Successful Gardening During the Autumn Season

Gardening in the fall is much less popular than during the spring and summer. People tend to avoid fall gardening because they are worried that cold and frost of the impending winter will kill their crops. This is a valid consideration.

However, gardening in the fall can produce wonderful fruits and vegetables that taste just as great as those you harvested earlier in the year.

What Kinds of Fall Produce Can Be Grown?

You can produce a variety of fruits and vegetables in the fall, just as you can in the summer and spring. Choosing the veggies you want to grow is largely a matter of preference.

You can still grow a variety of crops in the fall, even ones that thrive in the warm weather. Crops such as potatoes, peppers, okra, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes all can be grown until the frost and cold weather settles in.

Not all crops, however, are ideal for fall gardening. Some may stop producing vegetables in the late summer. Among them are summer squash, cucumbers, snap-beans.

It may still be possible to grow these vegetables in the fall, as long as you begin planting them by mid-summer. However, once the first bout of cold weather and frost barges in, you will probably not be able to keep them.

Some vegetables can withstand the cold more than others, being able to withstand exposure to frost and low temperatures several times. Others will not be able to survive more than a mild frost or two.

Where is the Best Location for Fall Gardening?

The best climates for gardening in the fall are geographies with moderate climates, such as the southern states. These regions do not get cold weather as early or often as those further north of the equator.

Growing Your Fall Vegetables

You should choose vegetables that grow quickly so you will be able to take full advantage of the crop yields before the weather gets too cold. Purchase seeds that are suitable for the late season.

Figuring out when to begin planting your vegetables is also key to growing your veggies in the fall. You have to know approximately when the weather is likely to start getting cold in order to estimate the right time to plant your vegetables.

One of the best ways to determine when to plant vegetables for the late fall is by consulting a Farmer’s Almanac. This will help you to predict the time frame of the first likely frost. Next you will need to find out how long it will take your plants to grow and begin producing crops to determine the exact date to plant the vegetables.

When it comes time to actually put your vegetables into the ground, you should take the time to clear your garden of any already-existing crops from the spring or summer. Clean and weed the garden just as you would for the first time in the spring. Otherwise, you could wind up with plant killing diseases and bacteria in your soil.

Fall gardening is typically more unpredictable than gardening in the summer, but it is still a great way to enjoy fresh vegetables well into the cooler months.…

Modern Mantels: New Shapes and Styles

In our grandparents’ homes, the traditional mantel was a simple wooden shelf filled with photographs and sentimental knick knacks from a long happy life with family and friends. These days, many modern mantels are still made of wood, but there are dozens of new shapes and styles made popular by contemporary designers and home interior specialists. These styles work for any type of fireplace: whether wood burning, gas, electric, or simply a faux fireplace for decorative purposes only.

Here is a look at just a few of the new shapes and styles that modern mantels may feature:

Tiered Look

Instead of a simple mantel shelf, a tiered mantel will look like several layers of shelves stacked one on top of the other. This is sometimes called a cascading tiered mantel, as the bottom tier will usually be significantly shorter than the tier above it, until you reach the top tier that is the actual mantel shelf. There are many materials that these mantels are made from, with many woods and metals being the most common choice for homeowners today. Maple, cherry, mahogany, pine, and unfinished woods can be used to create this modern style, and the cost can average between four hundred dollars and several thousand dollars, depending on the style, brand name and whether the mantle is custom built.

Wood and Marble Combinations

Thousands of home interior design specialists choose some combination of wood, marble, or both as a modern mantel shelf, and combinations are becoming a very trendy choice for a contemporary look. Pairing light colored wood with dark colored marble, or vice versa, creates a striking and beautiful contrast, and this contrasting style is one of the trendiest available today. Most designers choose a contrast for the room, such as light against dark or dark against light, and then introduce pops of color via accessories to dress up the rest of the room.

Marble and Stone Looks

Although stone may sound like an out of date mantel style, it can be a very beautiful addition to any home if paired with modern styles and shapes. For instance, if you have a stone mantel shelf, you can add a contemporary wall artwork above it; or pair the stone mantel with a marble tile backdrop to create a fabulous and modern design of your own. You can also use unique shapes, such as a mantle shelf that is longer on one side, ultra thin or in a geometric shape.

