If you have a coffee machine at home, you already know how many coffee grounds you need to go through weekly. Coffee grounds are the leftovers of the coffee once it’s been through a machine, but you don’t need to throw them away - you can use them in the garden instead. Grounds are organic matter that breaks down into compost, so instead of sending the coffee grounds to the rubbish bin, you can reuse them in your garden.
How Do Coffee Grounds Help The Garden?
There are many ways leftover coffee beans can be reused in the garden, and we will go over the details. Still, to put things more simply, they make great mulch, helping you fertilise your compost heap, creating nitrogen, scaring off cats and slugs and may even help make the soil more acidic.
If you don’t own a coffee maker, then in most supermarket cafes or similar places, they will have bags of leftover coffee grounds. When they’re not bagging them up, you should ask if they can give you some; in most cases, they’ll be happy to get rid of them.
Improve Your Soil
Coffee is a natural material breaking down into organic matter, improving soil and water retention, drainage and aeration. Soil full of organic matter attracts earthworms, further improving and aerating them. Crumbling soil means your plant roots can spread into a more stable and wider base, sucking up more nutrients and growing stronger. This leads to bigger and healthier plants.
How Your Soil Improves by Using Coffee Grounds
You can sprinkle coffee grounds across your border and dig them in. They will break down and improve your soil, attracting earthworms, as mentioned above. Earthworms will reach up to pull the coffee grounds into the soil, as they do with bits of fallen leaves.
Boosting The Compost Heap
Coffee grounds and used coffee filters may be composted and offer a great addition to your compost pile. As the coffee grounds rot away, they release their nutrients and create a rich compost you can use all around your garden.
How to Compost Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds look brown, but you need to treat them like any green waste. Green waste is nitrogen-rich, fleshy, leafy leftovers, unlike brown waste that is dry - cardboard, straw, and old leaves. You should go for at least 25-50% green waste in your compost heap to keep the reaction going. Remember to turn it regularly to let air in. You must add more brown waste if it smells or starts looking slimy.
Create Mulch
Mulch is an excellent addition to your garden. If you have a sun-baked garden, a weedy one or a chalky one, it doesn’t matter as long as you have shrubs, flowers, trees or vegetables, then mulch will help them grow. Mulch benefits you in quite a few ways - it blocks out light, so weeds will die off without having a chance to take root, but it also traps moisture around the roots, protecting your soil by preventing winds and rain from stripping the topsoil. Mulch can be made from compost, straw, manure, rubber shreds or even stones. Some of these may be more expensive and require replacement yearly, but you can add coffee grounds to the list, as they will give you plenty of free mulch.
How To Use Coffee Grounds As Mulch
Coffee grounds will form a blanket over the soil that keeps moisture in and suppresses weeds. You can spread them around the base of your plants for optimal effect, but you should keep in mind that some gardeners consider them too fine and capable of compacting and forming a solid barrier. Solid mulch is bad for your plants, as it locks out rain and air.
Designing or even redesigning your garden can be an exciting and fun activity, but it also comes with unique challenges. You will need to make things easier for yourself by exploring your possibilities beforehand. Let’s cover what you can do to achieve your dream garden:
Plant at Varying Levels
You need to keep things looking interesting, no matter what your garden space looks like. You can do quite a bit by experimenting with planting heights. In-ground flower beds can be cut into grass or tiled areas, you can also use climbers on walls using trellises or taller trees, or you can pepper your lawn with pots filled with plants. This varying use of options is excellent at zoning out space, so you can break the monotony and create different areas.
Mixing Materials
DIY garden path ideas may be much more charming than you initially believe. Even the simplest of elements in your garden landscape can be used to attract attention. Use a single path material, such as wood, to organically transition to another, like gravel or stone.
Working on Different Levels
While you can use garden landscaping to keep your place level, you can make some interesting choices by doing the opposite. If your house is elevated compared to your garden, you have an excellent place for decking and outdoor dining. You can soften the gap between landscaping and lawn by creating full beds with various plants all year round.
Add in Raised Beds
Raised beds will benefit your outdoors space. From a purely aesthetic and practical point of view, you will make things easier as the beds are contained. You can cut flowers and herbs with greater ease, you can find it easier to do your planting, and it won’t be hard to keep your entire work on display for any visitors and yourself.
Add In-built Seating
When landscaping the garden, you should focus on your needs above all. If you’re using it to entertain guests, you should build seating on the walls or your raised beds. It’s much cheaper to do and presents a practical solution that looks great. You won’t need to deal with outdoor furniture, and you can create waterproof seating that stands the test of time.
