Overwintering Pond Fish

The metabolism of koi and goldfish is controlled primarily by water temperature. As the water cools, pond fish require less protein in their diet. When koi and goldfish are fed high-protein food in cool water, the excess protein is excreted as ammonia from the gills. The microscopic organisms that make up the biological filter (and consume ammonia) also slow down in cooler water.

Improper seasonal feeding can lead to a build-up of toxic ammonia, which stresses fish and reduces their winter survivability. When the water temperature drops to approximately 65° F, start feeding with Spring & Autumn Pond Food. This type of fish food is better suited for the dietary requirements of pond fish in cool water and won''t pollute the water with excess ammonia. Some water gardeners continue to feed their fish until they no longer come to the surface. I stop feeding my pond fish when the water falls below 42° F.

There is no need to worry about "frozen fish" if a section of the pond is at least 18 inches deep. Pond fish will seek the deepest part of the pond and over-winter there until the water warms in the spring. If your pond is less than 18 inches deep, the fish may freeze during a harsh winter. Check with your local pond supplier if you live in an area with harsh winters.

Some water gardeners with shallow ponds attempt to keep their koi and goldfish in kiddie pools or aquariums set up in a cool basement or garage. This is not recommended because of the extra stress involved in netting, transporting, and re-acclimating the fish to the new environment.

However, if you dont have a choice, and need to bring your fish inside for the winter, be sure to have an aquarium air pump or small fountain to provide oxygenation. The fish should be fed infrequently, if at all, depending on the water temperature. pH, ammonia and nitrite, which should be monitored weekly and especially if the fish are fed.

Small water changes (20%) each month will keep the water in good shape until spring. Koi are "jumpers"-so be sure to cover the pool with bird netting!

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'Overwintering Pond Fish, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Overwintering Pond Fish plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Lazy Fish Worries

If your fish hang out at the bottom of the pond, or act restless and lazy, then it''s likely that your pond is suffering from poor aeration.

When oxygen levels drop below 7 PPM it not only affects the ability of your fish to breathe, but it also negates your pond''s bio filtration systems. That''s because optimum bio filtration results require large quantities of air. When bio filtration degrades it results in the buildup of toxic ammonia levels. This, in return, causes stress in your fish which can result in lethargy and even death.

Your immediate first aid calls for increasing oxygen levels at once. Unlike chemical treatments, you can''t cause any problems by putting "too much" oxygen into your pond. The easiest way to maintain oxygen levels is to run an aeration pump 24 hours a day. If you are already doing that, and your oxygen levels are still too low, then either your pump is defective, undersized for the pond, or your water temperatures are so high that the water is not capable of retaining sufficient oxygen. Treat whichever of these conditions exist.

Once you have cured the oxygen generation system problems, its time to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and pH. It''s also a good idea to test for total alkalinity and hardness. Adjust any levels that are out of normal ranges using pond additives that are designed for each problem.

If you found multiple problems, or suspect that you have a general water quality issue, then you should commence a daily changing of 20-40% of your pond''s total volume until you have turned the water over twice. Of course, you need to use chlorine-free water. After you have turned the water over twice you should perform all of the tests that I wrote about earlier and make any required adjustments.

If your fish do not recover, or you are experiencing kills, then you may have a parasite or other health problem. Check our article archives for potential solutions.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'Lazy Fish Worries, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Lazy Fish Worries plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Funniest Pond Stories-Part 1

Get ready for some gut-wrenching, laugh out loud hilarious pond stories from all over the world...

(Continued from May Issue of PondStuff!)

We had some hilarious, truly gut wrenching, laugh out-loud stories sent in by some of you. Here we''re going to highlight some of the funniest stories for you to read.

We had entries from all over the place (Inluding one all the way from THAILAND!) The competition was fierce, and to be honest - I had a really hard time deciding on one ''funniest'' story, but here''s a brief rundown of our entries: cats, dogs, and bunnies (?) all taking the Nestea plunge right into the water, a hungry KOI nibbling in dangerous territory, a missing flip flop, an electrifying experience for grandma, fun for the whole family, fish frape, and flying fish to boot!

First, let''s start with this very funny story about ''Smokey'' - who apparently thinks he can walk on water. This was sent in by Mike Lachance from Maryland:

Funny Pond Story #1

"I wish I had a photo to share of this very true story but any ponder with cats has likely had the same experience at some time or another. Several years ago, when I was enjoying the second season of my first pond (I have now built four as I''ve moved around), one of our cats, "Smokey", who was a natural hunter in her prime, saw a mockingbird alight on a lilly pad to get a drink of water. Well, old "Smokester" slowly crept out from under some day lillies and made a spectacular jump with all four paws majestically carrying her like a flying squirrel, right for that intruding bird.

It is not as though she had not already had a couple of encounters with the water but that day the feathered treat must have been too much for her to pass up. Well, both my wife and I were there to see her make a wonderful belly flop into the pond.

Of course, the bird was out of the way in plenty of time and I swear that that cat walked on her toes the five feet it took her to get out of the water! And of course, after removing herself from the water, in a very nonchalant manner, proceeded to lift each leg, shake off the water and as much as say "I meant to do that, you know".

Smokey often spent time at the pond later, using her tail to attract the fish (she would put it in the water and swish it around and the fish would come up to explore it. She never did catch one). She also loved to sit at the waterfall and enjoy the water moving past her. So that is my funny pond story.

=== Funny Pond Story #2

"Dear all at McArthur,

My funniest pond story is about my late aunt, who introduced me to the joy of backyard ponds. Donna had a large koi pond in her backyard that she devoted endless amounts of love and attention to. As happens with most ponds, spring brought some uninvited guests...in this case frogs. One evening Donna was working on the pond, checking the cantankerous pump and filter system, and using her net to skim out leaves and what not that had blown in.

My 80+ plus year old grandmother was supervising the work and offering her expert opinion on how to proceed. They were amazed at the number of frogs that had taken up residence, and not too happy about it. Donna noticed a frog swimming at the far side of the pond that she wanted to get out...something was not quite right about the way he was swimming, and she pointed him out to Grandma. "Mom, look at that frog swimming on his back!" Grandma was a bit skeptical...frogs doing the back stroke were a phenomenon that she was unfamiliar with.

She advised that this misfit should be removed immediately. Don''t want to give the other little froggies strange ideas. Donna made several attempts at scooping the miscreant up with her net, but he was just out of reach. Only one thing left to do. Roll up your shorts and wade in after him. The answer to Mr. Frogs strange swimming technique became painfully obvious as soon as Donna reached his immediate vacinity....a faulty under water light had shorted and electrocuted him! Donna didn''t need her electric rollers for a few days after that!"

Enecia Sabroff

Funny Pond Story #3

"Hello----My husband recently bought a beagle puppy, at this time he was 8 weeks old. My husband also bought two almost, semi-tame rabbits to help train the puppy to track rabbits. At this time I only had one pond that was preformed 550 gallons, my husband put one of the rabbits out to platy with the puppy, the rabbit was teasing the puppy, running a little ways then jumping over his head, then the rabbit decided he didn''t want to play anymore so he started to run from Bear (the puppy), and he dove into the pond. We were thinking that Bear would go around the pond to the other side and continue chasing the bunny, but Bear just dove right in, he was so little though that he had to be rescued from the small backyard pond. My husband''s only response was "he''s going to be a good rabbit dog!" Well, thanks for listening to my story. Sincerely, Roberta Collins Toledo, Ohio

Funny Pond Story #4

"A story to share...

