2011 October

Archive for October, 2011

Halloween Ideas

Posted on: October 28th, 2011 | No Comments

Will you be celebrating Halloween this year? Perhaps you would like to cook up a few small treats or tricks for when people come knocking on your door or for your guests, small or large should you be having a party.

With Halloween not simply about carving out a pumpkin nowadays, there are numerous ideas and suggestions to help your party go with a swing and to keep the ghosts and ghouls rocking well into the evening.

Halloween Ideas

Should you be planning a party for friends or loved ones, a gazebo supplies a perfect solution whatever the weather. Regardless of cold or wet conditions, a gazebo will give ideal protection and by choosing carefully from the range of gazebo’s the Garden Furniture Centre has to offer, your Halloween party will go off in style.

You may wish to take into consideration your choice of picnic table if you are planning an alfresco party. They provide an ideal way for people to relax and revel in the fun, and a great variety of tables exists including traditional style picnic tables made from teak, round picnic tables with the capability to seat anywhere up to 12 people, or for something more contemporary how about a triangular picnic table?

Needless to say any evening spent out in the autumn will certainly be a little on the chilly side, and with Halloween the chances are you may feel a chill down the spine greater than any other October evening. Why not ward off bad spirits and keep at bay the cold by using a fire pit, which will offer warmth and help to generate a nice atmosphere to help keep the party going.

Halloween Recipes

Whether you are enjoying a Halloween get together for yourself, with your friends and family or maybe for your children and their friends, an autumn barbecue gives you one of the few remaining chances to get out in the garden and enjoy it before winter sets in.

Scary Baby Back Ribs

Rub

• 2tablespoons kosher salt
• 2tablespoons paprika
• 4teaspoons granulated garlic
• 4teaspoons pure chile powder
• 2teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1teaspoon ground cumin

4racks baby back ribs, each 2 to 2-1/2 pounds
4medium chunks of hickory wood, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Barbecue sauce

• 3/4cup apple juice
• 1/2cup ketchup
• 3tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2teaspoons soy sauce
• 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1teaspoon molasses
• 1/2teaspoon pure chile powder
• 1/2teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4teaspoon ground black pepper

Frightening flaming chicken skewers

•    1habanero or Scotch bonnet chile pepper
•    1cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
•    1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
•    4scallions (white and light green parts only), roughly chopped
•    6medium garlic cloves
•    2tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
•    2tablespoons granulated sugar
•    1tablespoon fresh lime juice
•    1tablespoon ground allspice
•    2teaspoons kosher salt
•    1teaspoon ground black pepper

With this in mind how about investing in a Weber BBQ, which offers you the opportunity of cooking in style regardless of who you are cooking for. With a wide range of gas BBQ’s available, the Weber range offers something to select from for everyone and the smile on your face will certainly be as wide as your carved pumpkins as you enjoy your autumn cooked BBQ.

With any evening time outdoors you may wish to consider a patio heater to help keep your guests warm and comfortable. Patio heaters can be found with gas or electric powering them and there is plenty of choice to suit all budgets and tastes. From free standing LPG gas patio heaters through to electric wall heaters, which can offer an immediate heat source when switched on.
Whatever the weather conditions make sure your Halloween is fun and enjoyable. Your pumpkin should be carved nice and fresh, here’s a great tip to leave you with. If you would like to preserve your pumpkin to make it last longer smear the inside of it with Vaseline, this will help to seal the moisture in.

Have a Happy Halloween!

For the above and further great BBQ recipes:www.weber.com/grillout

Autumn In The Garden

Posted on: October 21st, 2011 | No Comments

Great Products for Autumn

As summer melts into autumn along with the first indicators of colder weather developing, now is the ideal time to prepare for the winter months, whilst at the same time taking advantage of what autumn has to offer. In spite of colder weather being upon us, we can still get out in the garden and in doing so take enjoyment from our efforts out there.

Garden Furniture Covers
With colder weather as well as the likelihood of frost anytime soon, now is a good time to be looking to invest in garden furniture covers for outdoor furniture you are unable to store indoors.

Good garden furniture covers offer water and UV resistance and will be manufactured from heavy-duty polyester to keep the worst of the winter weather out. Look for additional items such as pull ties that help to hold covers securely. The Large Round Suite cover provides protection for furniture sets up to 1.8 metres including 8 chairs. Manufactured with taped seams, this cover set offers high protection against water ingress and UV resistance.

