solution. As a result, many problems, listed among the most common ones of organic hydroponic gardening, get solved on their own.    

It is a common knowledge that the upper part of a plant’s root uptakes nutrients, while the lower one absorbs water. To increase plant’s saturation with nutrients, it is possible to directly add them to the upper part of the roots, which, in the long run, will result in the more efficient organic hydroponics. To introduce such technique into your organic hydroponic garden, you should develop an organic hydroponics system.

The container can be similar as in the hydroponics gardening, or it can be a coir fiber container. It should be half filled with lava rock at the bottom. Then it is preferably to use a medium divider (e.g. coir fiber). The upper part of the tray should contain a mixture of 1/3 horticulture perlite of coarse grade, 1/3 potting soil, and 1/3 of large horticulture vermiculite.

When all this is set, it is necessary to place this container in the grow bed, with water level being a bit lower than the mixture of soils. Such arrangement will ensure the higher efficacy of the organic hydroponic gardening.

Lava rock with the secondary roots of the plants will be submerged in the water, and it will also serve to make this water flow up and moisten the soil mixture. At the same time, the upper layer of medium will be free to absorb the nutrients added directly to the primary roots.

Such hydroponic system saves a gardener from constant controlling and maintaining of the pH level and ppm of the growing medium. Nevertheless, beware of adding too many liquid nutrients to the soil layer: they may leak into the lava rock layer and disarrange your organic hydroponics gardening.

Sep 29

A Garden Office is the Ideal Homeworking or Home Improvement Product

A recent survey shows that an increasing number of professionals are using home based offices. This is because a home based office not only allows one to save time in commuting but at the same time enables one to reduce work hours as well; thus getting to spend more time with the family. However, home based offices come with some innate problems like lack of living space as well as privacy. For professionals facing such a dilemma, therefore a garden office is the best solution.

In recent times, many employers too prefer professionals who work from home as they not only show improved productivity but at the same time allow the company to save on the cost of infrastructure. However, what worries the employer is the lack of peaceful ambience in an employee’s home that would let him complete his work peacefully. Garden lodges products are designed mainly to be used as garden offices and are the best solution in such a case. After conducting a careful detailed site survey of your garden, you can choose a garden office that will best suit your needs. When you are working from home there are many options. You can work from anywhere – right from your kitchen table to the loft. Whatever be the option for a home based office, a garden office still remains the best solution as it offers you an independent working space separate from your home. Most importantly you can have the much-needed privacy that a garden studio offers for carrying out your work more effectively and efficiently.

The best thing about a garden studio is that it combines functionality with aesthetics. If you do design your garden appropriately you can create an office that not only has convenient electrics and lighting but will also provide you with a professional environment. Being a separate construction that has been designed specifically for office work, it will provide the right ambience for your work all the year round in comfort and security.

Gardenlodges.co.uk will provide you with the best solution to your home working dilemma. The traditional garden lodges are priced at around £12,995 and use modern construction techniques that result in an elegant blending of functionality with aesthetics. The garden offices provided by gardenlodges.co.uk complement any property. What sets the company apart from its competitors is that it allows you to personalize your garden office and create your own unique design best suited for your exact requirements.

Sep 27

Moss – Love’em or Kill’em – and Japanese Gardens

Moss is either loved or hated in the garden. People very often passionately rake it away. Why not to look at it as blessing to your garden? Its kinds are very difficult to recognize – you need proper book for that and magnifying glass. I don’t remember since when I love moss. I think since always. Soft, fragile and moist. In my garden moss is welcomed everywhere. I try to grow it on my stones as well. Few months ago I covered them with yoghurt dilluted with water 1:1. No great effect yet, just little greenish something appeared.

You can appreciate moss beauty especially in the winter – when it is lush green and so soft to walk on. Grows in the lawn in the shadow? Great! I don’t need to move it. Grass is weaker and weaker in these spots, and moss patches are larger and larger… and more and more green. Moss reminds me my second big and earliest garden fascination of Japanese Gardens.

I look for tranquility and harmony in the garden. In the smaller gardens it is even more important to not overload it with too many different plants.


