Do something different for Valentine’s Day this year. Instead of opting for the standard bouquet of cut flowers, choose a live plant instead. The gift of a flowering shrub will keep your loving sentiments alive year after year instead of dying in a matter of days.

Long-stemmed, cut roses are a long-held Valentine’s Day tradition. However, there are plenty of reasons to break with tradition and try a live plant instead.

• Lack of scent. While lovely to look at, the typical cut rose has lost most of its beautiful perfume through the complex hybridization process.
• Lack of quality. Roses sold during the #1 rose-giving holiday may not be of as high a quality as those found in any month other than February and will likely begin to brown in a just a few days.
• Short vase life. No matter how high-end a cut flower is when purchased, it will die fairly soon. A live plant, when properly cared for, can last for decades.

Live plants and shrubs make wonderful gift for Valentine’s Day and year-round. This year, think outside the heart-shaped box and try one of these blooming plants to show how much you care.

• Hydrangeas. A staple of shade gardens and moist soils, the hydrangea is a gorgeous flowering shrub. It produces mounds of dome-shaped flower clusters, usually in the mid to late-spring. A variety like Endless Summer is an excellent choice. It blooms on both old and new wood, producing far more flowers for a much longer growing season than others of its kind. The color of the blooms depends on the soil’s acidity. If you give this plant, the recipient can actually amend the soil and thus choose blue or pink flowers.
• Gardenias. If your Valentine likes a sweet scent, nothing will compare to the perfume of a gardenia. The heady fragrance of a single bloom is enough to linger in a room. Imagine what a gardenia planted near a window can do for a home. Frost Proof Gardenia is a good choice for zones 7 through 10, where a late spring chill might make other gardenia drop their blooms.
• Forsythia. One of spring’s first bloomers, the forsythia’s golden flowers burst open when the last of winter still hangs in the air. Its bright color is cheerful and happy, just how you’d like your Valentine to feel when thinking of you. The branches can even be forced indoors to bring a vase of blooms to a dreary winter day. Lynwood Gold can bloom as early as February in some zones so it’s a natural choice for a Valentine’s Day gift.

These plants will free you from the Valentine rut. However, these are those who have no desire to break with tradition. If you simply cannot bear to celebrate Valentine’s Day without roses, try a practically care-free Knockout Landscape Rose Bush or an attention-grabbing Knockout Rose Tree. Your Valentine is sure to love these long-lasting floral gifts.

If you’re looking to save on your utility bills you should take a long hard look at the lighting in your home. The average household spends ten to twenty per cent of its electricity budget on lights, so it’s an area where big savings can be made. Of course, there are simple changes that you can make that will help you save money. Switching lights off when they’re not being used and making sure that you’re not using unnecessary lights, such as two lamps instead of one, or overhead lighting during the day, can help you save money. But one of the biggest changes that you can make is to change your light bulbs. Traditional light bulbs expel ninety per cent of their energy as heat, which is basically money that you’re losing. By changing to energy saving bulbs you can slash your electricity bills. You do have a few options though. Here is a list of the common kinds of energy saving bulbs, and what their differences are…

Energy Saving Incandescents…

An energy saving incandescent bulb has a special compartment inside that holds gas around the filament of the bulb to increase the efficiency of the bulb. A bulb of this type is around twenty five per cent more efficient than a traditional bulb, and last around three times as long. The advantage of this kind of bulb is that compared to other energy saving bulbs it’s pretty cheap. It’s also the kind of bulb that’s most widely available, meaning you get a huge choice of colours and shapes that will fit almost any kind of light fitting. They can also be used with dimming switches, which isn’t possible with most other kinds of energy saving bulbs. Their biggest disadvantage is basically that there are other bulbs that will save you even more.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs…

Basically a compact fluorescent bulb (or CFL) is a curled up version of the long old-fashioned fluorescent strip light. A CFL uses around a quarter of the electricity of a traditional bulb and lasts around ten times longer. Unlike when CFLs first hit the market there are now a wide range of colours and even shapes available. There are a couple of disadvantages to CFLs though. Firstly, they may not be compatible with dimmer switches; you’ll have to check the packaging to find out. The second is that because CFLs contain traces of mercury they have to be disposed of properly. Many electronics retailers will get rid of used bulbs for you though.

Light Emitting Diode Bulbs…

Light Emitting Diode bulbs (or LEDs) are the newest type of energy efficient bulb. They are solid state bulbs, meaning that they use semi-conductors to change electricity into light. They use twenty to twenty five per cent of the energy of a traditional bulb, and last around twenty five times longer. They were expensive until the past year and colours other than bright blue-white are becoming more widely available. LED technology is changing incredibly quickly though, and more and more options are coming onto the market.

