Building Liner Ponds
April 30, 2005
Surprisingly enough, it is usually in mid-summer that many gardeners begin to think about installing a small pond or water garden. Ponds don’t need to be weeded or watered, and they can supply exuberant color in the form of water lilies and bog plants.
The sound of a splashing fountain or waterfall is more appealing than weeding a flower bed or mowing that section of lawn. Best of all, no matter how hot or wet it gets, the pond just keeps on blooming!
At this point you may start to think about the expense and labor of installing a concrete pond, and our 95 degree days are just about enough to stop this pond daydream in its tracks.
However, with the advent of newer pond liners and pre-formed pools, the misery associated with concrete mixing and finishing is a thing of the past. Heavy duty pool liners with 10 year guarantees are now common, and can sell for as little as $1.00 a square foot.
Preformed ponds in many different shapes and sizes are also an alternative method to create a quick pond at less cost than using concrete. Using these materials, the average gardener can install a decent size pond in less than one day, and have it stocked with plants, fish and fountain by the following morning.
The simplest kind of pond to build is an above-the-ground pond. Since no digging is required, it usually takes much longer to fill this pond with water than it does to build it!
There are many variations on this theme, but as an example, one can use treated lumber planks which are at least 2 inches thick by 12 inches wide, nail them together to form a rectangular shape of the desired dimensions, and place the form where the pond is desired.
This bottomless “box” can be placed directly on the grass, concrete, a deck, etc., and then the bottom is covered with some kind of padding or cushioning material. Most books say to use sand, but I think the perfect material is roofing felt. It is cheap, convenient, lies flat, makes a barrier to weeds, and provides a good cushion for the pool liner.
Once the roofing felt is in place, the pool liner can be dropped into the form and you begin filling the pond with water. A few staples on the outside of the pond form may be needed to keep the liner from blowing into the pond, but be sure to use just a few, and place them at the edge of the liner.
As the pond fills, the weight of the water will do a good job in smoothing out wrinkles, but if you are a perfectionist, you can help smooth them out by hand before there is more than one inch of water in the bottom of the pond. While the pond is beginning to fill, you can check the level of the form, and if it needs to be raised a little on one or two sides, this can be done by carefully inserting some shims to raise the forms where needed.
If you prefer the pond to overflow on a certain side (like, into the flower bed, rather than onto the deck!) then you may want to leave the overflow side a quarter inch lower than the rest of the pond.
You should wait until the pond is completely filled before cutting any excess liner or doing any permanent stapling. This will give the water pressure enough time to pull the liner into every nook and cranny where it needs to go; some of those few holding staples which you used to hold the liner in place may actually tear loose as the pond fills, but if you stapled the liner on the outside of the form, near the edges, then no harm is done… you will be trimming some of that excess liner off, anyway.
It really does take longer to fill this kind of pond than it does to build it. I once built a twenty-by-thirty foot pond in two hours but it took all night for it to fill with water.
I think an ideal depth for an above ground pond is about 14 inches, but it can be deeper or more shallow than that, depending on what materials you are using for the form. Railroad ties, landscape timbers, concrete blocks, etc. are all possible materials for pond building.
Remember that any kind of wood must be pressure treated if you want it to last more than a year! Although I mentioned rectangular shape, if you have some carpentry skills, you can also do triangles, pentagons, ponds within ponds, etc.
Ponds built with treated lumber planks do not need any side support if they are less than 8 feet or 10 feet long; if you are building larger than that, you will want to drive a stake into the ground where the planks are to be nailed together, so the water pressure won’t make the planks bow outward. So, if you know how to use twelve nails to nail four planks together, then you can build a pond. If you are feeling lazy, have the lumber yard cut the planks to size you need. Borrow your neighbor’s staple gun, find those scissors buried in the kitchen drawer, and you are in business!
Pond liners can also be used to make an in the ground pond. The advantage is that you can make any shape pond you want, and the ground itself supports the sides of the liner.
It is a good idea to use a flexible garden hose to lay out the pool shape you want. Once everyone agrees that it is a pleasant shape, and it is large enough, you can dig a trench along side the hose, and start digging.
