Landscape Juice

Tips on using Twitter - free downloadable guidebook

I'd like to think I know a thing or two about social media and Twitter but I needn't spend too much time writing up a guide when all you need to know has been done over at Mashable.

Whether you are a beginner or a regular Twitter user, Pete Cashmore has written one of the most extensive Twitter guidebooks on the subject you'll ever likely to need.

There's even a downloadable version so you can sit away from your work and read through.

How to use a chalk line

Since the advent of laser levels it's been easy to mark create guide lines over long distances. Because a laser doesn't lose its accuracy (or not so we as builders would be bothered) it's possible for one person to mark out lines on their own.

However what if you had to mark a line or a series of lines quickly and accurately so that they are all visible at the same time?

There's one little but very seldom talked about tool I love and wouldn't be without and that's a chalk line.

A chalk line allows a single person (although it's easier with two people) to mark a line on materials such as concrete, plasterboard, wood and even metal (in fact any material with a surface that powdered chalk is able to cling to) before cutting, drilling or marking a straight line.

How a chalk line works

The concept is simple. A fine string is coiled up inside (see fig 1.) a reservoir where finely ground dry chalk powder is stored. As the string is pulled out of the reservoir it retains chalk powder along its length and when held taught over a distance and pinged (or snapped as some refer to it) the chalk is jettisoned onto the surface where you want to leave a mark.

Chalk lines can be as long as 50 metres.

Figure 1. What a chalk line looks like (the winding handle can be closed, just like a wind up tape measure

10 tips on saving your pond fish during hosepipe ban

As drought conditions in the UK spread further north it seems likely that water restrictions will become even more tighter. Some predict that hosepipe bans will stay in play right up until Christmas.

If you are a gardener it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Mulching around plants and saving washing up water (be careful with what you put into your washing up bowl. Many products such as washing up liquid contain salt or other potentially harmful chemicals).

But what about the estimated plus three million fish pond owners?

Mythbusting - Stone versus Concrete

Chris and Dan at Marshalls discuss the advantages of Stone and Concrete patio paving to help homeowners better understand the options that are available to them.

What is the process of photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process by which a plant uses light and energy from the sun to create sugar which it uses as food.

Here's a great visual from www.kidsdiscover.com explaining the basic process of photosynthesis.

Click here for a more detailed explanation of the process of photosynthesis.

Transplanting vegetable seedlings into open ground

Planting : How To Transplant Seedlings InTo The Ground

If you have grown vegetable seedlings in a greenhouse or cloche for the first time or you have decided to buy seedlings from the garden centre, you might be interested in this simple little video that explains the technique visually.

It is a little wishy-washy but essentially ideal for beginners to understand the process. Pay particular attention to removing the seedlings from the trays so as not to damage their roots or stem and note how small plants are seated into their holes by 'puddling' with water from a watering can.

Caution

After the recent warm weather it's understandable if you feel the need to start transferring seedlings from the windowsill or greenhouse into open ground in the garden or allotment.

It's worth keeping an eye on the weather forecast because things are changing this week with very low temperatures in the run-up to Easter and even snow in some places, most likely in Scotland..

It is always worth delaying planting until it's safe or if you are pushed for space, at the very least transfer your plants temporarily to an intimidate sheltered and protected spot to harden off before planting plants in their final place.

Severe weather warning issued for parts of Scotland.

Advice on repairing a fence after high winds

If your fence or other features of garden infrastructure were blown away in this week's gales then you may be in need of a landscape or garden contractor to help you repair the damage.

Let's face it, gusts of 50-100 miles per hour are likely to damage the sturdiest of fences, sheds, trellis or greenhouses.

If a fence has been in place for more than ten years then it's more than likely that the base of wooden posts, especially softwood, will have become weakened at ground level as moisture and soil (or organic matter) conspire to weaken the wood.

If a fence post sits in clay or has been completely encased in concrete then deterioration and rot may be accelerated to a such a degree that a post may last no more than three years.

RHS Grow Your Own iPhone app

How many of us have a smart phone now?

Over 5% of access to Landscape Juice comes through mobile devices and that number is set to continue to rise as mobile computers - yes they're not just phones any more - become even more sophisticated.

Can you remember the day when we had no choice but to refer to a clonky great hard-backed book if we wanted to look something up or get advice on what's the best plant for a particular spot?

Now we've all, potentially, got all the reference books we need - if you count Google as a source through a browser - literally in our pockets.

Stuart Marler on networking benefits

Carol Miers interviews a Landscape Juice Member on a mission.

Stuart Marler spent his youth at sea but wanting to put down roots led him to landscape gardening. Today he is still unable to resist an adventure so he's growing his own seven year old business and expanding into international waters.

He was having breakfast but in spite of the sounds of clearing dishes Stuart managed to explain what drives his company TVG Landscaping.

Kew Gardens - how to care for a moth orchid

Christopher Ryan, the orchid manager at Kew Gardens demonstrates how to take care of a phalaenopsis or moth orchid. He shows how to cut back the plant to encourage re-flowering and how to re-pot.

The matter-of-fact tone of the commentary belies the perfect example of this orchid with the flower heads evenly spaced and of the same height.

Award winning orchids should have sepals that are round full and flat and form the shape of an equilateral triangle.