Growing subtropical plants

Jan 13, 2012 Posted Under: Gardening Notes  

Edible subtropical plants offer fruit and are handy screens, writes Meg Liptrot.

We’re lucky in the warmer parts of Aotearoa that we can grow wonderful subtropicals. On the occasions I’ve visited the South Island and have been tempted to move to Riverton, or maybe Oamaru, my big stumbling block (apart from it being a little expensive to visit family in Auckland) is “what about my bananas and cherimoya?” What about the warmth and rain we have in the north that allows us to grow the most wonderful array of lush subtropical plants? Which is why I’ll be staying in Auckland.

Most of the gardens I’ve designed have featured subtropicals. They are particularly suited to filling awkward spaces quickly, and make dull fencelines look lush, or quickly block views that you don’t want to see.

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Some hummingbirds nest in winter

Jan 11, 2012 Posted Under: Home Design Tips  

Winter seems like an unusual time for any bird to be nesting, but in Southern California, our non-migratory Allen’s hummingbirds get an early start.

Already this season, a hummingbird returned to nest in a rosebush in Irvine, laying two eggs in November. The little hen sat faithfully for 17 days until they hatched. Then she kept her chicks warm and fed even when a December cold snap threatened frost.

Joe Dellwo of Irvine uses a web cam to capture Allen’s hummingbirds nesting in winter. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Joe and Erica Dellwo, who host the popular Webcam at phoebeallens.com, declared “fledge watch” on Dec. 31 as the two chicks practiced buzzing their tiny wings in preparation for flight.

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Share Your Home Building Experience & Win $250

Jan 9, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improvement News  

Share Your Home Building Experience

We would like to invite all our home plan purchasers to share their home building experience and rate our house plans to assist others in choosing their dream home.

Send us your photographs of your new home and share your experience building one of our house plans by DECEMBER 20 and you’ll receive a $250 AMEX card if we use them on our home page. First 25 customers who send us photographs (we love interior shots) will receive $50.

Sharing your comments is quick and easy – .

We would like to extend our thanks for purchasing house plans from The House Designers and hope you will share your story with us!

Usefulness of Perimeter Enclosures

Jan 9, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improvement News  

Having a huge amount of land is always good because there is always so much you can do with the space that you own. However, the problem comes when there is a vast array of land so much so that you are required to ensure that the whole area is safely guarded from land erosion.

In this instance, you will probably need to think long and hard about perimeter enclosures which will guard your land from possible erosion. This might cause you a bit of headache especially if the enclosure covers a big space. Still, it is something that you need to do and once you have started on the project, you will realise that perimeter enclosures can offer a lot to safeguard your property.

In the first place, these enclosures will do the double duty of guarding against erosion which means that it will cover or counteract the force of the sloping or shifting soil. Read more…

How to Make Your Moving Day More Enjoyable

Jan 9, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improvement News  

Most of you will think about all the troubles and tons of tasks to complete when talking about moving days. However, moving to a new property doesn’t always have to be daunting or complicated. By applying several simple tips we are about to discuss in this article, making your moving day more enjoyable is not an impossible thing to do.

Have everything organized before the actual moving day. It is always best to start as early as possible. Even when the actual moving day is still a few months ahead, planning for the big day early will give you enough time to take care of all the important tasks at the speed you are comfortable with.

You should also request the services of a moving company when moving to a new property, especially when you think the tasks in hand are too much to tackle yourself. A Read more…

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