Clumsy, neglected landscaping not only hurts your house appearance, it can cut the value of your property and make it harder to sell. Even more important, bad landscaping is a downer that hurts the way you see and enjoy your home. Don’t let bad landscaping happen to you.  Here are the 5 landscaping mistakes to avoid 1. Planting Without A Plan To come out with a landscaping design plan & also resolved some landscaping related challenged, landscape architects/designer are worth the investment. They will render elevations of your future yard, and provide plant lists so you can install landscaping yourself. 2. More of the Same Resist the design temptation to fill your garden areas only with your favorite plant or shrub, because it will create a boring, monochromatic landscape. Always design your landscape by following with a theme or two likes: Balinese style, Contemporary design, Japanese-style design, English garden, Zen-style design & etc. 3. Too Much Planting in Clusters Yes, planting in clusters looks way better than installing single plants throughout your yard. But make sure your groups of shrubs, and trees have plenty of room to spread, or they’ll look choked and overgrown. Also, over-crowded landscaping competes with itself for food and water, putting the clusters at risk. Find out how high and wide the mature plant will be, and then combine that info with the spacing suggestions on planting labels. At first, garden beds of young plants will look too airy and prairie-like. But within three years, your beds will fill in with room to grow. 4. Dispose Or Bury Your Dead Plants Dead or dying shrubs and plants are eye soar in a garden, so quickly remove your dearly departed landscaping from your garden. Spent plants that lived their natural lives are good choice for a compost pile – you can grind them first to make them decompose faster. And Of course, if your landscaping succumbed to disease or infestation, it’s best to dispose them in black plastic bags, and then throw away. 5. Letting Weeds Gone Wild Weeds not only make the look of your landscaping very messy, they also compete with plants for water and food.  Weeds also can shorten the life of brick, stone, and pavers by growing in mortar cracks. The best way to stop weeds is to spread a pre-emergent about three weeks before weed seeds typically germinate. If you can’t stop them from growing, at least get rid of weeds before they flower. read more

Weeding can be times consuming and tedious tasks when maintaining your garden or lawns. Are there any good from weeding? The answer is resounding YES! 1. Power of Connection: Weeding allows you to get closer to plants, learn more about them, watch their progress, and simply helps you to develop a better relationship with your environment. 2. Power of Contemplation: Weeding can give you a chance to slow down, let your thoughts wander, and open your mind to new ideas. 3. Power of Physical Exercise: By doing weeding, actually it does add variety to your exercise routine (if you have one and if not, you just earned a little sweat). 4.Power of Accomplishment. Some days you might feel like you’ve rushed through life and not achieved a single thing. With weeding you see (and feel) accomplishment within minutes. Change your perspective & celebrate the power of weeds 🙂 read more

Location of plants – Select plants that suit the environment, because even the most dedicated gardener can’t make a sun-loving plant thrive in a cold & shady area. So, ensure that your plants are suited to the light levels and temperature of the room in which they’ll be positioned. Avoid direct sun- Direct sunlight is not suitable for most house-plants. Also, don’t place house-plants over direct sources of heat likes: radiators & etc. Avoid shady areas- Ensure there is sufficient light for your house-plants to photosynthesise effectively. Water wisely- Don’t over-water house-plants; adding some drainage material at the bottom of the pot will help to keep roots aerated and ensure that they don’t drown. Re-pot regularly- Aim to re-pot your house-plants into larger pots every two years. This will ensure that they are not stressed and will thrive. Be vigilant- Learn to recognize potential problems early on before a pest infestation or other physiological problems kill off your plant. For instance, recognize a danger sign for low air humidity when flower bud falling off, leave withering, and leaves with brown tips. Signs of high humidity include mold, rot, and soft growth. Think long-term- Some popular house-plant gifts only have a short growing period, so choose plants that will thrive for longer if you want a year-round display. read more

