Crafty kid’s projects September 20, 2010

Under-the-table house

Nothing could be easier than draping a large sheet over a table to make a secret play space underneath, which can become anything from a tent in the jungle to a mountaintop castle. This example has a playhouse feel to it.

You will need

Large sheet or sheeting fabric to fit over your table

Tape measure

Tailor’s chalk

Scissors

Fabric scraps

Pinking shears

Sewing machine and matching thread

Plastic sheeting

Dressmaker’s pins

1. Decide on the height and width of the door and windows needed. Measure and mark up on your sheet with tailor’s chalk and cut out.
2. Cut a door ‘curtain’ from a scrap of fabric using pinking shears and making it 2cm wider than the doorway. Stitch it to the top of the doorway.
3. Measure and cut out plastic ‘windows’. They should be about 4cm bigger than the window opening. Pin these in place behind the openings and stitch down.
4. Measure and cut four curtains from matching scraps of fabric, using pinking shears. Attach these to the ‘outside’ of the sheet, carefully stitching them to the house along the top of the window, and taking care to conceal the plastic window seam beneath. Make two fabric tie backs per curtain and stitch in place.

Plants on the moon September 16, 2010

Astronaut’s meals have come a long way from the freeze-dried powders and semi-liquid pastes of decades ago – now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini-greenhouses on the moon.

And a team of scientists says the best is yet to come for space fare. They look forward to when residents of future lunar or even Martian outposts have access to fresh vegetables.

Paragon Space development has unveiled the first step towards growing flowers – and eventually food – on the moon.

The Arizona Company, which has partnered NASA in pervious experiments on the Space shuttle and International Space Station, calls it a Lunar Oasis. This is a sealed greenhouse that looks like a bell jar encased in a 46cm tall, triangular aluminium frame. It is designed to land a laboratory plant on the lunar surface safely and protect it while it grows.

The miniature greenhouse is to be launched into space by Odyssey Moon, a participant in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers US $20 million ($35.37 million) to any entrant who can launch, land and operate a rover on the lunar surface.

When it does lift off, the greenhouse will contain the seeds of brassica, which is used in the production of cooking oil and livestock feed. Since brassica goes from seed to flower in just 14 days, it can complete its life cycle in a single lunar night.

“Colonising the moon or Mars seems so far away but it is important that we do this research now, “Paragon president Jane Poynter said, “It takes a long time… to get integrated, reliable efficient systems.”

NASA has committed to two new goals – returning astronauts to the moon by 2020 and a manned mission to Mars by 2030.

“I was pleased to see this (project) put together by Paragon,” said Gene Giacomelli, a professor at the University of Arizona Department of Plant Sciences. He added: “NASA has pulled back on funding for bio-regenerative life support systems and most to the centres in the US that had been doing that sort of research have stopped.”

Giacomelli and students at the university’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Centre (CEAC) are working on their own, unfunded lunar greenhouse. The agriculture centre also makes remote operational improvements to its existing, state-of-the-art hydroponic “growth chamber” at the National Science Foundation’s new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica.

Conditions at the South Pole, which include a high-altitude, low-air pressure environment and wind – chill factors of -100C, make the project a good analogue to conditions at a lunar outpost, Giacomelli says.

The South Pole greenhouse, now in its fifth year, allows workers living in the coldest place on Earth to eat tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, strawberries and herbs.

It produces about 27 kilos each week, enough to provide each of the 75 scientists where with two salads a day.

“This isn’t science fiction,” Giacomelli said. “We have the technology to sustain life on other planets right now, if we could get there.”

There are many challenges to growing plants in space, but the biggest is finding enough water on site to support a permanent outpost.

“Colonies need a bio-regenerative programme,” Poynter said. “A colony is there to stay.

“It’s not like you can just pack up your picnic basket and go home.”

Great outdoor living year round September 15, 2010

Kiwis love the outdoors and great importance is placed on outdoor flow in the design of our homes.

And with the permanent weather protection of Archgola outdoor shelters, you don’t have to hide indoors just because it’s wet outside.

Paul Clark is the new owner of Archgola BOP. He also owns the Waikato branch, specializing in archgolas, which provide residential solutions as well as shading for schools, kindergartens, daycares and cafes. He is also a certified builder, which has allowed him to diversify the company.

“We can do your whole project, from putting up the archgola to decking, windows and doors, as well as organizing plumbers or other subcontractors for related jobs, if necessary,” says Paul.

Archgola outdoor shelters are the ultimate in permanent weather protection and enable outdoor living areas to be used year round. They are expertly designed to suit your existing structures and surroundings, and varied framing options are available. They can be freestanding, attached to existing buildings or spanning buildings without posts. The awnings are also great in the summer months as they create shade that protects from the sun’s harsh rays.

“The archgolas have polycarbonate roofing, which prevents transmission of 99.9 per cent of harmful UV radiation and are powder coated to your colour choice,” says Paul.

Archgolas are extremely strong to withstand harsh winds and rain. They have a smart look and are built to last.

