The average home can reduce their water consumption by around 30% by re-using grey water on their garden.

The figures are compelling. Sure, they vary from household to household, but they go something like this…

An average household on a suburban block consumes some 60,000 gallons/300,000 litres of water a year- all of it drinking-quality water from the tap.

Around one-third, or 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres a year, is used on gardens and lawns.

That means that around 40,000 gallons/200,000 litres get used in the home.

Almost all of that (lets say 36,000 gallons/180,000 litres) leaves the home, and the block, as waste water.

Now, here’s the fun part. According to one major water body, approximately 60% of that is re-usable grey water. That includes water from the bathroom and laundry, but does not include black water from the toilet, or water from the kitchen.

60% of 36,000/180,000 is just over 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres.

Where have we heard that number before? Oh, yes, that’s the same 20,000/100,000 we put on the garden and lawns!

As we said, the figures are compelling. The question is, how do we do it in practice? Where do we find a product to take advantage of this free water, worth about $100 at today’s low prices?

Let’s start by excluding a few options from the discussion. At the bottom end of the scale, we’ll exclude bucketing water from the house, and gravity feeding a hose from the washing machine. Cheap, but time consuming, and limited in application. We’ll also exclude waste/grey water treatment systems that cost many thousands of dollars.

So that’s what the product we’re seeking isn’t. What would the ideal product be? It would

- be able to accept water from both bathroom and/or laundry.

- automatically pump water to the garden.

- pump itself out every 24 hours to meet the requirements of health and environment authorities.

- have a unit price under $1000.

There is now such a product on the Australian market, called eco-Care. Visit our website, and you can read more about it, and other Grey Water Systems.

We need to think about how we use grey water to get the best results, and avoid problems. A few points worth considering…

• Use grey water sub-surface if possible.

• Don’t use grey water near fruit or vegetables.

• Don’t use grey water containing lint and hair with fine-pore soaker hoses.

• Grey water is alkaline, so don’t drown acid-loving plants in it.

• Choose a less aggressive detergent and you can use the water on more plants.

• Read the detergent lab report at our site to help you choose.

• Don’t let grey water leave your property

• Remain actively involved in the use and maintenance of your equipment

Follow these few sensible guidelines, and you may be able to reduce YOUR water consumption by 30%, saving money, and the environment. -

What about water tanks, you ask? It’s a whole different subject, but I’d answer you this way…”They’re great, but use that high-quality rainwater inside the house, where we can’t really use grey water.”

John Payne is the Founder of Enviro-Friendly Products, a marketer of water tanks, solar hot water systems, grey water systems, leafless guttering and hot water recirculators. You’re invited to visit the Enviro-Friendly Products website, where you’ll find full product and contact details.

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Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving from flower to flower in search of the tasty nectar within. These beautiful and tiny birds weigh about 2 to 20 grams and are found in a wide variety of environments from the high Andes to lowlands, and from dry desert areas to rainforests. They have slender beaks, extensible tongues, ten primary feathers, and tiny feet suitable for perching but not walking.

Hummingbirds can fly straight up, straight down, backwards, left, right, and even upside down. While most birds obtain their flight strength only from the down stroke, hummingbirds have power on the up stroke as well.

Most hummingbirds flap their wings about fifty times a second and have a very fast heartbeat and high body temperature. They feed every ten minutes or so throughout the day and typically consume two-thirds of their body weight in a single day. Their source of nutrition is primarily nectar from flowers, as well as sources of protein from insects and tiny spiders.

The key to attracting hummingbirds to your garden mainly consists of the right type of flowers and places where they can perch and rest during the day, such as trees or large plants. Hummingbirds are guided by visual means and are particularly attracted to certain shades of red. According to The Hummingbird Society, there are several possible explanations for their preference of red blossoms. Given that insects also see nectar, they can be regarded as competitors. Nearly all insects see well in the visible and near-ultraviolet light but poorly in the red end of the spectrum. Also, a red blossom may appear nearly black and unattractive to a number of insects, but not to the hummingbird, which can see the full visible spectrum but also some in the ultraviolet. This makes it less likely that an insect has taken nectar from a red flower. Another likely explanation is that during migration, red blossoms effectively contrast with a green environment more than other colored flowers do.

