Garden

Discover the latest trends about the lawn, garden and outdoor living.

feature eco friendly 1024x658 - 3 Eco-friendly Appliances You Should Start Using

3 Eco-friendly Appliances You Should Start Using

Buying eco-friendly appliances can be more expensive than the usual appliances you have at home, but in the long run, buying eco-friendly models can help you save because those appliances are more energy-efficient and also helps the environment.

Switching to green practices at home starts with replacing your appliances, the old home appliances models tend to consume more energy and has hazardous materials that can harm the environment. Modern appliances nowadays have improved technology that lessens the consumption of electricity.

Below is a list of home appliances that you should replace with the Eco-friendly ones.

Refrigerator

It is one of the most useful home appliances that is used all year round. Thus, it consumes the most electricity.

When buying a new refrigerator consider the type of coolant used - CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons) are both harmful for the ozone layer but HFC has shorter atmospheric lifetime and deliver less reactive chlorine than the CFC.

The smaller refrigerators also consume less energy than the larger ones, so it is more advisable to buy a small one. Refrigerators with automatic ice makers are also an energy monster because it uses up to 20% more electricity.

Washing Machine

These days, there are a lot of manufacturing companies that focus more on producing eco-friendly washing machines that cut down consumption of detergent, energy and water. Horizontal axis washing machines are trendy nowadays, these machines are more energy efficient and water efficient than top loading machines.

Different brands use new technology on their washing machine products, some top loaders can be water efficient too with the smart features installed. Using a dryer for your clothes contributes to energy consumption too, even though smart dryers exists. You might want to consider drying your clothes in the sun to save more energy.

Television

TV is one of the appliances at home that people use on a daily basis. LCD screened TV replaces the old CRT televisions, it is more energy efficient because it uses only one backlight to produce images on screen unlike the CRT or Cathode-ray Tube.

The most energy efficient choice for a TV is to purchase a screen that is less than the 42-inch LCD Screen because a bigger screen does not help you save and will just consume more energy.

Some electronic brands also use smart ways to lessen energy consumption of their product. LED (light-emitting diode) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs are also energy efficient TVs and might probably be trending in the future.

No matter what appliances you look for, make sure that you ask how many kilowatts per hour the appliances consume. Make sure you know how to properly clean the appliance too and recycle the old ones that you replaced.

Never hesitate to switch to smart brands and new technology just because it is expensive, often times the more expensive the appliance is, the more energy efficient they are.

watering garden by hose

Not Just for Your Garden: The 9 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

As a garden and lawn enthusiast, you know how critical it is for our green friends to receive the right amount of water and at the right times to stay healthy.  Is it any surprise that we as humans have as critical a need? The importance of drinking water cannot be overemphasized. It is crucial for the optimum function of every part of the human body! Are you drinking enough pure water to meet the requirements of your body?

In fact, your body is mainly made up of water. Water forms the largest part of your brain and blood and is essential for the proper functioning of these tissues. Water also offers many other benefits in our bodies such as maintaining blood pressure, controlling temperature, helping in digestion and many more. In this article, we have rounded up nine benefits of taking water to help you understand how important this colorless liquid is to your body.

1. Drinking water replaces the water you lose daily

It's said that water makes up about 60 percent of your body. Almost all of this water is utilized to keep you functioning well on a daily basis. Therefore, it's critical to maintain the 60% balance for your health, which isn't easy for some people. Your body has plenty of ways of losing water, such as urination, sweating, and even breathing. Drinking enough water daily allows you to replace your body water stores.

2. Water helps in digestion

One of the most common consequences of taking insufficient water is constipation. When your body loses a lot of water and is dehydrated, your gastrointestinal system is one of the systems that sacrifices their fluid levels to try to maintain normal fluid levels.
Your gut usually absorbs water from your stool in the large intestine, causing it to harden. This leads to constipation. Water also plays a key role in dissolving food substances in the gut to increase the surface area for digestion. If your daily intake isn't enough, then digestion is slowed causing constipation. This will can only be corrected by re-hydrating as soon as possible to return bowel movements to normal.

3. Water helps in blood circulation

The largest part of your blood is a substance known as plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood that's responsible for carrying blood cells and other substances to where they are needed in your body. Plasma also helps maintain normal blood pressure as well as maintaining your body temperature at normal levels.

In short, plasma is pretty vital to your body. Normally, 90% of Plasma is mainly water, so it can’t perform its functions properly if you are dehydrated. With insufficient water consumption, your blood tends to become more concentrated and viscous. This implies that your heart has to pump blood a little bit harder to transport it around your body which can cause a lot of issues like shock if fluid levels aren't corrected.

