Home And Garden

Bonsai, translated from Japanese as “tray planting,” is a millennia-old tradition that still thrives with plant enthusiasts today. Bonsai is an art, where tree and pot form a harmonious unit with synchronized shape, texture, and color. Many different types of bonsai trees exist today. Bonsai tree care includes pruning and trimming, while others can grow more freely. With the basics of bonsai tree care that follow, you can enjoy the grace and elegance of bonsai in your home or office. These tips will help you ensure that your bonsai plant lasts, making your bonsai gift a new hobby, too! Water and Humidity Bonsai tree care includes proper watering. Once a week, immerse your bonsai in water until the bubbles stop reaching the surface. Doing so, assures top to bottom watering and lets the pot and soil soak up their maximum holding capacity. Do not use too much water pressure (like a hose) as this can blast soil out of pots; be sure to get an adjustable spray nozzle to allow for dif...

When added to the backyard, an inground pool offers entertainment, leisure, exercise opportunities -- and an increase in value to your home. A  study  found that an in-ground swimming pool adds about 8 percent to your home's value. The typical pool maintenance schedule involves a few weekly and monthly tasks, along with several daily tips to keep in mind. If there isn't a pool supply store convenient to your home, most super stores and home improvement stores also offer pool care equipment and supplies. In-Season 1-Check your pool’s pH and chlorine levels at least twice per week. Your pool water should maintain a pH range of 7.4 to 7.6 and a chlorine level of 1.0 to 3.0 parts per million (ppm), according to the My Pool Supply website. Test the pool water levels at dusk at least four hours after all swimmers have left the water and at least eight hours after a rain or wind storm. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for the testing strips you choose. If necessary, add prod...

Mickey Mouse plant (Ochna serrulata) is named not for the leaves or blooms, but for the black berries that resemble the face of Mickey Mouse. If you want to attract butterflies and bees to your garden, Mickey Mouse plant is a good choice. The plant is suitable for growing in climates where temperatures never drop below 27 degrees F. or -2 degrees C. What is a Mickey Mouse Plant? Mickey Mouse plant, native to subtropical southern Africa, is also known as carnival bush, Mickey Mouse bush or small-leaved plane. The plant is a small, semi-evergreen shrub that reaches mature heights of 3 to 8 feet. The plant loses its shiny green leaves in spring, but they are soon replaced with new, pink-flushed foliage. Sweet-smelling yellow blooms form at the tips of the branches in spring. The flowers don’t last long, but the petals soon turn bright red, which cover the plant in early summer. Shiny black berries are suspended from these petals. How to Grow Mickey Mouse Plants Growing Mickey M...

We all know compost, or "black gold" as some like to call it, is an ideal mate to your plant soil. Composting also reduces the amount of trash volume you send to landfills, and consequently the amount of harmful methane emissions released in to our atmosphere. But not everyone has the space or sheer willingness to have an outdoor compost pile or worm bin. If you want to reap the benefits of this natural fertilizer but don't have the patience or compost heap, you can immediately use these three food scraps to nourish potted or garden soil and tremendously improve plant growth. Banana Peel Filled with potassium, this disposable skin helps plants grow flowers and fruit when used as an organic alternative to chemical fertilizers. You can literally plant the whole peel under the soil near the roots of the plant such as a rose bush, or just throw the peel on top of the soil and let it decompose. If you are afraid of attracting pests or animals, try liquefying the bana...

Window cleaning is one of those tasks that begs to be hired out -- all that spraying and reaching and wiping, and you end up with a mess of streaks that catch the light just so. It doesn't have to be that way. Cleaning glass, whether it's a window or a mirror or a coffee table, is more about the tools than the elbow grease. With the right stuff in your bucket, you can get your glass streak-free. Here, five tips that can get you to that sweet spot, the first of which is as basic as it gets: If you're diluting your cleaner, dilute it with something clean. Go Distilled Most of us don't consider what's in the water we use to clean. In truth, it usually doesn't matter. But with glass, you see absolutely everything, so water content can make a difference -- especially if you have hard water. If you're diluting your glass cleaner, consider using distilled water. It doesn't have all the minerals in it that can be present in the water from your tap, so it ...

Keeping your pool sparkling clean doesn't have to be as cumbersome as you might think. All pools are different, and so are their maintenance needs. However, they all share one commonality: The secret to pristine pool health is regular, routine care. If you choose to handle common problems like murky water or broken pumps on your own, make sure to always consult manufacturers' manuals before fixing or using equipment. No matter if you rely on a service company to take care of your pool, you still need to do a few things on your own to ensure your pool stays in good condition for years. Skim Debris and Clean out Baskets Skimming the pool's surface by hand every few days is one of the fastest and easiest ways to keep your pool clean. Floating debris will eventually sink, becoming harder to remove. Use a long-handled net called a hand skimmer or leaf skimmer to remove leaves, bugs and other unwanted items. Skimming significantly increases the efficiency of the pool'...