6 Things to Consider When Decorating Your Lawn this Holiday Season

It is that time of year again to pull out the old outdoor christmas decorations and decide what to do this year. You may want to toss several lights and lawn ornaments that have become outdated or pretty run down looking. Now what do you do? Here are some things to consider as you decide how your front lawn will look this holiday season.
(Note I received a comment on digg about recycling your old christmas lights..see comments)

1) Choose a Theme

• It is better to have a few related outdoor Christmas decorations than many unrelated items. Decide if you want to go modern or traditional. Bright Christmas colors with Santa or a more subdued look with a nativity scene. It is important that you do not mix themes. Santa and a nativity scene together on your front lawn is not a good choice.
  
  
• Keep in mind what your closest neighbors are doing. If neighbors seem interested in having their Christmas lights visible from outer space, perhaps you should take the high road and create a subtle, but extraordinary display. Consider using all one color so as not to clash with the holiday kaleidoscope surrounding you.
  

2) Determine the Lights you want to use

• Mini lights are lower voltage, sparkle, and come in many colors. Mini lights come in a variety of prices. Beware of cheap sets because they will not last as long and could have the whole string go out if one bulb goes out. These lights also come in LED.
  


• C7 or C9 lights are the traditional lights. Their large size makes them easily visible and bright. When a bulb goes out the string will always stay lit. C7 bulbs are just over 2 inches, while C9 bulbs are just over 3 inches long. These lights also come in LED.
  


• Icicle lights are a very popular light set to hang from your roof. They are usually available in both multi and clear.
  


• Net lights are great for bushes and trees. These are a mini light that usually come in multi or clear lights and green or white wire.
  


• Rope lights are a great alternative if you are tired of untangling strings of lights. Most rope lights are about 18 feet long and come equipped with mounting clips and cable ties for easy hanging. Rope come in all colors imaginable.
  


• Moravian lights, Starlight Sphere and various other design lights can also be a nice addition to your Christmas outdoor decorations

3) Determine what Outdoor Christmas Lawn Ornaments you will use

• Inflatable lawn ornaments are increasingly popular and much easier to store than more traditional large yard decorations. Due to their incredible size though you’ll want to use these sparingly, even a large lawn is better off with only one.
  
• Holographic Christmas decoration are nice because during the day the holographic design add Christmas cheer to your outdoor decorations. At night lights will bring these decorations to life. Very often there are in Disney or Peanuts animated characters, in additional to the traditional Designs.
  
• Sculptured Illuminated Decorations are designs made out of rope lights. These can be found in a multiple of classic designs including reindeer, Santa, and nativity scenes
  
  
• Outdoor Topiary is a great subtle addition to a traditional theme or design that focuses less on color and more on a natural setting.

4) Put a Plan together

• When planning keep in mind that less is better than more. You want to convey the spirit of the Holidays with out having your lawn looking like a miniature theme park.
  


• Sit down and plan out your design. Draw a rough sketch of your home and yard and draw in where you’d like to place your lawn decorations. Planning will allow you to put up your Christmas Outdoor Decorations up more quickly when the time comes and also create a better overall design.

5) Determine the Number of Lights you need.

• Check the lights you already have to be sure all your strings are working. Plug in the strings and check for bulbs that no longer light. You can easily replace bulbs. Aside from checking bulbs, you should also check the wires. Finding frayed or exposed wires means that it is time to for you to buy new lights.
  
• Decide how many feet you'll need to light up all the areas you'd like to decorate, such as your doorways, windows and roof line. Don't forget to include measurements for width and length.

6) Make sure you have Everything you Need for putting up your Decorations

• Extra light bulbs for lights that may have burned out or will during the next month or so. It is always good to have a supply on hand
  
  
• Gutter hooks are needed and sometimes you will need more that what is provided with the sets or some may have disappeared from last year
  
• Wireless Remote control power switch or outdoor timers are excellent tools. They enable your lights to go on or off with out having to go out side. A very worth while purchase
  
  
• Several extension cords are usually needed to connect all your lights and decorations together. Make sure that the ones you use are sturdy and safe for outdoor use
  
  
• Connectors are sometimes unavoidable if one outdoor Christmas lighting string is not enough for a specific area. You should make sure though that your connectors are not too exposed and are kept away from wet areas. You can put electrical tape around the connecting line for extra precaution.

