August 2010 | Interior Decorating Tips

Home
Month: August 2010

Paint

Painting Calculations Made Easy

Painting is a very great way to relieve stress and be creative without being too much specific on the details. Many people love to paint. In houses, painting is one of the basic ways to redecorate and make the home into a more homely atmosphere. The only problem is, especially to painting amateurs, is how much paint we need to use? Well, if you’re into that difficulty. Do not worry because this article will explain to you on how to determine how much paint you will use in painting your household.

If you’re thinking that calculating how much paint you will use is very hard, well think again. Calculating isn’t that hard, neither that easy. The first thing you need to do is to determine the texture of the surface that you will put on paint on. If its smooth, you only need less paint unlike rough surfaces which need more extra coats. Some paint producers put on guidelines on how much paint will be used on different surfaces so better check the can of the paint first before applying.

Now, let’s assume that a can of paint can be used in order to cover at least four hundred square feet on smooth areas while only a hundred fifty or two hundred for rough areas. Let’s go to the calculations. If you’re going to paint on blank walls, measure first the width of the wall by its height then multiply the numbers. Let’s say that your blank wall is at least 20 feet wide and 15 feet high, now we’ll have a 300 square feet of wall to paint on. Smooth surface will only need ½ gallon of paint while textured wall needs about a gallon to cover it.

Well, we have already discussed the blank walls. Now let’s calculate for walls with windows and doors. If you’re mind is thinking that it’s more difficult, well you’re wrong. To calculate how much paint you need, determine the square footage of the window or door by multiplying its width and height. After determining its dimensions, subtract the measurement from the total square footage. Let’s say that the window is about 40 square feet, we need to subtract this from the 300 square footage of the wall and we’ll only have 260 square footage of wall to paint on. You can also do this on non-removable objects like wall-clocks, cabinets and many more.

Remember, don’t waste too much paint. First and foremost, determine what kind of surface you will be painting on. If you’re confused and needs to know more information, you can ask a professional or the paint store employee so that they can give you advices on the paint that you should use. With this, you will be rest assured that you won’t have to waste too much paint on your wall. Have fun painting!

Tips

How to protect environment from pollution

Our environment these days is heavily affected by pollution and it’s getting worse as days and years go by. If this will continue even further then what will happen to our future? What about our children and the coming generations? Will they still be able to breathe fresh air and swim on crystal clear waters? Before the situation gets much worse, let’s do our best today to save what is left on our environment.

Protecting the environment means not leaving a large economical foot print on the earth. Now, how do we do this? How do we save our environment for the future generation?
First, we must use our water wisely and sparingly. Do not just let it go down the drain. While washing your fruits and vegetable, you may just fill your sink with water and wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. You may also use the same water to wash the dishes. When it comes on watering plants and grass in your front yard, you may adjust your sprinklers so that water will not just be wasted by reaching the sidewalk. Use water efficient shower heads, sprinklers, and faucets. Throw your tissue on the trash can instead of throwing it in the toilet. Do not throw your garbage at the sea or to the rivers nearby.

Second, we must also value the air that we breathe. Clean air is very important to our health and to be able to maintain the clean air that we have, we must plant more trees and encourage everyone to do so as well. Choose pump sprays, and not aerosol sprays, choose latex paints over oil-based ones. Drive smart, and don’t overfill your gas tank. Though pollution is mainly produced by factories, we can also give our deepest contribution to save our environment.

Third, we should eliminate extra wastes. When going shopping for groceries, don’t go for those products with major packaging. Don’t just toss away all the wrappings, but recycle them instead. Go for second-hand stuffs and shop at the local farmers market for food. Also bring your own shopping bag so that the use of plastic bags may decrease.

Fourth, we should encourage recycling our wastes. Separate paper from plastics and glass. Maximize the use of recycle-friendly trash cans. You can also recycle old clothing, cars, electronics, etc. by donating them.

And lastly, pause for awhile just to make sure if what you’re doing and what you’re about to do would be a big help to the environment. Let us think environment-friendly thoughts and be mindful of our actions. By doing this, you will not only help the environment but afterwards, you will feel great by just knowing that you did your own part on saving it.

Garden

How to protect your fruit trees from birds

If you own a garden, particularly those with fruit trees, a lot of problems may arise. One of these problems are birds. They would just love to pick fruits from your trees and eventually, if there would be a lot of them then all the fruits will just be taken away. There may be some common solutions like scarecrows, wind chimes, reflective tape and plastic animals but what if neither of them worked? What if they just worked for a while then eventually, the birds just keep on coming back all of a sudden?

