Buying The Right Tools

 

In every home, a gardening tool is a must because of the fact that plants are very essential to us humans and will always be part of our lives. That is also the main reason why we love planting any types of plants at home even if we do not have enough space to plant on. Pots and planters are made for many purposes and provides many benefits for gardeners, landscapers and for everyone who loves to plant not only at home but as well as to any business establishments. There are also tools needed to be able to start a small garden at either our backyards or front yards. A beginner's kit should include a garden fork, spade, rake, trowel, a hand fork and a watering can. When you find yourself doing a particular task frequently, such as weeding or digging the vegetable patch, make sure to add tools or equipment as your interest grows. Invest in tools of good quality that will help make your job easier and more pleasurable. 

A garden fork is perfect for digging soil that is stodgy. A spade is your basic digging equipment while a rake is for final soil leveling or for raking leaves off the lawn and gravel paths. A trowel is perfect for weeding, tinkering with pots on the patio and planting on small pots too. Because of it's sharp tines, a hand fork is easy to stab into any soil, thus, making it great for planting , transplanting, aerating, and mixing additives into the soil. Last but not the least is the watering can, they are use for the purpose of watering the plants and applying liquid fertilizers. If you have lot's of plants to water you could either get a hosepipe or an oasis self watering kit which is only offered at Emily's Plants, where you can find a variety of house plants, seed kits and gardening supplies too.

An Oasis Self Watering Kit has 4 independent watering programs, you could either choose 10, 20, 30 or 40 days that can be selected by just simply turning the dial to water a maximum of 20 plants. These oasis are very useful especially if you will be away from home for several months. That is to make sure your plants will not wither and die because of no water. Gardening is always fun and you will never feel burdened if you have the right tools and equipments at home, so make sure to buy the perfect tools to fit your needs.

Is Hunger A Choice?

The lack of food and money can compel anyone to do wrong things. Surely, no one can think straight when their stomach is empty. Any good provider who in spite of his hard labor, still earns little will do anything to ensure that his family will not go hungry. He will make drastic decisions and actions or even violate the law of man just to make sure that his family is well provided. We can hardly blame the person who invented money because the truth is, it is our greed and love for power and money that creates poverty. Or is it our laziness.

A friend once asked me if I have ever been hungry. I answered yes. I was thinking how silly the question was. Then she asked me again if I have been hungry because I choose not to eat or because I have nothing to eat? Shamelessly I answered it was my choice. Then it hit me. How can I brag my hunger when others are writhing and dying because they have no food to eat? Others would even do anything just for a piece of bread. It is depressing to know that my dogs have a more decent meal compare to those who are living in the war-torn countries such as Syria. It is even more depressing while most of our food have gone to wastage, others die of hunger. I know that even if we eat all the food in our table, those people will still be hungry. However, we should learn how to appreciate these blessings. We can even do more by getting ourselves involve in solving the hunger problems in places where the scarcity of food is a huge issue. You can click the banner on the bottom page to support the World Food Programme.

Some people say that if do not want to go hungry learn how to plant. I am taking this literally. It is quite hard to plant if you are living in an arid land. However, with our current technology, it is possible. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, isn't it? For us who are living in places where there is abundance of water, we can grow plants even in a small container. We can even grow vine type vegetables or flowers in crown shaped trellises. So there is no reason why we should be hungry.

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Dumptown Game For Environmental Awareness

Waste reduction and using energy efficient products such has lighting fixtures and appliances, are greatly encourage by the different environmental organizations both in the public and private sectors here and abroad. There is hope for all of us just as long as we cooperate and do our part in saving what is left of our planet. We just can't watch in the background while the rest are doing their part for the environment. It is important that we should instill in the minds of the younger generation the importance of recycling and reusing and using items which uses less energy. We raise their awareness by teaching them to respect their environment which can be done in school, at home, through social media, and interactive games such as Dumptown Game.

Dumptown Game is a game developed by Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, a US government agency which was organized to protect our health and government by imposing laws and regulations started operating on December 2, 1970 was proposed by President Richard Nixon. They are the people behind the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Preservation Act, Clean Water Act and other laws which had greatly help our environment from total destruction. Going back to the Dumptown Game, you need to install the Adobe Shockwave Player first before you can start playing. Once installed you click on Play the Game Button, to start playing a game and you will be reintroduced to a community in chaos and polluted.Clicking on the City Hall will show you the different programs and laws which were regulated the US government. On each government program you clicked are important descriptions of the program, fun facts and what the communities can do. Once you are done with each program you will see the changes in the community until it becomes an ideal place to live in. 

We can also do our part in protecting our environment in our homes by recycling items such as water bottles and newspapers and buying energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures only. We can also make our own garden and plant trees which does not only beautifies our environment but also helps clean the air. If you have a limited space you can still make your own garden by using trellises such as 60"W x 60"H Iron Garden Screen with (6) 8" Pot Holders which are perfect for growing vines and other decorative plants.

Catastrophy And Global Warming

People grow a garden in many different reasons. Some do it because they love plants. While others who grow a garden do it for food, medicinal and decorative purposes. In addition, gardening enthusiasts grow a garden or a plant because it relieve them of their stress, while beautifying their environment. Whatever their reasons are for planting, they are helping in the battle against global warming. It does not matter if you are living in a small space apartment or a dream house with a very generous space for gardening. You can still plant a tree even on a small pot, or grow a garden in plant stands or trellises. 