Raise the Pathways
Beds aren’t the only thing you can raise to break up the monotonous look of garden space. You can choose a pathway that sits a bit off the ground, making it appear as if it’s floating over the ground-level plants, making for a very captivating approach.
Go Big
You can play around with scale to create a more significant impact when you have a more miniature garden. Use oversized containers with a mix of shrubs, trees and perennials to create your oasis. You can also use the plants to attract the kind of wildlife you would prefer on your property.
Improve Sloping Gardens using Grass Steps
If you have a garden on different levels but don’t feel like doing hard landscaping, you can use stone grass treads instead of stone steps. Integrate them into your lawn to connect all areas.
Paving the Path
One of the great classics of landscaping, creating a garden with a sturdy garden path, is the bread and butter of good garden space. Links between all areas are not only practical and easier to maintain but also visually beautiful. Without a pathway, you will likely ruin the lawn, destroying all your hard work.
First, you must understand the difference between patio, porch and deck. In other words, we will discuss the difference between these three terms. And then, we will talk about three tips to help you with your pet care and maintenance in the summer.
Patio, porch and deck
Generally, the deck or porch refers to a part that extends from your house. In most cases, the deck does not have a roof over it. Another difference is that a deck is more expensive than a porch or patio.
The porch is like a deck that extends outside. However, it is covered by a wall or roof and does not require as much maintenance as a deck. Generally, the porch is located in front of the house.
On the other hand, a patio is attached to the house, or it can be a standalone feature outside. In other words, most patios have patio furniture, such as umbrellas, tables, cheers, etc. These patios are ideal for having parties with friends and family. In most cases, patios are located in the backyard.
Three tips to help you clean and maintain your patio this summer
You can enjoy many benefits if you keep your patio neat and clean during the summer. Let's talk about a few tips to help you care for and maintain your patio in the summer.
#1: Go for rust-resistant patio furniture
Since your patio furniture is at the mercy of the elements, we suggest you invest in rust-resistant furniture. For example, you may consider high-density polyethene lumber, known as HDPE. Generally, recycled plastic is used to make this type of furniture.
Therefore, this type of furniture won't rust outdoors. Apart from this, you don't need to cover this type of furniture regardless of the weather conditions. You may also consider furniture made of cast aluminium, wood and concrete.
You can also hire a professional repair and maintenance service. This type of paid service can help you purchase and maintain your pet your furniture. Besides, the service provider will help you if your furniture accumulates rust stains over time.
#2: Remove debris from your patio
You may want to remove dust and debris from your patio area. Removing dust and debris is essential to keep your patio looking beautiful. You can do so in many ways. For instance, you can purchase a leaf blower or a regular broom.
Apart from regular cleaning, it is a good idea to deep clean your patio from time to time. For this purpose, you can hire the services of a professional in your area.
#3: Remove must, mildew and grease
Removing mud, grease and building from your patio is not a challenging job. Although you can use a common substance, such as corn starch, chlorine bleach, and oxalic acid, to remove different types of stains, we advise against this approach.
The problem is that these substances may damage your patio furniture. Apart from this, these harsh substances are not good for human health. So, we suggest that you go for a deep cleaning service instead.
Hire a professional service
Since summer is when you can enjoy barbecues, campfires, and many other outdoor activities, we suggest that you keep your patio in a condition that will make you feel comfortable. So we suggest that you hire a patio cleaning service. Given below are the benefits you can enjoy by wearing this service:
Safe removal of rust from your plateau and furniture
Addressing issues with the surface of your patio
Deep cleaning
Patio furniture cleaning
Removal of dust and Debris
Long story short, you can follow the tips given in this article if you want to clean and maintain your patio this summer. However, if you are too busy to clean your patio yourself, we suggest you hire a professional's services.
First, you must understand three terms: patio, porch and deck. In this article, we will know the difference between these terms. But we will focus on some tips to help you keep the patio clean in the summer. If you follow these steps, you can keep your patio clean and beautiful throughout the summer. Let's get started.
The difference between the terms
Basically, the deck refers to a part that extends from your home. Generally, the deck does not have a roof. But it is more expensive than a porch or patio as it requires more investment and maintenance.
Generally, the patios are located in front of the house. On the other hand, the porch is like an outside deck. However, it is covered by a roof or walls but doesn't require much maintenance.
On the other hand, the patio can be an independent feature or be attached to the house. For instance, patios may involve umbrellas, tables, chairs and other accessories. Also, the deck can be a good choice for hosting get-togethers with family and friends.