Patio Heaters
As the temperature drops, for the more hardy amongst us the opportunity to spend time in the garden or on the patio still remains if you have a source of heating such as a patio heater. Patio Heaters offer a wonderful source of heat making any patio area more intimate on a cold dark evening.

The impressive stainless steel constructed gas driven Edelweiss patio heater offers 13kw of heat to warm the coolest of evenings for friends and family alike. Alternatively if you are looking for an electric patio heater, a Heatwave Wall Heater offers the option of never having to worry about running out of gas and simply at the flick of a switch you have heat whatever the weather.

Garden Fleeces
It is definitely worth considering a garden fleece for the more vulnerable plants or shrubs as you start to put the garden ‘to bed’ for the winter. Garden fleeces comes in a variety of sizes and shapes and offers frost protection for plants by creating a warm and insulating platform through trapping air, which is converted into warm air. Daylight and water are able to pass through allowing growth. A garden fleece such as the Mega Fleece are available in sizes up to 2.4 metres x 2.0 metres. Fleece covers are also available featuring animal faces offering protection against frost and winter conditions, whilst introducing a bit of fun into the garden.

Outdoor Fireplaces
At the end of a hard days gardening, nothing can be better than relaxing on the garden furniture and enjoying the last of the Sun before it disappears and dusk gives way to the dark evening. If you are looking for a little additional warmth to prolong your evening, why not consider some form of outdoor fireplace. Firepits offer a great solution for autumn entertaining providing warmth to any garden setting.

The Autumn Steel Fireplace is great for those kinds of evenings and even comes with a cooking grill, perfect for jacket potatoes! With the ability to produce heat from all sides, and castors for easy movement, the majority of outdoor fireplaces are the ideal addition for any autumnal garden setting.

Parasol Heaters
If you are looking to spend more time in the garden, a parasol will help to offer protection against the cold, and when partnered with a Parasol Heater of some description, these help to extend your time outside.

Parasol Heaters bring heat and in some instances light to your outdoor area. By fixing directly to your parasol the Heatwave Parasol Heater offers instant, silent, odourless heat offering the perfect reason to spend more time out in the garden during the autumn evenings.

With autumn in full technicolour, it is a great time to get out into the garden and enjoy the ever-changing colours of trees, plants and shrubs. At the end of the day when your work has been done, take a little time to relax and make the most of your outdoor area before winter truly sets in.

Snow Shovels

Posted on: October 17th, 2011 | No Comments

Do you recollect the wintry conditions last year, and just how difficult it was to get anywhere? The majority of people were somewhat ill prepared for the amount of snow that fell, and the range of equipment and ideas that were utilised to clear the snow and ice were endless, and most not very good! From people using cardboard to clear freshly laid snow, through to boiling water from kettles and table salt to remove ice most appeared to be reasonably unsuccessful.

But using a little forward thinking and planning may well avoid this kind of situation happening this year, if forecasters are to be believed with their talk of another harsh winter to look forward to. With a vast range of snow shovels now available for clearing snow from paths, drives and patios there are many different types of snow shovels for sale, with different styles to suit almost any condition and budget.

Snow Clearing Equipment

Snow Shovels and Ice Breakers are designed to reduce the hazard you face when wintry conditions hit, by giving you the correct equipment to clear snow and ice effectively.
An Ice Breaker is not expensive to buy, but is simple to use and very effective. Designed to break ice and compacted snow, they are perfect if the snow around you has been left and trodden in. Ice and trodden in snow can be particularly dangerous, and so by utilising this tool, you can help to remove the imminent danger of slips and falls quickly and easily. Once an Ice Breaker has been used to break it all up it can be simply removed with the aid of a Snow Shovel.

Plastic Snow Shovels come in a wide range of sizes and shapes dependent on the job they are expected to do. From a simple budget Aleco Snow Shovel through to the top of the range Alpinus Snow Shovel featuring a thermal protective shaft cover and aluminium shaft, a snow shovel offers an effective efficient solution to keeping areas around your home or business snow free! With such a wide range of Snow Shovels available it is worth considering a couple of points before you finally decide on which shovel you think is for you.

Think about how big the Snow Shovel is you need. Some Snow Shovels are very large and whilst offering quick snow removal they can prove to be a little too heavy for some people. Wide shovels are too wieldy in certain areas around the home, on paths or around the vicinity of the car for example. Size is important, however sometimes a smaller shovel will suffice for some conditions.

