Home Design and Garden

Posts Tagged ‘Garden’

he beginning of spring/summer will always see homeowners heading to their outdoor space to rest on their new Lazy Susan (I hope) garden furniture set. However, with the lighter nights being ushered in and some of this great summer weather we’ve seen over the Easter weekend, current study by insurance company Aviva has highlighted a stark warning. They’ve found that thefts from such property locations as garages, gardens and garden sheds soars by up to 25% once British Summer Time starts. The research also found that garden tools such as electric drills, jigsaws, sanders etc were among the most favourite items for thieves during 2010. As a result, those with elegant garden furniture might want to follow some of Lazy Susan’s tips to keep their prized possessions safe. We would urge all homeowners to make sure their sheds and summerhouses are properly secured and remember to clear up the garden apiece evening so there’s nothing left lying around that could tempt opportunist thieves.

The price comparison site, Confused.com, have recently warned green-fingered homeowners that they should ensure their home insurance is covering valuable outdoor items such as garden furniture and accessories, anything left in garden sheds etc. Simon Lamble, the website’s product director, stated garden shed burglaries increase significantly during the summer months due to outhouses not being properly secured. ”It is imperative that, when taking out home insurance policies, homeowners think about the contents of their sheds, garages and any other outbuildings, and insure them accordingly,” he added. According to the firm, the average garden equipment costs £800 and it pays to have ”significant cover”. Gardens offer rich pickings these days, with bikes, lawnmowers, garden tools, garden furniture and children’s toys all targeted by thieves, and the average haul totalling around £900, according to insurance company Aviva. So follow Lazy Susan’s advice and this summer we can beat the thieves at their own game and help protect our properties…

Improve garden security
There are some simple steps you can take to protect your garden, such as putting away your garden tools, paddling pool and trampoline at the end of the day, locking your sheds and out-buildings, and replacing any old rusty padlocks. You should also always close gates and repair any dilapidated fencing, and if you have bulky items which can't be locked away, such as a massive gas BBQ or garden furniture, then do what you can to hide or cover them. Invest in some ground anchors to secure your garden furniture and ornaments to the ground and think about taking photographs of costly items such as potted plans, ornaments and furniture so you can refer them if stolen. Its also a good intent to write your postcode on these items with an ultra-violet pen.
Beat the thieves
Loose items such as ladders and wheelie bins are perfect ‘tool’ for opportunist thieves to use in order to acquire access into your home, so always make sure you shut them away and place them out of sight if you can. Plant prickly plants such as holly and roses under window sills, install strong security lighting, and remember that a gravel path can make for a good thief deterrent because of the ‘crunchy’ noise it makes when walked on.
Check your insurance cover
It’s simple to splash the cash on your garden (a current trip to a local garden centre just left the Lazy Susan coffers £400 lighter!), but if you’ve spent a lot of money, then you really need to check your home insurance to ensure you have sufficient cover in place. Patios, outbuildings, sheds, fences, walls and gates are normally covered for alteration under your buildings policy, as they’re classified as fixtures and fittings. However, moveable objects such as garden furniture and equipment count under your contents insurance. Given that gardens are more prone to theft and alteration during the summer, now is a good time to review your cover and ensure you’ve not undervalued your contents.
Insurance policies vary
Insurance policies will wage cover for theft of contents from outbuildings, garages and garden sheds, and this could be up to a limit of around £2,500. Contents in your garden will also be covered, and this could be up to a limit of around the £500 mark. However, the level of garden cover offered by contents policies tend to vary considerably from insurance company to insurance company. You need to make sure that you check this, as some have very different exclusions and limits. Policies will generally only cover you if items are locked securely in a shed, and some insurers will require you to inform them in advance of any particularly valuable items. Also note that bikes might not be included, and that you might have to pay an additional premium for cycle cover. Finally, if you treat your shed as a second home, make sure you check your policy details to ensure your mini television, playstation and beer fridge don’t near you over your policy its limit.

