Home Improvement | Home Grown

Notes on Choosing Garden Pond Plants

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Notes on Choosing Garden Pond Plants

When you decide that you want to add plants to your water features, ponds or water gardens, there are certain considerations that you are going to want to make. There are essentially six different types of aquatic plants that you can install in your pond garden as need. In general, if you want your plants to be at their very best in your pond environment then you are going to want to make sure that they are being planted in completely full sunlight.

Approximately a third of your pond surface area should be considered to be the maximum amount of surface area for you to cover in your pond. Many plants are going to grow and spread at a very alarming rate, so it is important to be aware of what plants you are placing in your pond and what they are capable of doing so that you do not end up overwhelming your pond. You should make sure that you are providing pond plants for your pond life, because fish enjoy plants. Some plants are better suited for certain types of fish. Consider these four types of pond plants:

1. Water lilies are a favorite plant. They come in many different varieties in a seemingly endless selection of colors, sizes and even smells. Some water lilies bloom during the day and others only bloom during the night.

2. Marginals are shallow plants, also known as bog plants, and they generally have a medium depth.

3. Floating plants, such as the water hyacinth, are another consideration. They can grow out of control quickly if you do not keep an eye on them and keep them trimmed to proper size while growing in your water feature.

4. Oxygenator plants are the most important plants that you can put in your pond or water feature because they are going to add to the oxygen level of your pond. This is important for keeping other pond plants healthy and will also benefit your fish, improving their health and well being.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Pond, Water, Water garden

Home Improvement to Build Better Back Yards

A home is a family’s sanctuary, and the better you and your family feel about the home, the more time they will want to spend there. With some additions to your back yard, you can upgrade by leaps and bounds the home that you live in.

1. Building a deck – One of the great features about owning a home in the city is the ability to get outside and enjoy some fresh air within the comforts of your own home. Everyone likes to barbecue, and having a place to do that is a great way to make your home the place to be. Decks can be a little pricey, but oh so accommodating for family and friend get-togethers. With several thousand dollars, a pretty nice deck can add quality of living to your home.

2. Add a hot tub – Nothing sounds better after a long day than coming home from work, enjoying a nice meal and spending some time in the relaxing hot water of a hot tub. If you’ve built the deck, make sure you save room for the impending hot tub. Hot tubs are probably less expensive than the deck but a nice feature to add to the home. With just a little maintenance, the hot tube can stay clean and ready for additional use.

3. Think about shade with planting trees – Nothing is better than spending time in the back yard on a hot summer day, than enjoying some time outside in the shade of your own trees. If you’re a new home owner, getting some trees in early will pay dividends within just a few short years.

4. Add a fire pit – One of the least expensive ways to add flavor to your home is adding an element like a fire pit.

With planning and stage development, you can build your yard piece by piece. Add small items like the trees and fire pit early, then build accordingly.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Fire pit, hottub

How to add Value to Your Home With the Addition of a Water Garden

Nothing adds character to your living space quite like the addition of a water garden. The sound of running water is priceless and the accompanying plants and flowers that you can grow add character and even value to the home you spend time in.

If you’re concerned about the price or just aren’t a fix-it-up kind of person, most people can install a water garden by themselves, without professional help, all in the span of a weekend and for a price that just about any budget can afford.

1. Got a shovel – The first thing you need to do is purchase the water feature. Once home mark the area where you are going to install and dig a hole that is deep and wide enough to accommodate your new purchase.

2. Install the under liner – The underlayer of this project helps protect the plastic from tears from roots and rocks. Once the underlayer is down, spread the plastic over the top and secure both pieces with something heavy.

3. Make sure the pump is positioned correctly – Make sure the pump is at the correct height and make sure it is secure. This would be a great time to add the additional features that you are going to have around the water garden. Things like rocks, statues and anything that meets your fancy.

4. Finish the project – Ok so you’ve got a water feature now it’s time to fill it with water. Be careful to monitor the liner and all features so they do not expand during filling. Trip off any excess plastic and put any additional decorative items you have around the pond before testing your finished project.

Installing a water garden in your back yard is relatively easy and not that time consuming. Your guests will appreciate the added feature and prospective home buyers will certainly notice the addition when it’s time to see your home.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Home, Water garden

What Tools you Should Have for Home Improvement

A lot of people aren’t great at fixing thing around the house and even worse when they don’t have the tools they need. to do the job right.

If you’re not so great in the fix it yourself department, a couple of starter or basic tools can get you headed in the right direction without having to call the expensive repairman every time.

The first thing you need to do is buy a socket set and a set of end-wrenches. Many people think they can get by with a simple crescent wrench and a vice-grips, but a crescent wrench tends to strip bolts and isn’t sufficient for most house-hold fix it projects. A socket set is a set of wrenches from about 3/8 size to 1 inch. They fit snugly over just about any care or house-hold item that needs fixing.

Scenario one: It’s the middle of winter and the temperature is below zero. You walk out to start the car and you find the battery is dead. You grab the crescent wrench that strips the bolts holding the battery in, and it costs you the price of a two-truck, a cab to work, a new battery and new bolts to hold the battery together. – Price $400.

