Home & Garden Club

A lawn care calendar can really help you to take good care of your lawn throughout all the different seasons.

It can be extremely difficult and time consuming caring for your lawn and it can be difficult at times to remember everything that needs doing at certain periods of the year. To prevent you from forgetting anything, you should consider using a lawn care calendar where you can keep tabs on everything that needs doing when it needs doing. By doing this you can ensure that your lawn looks healthy and visually appealing at the same time.

There are quite a few different established lawn calendars out there to go for, but it may be a better idea to customize a plan that will best suit your own lawn. The use of a calendar will help to make things a lot simpler and therefore it is certainly worth considering.

Keeping on Top of Lawn Maintenance with the Use of a Calendar

You will be able to mark down certain dates to do certain things when it comes to the maintenance of your lawns and you can make your very own customized plan. You will want to start marking things down in the calendar from March, with the preparation of the soil to promote the new growth. You should rake up the soil to warm up everything, as well as keeping it all refreshed and you should find that this is a very good start.

At this point in time you may also want to test the soil as well as use some herbicides to help to make the grass grow better. Around April time you may have to start mowing the lawn which is a very important step to keeping the grass healthy and to make it look as good as possible. You may want to mark this time period on your lawn care calendar and also the aerating of the soil may be something that you will need to jot down for this time frame. In the month of May you will then want to concentrate on using fertilizers, as well as insecticides and even herbicides if needed to help to take care of the lawn.

In June, the weather will start to pick up and therefore you will have to water the lawn but - do be careful not to overdo it.

For all of the different months, you will need to keep an eye on your grass. So it is always a great idea to mark it down on a calendar to make sure that you are doing everything that is needed to look after the lawn.

If you’re after a gorgeous lawn for your backyard, you should read up on how to select the right type of grass for your plot. Then, by following a few maintenance tips, you will be well on your way to achieving the lawn you dream of.

Garden Design With Lawns

By picking up a few things about how to choose the right type of lawn for your backyard you can ensure a beautiful design that is both easy to keep up and doesn’t require unreasonable amount of energy to look its best.

The Color Of the Lawn

Though light and dark green are equally pleasing to the eye, most people prefer a darker shade of green for their yards. To ensure the newly planted darker turf doesn’t get overrun by the lighter color blades of the existing grass you should pick a type that mixes well, for a unified look.

Kinds of Grass Available

Grasses come in many shapes, shades and sizes and can originate from your area or much further locales. You should therefore be able to find a type of grass that suits the growing conditions of your plot, the level of sun exposition it receives and the kind of weather you get.

Back To Basics

It is essential that you establish what types of lawn are suitable for your plot, condition of the soil and size of the area: these elements are important for a great looking result and your local home improvement and garden store should be able to advise.

Turf or Seed?

Before you get planting you need to select whether you want to lay turf or sow seeds.

New Lawn Maintenance

It is essential that you look after your new lawn properly, by maintaining a regular care program: regular watering, mowing twice a week, tidying up the edges every 7 to 10 days, adding fertilizer four times a year, and also possibly applying lime and thatching on a yearly basis.

Fertilizing and watering

Watering and feeding will promote healthy growth, to keep your lawn looking great at all times. Once you’ve established what routine is most suitable you should aim to maintain it.

A lawn in good order will not only generate oxygen and help maintain a healthy environment for you and yours: it will also act as a fantastic erosion prevention tool and absorb both dangerous toxins and noise. Keep your grass happy and it will repay you in the long term!

Are you dreaming of a lush, velvety green lawn? Achieving this is not as hard as you may think. Although the quickest and easiest way to make this dream come true is by laying sod, there are other ways if you stick to a good plan. First and foremost you must select grass that will work the best in your climate and for your soil conditions. After that the key is simply regular, scheduled lawn maintenance by ensuring appropriate mowing, watering, fertilizing and weed control.

Always keep the blades on your lawn mower sharp so you get a nice, clean cut. A dull blade can tear up the grass blade tips causing stress and promoting disease in your lawn. Avoid the heat of the middle of day while mowing. It is best to try early morning or after the sun starts setting.

