Home decor ideas

The learning curve for pruning and shaping bonsai trees is actually quite simple. With the right tools anyone can get expect great results even beginners. These trees can live for over 100 years if properly maintained, which is also a pretty cool idea if you wanted to keep one in the family as a heirloom.

These gifts would go very well in a living room, office or even in the kitchen area as a home accent or accessory to you other home décor. They are small enough that the pots that you grow them in are just the right size to fit on a coffee or end table. If you wanted to get really into it you can add a bonsai waterfall or place it on a display table that is designed just for this purpose to fit your bonsai pot.

These are also unique gift ideas for someone that is into yoga or meditation principles. You can sit for hours just looking at the intricate design of the branches and leaves. Bonsais have a calming effect when someone is looking at them. If you are fortunate enough to get a flowering tree that also has a fragrance you are lucky.

February 26, 2008

Decorative garden fountains

Water gardens and outdoor garden fountains

There is so much you can do with a garden water fountain to add to enhance your environment. Implement a soothing and relaxing sitting area by simply by adding a garden fountain in your water garden.
They go well with ponds, plants or even just on their own, depending what type of outdoor garden water fountain you choose.

Fountains have gained much popularity over the last few years and so your selection to pick from has also gotten much better. The pedestal type fountains are still really popular as the favorite for the backyard.
Some will be made of poly resin or others cast aluminum or cast iron. They will usually have some sort of statue or design on the top of them.

Then there are the smaller outdoor fountain statues, that will often be in a theme, like animals, fish, children and more. The children garden fountain wonderfully captures the innocence of youth in the craftsmanship of these pieces.

Many times you’ll want to match the garden flowers around the fountain with the rest of the plantings that you have in your yard. This will include the area around the ponds that you can build around the fountain.
If you think that you don’t have the experience to build a fountain yourself you should think again. There are many plans that you can buy that will guide you step by step to building the fountain and ponds that you want for your yard.

Fountains are just the garden eye candy for your water garden or pond

Water gardening takes careful planning and thought. According to accentfountains.com the most important part is choosing the right area to build your water garden. You can read more about choosing a water garden here.
This is normally the hardest part of the planning process because you can't afford to get it wrong. Once you have done this go their section of garden water fountains and pick an outdoor fountain or statue to that is realistic to the size of the pong your are building.

October 23, 2007

House warming gifts

Gift giving does create a lot of stress and more during the this time of year. Everyone strives to give a present that is not only unique but thoughtful. The hardest choice of all is a house warming gift. It's very hard to buy home decor gifts, unless you have been in that persons home and know exactly how they are decorating. Why not give a gift that is sure to be a thoughtful reminder how much you care, no matter who the person is.

View all gifts for gardeners and house warming gifts
Garden gifts are such an item and are very popular as a house warming gift or for anyone that loves to spend time outdoors in the yard. There are several ways you can choose a gift.

Gift Ideas

• Do you know an animal lover, butterfly lover, or pineapple collector these themes are always unique.


• Seniors don't always know where to buy garden items that are easy to handle and make gardening easier and more enjoyale. Specially designed tools that a comfortable to hold are a good idea..


• Gifts can be romantic and practical at the same time. Sundials are a good choice for this.


• Rain chains are a nice gift for women that like to spend a lot of time, out on the patio.

July 19, 2007

Garden statuary can be scary

They can be at least to gus the gnome, who got frightened by a gargoyle statue

I added a new garden statue in my yard a few weeks ago, and to my dismay carl my garden gnome ran away. I hadn't noticed that I had placed this gargoyle statue in plain view, where Gus could see him.

Really, who would have thought a simple piece of garden statuary could intill such fear in a gnome. Of course I should have clued in when my daughters said it was the ugliest thing they had ever seen.

Personally I thought it kind of had charm. The really cool thing about this statue, and the main reason I bought it was it is solar powered. This guy holds a flame that illuminates in the evening, making a soft light along the walkway where I placed it.