They come with a five year warranty of the frames and powder coating and a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty on the polycarbonate roofing, which lets their owners enjoy the outdoors for years to come.

Sizing Up September 13, 2010

There are many, many sizes of wine glasses available but average entertainers such as you and I can probably make do with three or four basic sizes.

Wonderful Whites

There are many different shaped white-wine glasses to take account of various subtleties between varieties, but a good-quality basic glass will suffice for most of us. Oxidisation is important for fuller-flavoured wines so people who often drink these may prefer a glass with a wider top. Those who like lighter styles should select a glass with a smaller mouth.

Red Alert

Bordeaux and burgundies ought to be served in large glasses with a round, wide bowl allowing oxygen to interact with the wine and improve its flavour. But, once again, they taste perfectly good in standard red-wine glasses.

Cheers to Champagne

A champagne glass or flute will generally have a long stem and a narrow bowl. This keeps the bubbles in and lets the aroma hit your nose in a most satisfactory way.

Hot Tip: Always hold a Champagne glass by the stem to keep the contents from warming up in your hand.

Autumn top time for lawn attention August 16, 2010

The change to autumn brings welcome relief to parched summer lawns – rain and cooler air and soil temperatures.

A well-kept lawn can add value to a property when it comes to sale time.

Grass helps stabilise soil and keeps it healthy due to the constant microbial activity. It prevents erosion during heavy rain and reduces water run-off, letting rain water filter back to the water table.

Autumn lawn care tip

Feed: Apply a lawn fertiliser.

Weed: Autumn is the best time to eradicate weeds, before they set seed and spread.

Patch: Bare patches may occur in areas of high traffic or where the dog buried a bone. It’s easy to patch them with seed.

New lawns: Autumn is the best time to sow a new lawn or relay a lawn. Always prepare the area first, even if just patching. Spray the area to remove weeds, cultivate, compact and level the area to be sown. Add a layer of sand or potting mix to the area to be sown to a maximum depth of 50mm (topsoil may contain weeds). Be sure to choose a seed variety suitable for your situation. After sowing, rake the seed in lightly and water well. Don not let the water puddle.

Mow: Before you begin mowing your new lawn, let the root system of the grass establish. You can mow a new lawn when most of the new grass is 5cm tall. Only mow it lightly the first few times – once the lawn starts to thicken you can reduce the mowing height to 2.5cm. Blunt mowers could pull out the young grass. It’s a good idea to use a catcher as well so clippings don’t smother the new seedlings.

Wireless Burglar Alarms June 24, 2010

Wireless burglar alarm systems typically use batteries as a power source for operation of the sensors, which renders them less reliable as well as requires increased inspection and testing of the sensors. Tampering is also much more evident with wired as opposed to wireless systems.  Additionally, depending factors such as distance and the opposition of construction material through which the wireless signal passes, one or more “repeaters” may be need to be employed to increase the wireless signal level transmitted by the sensors back to the alarm panel. Costs associated with such repeaters will reduce the simplicity and increase the expense of installing the alarm system.

There are many inaccurate perceptions with wireless burglar alarm technology.  For one, a common misconception concerns the assumed costliness of the system. Although when initially introduced wireless alarm systems were relatively pricey, as is common with electronic products, over time the cost has declined significantly rendering these systems attractive financially.

Another common misunderstanding is that “false alarms” can be set off by the sensors detecting family pets and small animals.  However, alarm manufacturers have developed sensor technology which can differentiate the size of the detected object and can be therefore be set to reject objects below a certain size.

Another issue which was viewed as a negative with wireless alarm systems when first introduced was susceptibility to interference from electronic devices in close proximity like baby monitors, wireless phones, garage door openers, etc. were also alarm technology however has improved significantly in this area thus eliminating the effects of interference.

Finally, perhaps the most prevalent misconception concerning wireless burglar alarm systems is the mistaken understanding that contracting with a monitoring firm and paying a monthly fee is required along with the installation of the alarm system. Today, most wireless burglar alarm systems have the capability to program the system to handle the phone calls to local police and fire departments without the need for a monitoring service contract and monitoring fees. Also, even if a monitoring firm is deemed desirable, the fees charged for monitoring a wireless burglar alarm system can nevertheless be the subject of negotiation with resulting cost savings.

Wet & Wild Gardening February 16, 2010

Turn Water run-off into valuable garden tool

The Western Bay of Plenty is renowned for its plenty, including plenty of rain. But how many home gardeners are aware they can help slow and treat the run-off from their property by creating a rain garden?

Tauranga City Council has developed its first rain garden at a reserve in Pillan’s Point but engineering technologist Celia Bowles says it’s still at the experimental stage.

“We’re building up our expertise on the design, maintenance and operation of a rain garden and there aren’t any plans yet to put more in.”

Kip Cooper, a civil engineer with Beca, says rain gardens can be useful in private or commercial situations – as well as controlling the volume of water flowing from a property, they can also help control the quality of the water running into Tauranga Harbour by removing contaminants such as zinc (from roofs), copper (from, say, spouting) and sediment.

