Summer is one of the most active times for the family and entertaining. It’s also a time when you may have to try to fend off the mosquito population.

photo credit: CrazyCh3m

Some people have more of a problem with this if they live in a wooded area with pine trees or near a creek or river.

Here are a few tips that may help control mosquitos in the backyard oasis area.

• Change the water in birdbaths and drain areas where water collects, such as tree stumps, buckets, mud puddles and gutters.

• Use natural repellents like citronella lamps and candles to help to keep mosquitoes away.

• Grow lemon-scented Asian grass or use a skin skin lotion that has this ingredient.

• Hot-pepper-wax repellent is effective for organic protection.

And if you live near a creek you may want to consider building or buying bat houses and putting them up. Many people are not fond of bats (me!) but they do serve a purpose and if you place the bat houses away from the house they should help control the mosquito population and leave you and your family alone.

With a littel care you should be able to control mosquitos in your backyard

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis, controlling mosquitos

With the summer season here this picnic table will be perfect for children’s activities.

Here is a you tube video with instructions on how to build it. It is very detailed. I plan to make one for out backyard patio area.

Picnics add to family memories. I remember when my father built one for a large picnic we were going to have when our cousins visited from Florida. He made it from old barn board for the barn that used to stand on the property across the road. We had that table for many years.

It was so heavy from using old barn wood that you had to move it using a tractor. At least it never flipped over.

Hopefully this how to video will help you make a picnic table that will add to your backyard activities.

Picnic table tips:

1. Make sure the table is level.
2. If your picnic table tends to want to tip over place weights on the legs to hold it in place.
3. Check to see if the wood is smooth and that there are no slivers that will hurt people.
4. Seat covers are helpful when using the table of several hours.Cover the picnic table in the winter or during bad storms.
5. Add a weather protection seal to the picnic table every few year to help preserve the wood.
6. Those plastic table cloth covers you can buy for a few dollars work great for children’s activities and picnic where you don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning up after the party is done.

With care, a picnic table will last for years.

With summer vacations for children and family entertainment being a focus of the backyard you may want fast and easy activities available.

Here are three ideas for family entertainment that will keep children busy and also provide an activity for adults.

The treasure chest is a great game to keep children occupied. By changing the contents of the box the game will always be new and exciting. You could even add movie tickets or a trip to the beach as one of the content items. The game could be turned into a guessing game with clues leading to the box. It’s also adaptable for older teens and adults.

These games are easy to set up, very inexpensive and can be changed so that they always add a new dimension to backyard fun.

Technorati Tags: backyard activities, backyard entertainment, childrens games

It may seem like mowing your backyard and landscaped area is just a process of turning on a machine and cutting the grass but there is a right way to mow.

photo credit: TRAINUT
Proper Mowing Techniques

For example, with the exception of the first mowing of the season, never cut more than one-third of the grass leaf blade during a single mowing. Leaving grass longer aids in reducing water needs and helps grass absorb sunshine for photosynthesis. Grass mowed at two to three inches maintains a deeper root system than grass mowed at one inch.

And during dry spells your grass will not brown as fast if its left a little longer.

Before mowing, its best to check the lawn for debris, branches or trash that could become harmful projectiles. Branches can also wear or break mower belts so take the time to pick up the yard.

The best time to mow is during the day when the grass is dry, never when the light is dim or the lawn is wet. But I also try not to mow during the hottest time of the day. The mower will get hot, particularly if you are mowing more than an acre.

It’s best to leave grass clippings on the lawn to return nutrients to the soil. In many areas this practice is frowned upon but you could make compost out of the grass clipping and other mulching materials, which would be beneficial to the gardens and landscaped areas.

Children should also never be allowed to ride on a mower. There have been many unfortunate accidents where children have fallen off a mower and been severely injured.  We has such an accident in our family, so please, watch your children and practice safe mowing habits.

To avoid soil compaction and wear, vary the direction the lawn is mowed. For example, mow vertically one week, horizontal the next and diagonally the week after. This is especially beneficial to small areas.