The need to secure your garden furniture is becoming more evident to Lazy Susan apiece day. Our love of the outdoors leads us to the buy of comfortable garden furniture, often at significant cost and therefore, you need to know that it will be in the garden when you want to use it. A few simple precautions will prevent or at least deter the thieves:

Take precautions
The most effective way of keeping thieves out of your garden is to make life as difficult as doable for them. Reduce the number of places they can hide by keeping hedges and shrubs low at the front of the house, and install security lighting in areas that are cast deep into shadow at night. Gravel is an excellent deterrent as it’s noisy when walked on, so the ‘crunching’ will signal you to any intruders, and it goes without saying that ladders and tools should never be left lying around, as not only do they make rich pickings for opportunist thieves, but can be used to break into your home, garage or shed. Construct as much fencing and lockable gates as doable around your garden and that way you’ll at least make it more difficult for thieves to acquire access and to remove any massive pieces of garden furniture. Plant a living barrier around the garden, such as thorny shrubs. This will not only give you something beautiful to look at but also restrict access to your garden.
Lights and alarms
As well as alerting you to the presence of unwelcome visitors, security lights and alarms are good deterrents, as thieves like to operate in darkness and silence. There are two types of outdoor security lights – those which come on automatically when it gets dark and stay on all night, and passive infra-red (PIR) or motion sensor lamps, which are activated by any movement in your garden and will drop to off after a set time. Up to you what will work ideal in your garden, but installing lighting is the greatest deterrent to crime. The lights can be either spotlights or floodlights and they need to illuminate the dark areas behind walls, trees, and other obstructions. The lights should be mounted high enough to prevent the thief from easily unscrewing them. Installing battery operated alarms is also an affordable stumbling block for the would-be thieves and you can install so that an alarm sounds when your gate or shed/garage door is opened. And if you’ve had things stolen from your garden in the past, then a shut circuit TV camera overlooking the garden could wage a tiny additional security, with domestic systems now on the market that are swift to install and can now be found at DIY stores for under £80.
Property marking
It also makes sense to visibly mark your outdoor property with your postcode as such items are then harder for thieves to sell on, and easily classifiable as stolen. They can be etched or marked in ink, UV marker or with self-laminated stickers, which can wrap around any legs or handles. These are usually acquirable from Crime Prevention officers, who should also be healthy to supply stickers advertising that property has been marked. Finally, write down any serial numbers, and take pictures to aid with recovery and insurance claims if, despite your precautions, anything is stolen.
Gates
Gates at the back and side of the home should be the same height as the fence or wall, and secured with at least two good calibre padlocks and bolts. Make solid wooden gates more tricky to climb by adding insets so there’s isn’t an obvious foothold, and check that the hinges are secure so that the gate can’t be easily removed from the frame and you should really weld the screws onto the hinge or at least screw them in as tightly as possible.
Garden sheds
Your average garden shed will usually contain hundreds of pounds worth of tools and other garden equipment, but they’re often overlooked when considering home security and insurance. And for that reason they’re an simple target for thieves. Ensure that yours is in good condition, and replace any rotten sections of timber and window frames if necessary. If you’re buying a new one, position it so that it faces your home and isn’t too close to a surround or gate, offering simple access to thieves. Fit key operated window locks on all windows that open, or if you never use them, screw them permanently shut. Add wire mesh or a grille on the insides of the frames, then hang an old curtain or piece of artifact so a casual individual can’t get a good look at what’s inside. Shed doors are often weak points, so secure with two shut shackle padlocks on strong hasps, one positioned a third of the way up the door, and the other one third of the way down, and reinforce the hinges with threaded coach bolts with backing plates or massive backing washers which prevent the bolt being easily pulled through the wood. Property inside the shed should be locked, so that anyone breaking in can’t just achievement off with it. Store smaller items such as tools in a lockable metal box or cage, and chain bicycles, lawnmowers, ladders and furniture to a floor anchor fixed into the floor, or link everything together with a lockable chain or metal cables.
Garages
Although garages are usually built from bricks and mortar and so are therefore significantly stronger than your average garden shed, windows and doors can be weak points, so they do require some sturdy locks. Secure up and over garage doors with locks fitted to the garage base or with mortice bolts fitted to apiece side, and double doors with heavy-duty coach bolts and a shut shackle padlock. Access doors, leading into the garage or directly into the home really need a five-lever mortice or deadlock, and mortice bolts top and bottom. As in a shed, you should lock small items inside a metal box or cage, and thread larger ones together with lockable cables, possibly anchored into the ground, a surround or fixed post.
Lock away garden furniture and ornaments
And finally, get into the usage of locking toys, tools and your garden furniture in the shed, garage or other outbuildings at night. You should only leave things outside which are too cumbersome or heavy to be moved easily. However, heavy items are still a potential target for thieves, so make sure you fix furniture and barbeques to the ground with anchoring devices, and use security brackets to prevent hanging baskets being whisked away. You might also need to anchor statues and costly plants, and place stones or bricks in the bottom of massive containers to increase their weight. Chain the furniture together – it’s effective as long as you use a massive enough chain, one that is not easily cut and the furniture to the ground or the floor of the patio is another solution.

