Is your garden getting that tired, overgrown look? Are there big empty patches where early bloomers once displayed their colours, but have now faded? Have some of your plants started to take over and cover-up others? Don’t despair! It’s simply time to tame your unruly garden!

As summer begins its homeward journey towards fall, it’s not uncommon for gardens to need some touch-ups. No need for extreme measures, just a few adjustments that will rekindle the gardening enthusiasm you had in the spring. Try these simple tips:

Define their Space! If you haven’t used borders to define where your garden starts and ends, now is an excellent time to do so. Once plants reach a more mature age, you are able to better judge where the borders should be placed (did you underestimate how large that peony would get??). It also allows you to make a better choice of edging, as there are lots of different options from which to choose.

Rein them in! Some plants tend to grow better than others and can overtake less aggressive growers. Now is a good time to cut back the ones that are taking over, and possibly reposition some to better locations – now that you have a chance to see them at maturity. A mid-summer adjustment will ensure each has the appropriate amount of space again and maintain consistent coverage without one overpowering another visually.

Make Some Decisions! Any seasoned gardener knows how the ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ adage applies to gardens. But they also know that not all new additions to a garden turn out as expected. Late summer, when plants are fully mature, is the best time to plan those moves. It gives you the chance to really look at things like height, leaf colour, shape and texture, bloom time and flower colour.

Add Mulch! – Spring is traditionally damp and weeds have not yet had a chance to show their full potential. If you haven’t already applied mulch, you may now realize how beneficial it can be, to both help control weeds and improve the moisture retention of the soil - reducing the need to water.

Add Something New! Consider adding a totally new element to your garden to freshen it up a bit. And not just plants! Try that little garden art thingy you’ve been considering, or maybe some rocks to add character.

A few simple adjustments and your garden can regain its former glory. And, as an added bonus, you’ll find a lot of garden things on sale at this time of year, too.

Dogs are masters at nonverbal communication. Since they don't speak the same language as us, being able to read a dog’s body language is very helpful, especially for urban dwellers. You not only want to be able to interpret your own pet correctly but, on the street, you want to be able to tell friend from foe.

Learn what dogs are telling us with their body language:

Face - Although the dog's facial muscles are not as refined as a human's, he can wrinkle or straighten his forehead to show confusion or determination. If your dog wants you to give him further direction, he may raise his eyelids quizzically and tilt his head to one side.
Eyes - A dog's eyes brighten when he looks at a creature he considers friendly and when he wants to play. If he is afraid, his pupils dilate and he shows the whites of his eyes. He averts his eyes to avoid confrontation. But if he is angry or ready to defend himself, his eyes narrow and follow your every move. At this point, it's particularly important not to look the dog in the eye because he sees that as a challenge to defend his position.
Lips, teeth and tongue - A relaxed dog in normal posture may let his tongue loll out of his mouth. If he wants something from you, if he is happy or wants to play, he may pull his lips back in what appears to be a smile and show his teeth, an expression, by the way, dogs show only to humans and not to other dogs. But beware the dog that bares his clenched teeth and wrinkles his nose. He is ready to attack.
Ears -The dog's sense of hearing is much more acute than ours and even dogs with floppy ears have the ability to move and turn them to follow sounds. If a dog's ears are raised, he is relaxed, listening, or showing acceptance. If they are back, he may be signaling submission and deference or simply fear.
Tail - A dog wags his tail when he is happy or wants to play. It is really an energy indicator. When he is submissive, he tucks it between his legs. A taut tail, held down rigidly behind him, may show that he is prepared to spring, since he uses his tail for balance when jumping.
Voice - Dogs are vocal animals. They yip, bark, whimper, howl, and growl. The pitch or volume of their sounds can increase with their level of emotion. A bark may be playful or aggressive. Unlike body signals, dog noises can mean different things from different dogs.

And remember, when speaking to your dog, it’s not just what you say but how you say it that counts!

Pie in the Sky

Meaning - the impossible dream.
Example – “My daughter in university has some pie in the sky idea that she will get straight A’s without studying.”
Origin - In the early 1900's, a famous US labour organizer named Joe Hill was extremely critical of the clergy's treatment of slaves. He wrote a tune called ‘The Preacher and the Slave’ accusing the clergy of making false promises of a better life in heaven while people starved on earth. The song goes: 'Work and pray, live on hay. You'll get pie in the sky when you die. That's a lie!’