Obviously I was wrong in the looks department, because gus the gnome headed for the hills, only about a week after I had placed his new friend in the garden.
Gus is kind of a snobby little gnome that has been living with my family for about 2 years now. When I had purchased him the store owner guaranteed me that it would add a little whimsy in my yard. I don't even know what whimsy is.

Anyway things were going along great for about three months, when I took him to a family BBQ, that my brother was having in his backyard. This is when I first noticed gus was a little snobby. He sat their the whole time and didn't say a word or have anything to eat. My sisters had commented to my wife about this cute little guy, but I don't believe it was very flattering. My brothers tried to give him beer, that didn't go over so well either.

When it was time to go, I packed everybody up in the car and when I went to get gus he was no where to be found. I was shocked and heart broken to say the least! I looked all over the yard for him and couldn't find him anywhere. Since my wife and daughters where getting a little impatient I had to leave, without him.

By the next Saturday when it was my turn for the bbq, miraculously he showed up at my house. I figured he was still a little steamed because he still wasn't taking. This is when I thought maybe he was lonely and needed someone he could talk to at night. What could be better I thought than a gargoyle statue that comes with it's own light. They could chat away all night long. So I headed down to where I bought gus and found this cute gargoyle statue.

I brought him home and placed him along the walkway in the garden only a couple of feet from gus. They seemed to be happy for about a week. I noticed he was missing one morning and had to hunt all over the yard for him. I even looked in my neighbors yard. I really never trusted that guy anyway, he has little fairy statues in his garden. To no avail gus was never found and I am still waiting for him to come home. My wife said he probably will if I got rid of my gargoyle statue.

If you are interested in finding your own little friend for the backyard go here to decormotif and get more details on choosing a garden gnome and garden statuary

Anyway here is a picture of gus if anyone happens to see him traveling around the country.

If you do see him send my regards and tell him his quiet little garden spot is waiting. Gus can email me at benniigoodwin@gmail.com

Continue reading "Garden statuary can be scary" »

June 03, 2007

Our homes are being beautified by piles of poop

Yep you guessed it our homes and yards are being beautified by piles of bio-degradable garbage and manure. In todays world most people would say that's great we are recycling and reducing our waste and using organic fertilizer. But is this really enviromentally friendly all the time. If you live out in farming country you know the dangers of what speading manure can have on the aquafier and your drinking water. As rural areas get closer to the farms and our supply of clean water gets more and more stressed out, I wonder what is going to give first.

This problem is happening right across the US and is particular to spreading liquid manure in the winter when the fields are frozen. According to Land and Water Resources Department Director Kevin Connors said an outright ban on spreading liquid manure in winter would benefit area waterways but could pose a significant challenge. (reported by Bill Novak The Capital Times) In canada most farming communities have had a ban on spreading manure when the ground is frozen for years. The problem with this is surface water runs-off into streams, ditches and now because of the close proximity to neighborhoods storm drains. I just wonder if this is being compounded by people using manure on their lawns and gardens. I was driving through a neighborhood the other day and saw that someone had done this and there was feathers sticking through the grass. The lawn was nice and green though.

I feel the best way to be enviromentally resposible is to make your own fertilizer by utilizing a composting method which has worked for me and my flower beds. This method also reduces the amount of garbage by at least 25%. It reduced my garbage bags down from three per week to two, not a bad deal for everyone. There is only one major taboo when using a composting method, never, ever put meat products in the composter, unless you like the company of rats.

There are only three rules when you are backyard composting;

Aeration, moisture and heat these elements combine in a bin or other container to produce the composting material.

Aeration can simply be done by turning over the center of the pile once a month, for moisture I just leave the lid off once a week if it is raining or lput the garden hose in it if in a dry spell, add a your lawn clippings once a week and combined it will produce the heat you need. Every month you can take the composted material from the bottom and spread it on your flower beds or lawn to build up different areas or bald patches to re-seed.

Most communities sell manufactured composters at a very reasonable price if you don't own one.

