Posts Tagged ‘outdoor’

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Dog Grooming And Brushing Tips

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

All dogs need some form of grooming, there is no question about that. Even hairless chihuahuas should be wiped with a damp chamois leather to get rid of loose skin and dust. However, one of the main purposes for grooming your dog regularly is so that you can check him for skin problems such as allergic reactions to flea or tick bites. Another reason is bonding. In a pack situation, dogs groom other dogs and are themselves groomed every day and dogs like it.

Therefore, you should groom or brush your dog at least once a week and take him to a dog parlour every three, four or six months depending on how fast his hair or fur grows and whether you can manage it or not. Having said that, you will find grooming easier if your dog’s hair is the right length, because it will not tangle so readily.

You ought to wash your dog every month or so and groom him at at a minimum of once week. This will make certain that your dog gets used to being bathed and handled. If this is done from the puppy stage, most dogs will not only accept it, but they will come to enjoy it, although there will always be those dogs that run for it as soon as they see a hose and a bowl. They get to know what to look out for. If you talk to him constantly, reassuring him and occasionally giving a doggie treat, he should soon come to accept the inevitable – that he is going to be bathed and groomed.

Actually, most dogs enjoy the grooming, although many only tolerate the bathing. Anyway, bathing and grooming on a regular basis will keep the job as simple as it can be. Once your dog is no longer a puppy, say after six months or so, you could take him to a professional groomer in a so-called ‘Poodle Parlour’. By then, he should be becoming accustomed to the routine and he will accept the treatment from strangers more willingly too.

You could look for professional groomers in adverts in the pet shop or the vet’s or simply ask your friends and neighbours for recommendations. Finding a groomer should not be problem, but you might have to try a few before you find one whose style of grooming you like or who is adaptable enough to suit your lifestyle.

When you drop your dog off at the Poodle Parlour, ask when it will be ready to be collected up. Turn up fifteen minutes early and you might be lucky enough to witness first hand how your dog is being treated and how your dog is getting on with the groomer. This is invaluable information, because it will help you make up your mind whether the groomer is getting on with your dog or not.

If the groomer is doing a good job, but your dog is anxious, you can help put him at ease. If the groomer is being a bit too rough, then you will know whether to change Poodle Parlours or just have that groomer banned from taking care of your dog.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is currently involved with indoor mosquito repellent. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Repellent For Dogs.

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Aspects Of Racing Radio Controlled Cars

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Racing is the most exhilarating part of owning a radio controlled car for most RC car aficionados. There are millions of RC car racing aficionados, so it is normal that a number of different types of racing have evolved, but the two main variances are on-road and off-road racing.

Whichever aspect of RC car racing interests you the most, there are a number of items that everyone has to do to prepare for a race. The rest of this piece will discuss some aspects of racing your radio controlled car.

We will take for granted that you already have the best model car that you can afford, so the first thing to do whilst preparing for a race is choose the tyres to suit the conditions, just as they would in a full-size car race.

The tyres employed for on and off road racing are different and the tyres used for a dry or a wet road are not the same either, so you will require at least two sets of tyres and you will have to practice switching them quickly at pit stops.

Most serious on-road RC car racing is done with models of real cars like Lamborghinis, Porches, Ferraris and Aston Martins leading the way. Others like to use Formula One style cars. Off-road scrambling is normally done with trucks, heavier models that can get a better grip on the landscape.

So, the faster, lighter cars are built for speed and need a smoother surface to run on. The surfaces used vary from a length of regular concrete or tarmac road that has been closed off for the day to a purpose built racing circuit of concrete or tarmac. Off-road vehicles are raced or scrambled anywhere, the rougher the better.

These conditions also affect the scale to a limited extent. Racing RC cars tend to be the smaller 1/10 th scale, whereas off-road trucks tend to be built to the slightly larger 1/8 th scale, because they need the weight for increased traction.

However, contemporary developments have seen the rise in popularity of huge 1/5 th scale tucks and cars with real miniature petrol engines in them.

Regular two-wheel drive is sufficient for racing, although some racers do prefer four-wheel drive. However, four-wheel drive is more or less indispensable for all terrain racing. It is also preferable in wet and icy conditions, exactly like the real thing.

