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Using things to make birdfeeders on your own for your backyard is not only a fun way, but also it is in a way satisfying to feed them, as this becomes the source of food for many birds. It is also an excellent way to enjoy those feathered friends from your garden rooms if you are a wildlife lover. You can opt for common household items anytime to make the birdfeeders to scatter amongst the trees in your garden. That is especially interesting for the kids to discover that the birds, as well as squirrels, nibble away at the feeder, which they helped their mothers in making. So, let’s take a look at the things you can use to make a feeder for birds and enjoy watching the birds from your garden rooms.

Recycled Products

Feeders from recycled products is a brilliant idea. Being honest about the fact that anything, which you have lying around in your house can do the work of feeder as long as you have a way to hang it in the exterior walls or from trees in your garden, and also which can hold bird food. No wonder that old license plates can also do the job of birdfeeder, which would be inimitable and fanciful. The birds would love the thought, and you will be proud to display that.

Old Shoe Birdfeeder

Have you ever thought that your old shoe can be so useful? If you love creating exclusive and imaginative things, then show your skills in nailing an old show of yours in a tree in the backyard and put the bird food inside.

Spoon Feeder

A plastic bottle and some wooden spoons make a very creative birdfeeder. You need to made holes in the plastic soda bottle so that you can put the spoons through them. Also, you need to make sure that the angle of your spoon is downward so that the birds can drizzle on them, This looks great, gives the birds a place to swing as well as you get the scope to feed them.

You can enjoy wildlife at its best with the use of birdfeeders. You can attract birds in your garden by strategically placing a few feeders, which will allow you to enjoy nature and those beautiful birds from your garden rooms. It is not an absolute necessity to buy it from any nursery. Although many stores provide them, there are things you can use to make a feeder for birds and get a view of them from your garden rooms. If you make it by yourself, then it will take little time as well as money. These are for hanging on the porch and also make the perfect gift for lovers of wildlife.

Saucer And Bowl Feeder

You can make bowl and plate feeder, which is either matching or mismatched would attract them as well. For this, you need to drill a hole in the dish and attach both the things together. Not just, it looks great but also the dish protects the birds from the sun and rain. It acts as an umbrella to the birds.

Cup Birdfeeder

A teacup and a plate can also make an attractive bird feeder. You can use your spare teacup set to create a unique birdfeeder by attaching the cup to the plate sideways. Glueing the cup sideways makes it look like the bird food has spilt out of the teacup. This leaves the feeder to look adorable. You need to hang it anywhere in your garden shed and watch the beautiful birds visiting your property. However, don’t forget to use a glue with strong holding power; otherwise, it will fall and may hurt your family members or the birds.

Bottle Birdfeeders

You can easily make bird feeders out of old wine bottles. Create a base with a small plate and drill holes on both the sides of the bottle so that the food comes out through those holes. Now, you need to fill those bottles through the lid and hang it using a rope or wire.

Even if you don’t have the greenest thumb in the world, still you can create a small space for your children in the backyard of your house to help them in growing plants. Imagine you with your kid going out in the garden, picking up sweet vegetables or strawberries, and eating them back to your back. How does that feel? Outstanding, right? So, don’t wait and get into the basics of kids gardening to make space a safe place for your gardener kid. If you think you have no practical experience how to help out your kid in gardening, then you can always rely on the internet, or you may purchase a book from reliable websites seeking help on gardening projects for kids.

Basics

Of course, you can’t leave everything on your kid, but you too need to help as well as encourage them in growing up plants. You can make the most of the garden by sketching out a plan of the space. Allow tallest plants to be at the north side, and permanent plants should be on all the parties. If you think that there isn’t enough space for gardening, then opt for container gardening. Your kids might find that interesting as well.

Child-Friendly Tips For Gardening

Buy gardening tools for kids, including rakes, cultivators, and spade, which are kid-friendly, and child sizes. As children are very much interested in exploring, you can turn that little space into a place for adventure. That would evoke more interest in them for gardening.

Most Loved Plants By Kids

Try incorporating plants, which your kids will love to grow. For example, go for plants having a strong fragrance, could be recognized easily and grows rapidly, including radish, cherry tomato, and lettuce. If your child has low or no patience at all, then these plants are the best for them.