About Lazy Susan

Lazy Susan is a small family business that specialise exclusively in wicker, rattan and metal garden furniture, specifically cast aluminium. Visit www.lazysusanfurniture.co.uk to find out more and view our complete product range.

Related Garden Articles

How beautiful

growth culinary herbs

You do not cook or have a green thumb to grow a herb garden. Culinary herbs are simple to cultivate. Once they go, they add flavor, texture and color of nearly any garden or space. Harvest your herbs to make any herbal teas, vinegars and delicious recipes.

grass does not grow too much space. You can plant them in beds in a garden or you can grow into a small container. The combination of herbs can add a nice effect. Your bed or container is your canvas – and what you can plant to grow into a beautiful masterpiece lots

sun
much love herbal sun .. When choosing a location for your herbs, look for an area outside a window or 5-7 hours of direct sunlight per day.

Well-ground
What you emptied your herbs is in containers or in the garden, begin by checking your plants of nutrients and soil pH. It might be necessary to adjust the pH of your soil pH near neutral to 6-7, which grasses grow ideal in you also want a layer of organic compost and add minerals to the soil before planting.

sufficient water
herbs like well drained soil but well drained soil must be watered more often. Not only water on a whim. Stick your finger down into the ground about 1 “to 1-1/2″. There is no need to water unless your soil feels nearly dry. to remember

Three golden rules for fertilizing your herbs
fertilizer is often considered the most important thing when feeding your grass “plant food called.” – Use only organic products. Remember, you take what you grow. If you do not use chemicals, do not use it on your grass

Second rule of thumb -. Feed your herbs a healthy diet
fertilizer. or “plant food” provides your plants with the most important elements they need to thrive and grow – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Your plants need smaller elements called micronutrients, minor elements by plants contain their growth.

Finally.
feed your plants through their leaves (leaf feeding). Foliar feeding 100-500% more effective than root feeding and provides faster results. Find organic foliar fertilizer and trace elements. Spray all the leaves of your plants apiece 1-4 weeks.

harvesting and storage
Once your herbs are established, it is important to cut them regularly. Never harvest more than 1 / 3 of apiece herb. The ideal time to harvest your herbs in the morning when the oils are still fresh in their leaves. Harvest your herbs before flowering. This is to prevent them from seed to expose and promote vigorous green growth.

You can use your herbs once they cool or freeze in a freezer bag and up to 6 months.

Whatever you do, you get your grass growing.
You’ll feel like a gourmet, apiece time when travel in your garden, some herbs for your culinary productions clip. Even if you do not cook much, a tiny snip of fresh mint herb garden, an agreement to transform simple glass of iced tea in the most delicious. Or decorate a plate of fruit, vegetables and salads with fresh herbs. With them is as simple as they grow.

de-bug your garden

Did you, it is estimated that more than 100,000 different species of insects that live in North America? If you do not think you have bugs in your garden – guess again. In a typical courtyard, there are probably thousands of stores in small creatures.

Do not forget all insects are bad. Less than three percent of all insects considered pests. Different plants attract different insects. You can not find a corn worm on a tomato plant because the digestive system simply can not stand it.

It is useful for insects that live in your area, he knows. This grants you to infestation by insects by planting plants that do not take to refrain these insects. This is the safest, most environmentally friendly way, de-bug your garden.