Fuel is an vital consideration. Most speed racing cars run on nitro. It burns very fast and produces high acceleration, but you have to stop and retank frequently in a long race. Some racers prefer petrol, especially in the larger, off-road trucks.

Petrol is not so ‘violent’ as nitro and it goes further. This means fewer pit stops. It also causes less wear and tear on the engine. Petrol engines do not break down as frequently as nitro engines. The parts are sturdier as well.

Maintenance is a big part of RC car racing, but it is more vital the smaller your car is and nitro engines need the most maintenance of all. This is not a problem for many enthusiasts, in fact, they like taking their car to pieces and rebuilding it, but you might not. Maintenance is a factor to keep in mind whilst selecting an RC racing car.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with gas remote control cars. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

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The History of Rugby

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Today, every schoolboy knows the story of William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil “who with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it”. The presentation trophy for the Rugby World Cup is named the Webb Ellis trophy in his memory, and his “achievement” is honoured by a plaque at the school

There is just one thing wrong with this story. It simply is not the case. It was not until four years after the death of Webb Ellis in 1876 that the story first saw the light of day and its origin is thought to come from a local antiquarian and previous Rugbeian Matthew Bloxam.

He was not a contemporary of Webb Ellis but says that the story was told to him by an anonymous source some 53 years after the incident is supposed to have happened.

In 1823, when the event is alleged to have happened, the rules of rugby had yet to be written and any alterations, such as the legality of carrying or running with the ball, were often agreed on an ad hoc basis a short time before the start of a game.

There were therefore no formal rules for football during the time William Webb Ellis was at the school (1816?25). It was not until 1845, some 200 years after football was first played at Rugby School, that three pupils published the first written rules of the game.

For numerous years it had been the boys, and not the masters who had set down the rules which were often modified by every new generation of pupils.

Guy’s Hospital Football Club, created in London in 1843, by old boys from Rugby School, has strong claims to be the oldest football club in the world. It definitely predates by 14 years the creation of Sheffield FC, believed to be the oldest club playing association football.

In 1871, after a number of problematic disputes with the Football Association, 21 clubs met in London to create an association of those clubs ‘who play the rugby-type game’.

Consequently, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed. The first International rugby match was played on 27 March 1871 between England and Scotland. The English team wore white shirts ornamented with a red rose and the Scots brown shirts with a thistle. (Scotland won the game).

The worries and conflicts regarding amateurism and professionalism had long proved a thorny topic. The representatives of Yorkshire and Lancashire are accredited with bringing in rules concerning amateurism in 1879.

These rules were finally formalized by the RFU in 1886. It is widely believed that the northern clubs were in favour of the professional game whereas these northern bodies were robust advocates of amateurism,

However, conflict arose over the controversy regarding ‘broken time’, the topic of whether players should receive reimbursement for taking time off work to play.

The northern clubs had a large number of working class players who had either to miss games due to working commitments, or give up their wages in order to play rugby. By 1892, this subject of broken time payments was a problem not just for northern clubs such as Bradford and Leeds but also for clubs in the south.

It became a concern of the RFU: these broken time repayments would become a rapid path to professionalism.

On 29 August 1895, 20 clubs from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield and decided to resign from the RFU and create the Northern Rugby Football Union, which from 1922 became the Rugby Football League.

The quarrel about payment was one which at the time was also affecting soccer and cricket. Each game had to work out a compromise; rugby’s position was the most radical. Amateurism was strictly enforced, and anyone accepting payment for playing rugby league was disqualified.

However, on 26 August 1995 the International Rugby Board declared rugby union an “open” game and thereby removed all restrictions on payments or advantages to those connected with the game.

It did this because of a committee conclusion that to do so was the only way to end the hypocrisy of sham amateurism and to maintain control of rugby union. The wheel had turned full circle.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with the London 2012 Olympics mascot. Click a link if you are interested in the 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

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Essentials Of Golfing Etiquette

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Golf is a carefully balanced game of rules and etiquette, and it’s very important to know the basics of golfing etiquette before you go on the course to play your first game of golf.

Golfing etiquette dictates that it doesn’t matter whether you are playing alone, in a twosome or in a foursome, you must always wait your turn. You must also stay aware of the group on the next hole and wait until they are well ahead of you before hitting your ball.

Golfing etiquette also says that it is never correct to “hurry” the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait your turn to hit the ball and never hit at the same time as another player.

