Posts Tagged ‘garden’

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The Use Of Mosquito Repellent

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

The mosquito is the cause of numerous infectious diseases e.g. malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever etc. In fact, it serves as a vector to pass on such illnesses from person to person. Mosquito control is the procedure used to manage mosquito numbers. Different ways are used to control mosquitoes from growing and spreading diseases.

Occasionally, regulating the source of reproduction and growth of mosquitoes is achieved by decreasing their number i.e. removing standing water. Natural predators like dragonflies, mosquito fish and killifish are used to prey on mosquitoes.

In this fashion their population is kept under control and the likelihood for mosquitoes to cause any harm are reduced. Different sorts of insecticides are also used to eradicate mosquitoes.

A mosquito repellent serves the purpose of keeping an individual from the strike of mosquitoes which could cause significant injury to the health of the individual. A mosquito repellent is a substance which is used to deter and discourage mosquitoes from landing and biting. The out beak of mosquito-borne diseases can be managed and prevented by the use of such repellents.

The body chemistry of each individual is different, which is why some people attract mosquitoes more than others and become a meal of a mosquito?s? menu more frequently. Research shows that synthetic repellents are more effective than natural repellents. The reason is the long lasting nature of synthetic repellents.

DEET and IR3535 are very commonly used repellents. DEET is a somewhat yellowish oil which is applied to the body or clothing to discourage mosquitoes. It should be used very carefully because it can cause skin reactions and inflammation.

DEET is the oldest repellent in use; it having been developed in 1946. Its protection lasts for about five hours. IR3535 is a chemical repellent which is found in Avon products such as their ?Skin So Soft? range of products.

Rather than applying synthetic repellents, natural repellents can be made by mixing different natural oils in specific concentrations depending on the type of mosquito. Citronella oil, lemon eucalyptus, clove oil, cedar oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil and cinnamon oil are the most popular oils used as natural mosquito repellents. The refined form of oil of Lemon eucalyptus is a very effectual insect repellent.

Mosquito coils i.e. mosquito-repelling incense, is also commonly used in Asia, South America and Africa. It is usually a coil made of Pyrethrum powder, shaped into a spiral. Modern day mosquito-repelling coils burn for around eight hours without a flame.

Their ability to repel mosquitoes is very robust; it is also cheap and easy to use. Health and safety worries are of immense importance when using such coils. The spark from the coil could ignite a fire and the smoke contains formaldehyde which is very harmful to health.

Children and pregnant women should use mosquito repellents very carefully. The label on the repellent must be read very carefully before use and the directions ought to be followed strictly. Mosquito repellents ought to be kept out of the reach of children because of their harmful effects on health.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on a number of subjects, but is at present concerned with the Aedes mosquito. If you want to know more or check out some great deal, please go to our web site at Indoor Bug Zapper.

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Controlling Mosquitoes

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Mosquito is a familiar insect which belongs to the family Culicidae. The word mosquito is of Spanish and Portuguese origin which translates as ?little fly?. A mosquito passes through four phases in its life cycle i.e. egg, larva, pupa and adult. The fully developed mosquito is also called an imago. Eggs are laid by adult females in still water like puddles, lakes, ponds, or containers etc.

The life of an grown-up mosquito is four-eight weeks long. The mouthparts of mosquitoes are adapted to pierce the skin of animals and plants. Males feed on nectar and the juices of plants whilst the females need to feed on blood to obtain nutrients in order to lay eggs. More than 3,500 species of mosquitoes are to be found in the world.

The females of some species feed on humans and are the cause of many contagious illnesses. Egg development and blood digestion are two very important activities in the life of female mosquitoes. They serve as a vector to transmit viruses and parasites from one individual to another.

Mosquito control is vital for getting rid of harmful mosquitoes and the illnesses spread by them. It is estimated that mosquitoes spread diseases to over 700 million individuals in Asia, Africa, Mexico, Central America and South America. Numerous deaths are the result of infectious illnesses brought about by the bites of mosquitoes.

When mosquito control was less widespread, thousands of deaths were caused each year. Malaria and yellow fever were known to be caused by mosquito bites. WestNile fever is also borne by mosquitoes. Dengue disease and Encephalitis are other infectious diseases brought about by mosquitoes.