Mow the lawn to an approximate 3 inch height to achieve deeper, stronger roots that are resistant to disease and drought. When mowing your grass to this longer length, do not bag the clippings. Instead leave the cut grass clippings in the lawn as it will act as a natural fertilizer and provide up to one fourth of the nutrients your lawn needs. If your lawn is too high, mow it in stages to get it to the proper height. Cutting more than half the length of the grass during one mowing will shock the grass. Also, do not mow your lawn when wet.

Your lawn needs approximately one inch of water, enough to reach the roots, at one time and it should usually be sufficient to do this twice a week depending on where you live. Remember deep watering instead of frequent watering encourages root growth. Water in the early morning or early evening but never while the sun rays are powerful as this will prevent deep soaking and the water droplets on the blades may scorch the grass. Try not to let your lawn completely dry out between waterings. A sprinkler system, even a home made one, can really make this easier. If your lawn, or parts of it, is without any sunlight, it will die. If a section of the lawn is deprived of all sunlight due to branches or bushes try pruning so the grass receives some sunlight during the course of the day.

Create a compost heap with things like lawn clippings, raked leaves, fruit rinds, eggshells, coffee grounds etc. to feed your lawn. In any climate, spring and fall are the most important times to fertilize your lawn. Fertilize with natural soil improvers you may be able to pick up from your local town such as organic compost or manure. After fertilizing, make sure you water your lawn so that the nitrogen in the fertilizer does not burn your grass. Aerate your the lawn when it becomes impacted. Aerating is simply allowing air circulation to the roots done by making small holes all over yard. Although a healthy lawn is rarely 100% weed free, keep them under control so they do not take over your healthy grass.

Staying on top of lawn maintenance is far easier than fixing problems once they have taken root. Keep to your plan and I wish you a lush, green lawn.

If only decorating your home comes without a cost, you would probably have a new theme and design for your home many times every year. But just like most people, you shy away from home decorating and home improvement activities because you do not want to spend a lot of money on this.

The truth is decorating your home does not need to hurt your pockets. In fact, there are many practical home decorating suggestions and ideas that can be worked out even with a small budget. Here is a list of six fantastic tips that will help you achieve just that.

Tip 1: Form a plan

Planning is a crucial step in home decoration so that you will be able to accomplish it effectively and successfully. More importantly, this ensures that you do not end up wasting money or spending more than what you can afford.

Before you start writing down your plans, visualize how you want your home to look. Decide on the theme and color style you want to adapt and from here, start planning the things that you will need for your home decoration project.

List the things you need and determine which ones you can make yourself or create from the things that you already have, and the ones that you really need to buy. Formulate a realistic budget allocation for your expenditures to avoid overspending.

Tip 2: Adapt a theme

Having a theme for your home does not only make the decorating project easier but if you choose a practical theme, you will be able to save a lot of money at the same time. For example, a tropical interior design theme can save you money because you can get some tropical decorative accessories for free if you go to the beach. This include seashells, corals, starfish, leaves, and driftwood. You can even use what you have collected to make tropical wall hangings.

Tip 3: Invest wisely

Just because you are on a budget does not mean that you have to get every cheap thing you can get your hands on. Sometimes spending more will save you in the long run. For example, if you want to repaint the walls in your home, it would make sense to buy a high quality paint that would last a long time rather than to go for cheap paints that are also cheap in quality.

Tip 4: Watch out for discount sales

Discount sales provide a good opportunity to get hold of home accessories at a low price so keep your eyes peeled for these events. You can also try checking out online stores because there are many excellent deals that will enable you to find nice and good quality products without having to spend much.

Tip 5: Shop around

If you want to find great deals on products you can use for your home decoration, you should not stop at the first shop that you see. Shop around widely so you will be able to compare products and prices, and find the best deals at the most affordable prices.

Tip 6: DIY projects

You do not always have to buy everything. Some of the things you need you can make yourself. For example, create your own tropical wall hangings or wall sculpture art by framing a nice coastal photograph scene or by doing your own metal or clay sculpture.

If you have the patience, talent and imagination, you can make excellent decorating choices that will not only improve the overall style of your home but also be practical and realistic for the budget of your family.

Most home decorating design is assorted in style, with a blend of traditional and contemporary furnishings, mixing new with the old. The furnishing choices in a successful home decorating scheme are almost always a well thought-out mixture of styles. Before you begin to decorate, keep in mine that hardly ever is a room, outside of one found in a museum, decorated in one style. You should choose furniture that suits your family and arranging it in a way that works gracefully with the home decorating scheme.