Hummingbirds are welcomed guests to nearly all gardens. By planting flowering shrubs and plants that are their favored food source, we can easily attract them to become regular visitors to our gardens. Below is a short list of their preferred flowering plants by common name, separated by region:

Southeastern United States:

• Butterfly Bush

• Cardinal Flower

• Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle

• Cypress Vine

• Native Trumpet Creeper

• Texas Sage

Southwest United States:

• Indian Paintbrush

• Lantana

• Lily of the Nile

• Mexican Honeysuckle

• Texas Sage

• Western Coral Bean

West Coast United States:

• Beebalm

• Bottle Brush

• Cape Fuchsia

• Colombine

• Salmonberry

• Woodland Orchard

Northeastern United States:

• Blue Lobelia

• Cardinal Flower

• Hollyhock

• Red Morning Glory

• Salvia

• Scarlet Sage

Midwest United States:

• Coral Bells

• Coral Honeysuckle

• Foxglove

• Hosta

• Impatients

• Lilac

Even though flowers are the natural means to attract hummingbirds to your garden, man-made feeders filled with a mixture of water and sugar (sucrose) are an essential alternative. Sugar, whether from a flower or a feeder, is a necessary nutrient in a hummingbird’s diet. Tests have shown that hummingbirds favor sucrose in flower nectar more than other sugars such as fructose and glucose. Therefore, with the proper ratio of ingredients, your feeder becomes a good substitute to the flowers that hummingbirds like best.

The formula for the mixture used in hummingbird feeders is 4 parts water (not distilled) to 1 part table sugar. Boil the mixture for one to two minutes, then cool and store in refrigerator. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Do not use red food coloring, honey, or artificial sweeteners in your mixture, as this could be harmful to the hummingbirds.

If one of your goals is to attract hummingbirds to your garden, a visit to your local nursery is a great starting point. Find an experienced employee who can tell you which species of plants grow well in your area and have a history of successfully attracting hummingbirds. Most importantly, be imaginative and have fun planting and growing your garden to attract beautiful hummingbirds.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.

http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com

http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com

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This article is geared towards the beginner water gardener, who is comtemplating the installation of his/her first garden pond. The key to a successful do-it-yourself project is to gather as much relevant information that you can. To follow are some preliminary considerations and design tips that must be taken into account, before embarking on a water gardening project.

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

1. Location

Install it as close as the house as possible to maximize enjoyment. For safety reasons, make sure that there are no underground utilities where you will be excavating. Check with your local utility company before you begin digging.

Be sure to consider the slope of the land and the location of the pond in order to avoid rainwater runoff. If the pond is located in a low-lying area, lawn fertilizers and other chemicals can wash into the pond and harm the fish and plants.

To grow healthy aquatic plants, you will require adequate sun exposure. Most aquatic plants require four to six hours of sunlight per day to ensure healthy growth.

2. Size

Make your pond as large as possible, to give you flexibility when you later fill up the pond with fish and plants.

3. Purpose

Do you want to focus on growing water lilies? If so, locate the pond in full sun. Do you want to raise pond fish? If so, shady areas would be preferred.

4. Edging

You can edge your pond with stones, boulders, plants, beaches, and docks. Plan ahead how you would like to edge your pond.

5. Style

Natural style ponds are built to create the illusion of a mountain stream with waterfalls. Larger boulders and flat stones can be used in combination to create the look of a naturally formed stream. The sound of falling water can be fine-tuned through the careful arrangement and placement of stone.

Urban ponds are typically smaller in area, and are designed to fit well in smaller backyards.

Koi ponds must be able to accomodate fish that can grow to about 2.5 feet in length. Many koi ponds have no plants because koi have a tendency to eat certain types of plants. You must plan for an extremely large pond, and provide adequate surface area for the absorption of oxygen into the water. Ponds for koi must be at least 3 feet deep to provide room for mobility. They also require filtration to keep the water clean.

DESIGN

Next, you must make a decision on the type of pond that you want.

Pre-formed ponds come in a variety of shapes, usually with plant shelves built in. They are ideal for first-time pond builders because they are extremely durable, and less susceptible to tears and punctures. Furthermore, their sturdy pond lips ease the task of leveling during installation. Preformed ponds are easy to install and clean, but require more skill to fit the hole in the ground with the shape of the pond. When properly supported, preformed ponds are ideal for above-ground, indoor, and patio setups.