Natural enemies of mosquitoes include the dragonfly which assists control the population of mosquitoes by eating them. The reaction to the bites of mosquitoes can be instantaneous or delayed. The irritation on the bites is the result of an immunity response.

Several anti-itch medicines are obtainable on the market. Some medications are taken orally while others are for external use only. Itching can be minimized by applying an adhesive tape to the area of the bite or by sucking on the region through a straw.

A very effectual anti-inflammatory agent is Tea tree oil, which lessens itching. Insecticides may also be used to eradicate the larvae of the mosquito. Source reduction is a very efficient way to control mosquitoes by removing stagnant water. Biocontrol is another remedy by which natural enemies of mosquitoes are used to manage their population.

Chemical pesticides will kill adult mosquitoes because they are the most harmful from the point of view of spreading disease. DDT was used for the control of mosquitoes on a big scale but now it?s use is banned in some countries. Different sorts of repellents are used to deter mosquitoes from attacking. DEET is used as an good repellent.

Picaridin and IR3535 are also very widely used CDC-recommended repellents. Oil of Eucalyptus is a natural repellent and it is highly recommended. It is very important to take safety precautions to protect yourself from the contagious illnesses borne by mosquitoes.

Have you ever heard of an electric bug zapper? If not, or if you are interested in getting an indoor bug zapper, please click one of the hyperlinks to get to our website or blog.

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Swimming Pool Heaters

Monday, July 11th, 2011

The most expensive aspect of owning a swimming pool is the construction of it. Maintenance is also costly. Therefore, those who have garden swimming pools usually attempt to get as many hours of use out it as they can. This equates to sitting in the garden at the poolside whenever possible and inviting friends and family around to share it all with them.

However, there is one more thing that you can do to increase the number of hours you can spend in your pool - you can lengthen the season that you are able to use it in. The temperature of the water is the only real constraint on swimming outside, it does not really matter whether it is snowing or raining as long as the water is warm enough.

Swimming in the rain, the mist and the snow is actually immense fun, at least as much fun as swimming in the sunshine, as long as the water is warm enough and there is no lightening. The answer is to install a water heater into your swimming pool system.

A swimming pool water heater can have a drastic impact on the amount of time you can spend in your pool. If you set the thermostat at 78-80 F (about 25 C), you can double the amount of time you can spend in the water. If you live in a warm part of the country, you may just require to heat the water by a couple of degrees to be able swim in luxury.

A large body of heated water will lose most of its heat through its surface area, so it is a good idea to cover your pool with a good quality insulation blanket-cum-pool cover. The insulated pool blankets will lessen your heating bills quite considerably and it will increase the level of pool safety considerably as well.

The most common systems for heating swimming pool water are liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or oil fired. These systems are simple to set up and relatively cheap to run. Electricity is also used, but it is not economical. If you live in the correct area meaning that you only require to raise the water temperature a couple of degrees, you could use solar power.

The problem with solar power is the profit margin the retailers want to make. If you make your own panels, purchase in kit form or buy secondhand panels, solar power would be the best approach, if you have the sun, but not quite sufficient heat.

At the time, gas-powered swimming pool water heating is still by far the simplest to set up and run and so offers the best solution to heating your pool. You will be able to get LPG water heaters secondhand from numerous sources and you will be able to purchase new from the Net as well. EBay is another good source of LPG swimming pool water heaters

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is now concerned with Plus Size Bikinis. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Swimwear for Big Busts.

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Landscaping Your Garden In The Texas Style

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Most people simply let their garden mature naturally in that they do not select a particular style. This is all right, but it can turn into a hodge-podge, if not looked after. Some people, though, deliberately choose to landscape their garden according to a clear style or a theme. Some of these themes are very sophisticated and others are fairly simple.

One of the many themes to pick from is the Texas Style. We all know that everything in Texas is done on a grand scale, so you would be excused for thinking that landscaping in the Texas Style would necessitate a large garden.

It is perhaps easier to carry out your landscaping in the Texas Style in a bigger garden, but it just depends how you go about it.

The first things to remember are that Texas is very hot and so the terrain closely resembles wilderness. Plants and shrubs are thin on the ground, so to speak. Landscaping in the Texas Style is what you could call minimalist gardening.

