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I was recently shaken to hear the news that one of the most important and diverse water tables in our community is below the critical level. It was a striking reality that the water cycle is not as it used to be. Most of us take water for granted. We assume that the rains will replace the water table below. Fortunately, some regions do have enough rain fall to replace those tables. However, conservation still needs to be heeded as it too may soon become victim to drought situations in the future.

It takes a great deal of run off water from rains far away to replenish our underground water. You can do several things to reduce the amount of water you use in your garden.

Step One:

When selecting a garden spot, try to locate the best soil possible. Your garden will only be as good as the spoil you plant it in. Take the time to build soil amendments into it. An inexpensive method is to buy a soil compost in bulk. You will find it easier and less expensive in the long run. There are many local garden centers and businesses that carry soils which can be loaded onto your truck.

Planting in soil that offers no nutritional value or holds no water is simply a waste of time. You can amend your soil by using several different mulches or composts. One of my favorites is earth worm casting. You can find this in bulk wherever earth worms are raised. Such materials are natural, do not burn your plants and are chemical free. Locate a good organic or natural compost either in bulk or bags. Work this well into the soil.

Step Two:

Start your own compost bin. They are easy to make and well worth the time. You can use mesh wire in a barrel form, a wooden framed box, bins or you can buy them from local garden centers. You will find several options to building a compost bin on line.

Step Three:

Start by planting your vegetables so water can be maintained rather than run off the sides. If using row planting, make sure you berm up the isles enough to hold water in between the rows. No water should be wasted. There are many gardens that start our with good berms. During the course of the season, they are worn down. Re build your berms and make sure you always have them in a condition to hold water. If you plant in containers, leave at least 2” at the top for water to stand so it soaks into the container. A common mistake is to fill the pot to the top with soil. Run off water is easily controlled, however, it is the most wasteful mistake in gardening.

Step Four:

How much water do you actually need to use? Each plant is different. A basic rule is to feel the soil . Observe that the soil is just starting to get dry before you water. If the weather is hotter you will be watering more. When you water make sure to water deeply. It is better to soak the soil than to sprinkle or lightly water. Check your plant requirements according to the package.

Step Five:

Use a drip irrigation system. This is probably one of the most important methods you can use to save water. Sprinklers loose water to the air, wind and run off. Local garden centers and home stores usually have some sort of drip system. They will be able to show you how to install and use them. These systems are really very easy to set up.

Begin by making a scaled plan of your garden. Measure the size and how many rows you will have. Take the plan to the garden center and let them help you figure out the components. At the end of this article you will find a resource website to look up most all of your garden needs. You can search for tips and products.

Step Six:

Consider using “gray” water for your garden. This is water generated from your baths, dishwasher, laundry, etc. It is one of the most wasted sources of water. I am not referring to”black” water. It is unusable as it is generated from toilets With some modification you can save about 3,000 gallons of water weekly (from a family of four). Now that’s a lot of water!

If you use a lot of chemicals and bleach you will need to install a series of treatment filters to eliminate them. The amount of water you save in the long run will easily compensate for the cost of the filters. Do some research before you use gray water.

Most gray water contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, all of which benefit plants. These chemicals are found in organic soaps and shampoos. Check the labels on the products you purchase and look for natural or organic products. Avoid products that contain toxic chemicals and bleaches. If you notice that your plants are suffering damage from the gray water, stop using it and consult a horticulturist or gardener.

These are simple but important steps you can take to help conserve water in your garden.

Erland Schulze
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/6-ways-to-save-water-in-your-garden-742496.html

Christmas tree

• Rather than buying a real tree thats been cut down, transported and then thrown away, purchase a large potted plant or small tree that can be used each year as your evergreen Christmas tree.

• You could always purchase an artificial tree that can be reused for many years, these range from 10 pounds to over 100 pounds. Ours actually looks real!

• If you buy a real tree, pay the Woodland Trust or a different organization to plant one in its place!

Christmas Decorations

• If you have evergreen shrubs and trees – to make sure you have an annual supply of eco-friendly Christmas decorations why not do some of your pruning just before Christmas and use the choice bits for inside? If you have not got any evergreens but have a garden ask for some of these plants as Christmas presents. They may take a few years to grow but then all you will need to do is harvest in December and be as creative as you like.

• Make a homemade wreath using branches trimmed from your garden or somebody elses.

• Purchase handmade decor made from recycled or eco-friendly materials. If possible by Fair trade as well, as they are a great way to support the disadvantaged. While some of these crafts may not be from recycled materials they provide much needed income to needy individuals.

• Ivy is good to drape around pictures, windows and the base of Christmas trees, it will hide the wires of the tree lights. There is as far as I know no substitute for electric fairy lights but as they last for years and use very little power, their impact is relatively low and they do look great.

• One of the advantages of using natural decorations is that after Christmas they do not need to go in the bin they can enter your normal garden waste on the compost heap.

Christmas tree ornaments

• Make homemade ornaments from (painted) pinecones, painted eggshells, crushed (colored) aluminum foil, paper chains, paper snowflakes, old CDs and more!

• Decorate a doll as an angel.

• Do an online search for recycled or homemade tree ornaments for numerous ideas or purchase these recycled or eco-friendly tree ornaments if you cant be bothered to make them.

