Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Are you establishing a new garden? Are you trying to bring a long neglected or difficult garden back to life again? You can create a flourishing garden anywhere. All you need is loads of desire, a little imagination and an open mind. In this article I briefly summarize some techniques that I have successfully used for encouraging growth in difficult areas of the garden. By adding a little magick to some basic ecological gardening principles your can create a sensation.
There are a few essential requirements for a healthy garden. These are: soil with the correct texture, nutrient levels, and drainage; water; sunlight and the appropriate plant choice for your local environment. Garden bed preparation is of utmost importance and you would be well advised to ensure that you have provided your plants with the best physical environment possible for their successful growth. But getting the physical environment right is just the first step. To get the best out of your garden you should provide a happy environment, full of positive energy and a little magick.
Visualize
When you first start planting out your garden it doesn’t look much like it will in two, three, five or ten years. Visualization is a crucial part of the garden design and planning process. It is also important for the growing process. To keep your garden growing in the direction would like it to grow, you should visualize regularly. This is just a matter of looking at the garden and imagining what it will look like when your plants are fully grown. In doing so you are mentally sending your plants messages and encouragement. Make a habit of visualizing your garden on a daily basis and imagine it as it will look in, say, five years of constant and healthy growth.
In the meantime … fake it
While you are in the early stages of garden creation, try making a ‘fake it ’til you make it’ garden. This simply means creating an interim garden. You can do this by placing pots filled with colorful plants around the area. This will give you some instant gratification for your efforts. It will also give your new plants some company. After all, plants are communal and are not meant to grow alone.
You can quickly and easily create new pot plants by taking cuttings from other plants in your garden or your existing pot plants. Put the cuttings in water until they sprout roots – some won’t grow roots this way, it will be trial and error but many will grow roots within a week. Alternatively, buy some plants, preferably colorful flowering plants. Of course, choose appropriate plants for the location of your garden – shade loving plants for areas with little sun, etc.
Place the pots around the area where you want the garden to be and in between the plants that you have recently planted. If the garden is located in a harsh landscape that is subject to extreme hot or cold or strong winds, you can place the pots so that young plants are protected from harsh winds or direct sunlight. If your environment is particularly harsh, you may consider adding small screens made from bamboo or other natural materials to protect young plants until they establish. In a dark or very shaded area, ensure that your pots will not block any sunlight that your seedlings may be receiving. Whatever the nature of your garden, use plenty of mulch to keep the moisture in the soil and the weed growth to a minimum.
Attract Native Animals
Life attracts life, so by attracting as many animals to your garden as possible you will increase the life energy of your garden which will help your plants to grow. Place rocks and logs in your garden to provide shelter and homes for small lizards and insects. If you do not have any tall trees, installing a pole that a bird can perch atop (but a cat can’t climb) is a great idea, as birds will contribute seed laden droppings that can bring additional plants to your garden as well as additional nutrients. Show your delight when you notice a new native occupant and let him know he is welcome.
Allow the ecology of your garden to evolve along with the growth and addition of your plants and other components. Resist interfering by killing particular animals that you don’t like such as spiders, if you are so inclined. Instead, become curious and learn about them. Talk to them. You will gain an entirely new appreciation for these animals and improve your karma at the same time.
Avoid Using Poisons
Garden shops are full of garden poisons. It’s big business. It would be easy to assume that weed killers, snail killers and the other exterminators are an essential component to gardening. However, the reality is that they are really bad for your plants and the animals that add value to your garden. There is almost always a natural or more gentle alternative to using poisons in the home garden. It is far more effective in the long term to pull weeds out by hand and you will save a lot of money.
Decorate and Communicate
Celebrate your garden area by decorating it with beautiful things, such as hanging pots, statues, bird baths, sculptures and low lighting, will add positive energy and atmosphere. If possible, include an outdoor table and chairs and spend some time there entertaining friends, laughing and having a good time, or just be there on your own relaxing and smiling upon your garden. Make sure you remove or disguise any ugly or unsightly objects. It is important to keep the area beautiful as you are more likely to spend time in, and give loving energy to, a garden that you like the look of and feel good about.