Take this to the next level for camp grounds and cottages

A composting toilet breaks down waste into an inoffensive soil using aerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria break down waste quickly and only give off carbon dioxide, water, and beneficial enzymes in this process. However, to give them a good environment in which to do their work, you need to provide them with the following:

Without lots of oxygen, aerobic bacteria just goes dormant and don’t do anything, then anaerobic bacteria takes over. Anaerobic bacteria produces the foul-smelling gasses that we think of when we generally think of human waste, and their breakdown process is much slower.

Without moisture, there is no vehicle by which the bacteria can be transported through the compost pile. If it is too dry, a number of other things will start to happen as well. Toilet paper won’t break down quickly and easily, and the compost will start to harden. Moisture is generally added to the compost naturally through urination. Water may need to be added from time to time to ensure that moisture levels are between 40% and 60%.

This actually covers not just one item that you need, but several. A good bulking mix will be porous, which means that lots of oxygen will be provided to the pile just by virtue of a loose matrix in the bulk itself. Many composting toilet manufacturers use wood shavings in order to ensure porosity. Another often necessary ingredient is peat moss, because it holds water (necessary in dry toilet systems) and provides a very rich source of carbon. A good carbon/nitrogen ratio is essential to maintain in a composting toilet, because without the carbon that you add through the bulking material, the pile will generally be too nitrogen-rich and the composting action will slow drastically.

composting
gardening

Continue reading "Our homes are being beautified by piles of poop" »

May 21, 2007

Candle lanterns for the patio

For the back patio or front deck, candle lanters in a pagoda style or one of the popular table models are one of the nicer outdoor accessories you can buy this year. Made of glass or metal these lanterns always add charm to the outdoors.

With enclosed centers to hold the candles, they are safe and you don't have to worry about accidents. For a contemporary look a simple black finish, with glass is nice. For old charm choose one of the many pressed glass lanterns that you can either hang on a post or have it sit on a railing or table.

• Click to view or buy any one of these lanterns that you pur candles in.

As you can see the selection of candle lantern designs is pretty varied. The lanterns shown here are the four basic shapes. All are designed as an outdoor decor accessory that can be used anywhere in the yard.

Solar lights for gardens

Path and walkway lighting is important for security but most of us like to buy it for it's decorative value. The selection in solar lights has been rather slim in the past. I came across this design when looking for new garden lights for along my patio.

I liked the interesting dragonfly and butterfly design becasue it is so different from any of the other solar powered lights that I have seen. They add a bit more fun to my patio area and the kids really get a charge out of them at night.

This is one of the more interesting designs in outdoor lighting that we have come across. You can illuminate your garden, walkway or lawn with these enchanting butterfly and dragonfly solar powered lights. Sold as a set of two lights: one butterfly and one dragonfly. High efficiency built-in solar panel automatically charges the batteries during day light.

Each charge provides illumination for up to at least 8 hours. Low power consumption, long life LED tested to last over 10,000 hours. Also features manual on/off switch for overriding automatic functions.

Buy this set of 2 butterfly and dragonfly solar lights here

May 13, 2007

How to start landscaping

Always, always right down your ideas, no matter how elaborate they are. You then go and talk the people at your local garden center. Most if not all of the larger nurseries have a landscape section with qualified people working there that can tell you how to cut corners and save a few bucks.

Walk around inside your home and look at your wall colors, style of furniture and the architecture of entryways. What you are doing is looking for a common theme that blends with how your home looks from the outside. Now go to the biggest window that overlooks your backyard and try to visualize how you would like this to look. You want to view this area through a window, like you are viewing art or a landscape painting. As you where walking through your home you got a sense of what style you like and now you want this style to be projected outdoors so that your decorating theme extends to the outdoors as a smooth transition.

You would repeat this for the front yard by looking out your front picture window. The difference here is you need to look at your neighbor's home in front of you so that your front yard landscaping also compliments your surroundings.

Read the rest of the article here on our main site about http://www.decormotif.com/GardenDecor/landscape_design.html">How to get started landscaping your yard

This is a must read if you are landscaping for the first time or you have just moved into a new home.
landscaping

May 04, 2007

Garden decor

Your not just adding things in the the backyard your decorating the the lawn and garden area

If you view your garden area and your patio as an extension of your home it is easier to come up with an idea on what to add. Wooden garden benches are always a good purchase to make. Many times we want to sit out further in the yard than the patio but moving chairs around is just inconvenient. Garden benches are especially the wooden ones are an ideal solution. Add a wooden planter for a flower garden and you have made a very nice sitting area. Birdhouses and birdfeeders are also a very useful decoration to use in your yard.