It seems like birds have a tendency to become much braver as time passes. At first, they will get scared of the scarecrow you had just placed over your yard but as time passes, you’ll notice that they’re just sitting on its shoulder. What if you thought that giving an entire tree to them would be a solution but as you notice, they still seem to get a lot of fruits from the other trees until there’s none left for you to harvest? Well, having birds on one’s yard can also be pleasing to one’s sight as you see them fly over and sing their songs but then, when it comes to your fruit trees they seem to become a nuisance.

First things first, I think you should just give this birds and alternative on where you would want to feed them. make them a small house made up of wood and place it near the yard or near your house. Then go to the local pet store to buy some bird seeds and place them inside the small bird houses. Eventually, the birds might get used on eating the seeds. Though it might be an add-up to your budget, at least your all of your fruits won’t be eaten and taken away. And besides, these birds can also be of great help to your farm. They can add up to its pleasing ambience and relaxing atmosphere.

Those bird netting stuffs which can be bought at the local store won’t do as it will only kill the birds and you don’t want that to happen. You just want them to atleast leave your fruits alone. But then, there is this some kind of netting device called the tulle. It is a much different bird netting but the holes are too tiny and it won’t suffocate any birds, just enough to keep them away. It’s also much cheaper and much more affordable than bird netting.

And now with this, you won’t have to worry about birds that eat your fruit. And at the same time, you will be free from guilt and worries as it is guaranteed safe and much more effective.

Furniture

Protecting your very own wood table

In every home, there is always a dining table. It surely is one of the most essential pieces of furniture in one’s home coz this is where the families sit, and have their daily meals. It can be either elegant or rustic, and it comes with different shapes and sizes. Apart from all of this, it is also a good investment. And since this is where we also gather our guests during special occasions, we must always maintain its presentable appearance. Now, how do we do it? How do we prevent it from scratches and stains? Here are some tips on how one should protect his very own wood dining table.

You must always have your own furniture polish, to keep the wood’s shining condition. But for everyday use, you must use dining room table pads to place under your dishes during mealtime so it will not leave stains on the surface.

Environment is also another factor on taking care of a wooden table. Keep it away from heating devices like radiators, wood stoves, or heating ducts because too much heat can cause it to split. Keep it away from extreme levels of humidity as well for it can cause the wood to swell. Placing it under direct sunlight can cause the finish to fade.

Never drag objects particularly the sharp ones, on top of the table for this may ruin the finish. Avoid placing things made of rubber and plastic directly on top of the table for this can react to the wood’s finish. When writing on a table, make sure to place a thick pad under your paper to avoid scratches on the surface. Never place alcohol, nail polish remover, or any chemicals on the surface as this ruin the finish.

Polish your table carefully using a clean duster of cloth. Take away any abrasive particles on top. Clean the table with water and mild soap which is alkaline-free. Place some suds on the soft, damp, cloth or sponge and gently wipe the table. Test the soap’s suds on the underside section of the table just to make sure that it won’t destroy the surface of the table. Always follow the grain of the wood while wiping and if in case, you spilled something on it, blot it, instead of wiping it.

Taking care of a wooden table takes a lot of effort and time since its finishing is a bit fragile compared to other tables. But then, if you really love its elegant design and country-like features then surely it won’t be a problem for you. And if it is just one of those pieces passed on to you by your ancestors then you will surely treasure it for a lifetime.

Garden

How to take care of orchid plants

Orchids are some of the most popular plants that you can see in most gardens and floral settings and arrangements. In fact, they form the largest family of flowering plants in the entire world. Who doesn’t love their very alluring and spectacular flowers? Sure, these cute things may not have the fresh, lovely scent like what other typical flowers have, but they sure have all the looks that they need to keep any garden beautiful. Proper maintenance and care of these plants is your top priority to make sure that these plants never lose their precious sparkle in your garden.

To take care of orchid plants well, there are the extreme basics. There is of course the regular “dosage” of water for the plant to absorb, but many of you know already that orchids are far more different that most ordinary plants. To start off, orchids never grow their roots deep in the ground like any other plant; the roots literally grow upwards. So, you are generally limited to watering the plant, using any other means like spraying water is not recommended, because you might also unintentionally water the flowers (which could potentially kill the plant due to fungi growth.). You are also not allowed to let the orchid sit in the water for so long, you’ll just drown them eventually.