Phil Turner has changed energy suppliers this year. It made a difference in his bills, but he has also replaced most of the CFLs in his home with LEDs that should make a bigger difference.

The assertion that you need an orchard or large garden with numerous trees in to grow your own apples is a popular one but one that is emphatically untrue. There are all sorts of compact dwarf apple trees on the market which allow individuals with even the smallest of gardens to grow tasty fruit which can be used for cooking or for normal consumption. These easy to manage trees can even be stored on balconies or terraces meaning that city dwellers can take advantage as well and get fruit that can sometimes even be bigger than apples from fully fledged trees. Created through the process of grafting a conventional apple tree to the rootstock of a dwarf tree, they have become somewhat of a phenomenon in the UK.

Best Practice for Container Based Apple Trees

If storing your dwarf apple trees on the decking in your garden or on the terrace, it is best practice to plant it in a large plant pot or container and make sure that drainage is good. Also putting 5cm of pebbles at the bottom of the plant will assist drainage and enhance the performance of the dwarf apple tree. Water your tree regularly, preferably with rainwater and expose to as much sun as possible and you will end up with fantastic fruit.

How to Care for Ground Based Dwarf Apple Trees

Trees planted in the ground have slightly different rules in that it is a good idea to soak the roots in water for around two hours before planting. You can then dig a suitable deep hole and plant the tree at exactly the same level as when it was in its pot or container. Finally, just ensure that the graft is at least a few inches above the soil or the plant will start to construct its very own root system.

Final Steps

Once you have situated your dwarf apple tree in to your chosen location, you can start to think about things like fertilisation. It is best to do this in the spring time with an organic plant fertiliser and continue to do this every two weeks during the summer months. When the weather drops at the end of autumn, protect your potted apple tree by wrapping it with some form of cloth or an old sack. This will prevent the crucial part of the tree from getting frozen and therefore dying.

Written by Jack Fellowes on behalf of Mirror Reader Offers – the Daily and Sunday Mirror’s reader offers shop. Jack is a keen gardener and likes to pass on advice to others.

Not everyone loves homemade gifts. But everyone does love a thoughtful gift. As a relatively-broke-twenty-something I needed anything that would make my homemade and inexpensive gifts seem personalized and loving. So for our weekly “craft night” (which is, more often than not, an excuse for the girls to get together and drink wine under the guise of making things) we decided to design ornaments and gift tags. My present to my family members this year was vanilla extract that I made from scratch, but I needed a way to make each of them unique. Personalized gift tags were the perfect solution to this and it was incredibly fun and easy! Here’s what we did:

1. We started with white Sculpy that hardens when baked. We chose white because we liked the simplicity of it, but you can use whatever color you desire (but do note that Scuply specifically works best for this).
2. We kneaded the Sculpy until it was warm enough to roll into a ball and then rolled it out flat, about 1/4 of an inch thick.
3. Using fondant and cookie cutters we cut out the shapes we wanted. I used two different sizes of circles, the larger for the ornaments and the smaller for the gift tags.
4. Use a straw to punch a hole at the top of each one so you can run ribbon through them after baking.
5. We then placed them on a pyrex casserole dish that we flipped upside down to prevent the inside edges of the dish from misshaping our clay.
6. Bake accord to the instructions on the packaging. When you take them out of them oven they will be slightly more soft than you expect but they will harden as they cool.
7. After they are completely cool begin painting! We used paint pens as well as black paint and after some experimenting…stamps!
8. The ones we used stamp-ink on stayed wet for days and we realized that, because the ink couldn’t soak into anything, it wasn’t going to dry, so I simply painted over it with clear nail polish and it worked like a dream. Note: Do not use nail polish on the ones you painted. It will smear.
9. Tie on the ribbon and voila! Personalized gift tags and ornaments.

This is so easy and we had so much fun doing it. Once you make the ornaments you can get as creative as you want. Just experiment with different materials and know that you may have to use some kind of sealant (nail polish, glue, hair spray all work well for different things). Next time I would like to get some navy blue Sculpy and cut tiny stars to add to the top and see how that works. Enjoy your Christmas crafting and know that everyone will think you are very clever and incredibly thoughtful. Happy holidays!

Elizabeth Moore is the Brand Manager for www.Wallsneedlove.com, a wall decal and removable wallpaper company based in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. In her spare time she reads while crafting, drinking wine and listening to music. She is proud of her multi-tasking abilities.

Ecologically sound, quick to construct, well-insulated and attractively priced,   timber framed homes are rapidly becoming an industry standard. Why are they proving so popular?