Look at your front or backyard as a very large room. Now think about this area as you would decorating any room in your home! Ask yourself what type of outdoor decor would look good and possibly where you would like to sit besides the patio. Then consider what it's main purpose or function is and who will be seeing it most of the time? Do you want a decoration that serves a purpose or something that is just whimsical and fun?

Solar gazing balls glow at night, which is kind of cool for parties! With glass gazing balls the color is on the inside, creating a luminous quality not possible with other materials. Stainless steel won’t break or rust. You can float the globes on water or display on a pedestal. These gazing ball and pedestal sets are a fantastic focal point for your garden.

Landscape water features will increase the value of your property, patio water fountains or a garden waterfall may just entice a potential home buyer into making an offer. This is a good spot for an outdoor bench and wooden planter.

Garden decor and accessories for the backyard

Garden balls, gazing balls and sundials are one of the easiest ways to make your garden unique. Signs and markers can also add a personal touch that makes it easy to find what you need or to keep people on the right path. Outdoor wooden planters and arbors match up really well with outdoor water fountains and flower gardens near a patio.

Each wind sculpture has it's own unique characteristic and sound that will sooth the mind and body. Create your own music by adding different sounding tones together to make a unique display that is very attractive.
A shift in the wind was one of the earliest indicators of a change in weather. Garden vanes add a certain charm to any home or rooftop and is becoming very popular as a home and garden decoration.
One of the cutest garden decorations are small garden gnome statues hanging on a tree. A wonderfully colored statue that will be sure to bring smile to all your visitors.

If you enjoy your backyard but have to come in when it starts to cool down a patio heater is a great addition to the backyard. Fire pits can be used for extra warmth or for cooking outside with the kids. What I like most about these is they are very decorative and can fit in more as an outdoor decoration. Information on comfortable and affordable is on this page about outdoor patio furniture.

How often have you looked at your down spouts on the edges of your roof and said (these are kind of ugly). Some people call these decorative chains as Japanese rain chains. They come in different shapes from funnel cups to looped chains. They are all made of copper except for the brass rain chain and the funnel cups. Find all these garden decorations in our garden decor section.

April 15, 2007

Gazing balls

Gazing balls are very cool lawn ornaments

I was looking over at my neighbors yard the other evening as it was getting dark and noticed these glowing balls out on his lawn. I got curious so I went over and looked to see what they were. Pete came out and said they were gazing balls that were solar powered.

• For more infomation on these lawn and garden ormaments go to our main page to see where you can buy these on sale,click here to review gazing balls

These I thought were very cool lawn ornaments, after talking a bit more about these gazing balls we thought of a few other spots that they could be placed. One spot that we thought would be a good place for a party setting was in his pool floating around.

December 21, 2006

Outdoor Decorative Lighting

Choosing the Right Type of Outside Lighting

It can be hard to choose the right outdoor decorative lighting that sets the right tone that you want for your yard and patio areas. Lighting designs can differ just as much as the lawns do. Most people decorate their yards in a manner that suits their general personality or the lifestyle that they want to project. Lighting is a major aspect of that.
There are many different forms of outdoor lighting that is often used differently; depending on the area of the lawn or patio that it's set up on. Some of these types are: lanterns, solar, string lights, security/motion sensing, and standing vanity lighting.

It's a must that you consider the overall look of your outdoor area before choosing your lighting because the lighting is meant to be an accent and not the center of the decor. For example; if your lawn is clean kept and lush green, you will likely want to use subtle lights like the standing lanterns and lamps to accent the area. However, if you are using your decorative lights for security purposes, you will want to use bright lights that sense motion. Security lights are brighter and therefore get heated to a higher degree so the decorative aspect of this lighting will have to be more heat resistant than if you wanted to simply accent the area.