Two years ago I started with the crazy idea of building a small pond with koi fishes. After a lot of working I finally built it, and decorated it with all sort of plants. One day... mi female cat "Manchita" went to the pond to examine this new construction. She went to the border, jumped on a flat stone and starter to drink water. To her big surprise one of the fishes , possibly thinking that the white nose of my cat was food, jumped out of the water, trying to eat it.. Can you imagine the surprise of the cat ? I believe that the fish was also quite impressed with the experience. My cat almost fell into the pond , .. and from then on she never went around the pond again. She used to watch the pond from my dorm, located in the second floor and just across the pond. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of this "accident". I am sending you a pictute of this first pond; in the meantime I did build another, larger one. Unfortunately "Manchita" is not around any more, she passed away a few month ago, from old age.. This story happened in Valdivia, a city located in the south of Chile. In this country winter is approaching, with lots of leaves falling from the trees an the plants in my pond preparing themselves to sleep for a while..." Maria Fresard

==

Funny Pond Story #5

"I have two ponds. An upper and lower pond. The upper pond is fed by a waterfall with the source being the lower pond (driven by a pump). The lower pond is fed by an overflow of the upper pond that flows underground for about 70 feet (12 in drain pipe). Last summer I rescued some trout fingerlings from a seasonal stream going dry near my home. I put them in the lower pond. This spring I was sitting in my kitchen and could see something flopping on my water fall. The trout had migrated up the overflow tube and were trying to swim further upstream via the water falls. No so funny but does show the strength of nature. Just a few weeks ago, Egrets found the pond and the fish.

There is nothing left to migrate at this time. Not so funny but does an Egret taste anything like a turkey when cooked?"

Tom Gegenheimer

==

Funny Pond Story #6

"We have only had a pond for a short time ... details can be seen at http://thailand4life.net/smithgarden/

The funny story must include the workmen (in Thailand) who took zero safety precautions when constructing the pond.

Watching guys shovelling concrete from a lorry and spreading it across the bottom of the pond ... when the footwear they had was just ''flip-flops'' resulted in great entertainment .... especially when. several times, the flip flops came off and were lost in the cement somewhere (eventually found while they walked around bare footed) .... pictures at

http://thailand4life.net/smithgarden/images/large/DSC03062.jpg
http://thailand4life.net/smithgarden/images/large/DSC03070.jpg
http://thailand4life.net/smithgarden/images/large/DSC03060.jpg

Strangely it was only the guys .... the women laborers all wore Wellington boots .... maybe this reflects on which of the sexes is really the most sensible?" Regards, Chris

==

Funny Pond Story #7

"I am building a pond at this time and I was in the process of building a waterfall in the corner of a fence. The waterfall is about 3 feet high and 7 feet wide. I thought I was finishing up the waterfall with some flat rock on the very top. So I straddeled thewaterfall with my knees on the second ledge and set the flat rock on top. When I did this the whole waterfall fell down because I build it on blocks and not a pile of dirt.

When it fell one big rock caught my foot and I slide down the fall and fell backwards into the pond going all the way under and had a couple of big rocks come down on me. Meanwhile my wife is laughing her butt of at me and I asked her to help me out she slipped on the flat wet rock that surounded the ponds edge and half way fell in with me.

Now my two boys were playing in the yard they are 5 and 3 and saw this happen to us and they thought it was time to got swimming so guess who jumped into the pond with us, the boys. Nothing like having the whole family in on the pond. We laughed for awhile but then I had to rebuild the whole waterfall again and this time I put the top rocks on from the side."

Robert H Coppa Jr.

==

Funny Pond Story #8

I decided 300 gallons would be perfect. I did all the math and spent a great deal of time working with more experienced ponders. Somehow when it was all said and done my little 300 gallon pond ended up being 810 gallons and come to find out it was yet another one of my mathematical errors. Guess I should have paid more attention in that college level math class required for my Associates, right.

We got the pond all up and running but because of the miscalculation we now needed a bigger pump to feed the waterfall so I went to our local water garden supplier and asked which one to get. Budget was a concern so it was recommended that we got a ¾ HP submersible pump that cycles 44 gallons a minuet. It was only $70 in comparison to the $170 one that was its comparative alternative so? we went that route. $70 dollars later we had a working pond with a beautiful waterfall! I was so excited I could hardly wait to get fish.

Again budget was a concern so we went to the local pet store and picked up $50 dollars worth of fish, about 8 fish. 4 large gold Koi, some yellow and a blue Koi. The color excited me so much I never considered what would happen when the fish became comfortable in their new home. The swam around investigating for a day or two then started to come up missing. I had it figured that they were hiding or that a cat was getting fed to well but I never figured it was something I could have done. It was the pump? the intake valve on the pump was to large and the fish were getting to close and being sucked into the pump though the motor pushed down the hose into my waterfall.

While this is not a funny story, I must have cried for 3 days, I wanted to share it because this is the one thing I never read anything about in all the 6 weeks of reading I did on the web. I can chuckle about it now with a ''I can''t believe I didn''t think of that'' thought.

Had I known this was possible I would have done something to prevent it by caging in my pump or spending the extra $100 to get the right kind of pump.

Hope someone else can save a Koi by my blending experience.

Thanks,

New to ponds and already thinking of making it fish free!" Sheri Furr

==

Well that''s it for this year''s ''Funniest Pond Stories''... Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'Funniest Pond Stories-Part 1, May 2004, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Funniest Pond Stories-Part 1, May 2004 plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds

If you think that a large pond is simply a small pond that "grew up", you''re in for some pond maintenance problems. Let''s start off my defining the terms that we''ll be using here. A large pond is anything over 1,000 gallons (5,000 liters). A pond that holds over 4,000 gallons (20,000 liters) is a very large pond.

Large ponds require a whole different level of financial and time committment than small ponds do. You''ll need larger and more efficient pumps and filters as well as the additional plumbing that those devices require. You''ll probably also spend a lot more for plants and fish as well as higher maintenance costs for those plants and fish.

Your building and maintenance costs are dependant, to a great extent, on how deep your pond is. A 6'' deep pond, for example, calls for a large and highly-specialized biofilter which uses a lot of electricity and requires a pretty hefty chunk of space for installation. You''ll need extra UV power and some sophisticated plumbing including bottom drains, skimmers, valves, and the like.

Of course, you always have the option of letting your pond go "au natural" and develop into a self-maintaining ecosystem just like a real pond. If that''s your goal, don''t go for a 6'' depth. Natural ponds will be more cloudy than a filtered pond and it''s likely that you''ll never see your fish!

Even a natural pond will require some help from you before mother nature kicks in. You''ll still need to condition the water, and remove chlorine, before fish are introduced. You''ll also want to have lots of plants both for natural shelter and temperature regulation as well as for their oxygen-generating characteristics.