4. Water helps to in normal movement of your joints

Whenever you feel your joints becoming a bit achy or stiff, one of the first things you need to ask yourself is if you’re taking enough water.

Joints are made of cartilage which allows your bones to move freely. Water helps in creating the a smooth texture that your joint needs to avoid rubbing together.

When your body is dehydrated, your body compensates by drawing as much water as it can to the vital organs. Sadly, your joint cartilage isn't one of these organs, so it has to surrender its moisture. This leads to creation of friction between your bones until you top up your fluids.

5. Water increases athletic performance

Believe it or not, dehydration has a major impact on your body musculature. Without enough water, your muscles can’t contract well the consequence is your body won't be able to perform properly, as they will have difficulties in repairing themselves after working out. Also, you need to bear in mind that during exercise, your body loses a lot of water through sweating. This means you will need to replace it by re-hydrating regularly to keep your muscles working properly and your blood circulating well.  If you're looking for a kitchen appliance that treats your water, read about water filtration using reverse osmosis here.

6. Affects your concentration and focus

Your brain is one of the vital organs that need water to function properly. Studies show that hypo-tension and dehydration can make your brain cells to shrink causing your brain to be less effective than it should normally be.

When this happens, the consequence is difficulty concentrating, and losing focus. You take a little longer to think or solve simple problems. The extra brain strain due to dehydration can also make you irritable, so taking that glass of water can improve your mood!

7. Beats fatigue and feeling tired all the time

Do you usually feel tired during the day even without working? This could necessarily not be a lack of sleep to blame. Many people go to the hospital due to fatigue, and one of the reasons is failing to take enough water during the day.

While plain water is just okay, some people choose to take sugary drinks instead that can cause an energy crash later in the day.

8. Water protects us against diseases

Studies have found out that dehydration could be one of the contributing factors in causing life-threatening health issues with your lung, kidneys, heart, and bladder. As we mentioned earlier, dehydration can lead to shock that can cause organ damage and failure and even death if not promptly corrected.

Then there is heat stroke and heat exhaustion, which can happen if you don’t take enough fluids while exercising or on a hot day.

Water is also known to flush out toxins through the kidneys. In fact, failure to take enough water means that your kidneys won't have enough fluid to work correctly. This can lead to infections such as urinary tract infections and others.

9. Prevents helps to moisten skin

We have already mentioned how dehydration can make your blood a little concentrated and thicker than it should be. One of the ways your blood regains some of the fluid it requires is by drawing water from your skin. This will leave your skin dry which tends to speed up wrinkle appearance.

It’s imperative to note that you would have to be very ignorant for this process to start. However, take more water than normal will not make your skin softer or firmer either. So if you have dry skin and you don’t think low water consumption is to blame, then you should see your doctor to check for other possible causes.

Mint Condition 1024x678 - 5 Tips to Get Your Lawn in Mint Condition

5 Tips to Get Your Lawn in Mint Condition

Lawns are often used for aesthetic purposes and keeping ones yard more beautiful but a healthy lawn is also important to our environment. Thus, keeping your lawn well maintained can make a big difference to you and to your surroundings. Here’s how to edge your lawn to perfection.

Mow it

Mow it first to trim grass along edges. Set the mower on the highest setting this allows longer grass blades to grow and support more roots and develop a deeper root system that is better able to find water and nutrients in the soil.

Trim it

Use a string trimmer to edge a lawn, avoid cutting grasses too short. It is advisable to trim side to side so cuttings will be thrown away from you.

Follow a Path

Make edging along sidewalk, driveway and landscapes. Keep the trim line in the small spaces between the grass and hard surface. If the grass grew longer on the surface, cut it a little back by trimming the edges.

Water Properly

Water your grasses more frequently if it had been cut short all season. But for regular watering, an inch of water serves as a common rule, just be sure to water your grass between 6 am and 10 am, to help reduce wasteful evaporation. Learn Watering New Grass Seed to Create the Perfect Lawn.

Learn Pest Control

Keeping your lawn free from bugs is also important but using pesticide is not the best solution to this problem. Know pest control treat pests when possible, such as mowing your lawn higher to shade out weeds or planting more disease-resistant types of grasses and use pesticide only when needed.

Pest Control involves:

Pulling out of weeds

Use your hand or a long-handled weed puller to pull weeds. Vinegar is said to an effective weed remover too.

Mulch Your Lawn

Cover your garden beds by mulching, this will help you retain moisture in the soil, avoid weeds, and keep the soil cool.