Solar lights are excellent if you are aiming for a casual and elegant appearance on your lawn. These lighting designs come in many designs to suit almost any area, and they do not cost you extras for things such as light bulbs or wired cables. The light given is a bit dim so it is meant more for accenting the area to be lit and not protecting or spotlighting it. You can also get decorative outdoor lighting that helps to keep the insects away during outdoor events as well. These generally involve a citronella around the decorative footing for the light or around the bulb itself. The key point in choosing your decorative lighting is to use the lighting to accentuate the area in general and not to overwhelm it.

November 12, 2006

Great backyards start here

Great backyards start with comfortable outdoor furniture sets and accessories

All great outdoor dinning areas start with comfortable outdoor patio furniture. Look for outdoor chairs and benches that have removable cushions so they can be easily replaced when they get worn out. It is cheaper than buying a new patio set. You will also need to purchasefurniture covers if you want to keep your tables and chairs looking like new.

Wicker outdoor furniture is a favorite because it's comfortable, light weight, paintable and easy to care for. There are other materials, resins, recycled plastic or wrought iron, these are very durable products that will last for a very long time. One of the most useful additions to a patio set is a serving cart or bar for the patio.

For more information on outdoor furniture sets for the patio can be found here.

September 26, 2006

Pools and Fountains

It's time to look at emptying the backyard pool. Yep it's that time of year again that we look at our above ground pools and get them ready for the winter. If you own a intex soft pool you are indeed lucky. All you need to do is drain the water out and then wash and rinse the inside and then let dry before you fold it up and put it away. Just remember that if you have chlorine left in water still that you cannot simply drain it into your yard and then into the strom drains. Let the chlorine disipate until it is not reading anymore and then drain your pool.

This is also a good time to look at your water founains and think about draining the lines for these. Remove the water pumps if you can and all fittings that go with them. Don't leave these out for the winter or they are liable to crack when they freeze. Cooler weather creates moisture in the lines and this will freeze.

August 20, 2006

Landscape design

Creating a comfortable living area in your yard requires careful thought and planning. View your front yard or back yard from inside your home first as if you where looking at a landscape portrait. Now you can decide on how it should look when it is finished and matured.

Always design your landscaping as a finished mature project that you can visualize how it will look 5 years from now. If you don't what happens is the plants and trees that you have carefully selected will end up having to be moved to other areas. It creates more work that most us would rather not do.

Walk around inside your home and look at your wall colors, style of furniture and the architecture of entryways. What you are doing is looking for a common theme that blends with how your home looks from the outside. Now go to the biggest window that overlooks your backyard and try to visualize how you would like this to look. You want to view this area through a window, like you are viewing art or a landscape painting. As you where walking through your home you got a sense of what style you like and now you want this style to be projected outdoors so that your decorating theme extends to the outdoors as a smooth transition.

Get more information from this page about landscape design.

July 17, 2006

Unique Outdoor Decorations

One of the more delightful outdoor decorations that we can install are garden fountains or pation water fountains. These can be large or small, made of stone, rock or plastic. Pump sizes depend on the amount of water you wish to have flowing. For gardens a waterfall fountain seems to be the favorite choice of gardeners and for patio's copper bell fountains and barrel fountains fit well. One of the more popular items that are coming onto the market with more choices are solar powered outdoor fountains that are ideal when you don't want to run an extension cord. If you would like to know more about watergardening and what type of features would look best in your yard go here to www.accentfountains.com, here you can see what types are offered for outdoors and review information on wall mount fountains and tabletop styles for inside your home.

July 12, 2006

Garden Humor

A man was out in the garden helping his wife to pull weeds, plant flowers and doing just general stuff on a nice summer day.

He looks over at his wife who happened to be bending over at the same time. He thinks for a minute and then says " Your butt is getting really big, I mean really big. I bet your butt is bigger than the barbecue grill."

His wife of many years looks back and ignores the comment. She bends back over and resumes her work in the garden. The husband not being the sharpest tool in the shed, looks back over and says " you know I bet it's the same size as the barbecue grill" thinks to himself for a minute and wonders to himself.