3 Ways to keep your patio clean in summer
You can follow different methods to keep your pet clean in the summer. This article shares some tips that can help you achieve this goal. So, if you have a concrete patio, you can follow these steps.
#1: Go for rust-resistant Patio Furniture
Since your patio furniture will be at the mercy of the elements, we suggest you invest in the type of furniture that won't rust. If you are looking for rust-resistant material, we suggest you consider high-density polyethene (HDPE) lumber.
Recycled plastic is used to make HDPE. Therefore, this type of furniture can be an excellent choice for outdoor environments. Besides, you can have other alternatives such as cast aluminium, concrete, and wooden furniture.
Based on your budget and personal preferences, you can choose the right type of furniture for your patio. We suggest that you go for a kind that won't rust quickly. This approach will help you get the most out of your investment.
#2: Remove loose debris from the patio
We suggest that you remove waste and debris from the plateau area. For this purpose, you can use a leaf blower. Alternatively, you can use a regular broom to clear this area's dirt, dust and leaves.
If you want to beautify your patio and keep it clean at all times, we suggest you remove the debris regularly. You can also hire the services of professional cleaners, especially if you are not on a tight budget. We can help you deep-clean your patio without costing a lot of money.
#3: Remove mud, grease, and mould
If you already have some experience cleaning your patio, you know that specific chemicals such as corn starch, chlorine bleach and auxiliary acid do a great job. With these substances, you can remove different types of stains.
Although these substances can help remove grease, mildew and other types of stains, they use harsh chemicals. These chemicals also work on a surface level and may not help you deep clean your patio.
Hire professional claeners
Since summer is the best time to enjoy outdoor activities such as barbecues and campfires, we suggest keeping your patio clean. For this purpose, you may hire the services of professionals, such as Fast Landscape Gardening. These printers offer the following services.
So, if you are looking for the best patio cleaning service, we suggest you try out Fast Landscape Gardening. This company can help you address your concerns and clean your home and backyard in the summer.
Patio pavers provide undeniable advantages you should make the most of. They look great, they can last forever and they can optimise garden space more than you expect. However, patio pavers need special maintenance, so that the installation can stay beautiful and durable in the long run. Read on to discover the best care tips for long-lasting patio pavers:
Choose installation by a pro
Remember to clean patio pavers
Patio pavers can be extremely durable and beautiful, as long as you stick to these clever maintenance tips.
What is that special addition to your garden that brings the space closer to nature? If you enjoy a beautiful pond in your garden, you are certainly impatient to make the most of it this spring. However, to keep the pond in top condition is not always a simple job. You need to know how to clean and maintain the pond appropriately, to let it function throughout spring and summer. Here are the best tips for pond maintenance:
A well-kept water feature is what every homeowner needs to improve the image of their garden. Remember these tips for marinating your pond in an outstanding shape this spring.
As an avid gardener, you are well-aware of all the tasks that should be tackled during the warm months when your garden is subjected to great exploitation. Yet once winter is here, you can take the rest you deserve and put off gardening chores for a while. Still, considering garden maintenance is a good idea even in the winter and there are a few jobs in the garden you can deal with. Take a look at these five important tasks to address in the garden in January:
Make these five gardening tasks a top priority this January. Once you tackle them, you will be ready to welcome gardening in the spring.
With the cold winter getting closer and closer, a lot of gardening tasks are waiting for you to tackle. Heavy rain, fallen leaves and frost can compromise the outstanding looks of your backyard, which is why you should prepare the garden for the freezing weather. November is the perfect time of the year for spending the weekends in your warm, cosy home, but don't forget to address these top priority garden jobs too:
Prepare your beautiful garden for next year by dealing with these six important tasks this month. A lot of things will change in the garden in November and you should spend a little time to make sure the space has been perfectly taken care of.
Do you want to give your outdoor space a full makeover by laying down paving slabs? The good news is, this is a task you can surely handle on your own. Still, to achieve optimal results and create a beautiful patio in the backyard, certain steps need to be taken into consideration. Follow these smart tips experts strongly believe in, so that you can lay down paving slabs like a real professional:
Laying down paving slabs is a quite demanding DIY job you can handle when relying on these tips. Keep all of them in mind, so that you can enjoy a picture-perfect patio.
Lots of people rely on outdoor water features to improve the appearance of their backyard spaces. A beautiful artificial pond or a breathtaking fountain, having a water feature in your garden brings you closer to nature. While these additions are no doubt a cool way for you to upgrade your property, special maintenance is required so that they can stay functional. Keep in mind these tips for prolonging the lifespan of your water features:
Are you ready to improve the looks of your garden? These tips will help you to maintain your water features in perfect condition for years ahead.