Timber versus traditional

People talk about ‘traditional’ forms of building, meaning masonry, brick and concrete, when in fact the most traditional form of house building relies on timber framing. Think of any town or city with buildings dating back to medieval times and you will see that timber framing was the construction method of choice. Moreover, it has stood the test of time extremely well, as can be seen from the number of houses of this type still in use today.

However, fashions in building change almost as often as they do with clothes and for many years now builders and contractors have relied on brick, masonry and breeze blocks as favoured methods of construction. With the public calling out for a more ecologically sound alternative and builders casting around for a simplified method of construction, the stage has been set for the triumphant re-introduction of the timber framed home. A number of companies have sprung up to cater for this new demand, designing, manufacturing and assembling a variety of timber framed housing options.

The flat-pack house

The precision engineering required in designing and manufacturing the frame allows for precise measurements for insulation. This ensures that timber-framed houses are warm in winter and cool in summer for maximum comfort and efficiency.

The precise lines and angles of a timber-framed house mean that once the frame is completed, the other parts of the build slot almost seamlessly into place. This is unlike a masonry build where straight lines and perfect angles are rarely an option. The foundations for timber framed housing require careful preparation as the surface has to be completely level to a degree that most builders are unfamiliar with, but as this method becomes more widespread the skills will also become more easily accessible.

The sustainability of the wood sourced for these buildings makes this an ecological dream, with many companies working to a policy of planting more trees than they use during the building process.

With cheaper building costs, an environmentally sound manufacturing process and superior insulation properties, the only question any of us should be asking is why are we still building houses using the ‘traditional’ masonry method at all? It is safe to say that timber framed houses are the future, as well as being something we associate with the best of the past.

Jake Greenway writes on houses, construction and interiors for a range of websites. Here he writes on behalf of www.southerntimberframe.com.

Most of us would have no problem recognizing an oak tree or knowing that conkers are the fruit of the horse chestnut. One of our native species of trees which is lesser known is the maple, but throughout history they have had some surprising uses.

Decoration

Maple trees are deciduous, and lose their leaves in the autumn each year. Out of all of the species of tree, maples tend to have beautifully coloured red or orange leaves in the autumn and this makes them the ideal choice for display in gardens and parks. Maples are more manageable in size than many other larger trees, and some of the smallest varieties can be grown in very limited space in an urban front garden.

Maple Syrup

Not all maple trees are used to produce maple syrup. The sugar maple, native to Canada produces very sweet, sticky sap which is refined into maple syrup which Canadians and Americans love to have on their breakfast pancakes. Although most maple syrup trees are cultivated on farms, many Canadians have ornamental sugar maples in their gardens. Maples are so important to the Canadian culture that the maple leaf even appears on the Canadian flag.

Timber

Sycamore is the main type of maple we use here in the UK for its timber, but other varieties are grown too. Maple wood is hard and dense, and is used for products as diverse as skittles, baseball bats, pool cues and butchers’ blocks. Maple wood is an attractive reddish-brown colour and this means it is also popular for pieces which are both useful and decorative. Companies such as Rickenbacker have chosen maple for their Rickenbacker 620-12 guitar, and maple finishes are popular for wooden flooring too.

Instruments

As well as having the attractive colour, there are other reasons why leading guitar manufacturers and other musical instrument makers opt for maple wood for their products. Maple is a tonewood, which means that it carries sound waves better than other similar woods, giving a better sound when the instrument is played. As well as guitars like the Rickenbacker 620-12, maple wood is used to make violins, cellos, double basses and drums. It can also be used for woodwind instruments like bassoons.

Bonsai

The Japanese art of growing trees in miniature is called bonsai, and bonsai trees have become popular throughout the world as they are very attractive to have in the house or office. Maples are easier than other sorts of trees to grow in miniature as the leaves reduce in size and the look of a true miniature tree can be achieved. The Japanese use many different species of maple for bonsai, and have developed specialist maples over the years using selective propagation.

Food and Drink

Maple wood chips are popular for smoking everything from fish to meat or cheese, as they give a smoky flavour which is not overwhelming. Maple charcoal is used in the southern states of the USA to make whiskey, and as well as pouring on pancakes, maple is being used in cooking of cakes and even as an ingredient in cocktails. 

Morag Peers is a blogger and full time Mum writing on subjects as diverse as music, travel and politics. Find out more about Morag on her Google+ profile page.

