Archive for the ‘Gardening Ideas’ Category
More people are becoming interested in the ways that the use of landscaping and rocks can improve open spaces. Landscape gardening is a catch all term that can be applied just as well to your back yard as it can to extensive parks and estates.
If you plan to start landscape gardening, then there are a few basics that you should be aware of first. Location is all important and swampy land should be avoided if possible. The best ground for landscaping is rising land that has good drainage which sloughs off the surface water. Landscaped gardens do better where there is a breeze circulating the site, there should also be exposure to plenty of sunlight.
If you do plan on getting involved with landscaping and rocks, then once you`ve established what type of land you have, you need to assess its size and shape. It`s no good coming up with some great landscaping ideas and then finding they`re too ambitious for the size of the land you are working on. Use rocks wherever the land is not good for plants and shrubs. There are plants that survive in rock gardens but they must be in a sunny space.
If the rocky part of your garden is on a slope and shady then there are numbers of woodland perennials and ferns that would be great. You can be quite clever in using landscaping and rocks because if you put your rocks on a slope then you won`t have to mow it.
Landscaping and rocks is a lot more successful when you take care over choosing your rocks and stones, as well as your plants. The stone that is native to your area may look the best because that is its natural habitat it will also be inexpensive and easy to obtain. Look for rocks and stones in different shapes and sizes, use a combination of shiny, matte, and pitted surfaces.
Start with the larger rocks in a variety of shapes, look for some that have natural dips or depressions in them, as you will be able to fill them with soil and plant moss or sedum (a ground cover plant with pink or yellow flowers). Whenever you go to get new stone and rocks, take a photograph of what`s already been done, that way you will know the type of rock or stone that will fit in your landscape and what won`t.
When you landscape a garden, you must let the natural conditions of the land guide you. It is no use putting sun loving plants in a shady spot and your rocks and fern in the sunshine. Take care when arranging your stones. If you have stones that are covered in moss then make sure that they are all facing the same way. Whatever characteristics your stones may have make sure that they are all together and facing the same direction. This gives your garden the look of the surrounding landscape it looks as though it belongs there, rather than it looking like a piece of ground where someone has dumped a load of rocks and stones.
If your garden is on a slope, fill in behind each rock as you work your way up the slope. Make sure that the pockets of soil are deeper round the larger stones. Then you can put small shrubs in between. After all the rocks are in place, then let them settle for a few days. Then stand back and take a look around just to make sure that you are happy with the layout before adding any plants. Above all, have fun with landscaping and rocks.
Our life is running like an aircraft where you don’t have much time to spend on others. In this busy world where every single minute has its own significance, thinking about a garden would be termed as imagination or day dreaming. A garden in your house always keeps you fresh and gives you peace and serenity. And what’s even better that having a garden has many more advantages which makes all the hassles that you undergo for it seem worth while.
Maintaining your garden is an art which requires skill and aesthetic sense of creativity and imagination. Decorating your garden requires lot of imagination and consumes time. Gardening is a dying but very relaxing pass time and hobby. If you try it once you will know the calm that you experience is priceless. Not only this, if you want to lose some weight, then this can be a great way to do so.
But let’s explore the mater little more and take a look at something that can give your garden a great new look-garden stepping stones.
Decorating your garden with the stepping stones is a unique way to personalize and make your garden stand out. Stepping stones are often used to give a great appearance to your garden. Stepping stones can make all the paths in your garden add to the beauty of the entire home and surroundings. You can step out of the conventional way of decorating your garden by using garden stepping stones that come in all shapes and give you an option of choosing the one that your prefer the most.
Garden stepping stones not only catch our attention but they are also a favorite item used to decorate gardens. Creatively you can come up with great new ideas to use garden stepping stones in any which way you like. The entire ambiance of your garden may change by using garden stepping stones.
You might have seen the pathway created in the garden where stepping stones are used, think if this is what you can use creatively for your own garden. The impact it will make can be great. With you ingenuity you can create a pathway that gives a glimpse of your personality and lifestyle. You can create wonderful patterns and alluring designs to suit your taste.