If your pond takes root and begins to develop naturally then you''ll actually end up saving quite a bit of money on fish food. A natural pond generates and attracts a lot of natural food sources and it''s likely that you will never have to feed your fish at all.

Don''t skimp on testing just because your pond is developing naturally. You still have threats of fertilizer and pesticide runoff entering your pond, and you still need to worry about keeping oxygen levels up and water temperatures down. You''ll also want to examine your fish periodically for signs of parasite infestation.

Keeping a large pond can require an inordinate amount of time and money. My best advice is not to build one unless you are willing to do your part in keeping it.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Introducting KOI-Cam!

This is a project I''ve had on the back burner for many months now, but now it''s finally ready!

We rigged up a wireless camera and aimed it at the KOI pond here, directly where my KOI get their daily feedings. To check it out right now, visit www.koi-cam.com.

Right now, it''s just a snapshot that can be updated by hitting your ''refresh'' button on your browser - but soon we''ll have it available as a streaming video feed.

The KOI get regular feedings at the times listed on the website. check out my new auto-feeder called ''Koi-Cafe'' also shows at www.koi-cam.com. This feeder is run by battery, and also comes with a solar panel for re-charging the battery! It''s not hooked up yet, but it''s still pretty amazing.

The feeder makes sure that my hungry little underwater pigs get all the food they need to grow large and healthy. Plus, we''ve just added some new fish recently, right out of Charles Lewis'' (President of The Tropical Koi Club of South Florida) personal collection. We''ll be having a photo tour of Charles'' pond very soon - he''s got some beautiful show koi in his 10,000 gallon pond.

Charles has also written a couple interesting articles on Water Quality and how to avoid ''New Pond Syndrome'' which you can read at the KOI FLA website here: www.koifla.com

Or you can access the article direcly here: http://www.geocities.com/koifla/New_Pond.htm

We also welcome your comments about KOI Cam! Feel free to email us at newsletter@macarthurwatergardens.com with your thoughts and feedback.

Stay tuned for more KOI-cam announcements...

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'Introducting KOI-Cam!, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Introducting KOI-Cam! plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

How To Choose Water Garden Plants

So. The water garden bug has bitten. You''ve dug and leveled and sweated and said words you hope that no one else has heard. Now it''s time for the fun part ? picking out your water garden plants!

Plant varieties within these four categories are what you need to eyeball: deep-water, marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (If you think these words are big and weird, just thank your stars we''re not talking medicine.)

After you''ve diligently planted your babies in plastic tubs, pans, or clay pots, packing the fertilizer- and chemical-free soil down tightly, load the container down with pea gravel to keep the soil from floating away. (Don''t ask why this works, but it does.) Plunk your prize into the water at the appropriate depth (You''ll read about that in just a minute, so hang on to your hat.) and you''re on your way!

Plant-dunking should be done during the growing season. Wait four or five weeks for the water plants to do their thing before you add your fish. If you just can''t hold your horses, er, your fish, for that long, you can jump the gun a couple of weeks, but the idea is to let the plants first get established.

When picking your plants, you''ll no doubt be wowed by water lilies of the tropical persuasion. These aquatic wonders lord it over their hardier cousins with knock-out fragrance, big blooms day or night ? depending on the variety ? and a habit of blooming their little hearts out nearly every day during the growing season. They love their warmth, though, so unless you live in a year-round, warm-weather climate (in which case, you are used to being hated and has absolutely nothing to do with this article), be prepared to hasten them into a greenhouse or at least muster up enough moolah to buy them some "grow" lights to tough it out through the winter. They will definitely bite the dust at freezing temperatures, but give them night-time temps of at least 65F and daytime temps of 75F or warmer, and your love affair with tropicals will only grow that much more torrid.

Hardy water lilies, while not the showboaters that tropicals are, are . . . well, hardier. Their big advantage is that they can stay in the water year ''round unless it freezes so deeply the rootstock is affected. And being the tough guys they are, you can plant these puppies deeper than the tropicals, some living it up in depths of 8 to 10 feet.

Both hardy and tropical water lilies are real sun worshippers. At least 5 to 10 hours a day is what it takes, along with regular fertilization, to keep these plant pals happy.

Everybody and their brother with a water garden wants a lotus plant. (Sisters, too, no doubt.) These water-lily relatives come in hardy and not-so-hardy strains, so make sure you know what you''re buying. Much bigger than water lilies, lotus have huge, famously splendid blooms that not only will knock your socks off, but make you forget you have feet altogether. Their leaves and seed pods are so breathtaking, they''re a favorite in costly cut-flower arrangements. Big, bold, and beautiful, with water-depth needs of 2-3 feet, these shouters are really better off in big ponds that get plenty of sun.

Marginals (sometimes called "bog" plants by those less high-falutin'') are grass-like plants that strut their stuff in shallow areas no deeper than 6" that border the water garden. They also do well in mud. Cattail, bamboo, rush, papyrus, and many other plants fall into the family of marginals and grow best with a minimum of at least three hours of jolly old Sol.

Some plants are there but not seen, working stoically under water and without fanfare to fight algae, oxygenate the water, and provide food for fish. (In lieu of these plants, if your pond is small, you can fake it fairly adequately with an aquarium pump.) Easy on the wallet, varieties of these plants can be bought in bunches and like their soil sandy and/or gravelly. Like hardy water lilies, they, too, will warrior it through the winter.

Water hyacinths have become a recent rage, especially for the lazy among us. No soil is required for these beauties. Toss them in the water and they''re "planted." A water hyacinth ain''t just another pretty face, though; these plants do their part in the war against algae and blanket weeds by keeping sunlight scarce on the water''s surface. But one note of caution: This plant may take over the world if allowed. It''s invasive as all get out, so keep it under control or you (and your neighbors) may wish you''d never laid eyes on it.

A water garden isn''t a garden without plants. Take your time, know your climate, and choose wisely. Your rewards will be great in return.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com, and Pond-Filters-Online.com.

He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE ''New Pond Owners Guide'' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************', 170, 'How To Choose Water Garden Plants, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'How To Choose Water Garden Plants plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Landscaping of Hindu Religious Places

Traditionally Hindu tepmples were located either on hills or forests or river banks.In ancient times, the temples were constructed in such locations faraway from human habitations for providing a calm, peaceful and pleasant environment and also for ensuring a close bond between man and nature.Hindu temples are generally associated with trees such as Ficus benghalensis, Ficus Religiosa, Aegle marmelos,Azardirachta indica, Temple tree, Bauhinia spp, etc, Herbs such as Vinca rosea, Nerium spp etc.The gigantic trees like ficus spp and some other trees are closely associated with temples since time immemorial.The mixed fragrance, the flowers and the leaf litter on the ground gives a pleasent experience to a pilgrim or tourist.

But contemperoray gardeners and landscapists fail to appreciate this aspect while attempting gardening at these places, which have become tourist and mass pilgrimage centers in modern times.Most contemporary gardeners design symmetric gardening with huge lawns and tiled floor sorrounding the tree bases.The representation of trees is very poor in comparision to the lawns and plants.

