Organic gardens take root in Canada| Reuters

By Julie Gordon

| TORONTO

TORONTO As climate change makes longer, drier summers a reality in many parts of the world, a new trend in landscaping is taking root in Canada.

In Toronto, where precipitation levels were 52 percent below the seasonal average over the past six months, according to government data, residents Sprinkler System Installation Rockwall are trading in their manicured lawns for environmentally friendly organic landscapes.

"Irrigation is a huge issue as water is such a valuable resource," said Claire Suo-Cockerton of landscaping company Aesthetic Earthworks. "We are trying to plant material that is more appropriate today in our climate."

Organic landscapers use drought resistant plants and shrubs native to the region, which encourage the development micro-organisms in the soil. This attracts birds and insects to act as natural pest and disease control.

A well-managed organic landscape is self-sustaining, whereas a traditional yard needs to be watered at least once per week, Suo-Cockerton said.

"It's a drastic lifestyle change for those who incorporate it in their homes," she added.

But the change may be a bit too drastic for average homeowner.



Kevin MacDonald, operations manager of Humber Nurseries near Toronto, said he hasn't seen an increase in the sale of native plants and shrubs. He said the downside to native plants is they are more susceptible to native insects.

"By planting a cultivated variety, that is non-native, you may not end up with diseases and insect problems, simply because the diseases and insects that would traditionally attack that plant are not found in the new location," he said.

Still, the main reason why traditional g ardens remain popular may be purely aesthetic.



"In most cases homeowners will have a preference for what looks best," MacDonald said.

While the bare shrubs and woodchips of an organic landscape don't quite have the curb appeal of an ornamental garden, commercial and residential buildings looking to go green are picking up on the trend.

"From a developer's standpoint it's a great marketing tool because people are becoming very conscious of the environment," said Melissa Ferrato of the Canada Green Building Council (CGBG).

The CGBG uses the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) standard developed in the United States to measure the "green factor" of a building. Avoiding pesticides, lawnmowers and leafblowers all reduce a building's carbon footprint, contributing to a higher LEED score.

"Native, organic plants is what we're all about," said Ferrato. "We really discourage the use of manicured lawns and pesticides."

While organic landscaping is only now gaining popularity in the private sector, it has long been used by city parks departments.

"We've been moving away from traditional lawns for many years now," said Patricia Landry a https://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/myaccount.asp liaison officer at the Toronto parks department. "We are using plants able to withstand drought, pollution and the changing climate."

Organic landscaping makes economic sense for urban municipalities, Landry said. Less money is spent on labor and irrigation. And reintroducing native plants provides habitat for birds and small animals.

While efforts to convert Toronto's ornamental flowerbeds to organic gardens were met with public opposition, some of the cultivated annuals were swapped with native plants.

"It's about trying to keep a balance," said Landry. "Finding different ways to keep those areas a little more environmentally friendly."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-landscaping-idUSN2563030420071101

*** Clean Up That Messy Yard with These Outdoor Organizers

Getting the inside of your home organized is one thing, but making the great outdoors a tidy place is an entirely different situation. Yards get messy, and they can get that way fast. A storm can bring down branches, damage patio furniture and send garbage containers all over the place. Despite these challenges, your yard may be the most rewarding and enjoyable part of your property. Treat it that way by taking good care of it, and cleaning it up this spring.

One of the first casualties of winter is the grass. Fall leaves weaken the grass and winter cold often finishes it off. However, getting good grass come springtime is not impossible. One great way to make sure that your grass beautiful when March and April roll around is to add a little seed to it during the fall.

Seed tends to take to the ground the best in the fall, and Canada Green, for example, is just one type of seed that is hardy enough to endure tough winters after being seeded in the fall. Proper use of grass seed such as this can leave any yard looking stunning come the warmer months. If you did not have the time or the foresight to get your yard ready in the fall, then fast acting fertilizers, such as Patch Perfect Grass can do wonders to revive an otherwise dying lawn. A third way to ensure that your lawn is well taken care is simply an issue of regular maintenance.