7) Some Final tips to Consider before you go Shopping

• Don’t deviate from your plan and theme when you go shopping. It is very easy for you to get carried away when shopping for outdoor decorations so decide what you are doing, stick to your plan and do not deviate!!! When you see something you like that is not related to your theme or plan-DON’T BUY IT!!
  
  
• Whatever you buy for your outdoor Christmas decorations, remember that you have to find a place to store them for the next eleven months.
  
  
• Price does matter. Fire incidents have happened due to cheap but faulty Christmas lights. You can avoid getting these sub standard products by choosing local government standard approved products. Standard outdoor Christmas lighting may be a little more expensive but avoids the potential fire hazard
  
  

ENJOY PUTTING YOUR OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!!

November Backyard and Garden Care Tips

Your squirrel proof birdfeeder is clean and full of seeds. Your decorative birdhouse has been cleaned and is ready for birds to roost in. You have planted your bulbs, cut back your periennels, and raked your lawn more times than you can count. And even winterized your outdoor garden fountain. So what could be left to do you say???...

There are still a couple more chores to complete before winter arrives. Keeping the lawn free of leaves is not all that has to be done in November.

Outdoor Furniture

If you live in the area of the country that has a winter season. This is the time to put your outdoor wooden furniture in a shed or garage. Other outdoor furniture should be covered.

If you live in an area that you are able to use your outdoor furniture year round this may be a good time to clean your outdoor furniture again. Specific cleaning instructions are detailed here..
Tips for Protecting Your Furniture From Water, Temperature, and Chemical Damage are also worth reviewing..

Prepare your Roses for Winter

Regardless of where you live, roses will require some preparation during the coming weeks. For those living in warmer hardiness zones, your tasks will be minimal. For those in colder climates, extraordinary preparations may be required. I found that GardenGuides.com gives great information by zone on this...

Trees and Shrubs:

• During the winter months, rabbits often gnaw on the bark of recently planted young trees. Apple, pear, crabapple, and serviceberry are frequent targets of rabbits. To protect these young trees from damage wrap it with either wire mesh, plastic wrap, or cylinders of hardware cloth. These materials should stand about 1 to 2 inches from the tree trunk and extend several inches above the expected snow depth. The bottom 2 to 3 inches should be buried beneath the soil.
• To help prevent winter injury of evergreen plants, make sure they are well watered going into freezing weather.
• Prune shrubs and trees that touch the house — in other words, create a breathing space between your house and your plants. Other than pruning as suggested above, it is best to wait to fully prune most plants until late winter. (Do not prune flowering shrubs and trees until after they bloom in the spring).

Other Garden Chores

• Mulch garden beds, but not until later in the month when plants are dormant. Use no more than 3 inches of mulch -- over-mulching holds in too much moisture and will lead to rot.
• Thoroughly water all your perennial plants to survive the winter
• November is a good time to place an order for new fruit trees, if you plan to plant or replace any trees next spring. Order only cultivars that will do well in your hardiness zone or location

Care of Garden Tools and Equipment

• Remove caked-on soil from shovels, spades, hoes, and rakes with a wire brush or a stiff putty knife and wash thoroughly with water
• Wipe the metal surfaces with an oily rag or spray with WD-40 to prevent rust.
• Sharpen the blades of hoes, shovels, and spades.
• Sand rough wooden handles, then wipe with linseed oil to prevent drying and cracking.
• Remove grass and other debris from the underside of the lawn mower. Drain and change the oil on mowers with four-cycle engines. Clean the air filter. Check the spark plug and change it if worn. Start the lawn mower and let it run until it is out of gas. Sharpen the mower blade.

Now seat back and relax till springtime

Wait a minute you can't relax you need to think about getting down your outdoor holiday lights to see what light sets need to be replaced. Need a new outdoor Christmas Decoration? So much for sitting down!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are looking to buy a decorative birdhouse, outdoor garden fountains, outdoor candle lanterns, outdoor wooden furniture, outdoor wrought iron furniture, ceramic tile tables, tuned wind chimes, or garden yard stakes. visit my website for the lowest prices of the 2008 season.

Other Related articles
October Backyard and Garden Care Tips
September Backyard and Garden Care Tips

The Best Places to Go Bird Watching

I found "All About Birds" website that has fabulous information about Birds.

What caught my interest on their website this week was "Where to Bird"

They identify their 50 favorite birding spots. For each spot they tell you:

1. What makes it special


2. Geographic location


3. Habitat description


4. When to go


5. Birds to look for

The Birding Spots are organized by region. Click on the links below to see the spots for that region

• West


• Southwest


• Central


• Northeast


• Southeast

20 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Birds

While surfing around the web I found this cool article in BirdWatchersDigest.com

1. There are 9,567 different bird species alive today. Fossilized remains, however, show that at one time there were more than 150,000 different bird species on this planet.