Floor-to-Ceiling Designs

One of the most popular modern shapes or styles is to build a mantel that extends from the floor to the ceiling around the fireplace. This type of mantel is a beautifully undeniable focal point and it can make the room feel larger and more spacious overall. This is a great option if the ceiling is slightly low or angled because it will give the room an open feel. You can use a wide variety of materials for this shape, including wood, marble, stone, granite, and much more.…

The Importance Of Interior Design Websites

Do-it-yourself activities have become the hobby of people around the world. There is an entire library available nowadays on the Internet full of materials related to the decoration of the house as more people spend their free time changing the aspect of their homes.

Luckily, many magazines and websites respond to the growing need of information about home decoration. A recent research has proven that visitors find interior design websites very useful and as a consequence, they often resort to them in such situations. Unlike other means of communication, architecture portals are free and they may be consulted anytime and anywhere.

One of the main reasons why people like interior design sites is the multitude of decor ideas and color schemes therein. In addition to the wonderful pictures that administrators provide for their customers, the portals give information about the places where these accessories or similar products may be purchased to achieve the same look.

Some sites have an online shop furnished with interior decorations, so people can find all the products they need in the same place. It is this option as well as other services, such as, free delivery and assembly that have convinced people of the utility of these sites. Customers can thus, save money and time by simply accessing one of these online shops.

Whether you are looking for tutorials or tips about the refurbishment of the furniture or the painting of the walls, these websites contain all the necessary advices for you to stylishly decorate your house. In addition, you may be redirected towards the blogs of famous home decorators that can offer you specialized consultancy for your problems.

There are many advantages that come along with interior design websites, so you should not be afraid to skim through their pages whenever you want to partially or totally change the aspect of your house. You may finally get the right answer for all your questions and purchase all the products you need with no effort at all thanks to the numerous interior design portals.…

Interior Design – Getting Professional Advice For Free

Decorating a room can be a daunting task, especially if you, like me, are creatively challenged. However, if you know where to look, you’ll find that you can get some fantastic professional advise without it costing you a penny.

1. High Street Stores

High street stores know that the best way to sell their decorative products is to display them in an appealing way. For this reason, they hire whole teams of interior designers to plan and produce their display rooms. Basing your design on one of theirs couldn’t be simpler, and the best part is you can usually pick up everything you need from one store.

On top of this, stores often hire designers that will help you plan your design. This leads to more sales for the store, and a more professional interior design for you, so it’s a win-win situation.

2. The Internet

The internet is a fantastic place to find images of stunning decoration. Within a matter of minutes you can begin a collection of pictures of color schemes, wallpapers, furniture, wall hangings, drapes and so on. Print them all out and use them to brainstorm your design.

There are also a number of interior design forums where you can discuss decorating with other like-minded individuals. You will be amazed at the amount of free help you will get from places like this, and you may even make some new friends along the way.

3. Television

With the recent explosion of property, DIY, and home decorating shows, these are fantastic places to pick up tips, advise, and design ideas. The next time you’re enjoying an evening in front of the TV, seek out a few of these programs, grab a notepad, and write down anything that stands out as interesting or useful.

By keeping your eyes open and thinking laterally, you will find that you can find plenty of free design ideas and advise to help you plan out your next room decoration.…

Tips For Interior Design on a Budget

Most people dream of having a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing home that is filled with neat things. This home of their dreams is usually decorated professionally with all of the best products that money can buy. While this dream sometimes only unfolds in a person’s dream life, and not reality, there are specific ways to bring aspects of that dream to life without breaking the budget. To do so, you simply need to follow some principles for interior design on a limited budget.

First, recognize that every expensive product has an inexpensive counterpart. Know the prices that your desired items can usually command, and then know a target price for which you’d like to find the item or items. This will aid greatly in your search and will keep you from making erroneous decisions. In order to find discounted prices, know where to shop. You may find that discount home stores carry the same, or similar, products to expensive stores, but that the prices are reduced by large percentages. Also, recognize that even the most expensive stores and catalogs have sales, eventually. By waiting it out a little bit and monitoring the items on your wish list, you can usually find them at a reduced price, if you have the patience and discipline to do so.

Another option is to shop flea markets, yard sales, and other second hand sales. If you are willing to search through the junk, you may find pieces that will fit perfectly into your interior design scheme for pennies on the dollar compared to buying new. Another way to buy used is to use the Internet. There are a few websites out there that allow people to list their unwanted items that are either for sale or being given away. If you are picky and patient enough on these sites, they can prove to be a perfect tool by which to accomplish your interior design dreams. Make sure to take advantage of the buyer protections offered on these sites, and never send cash through the mail, however.