Scenario two: You have the proper tools, and you find the battery dead. Within minutes you unhook the dead battery with your proper tools. Your wife takes you to the auto-repair store and you have the new battery installed within an hour. – Price $100

Another great set of tools that everyone needs is the proper screwdrivers. Don’t buy the cheapest brands and have three different sizes (small, medium and large) of flathead and Phillips screwdrivers.

Sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers are the essential tools that help even the most feeble of home repair experts save money in the long run.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Screwdriver, Wrench

Increase Your Home Value by Planting Trees

If you’re a new homeowner or have recently moved into a new property, before you update the kitchen or put new floors throughout the house, plant some trees.

Trees take a while to grow into their full potential, so it’s crucial to get them started while your home ownership is in its infancy.

Ok, so what’s the real value of adding trees to your property? Estimates vary, but most sources suggest the addition of trees to your home add from 10 to 15 percent to the value of your home. That is an investment that is not only going to give back when and if you sell the home, but provide years of joy for you and your family.

While gardening takes hard labor, trees tend to do most of the work on their own. You plant them, you water them a lot in their first few years, and then you water them in accordance with the rest of your lawn and the trees should do just fine.

Some things to consider before you do start increasing the value of your home through planting trees.

1. Do some research on the internet to find the types of trees that do well in your geographic location.

2. Consider the maintenance of your trees. If you plant the giant ok or a weeping willow, you are going to deal with leaves in the fall as the seasons change. If you don’t mind the work that comes with leaf raking, plant on. If you’re looking for something a little less labor intensive, an evergreen or blue spruce might be a better option.

3. Consider the area where you are planting, and envision where the tree will be in 30 years. Planting under power lines or over sewer or power lines is never recommended.

Home beautification is essential to the property value of your home, but get on it, and let the years be kind to your back yard.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Plant, Tree

Selling your Home? Renovate it according to Buyers’ Perspective

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It is a good idea to keep renovating your home to maintain its beauty. Normally, when we are living in our home and have no plans to sell it, we renovate our home on the basis of our own requirements and preferences. We may like dark colors in our living room and we may prefer having breakfast bar in our kitchen instead of having a dining table. We may get fascinated by our newly decorated living room and new kitchen but in case we are planning to sell our home, the same renovation ideas might not work as the buyers might not get impressed by the same things that keep fascinating us in our home.

It is always a good idea to renovate your home before listing it in market for sale. In order to sell your home you must think from a buyer’s perspective while considering about renovating your home. Nowadays, not only the prices of homes have come down but selling home in U.S has become tough and very competitive as compared with few years ago due to the economical crisis. There are more sellers as compared with buyers. Hence, to get your home sold quickly it is vital that you know the mind of your target buyers and present your home accordingly.

In case, if you are not satisfied about the presentation of your home from selling point of view then you can think about consulting some good renovation company. These days, one can find a number of renovation companies that not help people to renovate their home from living point of view but also from selling point of view as well. Before putting your house on sale, it is also a good idea to get it assessed from a good home inspection team like Naples home inspectors so that you could already know and fix the potential problems in your home that could otherwise make you lower down your asking price or could become a hindrance in the smooth sale of your home. While renovating your home and getting it assessed you must not worry about the expenditure as these things are definitely going to increase the value of your home and can make your home “Sold” quickly.

Filed Under: Home Improvement

Upgrade Your Yard by Installing a Water Garden

You know that sound a stream or river makes when you’re visiting the great outdoors? There is something about that ‘babbling’ brook sound that calms the nerves and makes every worry in the world seem to fade into the background.

By installing a water garden into your backyard, that same calm, peaceful feeling can be achieved all within the comfy confines of your own home.

Not only will the water garden upgrade the ambiance in your backyard, but birds and butterflies will inundate your living space, creating a much admired aviary right in your own backyard.

Sounds nice right, but there’s gotta be a catch like two weeks of back breaking manual labor or thousands of dollars to hire a professional for installation purposes.

Not necessarily!

Smaller water gardens can be installed by two people over the course of a weekend. If you’re handy with tools, that project can probably be accomplished within a day.

Couple things to be on the lookout during your pre-planning phase. For the very beginners, flexible liners are recommended. Do not just put plastic down, you need an actually liner that is supposed to be used for water gardens. Typical rule of thumb is, the thicker your liner is the longer it is going to last. Another thing to look for is the color of your liner! Over time, the natural light in your yard is going to degrade the liner so on your initial buy, look for a liner that has enhanced UV protection.

Not satisfied with a common pond? The internet is a great source for home improvement projects like water gardens. Whether it’s a fish pond or a waterfall, within minutes you should have access to some pretty good information and tips.

If there is one summer project that needs completing at your house this year, it’s the installation of a water garden.

Filed Under: Gardening, Home Improvement Tagged With: Garden, Water garden

Make Your House the Home You’ve Always Wanted

Home improvement sound like a lot of work and many home owners simply go with what they have, but with a little elbow grease and some slight upgrades you can improve the look and feel of your home.