2. Although the swift can reach speeds of up to 170 mph, most experts agree that the world’s fastest bird is the peregrine falcon. It can fly at speeds in excess of 200 mph! The world’s slowest flying bird is the American woodcock. At top speed it can move at 5 mph!

3. A vulture once collided with a jetliner over West Africa. The jet was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet! Vultures have the world’s slowest wing beat - 1 beat per second. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, beat their wings up to 90 times per second.

4. A group of chickens is called a peep. There are more chickens in the world than people. They only have 250 to 350 taste buds compared with the 9,000 or so we humans have. They absorb vitamin D through their combs from sunshine and have really bad night vision. They are also the closest living relatives of Tyrannosaurus rex.

5. The goose was the first bird to be domesticated by man. An ancient story tells how a flock of white geese raised the alarm when Rome was attacked by the Gauls, and thus saved the city. Incidentally, speaking of the ancient Romans, they also ate flamingo tongues and regarded them as a rare delicacy.

6. Studies show that most wild birds will die in their first year of life. But if they can survive this first year then they stand a strong chance of living for some considerable time. The American robin, for instance, can live up to 12 years and both the great blue heron and the Canada goose can live for more than 23 years, the blue jay for more than 18 years, and some blackbird species for 15-plus years.

7. Not only is the ostrich the only bird on the planet to have a urinary bladder and an eye that is bigger than its brain, it’s also the largest known flightless bird, weighing in at over 300 pounds and standing up to 8 feet tall. It’s also pretty nimble on its feet, having been clocked at speeds in excess of 55 mph.

8. The world’s smallest bird is the bee hummingbird. It weighs less than one-tenth of an ounce, is around 2 1/2 inches long and has a 4-inch wingspan.

9. It’s reckoned that around 2 billion birds are killed each year in North America alone by pet and feral cats.

10. Swans mate for life. Some swans have more than 20,000 feathers in their plumage.

Read more....

Other articles that may be of interest to you:
Choosing a Birdfeeder for your Backyard
What you need to know Choosing a Decorative Birdhouse
5 Elements for a Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard

Make sure Your Winterize Your Fountain this Fall

Keeping your outdoor garden fountain in good working order for many years to come will require some maintenance before winter begins.

The most important time to do these steps is before the first freeze. To find the average time of the first freeze in your area, check this site… You will be glad you took the time to ensure water does not freeze in your fountain and cause it to crack, or your pump to get damaged during the cold winter months.

Outdoor Garden Fountains are commonly made with cast stone, fiberglass and ceramic because they are durable and lightweight materials that can be moved easily. These materials are made to withstand the elements but if it gets wet, freezes and thaws it can crack.

The best way to protect your fountain is to completely dissemble it. Clean out the pump and various parts of your fountain and then store away for the winter season in your shed or garage.

However if this is not possible due to size or weight, the following steps need to be followed ....

If you want to buy an outdoor garden fountain for next spring at 2008 prices visit my website

It is Time to take a break from My Backyard Chores and go on a trip...

I have cleaned my decorative birdhouse, added feed to my bird feeder, planted some bulbs, cut back my perennials, cleaned my outdoor wooden furniture, and moved my tuned wind chimes to the front yard. I am tired of doing chores so I went looking for something different to do this weekend.

I found a lot of interesting information on site called GORP, which is an awesome outdoor activity website. Currently on their home page is Featured Destination, Featured Activity, Park of the Week and much much more.

This is what caught my interest on Gorp's site this week..

Unusual Sights & Alternate Fall Vegetation

Sure, leaf-peeping is a classic autumn activity. But what about visiting a barrier island's beach (crowd-free) and seeing poison ivy gone stop-light red? Why not head into the bayou and catch a glimpse of alligators and turtles before they go to sleep for the winter? Pike and muskie are still biting in the Great White North, so try casting your line. Go beyond maple leaves and into the unusual this fall with these off-beat outdoor adventures.

Trout and 'Shrooms in Washington's Olympics - Fall is wild-harvest time for anglers and mushroom hunters along the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula.

Hawkwatch!
Fall winds bring migrating hawks, following updrafts along mountain ridges and coastlines. Here's how to find and identify migrating raptors.

