Revelion 2010

Grow a beautiful garden the water wise way

Saving water and enjoying the beauty and environmental benefits of plants are not only possible, but easy says the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN). “Water Wise” gardening is built on some basic, commonsense principles:

Planning

Planning a water wise garden or landscape is as easy and fun-as planning any type of garden. Talk to the professionals at your local center/landscape firm to see which plants will do well in your area. You may be surprised to find that some very beautiful, colorful plants are low on water consumption-and they may fit into your landscape perfectly.

Group together plants that require the same amount of water. Plant trees and shrubs to provide shade to cool buildings, air conditioning units, patios, decks, and other landscape features.  Shelter container plants by moving them to shady areas. Spike or aerate lawns to insure maximum water penetration. Control weeds which compete with useful plants for water.

Soil Improvement

Soil improvement is another easy and beneficial step in building a water wise garden. Soil that is well prepared at the time of planting influences the plant’s initial development and yields the best results. And plants placed in the proper soil will be healthier, often needing less water.

Soil characteristics include texture, structure, depth, and nutrients. To find out more about your soil content, test your soil with the following garden products: Accugrow Soil Test Kit or the Sunleaves Three-Way Meter.  

Wise Irrigation

In the wood flooring industry, the term ‘old growth’ continues to be the subject of interpretation and controversy. At Madera Floors we make it our business to know more about wood than any other company, and to educate our customers so that they can make more informed purchasing decisions. We frequently address questions about ‘old growth’ trees, especially in relation to reclaimed timber. In fact, we have talked with many consumers who thought the terms meant the same thing and were misled into thinking their old growth flooring was the same as our antique reclaimed flooring. Here we define some of the terms and address questions surrounding the mystery of ‘old growth’.

Old Growth refers to established forests that, up until the time trees are cut, have had little or no disruption. Advocates of cutting old growth timbers suggest that pruning selected trees is good for the forest. We disagree. Old growth forests maintain themselves through a natural process that does not include cutting into the delicate fabric woven by nature.

How Old is “Old” Growth? The actual age that determines “old” growth varies depending on the specie, but it refers to the age at which a tree has reached its maturity. For an eastern white pine, it is between 130-150 years, while many of the hardwoods reach maturity at 80 years. But, what is most important is that at maturity and thereafter the old growth tree is still contributing to the ecosystem in which it lives.

The wedding shower or bridal shower is an important part of the wedding process.  It not only gives the bride and her close friends a chance to get together before the wedding but also allows those who are close to the groom to learn more about the bride and her bridesmaids.  However, before planning for the actual shower events shower invitations need to be sent out.  Here are some guidelines to help you with the process.   

 

When to Send out Bridal Shower Invitations

 

Usually you would send out wedding shower invitations about 4 weeks beforehand. You could ask for reply about two weeks before the event if needed. This provides plenty of time for guests to reserve the date of the event without being notified too far in advance. 

 

What to Send and Include

 

The obvious things are the date, time, and location of the shower and the name of the host. If you are having a special theme shower, do not forget to include special instructions so the guests can bring any required items to the shower. Many guests appreciate if the location at which the bride and groom are registered or a suggested list of gifts for the bride is also included with the invitation. Often we would recommend written directions or including a map with the invitations. Lastly, be sure to include a phone number to call in case people get lost on their way to the shower. 

 

Who is Invited

 

A home appliance is defined as a machine or a mechanism which accomplishes some routine housekeeping tasks. These tasks include functions such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, etc whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting.

Home appliances are mainly differentiated into the following two types i.e.: Major and small appliances. Major appliances are differentiated from small appliances because they are large, difficult to move, and generally fixed in place to some extent. They are mostly considered fixtures or a part of real estate. Another common characteristic of these major appliances is that they may have substantial electricity requirements. Therefore it is necessary to have special electrical wiring to supply higher current than what the standard electrical outlets can deliver. All these requirements limit their position or placement at home.

Recently with the introduction of the various Energy Labeling rules across the world, the appliances have been forced to become more and more efficient leading to more accurate controllers in order to meet the regulations.

Major appliances may be roughly divided into refrigeration equipment, stoves, washing equipment, and miscellaneous.

Home appliances may be divided into categories called “white goods” and “brown goods” in British English.

â?¢ Brown goods are typically small household electrical entertainment appliances such as:

CD and DVD players, televisions, camcorders, still cameras, video game consoles, telephones, answering machine

â?¢ White goods comprise major household appliances and may include:

Air conditioner, dish washer, clothes dryer, freezer, refrigerator, cooker, also known as range, (stove, oven, cooking plate, or cook top), water heater, washing machine.