It is known to everyone that we have been having issues with global warming and ecological imbalances. Some blame it to overpopulation while others say that global warming and ecological imbalance is the result of man's greed. The blame game can go forever but it will not help address the environment issues we are facing at this time. Several disaster movies show what will become of us unless we take actions in saving our planet. I have recently watched The Colony which shows how people were driven underground in order to survive as the earth became a huge freezer. Arctic Blast, 2012, 4:44 Last Day on Earth and The Day After Tomorrow were just a few of the hundred of science fiction disaster films which depict the catastrophic result of global warming. These are just science fiction movies but they are not far from the truth. There will come a time that these movies will become the reality and it is something which we do not want to see now or in the future. 

Now, we are already experiencing several symptoms of a dying earth such as the violent thunderstorms here and abroad, twisters, earthquakes, floods, heatwaves, and sea level rise. The movies are just science fictions but they all carry a message to us all. Let us not wait for these movies become a reality.

Gardening, A Gratifying Hobby

Gardening has been my mom's favorite past times. She would wake up early in the morning so she could water her plants. She does this every day in spite of her busy schedule. She has a great garden with different types of flowering plants, shrubs, and other green and ornamental plants. She also takes care of herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, oregano and onion springs.

You can say that our home looks like a jungle. We have two huge trees on the front yard. Bougainvilleas of different varieties which adorn and provide privacy to our home are planted near the gate. Several planter boxes planted with Chinese tea trees were also lined up in a row to add more green to our yard. While her garden of flowers, herbs, bushes are located in our backyard. She also takes care of several wild orchids such as the spider orchids, tiger orchids, yellow dancing ladies and several more orchids which names I am not familiar with. She bought some of these plants online while the rest are given by her colleagues, friends, students, neighbors and relatives who share her passion in gardening.

Unfortunately, I do not share her talent in gardening. I did try though. I used to have my collection of cacti. I also tried planting trees. However, they will either wilt or wither so after several tries, I gave up and leave gardening to the experts and those who are gifted with a green thumb. It is kind of ironic though since both my parents and my grandparents on both sides have green thumbs. But in spite of being a failure in gardening, I still love plants. I appreciate their importance to our lives especially the values they teach us. And just like a great quote from Linda Solegato goes, "Plants give us oxygen for the lungs, and for the soul."

Dream Vacation

 

A few weeks ago, my dream vacation had finally came true. It is nothing like the luxurious trip to the Bahamas or a European tour. We are not cruising as well. We will be visiting my aunt, my father's younger sister who lives in the country. I have been there countless of times in the past especially during spring breaks. It is like my second home. However, since I started working and my mom adopted the plants which our former neighbors left behind we do not have a chance of going away to visit my aunt. She is worried that her plants will die without her caring touch. I was excited that my mom had finally accepted my aunt's invitation to stay with them for at least a week. I miss my aunt, her cooking, and the fresh air of the country side. And the only reason why she agreed to it was because my brother accepted to house-sit, dog sit and plant sit. She also realize the convenience of the Planter Well self watering reservoirs. 

I bought the self watering reservoir so I could convince her that she does not have to water the plants everyday. She was not thrilled about it complaining that she can water the plants herself and ask me to return the item with finality. Thankfully she listened to my explanation that the planter will do wonders to her plants but that is with the assistance of my brother. We also reached a compromise that the self watering planter stays if it is really working otherwise we will return the item. I was crossing my fingers that the planter is functional. I sighed in relief when it did. My mom was unhappy but accepted her defeat. 

The seven day vacation in the country side is perfect. It is so much better than cruising the Caribbean. I just love the relaxing effect of fresh air and the smell of green grass. It is so peaceful that I want to stay there forever. And in spite of my mom's complaints, I know she loves the country side too.

Your Dream House

What is your dream house? Would you prefer to have a big one or small one? Have you already thought of the design that you want? I know everyone has its own dream house. A house that you can live, spend and enjoy life with your family. As for me, I am not really dreaming of a grandiose and luxurious house but a simple house is already good for me as long I'm with my loved ones.

Whether you have a big or small house, home decorating is a great way to improve your home and give a more appealing look. Mostly, in western countries they are not really after the exterior design of the house, rather they check the interior design of it. This includes the paint color, the design of the rooms, the kitchen and even the space inside. However, for some people who are really concerned about the outside look of their house, they make sure that it is pleasing to the eye. A friend of mine once said that no matter how cheap or expensive of your design or decor as long as it gives a positive and beautiful outcome, it is still acceptable.

I've been to a lot of places and I have visited a lot of houses too and I was really amazed how these designers and architects create such a great architectural design. House designs may differ from country to country. For example in western countries, many people choose house designs with exterior shutters to protect their windows against different weather conditions. While some countries prefer bigger houses to give enough space for children to play and for visitors. 

Building a house is a dream but finishing it is a nightmare because this isn't a joke. This would require more time, effort and of course money. To make your dream house become a reality, be realistic.