A pond can really transform a garden from an outdoors area into a retreat into your own little piece of the countryside.  With the attracted wildlife it brings, you can hear the sounds of the country without leaving the city.  Of course, the perfect wildlife garden has a bit more than a pond, but it is one of the essential ingredients.  By planting trees to keep out the noises from any roads or train tracks nearby, you can get yourself on the way to a great escape, but the pond itself is what is really going to make the difference.  But if you don’t know the difference between PVC and Butyl rubber pond liners, then how will you know how to make that perfect pond?

Step 1: Dig a Hole

Of course you need to find exactly where you’re going to put the pond first.  The first thing to make sure of is that the pond gets plenty of natural light.  This will not only ensure that the plants will survive and prosper, but it will also help to attract animals and insects to the pond.  Some shade close by is always useful, but if you place a pond underneath a tree, for instance, you’re going to spend your days clearing out the leaves: it’s meant to be a peaceful retreat, not hard work, after all.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot, you should find out how much butyl rubber pond liner you’re going to need.  Now, instead of PVC or Polythene, butyl rubber pond liners are recommended for their hardiness and durability as well as their general quality.  Your pond should probably be at least 60cm deep in the middle, so that it will not freeze solid during the winter months, but it should have shallower sections too, as well as at least one gentle slope: you don’t want to trap the wildlife in the pond.  Once the shape and contours are decided, lay the liner over the hole and get ready to fill it and start your work on making it a true wildlife pond.

Step 2: Plants and Animals

Because of the hardy butyl rubber pond liner, you don’t need to worry about the wear of your pond and can concentrate on making it a haven for the local wildlife.  Some small rocks nearby are a good addition but more important than that is the choice of plant.  You will want to attract amphibians to the pond, so some tall grassy plants at the water’s edge are a good addition.  On top of that, plenty of small shrubs that will not shed leaves into the water will ensure you don’t have to spend all your time on maintenance.  It’s also best to stick to truly local plants when deciding what to put in the pond and remember to get a good mix of oxygenating plants as well as the marginal and floaters.

Lastly: the water.  It’s best to fill the pond with rainwater, as this has fewer nutrients and is less likely to spread blanket weed (which you should look out for and remove by hand).  Once having done this, your new pond will soon be attracting all kinds of creatures to your garden.

One good, final, tip is to float a tennis ball in the water during the winter months.  While your choice of a butyl rubber pond liner means your pond will stay in perfect condition should there be a freeze, hibernating animals may not fare so well.  If your pond does freeze over, you simply remove the tennis ball and you have a perfect air hole for any hibernating critters.

Sally Dimmock is a local wildlife enthusiast who loves to enjoy the sounds of nature in her garden.  Her pond is lined with butyl rubber pond liner and teems with life throughout the year.

Times are tough at the moment – unemployment feels like it’s never been more prevalent and even the most comfortable of us might have started to feel like they need to reign in their finances. There are numerous places in anyone’s lifestyle where they can instigate a tighter control on the budget and food is certainly one of them. However, this doesn’t mean you have to resort to an endless diet of cheap junk just to keep the wolf from the door. Here are a few frugal recipes that are as tasty as they are economical.

Turkey Bubble & Squeak Cakes

When you’re economising, it’s best to think about using every scrap of leftover food. A lot of us have some turkey knocking about at this time of year, but this wintery meal can be made just as easily with leftover chicken and it’s often very popular with kids! Serves 4.

Ingredients

• small onion, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 eggs for poaching
• 1 jar of Hollandaise Sauce
• 1 bag of watercresss
• 25g unsalted butter
• 450g cooked mashed potatoes
• 350g cooked turkey (brown meat is definitely better – go for the thigh if you still have it)
• 300g cooked spinach/cabbage
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 handful dried breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes on a medium heat until it has turned soft and golden.
2. Put the mash, turkey, cabbage/spinach and salt into a bowl and add the freshly cooked onions to the mix. Combine well.
3. Then, add the olive oil and a little of the breadcrumbs and mix to create your bubble and squeak batter. Form the mixture into four fat discs and dust with flour. Brush the beaten egg over  the discs and coat with the remaining breadcrumbs. Now would be the time to put the water on to boil or your poached eggs.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in the frying pan and then cook the discs for around 3 minutes a side, until they are golden brown. Poach the eggs in boiling water – ideally they should still have runny yolks so keep careful watch on their progress.
5. Garnish each plate with watercress, add a disc for each person and top with a poached egg. Serve with a dollop of hollandaise sauce (although, this kind of flourish can be cut I your budget doesn’t stretch that far – any condiment you have in your cupboard will do nicely)
6. The next recipe is a savoury-sweet delight and should use up all those niggling Christmassy items that tend to sit in the fridge unused come January.