You will have to make use of every square inch of your property, if you only have a small plot and the climate will have to be fairly warm in the daytime although it is good if it gets cold at night. This will allow you to grow many of the plants that thrive or at least grow in Texas. One good thing about Texan flowers is that when they do blossom, they really do show a lot of colour.

One of the kinds of plant that you are sure to have success with is the cactus. There are many varieties of cactus, so you should not have too much difficulty finding several types that will grow in your garden in order to produce a Texan dry climate look, as long as it does not rain every other day where you live.

Cacti yield spectacular flowers when they bloom, but they have big thorns, so if you have young children, the Texas Style garden may not be for you for a few years yet.

Once you have your plants sorted out, you can begin looking for accessories. You can pick up ideas from the old cowboy films and from magazines, but a few recommendations are: a chow wagon style barbecue area with a canvas hood; some broken wagon wheels; a well, functioning or not (it could even be a fish pond that looks like a well); boulders and wooden fence posts.

Boulders are usually overlooked by gardeners but there are some intriguing stones, boulders and rocks in all kinds of shapes and colours. Boulders with fossils in them are great conversation starters. Smaller rocks can be used to make a rock garden and this will expand the choice of plant life that you can grow in your Texas Style garden. You will be able to plant succulents, small cacti and other small plants that frequently grow in this harsh environment.

Lighting should be low and subtle so that you can see the stars at night. You could even have a camp fire with log seating or you can accomplish this look by using low powered solar lighting. Solar powered lighting will also save you from having to have an electrician wire up your garden.

When you have finished landscaping in the Texas Style, do not forget to get pleasure from it by eating outside as often as you can. Barbecues, steaks and Texmex food are the order of the day.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is at present involved with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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Are Free Woodworking Plans Worth It?

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

If you are going to create a piece of furniture, especially if it is fairly complicated or you have never manufactured anything like it in the past, it is a good idea to get a set of wood working plans. These furniture plans are not dear and free woodworking plans can be found too.

However, it is prudent to be suspicious of free wood working plans as they may not be precise and you will have little recourse to protest if they were free or even pirated. Free wood working plans may be all right, but you do not want to find out that they are not half way through the task.

A good set of wood working plans, free or not, will give a clear exploded view of the item to be made and a narrative explaining the various steps and procedures. The plans may also make suggestions about the timber and tools to use, the length of time it could take to make in man hours and the complexity level.

If you want a large compilation of wood working plans, there are CD’s around which have 14,000 on them for $30-40. They are a fantastic bargain. Other places you could search are online forums, the library and craft or DIY shops. Shops are probably the dearest option.

Once you have chosen an object to build, you should consider which style you would like. A kitchen cupboard could be hardwood or softwood. It could be a Welsh dresser or a Scandinavian design. It could be contemporary, traditional, Georgian or Victorian, to name but a few.

Once you have answered these questions you can go looking for your wood working plans. You might be lucky or you may have to compromise if you cannot get just what you want. This is why I think that it is better to buy a CD of plans that have been sorted into a database, so that you can easily find out what is to be had in your collection.

You could search for ‘kitchen cupboard’ and 100 woodworking plans might recommend themselves to you. Or you could type in ‘Victorian Welsh Dresser’ and only get two suggestions. The point is that you will not be wasting your time chasing a pipe dream, when there are no plans available for the exact item you are looking for.

When you have a set of appropriate plans, I think that it is better to get them blown up, or maybe that is just because of my eyesight. However, it is a pain to have to remove your safety goggles to put on your spectacles every time you want to check a size. This is effortless from a CD because the majority of printers have a facility to print poster size. If yours does not, take the CD to a printer’s, an architect’s or a technical office. They will be able to print A1 straight from the CC.

Then you can affix this enlarged wood working plan to the wall or an easel and you are all set to start making your furniture in style.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with a favourite subject, wood furniture plans. If you are interested in Desk Woodworking Plans, please click through to our site, where we have 14,000 wood working plans.

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The Fundamentals Of Keeping Koi Carp

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Are you thinking about putting a koi carp pond in your garden? A koi fish pond is a great improvement to any garden. A garden pond is completely relaxing: watching the fish going about their every day lives is relaxing and listening to the sound of the water moving is relaxing as well. Koi carp are a good choice over some other fish because they grow quite large and breed freely even in captivity.