“If you have a place where you always wash your car, you could allow the run-off to wash through a rain garden before it enters the stormwater system to help remove contaminants,” he says.

The commercial application of rain gardens sees them positioned beside busy roads and in carparks to filter road and vehicle contaminants from rain water.

“In that situation, you have to choose plants that can cope with heavy metals,” Kip says, “and reeds are pretty good at that. There are plants that can store the contaminants or break them down.”

Rain gardens can be as elaborate as the one designed by Auckland landscaper Kirsten Sach for the 2007 Ellerslie Flower Show that featured slim-line water tanks hidden in plaster walls, or as simple as the one she designed a year later for the Auckland Flower Show that comprised a downpipe running into a stepped system.

On top was a pond (complete with goldfish and aquatic plants), that overflowed into a box planted with wet and dry tolerant plants that, when conditions are right, overflows to a stony bed garden.

The garden won gold and was created for $6000, including the shed the water ran off.

Kip describes a rain garden as a “tier system” in that the water gradually moves through the planting and soil and gravel and is filtered along the way.

“They are great things,” he says, “because one day they’re flooded and the next day they’re dry. You need flora that can cope with that, but it’s an ideal opportunity to vary what you have in your back garden.”

The Benefits of Carpet Underlay September 23, 2009

If you want the absolute best carpet underlay, choose flat rubber. While this underlay is more difficult to find and may be more expensive, it offers the longest life for carpet underlays. Many times this pad will outlive the original carpet.

With a in floor heating system, you have to have a different underlay. Look for one that is specifically designed for floor heating systems. Traditional underlay forms an insulating layer for your home that would trap the heat below the pad. This will interfere with the heating of the room and can create a dangerous situation with heat buildup. Look for a tog value of less than one for your carpet underlay.

Can Moths be Stopped in Their Traps? September 2, 2009

Do traps for codling moths work, two readers are asking after having their apple crop spoiled this year.

Judy from Omokoroa and Ben from Mt Maunganui are questioning the traps’ worth given the extent of fruit damage they have seen in their gardens this summer.

The short answer is they help but if plenty of adult moths are flying around in spring you won’t get 100 percent worm-free apples – or anywhere near that. The only way to have codling worm-free fruit is through diligent monitoring of moth numbers, combined with regular spraying when your apples are under threat. That is what most commercial orchardists do.

Few home gardeners want to. By the time you add up the spray cost, your time and the overall hassle, including exposure to pesticides, you might as well buy blemish-free apples and save yourself the bother.

However, if you want worm and spray-free home-grown apples, codling-moth traps help by taking some of the male moths (who fertilise the females’ eggs) out of circulation. It is done by attracting them to the sticky traps with a pheromone.

Ideally, all males would be trapped before they had time for any sexual sorties but it doesn’t work that way. Various factors come into play – such as trap numbers, where they are hung in relation to apple trees, whether strong winds reduce their effectiveness, and the number of adult moths that hatch in a season.

Determined gardeners get the best results when they supplement the traps with other anti-codling procedures. These include picking up all windfalls, keeping the ground tidy under trees, and removing flaking bark from older trunks and branches where over-wintering larvae can hide. It also helps to put bands of corrugated cardboard around big branches and tree trunks in summer and autumn.

They “catch” some worms looking for a cosy place to pupate, and need replacing regularly (burn infected ones).

Some gardeners say planting the feverfew herb and other plants at the base of trees helps, too.

The traps are probably the most expensive of all these options but among the least time-consuming. They are worthwhile but be realistic about their limitations. For the best overall results, combine them with other combat techniques.

Lawn Care September 1, 2009

If your lawn is looking patchy, dry or taken over by weeds then it is time to start doing something about it.

Autumn is the perfect time to sow new lawns or renovate existing ones and with the summers getting hotter and dryer, and the increasing cost of water use on the lawns, people in areas like the coastal Bay of Plenty, should think about planting summer grasses.

Myles Durrant of LADS says planting winter grasses in autumn will become less viable as many of these grasses tend to either die off or require copious amount of water to keep them alive in summer.

“Our AgriDark summer grass, for example, needs only about a third of the water that normal grass needs and it thrives in the heat of summer.”

“It is even being used on some of the fairways at Omanu Golf course. Terrific looking lawns are not a one hit wonder, they need constant care. You often see a new lawn sown which looks great for a few months then deteriorates because there is no ongoing care of the lawn.”

LADS provide a premium lawn care programme including sowing new seed, aeration, weed control and fertilising from$20 per week.

Myles says that even lawn mowing can have a big impact on the lawn.

“Lawns in new Zealand are generally mown too low which is an open invitation for weeds to come in.”

Unlike most summer grasses, AgriDark has fine blades and is not as bouncy as other couch grasses. Sewn with a companion grass provides a beautiful lasting lush lawn all year round.