Let's face it, we all want a gorgeous yard, but none of us want to deal with the hassle and tedium of maintaining it. Mowing is fine, but picking up all of the cut grass adds time and energy to Sprinkler the project, even if the mower does have a bag attached. The same goes for raking up leaves. Putting them in a nice pile is not the problem, cleaning up that pile is. Fallen branches are the same way. Gathering them is not difficult, getting rid of them is. But try purchasing a bag holder on wheels, and the ease of dumping the grass, lea ves and branches gets much easier.

Keeping your patio furniture safe provides a wholly different set of challenges. While most furniture is durable, years of wear and tear from storms can take their toll. But try purchasing a simple vinyl cover for your furniture, and your worries will be no more. No matter how hard that rain lashes, your chairs and tables will stay dry. Keeping your furniture under wraps unless they are in use is a good way to avoid being surprised by a storm. Some covers are reversible with attractive patterns, making it easy to keep your patio chairs covered.

Preventing your garbage cans, recycling bins, pool filters and air conditioning units from undoing the beauty of the outdoors is a challenge faced by countless homeowners. However, the simple purchase of a privacy screen can keep those unsightly items out of your way, and add a nice touch to your yard. Small dividers can have a wonderful affect on your outdoor space. For example, a small , white picket fence themed partition can be put nicely beside a path near some evergreens. This accents the path well, and hides the unsightly gap between the evergreen and the ground.



Speaking of paths, outdoor paths can be a major attraction for messes, and are often hard to clean. Try purchasing a power washing Sprinkler System broom and your struggles will be over. The back of the broom hooks up to a hose, and the pressurized water lifts all of the dirt and grime off of the pavement. Then the push broom pushes it all away, and your path will look as good as new.



A final way to make your own personal great outdoors look neat and clean is with well placed lighting elements. A well lit porch and path area can be rather eye catching at night, and provides a perfect atmosphere for any barbecue. There are countless ways to light a path, ranging from simple solar lights that can be put directly in the ground, to flameless candles that can perfectly accent any evening. Hanging lights, Japanese Lanterns and tiki torches are also great ways to light up your back yard. All of these lighting solutions are relatively efficient as well, as many models depend on solar energy to run.

However you choose to spruce up your backyard this spring, you are sure to be able to find a https://www.lowes.com/projects/lawn-and-garden/install-an-underground-sprinkler-system/project way to accomplish your goals. By taking care of your grass, managing your patio furniture, hiding unsightly necessities, keeping your paths clean and keeping the whole yard attractively lit you can make your lawn and garden the crowning jewel of the neighborhood.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Clean_Up_That_Messy_Yard_with_These_Outdoor_Organizers.html

Prevening Insects From Eating Your Corn

So your corn is planted and seems to be thriving but you still need to watch out for insects. The three primary pests that might eat your corn crop earworms, cutworms, and seed maggots. Make sure you examine your corn plants at regular intervals for danger of infestation.

Corn earworms are pests that you will need to watch out for the most. They usually have an affinity for sweet corn and are a threat every growing season. Moths fly in and lay eggs on the leaves close to the ears and they grow into tiny caterpillars. The worms tend to feed on the tip of the corn ear. Once infestation has occurred, there is nothing you can do to save the corn.

However, there are certain ways to protect your corn crop. To begin with, to stop the earworms from entering the tip of the corn husk, you can wrap an elastic band over the tip of the ear or fasten a clothespin to the corn after the corn silk appears. This method will go a long way in minimizing the damage earworms will do to you r corn.



Secondly, you can protect your corn plants by spraying an insecticide called BT or Bacilulus Thuringiensis that contains a particular bacterium which will affect and attack only the larvae of the corn invader. This chemical spray will ensure all pest and insects are destroyed and killed. When using chemical sprays, make sure you consult the store you bought it from to ensure that you use the right amount as to not poison the crop and keep it safe for human consumption.

Other insect such as cutworms, stalk borers and stink bugs that can hurt the corn stalks as well even if you used a soil insecticide is used during planting. Many of these bugs can start killing your seeds and stalks during the first month. Be sure to keep a watchful eye during this phase of the corn production. The seed corn maggot can also kill the corn crop and in order to protect the germinating seeds and seedlings from this Sprinkler System pest, a seed treatment should be used. Sampling Sprinkler System of the soil for wire worms and white grubs must be administered supplemented with random digging of the soil with a shovel.