Remember, the pool does not have to be more than 12 to 16 inches deep, so don’t get carried away. If you want a waterfall, some of the excavated soil can be mounded up near the pond for later waterfall construction. In some cases, it may be useful to use some of the soil for a berm around the pond, so that is another way to dispose of excavated soil.
Once the pond is excavated, check the level, decide which side you want excess rainfall to flow from, and then you are ready to line the hole with roofing felt, running it across the pond, up the sides onto the edges of the pond. Drop the liner in, weigh it down lightly with some rocks around the edges, and start filling.
Again, do not trim any excess liner until the pond is completely filled. Some pond books say you should create a shallow shelf in the pond before putting in the liner, but they don’t have our river sand and rainfall to deal with. I think it is better to build the pond to a depth of 14-16 inches, and just use bricks to prop up those bog plants that don’t want to sit too deep in water. This gives greater flexibility in rearranging the pond plants as you wish, and avoids the calamity of a shelf suddenly slumping into the pool. When using pool liners, whether in the ground or above the ground, it is important to conceal the edges from sunlight, since that is what eventually breaks down most liners.
Using stones or lumber planks to finish off the edge of your pond will make it more appealing, and enable the liner to live up to its ten year guarantee. Even the heavier, preformed plastic ponds should have their edges covered by sod or some paving material, so the sun can’t reach it. Some final pointers: if possible, locate your pond away from trees, in a place that gets at least five hours of direct sun daily. This will allow you to grow a wide variety of pond plants.
Be sure to use a dechlorinating product when you first fill the ponds… the new chemicals in our drinking water do not dissipate quickly and they will kill your fish and damage your plants, even ten days after you have filled the pond!
Be sure you are pleased with the size and shape of your pond before you start - so you won’t say “I should have made it bigger, or longer, or rounder, etc.”, within two hours of filling it!
Rule number one in pond building is that no matter how big your pond is, you always want a bigger one.
Last, but not least, if you decide to do an in-the-ground pond, why not serve refreshments and get some friends to help . . . friends will have all kinds of useful ideas on how you should do it … which is fine, as long as they keep digging…
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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!
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Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office
April 30, 2005
Did you know that over 50% of women now run their own home business or work from home? Get your compass out and find the following directions because we are going to try and make things run a little smoother for you using the ancient art of object placement - Feng Shui.
The most ideal locations to situate a home office, in order of best to second, third ad fourth best are the North (the Career Sector), the Southwest (the Wealth sector), the Northeast (Skills and Talents sector) or the South (the fame and recognition sector.) If possible try to locate your home office in one of those locations.
Here are some other general tips that are thought to bring prosperity to your business.
Always sit with a solid wall behind your back to ensure that you have support in your life. Never sit with a window behind you.
In the office always place the fax machine, telephone, and computers in the southeast wealth sector, as this will attract more contacts.
Position your desk to have a clear view of the door. If this isn’t possible, hang a small mirror so you can easily view the door’s reflection.
Don’t put a shelf over your desk. This symbolizes burdens the world crashing down on you at any moment. The heavy shelf also symbolizes burdens and difficulties.
Avoid having sharp accessories, such as a paper cutter blade or the corner of a Xerox machine pointed at your desk. It is shar chi that symbolizes the cutting knife-edge or a disapproving finger pointing at you.
Make sure that you can walk completely around your desk in a full circle. This makes sure colleagues or workload does not cramp you. You should have space to breathe!
Do not have clutter in your office. Desktops must be kept tidy and clutter free. Avoid placing In and Out trays on your desk. Try to keep what is in use on your desktop.
If you own a NCR or cash till try and place that in your southeastern wealth corner as well.
Avoid placing cactuses in your office as the needles of these plants are thought to create negative shar chi. Shar or sha chi is stagnant or harmful energy.
In your office, never have the main door opening into your desk as this causes you to be faced with unexpected situations to deal with. Never have a door jamming against your desk, or your prosperity will always be blocked.