Tips and tricks for home improvement:

1. Choose the right colors and get on with painting – For many first-time home buyers that have been cramped into small apartments, you’re used to seeing white and beige in the rented apartments. Try something completely out of your normal color spectrum. If you’re not into maroon or purple stick with neutral colors like grey and brown that have the appearance of more color but don’t stick out like a sore thumb.

2. Get comfortable – So many people arrange their house so that it looks nice. While that is great if you’re having company every night, remember you have to live in the house and it needs to be fully functional and something that reminds you that living in a home is supposed to be comfortable. Try arranging the living room so you and your spouse can be close during the evening hours.

3. Get your windows fixed – Nothing brightens up a room more than some natural light spilling through the windows. Without spending a lot of money try upgrading to a bigger bay window in one of the bigger room of the house. More light equals a calmer, more serene fell to the home.

4. Add plants or photos to your home decor – A little green in your home goes a long way towards changing the appeal of the home. If you’re a notorious plant killer, try something that needs very little maintenance. Crusty old paintings need to be stored in the garage, but a new fresh family photo or a designated photo wall can be a real conversation piece of people coming to your home.

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Tulip Tagged With: Home improvement, Living room

Slight Home Improvement Dramatically Improve the Value of Your Home

If you’ve ever watched any Home Improvement shows like Property Virgins it becomes clear rather quickly that new home buyers are looking for the special little touches that make a house, a home.

New home buyers look at a dilapidated back yard and they can’t quite envision that comfy little place where they can kick back and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Many new home buyers don’t have any experience in landscaping or land beautification so they simply dismiss your home as a non option.

Some simple upgrades can make your home more desirable for your family and ultimately for any prospective buyers.

1. Create a comfortable place to grill – Who doesn’t like grilling in the summertime? A home with an area that seats guests and has a barbeque area or open pit fire is going to seem much more appealing to an interested buyer.

2. Make the landscaping easier – People are busy these days and the very idea of having to cut acres of grass, trim hedges and continually apply maintenance to the yard may not be desirable to some new home buyers. Planting some leafless trees (evergreens/pine) keep the yard free from leaves in the fall yet provide some shade. Landscaping that does not require watering or cutting is also appealing to new home buyers.

3. Invest in a deck – Nothing spruces up the back yard more than having the rustic feel of a deck on your property. The wood finish of a well put together deck is appealing to the eye and significantly upgrades the resale value of the home.

With a few thousand dollars in property upgrades to your home, you may increase the resale value of the home ten-fold. If you’re not in the market to sell your home, the immediate benefits to your family will still be well worth the investment.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Buyer, Home improvement

Building an Easy to Assemble Gazebo for My Back Yard

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The other day I was online doing a little research on landscaping and back yard garden design when I ran across a few pictures that featured very nice Gazebos. At that moment, I decided that I really wanted one of those in our yard. I am not much of a handyman but figured with a few of my friends helping we could get one built pretty easily. I did a little research and found a company online that had a nice line of outdoor structures. There was a choice of materials to choose from and even a few different styles.

We ended up going with a gazebo made of treated wood. The structure itself was delivered quickly and it did require assembly. However, I did not have to measure and cut boards and build it from scratch. It came as a nice, easy to assemble kit that I had up, with the help of a few neighbors, in no time. The building makes a great addition to our back yard. We now spend even more time, if that is possible, enjoying our yard. And another nice thing about it is that we can now sit out back under the cover of a roof and enjoy a rain shower during the warm months.

I love spending time in my back yard. In fact, I probably spend more time out there than I do inside my home when the weather is nice. I find working in my garden very stress relieving. I also love to entertain out there and have a deck with a large hot tub on it. We also have a nice outdoor fire pit and a place to roast oysters when they are in season. It is funny as I am often told by friends that we probably bought this home for the back yard and not the inside. It might be true.The other day I was online doing a little research on landscaping and back yard garden design when I ran across a few pictures that featured very nice Gazebos. At that moment, I decided that I really wanted one of those in our yard. I am not much of a handyman but figured with a few of my friends helping we could get one built pretty easily. I did a little research and found a company online that had a nice line of outdoor structures. There was a choice of materials to choose from and even a few different styles.We ended up going with a gazebo made of treated wood. The structure itself was delivered quickly and it did require assembly. However, I did not have to measure and cut boards and build it from scratch. It came as a nice, easy to assemble kit that I had up, with the help of a few neighbors, in no time. The building makes a great addition to our back yard. We now spend even more time, if that is possible, enjoying our yard. And another nice thing about it is that we can now sit out back under the cover of a roof and enjoy a rain shower during the warm months.

Filed Under: DIY, Home Improvement Tagged With: Back garden, Gazebo, Outdoor Structures

Notes on Choosing Garden Pond Plants

Home Improvement to Build Better Back Yards

How to add Value to Your Home With the Addition of a Water Garden

What Tools you Should Have for Home Improvement

Increase Your Home Value by Planting Trees

Selling your Home? Renovate it according to Buyers’ Perspective

Upgrade Your Yard by Installing a Water Garden

Make Your House the Home You’ve Always Wanted

Slight Home Improvement Dramatically Improve the Value of Your Home

Building an Easy to Assemble Gazebo for My Back Yard

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