Create yourself a Desert Garden

I wanted to talk about other garden sytels other than your traditional ones. Your typical garden requires you to have nutrient rich soil, and lot's of water. This type of soil and water is not found in your desert climates. So let's talk about creating a desert garden, a garden in hot and dry climates. Of course you will need plants that are adapted for long drought periods and the scorching sun. Native plants are better for our enviorment than plants from other region areas. If your thinking about transporting any plants from other regions, remember this. Those plants may end up as noxious weeds, and choke your native plants. However for regions with extremly cold winters, will not be able to grow a desert garden, at least not outside.




So let's get started on a desert garden. First you want to mark off the area of your yard that get's at least six hours of sunlight per day. Make sure your area has good drainage and good sandy soil. Next you will want to turn your soil over with a garden shovel. For area's not containing alot of sand add about a three inch layer of sand on top of your soil. You will then want to work the sand down into your exsisting soil, with a garden rake. To determine if your soil contains enough sand, grab a handful of the moistened soil and roll it into a ball. The soil will not form a ball if it is Sandy, it should crumble. This is what you are looking for.





You may also want to place medium stones around your area for the perimeter. Make sure you leave a few inches between the stones. This is a great visual for any desert garden.

Then begin planting, starting in the back. You will place in that area your large cacti. Barrel cacti if a good size to be the focal point of any desert garden. Make sure you wear leather gloves any time you are handling cacti. When planting barrel cactus you can avoid cuts and scratches by placing a throw rug, around the barrel as you are planting it.






Then you will want to plant flowering cacti around such as dorri sage. The dorri sage will bloom two toned flowers, that will reach eighteen inches tall. For desert wildflowers, choose the mexican gold poppy. It will add yellow to your desert garden. The desert lily is another blooming desert wildflower, and looks like it belongs in a tradtional garden. These plants will add a good combination of color to the garden.






Another good source of cacti is the agave soicta plant. The plant will stay small, which makes it a good choice for the border. These need to be planted eighteen inches apart, and six inches behind your stone border. The aloe brevifolia can serve the same purpose for your desert garden. Alternating the two is another good idea.




Laying two inches of pebble gravel is the next step. Add around the plants, choosing a color to complement your flowers or even your home. Then when finished it is important to water your plants. Making sure that you hold the hose close to the plants roots. For this type garden you will not need to water everyday, only once a week. If it rains do not water until needed.




Then sit back and enjoy your desert garden. Maybe adding some cast iron lawn furniture to admire the garden from.



  
  

  

Do it yourself drywall crack repair

If your drywall has a crack, and this can happen for a number of reasons, don't panic. You can fix it your self in some easy steps that I will show you. But let's go over some reasons, that can cause your drywall to crack. Your home settling is one cause, so check around corners of your doors and windows or where columns support your beams. Your walls can even get cracks from moving your furniture, or from the kids or even a quest to your home. Your don't need to be a skilled drywall professional to repair these cracks, just a little know how. And with my tips you will see your finished work in a few days.

  

Lets begin your repair project. First make sure you have all your materials ready. Then begin to prepare your room by removing or covering anything of value. Drop cloths or old sheets will work just fine for this.

The next step is to take a utility knife and run it through your crack to remove the loose particles.

Widen your crack about 1/8 inch almost through the drywall. Carve it out so it is clean. This will help to eliminate having residue on your new surface. When your area is clean, it will then be time to apply your compound. Take and load your putty knife with compound, and with a sweeping of the knife go back and forth over the crack. Force any compound on your knife into the crack with strong strokes. Your putty knife will bend if the pressure is right. Then remove any excess with the same putty knife. You will lay several coats of compound until it is built up to a smooth flush surface layer. But between each layer you must let the compound dry.

 

 

In twenty four hours your drywall compound should be dry. Now it is time to sand with with a 150 grit sandpaper, until you smooth out the area. Make sure you have no ridges or bumps, but not over sanding at the same time. Feel your wall as you sand, if it is smooth to the touch you have done enough sanding.

When you are done with sanding, your repair is done. Now comes the clean up, and dust removal so you can paint your new wall area. Before painting use a primer over the area, when dry paint to match your room.

 

Add Cabinets in your Kitchen

Cabinets of any style can add a visual appeal in any type of kitchen. Even your high tech kitchen now adays have interesting cabinets, some even with carvings and glass doors. You can now add free standing cabinets in your kitchen. They are easily incorporated into your kitchen design.

You can do this project your self. Just start by sketching your kitchen in detail. The use of free standing cabinet ideas are endless. But when you use them to decorate your kitchen, do it so that they work for a long time.

Some DIY idea's are to plan a kitchen island first. You can do a sketch of the free standing cabinets you are going to use around this work space. Use interesting old wood tables to create your island. Painting the table a antique white. Then add some black counter top and black hardware to it. A nice pot rack over the island will add additional appeal.