Do not place your desk in a room so that it is between two doors because this causes chi to rush by and pass you by along with all of your good fortune. In other words the good energy walks in one door, right past you and out the back door!
Never set your desk at the top of a staircase as chi will roll down the stairs and cause you loss of opportunity and wealth. If this is unavoidable, place a mirror above the front door looking in and facing the staircase.
If people entering your business immediately face a wall and a long corridor try placing a hanging crystal in this area to allow good chi to accumulate. Also place mirrors here to direct the chi into your office.
Do not place large electric equipment, such as photocopy machine or microwave near to the main door. These are considered to be “hot” items that cause energy to dissipate. Heat causes the dispersal of good chi.
Do not place paper cutter or fax machines or any machine with a blade next to the front door. The “cutting” energy can cause staff and customers to be unpleasant and even possibly to back stab and fight each with other.
Do not place an empty vase next to the main door, as empty vessels suck good chi trying to enter your place of business. If you have a vase make sure it is full of flowers!
If you have candles in your office, light the wicks to make sure they are burnt, even if you don’t plan to light the candle. An unlit candle is bad feng shui as it represents the limitations of possibility.
Place a fish tank or fishpond in the southwestern corner of your office. If this is not possible consider building a Koi pond in the southwestern sector outside your building.
To enhance your wealth and prosperity, position your indoor water feature in the southeast element of your home or office. For career luck, place it in the north. A tabletop fountain made of bamboo or flat round stones is always good for this purpose.
If you have a company signboard or logo it should be optimally placed in the southeastern area, the Southern area or the northern area of your home office.
May wind and water shower you with many blessings!
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Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com
Aquini Potty Training Dolls - A Great Tool For Potty Training!
April 30, 2005
Corolle Paul or Emma Drink-and-Wet SET potty dolls
This is the very best potty doll we available. This potty doll is a much better value than slightly cheaper potty dolls because it functions perfectly, and will remain a great toy when you are finished potty training. Benefits include:
Potty doll is all vinyl and vanilla scented.
Potty doll is machine washable.
Potty doll has an internal bladder that responds to pressure exerted on the tummy.
He/She potty doll drinks from her baby bottle and will piddle on her potty.
He/She potty doll comes with removeable clothing, Disposable Diaper, Pink Potty Chair, Bottle, Pacifier.
Serves as an effective Potty Training Tool!
The boy and girl potty doll are two popular items. Their waterproof vinyl bodies are 13 inches tall, making them suitable for bathtime and beachtime. Each doll comes complete with a hooded terry towel and play potty, along with a bottle.
Boy doll wears and blue and white outfit and has a light blue potty.
Girl doll wears a light pink and white outfit and has a light pink potty.
Dr. Phil, on a recent television broadcast, suggests that parents buy an anatomically correct potty doll that wets itself in order to help teach the child to go potty by having the child teach the doll to go potty.
Avid Amiri is president and co-owner of Potty Training Solutions, where you can find Corolle Potty Dolls .Other Potty Dolls and instructions on using them can can also be found on the site.
When Clear Skin becomes an Obsession
April 30, 2005
Billions of people around the world experience acne over their lifetimes. In fact, acne is the single most common skin disorder, and more common than all other skin disorders combined.
With this being the case, it is not surprising to see literally thousands of different acne treatments available on the market today. There are prescription medications, such as accutane, and Retin-A. These work well on severe cystic acne. There are also over the counter medications, such as Benzoyl peroxide and Salicylic acid. For light to moderate acne, these can be a godsend. And of course, there are herbal acne treatments like tea tree oil and green tea cream. These both are proven to work well as alternatives to benzoyl peroxide.
This is just to name a very few of the most effective acne treatments available. There are then hundreds of brands that repackages these treatments under thousands of names, and sell them to acne suffers the world over.
However, there is one acne symptom that none of these medications can treat? Acne Dysmorphia.
Acne Dysmorphia is really more of it’s own disorder altogether. It is similar to anorexia nervosa, in that the person suffering from acne dysmorphia becomes completely obsessed with a physical condition of their body. With Anorexia, it is their weight, and with acne dysmorphia, it is their clear complexion.