While deciding the appearance of your garden, you may consult friends, family or experts who can give you different advise. You can get a valuable suggestion from others about which you have not thought or imagined.
Garden steeping stones are not only used to create a pathway in your garden but also used in fountains, stone tables or chairs where you can spend much time to relax and feel comfortable. The scenic beauty of your garden will get a much needed boost if the stepping stones are used in an imaginative way.
In order to get rejuvenated or to refresh our minds, we often travel to different places for the beauty that they offer. But you develop a fondness of gardening and give your garden a new appearance and work on it regularly then you need not go anywhere. And in this endeavor garden stepping stones can be of great help. So go ahead and splash your creativity in your garden and see the great results that you get.
First, you have to examine where you are getting your leads. It is no good trying to sell gardening products, if all your prospects are looking for home wares.
The first think I see with nearly all online advertising and lead generation is that it is ether stale, or does not supply the promised targeted market. Internet marketer and I almost choke calling them that have sloppy sales and advertising techniques.
They talk about how to send good copy, but have no idea if it is or not. They send out 500,000 email adds and hope for the best, a few years ago it was quite successful but the same people are being sent marketing material over and over again with no idea of what the consumer is thinking or reacting to the media.
Spam has killed the net, and it has come from these same ‘Guru’s’ who are still promising to make you rich.
We are approaching this problem in two ways, one there is a whole new market about to open up that has not been ‘spammed’ into submission. We plan to get there before the spam starts; We live in hope that some how pay per email is introduced as would clean out the industry over night. This would be a marvellous thing.
Most of my business life I have spent ridiculous amounts on advertising, with these budgets came testing before you are about to approach 20,000 people, you must test several variants of copy, because it is only your opinion you have to go on or if you are lucky you and some friends to test it on. Even now when you receive copy from us, we have tested it on our own business.
We claim to have marketing knowledge that will make you financially free, but even we are not arrogant enough not to test copy. If the biggest and richest corporations in the world do not move on a campaign until it is tested, why should you? Until you have sent that amazing copy out into the real world to suck it to see what comes back, only then will you get a true representation of what the market place thinks of your marketing.
How to get the right people
There are so many mediums to choose from these days and most have swarmed to the internet as a never-ending pool of people to market to and annoy.
Again, we go back a few years, print media the digital age tried to knock the life out of the printed media market. It did take a huge hit several years ago, friends had to change industries or diversify fast. Everyone wanted to be part of the digital revolution. Business cards brochures letterheads with comp slips, no one was ordering any more.
The colour ink jet printer revolutionised desktop publishing. It has steadied now and companies have filled holes with new digital media, and by smaller operators have changed to digital photo printing. Now that looks to take a hit as home printers become more and more higher quality and less and less people are printing out photos, due to bebos and my-spaces the digital world is definitely here to stay.
Where am I going with this rambling, print media, which was once so expensive to produce is now relatively cheap? Ten years ago, I bought a colour laser printer for my business, it cost $45,000. Today I have a colour laser printer in my house, it is higher quality, then the professional colour laser was, it is cheaper to run, and cost under $2000.
It is so much easier to look professional now. I have every brochure for products we sell in PDF format. We have ready-made quality printed glossy material that we plaster everywhere. Shops will take them in a brochure stand because they look professional. It does not matter where I go I take business cards and some brochure with me. Printed media works.
Qualified people equals sales
As I have said before elsewhere, we enjoy a high conversion rate; this is because our leads are qualified. Our best leads come from ‘oh’ surprise surprise they come from old-fashioned newspaper adds. It costs me $175 per week to run 7 ads in 7 papers of 5 lines.
When someone reads an add, and they respond to that add, they have become a customer walking into your shop. You would be aware if you have been reading all my articles, that if a person walks into your store you do not have to sell to them. So many business’s miss this fact every day.