A final option to consider in your quest for great interior design on a limited budget is to make as many pieces yourself as possible. Window coverings are a great example of an area where you can save tremendously. By watching for fabric sales and investing a little bit of time and energy, you can make window coverings for pennies on the dollar of what they are sold for even at sale prices. There are plenty of other items that you can craft yourself, as well. This gives your home a personal touch as well as helps you stay on track with your budget.…

Understanding Hydroponic, Aeroponic, and Aquaponic Gardening Using Great Indoor Garden Ideas

If you have ever desired to have a garden indoors, all you need is get one of the great indoor garden ideas that you can put into action and add that fresh and vibrant appeal to your home. Imagine having all the sweet and refreshing scent of blossoming flowers inside your house. If you delight on having your own home-grown fruits and vegetables, you can also have it at the comfort of your own home. With science and technology, indoor vegetable gardening is now possible. Imagine growing tomatoes indoors, or how about growing different herbs or fruits? The choices are endless!

One of those indoor garden ideas that will be ideal for people like you is indoor hydroponics. With hydroponic gardening, you would be able to have your own indoor garden without the worries of frequent climatic changes or requirements for soil or pesticides as you will not need them to grow your fruits, vegetables or flowers. Hence, you will not be bothered about external factors that may affect the growth of your plants. You can be assured that you will be happily growing your plants all year-round, may it be winter, spring summer or fall.

So how can you get started with indoor gardening using the hydroponic systems? One of the easier ways is to have an aeroponic system in place and secure the basic requirements which include a pump to control water, reservoir, a growing tray and a pump that will supply the oxygen and hydroponics nutrients. You may also need fiber to support the roots in replacement of soil. You just have to ensure that the system is absorbent to effectively retain water and air.

You also need to have indoor grow lights – you can choose to have LED grow lights or CFL grow lights, which are both popular for its low energy usage and low heat output. You also need to build grow rooms where you can grow your plants. It could be located anywhere – from your basement, living room, corridor, garage, rooftop to your bedroom. With this type of indoor garden ideas, you can easily fit more plants into a smaller area since the roots are much smaller and won’t need to expand to find nutrients.

Hydroponic gardening will also greatly reduce maintenance time as you no longer have to weed and water your plants as compared to traditional gardening. As long as you have an aquaponics system in place, you will have a good chance of growing your plants effectively. In fact, if you want it to be completely hassle-free, you can buy hydroponic equipment which is a self-contained growing chamber. This is going to be your ultimate indoor greenhouse! However, you can always stick to the basic resources for indoor garden ideas if you want to start small.

Indoor gardening is actually a fun way to make use of your green thumb and develop a hobby or even start a business. With hydroponic indoor gardening, you can grow your favorite herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers at the comfort of your own house. Hence, Hydroponic gardening is the one of the best indoor garden ideas that you can use to fulfill your love for gardening.…

You may have seen greenhouses in magazines or movies, but have you ever thought of building one of your own? While greenhouses may seem to be a luxury, they actually have many practical benefits. Consider just four reasons you may want to add one of these useful structures to your yard.

1. Raise a Greater Variety of Plants

Unless you live in the tropics, there is likely a long list of plants that you cannot raise during the winter. For many homeowners, this means investing in evergreens and perennials that are hardy enough to make it through colder weather. Because you can supply heat to your greenhouse and greenhouse windows allow sunlight to reach your garden, these structures enable you to grow tropical flowers, fruits, and delicate seedlings.

2. Use Fewer Chemicals

Another perk of gardening within the confines of a greenhouse is that you can shut out insects and other pests. This way, you may be able to keep your plants healthy while using little to no pesticide.

3. Don’t Worry About Sudden Temperature Changes

Many gardening enthusiasts are familiar with the late-night rush to cover up flowers and delicate plants before an unexpected frost. Greenhouse owners don’t have to worry about their plants being damaged by sudden cold weather in this way.

4. Enjoy Nature All Year Long

Finally, owning a greenhouse gives you the chance to work with plants in every season. Instead of putting away all your gardening gear in the fall, you can focus on your indoor plants when the outdoor weather becomes harsh. This may brighten up long winters.

While building a greenhouse can be a rather big investment initially, you will no doubt find that it is entirely worth it once spring and summer come to a close. You can enjoy raising your own healthy foods and fostering the growth of beautiful plants all while the ground outside is frozen.

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