Prairie Magenta - Nebraska, South Dakota, and other tall grass prairie states offer asters, prairie gentians, and grasses turning from magenta to rust.

Butterflies, Wild Ponies, and Poison Ivy - At Maryland's Assateague Island, fall color comes from that infamous trailing vine, its leaves turned warning-signal red.

Gators and Wildflowers in the Bayou - In Louisiana, the reptiles are livelyin' up for fall, the bur marigold and asters are puttin' on a show.

Glacier Peaks and Huckleberries - In Washington's Glacier Peaks Wilderness, russet berries and golden ferns turn the mountains ablaze.

Burnished Winds - Copper grasses and golden-hued willows greet hikers in Wyoming's Wind River range.

Rocks, Pike and Muskie - The pike and muskie are still biting as autumn turns at Ontario's Rough Rock Lake.


For me it is time for a road trip.
You on the other hand may still have things to do in your front and backyards, if so these related articles may be helpful:
October Backyard and Garden Tips
Put up your Birdhouse in the Fall, Don't wait till Spring

If you need something new for your backyard like a decorative birdhouse, tuned wind chimes, outdoor wooden furniture, garden fountains and you want to get them for the lowest prices of the year...go to YourGardenRetreat.com

Enjoy your weekend!!!!!!!!!!

Choosing A Bird Feeder for your Backyard

If you are pretty new to Birding like I am, you will find these articles and information from Bird Watcher's Digest.com very helpful.

Bird feeding has gone mainstream, big time. It seems like there are now nearly as many different decorative bird feeders and squirrel proof bird feeders in any given store than there are species to feed in local backyards.

So how do you figure out what feeders go with which foods? Which feeder styles are best for your birds? In this article I will try to outline the basics of bird feeders and bird foods. Remember, every backyard is different, so don't be afraid to take this advice and adapt it to your own needs.

Feeder Types
Commercial feeders come in four basic types: hopper, tube, platform, and globe. This is an article about basic feeders and foods. (If you want to learn about hummingbird feeders, please see their Hummingbird Feeder Roundup.)

Hopper Feeders
Hopper feeders come in many different styles, but the old favorite looks like a little barn or covered bridge.
Learn more about hopper feeders >>

Tube Feeders

Tube feeders are long cylinders with perches at the feeding ports, and they are the classic feeders for woodland birds like chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, and nuthatches, as well as for goldfinches, siskins, and house finches. All these birds are small, and they can perch comfortably on the short perches most tube feeders have.
Learn more about tube feeders >>



Platform Feeders

A platform feeder caters to ground-feeding birds such as doves, towhees, and other sparrows, as well as to larger birds such as grosbeaks and jays. The name says it all, a platform feeder is just that-a platform.
Learn more about platform feeders >>
Globe Feeders

If you want to cater only to small birds like chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, and siskins, pick a globe feeder, sometimes called a satellite feeder. These look like flying saucers or satellites and they are suspended from a wire so they spin when a bird lands on them.
Learn more about globe feeders >>

Many decorative bird feeders and squirrel proof feeders are on the market, but any feeder you buy should be easily filled, emptied, and cleaned. Beware of feeders that require you to use a funnel to fill them because you may tire of lugging a funnel out every time you have to replenish the seed.

Wooden parts of hopper feeders should be made of weather-resistant cedar or stained or painted to protect against moisture.

Plastic feeders should be reinforced with metal around the feeding ports to ward off chewing squirrels.

Perches should be metal or replaceable dowels for the same reason. Because you may be looking at a feeder for a decade or more, it pays to buy the sturdiest and most easily maintained one you can.

With tube feeders, look at the bottom port. Is there dead space beneath it where seed can collect because the birds can't reach it? This seed will get icky and moldy-a waste of food, and a potential health hazard for the birds.

Can you take the feeder apart to scrub and clean it? If it looks like you'll need fancy bottle brushes or special tools to get it clean, select one of simpler design.

Beware of really cheap feeders. Not all of the $5 to $10 models available are going to last for more than one feeding season. Remember, these things are going to be filled with seed and hung out in the weather. Look for durable construction if you want to get your money's worth.

A recent trend in feeder design has been toward the decorative. There's nothing wrong with buying a nice looking feeder. Just make sure that the manufacturer didn't ignore function over form.

My website offers many decorative bird feeders and squirrel proof bird feeders. If you are reading this between October 2008 and December 2008 you will find that we are currently updating and changing the products we carry. Bookmark my site and visit after the beginning of December.