Assymmetry should be the rule while designing landscaping near these temples.The asymmetric garden should have abundant representation of Tree species such as Ficus, Neem, Wood apple,Alexandrian laurel, Jack Fruit, Mango atc spread in a random manner.

The most depressing aspect of modern temples - they do not have space for gardening at all, leaving such, whereever there is enough space for gardening, care should be taken not to tile or concrete the entire floor touching the tree bases! scientifically too the tree base should have enough soil sorrounding it either to water or manure and for aeration.Apart from these the soil sorrounding or that beneath a tree has its own microclimate that supports particular flora and fauna.Let only the footpath be tiled while keeping the floor untiled to the maximum extent possible.

Small patches of herbs like Ocimum, Vinca, Jasmine can be grown for the daily usage of pilgrims needs for praying to the god.Another beautiful attraction to the temple garden can be artificially created pool for growing nelumbium spp which is considered the flower associated with gods.

Lawn grass be selected such that the grass species be tolerant to tree shade,and avoid designing open lawns with few plants..try to intersperse the lawn with trees randomly planted in between.

The asymmetric style and a large representation of trees is ecologically significant as these support and house numerous birds and other organisms.Birds like parrots, cuckoos, woodpecker and occassional monkeys, squirrels all add to a natural feeling and oneness with nature.

Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur (Kaikaluru), Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The famous Kolleru bird sancturay, a fresh water lake that attracts birds from as far as siberia, is located near Kaikalur. Having spent the childhhod close to such nature rich areas, a deep interest and love for nature were inculcated right from child hood.Having done masters in agricultural science, This emotional bonding took a scientific and logical enquiry making scientifically and emotionally in sync with the cause of nature.

Visit http://www.geocities.com/uravikumar for knowing about kolleru lake ..

Contact me uravikumar@yahoo.com', 170, 'Landscaping of Hindu Religious Places, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Landscaping of Hindu Religious Places plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Beauty With Indigenous Species

A garden a serves a man''s every day need for s refreshing and pleasent experience.We have to appreciate that the garden serves as a home not only to the trees and plants that appear, but is a home to lots of small and big creatures of animal kingdom. Thus a garden is a conservatotory in these modern times of fast industrialization and increasing threat to ecological balance.

Thus a gardener has to keep in mind the need for aiding ecological balance or nature conservation when designing or planning or restructuring a garden.

In India, garderners (government and private) show a strong tendency for planting exotic species (totally foreign species or exotic to that particular microclimate, as seemingly they beleive that exotic species are attractive.Yes every thing new is attractive and indigenous species look ugly as our eyes got used to them.This tendency for exotic plants and trees either in gardening or largescale social forestry is atrocious and gives no regard for the essence of nature conservation and ecological balance that these gardens can serve for!

A indigenous plant or tree supports numerous other soil flora and fauna, birds and other animals through various ecological relations.An exotic plant or tree on the other hand, while not supporting the flora and fauna of that particular area, may actually have a deteriorating effect!

An example in India is the blunder of planting eucalyptus species for social forestry purposes.Eucalyptus has been given a great promotion by late Mr.Sanjay gandhi decades back as it seemingly required less water and grows fast, evenwhile giving some economic output in the form of timber and pulp.

Eucalyptus could have been selected for the afforestation in the areas where it is a naturally occuring species and will have some ecological relations establishes in the microclimate of that area.But planting this in areas where is is completely new.

Another grave blunder which is being practiced till day is, plantation with eucalyptus after clearing indigenous forest areas for the purpose of quarrying or mining purposes.In thiis case, the animals and other flora and fauna will be severely affected as indigenous species of that particular forest are replaced by eucalyptus and the area supporting their food and shelter requirements gets compressed and increases interspecific and intraspecific competetion. In these cases of reforesting the cleared forests, a mix of the existing species can be used for plantation.These species may not be economically rewarding like eucalyptus or grow fast as eucalyptus or any other exotic species. But they have lot of ecological significance and cannot be valued monetarily. More ideally the cleared area has to be filled in with mud from the existing forest so that the microclimate of the forest is replicated and helps the cleared area to gel uniformly in course of time.

Moreover the indigenous plants or trees survive in the natural rainfall and hence need no additional inputs.

I just gave an example of Eucalyptus, as it is widely planted in India, the similar is the case with unjudicious use of many other exotic plants.

I am not against exotic plants in general, but it has to be avoided when going for large scale plantations.In gardens they can be monitored well and can be accomodated 10 percent.Let the remaining 90% beauty be attined from indiginous species.

I request the readers not to get confused with what i mean indigenous or exotic.By indiginous i mean that belongign to a particular microclimate or small area with in a district or state or a country.By exotic we mean a plant not naturally occuring in that particular area or micro climate.

I hope that enthusiastic readers, gardeners, forestry people will further this discussion.

Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The famous Kolleru bird sancturay, a fresh water lake that attracts birds from as far as siberia, is located near Kaikalur. Having spent the childhhod close to such nature rich areas, a deep interest and love for nature were inculcated right from child hood.Having done masters in agricultural science, This emotional bonding took a scientific and logical enquiry making scientifically and emotionally in sync with the cause of nature.', 170, 'Beauty With Indigenous Species, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Beauty With Indigenous Species plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Gardenscape On A Shoestring

Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn''t necessarily true. You can design a breathtaking garden and be the envy of the neighborhood by following some of the following tips.

Know What You Like and What Works

Drive around your neighborhood and see what''s out there that grows well in your zone. You can jot down what you see on index cards, so they are organized and handy. Start gathering page clippings from magazines and collect some pictures of the designs that interest you. This can help you decide what garden style you like. You''ll have an easy reference for plants and placement too.

Select Location and Color

Next, look at your notes and clippings and choose the color scheme you''d like to have in your garden. Don''t forget to keep in mind if you''re designing and planting in shade, sun, or partial shade or partial sun. Are you looking for something bright and vibrant or something more calming and soothing? Consider starting with a foundation of shrubs and accenting with some perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, and annuals for more seasonal color. Perhaps, you want all flowers. Decide on a shape that complements your house style. Straight styles give a more formal appearance while curves give a more informal feel. If you don''t feel confident selecting colors, you can use a color wheel to help pick contrasting and complimenting colors.

Budget and Create a Plan

Decide how much you are able to and want to spend on your new garden. Do you want to start with a foundation and add to it gradually? If so, start with purchasing your most expensive plants and shrubs first. Use these as a focal point for your garden. Start watching for sales and discount plants at garden centers and nurseries. Tell everyone you know that you''re starting a garden and would love it if they could give you divisions of their perennials or seeds they have saved from their garden. Let family and friends know that you have a wish list of plants that would be the perfect gift idea. If you have access online, do a search for seed swaps. Many gardeners love to help a new gardener. Many are willing to send seeds for the cost of postage or will trade for something else that you may have that they are looking for. A great resource for free items is http://www.freecycle.org Look for a group in your area, join the group, and post letting the group know that you would be interested in garden plants and seeds. You may get lucky and find that a member of the group has already offered some plants up for grabs. Don''t forget to ask your local garden club when they are having their sales too. You can also start some plants from seed yourself. Many seeds are very easy to direct sow and a little can go a long way.

