February 7, 2012 – 4:09 pm
By Erik Braunitzer and courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Agency,
brokers for New York City Apartments.
As spring quickly approaches and your gardens starts to slowly show signs of new life, you can prepare your yard or garden area for a grand entrance into spring.
 Make a Plan
In order to keep your garden space looking beautiful without looking cluttered or disorganized, it is good to make a plan before you get started. The common temptation is to go out and buy a large variety of plants for your garden and plant them anywhere you have place. Yet this can detract from the space of your yard and reflect a chaotic feel. Choose which areas you will add your new plants to. Sometimes less is more. Too many plants in one area can take away from the unique beauty of each individual one. Consider important factors like height, size, color and so on before making your final decisions.
Maintenance and Other Personal Circumstance Considerations
Although some plants can be high maintenance, others require little or hardly any care throughout the spring. If you are a busy professional without much time to spare, it may not be a wise investment to purchase a variety of plants that require your constant attention. A plant that grows rapidly and needs to be trimmed constantly might not also be worth the effort, and might cause your garden to look unruly if not attended to at regular intervals. In addition, if you have purchased a new pet that will cause damage to your expensive orchids, you might want to wait to save yourself much frustration and save your valued plants for next spring.
Research, Research, Research
You should also consider the climate of your area before adding any new plants to your yard or garden. A further consideration is where you will place your plant in your yard or garden. For example, a plant that needs lots of sunlight will not thrive in your backyard under the big oak tree, and so on. In addition, be sure to research the particular needs of your plant. For example, some bulbs need to be planted in a particular time before spring. If they are planted too early, they will die in the ground.
Prepare Your Soil
There are many types of soil. Knowing your particular type of soil not only helps you choose the plants that would thrive in your yard, but also helps you make the right preparations to help your plants thrive. You can take a sample of your soil to your professional or do your own research. For example, if your soil is too acidic, you can buy an alkaline product to neutralize excessive acid. You can also purchase a wide range of fertilizers to enrich your soil and plants.
February 3, 2012 – 10:33 pm
The hummingbird gets its name from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats.The hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with over 343 species. They originated in South America; and the great majority are still there where colorful flowers bloom all year. Only 21 species make it to US soil.
Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds and most species measure in the 3–5 in range. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly beating their wings 12–80 times per second (depending on the species). They rotate their wings from the shoulder not the wrist like most birds do. The blur of a hummingbird’s beating wings while hovering is in great contrast to its body which appears to be suspended vertically. Due to the manner they beat their wings; they can not only hover, but can also fly forwards, backwards, up, down, and sideways. They can fly at speeds exceeding 34 mi/hr. No other bird can fly like this. Needless to say, hummingbirds need lots of energy to keep those wings beating so fast.
Hummingbirds have no sense of smell and are attracted to the color red and varying shades of it. A red hummingbird feeder or at least a hummingbird feeder with red feeding ports should be used to attract hummingbirds. A hummingbird feeder will entice hummingbirds with sweet nectar. Nectar can be purchased or home made, but purchased is easier and safer to use.
The Ruby Glass Hummingbird Feeder shown on the right is a beautiful feeder that will look elegant in your yard. The deep, ruby color of the glass reservoir and copper color of the base will make the feeder shine in your yard. The reservoir holds 22 ounces of nectar and there are three red flowers for feeding ports on the base. Easy to refill with nectar as the column unscrews from the saucer for refilling
Hummingbirds are very territorial, so it is best to have a few hummingbird feeeders in your yard to avoid any conflict between the hummingbirds.
The beautiful colors and speed of the hummingbirds makes them a great addition to your backyard birding.
February 2, 2012 – 10:51 pm
 With all of the bantering and political news surrounding the Republican nomination, we thought we would think about what it would be like in this country if freedom of speech was not allowed? 2012 marks yet another Presidential election year – remember the FLAG this year and the freedom it represents. Don’t have an American Flag? – please purchase your American Flag from us!