With my yard with the slopes it has I am forced to mow in one pattern. My mower would tip over if I mowed the hills horizontally. This year I am going to use ground cover and plants in these areas to make them prettier and healthier.

Mowing Equipment

Keep extra gasoline on hand and make sure it is fresh and stored in a clean container. And always check the oil before mowing. I mow a large yard, five acres, so I also check the tires to see that they have the proper air pressure.

It’s important to keep mower blades sharp. You get a more even cut with sharp blades and the grass is stronger with a clean cut. Have the mower blades professionally sharpened once a year to avoid tearing or wounding the grass stems, making them vulnerable to pests and damage.

To prevent residual grass clippings from interfering with the mower blades’ motion, remove the spark plug lead from the engine and hose away any grass sticking to the deck. This will help keep dirt and debris off the engine to insure it doesn’t overheat.

And at the beginning of the season, have a tune-up and safety inspection performed on the mower. Change the oil after every 50 hours of use and the air filter every 25 hours. Always use fresh fuel in a clean, approved container. This step is very important after sitting all winter when gas can go stale. If your mower sputters in the spring the first time it is started it may be due to stale gas.

I try to get the mower as empty of gas as possible and add fresh gasoline in the spring.

Following these simple mowing tips and mower maintenance practices will help produce a hardy, healthy lawn that easily withstands even the most vigorous family pastimes. Your mower will also benefit from maintenance and safety checks.

If you have any questions about mower maintenance, check your owner’s manual for specific information on your equipment. My manual is kept close by the mower.

By keeping your mower maintained and practicing good mowing habits your lawn abd backyard areas will be beautiful and healthier.

Technorati Tags: backyard, good mowing habits, landscaping, mowing for a healthy yard, Mowing Techniques

With pollution affecting our water, air and soil methods of organic gardening are becoming more popular by the day. Switching over from practiced gardening and yard habits and “Going Green” can be difficult but these four steps will start you one your way to  healthier garden produce and a safer and lush backyard.

photo credit: vsmoothe

1.  Keep your soil healthy by working with Nature rather than against it.  Organic fertilizers such as manure and compost will replenish the earth. All healthy refuse produced by the garden should be recycled back into the garden. If you notice a plant has an insect problem do not add it compost or the garden soil.

Organic gardening uses all yard and garden material to rebuild soil. This would include grass clippings, leaves, and leftovers from the kitchen. Leftover vegetables can be added to make compost that will feed the soil and keep it full of the nutrients necessary to grow crops.  Compost is also beneficial to indoor plants and will make a nice compost tea for watering all plants and shrubs.

2.  Avoid the use of all synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.  These products harm the environment, birds, insects, pets, and other wildlife. It is also unhealthy for adults and children. Synthetic weed killers and fertilizers on the lawn and shrubs linger for a long time and children and pets can get daily exposure, which in time can harm them.

And garden vegetables grown in a pesticide-free and additive-free environment are healthier in the long run and can be snacked on directly from the garden without being scrubbed to remove toxins.

There are many chemical free garden insect repellants that can be made at home for pennies. Organic gardening, Mother Earth News, Jerry Baker and the Internet have healthy insect repellant recipes available for people to make at home and use safely in the garden and backyard.

3.  Organic gardening techniques protect against the loss of nutrients and topsoil in the garden. This is achieved by using compost, fertilizer, protecting the soil and creating a healthy environmental balance where healthy insects thrive. Plants will be healthier which keeps unhealthy bad bugs out of the garden and yard.

Organic gardening means that the environment benefits from the reduction in contamination of the water supply and air pollution.  It means that we provide a habitat for wildlife including beneficial insects, and animals. This all leads to a better-balanced world that can take care of itself.

Using chemicals in the gardens and backyard seem like the easier method for insect and disease control but you will find once you stop using harsh chenicals and build your soil your garden and backyard will become healthier. I have hardly any insect probelms or plant disease in my yard and have not used chemicals of any sort in years.

Technorati Tags: easy step to organic gardening, going green, healthy soil, organic gardening, organic gardening ideas