Keep the surrounding temperature at a constant level. Orchids are very sensitive when it comes to sudden temperature spikes. You can find its leaves turning into yellow if you don’t take note of this properly. If this actually happens though, just clip the yellow foliage and start being more careful from now on. Their appetite for nutrition seems to go lower as the atmospheric temperature drops, so that means little or no food for winter, and a little application of new fertilizer during spring. Oh, and by the way, the regular temperature for most orchids is 65-85ºF (18-30ºC).

Providing a proper container is also critical if you want to take care of orchid plants well. Orchids are the type of plants that do not actually grow in soil (it will kill them!), but instead latch themselves onto tree barks and absorb water and nutrients from it. It is best to prepare a mixture of attached tree barks or cork for these plants, as this will serve as the “soil” for the plant to grow. The pot to be used can be of the standard type, as long as it is porous enough and can drain water out well (remember what we said earlier about letting the sit long in the water?). Like any other growing plant, you’ll have to replace the pot with a larger one ever so often, so as not to “constrict” its roots from the pot that it has outgrown.

Garden

Protecting roses during winter

Rose is one of the most popular flowers in the world. Indeed, I can say it is the most popular type for you can see it everywhere, not only during special occasions but also during ordinary days. I can also say that it’s the most romantic flower, particularly the red ones for they are commonly given during Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and any other regular day for lovers who just want to make that day extra special. And not only that, it can also be given during mother’s day, birthdays, and special events like beauty pageants, etc. rose bushes can also be seen in one’s neighborhood as they give life and that romantic ambience to one’s backyard.

Roses are also quite expensive as they are seen in malls, flower shops, etc. that’s why it’s really an advantage if you just have your very own rose garden. Though it may be very tedious to look after, I’m sure that those people who has it in their backyard, enjoys taking care of it even though it takes some of their precious time. For them it is like a very enjoyable hobby and a very fulfilling task.

But then, roses can be very hard to look after depending on the weather, particularly during winter time. This should be taken into consideration if you have plans of raising your own rose garden. Now, here are some tips which may be of great help for taking care of your roses during winter. Roses need to be forced into a dormant state during these months, and this can be done by dead heading, allowing rose hip to develop by cutting any more roses from the plants, and to stop fertilization by the end of October. Now, when all the dead leaves had fallen from you bush during the season’s first hard frost, you may now cover your rose bushes. Dead leaves can attract insects and molds which can put your rose bushes into further harm. You can also remove dead leaves on the bushes itself, and rake the ground around them so remaining debris may be taken away.

If you want to prune some stems to allow a much better coverage, don’t do it thoroughly for it can stimulate plant growth during the winter. You can also tie all the bushes canes together to protect them from breaking when the harsh winds pass by. But then, if you don’t want to prune them, you can build a frame for covering. Just insert metal poles in the ground keep the covering off of the plant. And lastly, before covering your bushes, you must get some good soil to place at the bottom of the plant so it will reduce the damage caused by frozen roots.

Tips

How to Protect Wood from Weather

For those of us who loves our garden and patio so much that we always keep them clean, plant new flowers, protecting our plants from weather, and watering them occasionally there are just some things that we also need to give our focus to. Since we love staying in our garden for some peace, quiet, and relaxation, we must also give focus on how we should protect the things were we usually sit, and that is our garden wood furniture.

Since these things are usually out in the sunlight or in the rain, they are often subjected to temperature and moisture extremes. When properly cared for, garden wood furniture can last several years and still looks nice and presentable. However, if wooden furniture is not protected then it may fade and crack over time as moisture and UV rays take their toll. So how do we protect our garden wood furniture? How do we make it last for the years to come? How do we do it without spending too much money?

• Wet sponge in soapy water
Clean your wood furniture thoroughly from all the grime that had came up like dirt, tree sap, small leaves, etc. rinse it all with a garden hose and let it air dry. Bird droppings, tree sap, and other substances may stain the furniture if it isn’t well cleaned.

• Spread waterproofing wax or gel
Using clean cloths, spread waterproofing wax or gel into your furniture. Make sure that the wood is dry first before doing so and that the waterproofing formula is specifically made for wood. For most products, apply waterproofing formula to a cloth first and then rub it into the wood one section at a time. Apply gloves before doing so.