When you plant corn seeds, a seed insecticide should be sprayed to help against the infestation of black cutworms and other corn insects. Once insects have infected your crop, there is little you can do to save the corn. In many cases, you can't. It would be a shame to have all your https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gardens-and-parks time and money wasted because of a little bug. Spray your crop, watch for bugs, and take swift action once you see any of these little insects appear.

By: Traveling Matt

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Matthew Kepnes has been growing corn for a number of years and loves to eat corn roasted in the husk after it has been freshly picked. You can find more tips on growing good corn on your farm and about the different types of corn you can grow at his website on the subject.

http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Prevening-Insects-from-Eating-Your-Corn/840776

Blog | Orlando Sprinklers and Irrigation

Welcome to the Hessenauer Sprinkler Repair and Irrigation blog and website. We like to offer our online readers some tips concerning sprinkler irrigation. Today we would like to give some http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/ advice about how to troubleshoot pipe leaks involved with your irrigation system by finding the leak and resolvi ng the problem.

Pressure loss, geysers, dry spots and overly saturated areas are but a few of the problems associated with broken sprinkler lines. So cast off the yoke of overpriced landscapers, gather together courage and shovel, and fix it yourself. Your wallet will be glad you did.

If your sprinkler heads have stopped functioning and you notice new, soggy patches of grass or soil along your sprinkler lines, you most likely have a leak. Generally, we suggest calling a professional to handle these situations but sometimes, certain issues can be handled by the homeowner.

A broken sprinkler pipe can be a major headache, and many irrigation companies can't be bothered to service a system that they didn't install. The repair bill can run hundreds of dollars or more, and in the meantime, your irrigation system is offline and your lawn is turning brown. The truth is that fixing a sprinkler pipe is simple, once you've located the leak.

The first item of busin ess is to figure out where your pipe is leaking. You might be able to tell simply by seeing where soggy patches have been appearing on your lawn. If some of your sprinkler heads seem to have low pressure but you can't tell where the problem is, place caps on all your heads to restrict water flow and turn on all sprinkler zones. Then, wait to see where water emerges through https://www.pinterest.com/categories/gardening/ the soil.

It can take many hours to find a leak in your irrigation system, which is why repairs can be so expensive. If you know you have a leak, you should know which sprinkler zone is the problem. Turn that zone on manually at the control box. If you see a reduction in water pressure between two sprinkler heads in the leaky zone, the leak is somewhere between them. If some of the sprinkler heads don't come on at all, note the sprinkler that is farthest from the valve box, and identify the sprinkle r head closest to it that isn't coming on. The leak is between these two. Now leave the zone running. Over time, the ground over the broken pipe will start to seep water.



Once you find the location above the leak, dig down to the leak, being careful not to cause any more damage to the pipes. Before you dig, shut off the sprinkler controller so no water can flow through the pipe while you are working. If you are growing lawn over the area, cut large square patches with a shovel and remove them with several inches of dirt clinging Sprinkler System Installation Flower Mound to roots so you can replace the sod later. Dig carefully down around the sprinkler, using a trowel if necessary, to avoid breaking the line further. Clean off the pipe and use clean tools when repairing.



Once you find the site of the leak at the pipe, you can either cut the line or unscrew it. If it is a shorter piece in the line, you can unscrew it and remove it from the line. If it is a longer length of pipe, which is more likely, you'll need to use a hacksaw to cut out the broken part. Remove the section of pipe around the site of the leak without allowing dirt or debris into the line to avoid clogging. Insert a new length of pipe into the break and attach them with PVC primer and pipe cement.



For the final step, fill the hole in and replace the sod. Take care to fill in the area underneath the repaired pipe before you shovel in the rest of the dirt. If you leave any gap underneath the pipe, over time the dirt on top bends or compresses the PVC, and you Sprinkler System Installation end up having to dig it all up again.

Remember, the safest option is always consulting with a professional over sprinkler irrigation issues. When there is an emergency, it may be necessary for the homeowner to take matters into their own hands. Contact us in the Central Florida and Orlando areas for sprinkler irrigation issues or projects we may be able to install. Contact us today at 407-302-2227 to schedule an appointment for an estimate.

http://www.pro-sprinkler.com/blog

Lawn Care | Buzzle.com

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