Improvement Home
Go Green with Real Wood (MS) -- So many decking materials in stores today ...
which one to choose? If a beautiful, usable, long-lasting deck is your goal -- and you’d like to do your part to protect the environment -- then the choice is obvious: real, natural, authentic wood. Wood has been a part of outdoor living for centuries: the first pine sawmill was at Jamestown about 400 years ago. Look around: so many historic homes and sites feature wood -- because it’s always been one of the best building products on the market. Wood is ever-present by the seashore (docks, marsh walkways, fishing piers, boardwalks), in the mountains (decks, arbors) and in backyards across the country (decks, gazebos, fences, trellises). Wood plays a starring role in high-traffic places, such as the Santa Monica Pier, the Destin boardwalk in Florida and the Ocean City boardwalk in Maryland. Look all around you at the beauty of wood -- then bring that natural beauty home to your backyard. A recent Life Cycle Assessment (cradle-to-grave study comparing pressure-treated wood with alternative wood/ plastic composite decking) found that wood was, by far, the better product for the environment. A few findings from this study: * Wood releases less greenhouse gases during production; * Wood uses 14 times less fossil fuel than wood/plastic composite decking; and
* Wood decking production causes significantly less acid
rain, smog and overall ecological impact than wood/plastic composite decking. Additionally, pressure- treated wood comes from sustainable, well-managed forests -- meaning the industry plants more trees each year than are harvested. Fact is, U.S. forests are healthier and more numerous than they were 100 years ago.
Pressure-treated wood is rot- and insect-resistant and readily available in both big-box stores and independent lumber dealers around the U.S. Current tested and approved preservatives are safe for use around children and pets --even veggies in your raised garden beds. For more information on using real wood in your backyard, the complete LCA study, free downloadable deck plans, inspirational pictures and easy DIY videos, please visit
Protect Your Garden from Hungry Animals
Area News Group
Hudson Litchfield News
April 20, 2012 Page 14
Homes full of garden beds with blooming flowers and foliage can seem warm and inviting. Planting flowers is one of the easiest ways to transform the appearance of a home with minimal effort and expense. Too often homeowners plant annuals and perennials only to find their hard work has been damaged by hungry animals, like deer, rabbits and underground pests. There are ways to keep animals away from plants -- many of which are humane and environmentally safe. Keeping furry marauders away from the garden is something individuals who live in rural or suburban areas have to consider when planting. Many communities are growing and encroaching on the natural habitats of wild animals. With some of their natural food sources diminishing, animals may decide to partake of the easy pickings that come from residential home gardens.
HAROLD ESTEY LUMBER & LANDSCAPING MATERIALS
• Hemlock • Natural Hemlock (no color added) • Hemlock Blend • Black Cedar • Red Cedar • Pine Blend• Kids Cushion Playground Chips
Early Pre-Buy N.E. Wood Pellets •Fire Wood Buy Direct From The Mill and SAVE!
Hours: Mon - Sat: 7am- 6pm, Sun: 8am- 5pm Delivery Available 432-5184
9 Old Nashua Rd (on Rt. 102), Londonderry, NH
If you understand how these animals feed, you can take precautions to restrict access to planting beds. Rabbits tend to munch on vegetables and ornamental plants. Small in stature and not able to scale fences very easily, rabbits might be deterred by a low fence surrounding plants. Consider digging some chicken wire below the fence a few inches to discourage digging under the fence. The fence should be 18 inches high, and you should keep the openings no more than one inch because rabbits can squeeze through small openings. In terms of gophers, moles, voles, and other burrowing animals, the key is preventing underground access. Chicken wire or another abrasive material put under the garden soil can help keep underground animals from burrowing under and then up into the heart of the garden.
www.realoutdoorliving.com, on Facebook at “Wood” and on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/wooditsreal.
Deer and rabbits can eat many garden plants down to the ground.
Deer are another story altogether. They are tall animals capable of rising up on hind legs to stretch out and reach branches of trees and bushes. Therefore, taller fences may be needed to protect the garden. But these can sometimes be unsightly, especially in a front yard. Therefore, look for natural barriers that can keep them out. They may be deterred by thorny bushes or plants. Daisies, papaver (poppies), narcissus, rudbeckia, achillea, agastache, aster,
Driveways, Parking Lots, Crack Repair & Striping
Service Includes:
Complete Driveway Cleaning
Prep And Hot Fill All Cracks
NASHUA SEAL COATING
Proud Member of the
Thompson Group
Trim Driveway Edges Sealcoat
The Driveway
www.nashuaseal.com 107 DW Highway, Suite 3, Nashua, NH
lupine, coreopsis, verbascum, centaurea, and echinacea are available in many varieties and are not attractive to deer or rabbits.
Here are some additional strategies that you can try. * Create narrow pathways between raised beds. Rabbits will feel like they are in prime locations for predators to get at them in this type of situation and may be less likely to venture in. Deer may not be able to navigate narrow paths. * Use mulch. In addition to benefitting the plants, keeping soil moist and fertilizing the areas, mulch also deters many animals.
*Interplant different species of plants. Some animals don’t want to bother picking tasty plants out among other varieties they don’t like. So mix plants with ones that animals find unpleasant. * Use other natural deterrents. Animals may be
kept away by scents of their predators. Urine from coyote, foxes, dogs, and cats may help. You can also try human hair, cat litter and soap flakes. * Create an animal-friendly area elsewhere. Feed the deer and rabbits the foods they love somewhere away from your garden. They may fill up with favorites and stay away from your flowers and vegetables. * Traps may work. As a last resort, use humane
traps to collect animals and release them elsewhere.
603-886-0668
Interior & Exterior Top Quality Work Affordable Fully Insured Free Estimates Excellent References
Lead Certified
COLLINS BROS. PAINTING
Yard Spice Organics
Call Now and Save 5% OFF any lawn treatment
595-8813
Turf / Lawn Cutting • Lawn Renovations Aeration • Detaching • Over-Seeding Irrigation Repair • Spring/Fall Clean Ups Garden Rotor-Tilling • Tree/Shrub Fertilization
DON’T PANIC!! IT’S ORGANIC!! 47C Derry Rd, Hudson, NH
www.yardspice.com
Over 20 Years Experience
FREE ESTIMATES Fully Licensed & Insured
Talbot Roofing & Contracting Residential, Commercial & Condominium Roofing Solutions
Asphalt, Cedar & Composite Shingles • Rubber Roofs & Repairs Siding & Carpentry • Ice & Snow Removal
High Level of Workmanship & Service • Operating Year Round BobTalbot, Owner
(603)755.1535 • Toll Free 1.888.755.1535
www.TalbotRoofing.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20