The truth of the matter is, Acne Dysmorphia is not strongly related to acne at all. The acne is just a catalyst for the problem. With Acne Dysmorphia, a person will become completely fixated on their skin, whether or not they are suffering from acne at all! They may pick at an area of skin until it bleeds, or becomes infected. Also, depression often results from their frustration with their skin complexion.
The sad fact is, many times these people may only have a few very small breakouts. Therefore, no amount of "acne treatment" will help reduce the fixation on the skin. It is not uncommon for someone with Acne Dysmorphia to check their face in a mirror dozens, even hundreds of times a day. And each look in a mirror reflects only a distorted image, one with a much larger acne problem than exists.
The cure for this disorder does not come from any form of acne care, but from healing within. Behavioral therapy, can be an amazing aid in curing acne dysmorphia. In many cases, this is all that is needed to help reduce the symptoms. In extreme cases, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor may be needed. Also, some people find hypnosis can be an effective form of treatment.
The most important thing to understand with acne dysmorphia is that it is not due to the acne breakouts, but to a mental disorder that needs to be treated completely independently of any acne. Furthermore, it is very important to treat acne dysmorphia, because the resulting depression can create many problems for a person, including suicide.
Acne is never pleasant for anyone, but acne dysmorphia can truly be a crippling disorder. Seek treatment for the mental aspects first, and then you may find that the acne you have will suddenly become an easily manageable aspect of your life!
Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and the editor of http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com
Installing a Brick or Paver Walkway
April 30, 2005
The use of Bricks or Pavers to create a walkway or patio complements a home in a way that is unmatched. It adds a level of quality and elegance to a home entrance that can not be achieved with either concrete or asphalt. Brick and Pavers also come in many different colors and shapes allowing for unique color schemes and patterns to be achieved. In addition, installing a Brick or Paver walkway does not necessarily require a pro. With some basic knowledge and a relatively simple walkway plan, a homeowner is capable of undertaking such a project.
The key to installing a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first properly prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. The area should be dug out at least a foot down, removing all topsoil and clay soil. In addition, string lines should be strung on each side of the walkway. The string lines indicate the finished height of the walkway.
Once the area has been dug down, 3/4″ gravel stone should be laid in and tamped down tightly. Then 2" of sand, or stone dust should be spread over the gravel. Again the sand/stone dust should be tamped down. Stone dust is preferred. The height between the tamped down sand and the stringline should equal the thickness of the brick or paver.
Now that you have a stable base, place a 1″ pipe or ledger board the length of the walkway on either side of the walkway. Then using a flatedge, e.g. a 2″x4″ board, slide it over the two lengths of the pipe/ledger board. In doing this you will create a level surface area to lay the bricks/pavers.
Now place on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Install a run on both sides of the prepared area. These strips will act as your walkway border and help to maintain the integrity and shape of the walkway. You can get these plastic strip borders at most home improvement stores. The strips should be anchored down with 12″ galvinized nails. You should sink these nails into the ground and through the strips every foot.
Once this is done, you can then begin to lay the bricks/pavers. There are many patterns you can lay. I particularly like the Herring Bone pattern. The key to laying the bricks/pavers is to ensure that they interlock with each other. Always stagger adjacent rows of bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will again help maintain the integrity of the walkway.
Inevitably bricks/pavers will need to be cut or split when building the walkway. Unless you want to buy or rent an expensive wetsaw, I would suggest purchasing a simple brick/paver splitter. It is basically a chisel with a wide end that is the width of the bricks/pavers. To actually cut/split the brick/paver, lay it in a bed of sand and place the chisel at a 75 degree angle over the spot where you want to break the brick. Then using a hammer strike the butt end of the chisel firmly. You may need to do this a couple of times. You may also want to flip the brick/paver over and strike the other side of the brick using the hammer and chisle. Within one or two strikes the brick/paver should break cleanly. If your walkway has curves you will need to buy/rent a wetsaw.
After installing the bricks, build up the outside edges with additional sand, and then shovel in the topsoil and pack down firmly.