• Use wooden furniture covers
Cover your wooden furniture most especially during rainy weather. Even after you have waterproofed the furniture, this is an important step to protect the wood from excess moisture. Furniture covers also come in various sizes.

• Keep the furniture covered at the end of the season
Store it in the garage as well. Since our homes are climate controlled, it will be better if you’ll store your furniture inside. If you live in a country or region with harsh winters, this is an important step to take. A second option for this is a garage, if you don’t have much room inside your home anymore. This will at least protect the furniture from the winds, rain, sleet and snow.

Taking care of our outdoor wooden furniture is as important as taking care of the plants in our garden, and our indoor furniture as well. We should always keep them presentable and in good shape so that their beauty can be retained for a very long time.

Television

How to repair TV remote control

One of the best inventions in the history of man would be the television set. This is where we view the outside world without having to leave the comforts of our homes. It is entertainment, information, leisure all rolled into one. Amongst the many innovations that came along with the ever evolving design of the TV is its closest companion, the remote. From what used to be a turn of a switch from one TV channel to another is the convenience of clicking a piece of hardware, wirelessly operating the magical box of pictures and sounds. Convenience at its finest until that nifty tool ceases to work and it seems like everything to do with the television set is tiring and complicated.

For most people, how to repair TV remote control is banging it a few times hoping that it works afterwards. It actually causes more damage than providing a solution. Initially, check if the batteries need replacement. Place a new set of batteries before concluding that the remote is damaged. In certain cases, due to neglect, the batteries become too old that they leak and damage the contact points that disable the supply of energy to the remote. When this happens, it would be best to immediately discard the old batteries and using a clean cloth, dry out and take off any battery residue, liquid or rust. Be sure to avoid contact to the skin as the residue may be harmful.

Check for loose springs, broken or bended parts where the batteries are to be inserted. If you place a battery in and it seems loose, try folding a small piece of paper and squeeze it in an edge or gap. Make sure that the battery and the contact points are not restrained by the paper as most likely it may also stop supplying energy to the remote unit. If you are using a universal remote control that are also being used for appliances, check to see if there are other appliances that may interfere with the signal of where you are aiming the remote at. Try to switch off any other appliance or gadget sharing the remote’s use and focus on using the TV and try it solely on that. In case it still doesn’t work, you may have to consider looking at other parts in order to repair remote control.

Looking at the remote pointer, there should be an opaque plastic or glass strip which contains the infrared sensor or bulb which allows the remote to send signals to your TV. The infrared bulb should light up when you press a button. You may use a digital camera and view the infrared via the camera’s screen and check if the light turns on when you press a button on the remote. If it doesn’t light up, you may have to open the remote up. You may opt to check the parts inside for any loose parts that might need soldering or parts that may have accidentally had contact with liquid and are in need of drying. You may find yourself clueless on repair remote control at this point but a great tip is to ensure that you remember where the original parts are. You may list down, group parts together and for some, the easiest way is to capture each part being taken off via a digital camera as picture guides for placing the parts back later on.

Once you have cleaned, soldered, dried and inspected the entire remote content and have placed everything back into place, test the remote again. If it still does not work, then you may have to consider bringing it to the manufacturer or to a repair shop. Most often than not, they may advise you to replace certain parts that you may opt to do yourself if you feel that it would be a minor repair instead of incurring more cost. Also, be sure to check your TV set’s infrared receiver as it may also be blocked or may be the one that needs repair instead.

Furniture

Protecting furniture for moving

When moving to a new home, a lot of people feel very excited though it may seem very stressful. Most of them think thoroughly on how they will decorate every part of the house, suited for its activity. Some are planning to buy new electronics, wallpapers, floorings, and furniture. A lot of people seem to focus on these things that most of the time, they forget on how they will properly prepare their old furniture for moving. So for those of you who can relate to this, there are a lot of ways on how you can observe proper moving of furniture, particularly the most fragile ones.

For dressers, desks, and drawers, keep them all taped so they won’t fall out. Wrap them also with bubble wrap, plastic, or towels for added protection from scratches. For those items that can be disassembled, take them apart properly and secure the nuts, bolts, and other small parts properly. You may keep them in a small container and tape it together with the furniture. You may also apply wax to protect them from scratches and other damages.

