backyard greenhouse

     If you are like most gardening enthusiasts, you have probably considered and dreamed of having your very own greenhouse only to find your backyard too small or shady to actually pursue your dream.

          Two of the most important considerations that must be made, though, before selecting any hobby greenhouse are size and location.  If space is limited, a practical option would be a lean-to greenhouse or an attached greenhouse. These greenhouses are physically attached to another building, such as a house, garage, or shed.  Lean-to greenhouses and attached greenhouses are ideal for gardeners who wish to use the greenhouse only seasonally, and who may wish only to grow a small selection of plants. Larger hobby greenhouses are free-standing and can hold more plants, flowers, and vegetables. Larger greenhouses can also support a longer growing season. Importantly, upgrading to a larger size greenhouse can be more expensive than starting with a larger greenhouse in the first place, so thinking ahead to future gardening needs is a must.

     The best location for a hobby greenhouse is a level, well-drained site that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. If the local climate includes heavy rains, a well-drained site will help prevent drainage problems in and around the greenhouse. A drainage system may be necessary, though, if a site with good drainage is not available. Sunlight is, of course, a major consideration when locating a hobby greenhouse. To grow plants in late fall and winter, a greenhouse should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. However, if the greenhouse will be used mainly for starting seeds and transplants in the summer, then an area with partial shade would be ideal. Partial shade will help minimize heat build-up in the afternoon. In general, greenhouses should be positioned so that the ends face east and west; this will allow for the best heat gain during the winter and minimize shadowing.

     Happy Gardening and Harvesting!

Infrared Suana

Dr. Oz on Oprah is raving about a hot new way to burn calories and  extend your life!   A person can burn up to 700 calories by using an Infrared Suana for only 30 minutes.

Infrared heat works by heating only the object or person in the path of the heat waves.  In addition to burning calories, this suana can extend your life by adding numerous  health benefits.  The infrared waves penetrate the body, providing soothing relief for aches, pains, and tensions without causing any harmful efffects to the skin.  It can help relieve these ailments: asthma, nervous tension, arthritis, high blood pressure, bronchitis, rheumatism, bruises and burns, sports injuries, common cold, migraine headaches, muscle pain, and influenza.  Using an infrared sauna increases skin & body temperature, causing sweat & oils to be secreted from the body. At the same time, the harmful toxins that are dissolved in these sweat & oils are secreted as well. This cleansing of toxins can help relieve a variety of symptoms and diseases, including depression, stress, heart disease, digestive disorders, asthma, allergies, high cholesterol, muscle pain, anxiety, headaches, acne, and joint stiffness.

Spending just 30 minutes in an infrared heatwave sauna can burn up to 700 calories, thus being a great weight loss tool. The calories are burned in the perspiration process. The fluid lost can be replaced by drinking water, but the calories burned will not be replaced.

What do you do with all of those pesky leaves once you’ve raked them from your lawn?  This situation creates a yearly dilemma for many people because yard waste, including autumn leaves, makes up for about 20 percent of what is dumped into our landfills.  Tossing those leaves into the trash is not something that most homeowners wish to do.  Some communities, mine included, allow homeowners to burn yard waste.  This is neither a healthy or environmentally safe option.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Burning leaves and other yard wastes pollutes the air and can lead to uncontrolled fires. Leaf smoke can make breathing difficult for people who suffer from asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or allergies.”  

Alternatively, some communities offer yard waste recycling, which is the best option, but it is not always ideal.  In my own community, we are only permitted to put out two yard waste bags each week for pick up.  We don’t have a forest of trees in our yard, but the few that we do have shed enough leaves to fill at least six or eight yard waste bags.  The challenge is finding space in our garage to store the full bags until the next time yard waste is picked up.

Another way to recycle those fallen leaves is to compost them.  Composting leaves, along with other yard waste and kitchen scraps, not only helps to get rid of a messy problem, but provides valuable mulch — for free — that can be used to cover and protect garden beds over the winter months.  Many compost bins can be used year-round, too, so over the winter, you can “stock up” on mulch to use when spring comes around again.

outdoor infrared patio heater

The outdoor entertaining area is becoming increasingly popular and we all yearn to enjoy those long warm evenings in our backyards, on the deck or patio entertaining friends and family. Unfortunately the weather does not always allow us to do this. Infrared outdoor heaters make the perfect solution. Infrared outdoor patio heaters will keep everyone warm, even after the sun has gone down. These heaters provide the only form of heat which does not blow away, enabling you to enjoy the tranquility of your patio or garden throughout the year.

