Spring into Lawn Mowing

Written by Lillian & Dave Brummet


Ahh. Spring arrives withrepparttar beautiful twittering of birds preparing their nests forrepparttar 113292 unborn. What - can't hear them? The low rumble of lawn mowers not only drowns out natures' symphony, but also disturbs skittish wildlife and sleepy neighbors.

According torepparttar 113293 Environmental Protection Agency, some older gas-powered lawn mowers produce in one hour as much air pollution as a new car does in 11 hours. Lawn mowers newer than 1996 have to comply to new exhaust emission standards, which is a fantastic place to begin. However, these standards are not yet satisfying forrepparttar 113294 health ofrepparttar 113295 world.

Gasoline-powered mowers produce a cut that results in greater water loss and increased disease problems in lawns. Although many are now made with 4-stroke engines (much less polluting than 2-stroke engines), they still produce emissions.

There is a returned interest in push mowers due to environmental awareness of gas engine pollution and electricity use. Typically, crowded cities are resulting in smaller lawns, reducingrepparttar 113296 need for large, heavy mowers. Push mowers are light and easy to operate and, being much smaller, take up less storage room and do not pollute. These mowers are actually quite cheap and many stores are rising to meetrepparttar 113297 increased consumer interest. We have read that 7-blade models are considered better than 5-blade models.

There are other choices onrepparttar 113298 market than electric, push and gas lawn mowers. There are solar-powered models, too. We read of one featured in Omni magazine that operated on its own, travelingrepparttar 113299 entire lawn area duringrepparttar 113300 day and resting at night. It looked to be aboutrepparttar 113301 size of a vacuum power-head. Apparently, a special fence is used to keep it withinrepparttar 113302 lawn boundary and there is a built in alarm to prevent theft.

How to grow Chocolate Cosmos

Written by Linda Paquette


Love Chocolate? Here’s How to Grow Chocolate Cosmos

Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguinea) is both nose and eye candy for your garden. When it’s in full bloom, mature blossoms on long, slender stems look like candy kisses on a stick and fillrepparttar late afternoon withrepparttar 113291 sweet scent of vanilla tinged chocolate. New blossoms hugrepparttar 113292 foliage ofrepparttar 113293 plant, nearly concealing it with their numbers! Add to thatrepparttar 113294 sweet chocolate fragrance and you end up with something very special.

Although chocolate cosmos is endangered inrepparttar 113295 wild, transplants are easily found at most nurseries and garden centers inrepparttar 113296 spring. However, gardeners who are inexperienced in how to grow chocolate cosmos may overlook what seem to be small, messy tangles of miniature dahlia leaves, unaware that once established, prolific blossoms nearly concealrepparttar 113297 foliage. Once in bloom, chocolate cosmos blossoms continuously throughoutrepparttar 113298 summer intorepparttar 113299 first frosts of autumn.

If you’re planning a gothic garden, chocolate cosmos isrepparttar 113300 plant for you. Sometimes referred to as black cosmos, dark maroon blossoms are so deep in color that they appear brown/black in late afternoon and evening.

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