While you are waiting for your turn to play, go to your ball and determine what golf club you will need to use and how you are going to hit the golf ball with it. This is called “ready golf” and keeps the game moving along. Don’t rush anybody, just be ready for your turn.

Another useful piece of golfing etiquette, especially for the beginner is ‘playing through’. For example, if your team is holding up the players behind you, say because you are playing consistently over par, let them play through. You would simply wave them through, or if they are near enough to you, just ask them if they would like to play through. You will never make enemies by doing this!

When someone is making a shot, you should be behind them and you shouldn’t make any noise! It is so distracting to be just about to to tee off and just as you pull back, someone decides to jingle coins in their pocket or noisily unwrap a piece of candy.

Replacing divots. Let’s say you are on the fairway and you strike the ball a bit thick and a clump of dirt and grass goes flying, no problem, but golfing etiquette says that you ought to replace it. On some courses you just put the clod back into the hole and step on it to keep it down, but on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on the course to put into the divot. Also, if your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, you should use your divot tool to repair it.

As soon as you have finished a hole, replace the flag and leave the green as quickly and quietly as possible (there may be another team teeing off at the next hole) so that the next players can play that hole. Count your score and write it on the scorecard when you get back to your cart.

For sure, there is much more to golfing etiquette than this, but these basic rules of golfing etiquette will enable you to get around the course without upsetting anyone. If we all uphold golfing etiquette we will keep the game nice and friendly, or not?

If you are interested in learning more about golfing etiquette, visit our website on Golfing Tips for Beginners for loads of free tips.

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History Of Tennis

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

The very first recorded mention of tennis was in the fourteenth Cycle of plays known as ‘The Second Shepherds? Play’ from the Wakefield Yorkshire writer known simply as The Wakefield Master. In scene VIII Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur?s round table plays tennis with a band of giants.

However, this would have been the medieval form of tennis known as real tennis which had evolved more than three centuries from an earlier ball game played in France around the 12th century.

This involved hitting the ball with the naked hand or later a glove and is thought to have begun with monks playing the game in monastery cloisters, judging by the construction and appearance of some of the early courts.

The game soon proved to be a success among European royals and in England was taken up by Henry V in the early fifteenth century. A hundred years later Henry VIII had the biggest effect as a young monarch, playing the game with enthusiasm at Hampton Court on a court he built in 1530.

The game flourished among the 17th century upper class in France, Spain, Italy, and in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but suffered under English Puritanism. By the time of Napoleon, the royal families of Europe were under threat and real tennis was mostly abandoned.

In England, in the 18th century and early 19th century, as real tennis became less popular, three other racquet sports emerged: racquets, squash racquets, and lawn tennis (the modern game).

The modern sport is tied to two separate inventions.Between 1859 and 1865, in Birmingham, England, Major Harry Gem, a solicitor, and his friend Augurio Perera, a Spanish merchant, combined elements of the game of rackets and the Spanish ball game pelota and played it on a croquet green in Edgbaston.

In 1872, both men moved to Leamington Spa and in 1874, in the company of two doctors from the Warneford Hospital, established the world’s first tennis club. In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield devised a comparable game for the enjoyment of his guests at a garden party on his estate of Nantclwyd in Llanelidan, Wales.

He founded the game on the older real tennis. At the suggestion of Arthur Balfour, Wingfield named it “lawn tennis, and patented the game in 1874 with an eight-page rule book titled “Sphairistike or Lawn Tennis”, but he failed to be successful in enforcing his patent.

Tennis was first played in the U.S. at the residence of Mary Ewing Outerbridge on Staten Island, New York in 1874. In 1881, the desire to play tennis in competition led to the establishment of tennis clubs, which led to the four Grand Slams, which are regarded as the most important activities on the tennis circuit.