Cranberry Turkey Puff Pastry Bites

• 1 sheet of readymade puff pastry
• 300g cooked turkey, chopped finely
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise/plain yoghurt
• 50g sour cream
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 140g cranberry sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Cut the puff pastry sheet into nine even squares and place on a baking tray (I advise you spray it with non-stick cooking oil, just to make sure they don’t stick in the oven).
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and then set to cool on a rack.
4. Then, mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and spoon equal amounts onto around half of the pastry squares (you’ll have an uneven number – I usually just fold one square in half so it forms its own lid) and put little pastry lids on top.

Serve these puffy sandwiches immediately. They won’t last long and they’re great for a quick but substantial supper, especially if served with a light salad. Who says you can’t be fancy on a budget – with these frugal turkey recipes you can be la-di-dah no matter what your financial situation. Enjoy!

Kelly Clay is a writer who can pinch a penny with the best of them, particularly if there’s pastry involved.

In Britain – as in many other parts of the world – there are many months where the climate is not suitable for growing vegetables, plants and flowers. Light and warmth are the main things that plants need to grow; this is why, as the earth starts to heat up in spring, the plants begin to grow. However, British weather can be very unpredictable which means it can be frustrating for people who are trying to grow a variety of plants if the weather is not on their side. If this is the case and you constantly find yourself tearing your hair out over the fact that your crops are failing and your flowers aren’t blooming then it might be time to invest in a greenhouse.

It doesn’t matter what size or shape your garden is, you will definitely find a greenhouse that will suit your needs. Greenhouses are available in many shapes and sizes so you’ll definitely find one that fits your budget. Even a small greenhouse tucked away in the corner of your garden will help you produce a better crop than you would have.

Greenhouses don’t just help the growth of your plants and crops they also help you to protect your plants too. A greenhouse means that you are also able to control the exposure that your plants have to wildlife, meaning that they are less likely to cause any significant damage. It also means that your plants will be protected from the UK’s unpredictable weather. This means that the greenhouse – although it costs a bit of money to begin with – will actually save you quite a bit in the long run, because you won’t have to waste money on buying more plants, bulbs and seeds.

The fact that greenhouses allow you to grow plants successfully also means that you’ll save yourself money on buying fully grown flowers as you can grow from seeds. Once you’ve been successful for a year you won’t even have to buy seeds either because you can use the seeds that were produced with last year’s crop.

Although it’s quite easy to find a greenhouse that will go anywhere, you do have to consider its positioning as it is essential that it gets sunlight. If you are a really keen gardener then you’ll also have to think about a water and electrical supply to your greenhouse so that you can electrically heat your greenhouse in the winter.

Written by gardening expert Dave Johnson who recommends a greenhouse as a great way to make your garden look a little brighter throughout the year.

Most people enjoy the sight of live plants in and around the house. They add a certain aesthetic to the house and provide a welcoming, fresh feel to the home. Unfortunately, not every homeowner has a green thumb, meaning they don’t have that knack of keeping plants alive. If that describes you, this is the article for you – the plants listed below are perfect for the not so green thumb.

These plants are perfect for people who lack green thumbs, they are able to withstand life on their own, for a little while, meaning they will not wilt and die if you miss a watering or two, they do not need a lot of sunlight and do not need much maintenance (think pruning and deadheading – if you are not sure what that means, do not worry because it does not matter!) Take a look at our top five picks for indoor plants for the not so green thumb.

1. Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’)
This houseplant is a very sturdy and tolerant plant. It does not need much attention, the only big do not’s are to not water or fertilize  too often. The corn plant grows best when it is able to dry up in between waterings. So if you are one that is not good at watering, the corn plant is a perfect match!

2. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens)
This is another drought-tolerant plant. The heartleaf philodendron is a very hardy plant that looks great and does not take much maintenance at all. As long as it gets a drink at least once a week or so it will maintain its livelihood.

3. Pothos or Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)
This ivy plant is great to place high up due to its length in stems that it can produce. The plant does well with low light areas and enjoys not having soggy, over-watered soil. To keep this plan looking its best, cut back the stems a few times a year.

4. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
The jade plant is as beautiful as the jewelry and becomes even more beautiful as it matures. This plant is perfect as an indoor houseplant needed just indirect sunlight and periodic watering, and the rest they say is simply eye candy.

5. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
This easy-to-handle plant will bless your home with great beauty. All it needs it a window seat (likes bright light) and a pot that drains well and you will be rewarded with all the beauty that comes with this amazing plant.

Susan Wright is an experienced veterinarian, a home owner and a freelance writer. Dr. Wright enjoys sharing helpful home owner tips based on personal experiences.