Take a leaf out of Grandma’s Book
Did your Grandmother speak to her plants? Mine did, and that practice was passed down to my mother and now I do it. It works! You don’t need to spend a lot of time in conversation with your flowers. Simply walk around and admire your plants for a few minutes most days. In the difficult spots, stop and talk to those plants that are struggling. Express pleasure when you see some growth. Smile at your plants and talk to them in a light manner as you are attending to their needs.
Crystals for Positive Energy
Use crystals and semi precious stones to add some beneficial energy to the area. Here are some ideas:
Agate
This crystal is known for its ability to produce abundance and increase yields in crops. It can be used to enhance the health of your pot plants or your garden plants.
Jade
Jade represents life and growth and has been associated with the health of plants and the environment. Place jade statues in the garden or use jade in a decoration that hangs above or nearby your plants.
Moonstone
Moonstone helps to enhance the growth and health of plants. Use it in decoration in your garden or wear it when attending to your plants.
Clear Quartz Crystal
Quartz crystal will amplify and enhance the qualities of any other stone and can be used to achieve any goal of pure intention. Use it alongside the other stones or alone in your garden to enhance plant growth. I hang crystals over pot plants to improve their performance.
These are examples of stones and crystals that have specific qualities that can assist plant recovery and growth. However, there are many crystals and stones that have healing and nurturing properties so it may pay to experiment. Crystals can be placed in pots, used as a display on a table, in a bird bath or water feature. They are particularly beautiful when they form part of a hanging decoration.
Add a Little Fairy Magick
Fairies have long been associated with gardens. Flower fairies were thought to live in the flowers of plants. They looked after the plant by ensuring it had everything it needed. You can add your own bit of fairy magick to your garden by placing a hanging fairy near the garden that you want to prosper from this energy.
If fairies are not your thing, hang or place sculptures of other powerful symbols around the area, such as the Sun for positive energy and the Moon for receptivity and supernatural powers. Both of these symbols together represent balance and harmony. There are many other symbols of good fortune such as Buddha that will enhance the energy and the feel of your garden. These symbols and bearers of good energy also look great.
Feng Shui Garden
Designing your garden for good Feng Shui
The Feng Shui garden is designed to allow Chi to flow. To create good Feng Shui, design your garden with plenty of curves. If you have a garden with very straight edges, add features that give the impression of curves. You can achieve this by the way you place your garden features and how you locate your plants. Choose rounded pots and curvy furniture to increase the positive Feng Shui in your garden.
Windchime Magick
Another way to increase Chi in your garden is by hanging a windchime or a windchime bell. Windchimes aid in the flow of Chi and add an additional element to your garden through sound. The right windchime can create a sensation of peace through its harmonic tunes. It is worthwhile selecting a well made bell or windchime that you enjoy listening to as this will make a valuable addition to the atmosphere of your home and give you joy every time the breeze blows.
Water Features
A water feature is also extremely beneficial in the creation of a positive Feng Shui garden. The water must be flowing, however, so that Chi can flow and so that it does not become stagnant. The addition of fish to your water feature will provide more positive energy due to the additional life. Be sure to find fish that do not eat the spawn of local frogs. Gold fish, which originated in China, have become an environmental nuisance in some countries and they will eat frogspawn. For frog friendly fish, check with your Government Fisheries Department.
Frog Magick
Frogs represent good luck in many cultures around the world. The first frogs hopped this earth alongside the Dinosaurs. They are wise beings, worthy of respect and they will bring good energy to your garden. Be sure to locate any pond a good distance from bedroom windows, however, as frogs can croak up a storm at night.
Scent
A wonderful way for a garden to enrich your life is through scent. You can create a special atmosphere by planting the shrubs, trees and flowers in your garden that provide certain scents that enhance particular moods. Add some instant inspiration by filling your pots with lavender, jasmine, geranium, lemongrass or whatever your nose desires.
Burn incenses outside or light a scented candle at night while sitting in the garden. Select the scent that will be most beneficial for your garden’s growth. Try gardenia or lavender for love and healing, ginger for success, patchouli or rosemary for love and growth, the invigorating benefits of sweet orange or frankincense and myrrh for healing and growth.
A closing thought ..