Gardening Projects For Your Child

Gardens can prove to be a lively place where children can cultivate fun learning as well as a meaningful experience for themselves. Also, it offers children the opportunity to gain knowledge of the life cycle process, using which plants grow. This gardening not only helps them to learn about caretaking, makes them aware of the environment, teaches them responsibility and makes them independent. If you want your kids to learn the basics of life and from where the food comes, then introduce them to gardening as this increases their awareness. Along with this, they also get to know about the importance which the environment has in our daily lives. Here are a few gardening basics and tips for kids.

Basics Of Gardening And Kids-Friendly Gardening Tips

Decide on the location first before starting with a garden. It is ideal for creating a garden in that place which receives the maximum amount of sunlight. Additionally, it is essential to determine the quality of the soil and deciding on what could be added to the soil so that the growth potential maximizes. In your backyard, reserve a small patch of land for kids gardening. That will spark up their interest. Let your kids decide what they want to grow in their little space. You can also purchase garden tools, which are child-friendly from reliable websites. Think of the safety of the child gardener before making a purchase. Encourage them to grow those plants which they will enjoy growing. They are more likely to enjoy growing those plants, which have a sweet smell, quickly develop and could be easily recognized. Select those plants having large seeds as small hands can easily handle this. For this, pea, sunflower, and squash are the best options.

Furthermore, plants, which you can snack on, might be fun for the kids. For example, snow peas can be picked up quickly as the food gradually grows. Also to this, the garden allows the kids with new opportunities, as this place becomes a creative one for them. As they love the colour, this place becomes enjoyable for them. The teaching tools, which are exciting for kids to plant, include orange, blue, red and few others.

Identifying pest damage is not a difficult task. You can do that in any of the two mentioned ways. Whether you can see the pest or the cost, it is causing to your plants. If the thing goes out for your control, only then take the help of chemical sprays otherwise resort to natural pesticides and traps for pests or barriers and biological controls.

Damage Caused By Garden Pests

The damage caused by pests depends on the type of pests you have on your garden and their activities. Few pests are damaging your plants, some kill your plants, and others spoil the leaves. While some others are present in your garden to feed on other pests, the rest are successful in spreading diseases amongst your plants. However, not all pests behave the same way, and that is the reason why there are different natural pesticides for different types of pests you encounter.

Common Garden Pests And Get An Idea About What To Do With Them

The most common of them all are tiny mites living under the leaves, known to suck sap, which causes a yellow mottling. For particularly this type of pest, use a biological control under glass or raise humidity. The other way is to go for some organic sprays. The next is leaf miners, which is a collective and common term for the larvae of several types of flies, and they feed on leaf tissue, which causes discoloured traces. However, the damage caused by them is not so severe and hence, if you may get rid of them if leaf appearance is your priority. 

Mealybugs are fluffy and small, mainly attack the indoor plants, as they not exposed to the external weather conditions. Which helps them in rapid breeding and proficiently sucks the sap from the plants. Finally, cabbage maggot sticks to cabbage family crops. They create a tunnel in roots and destroys plants. Control these pests by applying floating row covers.

How To Get Rid Of Pests

A sustainable gardener must manage the common garden pests by using natural pesticides which won’t harm the plants and also get your work done. If you buy pesticides from the store, most of them are very harmful and highly toxic. Which might get your garden plants, rid of bugs but is sure to harm your plants, soil and the ecosystem as well. Therefore, you need mixing certain natural ingredients, which helps you to repel pests from the garden and keeps the organisms around safe as well as your plants and the soil. Now, you need to familiarize with the common garden pests and know what to do with them. It means to know about the eco-friendly pesticides, which you can use for subduing them efficaciously.

Common Garden Pests

Can you imagine majestic, remarkable little winged creatures (birds) are called pests? Also, note that robins, as well as crows, are widespread birds creating a nuisance to gardens. There are known to snack on ripening fruits or vegetables and pluck seeds as well. Caterpillars possess the ability to ruin your garden overnight but do not harm humans. They feed on destroy stems, stalks, and foliage.