Find some matching free standing china cabinets to place on the wall. You can find these unfinished at any wood furniture store. For a shabby chic look paint the unfinished cabinets white also and add gold hardware. You can utilize the cabinets by putting your dish's on top and groceries on the bottoms.

For a place to store your family heirloom items, you can get a free standing cabinet for that also, one with glass doors. Maybe you have a grandmother that has a cabinet she can pass down. Using free standing cabinets for spices and wine to. The items look nice thru glass doors.

Unfinished butcher block counter tops make a great addition next to the sink as a extra work space. Painting the table antique white and adding baskets on the bottom for storage gives a county decor feel. Black canisters with copper lids look great also.

You can also redo a wooden bookcase to fit in the kitchen for storage. Add some yellow baskets with fake flowers for another country feel. Place some recipe books and utensils on it also for extra decor.

   

  

Lighting Your Home

Lighting can make a room or over come a room. But it does maximize the full use of your home or business. Today's market has energy conscious high performance lighting. And remember that the right lighting complements any type of room. Also it provides the right visibility for any task you may be doing. Now adays with every one going green, they depend on daylight for their day time lighting, and the right illumination for cloudy days and after dark lighting.





In today's homes you will sometimes find rooms that serve as the community rooms. These rooms usually have multi functions. It could be a living room mixed with a family room or media center. It could be a conversation area mixed with the living room also. Some homes have a room for reading, or a art collection, even a computer room. Then you have a library room, a entertainment room, or a game room. So it is important to have the right adjustable lighting. A bar of small spotlights on dimmers work great. There are also lights that can be placed to hit your paintings and sculptures, and then there are ones that can be lowered to work on your computer. These are usually referred to as task lighting. Freestanding lamps are great for your reading room. They have enough lighting that are low enough to prevent glare. For reading rooms the bottom of the lamp or the shade should be at your eye level. For chess or pool table lighting a hanging light 36 inches above is the perfect way to go.





Kitchen lighting is another area that has a variety of activities and requires a certain light right for the job. There are under the cabinet lights which are placed toward the front of the cabinet in order to illuminate the counter. Then if you have a kitchen island you want lamps over that also. The lamps should be 66 inches from the floor, making sure the sight lines are not interrupted. Recessed lighting has become very popular, and is ideal for over the sink area or stove area. They have strong focused lighting abilities. For your breakfast nook, dimmer lights work great. They also provide a bright or even a romantic appeal. You can also use light strips or led down lights for any glass front cabinets you may have displaying your collectibles or china.





For the bathroom, it can be lighting needed for a spa, or makeup station, or just your place to retreat to. There are great lights that coordinate with any bathroom, making it a very welcome area. You can even now place lighting in the shower, and above the toilet. A different look is a chandelier in the middle of the bathroom for a more elegant look. Mirror lights work great for a contemporary feel, even a theatrical look. Sconces work well next to any mirror also. Sconces next to the mirror for make up should be bright. A recessed ceiling light works great for the shower. For over the tub a small spotlight with a dimmer can create many moods. For readers in the bathroom, recessed lighting over the toilet will work wonderful also.






So when shopping for lights or lamps, keep in mind what room or activity you will be doing in the room. And then choose the right light or lamp for the job.

Transform your Garage Floor

With spring cleaning being done, why not include the garage and paint the floor. You can transform your floor easily with these steps. A good epoxy paint will help your floor resist stains, shed any water and dirt as well. And the epoxy paint will also make it more easier to clean the floor. This job can be done as a weekend project.

So let's get started. First you will need to get everything out, and clean the floor. Sweep it and scrub it down good. If you can protect your walls with plastic. To scrub the floor good get a pressure washer, if you don't already own one, you can rent one. Just make sure you rinse well after scrubbing. Then you will want to do some patching. Patch any holes, and cracks the concrete floor may have using etching material that comes with the epoxy paint kit. After you let this dry good, you will be ready to paint.






To get started painting just follow the directions as stated in your kit. Normally you will paint a border around the floor first. A paint roller on a long extension is the best tool for the job. You will paint your floor just like you would a wall. Work in sections and feather in. Any imperfections the concrete floor may have will be painted over as well. Adding a second coat is a good idea, but wait at least 24 hours between doing coats.

You will add a top coat per the directions on the package. This will be applied in the same manner as the epoxy paint. When you apply the top coat it will go on white but will turn clear when it is dry.




You now have a new garage floor that you can usually walk on within 72 hours after painting. And you saved a ton of money doing it your self.

DIY For Children Growing Plants

Teaching our children how to grow plants is a great lesson. It teaches them to understand life's cycles and to appreciate mother nature. And don't forget its a fun activity for you to do with them. Children get so excited when they see the first sprouts of their plants. And when the time comes to plant the seedlings out doors you create another fun project to do. You can even give them their own space in your garden to call their own.

A easy child friendly plant is the tomato plant. It can be started indoors and will grow outdoors in almost any climate. The tomato plant is also pretty low maintenance so it's a great starter plant for your child.