Advertising is to generate leads, marketing is to close sales, read that sentence again understand it make it your gospel. Once a person responds to your advertising, they are looking at what you have to offer. If you have been genuine in your advertising and your product or service lives up to what you say it will, then you are almost home. It is only a matter of showing your client in a manner in which they understand how your tool is going to solve their problem.
You master this and you will be successful in any endeavour your partake upon. Note. I had a computer franchise, we out sold out competition by down selling. When a customer came into our stores, instead of being sold the latest and greatest. Customers were asked what the computer was for, normally it was for little Jonnie, for his schoolwork.
Mum and Dad inevitably did not know much about what they were about to spend thousands of dollars on. Jonnie of course knows exactly what he wants because he/she has games and entertainment in mind.
You have to remember this was a few years ago now and computers were much more expensive. Anyway, Mum and Dad would normally look to child because they seem to know. We would tell them they do not need to spend so much as they have education in mind, and games power is yet more of a distraction. Mum and Dad would appreciate this to no end, the referrals from family and friends was huge.
People do not trust sales people for good reason, they lie, they are uneducated about their product, and they are too young for the position. If you get a representation in any industry these days, as knowing your stuff and educating your employees you will not fail. The time is now to reap the rewards on so many marketing tactics forgotten about.
Global marketing has thrown out the personal touch. People have not changed, just because the powers to be and the hype that surrounds us all, just because it is all there does not mean it is true. What we are told to buy, told to want, told how to live has become very tiresome.
It is not just the Death of Internet Advertising it is the death of un listening companies and ideas.
People have had enough, and eventually they vote with their feet, in this cast they are voting with their mice, and are simply not clicking on anything any more, because everyone is fed up of being lied to ‘spammed’ and told what to do.
It is a bright new world about to open up for us all, you just need to have the forethought to become involved with it, and help change the face of global marketing.
If you put all of the above into practise, you will have more conversions than you know what to do with.
If I say herbaceous border or perennial border to you, what comes to mind?
To many people this conjures up images of gardens filled with colourful blooms all summer, only to become empty and barren of flower or leaf during autumn and winter. Many more of you will think of landlord’s estate grounds, staffed by teams of subservient garden workers. These workers tend the herbaceous borders requiring constant deadheading, pruning, staking, mulching, feeding, watering and division. Now those impressions may have been the way perennial borders were thought of in the past, today however, perennial borders are somewhat different.
They are actually seeing a bit of a mini revival.
* Perennials, alternatives to large lawns
Homeowners who have become tired of the never-ending cycle of feeding, weeding and mowing lawns, have decided to decrease the size of these green areas.
Instead, replanting them with colourful perennial or herbaceous borders. These may have been lawns that their all grown up children once ran and played on, now devoid of that activity. On the other hand, perhaps the homeowner became tired of having the same mirror image lawn as his neighbour; I can tell you there is nothing like a perennial border to change that situation.
* Perennial form and growth
Planting a new perennial border can really help improve your garden.
The plants overall are much faster growing and softer in form than shrubs. It is also interesting to watch these new perennials grow and develop, often shedding their skin of last season foliage only to replenish it the following spring.
* Layout and Soil Preparation
The first thing I would suggest when creating a perennial border is to become nosey.
When out driving or walking, have a look into others gardens, you may see something you like or an idea you can borrow. Another good way to learn new planting ideas is to visit garden open days or gardening exhibitions. When you have an idea of what perennial plants types you like, you can then select a point in your garden to position a border. Try to determine how much sun or shade your chosen location gets. Do not try to make sun-loving plant like the Michaelmas daisy grow in an area that gets a lot of shade.
* Border Shape
Decide the shape of your border.
Do not make your perennial border too narrow, a wide border will be easier to maintain and look far more awash with lush planting. Go gentle on the curves, we all like a curving border but avoid a very fussy serpentine shape. Try to make the border lengthy, you will be able to accommodate many different-sized and blooming plants. Use a long length of hosepipe or heavy rope to mark out the shape of your border, this allows you to adjust until you achieve a comfortable shape. When your shape is decided, you can mark the ground with marker spray or simply by scratching with a stick.
