February 10th, 2012  Posted at   Modern House
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Advantages of Bird House Kits In Your Garden
Bird house kits can bring a new look to your garden by giving it a life. You are able to make bird houses with wood bird house kits and then, you can feed birds in them as well. You and your kids can enjoy this fun at Sunday afternoon. They are so simple that you don’t even need instructions. Here are the advantages of a bird house kit in your garden:

* Invite Birds: Birdhouses are a superb way to invite birds in your garden. Their chirping lifts spirits and you will be a step closer to nature. Kids will love to see birds visiting them everyday and will enjoy feeding them. Birds will keep coming to your garden if they are comfortable in the house and are fed well.

* Creative Activity: The kit is basically like a blank slate. The craftsman in you has to turn it into a beautiful abode for birds. These make excellent gifts as well. When you visit someone particularly who is fond of environment and nature they would really appreciate such a gift. They make great Christmas gifts too. There are birdhouses available in the market. However, trust me when I tell you that it’s fun to make bird houses on your own using these kits. The joy you get when you see your bird house ready is incomparable. And it will please you even more when happy birds sing for you each day!

Various Bird kits

There are various kits that you can get. Some of them are even bird specific and you can pick the one that is your favorite. Birds kits have instruction manuals, planks with holes drilled to fix them with screws, pack of nails and so on. This will make your assembly quick and convenient. Mostly these kits are made from superior quality wood like cedar that is long lasting and can face all weathers.

You can design bird homes depending on the birds you wish to attract. There are small wren kits that are great for tiny birds that are found all over. If you wish to see Chickadees in your garden, you can design your bird home accordingly. Chickadees are beautiful birds and sing melodious songs. They even pick grains from your hand if you feed them.

The best part is to paint the house once ready. You could go for whatever colors you wish to for the bird house. Birds are attracted to colorful and fancy houses. A good-looking bird house will help to beautify your backyard.

Kids & Bird kits

Even kids can make bird houses using bird kits. It is a great learning activity for them and teaches them to care for the environment. You must encourage a few kids to team up together and make a bird house while you supervise over them. They learn how to work in a team and it stimulates their creative side. It is a great vacation activity. Even for parents and grand parents, it’s a great way of spending time with their kids. Bird house kits are a fantastic way to beautify your garden. Assembling them can be a great fun-filled family activity. You will love the presence of birds in them each morning. It is charming and blissful to hear the sweet chirps of birds every morning.

G. Smitty is a writer who loves to discuss many topics ranging from bird houses for sale to professional basketball. Thanks for reading!

February 5th, 2012  Posted at   Modern House
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Gardening 101: The Concealed Japanese Gardening Style

There are various types of gardening today such as indoor, water gardening, community, and native plan gardening. Moreover, there are other types that are slowly emerging from century-long concealment. The world has waited long enough for such a mystery to unfold.

This great art of gardening, concealed for many years, is called Nihon Teien or Japanese gardening. These are gardens traditionally made to showcase the culture of Japan through limited space and garden container ideas. Today, such art is commonly seen in houses, parks, and landmarks. Buddhist and Shinto Temples also house the best of nature’s grandeur in such limited spaces.

Interestingly, this emerging art famous in European countries was developed from the influences and style of the Chinese gardens.

Nihon Teien as seen today was born in Fujiwara and Heijyo castle towns. The earliest designs highlight Buddhism and Taoism visions by showcasing famous Chinese mountains like the Penglaishan. Ruins of Japanese gardens found in Heijyo castle were found to include a water passage thought to be used in water poetry ceremonies.

One of the interesting developments in Japanese gardening occurred through a Zen Monk named Kokan Shiren. He wrote a rhyme-prose titled Rhymephrose on Miniature Landscape that advanced the art of bonseki and bonsai. The secret art of Japanese gardening was traditionally passed on from sensei (teacher) to apprentice. In fact, Kokan vehemently stated in the book that the writing must never be shown to outsiders and that everything in the book must be kept a secret.

Fortunately, various trade schools supplemented this knowledge as what most people know now today.

Moreover, Nihon Teien involves various styles that may serve as garden design ideas for people who tend their own gardens at home. The first in line is the Tsukiyama where water element is ubiquitous. Tsukiyama recreates the natural scenery of Japan while emphasizing on bodies of water. Ponds embody the lakes and seas, while trees, shrubs and bridges embody the creation of artificial hills, by which Tsukiyama got its name.

Furthermore, Kare-san-sui is a Japanese garden known for its traditional sand and stone elements. Also known as Zenniwa, this is considered the most conceptual form of Japanese garden found in Zen temples. Compared to Tsukiyama, Kare-san-sui includes only raked sand representing water and stones symbolizing gods, animals, or mountains.

Lastly, Japanese culture highly involves tea ceremony that is why a dedicated gardening design exists to complement it. Chaniwa are tea gardens found everywhere in Japan. They are commonly built outside tea ceremony houses to facilitate the “cleansing” of the ceremony attendees. The inclusion, a set of stones where water passes through, is one of the interesting garden design tips other countries adopted from Japan.

If you have questions, please visit us at www.bloomiq.com for complete details and answers.