Unfortunately, this is probably not enough to keep all of your garden, killing insects. For many gardeners, it is necessary to use insecticides. When using insecticides, you maximum results if you know what type of insect. Always read the adjudge of the insecticide and follow all instructions. Make sure it is tagged for use on plants and insects. Whenever possible, use organic insecticides that are non-toxic. This grants you to effectively rid your garden of insect pests, while minimizing alteration to the environment

Here are some indicators that you de-bug your garden.

Have your leaves have holes?

This is a reference to a chewing insect. In order to control chewing insects you need to know what type of insect it is. There could be a caterpillar, grasshoppers, or beetles, or one of many others. Look under the leaves in the morning or just after dark. In other words, if they want to eat. Most people do not realize they have flaws, because they hide in the heat of the day.

your system is discolored, drooping, wilting, or general demand of power?

<p sucking insects often cause such damage. These bugs do not take the outer surfaces of plants, so that some insecticides can not be influenced. It is necessary to use a contact insecticide to eliminate the sucking insects. contact insecticides are in direct contact with the body of the insect and kill by fire, suffocation or paralysis. The insecticide must actually "Contact" to kill parasites.

Is your tree full of holes, juice drops, or if you have a pile of sawdust like material around the base of the tree?

insect eaters (and we do not mean those who have no social life) can pretty much damage, trees, before they develop into their adult form. Probes can be attacked directly. If the tunnels are open, they can be impaled on a piece of wire. If they are not met, they are by Bon-Neem Insecticidal Soap concentrate can be killed off or prefabricated by Bonide Rotenone-Pyrethrin Concentrate with natural pyrethrins. These concentrates are prepared by spray-N-Grow.

These documents are acquirable only a few ways you can de-bug your garden. Ultimately … when the plants healthy, you’re probably much less debugging to do in your garden!

must begin

More garden section

Garden bird feeder to change the outlook of your home. The illusion formula for a healthy home, clean and interesting, with the reputation of a well designed garden. Visitors might admire the beauty of the property when they observed that the arrangement of the garden filling such as flowers, vases, landscapes and much of the decoration. . The anguish you wake up apiece morning is breathtaking, and come home exhausted from your office or school. It would be interesting if you add the presence of beautiful birds in the favorite corner of your garden.
Garden bird feeder is crucial. You must decide whether to attract the kind of birds in order if the nature of birds flying in the sky, or that is stored in the cage and bought from Vogel. Gardens seems much more normal, desirable, beautiful and one-of-a-kind bird in the cage much more. Take care of as if they were a precious treasure of your personally concerned. They might have life and do well, and live in them use a total number of points for assist and comfort that makes them stay longer and survive in the environment you’re prepared for them. Many factors and elements that will help as well as beauty to the ambience of your garden, bird houses, decorating, bird bath and bird feeders for fattening.

You can state it is simply the benefit of containers on the World wide web for your stay to take the birds through the trim gardens. Without a doubt! {You can, but can you envision how it looks? |! You can, but you could think about how it looks? | You can, but can you envision how it looks? {} Now, for professional garden lovers, it will ensure that everything is arranged properly, looks good and enjoyable, because birds like to take human food clean for a healthy body |. Well, garden specialist for friends, they want to make sure everything looks well organized, good and pleasant, because the bird is similar to humans, they must be healthy to take foods thoroughly, having a body nutrients. |? Effective for gardeners specialized, they will make sure everything is well organized and enjoyable seems vast, that animals like humans, they have good food meals so you take a nutritious bird feeders body} garden can not refuse to appear in your garden in different styles, shapes, sizes and colors that match your desire and love, and attract birds.

Even though scattered, there is more than a few types of bird feeders, garden stores the type of man with a good calibre performance Tube bird feeder, Specialty Speiser Globe bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, Exotic bird feeder Bird Feeder for Suet, feeders College, and can even power accessories. In these types of bird feeders come in different varieties with one-of-a-kind designs that you will really like it. Some solution providers garden bird home via the Internet; Ayosdito.ph, BackyardChirper.com Juliensgarden.com collectively, A & B garden ornament Casting Co., LTD and /> <br many others can also in China. many companies that can wage this type of product, but it's really not that hard to purchase bird feeders, yard because they are acquirable worldwide and you can get by looking at the store near you . Make sure to locate and choose the one you enjoy the collection and now it is your usage after you as it might change your view of the garden and the birds love them too.

Related garden