Follow this by spraying off any existing grass and weeds (if present) with a translocated herbicide such as “Roundup”.
* Preparing Your Soil
Now its time for soil preparation before planting.
Most new garden beds and borders benefit from additional organic material being added to it and dug in. This is especially true of the perennial border. So, dig over the ground thoroughly and remove all traces of perennial weeds and large stones, leave the small stones as they aid drainage and help to regulate the soils temperature. Dig or till in lots of organic matter to improve the soil for your perennials at this stage as well. If you have a good back and you feel up to it, this organic matter is most effective if dug in to a depth of 12 inches. Choose from the following source of organic matter… garden compost, leaf mould, well rotted farmyard manure, spent mushroom compost, garden centre soil enricher. An ideal situation would be to have half your soil made up of organic matter, a great reserve of plant food.
I would advise adding grit at this stage as well if your soil is very heavy, sticky or poorly drained. Digging in a good quantity of sand grit or gravel will open up your soil and allow channels for drainage.
The final part of the soil preparation is to fork around 10-20 grammes of 7-6-17 per metre squared into the soil. If 7-6-17 is not available, then any general-purpose fertiliser applied at the rates stated on its pack will do. After all this is done, you must allow the soil to and its amendments to settle for around a week or two before planting.
This gives you ample opportunity to select and source the plants you would like to inhabit your newly created border.
The winter season is upon us. Instead of dreaming of a thaw, you should be already working on warmer publicity.
Most magazines are already thinking of stories with a spring/summer angle. So you should be thinking that way, too-if you want to beat the competition and get some coveted coverage. That means start focusing on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduations.
Why so early? Because of many media outlets’ production schedules-most notably magazines-reporters often start working on seasonal stories 4-6 months in advance.
One way to find out when the media is working on spring stories is to contact the advertising department of the outlet and request a media kit.
This kit tells advertisers what stories or topics will be highlighted in each issue so that advertisers can submit their ads by the proper date. It’s called an editorial calendar.
Editorial Calendars tell you what articles, feature stories, product reviews and other editorial content that a media outlet (publication – newspaper, magazine, web site, etc.) has scheduled to cover in the future.
Many media kits with editorial calendars are also offered online, so if you have a particular publication with a web presence, you may find what you need at their site.
Getting an article or feature written about your product may seem like a difficult and time-consuming task.
However, if you know in advance that a certain publication is going to be concentrating on your specific market or topic, reporters will be more willing to read information about your product and take phone calls from you. In fact, the reporter will probably be thankful because you have just made his job easier. Instead of him having to go look for information for his story, you will be bringing it to him.
The winter season is upon us. Instead of dreaming of a thaw, you should be already working on warmer publicity.
Most magazines are already thinking of stories with a spring/summer angle. So you should be thinking that way, too-if you want to beat the competition and get some coveted coverage. That means start focusing on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduations.
Why so early? Because of many media outlets’ production schedules-most notably magazines-reporters often start working on seasonal stories 4-6 months in advance.
One way to find out when the media is working on spring stories is to contact the advertising department of the outlet and request a media kit.
This kit tells advertisers what stories or topics will be highlighted in each issue so that advertisers can submit their ads by the proper date. It’s called an editorial calendar.
Editorial Calendars tell you what articles, feature stories, product reviews and other editorial content that a media outlet (publication – newspaper, magazine, web site, etc.) has scheduled to cover in the future.
Many media kits with editorial calendars are also offered online, so if you have a particular publication with a web presence, you may find what you need at their site.
Getting an article or feature written about your product may seem like a difficult and time-consuming task.
However, if you know in advance that a certain publication is going to be concentrating on your specific market or topic, reporters will be more willing to read information about your product and take phone calls from you. In fact, the reporter will probably be thankful because you have just made his job easier. Instead of him having to go look for information for his story, you will be bringing it to him.
