ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Light Up the Night! Quick Facts about Outdoor Lighting
When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may drive us inside from our porches, patios or decks. Don't despair ? outdoor lighting can lengthen the day and dramatically extend the potential of our outdoor living spaces. The first step, as with any project, is to plan. How do you want to use this space after dark, and what lighting will you need? Lighting can be summarized in four categories:
No matter what type of lighting you choose, it will be powered by one of these sources.
Try snaking a row of candles along a garden path or suspending them in glass jars from branches. An array of tiki burning torches can add an exotic touch to your patio area. Although torches are designed to withstand a reasonable amount of wind, it's best to provide as much protection as possible to any open flame and never leave one unattended.
Whatever your light source, keep these tips in mind:
Don't let the sun dictate the use of your outdoor space. Get outside after dark and light up the night! About The Author Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Visit her on the web at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space". Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fall Garden Planning - Garden Plans for Next Spring and Ordering by Mail It's August, the weather has cooled a bit here and the summer monsoons where I live in New Mexico have begun. The kids are starting back to school and I feel the onset of fall. I'm getting that garden planning itch again! It happens 2-3 times a year... This time, it's time to start ordering bulbs and perennials for fall planting. I'm always planning how my garden will look better next season and I suppose most of you do the same. Fall is the perfect time to plant for established growth next spring! The Indoor Garden: Plants that Clean the Air There are many reasons for creating an indoor garden ? significant among them is the need to clean the toxins from our homes and offices. As a consequence of the energy crisis in the 1970's, today's homes and offices are built to conserve energy and the outcome has been a lack of air exchange, with the resulting increase of indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization has stated, "there's probably more damage to human health from indoor pollution than from outdoor pollution." Symptoms associated with indoor pollution include allergies, asthma, eye, nose, and throat irritations, fatigue, headache, nervous system disorders, respiratory and sinus congestion. In today's society more and more people exhibit these symptoms as a result of staying indoors the majority of the time. The Protea Family (Proteaceae) The protea family (Proteaceae) includes a wide range of ground covers, trees and shrubs that often make superb garden plants. While some of the species are frost-tender, they are in all other respects remarkably resilient plants that often thrive in situations where others would rapidly succumb. Poor soils and hot dry positions that scarcely seem capable of supporting life are often ideal for Proteaceae. If any plants could be said to thrive on neglect the proteas can. Water Ponds and Wildlife - How To Attract More Animals to Your Backyard Wildlife require water just as humans do. Water is essential for life. Songbirds use it for bathing and preening; waterfowl and shorebirds for finding food and escaping predators; and muskrat, mink and beaver for every part of their existence. How to Buy a Porch Swing The Porch Swing is enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to the latest Home & Garden trend towards building "Garden Rooms". Patio Furniture Retailers have responded by flooding the market with so many options that making a choice can be a daunting task. Here are some factors that you should consider to help you make the best Porch Swing choice for you: Pressure Washing Decks A beautiful wooden deck, properly maintained, can add greatly to the aesthetic and resale values of a home. The Heralded Teak Furniture Manufacturer: Kingsley-Bate With an average lifespan of 75 years, teak wood has long been commended as the ideal choice for outdoor furniture. It has qualities unlike any other wood in its ability to withstand the rigors of adverse climates, yet weather attractively. Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (part 4) Environment THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS. Gardening and Flowers Gardening is one of life's pleasures whether you grow flowers, vegetables or herbs; we look forward to the planting season. But whether you are new or seasoned gardener, it's important to remember a few basic things. How To Build A Waterfall The number one, most asked question that I receive about water features is "How do I build a waterfall?" The Amazing Hummingbird Without a doubt, hummingbirds are beautiful and interesting creatures. Flowers and Butterflies, the Perfect Combination! Spring is coming fast and with it the colors of the world come to life. The spring season is not just a time for the gardens to bloom, but a season for the butterfly to come to life as well. Your garden is an ocean of color and to keep this ocean of color coming back in the spring, your use of perennial bulbs, flowers, seeds, and shrubs will lessen tasks in the early spring. Butterflies that add that complete 'special touch' to your gardens will eagerly look for homes in your gardens if you can provide what it is they are searching for. Nontoxic Pest Control for Your Home and Garden Pesticides are toxic and, while often effective against pests, can be dangerous for your family and pets. Outdoors, sprayed pesticides might drift on a breeze and dust your vegetable garden or your neighbor's yard. Indoors, pesticides can linger in the air, exposing the family to harmful chemicals. For these reasons, many people are turning to nontoxic pest control methods. How to Water Your Houseplants Wisely Over watering ranks first in causes of houseplant demise because it causes roots to rot. Most plants are tough so they can recover from under watering with only the loss of a few leaves -- unless you wait too long and pass the point of no return. Introducting KOI-Cam! This is a project I've had on the back burner for many months now, but now it's finally ready! Selling Your House? Trim Your Shrubs! Shrubbery and other greenery that has an unkempt appearance can often be misconstrued as a sign of neglect, and gives a bad impression of your house overall. Prospective homebuyers who see shrubbery that has not been well maintained may not even be aware of their observation, but it will have an impact on the way they view your property as a whole. Fall Flowering Bulbs Deciduous trees dazzle us with the brilliance of the golds, oranges and reds they display before dropping their leaves in the autumn. However, you don't have to be satisfied with autumn leaf color alone. Consider planting fall flower bulbs. You Cant Beat Perennials For Glorious Color All Season Long When you start gardening with perennials, it's easy to think that all you have to do is get your plants into the ground, and with the exception of weeding, watering and cutting back, your garden will be done. But here's what really happens: in the first year your new plants are underwhelming ? the clumps small, the flowers sparse. By the second year, your perennials have grown fuller and have more flowers, but in the third season ? watch out ? your plants look like they're on steroids, and you look like an accomplished gardener. After that, many plants get bigger each season, while the odd one confounds you by doing a disappearing act. Responding to the inevitable change is your challenge as a flower gardener. Veteran gardeners say that no flower garden is ever truly finished. When I was starting out about 15 years ago, my husband used to joke that my plants should have been on wheels because I moved them so much. Perennial plants are the backbone of the flower garden because they're the plants with staying power. Their leaves die back as winter approaches, but with luck, the following spring, they come back. Some plants are short-lived, but old favorites like daylilies, hostas and peonies can last for decades. Gardening for Birds Part 2 We've had some well needed rain this past week, though it makes it a bit difficult to get chores done outside. How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch! You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that accumulates on top of the soil but below the grass line? That's thatch.
|
|
|
|
|