They are: Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open and they evolved into and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Both the name and much of the French vocabulary of tennis are borrowed from real tennis:

Tennis comes from the French tenez, the imperative form of the verb tenir, to hold: This was a cry used by the player serving in royal tennis, meaning “I am about to serve!” (rather like the cry “Fore!” in golf). ? Racquet comes from raquette, which derives from the Arabic rakhat, denoting the palm of the hand. ? Deuce comes from ‘? deux le jeu’, meaning “to both is the game” (that is, the two players have equal scores). ? Love is commonly believed to come from “l’oeuf”, the French word for “egg”, representing the shape of a zero. ? The convention of numbering scores “15″, “30″ and “40″ comes from quinze, trente and quarante, which to French ears makes a pleasant sound, or from the quarters of a clock (15, 30, 45) with 45 simplified to 40.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently concerned with tickets for London Olympics. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

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History Of Formula One

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Formula One, also called Formula 1 or F1, and officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World is the highest class of single seater auto racing authorized by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

The “formula” in the designation refers to a set of regulations with which all participants’ cars must comply. It is almost certainly the most widely watched televised spectator sport in the world after football.

Formula One can be seen live or tape delayed in almost each country and territory around the world and attracts one of the largest global television audiences. The 2008 season attracted a global audience of 600 million people per race.

It is a enormous television event; the cumulative TV audience was calculated to be 54 billion for the 2001 season, broadcast to two hundred countries.

This is a long way indeed from its first beginnings. The very first Formula One World Championship Motor race took place at Silverstone in the United Kingdom in 1950 . In those initial days, teams who no longer compete on the modern F1 circuit dominated proceedings with the very first World Championship being won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo.

His team mate, the legendary Juan Fangio, won the title almost continuously until 1957 and, in fact, his record of five World Championship wins held until 2003 when Michael Schumacher won his sixth title.

It was during this timespan that almost certainly the greatest driver never to win the World Championship was contending – the U.K.?s Stirling Moss.

One team that did contend in those early years was Ferrari, or Scuderia Ferrari to give the team its full title, whose prancing horse logo is followed by the red shirted fans or ?tifosi? across the world. In fact, during the last few years the sport has been dominated by Ferrari who until recently has been one of the few teams to assemble the complete car, engine and all.

However the U.K. team of Maclaren, using engines from Mercedes Benz, have proved extremely successful. Another very successful team during the 2010 season proved to be Red Bull racing using engines supplied by Renault.

It is remarkable to note that in the cases of both Maclaren and Red Bull, they have proved much more successful than the teams fielded by their engine suppliers, Mercedes and Renault. This probably goes a long way to sustaining the argument that it is the aerodynamic properties of the car that win races.

After several years in which we have seen the number of teams has stayed quite static or even declined, 2010 saw a renaissance in the number of cars on the grid with new entries from Lotus, Virgin Racing, and Hispania Racing bringing the number of starters to 24.

The calendar of races is also in a constant state of flux with Korea joining for the 2010 season and India being added in 2011 as Formula 1 becomes more and more a world- wide spectacle as it moves away from its traditional European heartland.

But wherever the teams race and whatever the number of cars on the starting grid it will continue to set the pulses racing as those 5 red lights go out!

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on lots of topics, but is currently concerned with London Olympic dates. Click a link to find out more 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

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How You Could Landscape Your Garden In The Texas Style

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Most people just let their garden mature naturally in that they do not select a particular style. This is all right, but it can become a hodge-podge, if not looked after. Some people, however, consciously choose to landscape their garden according to a certain style or a theme. Some of these themes are very sophisticated and others are quite simple.

One of the many themes to pick from is the Texas Style. We all know that everything in Texas is done on a large scale, so you would be forgiven for thinking that landscaping in the Texas Style would necessitate a huge garden.

It is perhaps easier to carry out your landscaping in the Texas Style in a bigger garden, but it just depends how you go about it.

The first things to remember are that Texas is very hot and so the terrain closely resembles wilderness. Plants and shrubs are thin on the ground, so to speak. Landscaping in the Texas Style is what you could call minimalist gardening.

You will have to make use of every square inch of your property, if you only have a small plot and the climate will have to be fairly warm in the daytime although it is good if it gets cold at night. This will allow you to grow many of the plants that thrive or at least grow in Texas. One good thing about Texan flowers is that when they do blossom, they really do show a lot of colour.

One of the types of plant that you are certain to have success with is the cactus. There are many types of cactus, so you should not have too much trouble finding several kinds that will grow in your garden in order to create a Texan dry climate look, as long as it does not rain every other day where you reside.

Cacti yield spectacular flowers when they bloom, but they have big thorns, so if you have young children, the Texas Style garden may not be for you for a few years yet.

