Category: Home and Garden

What to Know About Ecosystem Landscaping

Posted on Robert Marchand Cat Links Home and Garden, Home Improvement

Unused yard with minimal decorative plants and no furniture can seem dull and unattractive. Building a pool, a fountain and filling the space with perennials can turn that boring place into a lively garden. But should we be concerned only with the garden aesthetic?

Hand toolSome herbicides have been found dangerous for dogs who like to play on the lawn. The contained substances increase the risk of getting cancer by more than fifty percent. Another fact is, Swedish scientists have suspected some herbicides to correlate with lymphoma cancer.

Now, after you realize how your garden can affect the surrounding environment, you should read the information below to know about how to build the eco-friendly one.

The concept of biodiverse-landscape

biota1An ecosystem landscape should sustain varieties of biota. If there are enough kinds of biota, a food chain can close its loop, which is the ideal condition of an ecosystem landscape.

birdThe first thing you must do is to attract birds. There are several reasons for why birds are necessary. Firstly, in a garden ecosystem, birds are on top of the food chain. You can rely on them for controlling bug population.

Plant columbine, sunflower, serviceberry, and red cedar around the garden. Make sure you spread those plants evenly because you also want the birds to patrol for bugs. Red cedar is the ideal plant for bird nests. Placing red cedar in the thick area increase the chance for you to have generations of birds in your garden.

fountainWater source is also …

Ultimate gazebo maintenance tips

Posted on Robert Marchand Cat Links Home and Garden

Using the best materials, and hiring an expert gazebo contractor in the initial construction stages will undoubtedly count a great deal in ensuring long-life for your gazebos. However, it still doesn’t erase the need for regular maintenance. Gazebos like the Airwave Pop Up Gazebo are external structures and are normally subjected to harsh weather conditions, insects’ infestations, among other elements that may progressively wear them out if not checked.

Below are some ultimate gazebo maintenance tips that will see your gazebo stand the test of time.

1. Removing mildew and mold

Mildew and mold growth, green in appearance, tends to mar your gazebo’s aesthetics and should be avoided by all means. Using a soft cloth, barely moistened with mild detergent, gently scrub off any mildew or mold growth while concentrating on specific areas. Afterwards, rinse with clean water and use another soft cloth to dry the scrubbed parts. Finally, after removing any waxy residue using furniture cleaner, be sure to apply a thin paste wax layer to give your wooden gazebo an attractive finish.

gazebo

2. Controlling weeds

This is especially important where you’ve trained climbing plants to engulf your gazebo. Higher chance are they may be infiltrated with weeds, which in turn can be detrimental to your gazebo’s structural integrity. This calls for regular weed control measures. Be sure to weed out common weeds including brambles, crabgrass, and especially climbing vines which pose a risk of structural damage.

3. Preventive maintenance

It is important that you perform frequent checks for …