Garlic has been used for years by vegetable farmers and by people who have a home grown vegetable garden in their back yard. Insects don’t like the smell of garlic. You can buy an organic garlic spray in a bottle, but it is so much more economical planting a couple of cloves of garlic to help get rid of unwanted pests. All you need are a few cloves that will multiply into many bulbs so it is really worthwhile.

Here are a couple of recipes I have used which helps get rid of nasty insects and the results turned out really well.

Soap

Just add dishwashing liquid and mix it with some water. Shake this up and spray over plants like lettuce and cabbage.  This will get rid of slugs. It won’t kill them, but they won’t enjoy the taste of the soap and they won’t be back for more.

Garlic and Chili Spray

This is an incredibly strong spray so don’t get too close! It will get rid of slugs as well.

• Add a bulb of garlic, 4 red chilis, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons of  dish washing liquid, 1 onion and 2 glasses of water
• Crush everything up
• Blend all the ingredients together and shake it up in a spray bottle
• This is safe for all plants, except close to harvest it might leave a slight peppery taste

Buttermilk and Flour Spray

This is great for worms.

You will need:

• 1 glass of water
• 2 tablespoons of dish washing liquid
• 1 tablespoon of paraffin
• 1 bulb garlic, chopped

Soak the garlic in the paraffin overnight.

Blend everything together and shake up in a spray bottle.

How to use organic pesticides to get rid of pests in your vegetable garden

This project is ideal for working with children. Invite your kids or grand children over and ask them to give you a hand. Let them know that you are going to make a couple of wind ornaments, and that they can take one of them home to their own yard.

All you need are some very simply sewing skills, old clothes and a few arts and crafts materials.

Start by finding an old pair of pants or shirt – the more colorful the better. Choose something with a crazy pattern – vivid plaid or perhaps a flowery print. Measure the circumference of the shirt sleeve or pant leg, the measure an identical length of thin wire. Bend the wire into a circle and put one end of the pant leg or sleeve over the circle.

Thread a sewing needle. Add a few stitches every few inches so that the wire is looped inside the pant leg. You need a tight knot when you cut the thread – remember, the wind is going to be putting some pressure on this!

Next, tuck a little weight into the material near the wire. Small stones are fine, but fishing weights can be just as effective. Once you have done that, sew the weight in place and secure the entire circle around the wire.

But a length of string at least five and perhaps even six or seven feet long. Tie the string to the circle opposite from the point where you sewed in the fishing weights.

If you didn’t use fabric that is already highly decorative, then decorate the sock with fabric paint. Let your imagination run wild here! Add some glitter. Sew some sequins on to catch the sunlight!

Secure your new wind sock to a tree branch or house eave, wait for the wind to start blowing, and then sit back and enjoy your wind sock!

When installing solar deck lights, it is important to strategically place them where they are most beneficial.  Areas such as stairways, railings, posts and the floor of your deck need to be properly illuminated if you want to create a safe and comfortable outdoor environment.   There are many styles of deck light fixtures to consider.  You can also choose from different types of finishes include copper, brass, steel, and painted or colorful finishes.

Installation of most solar deck post lights typically requires only basic tools such as screwdrivers.  Most fixtures come with basic wood screws for mounting. You may also want to consider adding lights to the perimeter or landscape around your deck.  Lighted paving stones work exceptionally well because they blend well and are very durable.  You can place them around your deck or on both sides of a pathway that leads to or from your deck.

Solar post lighting is another highly beneficial option for decks because it can be installed directly on top of the deck posts.  You can choose from various decorative styles and finishes.  You can even use solar post lights in areas such as tables and benches as long as those areas are exposure to the sun’s rays during the day.

The solar deck post light fixtures can be found at home improvement stores or online.  If you do purchase fixtures online, make sure you read all of the details and reviews carefully.  If you are going to invest in lighting for any part of your home, it is important to make sure that those fixtures will be durable and effective for many years to come.

We’re talking, of course, about a moon garden.

Moon gardens – also called nocturnal gardens – are very popular these days. Their appeal is generally to busy people whose jobs keep them away from their homes from early morning until well after dark. These people want to come home and savor their gardens – feel the peace and tranquility that the rest of us feel when we gaze at our gardens in the morning, afternoon and at dusk. The nighttime garden is their solution.,

It’s a good solution, too. Planting a moon garden can be lots of fun for both new and experienced gardeners. The key is to choose the right plants.

And therein lies perhaps the only challenge that gardeners steeped in traditional flower gardens will face. During the day, the nocturnal garden is extremely monochromatic! You are looking at plants that are basically white and silver. Not only that, many of them actually blossom only in darkness! That can create an enchanting, even mystical ambiance at, say, midnight. But it looks awful bland during the day.

So if you want to pursue a moon garden, then you are going to have to give up the deep red roses and the brilliant orange marigolds. But prepare to be pleasantly surprised by what you do end up with. These night-blooming gardens can be downright beautiful. And what’s wrong with another way to appreciate a garden for the full twenty-four hours of the day?

To understand why this is the case, it is best to take a look at a typical gate hinge. Most are sterile and lack any type of creative design. So, when they are added to a gate, they actually take away from its appearance. This is not the case with strap hinges, which are actually created with aesthetics in mind.

In terms of style, the most strap hinges have a vintage appearance. Spades, hearts and other medieval designs are often used with strap hinges. Sometimes you might also find them with Southwestern designs, though these are not as popular. Regardless, with both types of hinges, black tends to be the most common color of choice.

This is not to say that other colors are not available. It is also possible to find silver, gold and copper hinges. There are even painted hinges that come in every color. Granted, these are still not as common as the black ones, but they are out there. At the worst case, you could even consider painting a hinge yourself. This would give you maximum control over its color scheme.