I like them for meditative and tranquill character. I remember that in communist time in Poland there was not so many books about landscaping and Far East – that was of my special interest at that time. I made friends with the owner of the shop selling used/old books. Whenever something about Japan appeared on the shelf I was getting a phone call and I immediatelly run to the shop to see it.


There is six features as a synonym for an excellent not only Japanese but landscape garden.

According to the ancient book of gardens, there should be six different qualities to which a garden can aspire.

They are grouped in their traditional complementary pairs, they are:

spaciousness & seclusion

artifice & antiquity

water-courses & panoramas.

As the specialists say “it is difficult enough to find a garden that is blessed with any three or four of these desirable attributes, let along five, or even more rarely, all six.”


Yet there is such case in Japan.

Its name is “Kenroku-en” which means “garden that combines six characteristics”, which is named by Sadanobu Matsudaira, a feudal load in the present Tohoku district (northern part of mainland Japan).


Plants recommended for Japanese gardens:


Trees and shrubs

Acer plamatum, Acer japonicum, Acer ginnala, Amelanchier canadensis, Cercis chinensis, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cornus kousa, Cryptomeria japonica, Gingko biloba, Pinus nigra, Pinus thunbergiana, Pinus densiflora, Magnolia kobus, Magnolia stellata, Prunus cerasifera, Prunus mume, Prunus serrulata, Prunus armeniaca, Sciadopitys verticillata, Tsuga canadensis,


Trees and shrubs of medium size

Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’, Spirea japonica, Chaenomeles japonica, Chaenomeles lagenaria, Euonymus alatus, Enkianthus campanulatus, Forsytia x intermedia, Forsytia suspensa, Juniperus chinensis ‘Armstrongii’, Kerria japonica, Mahonia aquifolium, Pieris japonica, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Syringa vulgaris


Small shrubs

Buxus microphylla, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana’, Daphne cneorum, Ilex crenata, Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Vase’, Pinus mugo ‘Compacta’, Rhododendron obtusum, Rhododendron kaempferi, Spirea japonica, Spirea bumalda, Thuja occidentalis ‘Globosa’, Viburnum carlesii


All these plants are accompanied by different kind of grass, moss, perennials, bamboo, ivy that might be chosen according to the climate zone.


If you are interested to read more please visit http://wwww.ewainthegarden.blogspot.com

Sep 24

Hydroponic Gardening: What makes it Different from In-Ground Gardening?

What makes hydroponic gardening different from traditional in-ground gardening is a soilless growing medium. No dirt! All plants require support, to be held up. This basic requirement is dealt with by soilless growing mediums which are inert, mostly non-organic materials.  Non-organic refers to the medium not being derived from living organisms, unlike soil, which is. There are a perplexing jumble of growing mediums available for hydroponic gardening. Generally speaking, these mediums are porous, light and coarse, allowing oxygen and nutrients to be easy accessible  to the plants roots.

Some of the most common used in hydroponic gardening are:

Coconut Coir ~ This is produced from the husk that surrounds the coconut shell. Made up of millions of tiny micro-sponges, it can absorb and hold up to eight times its weight in water, perfect for hydroponic gardening. It lasting three times as long as peat moss so is fairly sturdy. It is also called palm peat, coco, or just coir.  Some of the advantagesof this medium  for hydroponic gardening are better water retention and aeration.  The disadvantages of coconut coir are its breakdown after several uses and some drainage issues.  It is often mixed with other media to improve drainage for hydroponic gardening.

L.E.C.A / Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate ~ This is clay which has been heated under high temperatures until it puffs up.  It makes a very coarse medium as the clay balls are about 1/4″ across. Superb drainage, holds moisture, stays put and is reusable after sterilization to continue with your hydroponic gardening. These are just some of the advantages of this medium. On the downside, it doesn’t hold moisture as well as mediums like coconut coir and can be more costly.

Perlite ~ Glass flakes (Silica) are heated until it expands producing what we know as perlite. These tiny nodules hold water well and provide drainage. A common medium for hydroponic gardening due to its low density and somewhat lower cost.  Its advantage is its re-usability. That being said, it cannot be used alone for ebb & flow hydroponic gardening because it will float away or move during flooding cycles.