Here''s a partial list of easy to grow seeds:

Candytuft
Asters
4 o''clocks
Sunflowers
Pansies
Violas
Impatiens
Dianthus
Larkspur
Salvia
Cupid''s Dart
Morning Glories
Moonflowers
Zinnias
Calendula
Marigold
Cosmos
Sweet Alyssum
Bee Balm
Poppies
Nasturtium

Don''t forget if you decide to sow into containers, there are many inexpensive containers such as yogurt containers, milk jugs, egg cartons, and plastic ice cream buckets. You can also call your city and see if they have free mulch available. Don''t hesitate to strike up conversations with your neighbors while you''re out for a walk. You never know, the topic of gardening may come up and they might be more than happy to offer you some seeds or divisions.

Design Away

Now you''re ready to design. You can sketch out your idea beforehand. Keep the following in mind as you design.

Scale- Judge the size of the area and choose plants that aren''t going to be too large, too wide, or too small for the area. Keep in mind the plant''s size when it''s met it''s mature growth.

Balance-Don''t place your plants where one area is too compacted with plants and another area is too airy. Try and achieve a good balance of small, medium, and large plants. Balance offers visual stability. It can be created with space between plantings or the visual weight of your design. This can be created with lines so that your garden is pleasing to look at from all angles.

Focal Point- Your focal point will be the area that your eye is drawn to first. This can be your prized flowers, tree, or shrub.

Rhythm- This is visual flow. The eye wanders throughout the entire garden design, but comes back to the focal point. It can be achieved with repetition and contrast.

Harmony-Unity- This is when plants have a way of appearing connected and a part of one another. This can be achieved with color, texture, groupings. Unity is lost when your plants look too separate or your color choice makes one plant look lost amongst the rest.

Color- Color impacts the entire design process. Use a color wheel if you don''t feel confident selecting colors that go well together.

If all of this is too confusing and overwhelming, check out some garden catalogs. Many have suggested designs. It''s also best to place your containers out and arrange and rearrange where you want to plant them before you start digging.

Accessorize (Homemade Garden Art)

To add some interest and whimsy to your garden, consider some homemade items or trash to treasure works of art. Ideas such as making your own stepping stones, garden markers, terra cotta bird baths or toad houses, painted rocks and pavers, and fun wind chimes are simple projects that can add a lot of interest to your garden area. Look around for unique items you could add to your garden such as milk cans, wooden chairs, ladders, tricycles, wagons, trunks, roofing shingles, mailboxes, or even dressers. The sky is the limit on what you can create. Use your imagination.

There you have it and you didn''t have to hire a pro, spend thousands of dollars, or take years to achieve a pretty garden. You won''t be a new gardener for long. Soon, it will be you sharing starts, cuttings, seeds, divisions, and tips.

Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the Editor/Publisher of http://www.FrugalVillage.com and http://www.HomesteadGarden.com Visit both these sites for information on getting back to basics through frugality, gardening, lost arts, simplicity, homesteading, and natural family living.', 170, 'Gardenscape On A Shoestring, Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping-Gardening articles, Landscaping-Gardening information, about Landscaping-Gardening, what is Landscaping-Gardening, Landscaping & Gardening Information', 'Gardenscape On A Shoestring plus articles and information on Landscaping-Gardening

Understanding Air Purifiers

Purchasing an air purifier can be confusing, and you do get an awful lot of information thrown at you when you visit the different manufacturing websites, don''t you? How can you tell what''s what, and why do we need air filters anyway? And how do air purifiers work? Is the air really that bad? Haven''t we been breathing the same air for thousands of years?

Yes and no. First of all, we''ve been breathing the same air for thousands of years, but we live in a symbiotic relationship with the plants around us ? that is, we rely on each other to survive. We breathe oxygen to live, and give off carbon dioxide. Plants exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen, effectively "exchanging" the air in a healthy relationship with us. This makes plants the first primitive air purifiers on earth, and explains why scientists are so concerned about the ecological balance on earth and the need for the survival of rain forests and plants ? they ensure our own survival as well by preserving oxygen in our atmosphere.

Nature cleans the air in other ways as well ? ozone (positively charged oxygen molecules) is generated by waterfalls and thunderstorms. Ozone also cleans impurities and particulates from the air naturally.

The Industrial Revolution and Air Quality

The industrial revolution made great strides in everything but air quality. In fact, pollution such as emissions from automobiles, smog and pollution from everyday chemicals like cleaning fluids, carpeting and paints enter the air every day. In industrial settings, air purifiers clean the air before it is released into the atmosphere in order to meet government requirements.

Today''s homes are also more energy efficient and cost effective, but to get there they have become much more "closed in." When they are this sealed up, indoor pollutants are shut in so that today''s homes are actually two to five times more polluted than outdoor levels! Obviously, air purifiers are essential to improving indoor air quality to combat the effects of this stale, recirculated air.

Beginning in the 1980''s, medical practitioners began to take note of the direct link between poor air indoor air quality and the increased incidence of conditions such as asthma, allergies and recurring colds and upper respiratory infections. The development of a variety of improved, scaled-down air filtration systems for in-home use soon emerged.

How the Main Types of Air Purifiers Work

One of the most commonly used type of air purifier is also one of the first developed, and is used in most hospitals and clean rooms. This is the HEPA filter.

HEPA Filters

During the Manhattan Project in the 1940''s, the Arthur D. Little firm developed the first HEPA filters in order to filter out very small particles that had become contaminated by nuclear radiation in atomic bomb testing areas. It was during this initial development that the HEPA standards were set at 0.3 microns, which could effectively capture condensed radioactive iodine.

The filters at that time were called "absolute filters," and not called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) until the filters were marketed in the 1950''s. Today these filters are used by hospitals, surgical wards, biopharmaceutical research labs, micro circuitry labs, and the aerospace industry for their exceptional ability to control dust and particulates.

HEPAs remove 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns or larger. For even more intense filtration, there is an ULPA, or Ultra-HEPA filter, which filters out 99.99% of contaminants pass through the filter.

Obviously, something has to draw the air through the filter, and with HEPA filters this is a motorized fan. This can make them noisy, which makes them an annoyance to some people. A HEPA filter will need to be replaced every 12-18 months, depending upon how it is used and the interior environment of your home. For instance, if you have pets, especially cats or dogs that shed a lot, you may need to change it more frequently because of the dander. If there are smokers in the house you will also need to change your air filter more frequently to ensure proper filtration.

However, for overall performance, nothing filters out or eliminates more particulates than a HEPA filter, so it is a matter of balancing cost, sound preference and convenience against your relative needs when choosing the right model of air cleaner for your home.

Ozone Air Purifiers

Ozone is created in nature by everything from waterfalls to thunderstorms, and is responsible for that fresh, clear smell after a heavy rain or storm has passed. It''s nature''s way of cleaning the air. Ozone air purifiers essentially do the same thing indoors by artificially mimicking the natural process that creates ozone.

Ozone molecules exist in the air all around us, and will react with any particles they come into contact with, but are very unstable and tend to exist in small quantities for short periods of time.