Additionally, nocturnal little creatures like slugs and snails not only trouble your garden but also invade your home. They cause a hazard for pets if you have any. Flea beetles which jump like a flee causes massive damage to young plants as their larvae are known to feed to the roots. Finally, Thrips are a group of annoying crawlies known for ruining a garden and spreading disease.

Natural Pesticide

Eco-friendly pesticides have fewer chances of damaging the soil or environment but never assume that natural pesticides won’t damage your soil even a bit. You can use neem oil spray as this works well for whiteflies and mealybugs. Garlic pepper tea spray can do wonders to keep your garden bug free. Oil spray is not only simple to make but also inexpensive and gets your job done. Finally, make chilli pepper spray for pests or any other animals causing trouble and threatening the health of your garden.

Gardens are synonymous to fun or children as they can play and have enjoyed in the summer days. It offers your children fresh air as well as long hours of entertainment. However, if not taken care of, gardens can be a dangerous place too for your kids. Simple, you need to follow a few safety measures for building a child-friendly garden with a garden house and playground equipment suitable for children.

Safety Rules

Establishing a few rules for playing in the garden ensures safety for your little ones. Make sure that this list of rules set by the parents is not violated by any of the playmates of your kid. These rules should include no pushing or climbing on walls, using all playing equipment properly like one cannot stand on a swing or climb a swing. Be careful and take away harmful items away like gardening tools or chemicals. For recognizing dangerous situations, you need to supervise your kids all the time. Installing a fence or creating boundaries protects your children from going out of the garden. Finally, you need to remove all poisonous flowers or plants from your garden.

Safe Plants In The Garden For Children

While choosing plants for your garden, you need to consider which are safe for your kids in order to avoid plants, which causes skin irritation or are poisonous. Try to avoid Euphorbia as the stem of it ooze white sap, which causes irritation in the skin. Besides, you should also avoid growing mistletoe as well as delphinium. On the other hand, the safe choices for a child-friendly include growing begonias and clematis.

Playground Equipment

Along with plants in your grand, add some playground equipment, which is safe, durable and fun to play. Try to bring laughter and joy on the face of your little one by adding unique as well as engaging playing equipment with a blend of creativity and innovation. Add playhouses, swing sets, pedal tractors, climbing frames, etc. Ensure safe surfacing with rubber grass mats. Build a garden house suitable for your children so that they may take rest after gardening or playing around. This shed can be also used to sit and play. You can also create shade in the garden to protect your kids from the scorching heat with a lot of sitting arrangements.

Are you thinking of redesigning your garden to make it child-friendly? You can use the following guide so that you can create a safe environment, which is also enjoyable by your little ones. The following guide includes everything starting from garden features, plants safe for the kids, garden house to child-friendly playground equipment. All parents would love the ideas and would consider before dropping any.

Child-Friendly Plants

It is highly advised to plant those plants in the garden, which is safe for the kids and doesn’t irritate their skin or are poisonous. Plants, which you need to avoid, include daffodils and lily of the valley. Don’t opt for poisonous plants like Daphne containing poisonous berries. Moreover, avoid growing cherry laurel, laburnum and rhubarb leaves. However, safe choices include plants like busy Lizzies and fuchsias. Apart from this, you need to encourage the growth of only those plants, which are not only safe but also fun for your kids to pick including tomatoes as well as strawberries. If you want to encourage your children for growing plants then choose easy to grow plants like marigolds and carrots which not only grow faster but also has the capability to stand neglect, although not much.

Playing Equipment And Garden House

As safety is your first consideration for your young kids, besides growing plants, which are safe, you also need to think about inflatable pools, enclosures, covered ponds, soft surfaces. Create a flatter garden as it will decrease the risk of children falling down from a raised platform. Bring in equipment for them so that they can play in these enclosed gardens like netted trampolines and inflatable ball pools, both the game work best in flat surfaces. As your kids start growing older, bring up more challenging and fun activities for them.

Create sufficient space for treehouse, climbing frame, netball post or a football pitch. Try growing a row of espalier fruit trees as it stops a ball to enter your neighbour’s garden. You can make a garden house or a playhouse for the kids to play and take rest. You can also arrange a shady garden space for playing games and taking rest especially during the summer months as gardening or playing for children could be a tiring activity.