When faced with a room in need of a new look, the question most often asked is which color should be use? How do I combine them? Choosing home decorating colors your selves can be a somewhat scary proposition. You have to develop the skill and confidence to create a room that is quiet but not dull, vibrant but not tasteless, it’s helpful to learn some basic home decorating color vocabulary. You should become familiar with the color ring, which is a basic version of the color wheel usually used by fine artists, and to understand the principles of combining colors.

A successful mixture of home decorating patterns, colors, and textures will result in a balanced and beautiful room; the kind of room that makes you feels comfortable the moment you enter it. You must first look at the home decorating pattern and texture that are imbedded in the architecture of the room; the pattern in the grain of a wood floor, for example, or the texture of plaster walls, and the sheen of a marble countertop.



It’s always best to plan ahead, before you actually begin a home decorating project, whether large or small, it’s a good idea to understand what is involved and to think about how it will be accomplished. Home decorating can start anywhere, with the given advice to spruce up a room; you can fall in love with a new color, or by adding a piece of furniture. But remember to think through the process of your home decorating project before you paint a wall or buy any furniture.

Walls are the largest surface area in any room, and the wall treatment you choose can enhance your home decorating choices in a way that no other single home decorating element will. Before you begin, think about the basic of the room; the quality of the light, the size of the room, and any architectural features you may want to highlight or downplay, and, of course, the furniture and fabrics you plan to use in the home decorating scheme.

You may or may not choose a particular home decorating style when you decorate your rooms, but you will certainly strive to create a stylish décor. When it’s time to rearrange the furniture, you must decide whether to refresh the look with new upholstery, or do you want to put together an entirely new home decorating scheme for a room.

All well-designed rooms exemplify more than one home decorating principle because the principles work hand in hand. For example, a room is balanced in part because its home decorating elements vary in scale proportionally to their setting and there is a sense of rhythm. When each home decorating element is in place and in harmony with all the other elements, you experience the room as welcoming and livable. A successful home decorating scheme for any room is one that is designed around your personal taste and style.

Setting out to decorate a new home or redecorating your current abode without a plan can be like driving around an unfamiliar city without a map—you may end up somewhere, but it’s probably not where you wanted go and you may have no idea how you got there. And you may just end up somewhere pretty ugly. Formulating a plan, however, can be a difficult task. Thumbing through home and furniture magazines often just leads to little more than an increased risk of paper cuts, and watching the countless home decorating “reality” shows, while sometimes entertaining, rarely results in an epiphanous (no, its not a word) moment. Actually, according to dictionary.com, it is a word, so take your red squiggly underline and shove it, Microsoft. Anyways…oh yeah, having a plan. This plan I speak of, doesn’t have to be a 10-page manifesto or even a loose outline, in fact, it doesn’t really have to be put in writing. I say, let your personality be your guide.

As hokey and simple as that may sound, it works. Too many people decorate their homes to please or impress others. Unless you’re a close friend or relative or Martha Stewart, this is just ridiculous (I‘ve heard she can be a little harsh). Remember, you live in your home, not them. Let your home be a reflection of yourself by choosing colors, furniture, and accessories that show your personality, as deranged and anti-social as that may be.

Many people with bright, vivacious personalities like bright, vivacious colors. Go figure. But these gregarious individuals often temper this when it comes to decorating their homes. You don’t have to make your home look like Rainbow Brite (for those not in the know, she’s a brightly colored 80’s cartoon character) threw up all over the place to inject your personality. Pick a few colors and stick to them. As with most decorating schemes, bright colors work well when set against light, muted ones, like shades of white or beige. Paint your walls these muted colors and then go crazy adorning them with brightly colored artwork and accessories. Same thing goes for furniture. Back away from the teal couch and the orange upholstered chair. Look for boring colors and then add your personality in the form of pillows and throw blankets. If these tips still don’t allow you to fully express how wild and crazy you are, experiment with your bedroom decor. You’ll offend less people that way.