Infrared patio heaters produce radiant heat like the sun, warming people and objects and not the air in between, producing the only form of heat that will not blow away. This makes them ideal for any windy areas both inside and out.

Some benefits include

Sandbox Cover

Are you tired of raking out the debris that gets into your children’s sandbox?  Are you looking for a Sandbox Cover or tarp to fit your existing swing set, fort, or free standing Sandbox?

Sandbox Covers are essential for keeping roaming cats and other domestic or wild animals from soiling your sandbox. They also help keep leaves, pine needles, grass, and other natural debris out of your clean sand. Helping kids stay safe during play time in the sandbox means providing the box with a snug fitting cover when the sandbox is not in use.

Posted in Family Fun Tagged: Sandbox Cover, sandbox covers ]]> http://backyardcity.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/sandbox-cover-keeps-debris-out/feed/ 0 amohler Sandbox-Cover-Green-Small http://backyardcity.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/storagetrak-shed-garage-storage/ http://backyardcity.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/storagetrak-shed-garage-storage/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:38:32 +0000 smay51571 http://backyardcity.wordpress.com/?p=520 ]]>

Winter is on our doorstep.  Yard work is coming to an end for the season.  What will do you do with all of the spare time you’ll have once the garden has been put to bed until spring?  OK – maybe you won’t have a significant amount of free time this winter, but I bet you’ll have just enough to organize your storage shed or garage.  Perhaps it’s a project you’ve been wanting to accomplish for a while, but you haven’t found enough time.  Winter is the perfect time to clear out the old and unused yard and garden tools and organize what’s left.  With a storage system like StorageTrak, you can install and organize your yard gear in less time and with less money than if you used any other kind of storage system.

StorageTrak is a modular storage system constructed of steel grid wall panels that allow you to take advantage of unused wall space.  StorageTrak is lightweight, can be installed in just a few minutes, and is sturdy enough to hold heavy equipment, unlike other storage systems.  Hang your yard tools, golf clubs, bicycles, and any other equipment that usually gets in the way and takes up precious floor space in the garage or shed.  StorageTrak works well in basements, pantries, and pool cabanas, too.

Safari-Tailgate

It’s the last great American neighborhood  – the tailgating neighborhood.  Where no one locks their doors, everyone is happy to see you and all are together sharing fun, food and football!

And nothing smells better than the mouth-watering aroma of burgers, chicken, or vegetables sizzling and roasting on a grill. Tailgating is  not quite complete unless there is something delicious cooking on the grill.

There are many different sizes and types of  portable grills to choose from-BBQ Grills, Gas Grills, Charcoal Grills. Find one that is easy to clean.  And if you choose a table-top grill, make sure it is sturdy as well as functional.  Most are made for easy storage too.

After you take the time to prepare and cut your firewood for the cold months of winter, you’ll need to store it properly to keep it dry.  Stacking firewood on the ground next to a shed or garage is a common approach to storing firewood all winter, but moisture, termites, and other insects can easily damage the wood, spoiling your hard work and reducing the amount of usable firewood you have.  The best solution is to use an Outdoor Firewood Rack.  These sturdy racks keep firewood raised off of the ground, away from moisture and insects.  Plus, raised outdoor firewood racks help firewood dry for easier and safer burning.  A variety of sizes are available to meet each home owner’s individual firewood needs.

Almost everyone needs some extra storage space for those garden tools, lawnmowers and leaf blowers etc. and this shed makes the perfect tool and small equipment shed.

Many home owners are reluctant to retreat indoors when the weather begins to grow cold.  Winters can seem extraordinarily long sometimes, so extending the time we can spend outside in the cooler months is a natural desire.  A number of options exist for keeping warm on the back patio, but probably the most beautiful one is the chimenea outdoor fireplace.

Traditionally, chimenea outdoor fireplaces have been constructed of earthen materials like terra cotta and clay.  Unfortunately, these materials can crack and crumble over time and with exposure to the elements.  A beautiful alternative is a chimenea made from a sturdy metal, such as cast aluminum or cast iron.  Metal chimeneas can withstand the elements, and they come in a wide variety of attractive shapes and sizes.