In the earlier part, we saw how your garden kitchen could be decorated with various furnishing. Continuing on the same topic of everything you need to furnish your garden house we shall see some more pointers. These are not all, however, will help you get a direction to build an awesome own for yourself.

Rustic Look:

You can choose the logs that give the kitchen garden house a very rustic look. This also changes the very outlook of the kitchen and gives a very old look and feel. Not everyone likes to give the garden home a rustic look however the right types of lighting gives it a very different look. The logs should be placed as they are and highlighted with coats that retain the natural colour of the wood. This creates a design in sync with nature.

Lights:

Using the right kind of lights matters a lot. It also depends on how you want the lights to be placed either direct lighting or indirect lighting. Both have their own beauty that enhances the look and feel of the house. It is imperative that you use the right kind of lights that will add value to the room. The design of the lights also add value to the room and is able to change the entire ambience of the room. Everything that is lit makes a very big difference at home.

Refer the Experts:

It’s always advisable to check with the experts as they know exactly how you can get the best of whatever is available with you. They also know how to give that artistic look to your home that you will always be in love with it. Quick Garden manufacturers are one of the experts in this field and the best to make any kind of log cabin or garden kitchen. Utilize their expertise and make the most of them and build yourself a beautiful home that will last for long and will add value to your life. They are the most reliable manufactures that one can ask or think.

Everyone likes to have a home of their own. Everyone likes to decorate their homes, and a nature lover will always ensure nature is beside and around them. Everyone loves to have a garden around their homes. This not only increases the esteem of a family but also helps in improving one's health. A garden gives a completely different look and feel to a house, and in case you have a garden kitchen then it’s just awesome. It’s just fun to make some things if you have the garden kitchen. In this article, we will look at a few points on everything you need to furnish your garden house with.

Furniture:

The type of furniture you choose also depends on what kind of architecture you can build in your log home kitchen. One may choose to have fixed furniture or then movable furniture depending on the choice. Everyone has a different need and intention of making furniture in their garden kitchen

Windows:

The window is the gateway to the outer world. Wider windows play a very charismatic role and have many benefits. The beauty outside the window gives a totally different feeling to the person viewing the garden from inside. The scene that you set before the window plays an important role. The wider the window, more is the light that comes into the house making it more bright and lively.

Doors:

The positioning of the door is very important. The area to plan to place the door and the type of door matters.  Some prefer to have a sliding door as this also helps in saving space while others prefer on hinges that open towards the garden. Doors can be designed in a way that you can use to hang things on it or then make it a picture portrait. It depends on the choice and selection of the person

In continuation of the previous part let us look at some more themes that you can create in and around your log cabin. We need to ensure that this garden is created close to your log cabin so that you can see it from the window of your log cabin. This will completely paint a different picture within your window frame and make you feel one with nature.

Here we will look at some more types of Japanese garden themes that will be easy to create around your log cabin and increase the look and let the log cabin be seen in the midst of nature.

Moss Garden

This is also a type of Japanese Garden that you can easily create in your backyard. This does not require much effort however need to be taken care at the beginning post which this carpet will spread and give a velvet look in your garden. This requires less water easily covers much ground without much effort. You can place rocks or shapes, and the moss is able to climb over them and gives an enhanced 3D look to the garden. The only effort you need to take is to ensure the ground is absolutely clean and clear before placing the moss to spread in your garden. You can place other plants in pots at various places and increase the beauty of the garden. Placing tiles at strategic places also enhances the look of the garden and also makes a pathway in between.

Pond Garden

The very name tells us that there will be a pond in the garden and water flowing. This gives a very serene look to the garden and helps in reducing stress too. You can place flowering plants strategically and make a water stream that will enhance the look. If you want to go an extra mile, then you can also add fishes and turtles or tortoises to the pond that will keep cleaning the pond time and again.

Living in a garden house is an awesome experience where you are required to change your daily routine and just enjoy the ambience and feel of a vacation in your own home. While the garden home ensures you are in a relaxed mode in the midst of nature, it is also important on how you maintain your garden around your log cabin. The designs and options of plants will ensure that you feel relaxed even as you look at them. One of the ways to do it is to create a Japanese Garden around your log cabin to give it an exceptional look.

