Goodie
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August is one of the hottest and rainiest months in Florida. Our sandy soil combined with frequent rain means that many of the nutrients plants need to survive leach out of the soil this month. So, August is a good month to concentrate on fertalizing with eco-friendly nutrients. This is when your home compost really comes in handy!
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COUPON
$$$$$$
Buy 3 lights
includes installation
offer expires 9/31/10 |
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Keep It Going...
For bedding plants, August is the time to remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the bloom season into fall. |
CONTACT INFO
Lance Hans
Owner
(813)505-5638
lance@gardencarpentry.com
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Project of the Month
Click image to see time lapse |
Old meets new! Our clients in Beach Park had an old deck which had outlived its usefulness. After nearly 20 years it was close to collaspse. They had a large yard, which is unusual in South Tampa, but they were unable to fully enjoy it due to the declining condition of the deck.
Furthermore a recent addition to the house had left the deck isolated from the rest of the backyard. Our clients needed a reason to bring them out of the house and back into their outdoor living space.
The Gardencarpentry.com solution? Tear out that old dilapidated deck and replace it with a strong and beautiful new one. Then, by adding a new section and wrapping it around the house addition, we were able to open up a natural traffic flow towards the yard.
As a final touch to create a comfortable outdoor room, we added a pergola, privacy trellis, and indirect outdoor lanscape lighting throughout the pergola and deck. Fantastic!
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AUGUST ARBOR SPECIAL !!!!
treated pine arbor from Tampaarbor.com |
Garden Arbor
4' Wide x 2' Deep x 7' Tall
Treated Pine
Sealed with Poly-urethane
Perfect as a garden entryway or accent!
$199.99
Avialable Online & Annie's Garden Shed-Lutz |
Is Green Always Good?
Product Review:
Viance's Ecolife Wood Treatment
6 Month Old Ecolife click to visit blog |
Green is the new Gold.It seems that every company out there these days is clamoring to push out new products labeled as "green", "eco-friendly", or ""all natural" onto the market as quickly as possible. The question is, "is green always good?"
One of the newer products on the market is something called Ecolife Stabilized Wood. Made by Chemical engineering giant Viance, it has essentially been powered onto the market to replace traditional pressure treated wood as the new standard for rot and insect resistant outdoor lumber applications.
The good news is that traditional pressure treated wood needed replacing. It was effective, but contained a number of toxins which were unfriendly to people and the environment. The bad news is that the jury is decidedly "out" on Ecolife's effectiveness and eco-friendliness.
As a wood-working professional my personal opinion about Ecolife is that it is an inferior product. Here is why...
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We Never Knew!
Things To Think About
1. Most alchoholic beverages contain all of the 13 minerals necessary to sustain life.
2. Gardening is said to be one of the best exercises for maintaining healthy bones.
3. Bamboo plants can grow up to 36 inches in a day! |
click for more Mexican petunia info | Plant of the Month
Mexican Petunia
(Ruellia tweediana)
Mexican petunias. Beautiful, bountiful. Invasive. The creek which runs in front of our office is lined with these beautiful purple flowers, as are countless other places throughout Florida. But we never planted a single specimen.
Because of their unusual blue/purple color combined with their hardiness and ease of cultivation, they are an increasingly popular and common sight in the yards and gardens of Florida's homeowners. But should they be?
Garden centers and flower shops have them for sale throughout the Bay area, but the "Institute for Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS) Assessment of the Status of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas" state that Mexican petunia is invasive and not recommended for use in the north and central parts of Florida. In southern Florida, this species should be used with caution and managed to prevent its escape (Fox et al., 2008). Professional experts consulted by the IFAS Assessment team indicated that Mexican petunia coverage constituted 50% of the infested stratum in several areas and that it was changing community structure by adding a new stratum or increasing plant density in the stratum by 5-fold. It is likely altering the hydrology within a community.
While it is tempting to cultivate and encourage this attractive flowering plant, it is important to remember that it is among a long list of aggressive invasive species which are erasing the natural condition of Florida's fauna.
Visit or consult with a professional landscaper, garden center representative, or horticulturalist to discuss alternatives to the Mexican Petunia.
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Mark Your Calendar
August 2010
Thursday, Aug. 5 International Beer Day
Saturday, Aug. 7 Purple Heart Day
Wednesday, Aug 11 Ramadan Begins
Friday, Aug. 13 Left Handers Day
Tuesday, Aug. 24 Waffle Day
Tuesday, Aug. 24 Full Moon
Thursday, Aug. 26 National Dog Day
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