Gardening is a rewarding hobby with thousands of devotees. Backyard gardens provide beauty and aesthetic appeal to a landscape, and they can be a source of homegrown food and a natural habitat for outdoor wildlife. A self-sustaining garden can be an efficient addition to any home, but gardens require upkeep and a certain measure of dedication.

A self-sufficient garden is a garden that sustains itself through proper planning and execution. Such gardens can almost take care of themselves so long as the soil is healthy soil, the seeds are reused and organic material is produced.

Self-sustaining gardens also represent a lifestyle where individuals are responsible for producing their own foods – thus sustaining themselves without the need to shop for produce elsewhere. When planting your own self-sustaining garden, consider the following tips.

• Start with soil. Healthy soil is essential to a thriving garden. The soil must have the right pH, correct texture and composition, and be full of nutrients. Very often the native soil in yards is not adequate to keep a garden thriving. In such instances, the soil needs to be improved. Adding compost -- which can be produced in the yard as well -- to the soil will enrich the soil with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

• Maintain proper soil consistency.Soil that is the right consistency,

meaning the optimum balance of sand, clay and actual soil, is another necessity for a self-sustaining garden. The ideal ratio should be 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt and 20 percent clay. Having the right balance of soil can secure root formation and promote proper drainage.

• Test the pH. Certain plants need aspecific pH in order to grow. A neutral pH range is typically ideal for growing vegetables. A pH tester can be purchased from a gardening center. Amend the soil accordingly to get the soil back to its correct level.

• Know the growing season. Vegetables should be planted during the season in which they will thrive. Peas, beets and cabbage, for example, are cold-temperature vegetables, while cucumbers, squash and melons thrive in warm climates. Plant accordingly so that the vegetables will have the best chances for success.

• Purchase quality seeds. Use fresh seeds, particularly ones that have been harvested from your own garden the year before, to have the best chances for germination. Or buy seeds from a reputable source, like a garden center or an online retailer who specializes in vegetable seeds.

• Start seedlings indoors. You may want to work with seedlings indoors sothat you can monitor growth and care for them more easily. Then transplant the seedlings outside when they are stable enough for the elements.

Plant a self-sustaining garden

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MYCITIZENSNEWS.COM 13Friday, April 5, 2013

Experts in the hardwood flooring industry are seeing a major shift in the way consumers are now choosing their floors, as color is no longer king. Texture has emerged as the new “color” when it comes to the driving force behind wood flooring selections.

“For years, color was always the top consideration for people looking for a hardwood floor. But over the last few years, texture has overtaken color as the new driver. The reason behind this movement is that texture stimulates our senses with both tactile and visual elements,” explained Michel Collin, Marketing Director of Mercier Wood Flooring, one of North America’s leading hardwood flooring manufacturers.

The latest handscraped and distressed hardwood floors are good examples of how popular textures have become with discerning wood flooring consumers. According to Collin, there’s is a big demand for textured wood floors across North America, where homeowners are looking to feature the distressed look of barn wood, prominent knots or the natural sculptural and undulating lines of boards planed the old fashioned way.

“The texture trend is very hot with homeowners today and we have a feeling it’s here to stay,” added designer Marie Francois of Dolce

It’s all about texture for today’s hardwood floors

Interieur in Montreal.

To keep up with the demand for this growing texture trend in hardwoodfloors, manufacturers such as Mercier have developed new hardwood series featuring these sought-after tactile and visual elements.

This year Mercier’s Nature collection is offering even more textures than in years past, as its new “Pub Series” features hardwood floors that perfectly capture the essence of a well-worn floor. With names like Courvoisier, Spirits, Stout and Malt, the series replicates the unique charm of an Irish pub where its floors have seen it all and lived to tell the tale.

Mercier’s “Handscraped” series features a hand-sanded feel that gives the floor deep character. A traditional effect shines though in the beautiful knots, a deeply distinctive touch that ties any room together effortlessly.

“When it comes to flooring texture treatments, such as handscraping, they should be considered as art forms, timeless, unique works of art tailored to your home,” added Collin.

Design tip: A rustic scrape will result in a more “distressed” look and is an ideal choice for an active family. Amore sculpted floor with minor surfaceinterruption is considered “classic” and fits perfectly in a contemporary decor.

Creating a beautiful and bountiful garden is a popular pastime for people all across the country. It is important to keep in mind that aesthetically appealing plants may be appetizing to area wildlife, including deer. Those who do not want their gardens to turn into all-you-can-eat buffets for deer, rabbits and other wild animals can take a more proactive approach to gardening.

Deer are opportunists who will no doubt see your garden as a salad bar ripe with all of their favorite foods. As housing developments continue to encroach on the natural habitats of deer and other animals, these animals are becoming more visible. Deer may not be able to forage for food effectively in their smaller, natural surroundings, or they may become accustomed to the “easy pickings” they find in neighborhood yards. Either way,you may encounter a deer in or around your area.

Keeping deer at bay involves some work and maintenance on the part of a homeowner. There are safe and humane methods to repelling deer, or at least blocking access to the plants worth protecting. Here are the main ways to deer-proof a garden.

Fence It

Fences are one way to deter deer from entering a yard and dining on your garden. Keep in mind that deer can jump fences that are quite tall, but they have to be especially motivated to jump an eight-foot-tall fence. Still, they tend to be weary about scaling a fence when they cannot see what is on the other side. Therefore, if you are fencing out deer, choose a fence that camouflages the garden well and

Deer-proofing a gardencompletely encloses the area to be protected. If you do not want the fence to be solid, consider putting stakes or thorny plants within the garden so that the deer will hesitate to jump into the garden.

Scare Them

Deer are naturally skittish around people, but over time they can becomequite complacent around human beings. Once a deer decides that something will not present a threat, the deer can adapt to its presence.

Motion-activated devices may not work, nor the presence of pets. Predator urine is typically an effective way at keeping deer at bay. Bottled coyote urine can be quite effective, although human urine may work as well. Reapplying the product weekly around the plants is a good idea.

Repel the Deer

There are many organic or chemically-based products on the market that deer may find offensive to the taste or smell.

Hot pepper, sulfur and eggs or even the use of soapy water have been successful in certain instances. The use of blood meal or even human hair around the garden may repel the deer and keep them on a different foraging path. However, remember that any deer that is very hungry may ignore unpleasant tastes or smells for a quick bite.

Change Plants

If other food sources are available, there are some species of plants and trees that deer will avoid. Filling your garden with these plants can help you maintain a beautiful, albeit untasty, environment for deer.

When planting annuals, select among: Alyssum, Begonias, Calendula, Celosia, Dianthus, Foxglove, Geraniums, Parsley, Poppy, and Snapdragons.

In terms of perennials, plant these items once, and deer could stay away: Ageratum, Anemone, Astibe, Bearded Iris, Catmint, Honeysuckle, Lantana, Monkshood, Rock Rose, Rosemary,Soapwort, and Wisteria.

Plant these herbs alongside flowers for even more protection: Chives, Eucalyptus, Garlic, Mint, Thyme, and Wintergreen.

Gardeners who use a combination of methods to keep deer out of their yards and gardens may have a higher success rate at deterring these animals.

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