Flexible liners are ideal for the more experienced water gardeners. They allow for easy and very forgiving installations, which consequently promotes greater creativity. Because you can create various shapes with liners, it is possible to construct larger, and deeper configurations (when compared to preformed ponds).

Concrete installations usually require a professional installation. Concrete is a medium that tends to crack as the ground freezes and thaws.

Use a garden hose to lay out your garden pond shape on the ground. This will allow you to experiment with the size and shape of your pond. Once you have a plan for your water garden, it is important to get your design on paper. The design drawing is paramount because it will help you to make an accurate estimate of the material you will need. The diagram also will allow you to plan for the placement of all the accessories. Be sure to take into consideration the space that rocks and aquatic plants will take in the final design. The pond may appear much smaller visually after all the ponds and rocks are added. At this point, you should also plan for the amount of plant material that you may need to landscape the pond.

Finally, it is now time to make a list of materials required. These materials can be purchased from our online store. In our next article, we will provide detailed instructions on how to install both liner and preformed ponds.

This article was reproduced with permission from http://www.gardensupermart.com/tips.asp

To view the complete article (with pictures), please go to http://www.gardensupermart.com/tips/intro.asp

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Yellow roses are beauties, aren’t they? Don’t they look beautiful on a sunny morning? Yellow roses say spring just their look and color. The yellow rose, while somewhat rare in its natural habitat, is becoming a popular item in the floral shop. Yellow roses might be what you are looking for, and if so, there are several ways to find the perfect yellow rose for your home or garden.

Yellow roses are one of a number of different colored roses that are available in garden centers and even discount department stores. But, there are so many varieties to choose from that you shouldn’t limit yourself to whatever those places have on hand. Check out your local garden center for an idea of what they offer, but then explore the yellow rose varieties online as well. It is not a difficult task to find rose distributors who are able to supply yellow roses to the average customer. And, in doing so, you allow yourself to have many choices at your fingertips!

To find a distributor of yellow roses, simply use any major search engine like Yahoo or Google and type that phrase in. Hit go and you’ve got at your fingertips a wide selection of choices. Begin your search by comparing color, size, hardiness, and even price. Once you know what you want, try a couple of different places to find just the right characteristics and features available.
With the Internet as a tool, it is easy to see how you can accomplish this in just a few minutes.

Remember to take into consideration the type of soil you will use, the surrounding area where you will plant the yellow rose, the amount of sun it will receive, and the temperatures it can tolerate. With all that said, finding gorgeous yellow roses isn’t too bad of a task at all.

Ken Austin
Roses and Rose Gardening
Learn to Grow Perennials

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Deer are the most difficult of all pests to deter from a
garden. They love many different plants. Flowers,
vegetables, trees and shrubs are all on their menu.

The best way to keep deer out of a garden is by using a
fence that is at least 6 feet high. If it’s a small garden
that may be feasible but for large gardens or yards, the
cost is prohibitive, or possibly not practical.

So the only other choice is deterrents.

Deer don’t like the smell of raw eggs, fish products, kelp,
or ammonia. Any spray made from these products can be used.
Just mix the product of choice in water and spray the plants
to be protected.

Deer don’t like the smell of soap either. Some gardeners
have especially found success with Dial and Zest brands.

Blood meal scattered around the garden is another good
deterrent.

Since deer don’t like capsaicin, the ingredient that makes
peppers hot, a spray made from chili peppers deters deers.

Hang fragrant fabric-softener strips, and small nylon bags
filled with human hair on trees around the garden.

Some gardeners have found success by laying chicken wire on
the ground about
six feet wide around the perimeter of the garden. The deer
don’t like to walk on it because their hooves get stuck in
the loops of the wire.

Try planting time-released garlic capsules at the bases of
trees or shrubs or in the rows of plants to be protected.

There is a wide variety of plants that deer won’t eat. A
list of what they like and don’t like can be obtained from
your local county cooperative extension office.

For even more deterrents visit:

http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/yardiacdeercontrol.htm

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this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam).

Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney

Please leave the resource box intact with an active link,
and send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the
article appears to: marilynp@nctc.net

Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

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