What is a Japanese Garden?

Your garden speaks for itself and showcases what you are thinking about. A Japanese garden speaks about keeping it simple. If you are a person who is calm and stable and always wants to draw inspiration from anything and everything then making a Japanese garden is the right choice. These garden give inspiration and give a very serene look pacifying your mind. These gardens are basically themes that you can build around your log cabin and augment its look.

We shall see a few types of gardens and few details about it to as to how you can fashion them in your own place and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Rock Garden

This is a type of garden where a lot of rocks are used along with beautiful plants to create a scenic view in your backyard or your garden around your log cabin. The rocks used to make these are colourful and of various shapes and sizes. The scene is like water flowing through the garden amidst plants and wonderful rocks.  It is just awesome to see the sand and stones arranged in such a manner that we feel that there is water flowing in the garden. However, the reality of this garden is that there is no water used in creating this garden and it’s purely stones and sand. This also reduces the amount of clay formation due to water and mud. While it gives the desired look required.

Thanks for joining us for part 2 of important things to take into consideration for all of your wooden buildings. So far, we have talked about windows and doors, cracks, the heating system, the air conditioner, and wooden garages. Now, to finish our list!

Important Factors to Take into Consideration for Wooden Buildings

Check the Gutters

Now is the time to clean the gutters of your wooden buildings. Whether that be your wooden garage, wooden sheds, or log cabins, you must keep the gutters clean. The fall leaves are most likely clogging it up, so get on a ladder and check it out. Clogged gutters cause excess moisture and can lead to rot, mildew, and insect damage.

If the gutters are rusted, replace them. If any pieces are missing or broken, replace them. And don’t forget the downspout! This is what leads water runoff away from the wood on your home. If the downspout is broken, the logs or wood have a good chance of becoming damaged. Why? Because ice and snow stuck in gutters melts, and that water is no good for wood!

Roof Ready

Getting your roof ready for winter is extremely important. One key thing to do is clear off all of the debris. Throw down any leaves, twigs, stems, branches, and anything else that isn’t supposed to be there. Snow and ice can cause enough problems on their own. The weighted load of that is huge. Add in fall debris and your chance of roof damage increases.

Another key thing to do to prepare for winter is inspecting the roof for damage. If there is any damage, fix it as soon as possible. If you must call in professionals, do so before the first snowfall. Any chimney should be checked for leakage and re-caulked while you are up there.

Sweep Up

Welcome to part 1 of important things to take into consideration for all your wooden buildings. Wood is a special material, and needs special care. In this 2 part series, we will teach you what you must think about as winter approaches.

Important Things to Consider as Winter Nears

Windows and Doors

Whether you have a wooden shed or a log cabin, you must check the windows and doors this time of year. What you are looking for are any leaks or cracks. Replace any weather stripping and caulk that’s worn down. If you are still feeling drafts, take a candle to the sides of the door to find out where it’s coming from. This will reduce your heating bill!

Some other things to consider are installing energy efficient windows and doors. These will allow your heat to run only when it’s absolutely necessary. You can also reverse the spin of your ceiling fan to push warm air back down. This is another way to save money and the environment.

Check for Cracks

Now is the time to check all wooden buildings for cracks, rot, and insect damage. If you find any, you will need to take care of them. Without filling these areas in with epoxy or putty, your wooden building could sustain water damage.

The Heating System

If you have heat in your wooden building, you should make sure the heating system is in tip top shape. Change the filter, and if you need it to be serviced call that in as soon as possible. Lower your thermostat. Each degree saves you 2% of overall cost. If your heating system is over 15 years old, you should automatically get it looked it. Finally, tape around the vent ducts.

The Air Conditioner

Check your air conditioner for leaks before winter hits. After that, you will need to cover it to protect it from winter storms. You can use specially fitted tarp for this purpose. You can find these at your home improvement store and online.

Wooden Garage

In the previous part we saw some tips on how to make your own flower garden at home, and in this part, we will see some more aspects which will help you keep your garden blooming every time

Water:

While we need water to stay alive so do plants to stay alive. We need to ensure we have a timetable to water the plants so that it becomes a cycle for them and they start growing well. It is best to water them early morning when the weather is cool so that the ground remains moist for longer. Some also water during evening times this keeps the ground wet all through the night which also helps in good growth. It is not advisable to water when the sun is up as the water dries up early.