For sofas, chairs and couches, you may wrap them with a shrink wrap to protect them from molds and dirt. Remove all of the parts that are attached that include legs, wheels, and cushions and place them in plastic bags. You should also wrap the corners with plastic bags to avoid further damage as you are moving them. For furniture that needs extra care, you may wrap them with towels and blankets.

For tables and cupboards, they should be wrapped in plastic and covered with blankets and towels. Mirrors, lamps, and other fragile items, you may wrap them with a bubble wrap and place them in a large plastic bag and tightly close it after placing the items inside. For the beds, you may buy mattress bags to ensure that your mattress is well kept and clean. You can keep them from dust and dirt, also from molds and mildews. For the corners of the box spring, make sure that they are covered with plastic bags to avoid further damage when moving. You can also use shrink wrap to cover the mattress.

For breakable items like plates, glasses, etc. you should wrap them with old newspapers and towels to keep them from breaking. And place them in a box labeled “handle with care”. Moving can be a very stressful and time-consuming experience but once you have learned all the proper steps of taking care of your furniture when moving, then it won’t be a problem. Once you have seen your new home and arranged your furniture in their proper order then it’ll surely be a very fulfilling experience.

Furniture

How to take care of leather furniture

Leather has been one of the most commonly used materials on vehicle and home apparel. Even bags, shoes and some accessories such as wristwatches are made of leather. Leather furniture is good to keep at any kind of home, as it can provide the warmth it needs during winter, and can provide comfortable seating during the summer. But how do you take care of leather furniture? We do need to preserve it at some point, or else we’ll all be taking another trip to the furniture shop.

Keeping the leather furniture in the least state of repair can be one of the ways to take care of leather furniture. For example, even if dad’s aching to watch the big night with some good old beer in front of the television, you might want to advise him not to let the beer drip over the leather. While leather won’t actually absorb beer easily, leaving the stain there over time can leave you with a permanent mark. You may also want to keep household pets away from leather furniture, or at least train them not to scratch or damage it. Finally, keep the furniture away from sharp things that can puncture or rupture the good leather.

Of course, there would be times where you just can’t keep it in perfect pristine condition any longer. In that case, you have no other choice but to clean that dirty leather furniture. There are available commercial detergents (either general purpose detergents or specific leather cleaning ones) out there that can clean leather quite easily. You can also go for home-made conditioners, with recipes that are all-over the internet, but you’ll have to check out your leather furniture’s tolerance levels to certain substances (some leather furniture aren’t specially coated).

Don’t forget to bring the furniture outside though; it’s easily going to be something like a car cleaning session out there. Also remember to clean your furniture at least once every 3 months, to ensure that it’s basically free from any permanent mess.

Aside from the usual dirt and damage it receives from constant wear and tear, there are also other elements that you have to watch for to keep your furniture healthy. Molds for example, are some of the worst enemies of leather. These tiny critters viciously gobble the leather up alive until the leather simply becomes useless. The single most effective way to repel them out of your furniture is to keep the moisture levels of your leather furniture to near zero. Regularly check the underneath of cushions and wipe off wet parts with a clean cloth. Use roper anti-mold conditioners once in a while. Oh, and don’t forget that your kid’s ketchup, dad’s beer and all the others are included in your blacklist as well.

Garden

How to protect garden from frost

Plants are creatures that love the lush warmth of sunlight. It gives them the energy to grow and the key element to complete photosynthesis. That is the main reason why cold climates do not promote plant growth much, although there are many kinds of plants that can withstand cold extremes. If you’re keeping a garden at home, the last thing that you want to happen would be your plants to get frozen. How does one protect garden from frost anyway?

If you live in a relatively cold region of the world, chances are you may have been keeping frost-resistant plants already. As we have mentioned earlier, there are also plants that can withstand the colder better than other plants. This is the first step you have to take to protect your garden from frost. However, if you have plants that are not frost-resistant, and you’re still far away from the harsh winter, then its wise that you switch to frost-resistant plants as soon as you can before you throw all of your precious money in the trash bin.

For the next step, make sure that you have watered the entire garden thoroughly before nightfall. This may sound a little weird, because water usually absorbs heat from anything that it clings into. This strategy is usually done to ensure that the plants won’t reach critically low temperatures, by letting the soil release the moisture around it to keep the surrounding temperature at a constant level, or at least slow the entire cooling process. This measure is important to be done especially if a “frost attack” is imminent, if ever you want to ensure that your plants survive the devastating attack.