The husband then gets up, goes into the tool shed and gets a tape measure. With that he proceeded to measure the grill and then went over to where his wife was working and measured his wife's bottom. "Yes, I was right; your butt is two inches wider than the barbecue grill!!!"

Later that night in bed, the husband is feeling frisky. He makes some advances towards his wife who completely brushes him off. "What's wrong?" he asks.

She answers: "Do you really think I'm going to fire up this big-ass grill for one little weenie?

June 15, 2006

Indoor Water Features

Water has long been considered a powerful, cleansing, and almost mystical substance. Even people who have little interest in nature will often be enchanted by the sound of a waterfall or gurgling brook. Some people claim that the sound of water can be very soothing and relaxing, potentially reducing stress.

Whether this is true or not, indoor water fountains have become very popular in both homes and offices, and there are many advantages to these pretty pieces of art. Indoor water fountains provide a soothing background noise. They are elegant and add beauty to any room.

Many of us use heating that dries out the air, and indoor water fountains do add to the moisture of the air in a room. Whether you like indoor water fountains for their beauty or their potential relaxing and healing properties, many home decor or even gardening centers can help you find an indoor water fountain that will fit perfectly in your home or work place. There are even online retailers that will create your own customized indoor water fountain - one that matches your personality and your decor.

• Indoor water features

June 05, 2006

Hawaiian Umbrella Tree

Click Here to Purchase the Hawaiian Umbrella Tree with Braided Trunk (Arboricola Schefflera)

This is the tree that we recommend if you are inexperienced with bonsai or you do not have a green thumb. In our opinion it is one of the easiest bonsai trees to care for and is a very beautiful trouble-free evergreen. If you don't know which tree to purchase as a gift for someone, this is the tree to select. This versatile tree is great for home, office, dorm or anywhere and does well in low to high lighting conditions. Our tree features tiny umbrella shaped leaves forming a dense green canopy. Our tree features tiny umbrella shaped leaves forming a dense green canopy.

This impressive trouble-free evergreen has a braided trunk. Very popular and easy to care for. 8 years old 13"-15" tall Suitable 6" by 8" humidity tray is recommended.

Continue reading "Hawaiian Umbrella Tree" »

May 04, 2006

What's Hot This Summer

What's hot for this season, offset patio umbrellas!

How many times have you had to twist and turn to talk to someone on the other side of you patio table, because the umbrella sticking in the middle was getting in your way. Or had to keep adjusting the angle because everytime the sun moved it took away your shading.

Not anymore, off set patio umbrellas are just the accesssroy you need for your patio furniture. They stand off from the table so they don't get in the way. You can easily walk around your table and chairs, plus have a full view of every one seated, they also allow you to have more dining space available.

Off set styles have many benefits that make them unique for your deck or patio. 1) no pole in the way so you can see the person you are talking to. 2) rotate 360 degrees to follow the sun 3)the best as hot tub shades. Can be placed right over top. These are just few benefits and there are more.

April 08, 2006

Wind Chime Hooks

Hang your wind chime anywhere with these decorative hooks for wind chimes. Wind chime hooks add new color and style to your patio areas and front decks. These windchime hangers are also able to hold some pretty heavy objects not just your chimes.

The nature themed wind chime hooks come in French Bronze, Verdigris and Pewter Silver finishes and will also accommodate a large hanging basket filled with colorful flowers. Bring a colorful accent to your deck or patio area.

The stained glass wind chime hook is made out of steel to hold up to 50 lbs. It can be used to hang plants, bird feeders, wind chimes and more. This beautiful hook is rust and weatherproof. The vibrant color you see when you open up the box will last forever it comes in pink, purple and sky blue. It will not fade even in the hottest sunlight and can be left outside and not get damaged. The hook itself has a copper finish on the front and back that will not tarnish or discolor. This hook will make the perfect addition to your hanging decorations around the home.

March 24, 2006

Hammocks for the lawn or garden area

Hammocks are the number one choice for those lazy hot days in the backyard. Relax, read a book or take a nap, the main activity is relaxing and enjoying the day.