On the other side of the coin we have the more straight-laced, conservative types. Bright colors give these people headaches, as do the aforementioned people who like bright colors. But what these plodding individuals lack in personality they more than make up for with grace and sophistication, and this should come through in their home decor. Whether your style preference is contemporary, traditional, or somewhere in the middle, you can create a look that personifies you and at the same time is decidedly un-boring. Furniture and lighting isn’t the difference-maker here, it’s the accessories and decorations you should focus on. Artwork and other embellishments such as plants, knick-knacks on shelves, and framed photos can breathe life into rooms with less color. And speaking of color, you can still make a statement without fuchsia walls or a red leather sofa. The trick is to mix in lights and darks to create contrasts wherever you can. Use black and charcoal against whites and light grays or experiment with the many shades of brown, from light tans to deep, dark chocolate brown.

How do you add that “country touch” to a decorating style? Since the “country look” has evolved over the years and taken on a wider variety of characteristics, it can add a special touch to decorating from rural to contemporary. Here are a few ideas to give your home a “touch of country” and retain that feel of tradition.

Add a little extra luxury in your country home decorating such as pampering guests with a serene bedroom furnished with a high-quality mattress and specially-selected cotton sheets that feel good against the skin.

A layered look in fabrics gives a tranquil feel to a room. Country home decorating makes use of patterned fabrics, florals, and stripes as well as eyelet. They complement one another and provide a special touch in any room.

Another idea is to add blue and white checks on cushions and pillows to give that country appearance. Blue denim is also an icon of the country home decorating style. It is a traditional, timeless American classic that gives a relaxed, comfortable feel to a room.

Quilts, quilts, and quilts- what a wonderful way to add that country touch to your décor. There are countless patterns from which to choose that will harmonize with your country decorating idea.

Old and new photographs are an outstanding addition to your country home décor. The space above a staircase is a place to display your photos for your own enjoyment as well as for your family and guests. Make sure the staircase is out of the direct sunlight.

Take time from decorating to relax in a hammock for an hour or two-what a true country experience!

As you can see, these are just a small number of the unlimited ways to add a touch of country to your country home decorating ideas.

For ideas on keeping your home organized, download a free copy of the ebook “The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home”. This ebook has many practical, easy-to-use tips to make home organization a reality. Go to http://www.lynnshomedecor.com/f/Opt-in_Pages.html for your free download.

In search of an inexpensive housewarming gift? Are you planning to give home accessories for friends who are about to tie the knot? If you’ve begun to realize that the new ceiling fan you’ve just bought for your neighbor appears to be a prime candidate for regifting, we’re here to provide some cheap home decoration gift ideas which may just be worth your while.

Table Accents

Tables offer great flexibility when it comes to decorating. For dining tables, metal fruit baskets and wicker bread trays are excellent storage accessories that offer great decorative value. Pillar candle holders and cheap glass vases are excellent for coffee tables and consoles in living rooms and lobbies. The list for unique yet inexpensive table accents can go on and on. As with any room interior, the key is to match your décor with current furniture theme.

Wall Decorations

In lieu of expensive paintings, items like wrought iron decorations and full sized mirrors offer practical alternatives for both traditional and contemporary room designs. Sandstone wall decorations make great accents for both modern living room interiors and Asian garden themes. For contemporary walls, you may want to try to infuse a bit of African art by hanging decorative tribal masks.

Storage Accessories

Though your friends’ clutter free home may appear to be wondrous sight at first, they will eventually find the need to organize at one point or another. Every home always has room for a new wall mounted shelf. Chest drawers and metal magazine racks rarely ever outrun their use. Corner racks are cheap home accessories that are often assured of a space in kitchens and living rooms.

Traditional and Antique Décor

Though the terms traditional and antique connote ideas of elegance and luxury, you’ll be surprised of the number of ways you help spruce of your friend’s Victorian room theme without going beyond your budget. Resin vases and sculptures are steadily gaining popularity because of two key factors, “beauty and affordability”. As one of the most versatile synthetic substances today, resin can be fabricated to replicate the texture of wood or metal in any shape or form imaginable. When used as decorative fixtures or furniture, the difference between resin and wood is often hardly discernable.

For more home decoration tips and ideas, please feel free to visit www.homedecorcenter.com.

Putting your personality into your house is the best way to make it a home. Whether you’re using your own muse or someone else’s put yourself into everything you create at home for a relaxing life experience.

One of the first things I realized about home decorating-after my three thousand or so attempts at making my place look like all the pictures from the magazines-is that home decorating should reflect your personal style. Your home should reflect who you are and what you love.