Temperature is never kept at a constant rate when molecules are constantly moving. Using this knowledge we now know that keeping the air stagnant during these cold seasons brings the plants to a dangerous level near being frozen. Shake the temperature up by providing a way to keep the air moving around. Letting an electric fan sit in front of the plants is a good way to keep air from settling and totally cooling down the soil.

Another better alternative is to use the same temperature keeping analogy to heat up the garden. As we have known, stagnant air directs the temperature into a single direction. If there is still a significant amount of heat left in the garden right before dusk, you may set up a large covering or a tent-like structure to preserve this heat throughout the evening. Make sure to let them breathe in fresh air and sunlight during the next day though.

Potted plants should always be moved indoors before the night sets in. These plants are generally more susceptible to frost due to its smaller contact with the soil (only soil inside the pot), and because the roots are left exposed by the pot. If you can’t bring them all indoors, at least cover the lower and underside of the pots using proper insulating materials to keep them warm.

Furniture

How to protect outdoor wood furniture

Placing furniture outdoors can be very exciting. Imagine sitting right at your front porch looking at a spectacular view of the entire neighbor hood, simply a refreshing sight. But unlike the safe environment inside your home, the outdoors can be a pretty harsh place to put furniture, especially if we are talking about the ever changing elements of nature. Wood furniture may have the ambience of a natural element of the environment, but it is still prone to outdoor disasters. If you want to protect outdoor wood furniture, follow these simple steps:

You have the traditional cover method, where you’ll cover the furniture with any type of large protective cover when not in use. While this is partially effective in preventing the elements from harming the wood (preventing rain, sleet or snow from landing onto the wood), it does very little to the actual and practical applications of preserving the furniture. Do you seriously want the outside of your home looking like an abandoned home for sale with those covered furniture? But then again, this might be the cheapest method to protect outdoor wood furniture.

If you want a better more aesthetically preserving method, you might want to use a special coating that you can apply to the wood. We all know that outdoor wood has been chemically treated to repel harmful insects from chewing off your furniture, but only a few of us actually know that most wood are not treated to withstand water. That is where the special coating comes in. Ask your local hardware store owner about this special coating solution, and directly apply one or two layers of it properly onto the wood. Start from scratch and find the insect repelling solution first if you are using untreated ordinary wood though.

A layer of varnish could also do the trick, but you’ll have to withstand the repulsive smell and the asthma-inducing stench for you to apply it to the whole furniture properly. Varnish is actually used in wood to add a smooth finish on its surface, but its use is often limited to small wooden articles and art nouveau. Varnish also magically turns wood into glass (in texture), so it’s not really worth it if you want to truly preserve wooden feel of the furniture.

You can also add another coating of special sealants for wood that can protect it from harmful UV rays that can alter its color and appearance. Again contact your local hardware store for these kinds of items. If you need to buy an all in one water/insect/radiation sealant pack, it will cost you more, but at least you won’t have to put multiple coatings in the furniture and risk making it look like a horribly done paint job.

Garden

How to take care of bonsai trees

Bonsai trees are a very special kind of plants. They are often very small trees or shrubs that are trained to be shaped into some sort of tree. These trees have very unique characteristics that are different from other kinds of trees. One of the most unique characteristics of a bonsai tree is that they have a very short life. As a matter of fact, these trees are taken care of for only about five to ten years. Once the bonsai tree has grown for five to ten years, then it will be time to plant it in its permanent location.

Video: How to create a bonsai tree

Insert Video

Table of Contents

Video: How to create a bonsai tree

How to start?

The pruning sessions

Bonsai also needs to be wired

How to grow a bonsai into a big tree

8 tips on how to grow a bonsai into a big tree

The tradition of bonsai trees is an ancient practice that came from the Japanese. During those times the art of taking care for these seemingly miniature versions of trees are reserved for the elite class, and most especially for the feudal samurai class. It is often considered as a form of art, and commonly symbolizes the graceful and elegant aesthetic skill of these mighty warriors. Today, it is a practice that well known around the world, and we are now here to show how you can take care of bonsai trees.

How to start?

To start off, bonsai’s like any other plant, also needs all the other essential things normal plants need, water, nutrients, sunlight. Watering bonsai highly depends on the current season. You may have to water these plants everyday during summer, and you sometimes need to leave the bonsai not watered during winter. Sunlight is of course very welcome, but you may have to move it in the shade if it gets too hot.