Ozone air purifiers work by using electricity to generate more ozone molecules, which have one more oxygen (O3) than we normally have in the air (O2) around us. Since ozone is highly unstable, one of the oxygen atoms is always inclined to break away and find another molecule to bond to. This process causes a chemical reaction which destroys odors and germs in the air and then converts what is left of the molecules into harmless oxygen and CO2.

There is some confusion between ozone air cleaners and ionic air cleaners, but there are some differences. With an ozone air purifier, the ozone that is released into the air will be unstable and cause a reaction that will alter and destroy certain germs, viruses, bacteria and molds. It does not, however, have a collection plate where dirt or grime collects.

Ionic Air Cleaners

An ionic air cleaner also uses electrical charges to alter oxygen atoms in the air, like an ozone air cleaner. But unlike an ozone cleaner, an ionic air cleaner will rid the air your breathe of dust and pollen as well.

Ionic air cleaners negatively charge the air particles in a room, which will cause a magnetic attraction to occur. The positively charged particles in the air, such as dust, pollen and pet dander, will naturally be attracted to these and they will "cling" to each other, creating a sort of magnetic bond. Particles that form into bonds like this become too heavy to remain suspended in the air and fall to the ground, where you will no longer be able to breathe them into your system.

Vacuuming and regular dusting can get rid of these particles. In today''s ionic cleaners, there are also fans that move the room air over negatively charged metal collection plates that the positively charged particulates will stick to. These can be regularly cleaned by simply wiping them with a soft cloth.

Electrostatic Precipitators

The original electrostatic precipitators were huge monsters used to control pollution emissions from industrial plants. The waste by-products of a plant were sent through large chambers that were charged by electrodes that acted as enormous collection plates to attract the oppositely charged waste products (such as dust, lead, sulfur, fly ash and other hazardous chemicals) from the materials passing through, filtering out all harmful materials. Periodically, the precipitators would be "tapped" so that these materials could be dumped from the chambers into disposal units.
Home electrostatic precipitators also work on the theory of using a negative charge and a positive charge to collect and retain particulates, however, the charge takes place within the air purifier itself rather than in huge chambers, and the dust and particulates are captured on metal filters that can be removed and cleaned or replaced, getting rid of the need for a separate collection chamber for the particulates.

Electrostatic Filters

With electrostatic filters, a small static charge is created that attracts airborne particles as they go through a filter, capturing even those particulates which are too small too be captured by the relatively loose weave of the filter itself. Because of the looser weave, the air flow in an electrostatic filter is very good, but the filtration is very effective because of the electrostatic charge.

These filters do have to be carefully maintained and cleaned at least monthly, and should be replaced every year for peak effectiveness. As the filters do become dirtier, the air flow will become less efficient.

Finally, there are systems that combine two or more types of air purification system. While these are usually more expensive, they can be worth the price if you are looking for the best possible combination of features. For instance, an air purifier that will kill viruses and bacteria like an ozone air purifier, but will also effectively filter out dust and dander with a HEPA filter.

About the Author
Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer. Right now she knows a little bit about almost everything and a lot about electrical air purifiers, HEPA air cleaners, and whole house air purifiers. Her own home is polluted with several hundred books, pet dander and roving bands of teenagers.

', 160, 'Understanding Air Purifiers, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'Understanding Air Purifiers plus articles and information on Home-Improvement

Clearing the Air on What to Look for in an Air Purifier

If you are dedicated to improving the indoor air quality of your home, you''re aware that there are certain steps you need to take to reduce the amount of allergens and airborne particles. Two of these, source control and ventilation, you may have already addressed. But the third, finding a good air purifier, can be confusing if you aren''t sure what to look for in this type of home appliance.

Fortunately, once you understand the basic types of air cleaners and how they work it becomes easier to select the right style of air purifier for you and your family. There are also organizations like the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) who review and certify air purifiers annually using a standardized testing and ratings system to make it easy for you to compare different models to one another.

What Kinds of Air Purifiers Are There?

• Ozone Air Purifiers These release small amounts of ozone (positively charged oxygen molecules) into the air to reduce airborne pollutants. They also are very effective at reducing odors, and will sometimes give off a fresh, sharp scent rather like the odor after a thunderstorm.
• Electrostatic Air Purifiers These use static electricity to draw airborne particles to the filters contained in the unit. The particles stick to the filter. (Who knew something so annoying could be so handy?) When the filters are full, you throw them out and replace them. These are usually used as a furnace filter or as a pre-filter component on some other type of air purifier (such as an ozone or ionizer system).
• Electro-Static Precipitators Similar to an electrostatic purifier, these also use a static charge, but there are no filters to throw away. Instead, two metal plates create two opposite electrostatic charges. These attract airborne particles, including dust, smoke and pollen, to one of the plates. When the plate is coated, you can remove it, rinse clean and use it again.
• Ionizers These release a magnetic charge into the air that will cause airborne particles to stick to the filter.
• HEPA Filters HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters, and are designed to remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants as they pass through the filter. Trapped germs die from lack of moisture, making them ideal for operating rooms and electronic labs. HEPA filters are sometimes added to an existing system such as your heating and/or air conditioning unit.

Each of these types is good for different situations, and you can also find many air purifiers that combine two or more methods for greater efficiency. More important than the particular method you choose is how effective it actually is. No matter which kind you have or how much you paid for it, if it isn''t doing the job, you''ve wasted you money.

How Do I Know if the Air Purifier I''m Considering Will Do the Job?

There are two things to look for any time you shop for an air cleaner: the MERV and the CADR. These are ratings developed to help you compare one brand and style of air purifier to another, regardless of whether they are ionizers, electrostatic, or ozone, and get an idea of their relative efficiency.

What''s a MERV?

MERV means Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed a range of numbers to help consumers compare filters. The higher a MERV number, the better a filter performs.

A filter generally has two features that will be important to you: how quickly the air can flow through it and how well it filters out pollutants. The higher a MERV number, the more dense the filter and the more particulates it will capture.

Okay, what''s a CADR?

We mentioned CADR earlier, and it is the most important rating to look for overall. It stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate, and is exactly what it sounds like ? it tells you how quickly it will circulate clean air throughout the room, filtering all of the air through the filtering system once. Currently, twenty-nine manufacturers of air purifiers list their CADR rating on their packaging so that you can easily compare them to each other.

You should look for an air purifier with a CADR number that is equal to about two-thirds the size of the room you will be using it in. For instance, if you have a 10'' X 15'' room (150 square feet), then you should get a purifier with a CADR number no less than 100.

If you get a rating higher than you need, you will simply have your air cleaned even more quickly and efficiently, but if you get a rating lower than recommended, the efficiency won''t be there and the air purifier will struggle.

There will actually be three CADR numbers: one for pollen, one for tobacco smoke, and one for dust. For the best results, use the number for tobacco smoke, which is the smallest particulate in the ratings system.

But What About Cost?

Obviously cost is an issue to most of us ? if we were made of money, we''d simply hire someone to come in and sterilize our homes and install whole-house air purification systems, hire daily cleaning teams, have someone follow the dogs around sucking up the pet dander....where were we? Oh! Cost!