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A HOUSE should include elements that help create a sense of security and comfort, including in its backyard. Just like how your body needs good back support the same goes for your house. A sloped backyard can bring bad Feng Shui to a house as it lacks supporting energy. In traditional Feng Shui, the back of the house is the area of the tortoise, which is one of the four celestial Feng Shui animals. The energy of the tortoise is to create support and stability for the house. Therefore, placing one in your backyard would bring good fortune. You can apply Feng Shui elements to create beautiful and cohesive backyard landscape designs and bring positive energy into your outdoor living space. To balance the energy in your backyard, consider adding the following: ORGANIC WALL Build an organic wall made from natural materials that blend in with the environment to raise the energy in your backyard. You can do this by putting in place a tall wooden fence or vertical wall garden. LIGHTS Install high lights at the end of your sloping backyard to raise the energy level. ROUND OBJECTS Round shapes such as a round patio set can evoke a sense of family togetherness and security, thus making a great addition to your yard. The chairs and table do not necessarily have to be big. LIFE/COLOUR You can bring life, colour and a sense of stability to your backyard with good landscaping and feng shui products. WATER Water is known for its serene and calming effects. You can create a small stream with a waterfall or a koi pond. If space is limited, even a small fountain would do as long as there is running water. BREATHING SPACE Just like a cluttered home, a backyard full of items can create a stressful environment. Keep things minimal and do what is really required. You can place small flower pots but keep large trees and plants away from the walls and windows of the house. The more space your yard has, the more positive your yard will feel. read more

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Mangoes may very well be the king of all fruits. They fight cancer, alkalize the body, aid in weight loss, regulate diabetes, help digestion, clean your skin, and make the perfect snack. Here are 15 healthy reasons why you should be eating a mango every day.   Nutrition chart One cup of mangoes (225 gms contain) contains the following percentages that apply to daily value. 105 calories 76 percent vitamin C (antioxidant and immune booster) 25 percent vitamin A (antioxidant and vision) 11 percent vitamin B6 plus other B vitamins (hormone production in brain and heart disease prevention) 9 percent healthy probiotic fibre 9 percent copper (copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes plus production of red blood cells) 7 percent potassium (to balance out our high sodium intake) 4 percent magnesium     Fights cancer     Antioxidants like quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat present in mango protect the body against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers.     Keeps cholesterol in check     Mango has high level of vitamin C, pectin and fibres that help to lower serum cholesterol levels. Fresh mango is a rich source of potassium, which is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps to control heart rate and blood pressure.     Skin cleanser     Mangoes help you unclog your pores and add freshness to the face. Mangoes are applicable to any skin type. They help clear clogged pores that cause acne. Just slice a mango into thin pieces and keep them on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and then take bath or wash your face and see the results.     Alkalizes the body     According to natural health school.com, mango is rich in tartaric acid, malic acid and traces of citric acid that primarily help in maintaining the alkali reserve of the body.     Weight loss     Mango has a lot of vitamins and nutrients that help the body feel fuller. Also, the fibrous fruit boosts the digestive function of the body by burning additional calories, helping in weight loss.     Regulates diabetes     Not only the fruit but the leaves of mangoes are healthy too. For people suffering from diabetes, just boil 5-6 mango leaves in a vessel, soak it through night and drink the filtered decoction in the morning. This is helps in regulating your insulin levels.     Aphrodisiac     Mango has aphrodisiac qualities and is also called the ‘love fruit’. Mangoes increase the virility in men. Vitamin E, which is abundantly present in mangoes, helps to regulate sex hormones and boosts sex drive.     Eye care     Did you know that mango is rich in vitamin A. One cup of sliced mangoes equals 25% intake of your daily need of vitamin A. Mangoes help in promoting good eye sight, fights dry eyes and also prevent night blindness.     Helps in digestion     Mango contains enzymes that help in breaking down protein. The fibrous nature of mango helps in digestion and elimination. It is is rich in pre-biotic dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.     Heat stroke     When the sun is bogging you down this summer, just chop of a mango in a juicer; add a little water and a tbsp of sugar free or honey. This juice will instantly cool you down and prevent heat stroke.     Strengthens your immune     The deadly combination of vitamin C, vitamin A and 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy.     Body scrub     Make a paste of mashed mango, honey and milk and use as a body scrub, you will feel that your skin is tender and smooth.     Aids concentration and memory     Studying for exams? This fruit is rich in glutamine acid– an important protein for concentration and memory. Feed mangoes to children who find it difficult to concentrate on studies.     High iron for women     Mango is rich in iron, hence it is a great natural solution for people suffering from anemia. Menopausal and pregnant women can indulge in mangoes as this will increase their iron levels and calcium at the same time.     Reduces Kidney Stones     In Chinese medicine, mangoes are considered sweet and sour with a cooling energy also capable of reducing the risk of kidney stone formation.     Perfect Snack     Instead of snacking on unhealthy chips and cookies, why not feast on slices of mangoes instead. They are perhaps one of the tastiest dehydrated fruits of all.     Stomach Tonic     Before going to bed put some 10 or 15 mango leaves in warm water and close it with lid. The next day morning filter the water and drink it in empty stomach. Do this regularly. read more

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