A healthy does of good nutrients take regularly can also keep your bonsai well throughout the year. For people who don’t like high frequency maintenance, they may opt for fertilizers in pellet-form, which can last for several weeks due to its slow nutrient release process.

The pruning sessions

But the main highlight in taking care of bonsai is the pruning sessions. When we say the word “pruning” in bonsai trees, we usually refer to the clipping action the gardener does to beautify and customize the bonsai according to his or her own preference. Aside from this purely aesthetic statement however, pruning is also well used to enhance or inhibit growth on a specific area.

You can prune a bonsai to undergo a specific growth pattern, and you can inhibit growth of areas which would just ultimately stunt the growth of the tree as a whole. The best time to prune a bonsai tree is during its growing season, but apart from this you also need to know the type of bonsai plant that you are growing to ensure that you are not just inhibiting its overall growth.

Bonsai also needs to be wired

Lastly, aside from pruning, some bonsai also needs to be wired. While some view this as a purely optional activity, others view as a necessity for their bonsai trees to grow. It is true however, that there are only some specific types of bonsai that actually need any wiring. There is a common misconception that bonsai trees need to be wired in order for the tree not to grow larger than what the owner intends to.

This is not the true, because the actual purpose for wiring bonsai trees is simply to keep their shapes intact, or to let the bonsai grow into a shape of their liking. If you intend to take care of bonsai trees by wiring (check first if they need wiring), then keep it in a way that it still matches the natural curves of the tree. You risk breaking the tree if you force it in a direction in which it cannot go smoothly.

How to grow a bonsai into a big tree

If you want to grow your bonsai into a big tree, you need to wire it. Some people think that it is useless to do so, but the truth is that the wiring keeps the tree's shape intact. In addition, wiring also lets the bonsai grow into a certain shape that they want. Therefore, keep it in a way that it fits into the natural curves of the tree.

8 tips on how to grow a bonsai into a big tree

To get started, all you need is patience and the right tools.
First thing you need to know is that it's easy to start growing, but it's very hard to keep it going.
When you want to start growing, you need to choose the right tools and the right method.
A good bonsai requires a lot of work and time, and you need to spend several years learning about it.
Once you have mastered the art of bonsai, you need to have patience and take your time when pruning or trimming the trees.
You can find some tips and tricks that will help you on this page.
Some of these tips will teach you how to get the most out of your bonsai trees, while others will help you keep your trees healthy.
It's easy to start growing, but very hard to keep it going.

Garden

How to protect your garden from animals

Most of us just love gardening and taking care of plants. Those people who live in countries who have much cooler climate are just getting ready when springtime comes coz this is when they will start plowing once again. Surely, it’s a really great past time to take care of your own garden. But then, after planning, soil preparation, and tool overhauls, there’s just one thing you must not forget – protecting your garden from animals. Surely, most of us love animals as well, but not on our garden. They may be nice and adorable to look at when they are there but what happens after? So here are some steps on how we should get them away from our gardens.

First step of protecting your garden from wild animals is that, you should be aware of the kinds of animals that live in your area. Then know what they eat, and what time they usually come out to feed themselves. This knowledge is very essential on how you would protect your garden. It’s like going in war with a fine strategy. These wild animals may consist of birds, chipmunks, deer, squirrels, mice, voles, moles, opossums, gophers, armadillos, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, porcupines, squirrels, woodchucks, and a lot of variety that may harm your garden. Of course, it still depends on which country you live.

Then, you may buy some plants which can help keep wild animals away from your garden like wormwood, flowering onions, dusty miller, caper spurge, gopher plant, crown imperial fritillary, lavender, mint, castor bean, and Mexican marigold. These plants can help keep away birds, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, mice, woodchucks, voles, moles, opossums, and gophers.

Shrubs and flowers can help keep your garden away from deer. Example of these are lilac, boxwood, jasmine, sea buck horn, china berry tree, holly, butterfly bush, smoke tree, pepper tree, black locust, wax myrtle, narcissus, jonquil, daffodil, columbine, aloe vera, foxglove, iris, and clematis. Animals like deer are a bit aggressive though. So in case these shrubs didn’t work, try putting on some fence around your garden coz they eat just about everything.

These are just a few tips on protecting your garden from wild animals. Surely, there may be a lot of alternative solutions out there, a lot of plants and shrubs which can help keep them away depending on the country where you live. There are still a lot of plants which can help keep away these wild critters. If all else fails, do not lose hope. You may visit your local garden store for their recommendations.