Flag Holidays
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Inauguration Day, January 20
- Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12
- Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February
- Easter Sunday (variable)
- Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May
- Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May
- Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May
- Flag Day, June 14
- Independence Day, July 4
- Labor Day, first Monday in September
- Constitution Day, September 17
- Columbus Day, second Monday in October
- Navy Day, October 27
- Veterans Day, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
- Christmas Day, December 25
- and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States the birthdays of States (date of admission) and on State holidays.
January 26, 2012 – 11:55 am
The big chill that is crossing the country means frozen water. Now if you are an ice skater, that is great news; but if you are a wild bird that means you need to find a water source not frozen.
A water source is just as important as a food source in your backyard bird habitat. Wild birds love and need water for drinking and preening. Water helps birds keep their feathers in good shape. Besides flying, feathers are needed for good insulation in the winter. Birds also use their energy to stay warm. If their only source of liquid is snow, they need to expend their energy trying to melt the snow.
 - Heated Bird Bath – Easy Tilt to Clean
If you want to keep the birds you are already feeding, be certain to have an unfrozen water source. And believe it or not, there are winter birds that may not feed in your yard, but will come just for the water.
A variety of heated birdbaths are available from ground level style to pedestal style to deck mounted birdbaths. One of the most convenient deck mounted bird bath is the Heated Bird Bath – Easy Tilt to Clean by Allied Precision. This heated birdbath mounts easily and sturdily to your deck rail. It has a built in thermostat and will turn on only when needed and turns off when not needed. This birdbath has the advantage of easy cleaning (or storing the bath). The birdbath easily tilts and lifts off by simply undoing the catch. In addition, the heating element is completely removable so the birdbath can be used all year round. Tip for best results with your heated birdbath.
- Read all the instructions carefully before set up and follow the instructions.
- Water evaporates and of course, birds splashing around can deplete the water, so check daily on the water level.
- Add stones in the basin to give different levels of perching areas.
- Regularly clean the birdbath by emptying the water and replacing with fresh. Fresh water is important and mineral deposits may eventually prevent the heater from working properly. The bird bath can be cleaned with a bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water once or twice a season. Scrub with a stiff cleaning brush. A vinegar soak can be used to remove the mineral deposits.
- After a heavy snow, remove the snow from the edge of the bowl so the birds have a place to perch.
- Never add anything to water to assist the water from freezing. Any amount o f chemicals, antifreeze or even salt can be fatal.
- Only use outdoor extension cords with the heated birdbath.
Following these simple steps will ensure your feathered friends will continue to visit and stay healthy all winter long!
January 24, 2012 – 10:41 pm
Feeding Wild Birds in the winter require a different approach than warm weather feeding. Birds are warm blooded animals, which means they need to maintain their body temperature within a specific range even when the temperature around them changes. The maintenance of body temperature is dependent on the amount of heat the bird produces. Birds require a high metabolic rate is keep themselves warm.
To keep up their high metabolic rate, most backyard birds require rich energy foods such as seeds and insects. In the winter insects are hard to find and during snowfall both berries and insects are hard to find. During winter, it is especially helpful to have feeders full of suet. Suet is a high energy formulation of animal fat and other ingredients to attract insect eating birds. Suet will provide a quick source of heat and energy for birds, who’s metabolisms are high in the winter.
There are many types of suet available, the most convenient being suet cakes that fit easily into a suet birdfeeder, like the EZ Fill Bottom Suet Bird Feeder shown on the right. This attractive metal feeder holds up to three standard suet cakes keeping them protected with the solid metal sides. It has a rod indicator on the roof that lets you know the suet level inside the feeder. Each side hasa bird in flight silhouette. A chain is included for easy hanging. The bottom has a 0.5 inch square mesh where the birds can dine in ease. Of course, as the name implies the EZ Fill Bottom Suet Feeder is easy to fill by simply lifting the roof.
Birds that eat suet:
-chickadees
- nuthatches
- woodpeckers
Can also attract:
-wrens
-blue jays
-thrushes
A few suet feeders will bring birds to your yard all winter. Remember to have fresh water available, too.