Rockwool ~ These cubes are made of fibers spun from melted Basaltic rock. The density of this growing medium for hydroponic gardening can be adjusted by changes in the amount of pressure during production. Large slabs are cut into smaller slabs and propagation blocks for easy handling in hydroponic gardening.  Advantages of this medium are the ease of handling, convenience, better control over nutrition, being able to plant seeds in it and allow the plants to be very stable.

So you see, soil  is not necessary for growing plants and you have plenty of other choices for your hydroponic gardening.  There are many other ways to germinate a seed  and support a plant.  What is vital is water, food, light, warm and oxygen. As long as you provide these things, plus the support, your plants will grow and flourish. Visit http://www.hydroponicgarden.net to find all these choices and supplies for successful hydroponic gardening.

Sep 24

DON”T BE CONFUSED BY LEGISLATION WHEN

In recent year, complex health and safety regulation and European legislation has given rise to a number of myths, particularly when it comes to business involved in the preparation and serving of food.

 

One of the most confusing pieces of legislation relating to restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels are the different levels of cleanliness required in different areas within the business.

 

At the centre of the confusion is EU Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, full details of which can be found at www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/hiojregulation.pdf.

 

In Annex II, Chapter I, paragraph 1 of EU Regulation 852/2004 it states that food premises are to be kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition.

 

The regulation goes on to require specific actions in rooms where foodstuffs are prepared, treated or processed. It says they need to be maintained in a sound condition and be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect.

 

This has caused great confusion within much of the catering industry, with many businesses failing to realise that dining areas are actually excluded from the most stringent requirements of the regulations.

 

Further interpretation of this directive implies that surfaces where food is prepared and food comes into direct contact with the preparing surface would need to be kept clean to reduce the risk of contamination.

 

Front of house restaurant furniture such as table tops manufactured from wood and lacquered do not fall into the same category of food preparation tables found in commercial kitchens, which would normally be manufactured from stainless steel.

 

This distinction has considerable implications for anyone choosing hotel furniture, restaurant furniture or cafe furniture and the way they maintain them following purchase and installation.

 

For example, products and liquids designed to clean stainless Steel and or metal tables to be found in commercial kitchens will not be suitable for lacquered wooden table tops, counters or other restaurant or hotel furniture found front of house.

 

Such cleaning materials can damage restaurant furniture or cafe furniture as they are formulated for constant use on stainless steel surfaces rather than wood or laminate.

 

However, cleanliness remains important ‘front of house’ and as well as choosing the right cleaning materials, selecting the right furniture when opening or refurbishing an establishment can make it easier to comply with the legislation that requires them to be clean and in a sound condition.

 

Choosing the right restaurant or hotel furniture can also be critical to the success of the establishment. Even the best menu will not win over customers if it is served in uncomfortable or unpleasant surroundings.

 

Anyone buying cafe furniture or furniture for anywhere else where food is served will have to make a number of compromises but should bear the following factors in mind:
* Does the furniture contribute to the ambiance you are trying to achieve.
* Is it hard wearing enough to cope with regular cleaning and tough enough to withstand constant use.
* As well as looking good, the dining furniture must also be comfortable for customers. They should be thinking about their food not how uncomfortable they feel.
* Are the tables and chairs easy to clean? Tables should be able to cope with spilt drinks without peeling or staining. Meanwhile any upholstery should be treated to reduce the risks of stains. Ornate furniture can feature lots of nooks and crannies that trap dirt whilst more contemporary furniture with smooth lines tend to be easier to wipe clean.

 

Most importantly, plan thoroughly. Restaurant furniture, hotel furniture and cafe furniture represents a significant outlay for many businesses in the food sector and it is important to get right first time.

 

As well as attracting customers, the correct furniture will make life easier for staff who have to maintain it to a standard required by law.

 

 


 

Sep 23

Rational Kitchens

In the ever accepting world of the throwaway society it’s nice to be able to find a manufacturer like Rational Kitchens whose policy is to manufacture a cabinet that will last at least 25 years. I also supply Miele appliances that have the rational of thought. They manufacture appliances to last more than 20 years. They back this up by keeping spare parts for all models of any appliance for 20 years. It is sometimes hard educating the potential customers that visit my kitchen studio, The Kitchen Store, Sheffield, and Yorkshire that my kitchens will last in excess of 20 years. They sometimes have a cynical approach due to the fact that all kitchen shops are claiming the same. it soon becomes apparent when I start to dismantle one of my displays to show the build quality of the cabinets, after all its all about the cabinet, hinges and drawer runners, not the fancy door that any kitchen manufacturer can put on a carcase to make it look a million dollars.

