Scottish Linen – House, Homeware & Fashion

If you grow your own garden, then good for you, you’re already going one step in the right direction. But if you would like to go even further then you should also be recycling in the garden. It does not require much additional effort and what ever materials that you may initially require to do so, are relatively inexpensive and they will pay for themselves in no time at all anyways.

In fact, you will find the majority of the things you will need to begin, inside your house or outside in nature, and most surprisingly, in your daily garbage. That’s right! The worthless trash that you are always throwing out is actually very valuable to your hungry and growing garden.

Studies show that one third of the average households’ scraps can be recycled into their garden or backyard in one way or another. From fruit and vegetable peels and pieces to newspaper and cardboard clippings, it’s all reusable and can serve another purpose which is the whole point to recycling. All these items are used to make compost, which will serve as your fertilizer booster.

Another step that just makes environmental sense is to collect rain water in a bin or to reroute your system so that it runs straight into your garden. This is a great way to save money on your water bill and also help the planet by conserving at the same time. It’s quite nice during a downpour to know that your garden is getting its drink on.

All it takes is a water barrel, which starts at around £13, though you can of course spend more for an “upgraded” barrel that may be more attractive or feature a filter, which really isn’t necessary for this application. For general garden use, an inexpensive one is sufficient and suitable, just buy it, set it outside in the open, and then do a rain dance.

You will probably also need a hose or a downspout extension so that you can properly direct the water towards your thirsty garden. Or you can simply set it right in the middle of the garden if you’ve got the space to spare and you don’t mind the view. Either way, just give it a couple of rainy days to fill up and then simply open the spout for your free garden watering compliments of Mother Nature! She surely appreciates any recycling that you can do.

To learn more about organic gardening, recycling, you can learn online with my-garden-school’s distance learning courses  - a virtual classroom learning experience from the comfort of your own home.

Mirrors have become one of the most widely used decorative/practical pieces of furniture in the world. For centuries we have used mirrors for reflective purposes and to admire our physical appearance. Pictures of women holding mirrors are evident on ancient pieces of pottery and throughout the history of art. Many people have had antique mirrors in their ballrooms and their homes for years that have also been passed down from generation to generation.

Antique mirrors, also known as distressed mirrors, are, however, very expensive to buy if you want to purchase a real one. If you don’t have that kind of money to waste on a mirror, you can always get one made for you that can be ordered over the internet. Websites such as www.saligodesign.com make distressed mirrors that can fit any application that you wish to use a mirror for such kitchen bench tops or for your restaurant. They offer a range of colours and four different styles including vintage, marbled, speckled and mottled which they can send out to you in sample sizes so that you can make an informed decision based on your needs.

Buying a mirror that is made for you is still rather expensive so, instead, you can choose to make a distressed mirror yourself. Even though this option can be time consuming, especially if you need to practice before you get the desired effect, it does cost a lot less money and it can be a lot of fun if you love to be creative.

Whether you choose to buy antique mirrors from someone else or you want to go in the creative direction and make your own, you can achieve the same result as an antique but can save you a lot of money. Paying for a fake is definitely worth the effort if you feel that the original would make a lovely edition to your room.

It is once again summer and every woman’s mind has turned to swimsuit fashions for the summer. There are many different styles, colors and designs to choose from. While we are out there looking for the perfect bathing suit let’s look into the history behind one of the most popular bathing suits of all time, the bikini.

A bikini as I’m sure we all know consist of a separate top and a bottom leaving quite a bit of skin bare in between. But the bikini of today is much more revealing than the bikinis throughout history.

The bikini was invented in 1946 but there is some controversy as to who the inventor actually was. The one fact known is that it was invented in France and first introduced at a poolside fashion show.

In the 1950’s Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner wore the scandalous bikinis in photos and films advancing the bikini in America. Many thought it was way to revealing for a woman although by today’s standards they were very modest.

The 1960’s which everyone knows was a much more liberal time the string bikini was discovered. It consisted of strings as ties on the bottoms and the tops of the suits and quickly became very popular everywhere in the world.

The 1970’s brought a new type of bikini onto the scene. Crocheting was all the rage then and it showed in the crocheted swimsuits that popped up everywhere. Other popular materials of that era were leather and Lurex which was surely a sign of the times.

Since the 1980’s the bikini hasn’t changed much. Still today we have the thong which pretty much is just a strip of material that leaves the buttocks bare and covers the front with usually a string top.

For a look at the modern swimsuit design and a fresh new Bikini range, CocoLush reveals all the current fashions for the modern woman.

That is in a nutshell pretty much the history of how the bikini came to be and traveled all the way to America and evolved to what it is today.

The best lawn mower for your garden is one which is large enough to easily maintain your lawn and at the same time small enough to fit your budget. The following article will give you the information to select the correct lawn mower for your garden.

MOTOR CYLINDER LAWN MOWERS

These are one of the commonest types of lawn mower and they come with three main types of power source – petrol, electric and battery. Petrol cylinder mowers are the most powerful and they are free from electric cords. Electric cylinder lawn mowers are better suited to smaller lawns. Battery cylinder lawn mowers are suitable only for very small lawns.

Cylinder lawn mowers give the best finish to all lawns although they are generally the most expensive. They give the traditional stripped effect and cut the grass very cleanly without ripping it.

A 12 to 16 inch cutting cylinder is about the correct size for an average lawn. Smaller sizes take longer to cut the lawn and larger sizes begin to reduce the manoeuvrability of the lawn mower. When selecting a cylinder lawn mower, take into account the number of blades on the cylinder. Around 5 blades is common on inexpensive models and is quite adequate. 8 to 10 blades are found on more expensive models and these give the finest finish.

ROTARY LAWN MOWERS
Another common type of lawnmower. The rotary lawn mower will not give the immaculate cut of a cylinder mower, but they are easy to use and cut the lawn quickly.

In addition, they are very good at dealing with long or wet grass. They also cut tough weeds and grasses better than a cylinder mower which tends to just flatten them.

They come with two main types of power source – petrol and electric. Petrol rotary mowers are the most powerful and they are free from electric cords. Electric rotary lawn mowers are very convenient but better suited to smaller lawns.

HOVER LAWN MOWERS
The principal advantage of a hover lawn mower is that it very light and easy to use. It literally floats on a cushion of air. If you find lawn mowing a tiring exercise, this is the lawn mower for you.

They provide a performance and action similar to rotary lawn mowers. They come with two main types of power source – petrol and electric. Petrol hover mowers are the most powerful and they are free from electric cords. Electric hover lawn mowers are very convenient but better suited to smaller lawns.

MANUAL LAWN MOWERS
Manual lawn mowers have the great advantage of being cheap to buy. They also have one other advantage not often considered in that they are very friendly to the environment. They normally come as cylinder mowers and if you are willing and able to put in the effort they will provide a good finish to your lawn. However, they really are only suitable for very small lawns.