The cost of air purifiers can vary widely, and it''s a bit surprising to note that you can''t always judge the value of an air cleaner by its cost. There are several things to consider when you buy one that will impact your decision. While you may pay less for one over another initially, operating costs and accessories can add up over time, making some systems much more expensive in the long run.

Filters If you choose an air purifier that uses paper or fiber filters that are disposable, be sure that they are HEPA filters. These are 99.97% efficient for dust and mold spores and well worth the cost. Anything less is throwing money away. Also check to see if you can order replacement filters in bulk for a discounted price.

Plates An air purifier with cleanable plates may cost more initially, but figure out the cost of filters over a few years'' time and compare. Will you save money by paying more up front and cleaning the metal plates rather than worrying about the filters?

Operating Costs Always try to find out what the estimated operating costs will be. What does the manufacturer estimate the monthly electrical usage will be? Will the air purifier run constantly or will it cycle?

Extras If you have someone in your family who is particularly sensitive to environmental changes, such as a migraine sufferer, you may consider some extras such as a programmable ozone monitor, worth the extra money in order to prevent sensitivities being triggered.

With so many excellent air purifiers on the market and the Internet available as an excellent information resource, there''s no excuse not to invest in improving the quality of your home''s air. It''s a relatively inexpensive way to cut down on colds, respiratory infections, asthma attacks and a host of other health problems by allowing everyone in your house to breathe easier.

About the Author
Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer. Right now she knows a little bit about almost everything and a lot about electrical air purifiers, ozone air purifiers, and whole house air purifiers. She is a reformed ex-smoker and regularly offends people by sending them outside to smoke.

', 160, 'Clearing the Air on What to Look for in an Air Purifier, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'Clearing the Air on What to Look for in an Air Purifier plus articles and information on Home-Improvement

Top Ten Air Purifier Questions

1. Do I really need an air purifier in my home?

It depends on several factors, including your own comfort level and what the indoor air quality is in your home. There are several factors to take into consideration, however.

First and foremost, many health organizations agree that indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air quality. In fact, for many people, indoor allergens and irritants such as dust, smoke and pet dander may be two to five times as bad in their homes as outdoors!

There are several indications that you may benefit from an air purifier in your home. Reasons to get an air purifier include:

• Allergy symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes and runny nose
• Itchy, dry skin or frequent skin rashes
• Asthma or other breathing problems
• Being or living with a smoker
• Owning indoor pets
• Mold or mildew in your home

2. Do all air purifiers clean the same kinds of pollutants from the air?

No. Although all air cleaners clean certain particulates from the air, there are differences in what and how they clean. Some remove dust and particulates such as pet dander and smoke very effectively, while others will actually eliminate bacteria, viruses and molds and mildew. But very few will do all of these things, so be sure to read the article Understanding Air Purifiers for a more detailed outline of what each type can and can''t do to improve the air quality in your home.

3. How do I know what size air purifier to get for my home?

Actually, most air purifiers are designed for individual room use rather than for the whole home. Unless you have an air purifier or air filtration system that has been installed on your heating or air conditioning unit, you should get separate units for each room or living space.

The reason you need separate units for each room is because effectiveness is affected by air flow, and walls mean no air circulation. Each room will need its own unit.

To determine what size you need, look for the CADR number. This number indicates the Clean Air Delivery Rate, which should always equal at least 2/3 the total square footage of the room you will be using the air purifier in. For example, a 10'' X 12'' room has 120'' square feet, and needs a purifier with a CADR number of at least 80.

4. What is Ozone and is it safe for indoors?

Ozone is a tasteless, colorless gas made up of three oxygen atoms. It can be found in the upper atmosphere and is naturally produced by thunderstorms during electric discharge.

It is perfectly safe indoors if kept at acceptable levels (between .02 and .05 parts per million), just like many other type of naturally occurring gasses that aren''t harmful to us at certain levels. Ozone air purifiers have been developed to produce the correct amount of ozone to purify the air without reaching harmful levels.

5. How often will I need to change or clean the filter in my air purifier?

It depends on several factors, including how large the room is and what type and size of air purifier you have. Some will need to be changed or cleaned monthly, others more often.

It is very important to check your filter regularly and follow the recommended schedule the manufacturer suggests, since the efficiency of the air purifier relies on proper maintenance.

6. What exactly is a Micron?

A micron is a measurement of the size of a particulate in the air. One micron is 1/25,400 inch (roughly 100 times smaller than a single strand of hair). Obviously, a micron is far too small to be seen. For the purpose of choosing an air purifier, most types are considered very efficient if they can filter airborne pollutants to .3 microns.

7. How much should I pay for an air purifier?

It''s very hard to determine what you should spend on an air purifier, because price doesn''t always guarantee quality. Doubtless you should be willing to spend enough to get a high-quality product, but protect your investment by making sure your air purifier comes with a warranty.

When buying an air purifier, also take into account the cost of any replacement filters and the electricity to run the unit.

8. Will an air purifier be noisy?

An air purifier with a fan in it will have some noise. HEPA filters, for instance, have fans to pull the air through the filter itself, although improved casings and quieter fans have been developed for noise reduction.

Ionic and ozone units don''t usually have a fan because they use an electrostatic charge or ozone, so they are completely silent. If they combine their technology with a filtration system or a fan to boost air circulation over the plates, their will be some sound, but this will be minimal and these fans may be shut off when you wish.

In general, the noise level of even an air purifier with a fan is low enough that it isn''t intrusive.

9. What rooms should I put an air purifier in?

The rooms you use the most are the most important rooms for air purifier use. Your living area, such as a family room or den, should have an air cleaner, especially if you have allergies or pets that are in the room regularly, or if anyone in the household smokes.

Bedrooms are also a good idea, since allergies and irritants can disturb our sleep. Clean, fresh air has been proven to produce more restful sleep and reduce night breathing problems while sleeping such as stuffiness, post-nasal drip and night coughing.

Finally, consider getting an air purifier in the bathroom, where odors, mold and mildew are prone to linger. An air cleaner in here can not only make it fresher and more pleasant, but reduce the amount of mold and mildew in the air so that your bathroom will be less of a breeding ground for germs.

10. Where in each room should my air purifier be located?

For any air purifier, it is most important to locate it near the most activity or traffic flow so that there is plenty of air circulation around the air filter. This will increase the air exchange rate and make the air cleaning more efficient.

With a HEPA filter, it is best to locate it near an open area to ensure air movement all around. For an ozone air purifier, you should try to locate unit higher rather than lower, since ozone molecules are heavier than oxygen and will tend to drift downward. The same logic applies to ionic air purifiers, which release charged particles into the air.

If your air purifier unit is relatively portable and you have someone in the room who is a heavy smoker, move the air purifier a bit closer to him or her if this is practical (and if it won''t mortally offend them!). You may also want, on occasion, to move the air purifier to a specific room when you have a particular odor to get rid of (you burned dinner, etc.).

About the Author
Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer. Right now she knows a little bit about almost everything and a lot about electrical air purifiers, ozone air purifiers, and whole house air purifiers. She is a reformed ex-smoker and regularly offends people by sending them outside to smoke.