Rational really are the innovators when it comes to new features. They are constantly striving to better the already fantastic storage solution available and making the kitchen more agronomical than before. With new new ideas, comes new technology and Rational Kitchens are always investing in the new ideas and technology. It’s just a shame that after a year all the competitors have copied the new ideas. And once they have been around for a while, each and every manufacturer did in fact do this first.

I have made a web site to showcase just what is on offer from The Kitchen Store and Rational Kitchens. Please have a look and let me know what you think. Rational Kitchens Please visit my website. The new Atmos and Logic Book matched Oak & Walnut kitchens are absolutely beautiful. The grain runs seamlessly throughout the whole kitchen. If you was to have an island, the grain runs right round, it is amazing to see. It is hand crafted and I’m sure the man who makes this model is very very patient indeed.

They have lots of ranges available. The new Tio range has been developed more for the developer, apartment builder. It’s the same quality as the main luxury range; the difference is a cheaper door and not a lot of variations of cabinets available. They do not produce special sizes like they do in the luxury range. In the luxury range we can design to our hearts content. The options are just endless. We have produced some truly beautiful kitchens. Every single one of my customers over the last eight and a half has been over the moon with the kitchen. And more so as time has gone on. They are realising as the years go by that they really made the right choice in choosing Eddie Grant and a Rational Kitchen.

We are now supplying the whole of the UK. We are mostly supplying Sheffield, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire & Yorkshire. We are supplying London, Manchester, Birmingham and all major cities throughout the UK. We are even supplying kitchens to the likes of Doncaster, Rotherham, Chesterfield and many little villages in Derbyshire, such as Castleton, Barlow. If you need any more information please feel free to get in touch through the web site. Kindest regards Eddie Grant

Sep 22

Interior Designer for Restaurant

Decoration of your restaurant is as important as the food you are offering. A well designed and decorated restaurant is likely to get more business than its competitors. There by, it becomes mandatory for the restaurant owner to work on the interiors of their restaurant for making it successful.

In order to make your restaurants interior appealing an interior designer for restaurant will be of great help to you. The interior designer for restaurant is a professional who will help you design and decorates your restaurant in the way you always wanted too. Moreover, in addition to making your restaurant look attractive, it will make it very useful as well. The designer will do judicial use of the available resources and within that it will make your restaurant’s look ravishing.

There are many benefits that you will get to derive after hiring interior designer for restaurant. Firstly, the interior designer will help you give the perfect shape to your restaurant. From the entrance of your restaurant to its seating and ambience, the designer will work on everything and give your the best designs and look.

In fact the designer will tell you about other minute but very important details of your restaurant. For instance, what kind of lights should be kept, what sort of music should be played and many more. In addition, the designer will help you implement the colour theme and over all theme of your restaurant which will make your restaurant ambience real enjoyable for the customers. And when your customers will like the environment then they will surely sit for long and order more!

Thus, without waiting anymore, you must look for interior designer for restaurant to attract more customers and maximize your profit. A hassle free way of looking for these designers is through internet. Yes! You can conduct an extensive online research to find about various designers and their services. Furthermore, you can ask for free quotes from them and can compare the quotes to take out the profitable deal for your condition.

Now, take an important step towards the success of your restaurant with the help of interior designer for restaurant.

Sep 21

Fitted Kitchens, Fitted Bedrooms Kitchen, Best Rate in Fitted Kitchens

Fitted Kitchens That Fit Your Needs

Fitted kitchens are not only prime eye-candy, but they are more efficient, by being tailored to your personal needs and preferences. A kitchen in many homes is actually an extension of the living space and persons including women and children often spend long hours within its confines. Naturally, proper ambience, efficiency, and safety become primary concerns while designing a kitchen, and to suitably address these concerns, bespoke fitted kitchens are your best bet.

Are Fitted Kitchens Only for the Rich?