Once a year, carefully drain a few litres of water from your hot water tank. Doing so removes any sediment that can build up over time. If left to accumulate, this sediment can rise to the level of the heating element inside the tank and reduce its lifespan.

Selecting the perfect cut is the first step in preparing a great steak. Here's How:
• Find a meat market or butcher who is willing to answer questions. (One that isn’t should make you wonder why.)
• Determine how much you are willing to spend and look for cuts in that price range.
• Ask for a brief explanation on the different cuts – so that you can make the appropriate choice.
• More tender cuts tend to not be as flavourful so decide which is most important to you.
• Ask the butcher for information about ‘aging’ for each particular cut of interest. (‘Aging’ tenderizes the meat by holding meat at a temperature of 1-2 degrees C. (34 to 36 degrees F.) for a period of time to break down the tough connective tissues through the action of enzymes.)
• Look for the grading label. ‘Prime’ cuts are hard to find and very expensive, so check for ‘Choice’.
• The colour should be bright red and the fat creamy white. (A good steak should have thin, even lines of fat distributed through the meat. This is called marbling.)
• Plan on 170 grams (6 oz) per serving, unless you have a heavy eater, then go for about 285 grams (10 oz) per serving.

The more you know about cuts and grades the better so you can not only get the best steak, but also the best deal.

Want to quickly get back to the desktop when you have multiple windows open? Just press the Windows key on your keyboard and the letter D.
The windows key is on the bottom row of your keyboard between the Ctrl and Alt keys. It has the windows symbol on it.
To bring the windows back up to the way they were before, just press the same key combination again.

Diamond Facts

• The weight of a diamond is measured in ‘carats’. One carat is equal to about 1/5th of a gram.
• Diamonds less than 1 carat are measured in ‘points’, with 100 points being equal to 1 carat.
• The largest Diamond ever found is the Cullinan at 3,106 carats (621 grams/1.4 lbs.).
• In addition to weight, there are other factors that determine a diamonds value; colour, clarity, and cut (shape).
• Approximately 80% of the world's diamonds are not suitable for jewelry.
• Diamonds occur naturally in all colours, from red to blue, however the most common colours are yellow and brown.
• In plain terms, Clarity is simply how much "stuff" is inside the diamond crystal.
• A diamond is not indestructible. Though the diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, this only refers to their ability to withstand scratching. But that is different than toughness, which refers to the ability to withstand breaking or cleavage.
• Most diamonds are 1 billion to 3 billion years old.
  Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth's crust, and come to the surface through volcanic activity.
• Most diamonds are found in Kimberlite, which is volcanic rock.
• On average, 250 tons of earth will be mined to produce a single one-carat diamond.

Cool Sites

Make a Birdhouse - Robbie, age 8, says, “Dad and I are going to build a birdhouse for my Aunt Beth, but Dad wanted me to learn how to use a hammer to bang things really well. So we both read about how to hammer best on this website. Now I can really hit the nail good. Mom said she thinks Dad even learned a few things.”

Science Fair Tips/Ideas - Nadia, age 11, says, “Last year I got third place in the science fair. But I am going to do even better this year, because I read some great tips and got some great ideas from visiting this site. The judges are always so picky.”

Famous Canadians - Johnson, age 13, says, “I told my mom that I was bored one day so she told me to go find something interesting to read. So I surfed the net and found this great site about famous Canadians. It sure was interesting reading about them.”

Kids Rush Hour – Anne, age 9, says, “When I told my mother that I was playing Rush Hour, she said she plays that every night on the way home from work. But this game is fun. I’m pretty good at it. But I wasn’t very good at it to start with. It’s sort of like a maze.”

In-the-Bag Calculator - It’s always handy to have a calculator in the shop, yet so easy for shop dust and finger grime to gum up your calculator's keypad and inner workings. This simple tip will eliminate the problem - seal your calculator in a clear plastic zipper bag! It's easy to see and operate the buttons right through the bag. Great for working outside, too – keeps your calculator dry and free from dirt.

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” ~ AA Milne

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” ~Author Unknown

“The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.” ~ Bill Cosby

“There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” ~ Steven Wright