Of course, I’m not saying that this revelation made me prance around my house with two cans of pink and yellow paint or that I plastered bunnies and butterflies everywhere-and yes, I do actually love pink, yellow, bunnies and butterflies-but I did put a little bit of myself into every room.

I got a certain sense of personal satisfaction from painting my ugly orange countertops a vibrant country red that matched my lust for life and the décor I actually wanted to toss around my kitchen. And my own personal works of art-paintings, photographs, sculptures-are set up around my place as well, giving it just that look of being lived in by somebody who loves and experiences life.

Of course, I recognize that we can’t all spend our evenings splashing around in water colors, or spend our weekends chasing a gaggle of baby quails about the yard trying to take their pictures.

That’s why there are professional designers out there who dedicate their lives to creating home décor that other people can use to express themselves and their individuality. And it’s okay to buy your curtains and blankets if you don’t know how to sew-crafty as I am, I still bought all my curtains and most of my blankets.

Of the things I love most in my home, my furniture doesn’t even come close to counting. It’s the accessories in my home that make it look like I personally live there and that no one else can shake my individuality.

One of my favorite items is a cotton area rug I recently purchased on a trip to the Deep South. This area rug was handmade in mills in the Deep South, where the cotton was picked fresh, milled in a southern mill, cleaned, spun and woven all by the same family of rug makers. When the bed is too hot at night, I frequently sleep on this rug and it makes me feel like I’m back in the Deep South all over again.

I realize that area rugs are not for everyone, but it can be an excellent place to start in learning to develop a personality for your home that meshes with your own personality rather than clashing and making you feel uncomfortable in your own home.

Different types of accessories are truly the way to bring out your personality in your home. Whether it is an area rug, artwork, photographs, drapery, throw pillows or knick knacks that represent different moments in your life, you can always find a way to make yourself feel at home if you just put a little bit of yourself into your own home.

When you have a picky, sophisticated style, it can be difficult to decorate your home. Learning to appreciate the little things will keep you in the loop with life and loving your home, sophisticated or not.

Decorating your home can be difficult. We all know that. But if you’re one of those people that has a slightly sophisticated taste, if you yourself may not be a sophisticated person, decorating your home can be a veritable nightmare.

As a Home Decorating Sophisticate, or HDS as it were, you have a refined taste in furniture, flooring, sashes, throw pillows, drapery, rugs, lighting, hanging artwork and pretty much everything else that comes through your line of vision. You can sense imbalance in your sleep and your aura blends with Zen decorating on an ultimately frightening level.

Never fear, though. You don’t have to go to a professional decorator to get the look you want and can be happy with for your home-which is great because with your picky style, a professional decorator would be a complete waste of thousands of dollars.

First things first. Learn to appreciate imbalance and make it work with your extreme sense of balance. When you’re learning to appreciate the simple things in life, the sophisticated side of you can break lose and make it difficult. One of the most important things a sophisticate must know when trying to decorate a home for reality is that there can never be perfect balance in everything. Life may be about learning achieve balance, but if you have kids, or a life that moves with the speed of the world, there’s bound to be an occasional dirty sock on the floor, traffic marks and hand smudges on your walls. Decorate to suit those needs.

You may need to purchase an area rug to cover the places where people walk the most. Oriental rugs are perfect for parlors, living rooms and dining rooms as well as any other place your sophisticated little heart needs to put one. In outdoor spaces or sunrooms a well made bamboo area rug or seagrass area rug can be an excellent addition to your motif. Remember though, that an area rug is more than just a way to cover up the little imperfections that send your sophistication radar blaring up a storm. An area rug is a way to bring warmth and life into your otherwise over-perfected home.

But don’t think that it’s only about area rugs and covering things up that you don’t want to see. Decorating as a sophisticate is also about learning to appreciate the macaroni and glitter jewelry box your daughter made enough to proudly display it next to the Faberge egg knock off your grandmother left you.

Remind yourself everyday that sophistication is less important than the little things in life. As a sophisticate you can always have a beautiful home that you love. But it is so few and far between that a sophisticate can have both a beloved home and home that’s full of love.

It’s not easy to have a sophisticated home that is also full of life and ready for reality. Give life a change and you may find it’s more sophisticated than you thought.