They are not that problematic to keep either. As with all fish ponds, you need to maintain the quality of the water, but that is not so much of a problem when you know what you are doing. Once you have got the water correct, the rest will follow more or less on its own, although you will have to check it frequently.

Having said that, you should not just rush out in to the garden, dig a hole and fill it with fish. You need to buff up on the topic first, but there is so much information on koi on the market, that you will have no difficulty in that respect. There is also plenty of information on the Internet.

The first thing to do is dig a hole for your pond, but it better not to have it uniformly deep. It should be three or four feet deep at one end and a foot or so deep at the other. The koi will lie dormant and sleep in the deeper water, but only the fry will feel relaxed in the shallow end. They will take sanctuary there to avoid being eaten by the larger fish. Like most fish, koi are cannibals.

Once your pond has been dug out, fill it with water and leave it for a week. Use this week to test your water features such as the water pumps, the filter and the fountain. If you are losing water strive to plug the leak. If you have to keep topping up the water level from the hosepipe, you will probably run into hardship with chlorine.

After a week, the chlorine in that tap water will have dissipated and any surplus oil in your pond apparatus will have been washed out, so you can put aquatic plants in. Plant them in pots so that you can move them easily if necessary. You ought to also construct some underwater caves for the fish to conceal themselves in.

Once you are satisfied that everything is working well and that the environment is stable (this is easier to do in larger ponds), you can think about buying some koi.

You have to decide why you would like to have koi. Do you want to show them and possibly earn some money? In that case you will have to start with expensive fish, but if you just want to sit and watch them, the cheapest ones are all right. You can probably ask a friend to give you a dozen anyway.

If you procure your fish in the breeding season, you will almost certainly get a few gravid (pregnant) females anyway.

A word of warning: fish normalize their environment better than we do. A given amount of water will only hold a precise number of inches of fish. So, as an example, say that each ten gallons of water will be sufficient for ten inches of fish and you have 200 gallons that is 200 inches of fish, which is 20 x 10 inch fish or 40 x 5 inch fish. As the fish grow, they will die to maintain this ratio, so do not purchase too many until you are familiar with the ratio.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is at present involved with finding a koi pond contractor. If you are interested in a Solar Powered Pond Pump, just go to our web site now for some fantastic deals.

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Techniques For Keeping Cats Out Of Your Garden

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

It is very difficult to keep cats out of your garden, but do not give up, it can be done. Cat owners may not understand why gardeners want to stop cats gaining access to their gardens, but there are valid reasons, it is not always that gardeners hate cats. Cats are vicious hunters and can also be quite destructive.

For example, my next door neighbour had a cat, but felt lonely when her daughter moved away, so she permitted the cat to breed. Now she has six cats. But cats are not like dogs. My dog stays in my garden not bothering anyone apart from by barking if a stranger walks past the gate However, that is his job and he is not only warning me but the neighbours too. These six cats do not stay in their own garden though, so we have all acquired six cats whether we want them or not.

The first issue I became aware of was that birds stopped coming to pick my dog’s bowl clean in the afternoon. Then I saw a cat eating a lizard, a lovely nine inch adult and then I remembered not seeing many lizards recently. There is one lizard, the Tokay, that they have completely wiped out - I used to listen to them calling at night, but no longer.

Cats also dig up flowers when they defecate and use furniture as scratching boards, so I do not want these destructive animals in my garden. But how do you keep cats out of your garden?

Walls are rarely protection against cats, but cats will often prowl along the bottom of walls and if they come across a hole, they will probably go in out of inquisitiveness, so repair all low-level gaps in your fences. There is not much you can do about the top of your wall short of putting broken glass or electrified wiring up there, but that is not a nice idea.

Some dogs are good at keeping cats away, but not all. My dog got a nasty and totally unexpected swipe of claws across his nose one day. He used to chase them when they were kittens, but now they have grown up, he only growls to tell me a cat is on the property. I cannot blame him.

In Australia, a lot of gardeners reckon that transparent bottles full of water confuse cats, so they stay away, but in my experience, only Australian cats react in that way.

A row of prickly bushes or flowers along the base of a wall where cats frequently come in works. At the bottom of high walls too, where the cat cannot see them until he is on top of the wall. I often see cats mewing (in frustration, I hope) on the top of one of my walls. The only route down is to go back.

