Atricles by Tanya Turner

Tanya Turner

Hiring a Landscape Designer vs. Do It Yourself Landscaping

It is best to hire a professional landscape designer if:

1. You want to make big changes and the aria to work with is large. Larger is the property - the more planning the landscaping will involve. Even though it might seem that hiring a professional is very expensive, you will probably spend more trying different things yourself. Just imagine that you install a waterfall in your garden, but its look and placement is not quite right, reinstalling it will cost you a lot. It is better to hire a landscape contractor to save yourself from disappointment.

2. You don't just want a beautiful garden, but a garden of a particular style - an English garden or a Japanese one, for example. Creating such a garden requires lots of experience and is much more difficult than it looks at first. If you want it done just right, you will need to find a landscape designer.

3. Similar thing can be said about "natural looking" or Zen gardens. If you want your garden to look like it was created this way by nature, this also involves a lot of work and preparation. Even though the design looks natural, it doesn't meant that it needs any less work, than let's say an English garden.

4. You are not sure what is possible to do with your property and you want to explore your options. What do you want from your garden? An easy to care for place where you can relax after work, or do you want a combination of flower beds and vegetable and herb garden? You don't have to hire a contractor to do all the work, but to help you with initial planning and to get the general advice on what can be done with your land.

Do it yourself landscaping is more appropriate if:

1. You don't want dramatic changes in your current design, just to make it a little bit different. For example installing a fish pond or a waterfall can change the look of your garden without a big investment.

2. You have only a small backyard and you are prepared to spend some time learning the art of landscaping yourself. Even if you know nothing about plants, flowers or herbs, there is so much information on the internet now, that you can find everything you need to landscape your garden yourself. Landscape designers aren't cheap, so by doing it yourself you will save a considerable amount of money. Also it will be a great fun to create something unique and beautiful.

Solar Garden Fountain - is it Suitable for Your Garden?

Solar powered home appliances become more and more popular these days. Many people invest into solar powered water and pool heaters, and of course solar garden fountains. There are many benefits to having a solar fountain, but there are some downsides as well.

How do solar powered garden fountains work?

Usually fountains with solar pumps are very easy to install. As all solar appliances they use solar panels with Photovoltaic (PV) cells to collect energy of the sun. Since a fountain pump doesn't require a lot of energy, the panels are usually quite small.

There are two main types. First are fountains where solar panels are incorporated in the design of the fountain itself. This type is the easiest to install, but you have to make sure that you place your new fountain in a sunny spot otherwise it won't work.

Another type has remote solar panels, which can be positioned several meters away from the fountain. If you chose this type, it doesn't matter whether your fountain is in a sunny or shady spot as long as the panels are exposed to the sun. Most solar fountains with remote panels come with easy to set up mounting system for the panels. Usually you can mount them on the wall, use grass stakes to position them on the loan or use a tall wooden stake to put your panel high up above all the plants.

Pros and cons of solar fountains

There are many benefits of getting a solar garden fountain rather than the electric one. The most obvious advantage is that energy is free. An electric pump won't add much to your energy bill in a day, but if you want your fountain to work all summer, you can save a lot by using sun energy instead of electricity or batteries.

Another advantage is that you are not limited by proximity to a power source when selecting a place for your fountain. This is particularly important for people with large gardens. You can place your fountain in the farthest corner from the house, as long as the solar panels are on a sunny spot.

Also solar fountains are very easy to install. The ones with panels built into a body of the fountain don't require any special installation at all. This type is perfect as a solar pond fountain that sprays water from your pond. Since there is no cord the fountain can just float on the surface.

The main disadvantage of a solar powered garden fountain is its dependence on the sun. Most pumps will still work on a slightly cloudy day, but if it is really overcast the flow of water will be much less. And, of course, your fountain won't work at night.

Also, it is best to disconnect your fountain in winter. It would work fine on a sunny day without snow, but snow and frost can damage your pump.

8 Beading Tips - How to Make Your Beading Projects Easy and Fun

1 Space your beads

Some types of beads especially semi-precious, Swarovski, glass and pearl beads require a spacer between them. You have two options - make a simple knot between your beads, or insert a decorative spacer. I prefer spacers, because they make the design more interesting. It is best to use silver or gold spacers with expensive beads - they won't loose the shine as they age.

2 Use a beading pattern

When you are just starting it is best to use a readily made beading pattern, rather than try to create your own design. Or you can just look for beading design ideas and inspiration online

3 Use a beading board

Before putting your beads on a wire lay them out on a jewelry layout board. You can buy these boards in any shop that sells, craft supplies, beads and beading tools. The board lets you see, how your design will work before you connect everything. If you don't have a board, use a plain light bath towel, so your beads don't scatter.

4 Don't let your beads roll

Even if you use a beading board, it is a good idea to cover the table you work on with a towel. Beads rolling all over the table can drive you crazy, but a towel will prevent it. Also, if you have a cat, cover your work with another towel, if you leave even for a few minutes. My cat can destroy hours of work in less then 30 seconds.