The spider plant is another kid friendly plant, easy to care for and fun to watch grow. You can also get more spider plants with the dangling babies. And when they are fully grown, they make great gifts. For indoors, these plants will brighten any room in the house. Your child can even keep his plant in his own room to nourish.




A sensitive plant is a great indoor starter plant. It has feathery leaves then when touched curl up. They need little water, so it makes them easy to care for. When grown why not make a window box to show off your plant.





Another plant that is easy to grow is the bean plant. You can use two or three beans in one pot and watch them grow. Lima beans are fun to watch as they grow. And are the easiest, by starting the seedlings in a wet paper towel.




And who wouldn't love Cacti. They seem to be a favorite among kids. Just be careful of the prickly parts. There are a few Cacti that do great indoors, and can grow pretty large.




So have fun and give the kids a plant project.

Tools for your Garden

Making sure you use the right tools for your garden, will create much success. There are many to choice from, like tools for getting your soil ready, to getting out stubborn roots. The most used tools for the garden are the short handled, and long handled ones. Then there are the plant ties, and the most important garden gloves. Also don't forget a watering can comes in handy also.















The trowel is great for breaking up clumps of dirt, even potting soil. You can also use the trowel for mixing your soil. Then there is a hand fork, with tines great for aerating soil and also great for digging. If you don't have a trowel the hand fork can be used to plant also. Sharp pruners for those rose bushes always comes in handy.  You can also use them to snip flowers in the garden to bring inside. Also use them to cut back those branches.

The garden hoe, the cultivator and your long handled bulb planter are also great tools to have. The hoe does magic on clumps of dirt, breaking it up and making it possible to plant your seeds. Cultivators are the cousin of the garden hoe, they are great for breaking up dried dirt which has hardened over the summer months. Then the long handled bulb planter which is great for planting those spring bulbs. Easy to use by pulling a clump of soil up, and leaving a hole for your favorite bulb.





Don't forget those garden gloves. They should be a garden staple in every one's shed. Some even have rubberized fingertips for early gardening in mud. If you need to tie any plants you can now get plant ties. Self sticking fasteners that won't hurt your plants. Make sure you have watering cans two. They come in handy for potted plants. And work really great for hanging plants to. It's not a bad idea to get a handy garden cart for all your tools, and its much easier on the back. Some even have seats on them.


 
 
  

Your Cool House

We all know how hot our home can become in the summer months. And in order to cool it off, most of us use air conditioning. But did you know leaving it on all day can result in a electric bill that know one wants. So I wanted to share some cooling tips with you. These tips will help with your bill and cool your home all summer.

The first tip to keeping your home cool, is not to waste that cool air coming from the air conditioner. Even if you use fans, it is important to make sure the cool air is not getting out the home. A well insulated home will help prevent this loss and keep the temps inside the home from rising. If you have ducts in areas of the home that are not air conditioned make sure they are well insulated. Check all the weatherstripping in your home also. The caulk also, make sure you have no gaps or cracks to. If your home has a fireplace make sure the damper is closed.

You already know that the air conditioner will cool your home quickly, but if you operate a ceiling fan with the a/c will help to circulate the air through the home even faster.

Keeping the sunlight from coming through the windows will also help keep the rooms cooler. Using white shades or blinds are even more effective due to they will reflect light away. Additional coverage for south facing windows will need extra coverage. Trees planted on the west side of the home are also a good coverage to block sun.

Appliances and lights in the summer months also generate extra heat, so if you are not using them, remember to turn them off. Using a power strip will also be easy to turn the TV, DVD and other entertainment equipment off easier. Remember anything in the home producing heat will only make the a/c work harder.

Try not to cook on the stove, use the outside grill for dinner. The oven will throw off the most heat. Also hot showers will make the a/c work harder, cool showers are best. Any steam or humidity in the house will also make the a/c work harder.



 



 
 

DYI Project for Kids Room

Any one with children know, they write on paper, coloring books, and yes are walls. So why not do their room in a paint that lets them, over and over again. Their happy, and your happy, what more can you ask for.

The paint is easy to apply, so let the kiddies give you a hand. The paint lets you use dry erase, or chalk. You can even make a square of this paint on your kitchen wall to use for your to do list, or grocery shopping list. The best part of these paints, you need no primer, and you don't have to remove prior paint. The paint comes in different colors, and you can create great designs. Just make sure to follow all the instructions on the can.

When you are ready to start, get all your supplies ready. Then choose the wall you want to be able to right on. Then wipe your wall down with a damp cloth. This will remove any dust or dirt. When you are finished wiping with the damp cloth, dry with a cloth.

Begin your painting with applying with a roller. Making sure you cover completely. It's best to pick a wall that can be used fully to write on, so no one gets confused. It is also recommended to do two coats, to ensure coverage.

All the paint to completely dry overnight before writing on it. If possible two nights are even better.

After the wall is dry you can start writing, if you are using dry erase you can use a damp cloth to remove the writing. Do not use permanent markers, these can not be removed.