If you still cannot keep cats out, then you will need to train them not to come in. This is easiest achieved by using several methods. If cats are utilizing your flower pots are conveniences, try smearing the pots with pepper, lavender, lemon, mustard, or tobacco. Or you could leave a mothball in each pot. Some of these will have the desired result for you, others will not.

Then there are commercial repellents, but I do not want to resort to them. However, if you have a big garden and a big problem, it could be the only way. There are also high frequency sound emitters. Humans cannot hear them, but almost all animals can, so I think that that is deplorable too.

At night, motion-activated external lighting is a great upset to cats. Cats have very sensitive night vision so a quick flash from a floodlamp really puts them off a garden.

The best disincentive is water. You can get motion-activated sprinklers, which are brilliant at keeping cats out of your garden, but I like to sit in my office or in the garden with a powerful water pistol and squirt them by hand. The lizards have not come back yet, but nor do the cats quite so frequently either.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is now concerned with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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Consuming Insects For Survival Or Pleasure

Monday, June 13th, 2011

In the developed world, not a lot of individuals eat insects for pleasure, but that is fairly unusual if you consider the number of people and the number of nations in the world that do. In Asia, numerous people consume insects on a weekly or even daily basis. However, you may one day be happy that you read about eating insects, if you are stranded somewhere far from any other source of food.

For instance, lots of army personnel are taught how to eat worms and insects as part of their routine training course as part of their survival training. Insects are abundant and are simple to catch or trap, they are also a richer source of protein than steak and easier to cook and far less risky to eat raw than meat from mammals, fish or birds.

Insects can supply more than three times the amount of protein weight for weight than any meat or fish. They are also free, you just have to know where to look or how to bait them. However, you ought to not consume just any insect that you can get your hands on. There a couple of simple basic guidelines.

Do not consume anything that can bite or sting you back. Not because this is perilous to you, but because creatures like bees, wasps and some ants only do not taste pleasant because of the poisons they make for their stings. A distinguished exception to this rule is the scorpion. Many individuals find roast scorpion a delicacy.

You could hone this rule to merely include brightly coloured, stinging insects - particularly ones with yellow colouring. Furry insects are not nice either, particularly caterpillars. Flying insects in general, like flies, mosquitoes, blue bottles and the like, ought to be avoided too.

Big beetles (with the exception of cockroaches), grass hoppers, locusts, crickets and scorpions are the best. So are worms, maggots and most other larvae of that type like bee, wasp and hornet larvae. Termites and non-stinging ants are also safe to eat.

Most people fry the insects in oil after removing the wings (like with flying termites or ants). However, if you are stuck in the wild, you might not have any oil with you. Luckily, that is not too much of a problem if you cook the insects quite slowly, because most of them have enough of their own body fat to be fried in.

If you find that taking your first meal of insects is simply too much to stomach, have a go at mashing them in with some boiled root vegetables or wrap them in leaves. Boiled nettle leaves are very good for you and young dandelion leaves can be consumed raw like lettuce.

If you are not sure how far to cook your insects, worms and larvae, here are a few pointers from Asia. Fry big beetles, termites and scorpions until they are hard on the outside but with a small, slightly soft centre. Fry worms, crickets, grass hoppers and the like until they are hard and crisp and boil grubs and bee, wasp and hornet larvae for only a few seconds.

Most Westerners that visit Thailand turn their noses up at eating insects, but after six years of living here, I have never heard any of those who tasted them say that they were awful. In fact, most said that they were astonishingly tasty, but then why else would so many individuals like them?

Owen Jones writes pieces on several subjects, but is currently involved with fighting beetles If you are interested too, visit our site at Electronic Insect Killer.

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How To Buy Garden Furniture On Line

Sunday, June 12th, 2011

Buying garden furniture on line is not the ideal solution as it both solves and presents some difficulties if it is used haphazardly. For example, if you find it difficult to get around the shops and garden centres, the Internet will permit you to visit hundreds of places to contrast styles and prices, but you will not have had sight of your furniture and it may be costly to return it.

Therefore there are a couple of things to watch out for if you want to buy garden furniture on line. Some of these suggestions will apply to other goods as well especially weighty items.