Gifts

• Buy a subscription to an organisation working to make the world a better place such as the RSPB, RSPCA or Oxfam.

• If you are buying a present that uses batteries make sure the person you are buying it for has a battery charger and buy rechargeable batteries.

• Buy a homemade present, bird table, compost bin. Chocolate cakes often go down very well!

Gift wrap

• Collect extra photocopies or no longer needed papers from work for your children to draw on the back.

• Use colored pictures from your childrens colouring books.

• Use leftover pieces of fabric or wallpaper.

• Use recycled paper.

• Put the gift inside another gift such as a decorative tin, nice wooden box etc.

• Use gift wrap, gift bags and gift boxes, ribbon and bows from last Christmas or previous celebrations. Leave the tags blank on the gifts you are giving so that they can be reused.

Greeting cards & gift tags

• Send an e-card.

• Make a greeting card or tag from scrap paper, fabric or wallpaper.

• Make cards or tags from pieces of food box.

Packing material

• Use saved packing material such as foam or bubble wrap.

• Crush up newspaper into loose balls. This is cheap, quick and lightweight! This is our preferred method for box filler.

After the New Year

• Find out where you can recycle your real Christmas tree or Christmas cards, local councils and supermarkets are a good place to start. They will turn your trees into mulch for use in parks and public gardens.

• Use any wrapping paper that is no longer reusable for shelf liners or craft projects.

• Save boxes, gift bags, wrapping, filler, ribbons and bows for future gift wrapping or craft projects. Give them away to friends, neighbours etc if you have too many to keep.

Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/suggestions-for-a-cheaper-greener-more-eco-friendly-christmas-and-new-year-84456.html

With the current housing market, homes have gotten harder to sell. As a seller of a homes for sale, you will need to do more preparation for the sale before you list to ensure your home stands out amongst the competition.

Sellers of homes for sale must adjust their expectations. No longer does a home sell within a month of listing it on the market. Prices have dropped drastically, since the housing bubble has deflated, making it even more important than ever to present your homes for sale to its best advantage.

Professional Staging. Consider having your homes for sale professionally staged. I watched a show a few months ago, where a professional decorator not only restaged the interior of the home but also the second floor deck. Where the deck was once an uninviting, Spartan area with a couple of folding chairs, it became a warm, cozy and inviting retreat. It had wooden benches with soft cushions lining the deck rails, a copper fire pit (kept lit during showings for ambience), wooden end tables, large floor plants in every corner, plants hanging from the new lattice deck overhang. At the open house after being relisted, everyone liked the interior but fell in love with the deck. It sold within a month, after having sit for months at its original listing.

Hiring a designer to spruce up and restage your home can cost a little as $150 for the initial consultation. For a few hundred more, a professional stager will bring in plants, art and furniture, while you place your belongings in storage. Showing your homes for sale to its best advantage lets potential buyers see all the possibilities your home has, increasing buyer interest.

Environmentally Friendly. With energy costs on the rise and people taking a new interest in the environment, many buyers are looking for environmentally friendly features without having to incur the upfront costs. Be sure to ask the professional stager for some ideas on adding such features. Some inexpensive things you can do are to add energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs, replacing the wasteful incandescent bulbs. Put a compost bin in the backyard and filters on faucets. Ensure your realtor points out the energy efficient, yellow stickers on the hot water heater and furnace.

Fix It Up. If you wish to sell your homes for sale quickly, you cannot expect potential buyers to “fix up” the house, selling it “as is”. In today’s market, it is cheaper to fix a few things than take a great loss on the selling price. While fixing things, give the home a more contemporary look by replacing old kitchen and bathroom fixtures, cabinet knobs, ceiling light fixtures, and so on. Remove wallpaper, mirrored walls, and paneling from bygone eras, replacing them with painted walls. Paint all walls taupe (white is now passé).

Use the Internet. According to Errol Samuelson, president of realtor.com, more than 80 percent of potential homes for sale buyers check online listings. That means you have more exposure for your homes for sale, if your realtor has it posted on a popular real estate web site. Samuelson says that listings with at least six great photos of the homes for sale and a video tour get 300 percent more online viewers. The more viewers who see your homes for sale, the more buyer interest is generated. The more buyer interest, the faster your home will sell. Ensure you are taking advantages of this technology for your homes for sale.

Price Appropriately. I have seen many articles on how innovative sellers of homes for sale have become in order to ensure a quicker sale and better price. Incentives have been paid vacations to free gym memberships — you name it, a seller somewhere has probably offered it. Developer Robert Sheridan, owner of the Lakeshore Condomiums in the Andersen Springs community in Phoenix, found selling incentives an unsuccessful strategy. He offered free kitchen upgrades and financing incentives to no avail. In the end, he slashed prices by ten percent and sold his condos.

Many homes for sale owners are pricing their homes at last year’s prices, while potential buyers are looking for better deals. Unfortunately, the current housing market is supporting the buyers, not the sellers. You must be realistic when pricing your homes for sale. Listen to the advice from your realtor, who has the pulse of the current market. If necessary, check out current listings in your area for comparison. In the end, if your homes for sale is priced too high, it will not sell.

John Harris
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/a-little-beforehand-preparation-makes-for-a-better-homes-for-sale-selling-experience-131024.html