Your garden reflects the relationship it shares with you and the other inhabitants of your home. By increasing the positive loving energy in your garden you will create a place for growth and harmony, a place where life will thrive. In return you will receive much enjoyment. By combining good ecological concepts with a little magick you can turn a difficult garden into a sacred resort for the soul.
Tags: Difficult, Garden, Into, Magick, Resort, Sacred, Soul, Transform
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Mattress shopping can be time-consuming. Looking for a mattress to suit your needs may take patience, too. One should know pretty well the kind of mattress he or she needs in accordance, of course, to the individual’s budget limit.
For a smoother mattress shopping, here are some things to consider before stepping in to a bed mattress store:
- Take some time to think. Before indulging yourself in a “mattress shopping mode” at your favorite bed mattress store, try to introspect and then decide – is it really time to change your old mattress with a new one? Just like other furniture and appliances at home, mattresses also undergo aging which will lead to its incapability in meeting your needs.
When do you buy a new mattress?
- if you are not sleeping as comfortably as you were previous years ago – your old mattress is already worn out and sagging – your mattress is giving you more body aches and tired muscles after a long sleep, instead of providing you comfort – your mattress does not fit you anymore. There are times when people grow, both in age and body built, that they do no longer be able to fit comfortably with their mattress. – change of lifestyle. A sudden change in your status, such as getting married, requires someone to shift to another type of mattress.
It is best to set expectations of the mattress that you want before buying one. Expectations would involve the quality of the mattress as well as the kind of customer service one will receive upon going to a bed mattress store.
Furthermore, one should also choose a mattress that suits well to the available space of the bedroom where it will be placed. A single size bed mattress, for example, is ideal for rooms that have limited space.
Quality
Make sure your mattress can withstand all the pressure and tension it has to endure from its users. Also, the mattress should be able to conform with the dimensional size of the bed frame as well as the temperature condition of the room where the mattress will be placed.
A good mattress should be comfortable to sleep on. A memory foam mattress, for example, is known for its light characteristics as it conforms flexibly to the body position of the one sleeping on it. This characteristic gives a “cradle-like” feeling as it relieves pressure from the body of the sleeper, particularly on the areas of the shoulders, hips and back. A good quality of mattress should also be hypo-allergenic to prevent dust mites from inhabiting your mattress, giving it a fresh and healthy environment.
Good Customer Service
You can tell from store personnels if you’re in a store with good service or not. A bed mattress store should have sales persons who have wide knowledge on the mattresses (or other bed products) their stores are selling. A good bed mattress store should have some people around the store who can guide pretty well their consumers through the often confusing wide array of available mattresses to choose from. If you find their sales persons not well-educated on the products their stores are selling and are giving you more confusion than guidance, then venture out to another bed mattress store where you will be more comfortable to ask around.
A good customer service is one that deals with their clients honestly. More often than not, mattress dealers mislead their buyers through series of mattress sales just to attract their buyers in purchasing their products.
Buy from a reputable bed mattress store. This kind of store has established already a good name through its durable and high quality mattresses as well as excellent customer service. The reputation of a bed mattress store can be checked upon through testimonials of previous clients and on mattress reviews that can be found mostly in the internet.
Inquire about the delivery service. This includes fast delivery and friendly delivery crew.
- Test the new mattress that you want. This is often the case if someone do the canvassing in the internet and was not really able to personally touch (or feel) the mattress.
It is advisable to check on the mattress and lie down on it so that one can have a personal feel of the mattress, and test its comfort
Tags: Before, Going, Into, Know, mattress, Store
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Saturday, April 4th, 2009
As the name suggests, a living room is where you spend most part of your daily routine life. The most important functions in a home like dining, recreating, entertaining guests and watching television etc., are all, usually, hosted by the living room. Therefore, it becomes all the more imperative that you maintain your living room and make it as good as possible with ideal decoration. Now, decoration may take the shape of arranging, re-arranging or buying new furniture for your living room. It may also take the shape of entirely re-doing the architecture of the living room. But this is a slightly expensive and long-term plan that may or may not work.
For the sake of brevity, this article will focus on dabbling with your furniture in order to breathe some life into your living room. The kind of furniture used in the living room depends a great deal on the requirements of the family. For instance, a home with kids may have entirely different needs while those with mostly grown ups in the family will value the grace and looks of Amish made furniture.