Be wary of shipping charges because some companies will strive to hide the fact that they can be horrendous. If delivery charges are an extra, do not forget to add these fees on to the cost of the garden furniture before you evaluate prices. Some businesses will talk some claptrap about an order processing fee in an effort to mask their delivery fees. These companies are being dishonest and you should avoid them like the plague.

Try to switch off to the words ‘discount’ and ’sale price’ until you have added up all the costs and you have compared this total with the total cost of a similar item. Likewise, be very wary of comparisons between list price and sale price. Manufacturers frequently ‘recommend’ a high list price deliberately so that the retailer can offer a discount. It is very common practice, but designed to deceive.

Be careful of ‘price snobbery’. If you see two retailers selling precisely the same things of garden furniture but at widely different prices, do not be automatically convinced that the cheaper one must be second-rate. Instead, look around the cheap web site for extra costs. Do not forget that most retailers buy from the same manufacturers.

Do not trust any firm that says that they will not be beaten on price because they are the cheapest on the Internet or that they will undercut anyone you can prove is cheaper. They have no proof that they are the cheapest and if you prove that they are not they will decrease their price only to you because you caught them in their lie. These people are liars.

Firms that make a big issue out of quick service are not really giving you anything. Every company likes a fast turn-around because they can bank the check earlier and the warranty finishes sooner too. You will find out how decent their service is if you have difficulties. Empty promises and blowing one;s own trumpet mean nothing. Self praise is no praise.

You can check up on the firm’s customer service record by typing the company’s name, city of business and the word ‘issues’ or ‘problems’ into Google. You will soon be able to determine for yourself whether you are dealing with a reputable firm or not. Purchasing garden furniture on line is the same as buying anything else expensive on line: it is up to the buyer to beware before parting with his money because it may be hard to get it back if there is a problem.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a range of topics, but is now involved with farmhouse dining tables. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Solid Oak Dining Tables.

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Which Are The Styles Of Garden Furniture

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

If you want to get some new garden furniture, the first thing to do is think about the styles of garden furniture that would suit your garden and your requirements. If you already have an idea of what you would like, you are already half way there, otherwise you will have to do some research on the different styles of garden furniture

This research can be done on line quite easily by typing ‘garden furniture’ into Google, but if you would prefer more information on the furniture, you could get a few magazines on gardening and landscaping. If you rather a more hands-on approach, you can go around the home improvement stores and the garden centres.

In fact, you will have to go to the shops sooner or later anyway unless you intend buying on line too. I personally like to do some research on the Internet first and then use the knowledge that I gleaned from there to make informed decisions in the store. I do not really trust the photos. I want to see and touch the garden furniture and check the joints and finish.

Once you get to the garden centre, you will discover different styles of garden furniture including: farmhouse or rustic, contemporary or modern, resort or poolside and these can be manufactured from hardwood, softwood, plastic or metal.

Hardwood is by far the most popular material for garden furniture and most people prefer the farmhouse style, although there are some fantastic modern styles too.

No matter which style you prefer or what it is made of the number one best piece of advice is to get the best quality that you can afford. This is true of most items you can buy, but I think that it is particularly true of garden furniture because it has a very hard life. Just imagine it: snow, rain, heat; temperatures varying from -5c to + 35c and varying humidity.

Cheap plastic cannot put up with those conditions. I used to buy cheap plastic and needed to replace it every eighteen months. Then I bought expensive plastic and I still have some of that but in essence it only lasted three years. I have seen metal garden furniture and it always rusts, even if it is plastic coated, enamelled or painted. Softwood lasts well, but it will rot after about five years even if it is fairly well taken care of.

The only garden furniture that I have ever had or seen at friends’ houses that lasts and looks good all that time is hardwood. There is a broad selection of hardwoods. There are native hardwoods like oak, cherry, walnut, maple and beech and foreign hardwoods like mahogany and teak. These hardwoods can also be stained to practically any colour although most people prefer the natural look.

Hardwood garden furniture is simple to maintain as well: just rub it over with linseed oil once or twice a year. If you carry out this simple maintenance procedure the timber will not dry out and it will resist the elements for twenty years or more ensuring that you get maximum value for money from this, the finest of all the styles of garden furniture.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a range of topics, but is now involved with farmhouse dining tables. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Solid Oak Dining Tables.

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