Snow Shovels come with a variety of different handles from simple wooden handles to aluminium shafts with covers on. Make sure you can comfortably hold the handle and the shovel feels balanced in your hands.

This year as winter appears on the horizon the motto has to be, be prepared. By investing in an ice breaker and a snow shovel early you can be sure you are as prepared as you can be.

Get Out and About This Autumn

Posted on: October 10th, 2011 | No Comments

Autumn is arriving early this year, so October is looking good for exploring our seasonal delights, just like those I found at Westonbirt in the above picture. The recent spell of unseasonably warm weather means leaf colours will be much richer, whilst also allowing a last hurrah for late summer flowers in the borders. If you don’t do anything else, release your inner child and find a good pile of dry leaves to kick your way through this month. It’s a great way to have some fun and get rid of stress! You may also like to consider some of the following ideas…

With around 300 gardens, the National Trust is sure to have a garden or estate near to you which is well worth a visit and their website will direct you to not only to which gardens are looking at their best, they also have plenty of autumnal activities on offer to suit all members of your family. Readers in Scotland will also find properties and events to explore via the National Trust for Scotland website.

The RHS is celebrating a Taste of Autumn this season and if you watched the Gardeners’ World special on TV recently, you’ll know there’s plenty to see at each of their gardens at Wisley, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr and Hyde Hall respectively. Each garden has its own distinctive features to explore and is a good way of gaining plenty of ideas for your own garden.

Autumn is also a season of fungi and apples and both are worth exploring this month. If you’re nervous about eating the wrong thing, then a fungus foray is a fun way of making sure your feast is delicious not deadly. Your local Wildlife Trust (as well as the National Trust) should have several opportunities for you to explore this autumnal treat.

October 21st is designated as Apple Day and Common Ground is the best place to find all the activities on offer in your county. Typical events will include apple and cider or juice tasting, apple identification, fun activities like apple bobbing and possibly a little authorised scrumping!

If you’re considering an apple tree for your own garden – and they make a fabulous addition irrespective of your garden’s size – then these events are a great way of finding a variety to your taste with the added bonus it’s most unlikely to be found in the shops. October is also the perfect month to place your tree order to ensure you get the one(s) you want before stocks run out.

Where’s your favourite place or event this autumn?

Key websites for you to explore:
National Trust or RHS Gardens – for details of all four RHS gardens
The Wildlife Trusts – from here you can find your local wildlife trust and events

Bird Feeding

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 | No Comments

With bird species reducing since the 1970’s due to environmental changes the household garden is now an important area for birds to come and find food loosely or through a bird feeder. We can do our bit by supporting them and of course enjoy the visits from the many different species of these beautiful creatures.

Bird Feed

Peanuts are widely available for easy use in a feeder loose, or as a cake. Both are particularly suited for the autumn and winter months for attracting small garden species.

Sunflower seeds available in different varieties offer a popular option. Whole black sunflowers are a great basic bird food whilst sunflower hearts provide higher energy food. Mealworms are ideal for birds with hungry chicks as these offer plenty of protein.

Nyjer seed also known as thistle seed are high-energy seeds rich in essential oils making them ideal for the winter months. Finally, suet pellets offer high-energy food for ground feeders and bird tables during the winter months.

Bird Feeding Stations

Bird feeding stations are available in a diverse variety of shapes, sizes and materials dependent on the species of bird you are trying to attract.

Bird Tables are valuable when natural food is in short supply; usually during the autumn and winter months. Wooden tables can be left out all year round, but bringing them in during the summer months helps to extend their life.

Pole mounted or simple hang plastic feeders are ideal for small birds that can perch easily. They often include a transparent feeding column for you to see how much feed is left in them. A window feeder offers you the chance to get up close and personal. Easily placed onto window glass they give you a close view of feeding birds whilst nut feeders are more traditional in shape and can be found in metal or plastic.

Metal type feeders offer more protection from Squirrels and with the convenience of hanging where you want them you can influence the species of birds feeding from them.

If you enjoy watching birds, consider providing more varied feeding stations to attract more species, this way you can take advantage of the many different species within the outdoor habitat.

For a variety of bird food try: www.petfood.co.uk

For more information regarding bird feeding why not try:
www.rspb.org.uk

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