Finally, spread stone dust over the new walkway and sweep into the cracks. Repeat this process a couple of times to ensure the cracks are fully filled. This will complete the interlocking of the bricks and help to eliminate any weed growth. Just add grass seed to the outside edges and you should have a beautiful entrance to your home within a couple of weeks.
Mark J. Donovan
http://www.homeadditionplus.com
http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com
Over the past 20+ years I have been involved with building homes and additions to homes. I have completed many projects that have included: building a vacation home, family room additions, and a garage. I have also finished the upstairs on unfinished homes. My formal education and profession has been as an Electrical Engineer and Marketing Manager.
The Finer, and Finest, Things in Life
April 30, 2005
In America, we have a saying: The finer things in life. These are the things that most people talk about when they are speaking of thing of high quality. In fact, much of that which propels people to pursue success, particularly financial success, is the desire to participate in the finer things in life.
Let’s face it, increased finances enable us to do more things and enjoy things that we otherwise would not be able to afford. And we should consider that a blessing.
I am at a stage where my wife and I, and our kids, can enjoy some of the finer things in life. It hasn’t always been that way. I think sometimes it is best to have to go years of getting by so that we appreciate more fully the finer things in life when we are able to experience them. I am thankful for where I am.
Who can argue of the beauty of a fine painting? Who doesn’t love the smell and feel of leather furniture? Who doesn’t enjoy driving a well-engineered car? Who doesn’t dream of the softness and warmth of a Cashmere sweater? Who doesn’t like a nice watch that can be passed on the your son or daughter someday? All of these are common symbols of the finer things in life, and indeed they are.
There is only one possible pitfall that I have found in the pursuit of the finer things in life. It is common that many fall into this trap. It is this:
While pursuing the finer things in life, we often become so engrained, so focused in the pursuit, that we do not experience the finest things in life.
You see, for the most part, the finer things in life, as commonly defined, cost money. And usually it takes a lot of time working to make the kind of money that enables us to experience the finer things in life. And in the pursuit of the money to enjoy the finer things in life, we are spending so much time that we are missing regular opportunities to enjoy the finest things in life.
Let me tell you of a recent experience. A couple of weeks ago I took my son, age 9, down to see some spring training baseball in Phoenix, Arizona. This was our second trip down together and we hope to make it an annual tradition. We popped down just for three days to see three games (Boy the Seattle Mariners are looking good this year! But I digress…)
The first game we saw was against the California Angels in their spring training facility in Tempe. There we sat waiting for the game to start. Now let me assure you, this was not an experience of the finer things in life. It was actually a little chilly out, though the sun was shining. We were sitting on relatively hard seats, and my cuisine consisted of peanuts and a diet-Pepsi. Hmmmmm.
But do you know what I found myself thinking? “There is no place else in the world I would rather be right now.”
I was spending time with my boy, doing something we would both enjoy, and creating memories that will never go away. This, my friends, was one of the finest things in life.
What are the finest things of life in my book? Here are a few. You can see where I am going and name a few yourself.
Reading a novel just for the fun of it.
A casual stroll along the beach with nowhere to go.
An extra half-hour at the coffee shop, catching up with friends and actually tasting the great flavor of a cup of coffee, rather than rushing it.
A game of crazy eights with my kids.
A quiet evening out with my wife.
A Saturday afternoon sleeping on the couch in front of the fire.
And the list goes on…
Are you taking enough time to stop and taste of the finest things in life? Or are you so bent on getting to a point wherein you can experience the finer things in life?
I have a saying that “good is the enemy of the best.” Sometimes the finer things of life get in the way of the finest things in life. Sometimes we settle for the finer things in life when we could be enjoying the finest things in life.
Visa has a series of new advertisements out right now. They would go something like this (describing a vacation): Airline tickets: $1500. Hotel room: $1200. The smile on her face: Priceless.
We can always put a value on the finer things in life, and I would encourage you to enjoy them if you can. But the finest things in life are priceless. You can put no value or price tag on them. It is a mandate that we take the time to enjoy them.
Take some time this week to live up to the old saying: Stop and smell the roses. You will never regret it.
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434