5 Cut enough string

If you are going to use knots, then cut the string 4 times longer than finished project plus a few extra inches, otherwise 2 times longer. Also you can fold your string twice or even four times, to make it stronger. This is particularly true if you use heavy glass beads and large beads.

6 String color is important

Your don't always have to use white string, buy a string that matches the color of your beads for this project. If you can't find a string in that particular shade, take a white one and dye it, any permanent marker would do the job.

7 Be careful - strings stretch

In my first beaded necklaces I always had this problem - you finish a necklace, than after a day of wearing it the string stretches and beads are no longer tight together, looks awful. To avoid this, after all the beads are on, hang your necklace for a day or so, than do the final knotting or attach clasps.

8 Secure the ends

Final knots are important, it is best to use square knots and tighten them firmly. Then apply some jewelers glue to your knots and only after that cut the loose ends

9 Be kind to your eyes

Beading for several hours can give you a bad eye strain, especially if you are working with seed beads. So always have a good light on, a desk lamp is best. Another useful tool would be a magnifying glass. It will also help keep your project neat and avoid small mistakes.

Happy beading!

Halloween Color Contacts - Make Your Costume Look Real!

Most people only consider costume contacts for a Halloween party but, in fact, you can wear these fun lenses at any time. For instance, they are a perfect way to spice up your appearance for a club or a dance party.

What Halloween color contacts are available?

You have lots of choices, from mass produced costume contacts to unique hand-painted ones. The most popular brands of theatrical contact lenses are Wild Eyes, produced by Ciba Vision, and Crazy Lenses, by Cooper Vision. Both brands offer a wide variety of breathtaking, exotic lenses. You can get Black-out and White-out, Bloodshot, Vampire red, Cat’s Eyes, Spirals in many colors, and many more besides.

Still, the best thing about Crazy Lenses and Wild Eyes is that they are produced by respected and well-known contact lens manufacturers. They are FDA approved and safe for your eyes. In spite of their crazy appearance, the lenses are comfortable to wear.

If you look for Halloween color contacts online you might find a lot of places, which sell their own unique designs. You should be careful here, because lenses that look great in a photo are often rather disappointing, when you put them into your eyes. Also, some costume contacts bought online from an unknown manufacturer can damage your eyes.

Scleral Halloween contacts

Most costume contacts are round and shaped like any other contact lens. However, you can also find contacts that cover the entire front of your eye. They are called scleral lenses, and they can create a really magnificent effect. Of course these lenses are expensive, but the good news is that they have come down in price, in recent years. The most popular designs are Alien, Flames, Black sclera and Dragon.

Unique custom-made Halloween lenses

If you have your own design in mind, you can get hand-painted custom-made lenses. Naturally these contacts will cost you more than any other type and you will have to order them way in advance but, looking on the bright side, this way you will get a completely unique look. You can even get the exact prescription you need, if your eyesight isn't perfect.

Prescription for Halloween contact lenses.

Most people think that if they don't need vision correction, than they can just go online and order any pair of costume lenses they like. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Like any other type of contact lens, costume lenses are considered medical devices, so they require fitting by a doctor.

However, if you doctor says that color contacts for Halloween are unsafe, don't believe him or her. They are just trying to stay on the safe side. Costume lenses produced by reputable manufacturers are perfectly safe, if you take proper care of them.

Caring for your novelty contact lenses

If you already wear contact lenses for vision correction, there will be no surprises for you. The care of costume lenses is the same as for any other contact lenses.

You will need two things - a contact lens case and a multi-purpose solution for soft contact lenses. You can order them at the same time you order your contacts, or get them from any drug store or pharmacy. Wash your hands before touching the lenses, then rinse them in the solution and put them into your eyes. When you take your lenses out, rinse them again and put them into the case, pouring some solution into each cup. Your lenses should always be either in your eyes or soaking in solution; if the lens is exposed to the air for longer than a few minutes it could become fragile and break.

Obviously costume lenses are not something that people use every day. So, it is recommended, that you change the storage solution once a week, while your lenses are not in use. Still, most people don't bother so, if you need to wear lenses that have spent a few months in their case, give them a thorough rinse and let them rest in a new solution for a few hours before wearing them.

One other important thing to remember is that you should never share your lenses with other people, or wear somebody else's contacts. Tempting as it might be, this is a sure recipe for a nasty eye infection.

Get yourself a pair of Halloween color contacts, and be the life of the party!

• Previous Posts:

• Hiring a Landscape Designer vs. Do It Yourself Landscaping
• Solar Garden Fountain - is it Suitable for Your Garden?
• 8 Beading Tips - How to Make Your Beading Projects Easy and Fun
• Halloween Color Contacts - Make Your Costume Look Real!
• How to Lower the Cost of Running Your In-Ground Swimming Pool
• Swimming Pool Maintenance - Easy Ways to Keep Your Pool Clean
• Building Koi Fish Pond - 7 Tips for Success
• Embroidery Sewing Machines - How to Choose the Best

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