Wednesday, April 2, 2008

My version of the "Lawn Chair"


The framework for the seat cushion, I used one on the seat, and a second for the backrest.

I have wanted create a lawn chair , ever since I came acros some on-line.






I wanted plenty of soil so the sod would thrive; I also wanted the look of a cushion.



I fabricated a cushion by making a wire frame, then covering it with landscape fabric.
First step, making the wire frame to hold the soil.
Thrift chair, wire, roll of sod, the makings of my lawn chair.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Cool new things







A sales rep came by today with a tidy little unit, It looks like a kitchen appliance. It's the "Aero grow" the world's first indoor smart garden.The computerized Aero garden tells you when to add water and nutrients. The micro processor automatically adjust nutrient delivery and water flow, and even turns on and off the lights to simulate the sun.




My Mom's husband dropped by the store excited by a new product he had seen on TV, the" upside down tomato" planter. I checked it out, and I wonder...I think I am willing to buy into the concept. I will go so far as to make a new version of the hanging basket with this in mind. A sauce basket piques my interest, tomatoes, basil, and oregano might be the thing.



Here is the official site, you decide, you just never know what will work without trying. https://www.hangingtomato.com/?cid=486403



There isn't a gardener around who doesn't have a collection of plastic pots tucked away somewhere, and for everyone of those could be 10 in the local landfill. I saw a great new bio degradable pot today. I will be able to order them through my local organic fertilizer rep soon. They are sustainable, being created from rice manufacturing waste, and tree saps. If it sounds a little too much, they are very solid. They can last 18 months above ground, but break down in 6 when planted in the ground, or composted. They have been organic certified in the country of origin, and it looks promising for receiving the same here in Canada. They are a Swedish product, but will soon be manufactured locally. http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.napac.ch/GB/Produkte_bestanden/Produkte_bestanden/naturepot.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.napac.ch/GB/Produkte_bestanden/Produkte.htm&h=116&w=230&sz=9&hl=en&start=30&sig2=86sJ-in8Xl4h9oWL92KLIQ&um=1&tbnid=MLNskjw_BlFnTM:&tbnh=54&tbnw=108&ei=lz_5R8ngB5XmgwOU0ukT&prev=/images%3Fq%3DNapac%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Gas Mower's; BIG polluters



Think about greener lawn care; A typical gas lawnmower creates as much pollution in one hour of operation as forty late model cars. A recent swedish study concluded an hour of lawn mowing was equivelant to the emissions of driving your car for one hundered hours. Small gas engines simply produce more pollution than those of cars, add up all our gas mowers, and you have the second largest contributor of damage to our air.I have owned an electric mower, and yes, I found being tethered by a power card more than annoying. It was a nuisance mowing around the many fruit trees, and beds in my large backyard.I always felt it was just a matter of time before I ran over my cord, the whole thing made me slightly nervous. Having said this, I realise they are great for some yards, and many people love them. Further to this, mowers are avaliable with re-chargable batteries.The new solar mowers have my attention, no more pulling those starter cords, never mind it's quiet, cord free, and uses renewable energy. The prices are reasonable, and as best I can tell from my research, it seems they do a reasonable job. In the past some machines were both expensive, and wimpy, for all but the postage stamp size yards.I do love my push mower, but have to admit mine gives a rather shaggy cut. I actually like the excercise it affords, and the peace of mind that I am being quiet if I mow Sunday morning. I had been considering looking for a more deluxe model, but now....hmmm, perhaps the solar ones are the thing to keep my eye on. http://www.solarispowerproducts.com/green-facts.htm