Once you have your plants sorted out, you can begin looking for accessories. You can pick up ideas from the old cowboy films and from magazines, but a few recommendations are: a chow wagon style barbecue area with a canvas hood; some broken wagon wheels; a well, functioning or not (it could even be a fish pond that looks like a well); boulders and wooden fence posts.

Boulders are usually overlooked by gardeners but there are some fascinating stones, boulders and rocks in all sorts of shapes and colours. Boulders with fossils in them are great conversation starters. Smaller rocks can be used to create a rock garden and this will increase the range of plant life that you can grow in your Texas Style garden. You will be able to plant succulents, small cacti and other small plants that often grow in this harsh environment.

Lighting should be low and subtle so that you can see the stars at night. You could even have a camp fire with log seating or you can accomplish this look by using low powered solar lighting. Solar powered lighting will also save you from having to have an electrician wire up your garden.

When you have finished landscaping in the Texas Style, do not forget to get pleasure from it by eating outside as often as you can. Barbecues, steaks and Texmex food are the order of the day.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few topics, but is now concerned with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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The Benefits Of Athletics

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Gymnastics is probably not being taught enough in our schools, but there a lot of advantages to practicing gymnastics. It is fairly obvious that gymnastics will improve physical condition, but there are psychological and emotional advantages too. If you begin learning gymnastics in school and if you like it, it could also supply you with a job.

There are quite a few exercises that the novice gymnast can practice, whilst gradually adding more difficult trials as the gymnast’s body becomes more and more supple and fit. This is a quite slow process, but it is a highly worthwhile one.

Learning how to raise one’s goals slowly but surely is very good for the mind and physical stamina. Stamina is more practical in daily life than strength, although gymnasts have to be strong as well.

This continuous improvement and sense that you can do something that most people cannot is very good for confidence. Children, particularly girls, frequently lack confidence, so practicing gymnastics would help bring them out of themselves.

If the youth goes in for competitions like representing the school or the town, they will meet many strangers in a safe situation which will further enhance their confidence and social skills, This is an area that numerous other children find a problem until they are over fifteen years of age.

The young gymnast might even get taken abroad to compete or compete against visiting foreign teams. Making foreign contacts like this and maybe keeping in touch by letter or email with a gymnast friend from the other half of the world will widen the child’s horizons significantly.

Increasing one’s degree of skill and competence necessitates planning by the athlete and his or her coach. When the blueprint to success has been though out, the gymnast will be expected to stick to the goals they have made together. Learning responsibility like this is a very worthwhile thing for an adult let alone a child. The child will learn self-discipline in training, diet and exercise.

Gymnasts are also judged by people they frequently do not know and in quite a public way. Many people would resent this type of public criticism and find it a problem to bear, however the gymnast must learn to take the criticism as it was meant – not as an attack, but as a useful tool for advancement. This is another difficult lesson to learn for a lot of the general public.

It is easier to conceal oneself in a team. If a football team loses a game, some might blame the defence and some might blame the forwards, but if it is only you on the mat, everything that is said is about you and only you. This hurts in the beginning, but it is character and confidence building when you realize that not all criticism is intended to hurt. It can be used to your advantage too.

If the student gymnast really likes gymnastics, he or she may go far in more senses than one. Even gymnasts that are not the best get to travel, take part in competitions abroad and take sponsorship. After all, not every firm can afford to sponsor the top athletes, most are happy to sponsor a pretty decent athlete who works hard.

If you make it to this stage, your advice will be sought after and there is a career waiting for you once you are too old to take part in competitions yourself – you can pass on your knowledge to other youngsters as their coach.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on lots of subjects, but is now involved with London Olympic dates. Click a link to find out more 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

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Cruises On The High Seas

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Are you planning a really special holiday? Say to celebrate a extraordinary event like retirement or an anniversary? If you are, then you really must add a cruise to your shortlist of vacations to research more.

A cruise is a very extraordinary type of vacation, because you get to visit a number of locations and even a number of different countries over the length of your holiday.

It is a very peaceful type of holiday because you have nothing to do except enjoy yourself between destinations. You do not even have to pack and unpack between destinations because your hotel takes you to your port of call not a bus or a car. Normally, the cruise liner has already docked when you wake up for breakfast.