Here’s the process:
1. Make a list of the publications that reach your best audiences/potential customers.
2. Enter the URL for the publication you are targeting. If the URL is not intuitive (for instance, The Wall Street Journal’s URL is www.wsj.com ), use your computer’s search engine to find the publication. Once you’re on its home page, search for the section “About Us”, “Media Kit” or, if you’re lucky, “Editorial Calendar.”
3. Once you’ve located the Editorial Calendar, scan it for entries that are a match for your market focus, product or service. Note the issue in which the story is scheduled to run, and the deadline date for submitting information and/or materials for that story.
4. If the editorial contact is not given on the Editorial Calendar, call the publication and ask to speak with someone in Editorial who can assist you in identifying the correct writer or editor to contact. If you can’t reach Editorial, try asking the person who answers the phone. They sometimes know more than you expect and can be very helpful.
5. Repeat this process for each of your target publications, until you have a list of all scheduled stories for the coming year that look like they have potential for your company’s involvement.
6. You may find it easier to keep track of your Editorial Opportunities list if you enter all the information into a spreadsheet, such as Excel so you can easily add, subtract, and sort opportunities as you act upon them.
Follow these tips now to gain more exposure when the warmer weather returns:
1. Create ways that your product or service can tie into spring and summer. For example, a landscaper can offer tips to get a green lawn. An organizer can show how to properly store winter clothes. A fitness coach can provide ways to get fit in a park.
2. Find reasons for gift-giving all year-round. Is your product or service something that would be a great gift for a mom, dad or grad? Find out which media outlets are doing gift guides and how you can get your product or service featured.
Here are some seasonal story ideas to get you started for the late spring/early summer:
May
-Gardening
-Mother’s Day
-Spring Cleaning
-College Graduation
-Proms
June
-Summer Travel
-Father’s Day
-High School Graduation
-Weddings
-Baseball
Not every gardener is lucky enough to have flat property on which to garden. If you do have a slope or a hill, it is often very difficult, confusing and challenging trying to figure out how to landscape. There are many ideas and tips on gardening on a hill, which helps you deal with the special challenges and problems you are likely to encounter. If the garden slope is extremely steep, stay away from planting grass or gardens that need any kind of maintenance, as it can be hazardous trying to cut or look after them.
A couple of great tips on gardening on a slope are to plant trees and shrubs. Their root system will slow water runoff, especially during heavy rainstorms, and anchor the soil. Tall perennial grasses also work well on hills and require no maintenance. If you like the natural look, sow wildflower seed over the area, which will look beautiful and keep the topsoil from eroding or washing away. Wildflower seeds are readily available in bulk at large garden centers and nurseries. For every square foot you need approximately fifty seeds. If you have a small area to seed, buy a small can, but for large areas, wildflower seeds are available in bulk. Make sure that whatever you plant requires no regular maintenance if it is a steep hill.
In Pennsylvania I saw a beautifully landscaped hill planted with different colors of azaleas. The site in the spring and early summer was breathtaking. This was on a steep hill so it not only helped with erosion but was gorgeous too.
For shady areas, the tips on gardening on a hill are a little different. Most wildflowers require lots of light so a shady area is not a good choice. Instead, consider shade-loving ferns, perennials and low growing vines. Not only does the leaves slow erosion by catching the rain before it hits the ground but the roots help keep the soil from washing away. Another couple of great tips on gardening on a slope are to create stair steps or terraces. This requires some work, as you need to do a lot of digging. You may need to construct a retaining wall, depending on how steep the slope is. A level area to plant helps with erosion problems and makes it far easier to work in your garden.
For anyone that has a few garden challenges, such as land that slopes, they are always happy to find tips on gardening on a slope. If you are lucky enough to have weathered or interesting looking rocks on your hill, then it is the perfect area to create a rock garden. It would be good to plant some low growing vines and perennials in your rock garden to add texture and interest to your rock garden.
Definitely come up with a plan before you attempt your hill garden. Ask your garden center for some advice about your garden; they will be of great assistance. As with all gardens it is most important that you take time to enjoy your gardens whether they are on a hill or in beds.
Happy Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
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