Decoration

How to take care of indoor bamboo

The word bamboo tree is commonly known as a misnomer. Although this ‘tree” can grow several feet into the air like a normal tree, it is not actually a tree. The bamboo is actually a type of grass, grasses that are made up of hard yet hollow “stalks”. These “stalks” are capable of withstanding very strong winds, lessening the impact of the wind by flowing with the wind’s current. This allows the bamboo to live off the strongest typhoons that most actual large trees would have not survived against. Growing bamboo became popular as of late, not as a commercial raw material, but as a decoration on homes. You can even take care of indoor bamboo, and here we are to show you how.

Prepare the substrate or the soil to be use in the indoor bamboo, by mixing several soil types with small rocks and pebbles. Create a mixture that can hold water and nutrients well, but will not hold it long enough for the roots of the bamboo plant to saturate. This is important because, once the soil is unable to remove its water contents over time, the soil becomes saturated, and this can potentially lead to the rotting of the bamboo plant’s roots.

Take a good consideration of the plant’s surroundings when watering the bamboo. Most indoor environments let the soil dry up pretty quickly, so you’ll have to water it a little bit more often, but remember not to overdo watering. If you need a good indicator of this, check out the plant’s leaves. If you see the bamboo plant’s leaves sagging, then that means you’re giving it too much water. If you see the leaves curled up, then that means it is not getting enough and should be given more water.

Indoors usually mean away from any element outdoors. Sometimes, this includes sunlight and ventilation. Do not let this happen to your bamboo plant. Position your bamboo plant somewhere where it can get adequate sunlight. Remember, just adequate, anything too much will eventually harm the plant later on.

Sometimes, to take care of indoor bamboo well, you need to mimic the conditions where the plant’s natural habitat is. Bamboos are native to Eastern Asia. The temperatures in this part of the world can vary widely depending on the season, but is usually either cool or hot enough to maintain humidity. Dew is our keyword here, and one good way to mimic the effect of dew on the plant is by misting it. You can use any kind of fine spray to do this. Mist the plant regularly to mimic its natural habitat, but you should do it at regulated intervals; there is practically no need to do this all the time.

The bamboo plant’s peculiar structure allows it to have its own natural shielding against insects and other pest. However there are occasional times where pests fall upon these gentle plants, so a proper pesticide should be kept for these occasional instances.

Painting, Tips

Protecting your carpet when paiting

For those who had just moved into their new home and to those who are planning to renovate, there are a lot of things to do like buying new furniture and appliances and moving them in, choosing wallpapers that will fit every particular room in your house, and buying some paint for those areas which aren’t needed to put wallpaper into it, like for instance, the baseboards.

But if you would want to save money and choose to invest on painting the walls instead of putting wallpapers, there are also steps to consider on taking care of your belongings like your appliances, furniture, particularly the carpet. Now take note. The carpet may be one of those stuffs that would require a lot of cleaning once you get them stained so In this case, you should treat them with extra care most especially when you’re painting.

First, go visit the local Home Depot and look for a 2 foot wide roll of carpet protection tape which can be found in the carpet department. You can either leave them as they are on 2 foot wide, or you can cut them in half or in quarters with a miter saw, depending on the coverage your carpet requires. Then, you can place the roll on the floor near your baseboard with the sticky side down on the carpet making sure that you cover all the parts of the carpet. When you have done this, you may now continue on painting your walls with no worries of getting your carpet stained, and when you’re done with everything, you can just take off the tape from the carpet and dispose it.

Now, let’s go to the baseboards. Painting baseboards need extra care as it increases the possibility of getting your carpet stained. First, cut the tape at about 18-24 inches and place it along the baseboard and the carpet. For a medium size carpet, leave an allowance of about ½ inch. You may need to experiment a bit regarding the “lap up” for it depends a bit on the depth of the carpet pile.

Start at one end. Place fingers on the “corner”, between the carpet and the baseboard. Press your fingers down, and slowly pull the carpet away from the baseboard and push the tape down into the opening space. To finish the incompletely seated portions of the tape, you may use the putty knife. After doing all this, you now have enough space the paint the rest of your baseboard above the carpet, without staining putting stains on it. You can just use a smaller brush to paint the lower side of the baseboard for it won’t need much coverage anyway, as it would be covered by the carpet.

Page 1 of 8

First

Last