If you think about it, the exterior of your house is first to notice by everyone - your friends, neighbours or potential buyers interested in your property. Often, even a tastefully decorated interior wouldn't be enough to make up for your messy yard, which is why a flawless landscaping design should be presented. Are you in a rush to sell your house? Make a great first impression by improving your landscape with these five tips:
A lovely-looking exterior improves your chances to find reliable buyers for your property. Boost the value of your house by providing a flawless landscape and your efforts will pay off sooner than you expect.
When trees become part of your garden, your picturesque backyard space will finally look complete. Well-cared trees are all you need so that you can count on a cosy garden. From the moment you plant your first trees, you should provide special care and make sure the plants grow strong and healthy. Read on to find out essential tips that will help you to get the most of your garden and rest under the shadow of mighty trees:
Growing healthy trees is a truly rewarding task that can improve the image of your garden. If you are just about to plant your very first trees, stick to these basic guidelines and you will end up with beautiful strong trees.
Do you wonder how to get the most of your huge garden space? Starting a veggie garden is the perfect solution for any homeowner who is willing to invest time and effort growing their vegetables. As long as you can take advantage of your veggies, you can rest assured your food is healthy and free from dangerous toxins. Take a look at these tips that would help you plan and create your first veggie garden with no trouble at all:
Taking care for plants for the first time may seem challenging, but it is a hobby you shouldn’t skip on. Follow these simple tips and you would be able to create a healthy, fresh veggie garden.
No matter how costly or how cheap you may have acquired your patio furniture, one thing is certain. You would want it to last for a very long time. This is easier said than done because, without proper care, patio furniture begins to age and spoil easily. The patio furniture can be torn apart by the weather and the elements if they are not properly taken care of. With time, furniture that is neglected will continue to worsen until they can be used no more. Your patio furniture does not always have to end up that way. Maintaining patio furniture does not need a lot of money, effort, or time. In this article, we will be discussing some easy ways to keep your patio furniture in shape for a longer period. Some of these tips are:
Clean the furniture as often as you can: Whether it looks dirty or not, for maintenance, you have to clean the patio furniture often. If it would be some sort of inconvenience, schedule the cleaning, but make sure it is regularly. This regular cleaning will make your furniture last longer, but the right techniques should be used. These techniques include using soapy hot water for plastic, vinyl, or aluminium. Use a bucket of water, detergent or soap, and a sponge to wash, and after thorough scrubbing, rinse with enough water, and spread out to dry. You should never use soap and water on wooden furniture. For upholstery or canvas, use the upholstery cleaner. There are also home-made solutions that can help you with cleaning like the borax solution with detergent and water.
Treat glass tables and tops specially: Nowadays, most patio furniture contains glass tables and glass tops. These glass tables and tops are chosen because they are more attractive and cleaner to the eye, as long as they are kept clean. So, a little dirt would tarnish the appearance of the whole furniture if it is glass. So, you have to clean the glass tops regularly. Glass cleaners are usually the first choice when it comes to cleaning glass. You do not need to burn candles on the glass surfaces, or they could end up looking dull. Also, in a bid to get the solidified wax off the table surfaces, you may scratch them, and they will no longer look beautiful to the eye. Instead, soften the wax with a hairdryer, and use a softer solid like cards to scrape the wax. Wipe off any residue with rubbing alcohol. Then, finish off the cleaning with a paper towel and glass cleaner.
Apply pressure washing when you can: After a long winter break, your stored patio furniture might be full of debris and cobwebs when they are brought out of the basement, garage, or shed in which they were stored. It might seem to be a challenging task to clean, but the best way to get around it is to use a pressure washer. You do not necessarily need to own one, and you can always rent one from any of the local stores around you. You will be amazed by how much effort and time it will save you. If you want to use this pressure washer for patio furniture, it would be safer to use a lower setting. But, for furniture like aluminium and steel, you can always increase the settings. You also need to be a little more cautious when using detergents on patio furniture. These detergents can remove coloured stains, no doubt but, they can also decolourize some materials. Do not forget to read the warnings before using any substances on your furniture.