Many people avoid going for a fitted kitchen from a perception of enormous costs affordable only by the rich. While to a great extent this may be true, it is actually a mistaken approach created by faulty prioritization. Whatever be the range of our earnings, all of us earn and spend, and it is the pattern of our spending that defines our status and our priorities. We do not hold back on spending when it comes to the education of our children because we recognize the priority. We do not hold back from spending on medicine because to us it is necessary. We hold back spending to create a better kitchen only when we fail to recognize the need for a comfortable and efficient space, where our family members spend a large part of their time. Whether one opts for a fitted kitchen or not does not depend upon him or her being rich or poor, but whether he or she recognizes the importance of a kitchen and its influence on family health. Fitted kitchens are no less important than fitted bedrooms for both require a stress-free environment.

Best Rate in Fitted Kitchens

The best rate in fitted kitchens for you depends upon many factors including your needs, desires, availability of services etc. Consumers have learnt enough to not confine appreciation of products and services only upon the money component. It is always a matter of cost-benefit analysis to find what is best for you. In going for something major like a fitted kitchen, costs include time, money, after installation services, and material longevity. Some people go for good-looking but cheap surface materials since they like to change the looks of their kitchens ever so often. For such people longevity of surface materials is not the prime concern, but efficient design and solid plumbing as well as structures matter.

When it comes to choosing between your friendly neighborhood carpenter and plumber, and a company specialized in fitted kitchens, it is usually the bigger company that wins unless you are located in a too remote area. Bigger companies provide the best rate in fitted kitchens since they make bulk purchases from around the world and produce equipment in bulk. Bigger companies also tend to use standardized plumbing fittings, which are easier to repair or replace.

Off-the-shelf designs do provide the best rates in fitted kitchens, but one needs to be wary of the brand or the company supplying the material. With the new type of compressed wood furniture, sometimes the surface lamination peels off too quickly, and though initially costlier, natural wood surfaces provide the best rates in the long run. Since installing a fitted kitchen is usually not a regular affair, it is prudent to go for bespoke fitted kitchens, or suitable off-the-shelf kitchens that fit in with your design.

Sep 20

Make Gardening a Family Event

Show them how much you enjoy gardening. Spend time in your garden. It is especially easy to stimulate a child’s interests when they see you having fun.

Make gardening easy. Don’t expect a perfect garden. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.

Dig it! Kids love to dig. This is a great way to teach the basics while letting them play and just have fun. 

Let them play an active role in planning. Take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start their garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.

Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.

Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.

Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.

Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.

Grow a vegetable garden. Your children will be amazed that they can grow their own food. Be sure to use organic pesticides.

Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, or teach them how plants are living things. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.

Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs (a little Spray-N-Grow will help!)

Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy.

Original Article

Sep 20

How to Plant a Cutting Garden

Grow a cutting garden and enjoy flowers indoors and out

If you feel guilty when you cut flowers in your garden, worrying that you’re destroying nature or leaving gaps in your flowerbeds, it may be time for you to plant a cutting garden, says the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN). A cutting garden is designed to provide flowers for indoor arrangements, and it will give you a new perspective on removing flowers from your garden.

Choosing the Right Flowers and Plants

As with any garden, the first step in planning your cutting garden is to select plants that grow well in your part of the country. Ask the experts at your local garden center for their suggestions, and keep in mind your soil conditions, the amount of sun or shade your garden receives and how much it rains.

Selecting a Color Scheme

After you’ve decided which plants will thrive at your site, choose a color scheme, whether bright and vivid primary colors, soft and muted pastel shades or dusty earth tones. Since the purpose of a cutting garden is to grow flowers to use indoors, think about how flowers of certain colors will look when you place them in main rooms of your house.

Finally, plant flowers and plants in such a way that no one will notice that you frequently forage for new material for your indoor bouquets. One way to achieve a continuously balanced look in your cutting garden is to group your plantings by color, so that when you clip several blue flowers one day and several yellow flowers another, the overall appearance of the garden is still one of continuity and growth.

You can also fill in around your flowers with shrubs and larger, bushy plants that can easily spare a few leaves or berries, as well as plant a mix of perennials, annuals and bulbs so your garden will bloom all year ’round.