After breakfast, you can opt to go ashore or not, as you like. Usually, the ship will have a few tours you can choose from or you can go it on your own. You are told what time to be back on board, say 19:00 hours and whilst you go down to dinner, the liner will weigh anchor and head for the next port of call.

This routine will be repeated each day, but at another port, although you do get a ‘day at sea’ on some cruises. This is not a bad thing as it allows you to spend all day relaxing and enjoying the motion of the ocean. Most cruise liners have lots to do during these days at sea.

Nearly all liners will have a cinema and special interest classes or lessons, some of which are led by guest celebrities. For example, you might be interested in learning about wine. Well, there is usually a wine appreciation class on board or you might want to learn some of the history of the next port of call, especially if it has connections to an ancient civilization.

Food figures large on cruises. On my last cruise, we had: breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, high tea, dinner and a midnight feast. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were comparable to five course meals, but really you could just consume as much as you wished. In between the meals, there was room (or cabin) service.

Food was included in the cost of our cruise, but you had to pay for alcoholic drinks, although they are free too on all inclusive cruises. Luckily, cruise liners also have gyms, swimming pools and deck sports to help you endeavor to keep the pounds off. I was unsuccessful at that and I gained two pounds for each week of the voyage, which I am told is around average.

After dinner, there is usually a cabaret, a piano bar and a night club going on somewhere and if you can remain awake, you can normally visit all three dos to find out which one suits you the best that evening. For me it was cabaret, night club and last drink in the piano bar before going to my cabin.

The bunk was always turned down with a sheaf of papers on my pillow explaining about the next port and the excursions available, which could be booked any time of the day or night over the cabin phone. I would go again tomorrow.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with cruises to St Croix. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

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Eliminating Garden Pests

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Gardening would be a lot simpler without interference from garden pests. The majority of garden pests are small, but they sure are a big hassle. The the majority of widespread garden pests are insects, of course and it is a curious thing that these insects are apt to prosper in conditions that are not quite correct for flowers. Most garden pests do not actually live on the plants themselves, they live in rotting rubbish nearby or in sodden soil and go to the plant to feed. Some insects live in the roots if the soil is too wet.

So, one of the first things to do is to try to lessen the number of destructive insects in your garden. You can go a long way down this route by clearing away any old decaying rubbish and decayed wood. Make certain that your soil is well drained and keep cats out of your garden by squirting them with a water pistol until they get the idea. Cats discourage birds and many birds eat insects.

You should also support insects and other animals that feed on garden pests. Ants can be a nuisance, but they do feed on a lot of insects. Ladybirds do too and so do spiders. Larger animals such as frogs, toads and lizards eat loads of insects, so a small open-ended garden pond could be created to breed frogs and toads. Lizards will come on their own, if the conditions are right.

It is worth taking active steps to encourage the right sort of garden animals. Never use powerful insecticides on your garden as you will destroy all the insects that are on your side as well and the spray may poison the earthworms that are helping to aerate and dry out your soil.

A small pond will encourage birds, frogs and toads, but frogs and toads also like a nice rock to shelter under during the day. Place a couple of rocks the size of a loaf of bread around your garden in the shadow of trees or bushes. Set up a bird table. Birds that feed on bread and nuts do not usually eat insects, but some do. However, the sight of other birds in your garden may encourage insectivores to come in and have a look.

There are fundamentally two types of garden pests: the ones that actually feed on the plant and the ones that suck the sap out of it. Caterpillars can be picked off and destroyed of or you can spray the leaves that are being eaten with a poison for the caterpillars to feed on. Many of the sap-suckers can be seen easily, others cannot. A solution of washing-up liquid and water such as you use to wash dishes will kill the majority of of these including greenfly (aphids).

Slugs and snails do a lot of harm, but some birds including chickens and thrushes find them a delicacy. Chickens can be helpful allies in a garden, but they can be destructive too with all their scratching. Otherwise, you can reduce the population of slugs and snails by killing their eggs.

They are apt to lay their eggs in decomposing leaves or rotting compost, but not in compost heaps which are normally too hot for them, so a good clean up will eradicate a lot of the next generation.

You can kill the adults by placing a few low containers of beer by your plants. The slugs will drink the beer and drown. It is extremely efficient. Slug pellets should kill the t-totallers off. Taking these actions will greatly reduce the number of garden pests attacking your plants.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with exterior wall lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

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