Lawn and gardens demand – and are often given – as much attention as the home itself these days. An attractive yard adds ‘curb appeal’ and draws people inward. It is what they see first, after all.

But common landscaping faux pas that occur can actually detract from the overall effect, leaving homeowners confused, uncertain and unhappy with the end result. When planning your landscape, be sure to avoid these common oversights;

Planting without the Future in Mind
Take into consideration how high and wide your plants will get when mature and choose a location that allows the proper amount of room. Also, be careful to assess the impact of the mature plants on the available sunlight in the garden.

Cutting Grass Too Short
Leaving grass longer has many benefits. Scalped patches are inviting to pests, disease and weeds that will ruin your goal for an even carpet of green.

Improper Pruning
Well-pruned shrubs and trees can add a great deal to a yard, but poorly pruned plants can have the opposite effect. There are different processes for different plants. Get to know your plants and how to best prune them – and when. Check out the web for tips, techniques and advice specific to your plants.

Distracting Colour
It can be difficult to include all colours of the rainbow in your garden and have it look great. Better to go with harmonious colours that won’t distract from the house.

Too Many Ornaments
Excessive lawn ornaments can distract from the beauty of the natural landscape. One little whimsical choice can be more effective than ten when placed in the right area, and it will allow nature to show through.

Plan for Real Use
If the children shoot hoops in the driveway, don’t kid yourself into thinking the ball won’t reach the adjoining garden. It will only cause heartache down the road when reality strikes. Use barriers where suitable, or plant appropriately.

Upkeep
Like anything else, if you don’t stay on top of weeding and general upkeep, landscaping will look old and tired in no time. Allow proper time to maintain what you create – or pay someone to do it!

Day and Night Appeal
Most people don’t take into consideration the way the landscape will look at night. Garden lighting comes in a wide selection of styles, colours and options. Even simple, inexpensive solar ‘pole’ lights will add pizzazz to a garden when the sun goes down.

Wooden fences kill trees. Metal and plastic options are no more environmentally friendly, either. So grow your own fence. Plant a hedge!

Hedges are once again becoming a popular way to define or divide our outdoor space. The benefits are numerous. Hedges are cheaper than fencing and can be ‘erected’ by just about anyone. They provide a home for birds, insects and other wildlife. Hedges also are more effective as a windbreak, because they slow the wind down rather than deflect it elsewhere, which can cause damage to plants and buildings.

“The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.”
~ Thomas Holcroft

As the maturity of fruits and vegetables in backyard gardens across Canada begins to peak, it’s time to look at some wacky facts about the plants we eat. Did j’a know that…
• Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing!
• Most of the nutrients in a potato reside just below the skin layer.
• “Batology” is the taxonomic study of blackberries—there are over 1,000 known species!
• Strawberries are a member of the Rose family!
• British sailors used to be called “Limeys” because they ate citrus to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages.
• The potato disease “Late Blight” was the principal cause of the Irish Potato Famine, which killed a half million people in the mid 1800’s.
• Blueberries won't ripen once they are picked!
• Beets have been cultivated since pre-historic times in the Mediterranean area and were originally grown only for their leaves.
• According to the USDA, the average American eats over 50 pounds of French fries each year!
• Granny Smith apples got their name from Maria Ann Smith, a gray-haired grandma who first grew them in a suburb of Sydney Australia.

Non-toxic and Homemade Remedies – This site has very simple and easily-applied natural ways to control insects and pests in the garden. Cheaper than store-bought, too!

Drying Herbs – Need some pointers for storing and drying those herbs from the garden? Check this site out for some easy ways to enjoy the herbs you grew.

Divide the Perennials – I love sharing plants with friends and neighbours, but some people aren’t as comfortable doing so – afraid they will kill the plant. If you too are wary of making that first cut, check out this site for some info and tips.

Yummy Burger Recipes – I found this site with lots of new ideas for spicing up your next grilled burger. Scroll to the bottom to find the list. I highly recommend the Italian-style herbed recipe. Lot’s of interesting info on burgers, too.

Most of us have done it - an errant keystroke or mouse click that moved the taskbar from its familiar spot at the bottom of the screen. It can be frustrating, especially for young children using the computer, but can be easily dragged back into place.

Better yet, lock it in place (Windows Vista and XP). Simply right click in the blank space of your taskbar, usually found at the bottom of the screen. When the menu appears, check that there is a tick next to Lock the Taskbar. If there is no tick, select Lock the Taskbar by clicking on it.

Once locked, there is no chance that your taskbar will be moved - purposely or accidentally. To unlock the taskbar repeat the steps to remove the tick beside this option. 

The next time you go fishing, remember that fish smell. No, we’re not reiterating the well-known fact that fish do smell. This is about the lesser known fact that fish are able to smell – and quite well. So when fishing, be extra careful not to have ANYTHING unnatural on your hands when baiting the hook or changing your lure, including tobacco residue, bug repellant, sun screen, gas, oil, even food. These odours can be picked up by fish who will think twice about striking the bait. 

If you must get any of the above on your hands while fishing and don’t have a good natural cleaner or soap to do the job, ‘act natural’ - rub some dirt into your hands and rinse it off with lake/river water.

Dog’s Letter Pit – Marlie, age 5, says, “I like to play this game with my Mom. By the time school starts, I’ll be able to spell lots of words and know a lot of letters - maybe all of them!”

Wakeboarding – Phillip, age 11, says, “This game is awesome! I love playing it with my friends. I’m getting really good at it. I can jump all the jumps and even do some grinding. Check it out.”

Seashell Critters – Amanda, age 7, says, “Every year we go to the beach and I always pick-up shells. I love them! This year we made some funny critters out of them. It’s easy. Try it.”

Driver’s Ed – Randall, age 14, says, “I hope I get to drive when I’m 16. I think I could do it already. But there are a lot of rules to know. I had fun learning more about the rules of the road playing this game.”

Mind your beeswax! You can pay an arm and a leg for the beeswax used to lubricate screws, drawer slides, and such if you buy it in a woodworking specialty shop. A much less expensive approach is to buy a standard wax seal for a toilet bowl, usually made of beeswax, at a home centre or hardware store – for a fraction of the price.

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive it isn't.” ~ Richard Bach

“Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.” ~ Franklin P Jones

“A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.” ~ Winston Churchill

“You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.” ~ George Burns