In conclusion, strap hinges for gates have not lost their Old World charm. Even with all of the other gate hinges available, strap hinges remain the most attractive choice for virtually any type of gate. True, they may not necessarily be the best choice for those who prefer a strictly contemporary style, but for everyone else they add a type of elegance not normally seen with modern-day architecture.

The canopy top of a carport can easily be switched out if it happens to be damaged in a storm or old and in need of replacement.  If you find that you need a new top for your carport, you should contact the company that sold you the shelter.  If you cannot reach the company or if they no longer carry a similar model, try to find what you need with a different company before you set out to find second hand or used canopy top replacements.  There is nothing wrong with buying a used top as long as it is in good condition or better condition than your existing top.

There are certain weather conditions that do not work well with soft top carports including areas that experience frequent and heavy rain and snow.  Such conditions place a strain on the structure because they add weight as rain or snow accumulates on top of the canopy.  The canopy can rip, tear, or completely collapse because of the strain.  You may also want to reconsider buying metal carport canopies in areas of high winds because the soft material could tear or rip during periods of excessive wind speeds.  In locations where rain, hail, snow, ice, and high winds are a frequent visitor, you should definitely purchase a shelter that is made from all aluminum, steel, or a combination of both sturdy materials.  A steel or aluminum carport is usually made to withstand certain snow load and wind velocity.  Many also come with a warranty should anything happen to your carport under such conditions.

One way to protect your plants is to use simple garden netting. This material is designed to keep the insects at bay and give your vegetables and flowers and better chance of survival. A healthy plant will produce an abundant harvest and that is exactly what you are aiming for.

There are many different kinds of garden netting available and each has its own unique characteristics and is used to achieve different goals. The type of netting you buy will be determined by the kinds of pests you are dealing with.

In locations that get an abundance of sunlight, there is netting that is made to shade the plant and keep any direct sunlight from getting to it. Bird netting will keep the flying creatures from getting to your berries.

To discourage small animals and insects from invading your garden, rest the netting gently on the plants. The plants will protected but still receive enough sunlight to grow healthy.

If you are trying to keep deer away, you will need something more substantial than netting to discourage them from helping themselves. If the expense of buying a full blown garden fence does not fit your budget, try fashioning a barrier out of garden netting material. Drive pipes or stakes into the ground at regular intervals, wrap the material around them and secure it in place.

There are solutions for any kind of garden problem you may encounter. Research the various options and get a good idea of what you are dealing with in your own garden. Analyze your own situation and choose the method that best suits your needs.

Many building plans are available online or in books available at the library. Determine the size and style of the outdoor playhouse and purchase supplies from the local home improvement center. Many places like Lowe’s or Home Depot often have experts on site to help decide the best materials for the job. Find a level spot in the yard for the playhouse and build to specifications. Depending on their age, many children can help throughout the building process. Remember to always consider safety when involving young children.

To finish off the playhouse, put in the personal touches like a chalkboard, bookshelf, miniature table, or curtains. Finally, let the children enjoy their own playhouse. Hopefully, they can enjoy the same memories of their parents had when they were young.

One of several choices that must be determined as someone begins to search for the most appropriate sun canopy to fufill their requirements, is to determine what size will accommodate the coverage they require, based on the average number of people that are usually part of the group. Obviously, if the standard number of people involved in the outing is four or five, there is certainly no reason to consider a cover designed for ten or fifteen. Certainly one may wish to expand upon their specific needs to accomodate potential guests, but realistically one also wants to keep the costs involved under control.

One significant advantage that is gained when one purchases and puts the beach canopy into use, is the feeling of closeness and a sense of positive intamacy it provides. The obvious advantages such as shelter from the sun’s direct rays and a secure and protected location to place and store one’s coolers, food supplies and related essential items is a given. But that special feeling that comes with sharing a bit of an out of the norm experience with someone else is an added bonus.

Depending on whatever location and conditions that prevail around it, some who are intending to stay for longer then a day might choose to leave the beach canopie standing and intact overnight. This will work out fine assuming that expected weather conditions are not going to apply any out of the ordinary demands upon it. One must make a balanced decision based on the best possible advanced information, whether or not this is a wise choice.

There are a significant number of sources available where someone may initiate the process of gathering information and investigating potential options available. As with most things in today’s modern society, probably the best place to begin is on-line. There one is guaranteed to find answers to any of their questions, as well as direction moving ahead.

Solar outdoor lighting works like this. A solar panel or PV cell absorbs solar energy which it then sends to a small rechargeable battery. Here, the energy is stored until nightfall and then released in the form of light. Power travels from the battery to a light emitting diode, better known as an LED light and voilà; beautiful, subtle light that lasts for 8-10 hours illuminating your garden for absolutely no cost whatsoever.

With design and technological developments as they are, solar garden lights are the only type of lights to have in your garden, yard or patio for the following reasons. The energy it uses is completely free of charge and the LED lights last for the lifetime of the unit so you will never incur any bulb replacement costs. The technology is wireless; no electric cables to install or insulate, so you have a garden lighting system that can be rearranged and modified with ease and at no extra cost. If you have a shady corner to illuminate, there are solar patio lights that have a panel attached that can be placed in a sunnier spot to provide the necessary power. They are beautiful and come in a range of designs. You can buy a traditional lamp-post style of light that would suit a cottage garden style or delicate fairy lights that would look at home draped over some bedroom furniture. Finally, this is green technology which can only help the planet; this of course is the most important point of all.

Although the price of solar garden lighting may be more at the outset, the costs are not prohibitive, there are no further costs for powering or replacement of parts. If you are looking to brighten up your outside space or just use your garden more, it is the very best option available.