Losman

We now hear quite frequently about the need to support and encourage native breeds of wildlife and also native and traditional breeds of livestock but we all should also be paying this same attention to garden plants.

Garden plants, trees and shrubs are as important as those in the wider landscape and we can all do our bit to support native plants. Hedgerows are synonymous with the UK’s landscape but they are as important for their use as barriers and for privacy as they are for the many species of wildlife that inhabit them.

The last few decades have seen the demise of many thousands of miles of established hedgerows and their associated wildlife. To help redress this balance, hedging nurseries can now be seen offering carefully selected mixtures of native species, which will grow together to form a dense rustic hedge that will be stock proof and encourage a wide variety of wildlife. These mixes can be trimmed at any time from August onwards but ideally in winter. These well balanced mixes are a more economical and convenient way of planting native species which enable gardeners and homeowners with a limited budget to have native hedging.

Native hedging mixes are now available which are both economical and easy to look after. For example, a mix comprising of approximately 70% Quickthorn and Blackthorn to knit the hedge together, the balance is selected from Common Alder, Common Dogwood, Dog Rose, Field Maple, Hazel and Spindle. These native hedge mixes are suitable for a range of situations including coastal areas, windy and exposed areas and wet sites. They are thorny and attract wildlife to boot.

Many gardeners ask hedging nurseries for ‘Evergreen’ mix native hedging plants. Evergreen hedging needs little explanation as to its popularity and is very easy to maintain. Unfortunately there are very few suitable native or indigenous plants that are true evergreens so leaf retaining Beech and Hornbeam for more variety have to be used instead. This mixture gives as good a degree of year round privacy as is possible without using more ‘suburban’ evergreen plants. An example mixture comprises 50% Quickthorn and Blackthorn to knit the hedge together, 10% Green Holly, 10% Evergreen Oak, 10% Green Beech, 10% Hornbeam and 10% Wild Rose, Spindle, Guelder Rose and Wayfaring Tree. These are usually available as 2-3ft and 3-4ft transplant although Holly and Evergreen Oak are usually supplied pot grown at the same height. It should be noted that if this mixture is to be planted on a cold exposed inland site, it is a recommendation that Green Holly is substituted for the Evergreen Oak hedging which will not succeed in these conditions.

We should all be doing our “bit” to save energy and in turn save the environment.

Household attitudes to energy conservation and the environment vary considerably. Whether it’s due to people purely not caring, not having enough time, being miss informed or through laziness that they don’t recycle or do not do not conserve energy resources for example.

Saving energy and conserving water in the home are very easy practices but with plentiful water and electricity on demand, we often forget these are not sustainable resources and do cost money.

The economic downturn has hit just about everyone. Of course is varying amounts but what each and every one of us are noticing is the rise in fuel bills especially during the last two harsh Winters experienced in the United Kingdom. Monthly bills can be seen, the rising costs month on month felt.

Whatever way a household conserves and saves energy and water is good and for whatever reason. If the honest reason is not due to environmental reasons then that isn’t all bad, resources are still being saved at the end of the day. For example, replacing an inefficient shower head with a high flow rate to a water efficient one could save a family of four in the region of £50 off their gas bills and around £75 off their water bills each year. That is a quite considerable saving of both resources and money. And why waste time waiting for a full kettle of water to boil when only a cup full is required. Only filling the kettle with the amount of water required saves electricity, water and time.

An easy way to monitor and save electricity, gas and water is by installing meters. Gas, electricity and water meter installations are on the rise with households and businesses wanting to monitor consumption which in turn, helps achieve lower bills. Electricity usage can be tracked to find out when and with what products use the most energy. These pieces of equipment or appliances could be used in a different way to lower energy consumption or may be even replaced with more energy efficient items.
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The way in which we shop has changed considerably in recent years. The internet is now where many of us shop for groceries right through to larger purchases that require more thought such as furniture.

Due to the ability to shop online, it is now easier and more enjoyable to buy gifts and items for the home. The internet has enabled us to be able to choose from a far wider choice of merchandise than on the high street even if you live in a large city. For those living in smaller towns or rural locations, online shopping has become not just a convenience but a life line.

The United Kingdom is home mad, interiors mad with no home being too small for a makeover. In the last 10 to 15 years, with the help of home makeover shows on the television, the nation is obsessed with recreating a show stopping interior.

Furnishings are a very personal statement and can say a lot about you and your home. Couple that with the longing to make a house look different and the need to look further afield than a furniture chain store is a further must.

Finding the right furniture for a home is often a head ache. The choice in many large furniture stores on the retail parks around the UK is bland, replicated in every home already and not in any way exciting. Buying furniture online allows a broader choice of styles from different shops including boutique and individual retailers. The internet has also helped the retailer by giving them the chance to search all over the world for stock. Now that it is possible to source products that at one time would have been seen as specialist or exclusive due to their location, retailers are able through extensive networks of contacts to offer an impressively wide choice to customers.

Ethical furniture shopping is another change and consumers are now wanting to know where materials such as wood have been sourced from. Wooden furniture such as oak bookcases, shoe cupboards and oak coffee tables should be from sustainable and managed plantation sources. The ethical practices of manufacturers and the retailers are other ways in which people are making purchasing decisions. So to gain the best choice, the best price and the best look, online furniture shopping is the answer.

Obviously you don’t need to spend as much time on the upkeep of an artificial lawn. With fake grass you can simply enjoy sitting out in the sun and enjoying the little sun we get rather than spending that valuable time mowing and trimming your garden. Perfect for busy professionals and families and a life line for the elderly who find the upkeep of a lawn too much. Why should you forgo the look and versatility of a lawn all because the maintenance is too much to cope with?

From an environmental point of view, artificial grass has a number of benefits. The biggest being the need not to water. Although most people are very aware of water conservation, the temptation to water a brown, scorched lawn is all too big. It is predicted that hose pipe bans will become more and more frequent as the need for water increases and we have warmer summers. Then there is the fact that artificial lawns require no trimming so the need for petrol or electric lawnmowers is eradicated saving fuel, emissions and electricity.
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Shabby chic furniture and accessories provides individuality, a statement and endless style.

Shabby chic home furniture and accessories can give your house the WOW factor! The style of shabby chic is steeped in history yet with the modern day paint effects and colours, these items of furniture are brought right up to the present day. Shabby chic offers the traditional look without being heavy and stuffy. It adds character to a room and pieces can be used as little or as much as one wishes.

The influences for shabby chic furniture are taken mainly from French furniture of around the 1800’s period. The paint effects on these traditional reproduction designs of furniture recreate the shabby look but keeping it chic. The pieces are far from just shabby.

Shabby chic home furniture is extremely easy to look after and clean which makes it an excellent choice for those who have families or other busy lifestyles. Just one piece of shabby chic style furniture can give a focal point to a room.

With the rise of popularity of shabby chic furniture, complementing accessories and decorating items such as wallpaper are now readily available. Accessories for every room in the house including glassware, candle sticks and mirrors can now be found along with bathroom accessories such as soap holders, mirrors and towel rails.