Fortunately, you don’t have to start from scratch in order to make your living room a living entity. The furniture already placed in your living room, if seems ugly, can be refurbished or even re-arranged to give a brand new look to the room. Living room can be compartmentalized by some strategic measures that may include separation by cabinets, shelves or even clever flooring and different paint patterns for the walls. The idea is to have optimum utilization of space in the living room.
You can also experiment with different types of furniture for different requirements. For instance, Amish furniture could be used to show your sense of appreciation towards craftsmanship. Remember, your living room also doubles up as the place to entertain your guests and business delegates. And carefully crafted Amish Oak furniture might just land you a lucrative long-term contract! Wicker furniture may also be used to lend variety in the living room. Plastic furniture is easier to handle.
Always leave some free space to allow your living room and other furniture to breathe and also not look cluttered. If you have lots of extra stuff and find it hard to store small items, the furniture items with storage units should be your first choice. Decorative items like lamps and photo-stand etc. must not occupy too much space. The motto is to beautify the room with as little articles as possible. The decorative items must be unique and not too many!
Leather sofas are always easy to maintain and also add the requisite gloss to the living room. The paint of the living room should not give out the feeling of gaudiness. Evergreen light colors should be used in the living room. All the experimentation should be done in other rooms of your home. Always keep your living room free from dirt by periodic cleaning and dusting. The stains on the furniture should be removed without delay. The stains may become permanent if not treated immediately. As far as possible, keep the kids away from the delicate items in your living room.
A living room is a window to your personality. It is up to you how your present your living room to the outside world and to your family members.
Tags: Breathe, Into, Life, Living, Room
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Monday, March 9th, 2009
When it’s drab outside during these winter months, we often wish we could inject some colour into our lives to cheer us up. We can so easily do this by way of our clothing but when we are so used to wearing our staple black, brown, charcoal & navy, many of us are overwhelmed by the mass of colours available to us.
So, let’s investigate colour, take the plunge and add a splash of colour to our working wardrobe. By understanding the psychology of colour, you can apply it to help lift your mood, give you confidence and can even use it to your advantage by potentially boosting your career opportunities.
Most of us will have staple Navy Blue in our wardrobes. This colour provides a fantastic base for us all. But why? Well, navy is the colour that most conveys trust and order. When you wear navy, it allows you to be authoritative yet approachable. Think about the many police forces across the globe whose uniforms are blue! Therefore blue is for the work place teamed with a splash of colour in a blouse, top, shirt or tie.
Red is a great colour if you wish to appear confident and full of energy. So, when you want people to sit up and take notice, opt for a splash of red. Red is a good colour to add in a tie or top when chairing a meeting but to be avoided at a job interview as it could be interpreted as aggressive or impatient. You’ll do well to wear red on a Friday if your energy levels are low but doesn’t do so well if trying to rock the kids to sleep!
Many of us have a basic white shirt or blouse in our working wardrobe. This is great because it portrays a fresh and clean image. But beware of white looking harsh and opt for a soft white, so as to soften the look and appear more friendly and approachable. White can also be viewed as boring and predictable, so if I were you, I’d opt for one of the other colours we’re discussing here before heading back to your white.
Yellow, by it’s very nature, is a colour of activity and by portraying fun, can allow your personality to shine through. But, also a volatile colour, it’s not a great look worn from head to toe or worn during a meeting, as it can distract attention. However, a yellow tie or cardigan is enough.
Green, being a colour of nature is dependable and calming; think about our paramedics in green. So if you have feelings of nervousness, try experimenting with shades of green to keep you calm. With it’s camouflage properties, green can help you blend into your work environment, not good if you are after that promotion!
Pink is one colour many of us shy away from. But, at work it can portray non-threatening and gentle qualities. However, men can get away with wearing pink at work far more than women can. On a man, through a shirt or tie, it can show self confidence and creativeness, but on a woman it can appear too girly and damage confidence in your professionalism.
So here are just some ideas on injecting some colour into your wardrobe. Why not pop along to see your local style consultant to find more about how to wear colours which suit you best.
Tags: Colour, Crunch, Inject, Into, Wardrobe, Working
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