Archive for September, 2008
Saturday, September 20th, 2008
by Oscar Cat
The word ‘pimento’ is derived from pimienta, the Spanish word for peppercorns, which the spice somewhat resembles. The genus Pimenta Lindl belongs to the family Myrtaceae, which also includes the clove, Syzygium aromuticum.
The first record of pimento being exported to London seems to be in 1601, when what appears to be pimento was given to Clusius by Garret, a London druggist. It must have reached Spain at a much earlier date.
The trunk is slender, with primary branches formed 1-3 in above the ground. The secondary branches are profusely branched at their extremities. The bark, which is smooth and shiny, is silvery pale brown in colour and is shed in strips 25-75 cm long at intervals. The wood is hard, close-grained, heavy, strong, durable and pink in colour. The young branchlets are flattened and four-angled.
Patrick Browne (1775) records that the export of pimento had reached 438000 pounds, valued at 21925 by 1755, that by that time it was cultivated with great care and was planted in regular groves or `walks’. He also gives what appears to be the first record of barren trees.
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Friday, September 19th, 2008
by Thomas Eriksson
These are insectivorous plants with sensitive leaf hairs which, when a fly lands on them, induce the leaf to close up slowly and trap the fly inside. The plant feeds on all manner of insects in this way and an incredible number of gullible people buy this plant fondly thinking that they are going to take it home and sit indoors watching this wonder of nature methodically gobbling up all the flies in the room.
A few purchasers may well enjoy this treat, but for the few that do there must be many thousands who only see the leaves fold together when they poke them with a matchstick and in a short space of time watch the rapid decline of the plant.
These new shoots will have begun to grow by the time flowers develop. As flowers do nothing for the appearance of the plant they should be removed as they appear.
Introduced a few years ago, D. Tropic Snow is similar to amoena in habit of-growth, but has much more variegated and stiffer leaves, which makes the plants more delicate to handle. However, in spite of the supposed improvement, my preference still lies with amoena which seems much less stiff and formal.
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Thursday, September 18th, 2008
by Adam Peters
Planning to construct a deck adjacent to your home is cool. It will be the place to hold recreational activities like parties or just communing with nature. You can also add different accessories like mechanical water falls, flower beds and planters, and deck beds. You can also opt for an awning or standard shade, whichever you think is best for the deck plan. All through it all, you have to ensure that you have perfect deck plan sections so as to enjoy the outcome of your plans and construction.
Creating a deck plan is so much easy especially if you know how to go about the measurements and plotting. In case you are having a bit of difficulty over the task, you can always avail the help of a professional designer or architect; although the size and budget will also matter. In case you have a meager plan to design, opt for a small time designer and leave the big projects to an architect. But if you think it will be worth the budget then go for the better man for the job.
Tags: budget, construction, gardening, home, home improvements, perfect deck plan, porch railings
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Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
by John Lesley
In its native habitat a coniferous tree which will attain a height of too ft. or more, the Norfolk Island pine is, nevertheless, a plant that is superbly well equipped for cultivation as a house plant. Like the aralia mentioned previously it is a supremely elegant plant, producing tiers of well-spaced leaves of soft green colouring. It is capable of adjusting to a variety of temperatures but is really best suited to the cooler situation where the temperature ranges between 50 and 55F. Good light is also important; other than that it simply requires the standard treatment for easier indoor plants.
Growth that appears from the arils of those leaves should he allowed to develop two pairs of leaves of their own before they are severed from the parent plant. A clean cut straight across the stem should be made about half an inch below the lower leaf. Propagate in a pure peat mixture and pot on into a proper growing compost as soon as the plant has rooted through to the sides of the small pot in which it has been propagated.
Tags: culture, education, free, gardening, guides, hobbies, house, information, Landscaping, life, news, plants, reference, tips
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Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
by Sarah Duke
If you’re a beginner when it comes to herb gardening, you might be worried about which types of herbs you should grow. There are many different herbs available, and some are more difficult to grow than others. There are a few types of herbs that are especially easy to grow for beginners. These are generally more hardy plants that don’t require a lot of fertilizer or special work.
Parsley – Parsley is a relatively hardy annual in zones 2-11. Both flat-leaf and curly varieties are easy to care for and grow very well without a lot of extra care. It can do well in full sun to light shade, and needs rich soil that is well-drained but moist. It doesn’t do particularly well in heat.
Cilantro – Cilantro is used in many Spanish dishes and has a distinct flavor. This is an annual herb that grows well both in the shade and the sun. You’ll find that it is very easy to care for and it will grow pretty well in just about any type of climate.
Tags: gardening, growing herbs, herb gardening, vegetable garden
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Monday, September 15th, 2008
by Anna Holdaway
Its easy to recognize why vinyl lettering is being utilized so much in home dcor as of late. It offers some very inexpensive options for decorating, and is fully customizable, and is fast to apply. No matter your budget, or your taste in dcor, vinyl lettering offers something for nearly everyone.