If there is no choice but to use pesticide make sure the product you use is safe to you and your family. Make sure that you are using the right pesticide. If possible, search for an organic pesticide that is safer to use.

Your lawn plays a huge role to you and your family, it serves not just a decoration of your yard but also a place where your kids can play. Your lawn also produces oxygen while giving you little cooler surroundings. Thus, learning proper lawn care is important to maintain its many beneficial factors and save you time and money.

widn garden 1024x680 - 9 Ways to Maximize Your Garden Space

9 Ways to Maximize Your Garden Space

Worried about having a small garden space? It has more potential than you think, a narrow space or cramped backyard can do endless possibilities.

Below are 9 ways to transform and maximize your small garden.

Raise Small Garden Beds

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It is possible to have no room for garden plots if you have a small garden space. Raising garden beds may help you build a garden you want as it doesn’t require plot and it easier to maintain.

A neat, tidy and properly built garden box are more aesthetically pleasing to eyes and there are a lot of ways to arrange it too.

Make Use of Walls

Maximize all your space by using the walls, use hanging planters vertically on your wall to hold plants or herbs. You can also customize it the way you want or even use recycled materials.

Plant a Tree

A small space cannot stop you in planting a tree, you can still plant a tree growing maximum height of 10ft. Plant dwarf trees that can be put in large pots, shaped and moved to different areas of your garden.

Spiral Out

If you have a small garden plot you can maximize it by using the spiral technique. You can stack plants vertically and horizontally to maximize your space. This technique also allows you to position and separate plants based on the amount of water, light, and space they require.

Reuse tin cans

Repurpose the cans you have at some, spray some paint, plant small flowers on it and hang them on your garden. 

Use Artificial Turf Grass

Your small space might not have a soil that can grow grasses but worry no more since you can buy artificial turf grass. It can make your small garden more beautiful and is also ideal for your pets and kids to play to.

Plant Vegetables in Containers

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Beans, Spinach and Kale are some of the vegetables that grow easily in containers that can be easily put into your small space. 

Add Shelves

Adding different levels of the shelf into your small garden can make more space and you can have a place to show off your cactus and plants that are well arranged in pots.

Take Note of the Colours

Make sure how to incorporate colours to your garden, brightly coloured plants can make your garden look lighter and bigger.

Worry no more about your small space and have an aesthetic garden at your home with the tips given. There are more ways to enjoy gardening even you have a big yard. Just make sure you know the basics and follow the guides.

outside 254716 1280 1024x682 - 3 Ways to Decorate Your Yard Tastefully

3 Ways to Decorate Your Yard Tastefully

Having a front yard or a back yard means you can have outside barbeque parties. Thus, designing the outdoor area of your house would be ideal. Outdoor constructions are trendy these days because it replaces your traditional front porch. 

Below are some ways to recreate your outdoor space. 

Build an Outdoor Kitchen 

Building an outdoor kitchen can make it more entertaining and would be ideal for outdoor parties. An outdoor kitchen levels up your usual barbeque parties. It can be a social gathering area too for you and your loved ones who love to cook and gather during weekends. 

It is a great investment too, considering that most outdoor kitchen appliances are designed with tough weather resistant materials. Cooking outside also helps in reducing heat inside your home and eliminates lingering odors of foods you cook inside. 

Build a Patio 

Having a small patio on your yard feels like a luxury. It can also serve as a place for family gatherings. Maximize your outdoor space by pacing some pieces of furniture here. Choose the best furniture that focuses on durability and design. It is important that the furniture you use outside can withstand any weather conditions. 

If you are on a tight budget but still want to put up a patio there are a lot of recyclable materials that can be made into pieces of furniture such as crates, tires, pallet wood, baskets, old shelves and so on. This will help you save from buying expensive ones and will unleash your creativity too. 

Make a Garden 

Design your outdoor space by planting flowers and edible plants. This will also help you save when buying vegetables and fruits to eat. This may transform your exterior on the environmental aspect. 

Planting will also help you to get cooler air in your surroundings. Blend the plants with your outside furniture to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. 

Put up some fern pines, gravel paths and use different pots and techniques in planting to maximize the space. Select plants that are appropriate and mulch well in the season. It will also be more beautiful if you can coordinate a theme with your patio and garden. 

Knowing to design your outdoor space can give your home a transformation you want. You can either do it yourself or ask an expert. It would be great to invest in this because your outdoor space would be a nice spot for entertainment for your family to play and spend time together away from your gadgets.