Make repairs as soon as you notice problems: Some patio furniture is devoid of hardware, but all patio furniture can be damaged at any time. Letting your furniture remain damaged will do you no good. Damages spread like cancer in the human body. As soon as you notice anything out of place, do not hesitate to fix it immediately. You should also understand that nothing lasts forever, and this goes for patio furniture. So, if you notice you can no longer screw or glue or paint the parts, it is always better to get a new one. Nobody likes cracked or broken furniture. It is unsafe, uncomfortable, and unpleasant to the eye.
Prevent and remove rust and cover your furniture with custom covers: use paste wax on the metal parts of the furniture to prevent rust. You can apply paste wax immediately after purchase or after washing. Also, if after some time, you begin to notice rust again, use a wire brush to scrub out the rust. You can also acquire custom-made patio furniture covers to prevent damage further. Make sure they fit perfectly, or the look might be less appealing.
Taking care of patio furniture is not as difficult as people think it to be. Just prevent any damage before it is too late through regular washing, inspection, and fixing, and your patio furniture can stand the test of time and the elements.
Everyone loves landscaping or at least thinks that this is the case. Most of us have been dreaming during the entire life to have a beautiful small sunny house surrounded by an unbelievably gorgeous garden. One thing is sure - this is the plus of the house. You are allowed to do everything with it, no matter how different or strange it will look. You can plant a baobab for example (good luck growing it) or create an entire garden similar to the flora found in films like Jurassic Park.
Landscaping is indeed a way to express yourself in the garden. However, the task is not that simple as it seems and most beginner gardeners come to this conclusion when it's too late. It is not all about plants. There is furniture, decorations, edgings and so on. Randomly placing them will produce even more work in the future. An order that seems reasonable to you, maybe disastrous for the entire garden.
Of course, no one has been born with that knowledge. With a couple of tips, some luck and outstanding dedication to the entire process, you may achieve some admirable results. Below you will find some of the most common things to follow right after the moment you started creating the garden of your dreams.
Landscaping the garden the way you imagined it inside your head requires a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance throughout a more extended period. You will make mistakes, but the important part is to learn from them and encourage yourself each time something like this happens. Be convinced in your work and soon you will enjoy the view you have ever dreamed of.
If you have a garden space in your home, you will do well to address the landscaping aspect of it. With good landscape design, you can add not just appeal to the area, but also great utility. Sadly, not everyone is an expert on the matter of designing and maintaining a good landscape.
However, there are actual ways you can give your efforts a big boost. You just have to follow certain tips and guidelines outlined by the pros:
1. Planning for year-round appeal
If you are interested in having some year-round appeal, then you can include evergreens to your garden. Because they constantly provide colour and cover, you can rely on them even in the winter. Many landscapers believe that by placing evergreens near the house, you can easily soften the corners of the building and make it more inviting. This is especially useful when you are aiming to curb appeal.
2. Build a walkway between points of interest
If you don’t have a walkway between the areas you most often visit, you are soon going to trample your lawn. Dead grass is hardly your idea of beautiful landscape design, so instead put a nice walkway made with natural flagstone, concrete stepping stones or decorative brick. Of course, these are just a few examples of material you can use for your walkways. You can use whatever fits the design best: it is the idea of pulling the most important elements together.
3. A berm can bring a corner to life
Building a berm is a good way of adding some interest to an otherwise monotonous landscape. A berm is essentially a mound, which you can then cover with a flower or a rock garden. That way you can make a plain lawn look amazing, without really taking much of the area for this purpose.
4. Make your water feature look more natural
Water features add great ambience and feel to the garden. If you have one such feature, you are definitely paying attention to the latest trends and design recommendations for your landscape. However, the presence of just about any water feature doesn’t cut it. You need one that looks natural and blends in with the overall look of the garden. Thus, you can add natural stone to build up the feature in such a way to achieve this goal. Make sure not to overdo it, however, as that could mean it ruins the effect.
5 Get the seating area in check
Having a patio right next to your lawn sure is great, especially if it retains some privacy when next to trees and tall flowers. Make sure it has furniture that feels comfortable to you. A lot of people don’t consider benches, but that is, in fact, a wonderful way to read a book or just hang out outside of your home when the weather is good.
6. Use different plants
When it comes to plants, you must know they all work very well when they are of a different variety. By combining several types that have different blooming periods, you ensure that you have something beautiful on display whole year long.
7. Go for curves instead of straight lines
When it comes to installing the edging, always remember that curved lines are much better than straight lines. That way, you add some character to the area and make it much more interesting to look at. Remember, the edging is there no less than 12 months a year, so make sure it is attractive to look at.
By following these simple rules, you can easily upgrade your landscape design and make it truly outstanding.
Follow Fast Landscape Gardening for more of these useful tips.
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