Food:

We should keep feeding the plants with compost and fertilizers from time to time. This will ensure that the soil pH balance is maintained and the plants get necessary elements from time to time. It’s best that we use vegetable waste and add it to the garden and it becomes organic and natural manure for plants for healthy growth.

Tool:

Ensure you have a separate garden tool basket containing all instruments needed for gardening. This will make these tools accessible at all times. You will not need to hunt for them. Also, ensure that they are always clean and ready to use at all times. All tools that have grown dull ensure you sharpen them so that pruning becomes easy. Also if you desire to clean the garden, it makes work easy and not tedious.

Plants:

Along with your flowering plants, we should also add some plants that grow green in various shapes. This will add beauty to your garden. This will make the garden look green at all times. If you add this greenery in set patterns, it will give a beautiful design to the garden appealing to the eye.

Nature! This is one word connects everyone with surroundings. Every human loves to be in the midst of it. Some choose to live in the woods while others try to get the woods to them. One way of doing this is planting a garden in one's surroundings. A garden has always been a pleasant site to everyone especially to the one who invests time in raising it up. The favourite of everyone is a flower garden.

Reasons everyone loves flower gardens

* Fill the air with fragrance

* Adds colour to dull life

* Bring in freshness in the eyes

Let’s us look at some tips on how to make your own flower garden at home and enjoy all the benefits mentioned above and many more

Setting the Scene

Sunlight: You need to choose very wisely where you want to set up the scene for your beautiful flower garden. The spot you choose must be in sunlight for at least 6 hours of the day which will help the plants to grow better. Sunlight helps in improving the colour of the flower and also ensure maximum growth capability.

Soil: Once you choose the spot where there is ample sunlight it’s important that you prepare the soil. Check the pH level of the soil and also ensure that you clear the ground of all unwanted growth. It is also important to clear the soil of stones and make the soil as loose as possible since flowering plants are delicate and loose soil will help them grow faster.            

Drain system: Ensure that there is proper drainage system so that it does not flood the area where the flowers are growing as it might damage the plants too.

Make your choice:

Once the scene is set for the garden the next important decision to make is the choice of flowering plants. You need to ensure that you pick the right kind of flower based on the output you require. Choose between perennials or annual flower types based on how you desire to see your garden bloom. A mix of both would be ideal however keep it very simple so that its easy for you to handle and take adequate care of each while your garden keeps blooming all throughout

In the first part of how to plant a vegetable garden, we saw the preparation part of the garden, in this part let us go a bit more ahead to see what more can be done in a vegetable garden. Planting a vegetable garden is not just about gardening, but there is more than just gardening.

Education and Fun:

You can make choices in the type of plant you want to grow. The same can be used as an educational lesson for children to learn how plants grow. It is fun to show and teach children the process of growth and the importance of nature in one’s life. If the coming generation learns to preserve and have gardens within their homes, the world will be a different place.  

Protection:

Vegetable plants are very delicate, and they need protection. It’s imperative that we take good care of them from pests, pets and any climatic changes. Create a wire mesh or a thorny mesh around the garden to keep away wandering animals or even our pets. Keep small plants at heights so that it’s protected from damage of getting crushed. We need to ensure that they get ample sunlight as it helps to keep pests away too.

Nurture Them:

All plants need to be nurtured as they grow. We need to take good care and feed them with the nourishment as per requirement. Compost is the best food that you can feed any plant. Ensure that you keep giving this feed time and again so that your vegetable garden is healthy and grows its fruit in its season and gives a very good yield.

Benefits of Having a Vegetable Garden:

The benefits of having your own vegetable garden are the fruits that it would produce. The fruit is an output of 100% of your effort and is the cleanest and healthiest that you can have as they are not over sprayed with pesticides or any other chemicals. It’s nurtured with love.

The next benefit is that when you are preparing any dish, the taste of the cut vegetables is awesome and better than the ones we purchase. It has got the natural taste, and the freshness can be tasted.

So get going as now you know how to plant a vegetable garden in your own yard and the benefits of it.