While its true that years ago vinyl lettering was primarily used for industrial purposes such as business signage, vehicle wraps, and storefront signage, in the last few years its been available via online retailers for use in home dcor. Many online retailers provide specialized vinyl lettering kits that are moderately adhesive, specifically designed to stick to the walls of your home ” giving you a hand-painted stenciled look without the mess or permanence of paint. Once youve utilized decorative vinyl lettering for home dcor, its simple to see why its one of the fastest growing trends in interior design. Its versatility, price, and ease of use has made it possible for the massed to achieve a look and design that has traditionally been reserved for those with enough money to hire an artist to hand paint the lettering. For those desiring to create a custom painted look without the expense involved in painting ” Your ideal medium has arrived. There are just so many things you can do with vinyl lettering to decorate your home. Lets explore a few of these options.
Tags: art, gardening, home, home-and-garden, home-improvement, interior-design, painting, vinyl lettering
Posted in decorating, gardening, home decor, wall lettering | No Comments »
Sunday, September 14th, 2008
by Adam Peters
A home is a haven far from heaven. And it will be best with an ‘oasis’. This is why decks are being built in most homes. For your most preferred result of a beautiful home, you can have a customized one. This will embody your personality and your choices. The need to having it accentuated and fully designed depends on you but it is highly recommended.
If you are a person of the world, you definitely want a bigger and lavish type of deck. You can either add posh deck chairs, tables, and planters to match your feel of things. You can also add high chairs and party accessories to complete the scene. But if you are a person who just wants to stay by yourself, then there is no need for you to have a big deck. But in either circumstance, you have to customize your deck to ensure that you can display the real you.
Customizing your deck though, must not compromise the real purpose of your deck and its railings. It must be beautiful and functional for your satisfaction. Also, it needs to adhere with the building code that is being implemented in your place. So even if you want something totally unique, you still need to ensure that it will not be making any bad effects to your neighbors or the entire community.
Tags: cedar, deck ideas, deck railing, decks, gardening, home, home improvements
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Saturday, September 13th, 2008
by George Nava True II
Flowers are valued for their beauty, fragrance and they joy they give to those who receive them. Indeed, nothing conveys the whole spectrum of human emotions as well as flowers – the reason why almost everyone loves them.
However, these symbols of love, friendship and beauty can be deadly too. That’s because many flowers that you find outside – and sometimes inside your home – can be dangerous. It’s not uncommon to find poisonous flowers around you so it’s better if you know what you’re dealing with.
Although plants are not the main reason for poisonings reported throughout the world, they are responsible for many cases of unintentional poisonings, especially among children.
“Surveys of calls to Poison Information Centers in Germany and the United States show that ingestion of plants is responsible for a significant number of calls (10 percent of all inquiries), but that serious poisonings are rare. Plants were responsible for five percent of pediatric poisoning cases seen in Finnish hospitals and 28 percent of calls to a poison information center,” according to Michael Eddleston of the Center for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford in England, and Hans Persson of the Swedish Poisons Information Center in Stockholm, Sweden.
Tags: cicero, discount flower delivery, flowers, gardening, plant poisoning
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Friday, September 12th, 2008
by Ronald Sam
There are lots of people out there who are very concerned about how safe shopping online really is, but the truth of the matter is that times have changed, and shopping online is as safe as heading to the local shopping center. So, before you pick up your keys and head to the mall, it’s time for you to sit down and consider another alternative. More and more people are bragging about the great deals that they have gotten from shopping online, and though you may be tempted, the question of safety might be holding you back.
Whenever you go to buy something online, look for a little lock logo that will show up in the address bar at the head of the URL. This means that the page you are looking at is under encryption, which means that it is a page that only authorized people are going to have access too. When you are thinking about whether or not shopping online is going to be safe enough for you, there are a number of different things to keep in mind. Remember that the online merchants have a vested interest in keeping your information safe and that they have taken a lot of pains to do so.
Tags: buying online, c, computer;internet, gardening, i, internet, Internet Business, internet marketing, internet shopping, n, shopping
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Thursday, September 11th, 2008
by Kevin Davidson
Mother bulbs are expensive to purchase, but case of culture and spectacular flowers make them worthwhile acquisitions. Using pots only slightly larger than the diameter of the bulb, potting up should be undertaken in the autumn, J.I.P.3 being a suitable compost. Whatever compost is used it is essential that it should be rich, and not too thin and light.
Propagate by cuttings about 5 in. in length, preferably in spring, but non-flowering top cuttings should present little difficulty at any time provided there is a warm, close atmosphere in which to house them.
When cuttings have become established, pot them up in 3A-in. pots using a Mixture of equal parts J.I.P.2 compost and coarse peat. Following this the cuttings may be treated in various ways, but one has only to see them form a well-filled hanging basket to realise that this is by far the best effect likely to be achieved.
The variegated form does not have the dull fruit of the green ananas; instead we have a glowing pink fruit that will in time form small flowers of the most intense shade of blue at intervals from the base to the top of the fruit. In this condition, which remains for many months, it must surely rate as one of the most exciting plants in cultivation today. Alas, the fruit is rather woody and unappetising, but you cannot have everything.
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