If you are thinking about buying just the hammock you will also want the stand to go with it. If you do not want to use a stand you will need hammock tree straps. The Tree-Straps attach your hammock to most trees with ease and help protect the bark. The proper sized stand is very important for porch swings and chairs, not only for comfort but for long lasting durability.

The secret to our extremely comfortable chair is in the design. Expertly crafted to contour to your individual form, it provides perfect lower back support. Over six feet of soft hand-woven nylon allows you to put your feet up and relax.

A hammock chair is an ideal addition to your patio furniture for cuddling up with a good book and enjoying the day. They are very comfortable and can be placed indoors or out. They work well as a porch swing tucked away in a tight corner.

Click here to compare hammocks Colorful fabric styles in mayan hammocks, pawleys island classics and the popular Brazilian hammocks.

March 02, 2006

Keeping Pets Out of The Garden

If we own a dog or our neighbors have a cat sooner or later this issue is going to come up. It is a bigger problem for homeowners that don't own a pet. How do we keep our pets or our neighbors out of our yard or garden area. Spring will be here soon and it will be time to get our lawns and gardens ready for the planting season. Nobody wants to use a product that is harmful to animals but sometimes fertilizers and chemicals can do just that.

Proper training of course is the first course of action but with cats this really is not an option. In rural areas deer and rabbits are a problem. For envirometally friendly people there is one animal control product that I have found and used with fairly good results. It is an motion activated sprinkler.

You can view this product from here Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler

How it worksScarecrow senses animals the same way security lights detect people: movement and heat. When an animal is seen, a valve opens, instantly releasing a three-second pulsating spray of water. The combination of the sudden noise, movement, and water frightens animals away. This startling, yet harmless action is a remarkably effective deterrent. protected.

February 25, 2006

Smooth, Broomed or Exposed Aggregate

Before you even start to plan out a new concrete patio, you have to decide what type of finish you want on the concrete. And what color you would like it to be. Companies are getting better at carrying a lot more colors for you to choose from and the extra cost isn't all that much. The other important consideration is what you are going to use as re-inforcement, we use to use steel called re-bar so that it wouldn't crack. Know there is fiber that is poured into the mix as it is being turned in the drum of the cement mixer. Cost is a probably close to the same but it makes a nicer and quicker job.

You will notice I didn't say cement patio, that is because cement is only a product in the mix that makes concrete, the rest is sand and gravel of various sizes.

Back to concrete finishes: Exposed concrete is very nice looking but hard on the feet. It is also more expensive because of the size of round rock in it which after being sprayed with a chemical produces the exposed look. These small rocks usually about 3/8 of an inch in diameter will pop out over time which makes it even rougher to walk on in bare feet. The small holes or indents cannot be fixed. The exposed area also needs a water sealer coated on every one to two years. A little more work than you may want.

Please note: If it is at all possible you should drive out to the concrete plant where you are buying it from to see the piles of rock they use. If there is too much wood in it, it will cause you endless grief in about 2 years. If the wood splinters are large enough, say 4 inches ling by 1/2 inch thick they will work there way up through the concrete or decay and leave a hole inside. Over time this will gather moisture and then crack.

A smooth finish of regular concrete is the norm. It is easy to do and looks good. The only draw back here is when it gets wet it can be slippery. If you are using it as a sidewalk I would recommend that you use a finsish that is called brooming. When the concrete is almost set, after it is screeted and troweled for the last time, you take a heavy broom and lightly run over the surface to create a rougher surface. This will elimate anybody from slipping on it, but it is rough on the feet.

Dont' forget to add the cut marks when you are almost finsihed, this will stop any cracks from spreading farther than they should.

Concrete is ready to walk on by the next day, for driveways you should not drive a vehicle on it for at least a week or preferably two and no heavy trucks for at least a month until it is cured. If you are pouring on a very hot and dry day when the cement starts to set and there is no water left coming to the surface you will need to sprinkle it with a garden hose every few hours so that it doesn't dry too fast and then crack.