', 160, 'Top Ten Air Purifier Questions, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'Top Ten Air Purifier Questions plus articles and information on Home-Improvement

The Benefits of Radiant Heat, Comparison

What are the Benefits of Radiant Heating and how do they compare to other heating applications?

You maybe be considering radiant heat to install into your existing or your new home but don''t quite understand the advantages or the differences between heating applications? Well we would like to inform you of the benefits and the comparisons to other heating applications available.

Some of the benefits of radiant heat are:

Comfort: Let your bare feet soak up the warmth of soothing heat without the dust and noise associated with other heating sources. Enjoy evenly distributed heat throughout your home kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and basement.

Custom Designed: Whether for supplemental floor warming, or total space heating, every system is custom designed to fit all rooms independent of their shape or size. These systems will heat under any surface including marble, slate, carpet, hardwood and tile. The compact Control Box will hang on the wall of your garage or in a utility room. No heating vents or ducts will be seen, and no furnace or boiler is required.

Perfect for Remodeling and Additions: The simplicity of the low voltage heating element makes this system incredibly easy to install in your remodeling or room addition application. No floor buildup is necessary and no additional construction costs are incurred. The unique heating element can also be installed in between floor joists to heat an existing floor or room.

Safe: So safe, in fact that nails, water, and even touching the heating element during operation will have no harmful effect! You will have peace of mind while loved ones play as the systems are tested to UL standards and run on worry-free, low-voltage energy (8 to 32 V.).

Reliable: The solid-state heating systems are virtually maintenance free and the heating element is backed with a 25 year industry-leading warranty. With no moving parts and advanced self-diagnosing technology, there is no need for yearly maintenance or service checks.

Efficient: Radiant heat is the most efficient form of heat available. Significantly less operating time is required to maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other radiant heat systems, keeping operational costs to a minimal. Low-voltage radiant heating systems run 98% to 100 % efficiency at any elevation as they evenly heat every area of the room.

Convenient: Our accurate thermostats allow you to easily adjust the floor or air temperature of your space heating or floor warming system. You also have the option of programming the exact time of day you want your system to operate. Simply relax, enjoy the comfort, and know that your system will work for decades to come.

So lets compare to other heating applications. Radiant Heat versus other applications:

Radiant Heat vs. Hydronics at a Glance

Both electric and hydronic radiant heat systems have certain advantages for specific applications. The following highlights the advantages low voltage radiant heat systems have:

A Boiler Room is required to run a hyronic radiant heat system. A 17"x12"x7" Control Unit is required to run low voltage radiant heat system.

Gypsum or concrete slab is required for installing a hydronic system. It is estimated that it costs approx. $4.00 or more per square foot to install a hydronics in-floor heating system than it does to install a in-floor heating system.

The ZMesh heating element is installed directly under the floor surface without any floor buildup. The 12" wide ZMesh is rolled out over the area to be heated then nailed and/or stapled to the wood subfloor.

Electric radiant heat warms your floors evenly because it uses 100% of the system''s energy. A hydronic system, however, heats the floor less the further away the hot water gets from the boiler (see illustration below). Hydronic systems use only 65-85% of the system''s energy. At higher elevations, electric radiant heat still is 100% efficient, where as hydronic systems are even less effective than at sea level. *For a complete diagram please refer to http://www.warmquest.com/radiant_hydronics.html

Radiant Heat vs. Hydronics at a Glance:

A room with floor Radiant In-Floor space heat will have a very uniform temperature from the ceiling to the floor. Heating a basement floor is the ideal application for our radiant heat systems. If you''ve lived in a house with forced air, you can crank the heat up, but the basement floor are still chilled. Installing a floor warming system will add comfort and warmth to your lifestyle.

A room heated with a forced air furnace will have cold floors and the warmest air at the ceiling. Although the air may be heated, the floors will be chilled and uncomfortable, especially for children playing on the floor. *For a complete diagram please refer to http://www.warmquest.com/radiant_air.html

WarmQuest.com is the only online Radiant Heating supply store where you can actually gather information, formulize your needs, get a free estimate, and order online. Customer service is readily available for any information and free estimates are available either online or over the phone. To receive a estimate visit www.warmquest.com or call at 1-888-239-1232.', 160, 'The Benefits of Radiant Heat, Comparison, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'The Benefits of Radiant Heat, Comparison plus articles and information on Home-Improvement

Are Showers Harmful to Your Health?

The last thing you would think about when you are taking a nice, refreshing shower is, "Am I jeopardizing my health"?

Chlorine is used by many municipalities to disinfect their water supply.

Unfortunalely, according to many health experts, chlorine has been linked to breast, bladder and colon cancer.

If chlorine is so bad, why do they continue to use it?

It''s a matter of economics.

Chlorine is probably the cheapest way to disinfect water.

When I first read about this, my first thought was, "I don''t drink the water in the shower, so what is there to worry about"?

What I didin''t know was, our skin can absorb 7 - 10 times more chlorine than from drinking water that contains chlorine.

When showering, chlorine can vaporize and form chloroform gas, which is inhaled, affecting those with respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitus.

Showering in chlorinated water can also cause excess drying of the skin and hair.

Does this mean we should stop taking showers?

No!

There is an easy solution. Using easy to install shower filters will alleviate the chlorine problem.

Not only will you be able to shower without the worry of the bad effects of chlorine, you will enjoy the benefits of softer, smoother skin and hair that is less dry.

Ed Bishop is founder and president of Enhanced Living Inc., a Troy, NY-based design-consulting and contracting company. contracting. Trained in the "House Is A System" approach to HVAC design. He was formerly a building analyst instructor, providing certification training for New York''s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program

Go to http://www.expert-air-purifier-reviews.com', 160, 'Are Showers Harmful to Your Health?, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'Are Showers Harmful to Your Health? plus articles and information on Home-Improvement

Buying the Right Garage Door Opener

If you have recently built a new garage you might be having a difficult time deciding on the right garage door opener. It is certainly something that seems simple at first. Once you start looking around you will find there is allot of choices. Here is a buying guide to help you along.

There are three different types of door openers. There is chain driven opener, belt driven, and screw drive openers. This might sound a bit confusing so lets sort this out.

A chain driven garage door opener is great for heavy doors. A common type of garage door is now wooden. This is a perfect place to use one of these. Chain drives are usually built with a more powerful motor. They are also very rugged and handle different weather conditions well. The downside is that they are noisy. Although, noise isn''t as big of an issue as it once was.

Screw drive openers have been around for along time and are very common. They typically work buy having a lifting mechanism that moves along a threaded steel rod. These are quite powerful and come in variety of different horse power motors.

The last type of door opener is a belt driven model. These can be very useful if you don''t want much noise. If there happens to be a bedroom near you may want to consider one of these. The belts do have a tendency to wear out a little fast then the other types of models. Belt driven openers typically don''t have the power that the others have either.

So there you have it. You should have the basics of what kind of a garage door opener that will suit the needs of your garage.

Tyler Casselman runs the site Garage Door Openers Guide', 160, 'Buying the Right Garage Door Opener, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information', 'Buying the Right Garage Door Opener plus articles and information on Home-Improvement