January 24, 2012 – 4:47 pm
Although most ant invasions will occur in the summer months, you may be eerily surprised to find a swarm in your ho me in late winter. More than an occasional home owner has had this unpleasant experience.
Trying to discourage ants from invading your home can be frustrating. Proper food storage and waste management will reduce the food that often attracts workers indoors.
Clean all kitchen surfaces, vacuum daily, and rinse recyclable containers before throwing them in the recycle bin.
Ants are social insects and are divided up into three castes: workers, males, and queens. Get the workers and the food source is greatly stopped.
To find products that kill ants, we have grouped them on this page: http://www.backyardstyle.com/shop/pest-control-ants.php
One of our favorite ant-killing brands is Grant’s. Grant’s Kills Ants was one of the first ant bait products used to control invading ants and is still one of the most effective. Using a unique bait stake, the bait is contained in the stake and the product is effective in killing ants while protecting the environment.
Use either of these Ant Killing Products from Grants
Ant Stakes
- Active Ingredient: 1.0% Hydramethylnon
- Ants carry bait back to the colony to kill the Queen and destroy the colony.
- Use Outdoors around the house and for effective control replace every 6 weeks.
- Can also be used Indoors for up to 3 months.
- Helps keep ants from coming back.
Liquid Ant Bait
- Kills the ants you see and the ants you dont.
- For use in or around homes.
- Easy to remove plug, no drips, spills or mess.
January 16, 2012 – 12:38 am
Deer, cats, squirrels and other pests will gladly go over an 8-foot fence to get at roses or fruit, but they won’t stand for getting wet.
That’s the concept behind Scarecrow, an animal-invasion deterrent commonly known as a “deer sprinkler.”
The Scarecrow deterrent device consists of a rotating sprinkler head on top of an infrared motion sensor. When it is on, it will spray any animal – dog, raccoon, T-Rex, rabbit, cat or mother-in-law – that g ets within 35 feet. (Just kidding about the T-Rex and Mother-in-law)
Cost and assembly are minimal compared with digging postholes and running fence. This is the time of year that people stock up on the Scarecrow sprinklers because the price starts to rise as we approach February and March when some parts of the country start to defrost.
Using the ScareCrow is easy.
Attach a standard garden hose to the scarecrow sprinkler base, set the ScareCrow in the ground in the area you want to protect, and then turn on the water. Once you switch the unit on, it is ready to go.
It has a:
- Spray distance adjuster
- Ultra low energy trigger mechanism
- Sprinkler arc adjustment
- High quality motion sensor
- On / Off and sensitivity adjuster
- Optional eye and beak decals
- Runs on a 9V battery
- Has a study plastic stop for easy installation
- 17 inch stake
- Scarecrows may be hooked up in series to protect a large area
January 1, 2012 – 1:30 am
 Each New Year, common resolution themes keep rearing their ugly heads and organizing one’s life is one of them.
I am sure that there will be many of the common organization products like under-the sink organizers, garage organizers etc.
Our goal is to present you with a few of the not-so-obvious items that can help organize your life ever-so-slightly.
Pictured to the right is the Wheeled Trashcan, which makes your job of taking the trash out each week a bit easier. It holds two standard size trash cans and rolls very easy. Comes unassembled, but very easy to put together.
Organize your pet food, bird seed, cat litter or any other similar items with the Vittle Vault Food Storage containers. The Vittles Vault is manufactured from FDA approved high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is used throughout the “human” food industry. They come in 5 different styles
Organize your firewood with a handy, heavy-duty firewood cart. Racks are made from thick tubing or solid steel and are powder coated to withstand the elements. For indoor or outdoor use.
December 4, 2011 – 7:08 pm
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November 24, 2011 – 10:21 pm
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!
Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.
CYBER MONDAY AND BLACK FRIDAY EXTRAS!
Save $5.00 on orders > $49 – use coupon: cyber
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(Valid until Dec. 7, 2011)
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