So what is the key to choosing the right garden bird feeder? What do you need to do first, and is your choice truly that important? I guess in the beginning, it's not as important as it might be later on. It's perfectly ok to choose a basic garden bird feeder as your first one, even one with a low price tag. To start with, you won't need anything too fancy, at least until you work out what you really want from your bird feeder.

But, if you've been doing this birding lark for a while, you probably know exactly what kind of garden bird feeders you should be looking at, and you can probably teach me something too! If you are new to this, then you might also be wondering how you can find the right garden bird feeder to suit your back yard. There are a few things to consider and I'll go through them so as to make the options clear and easier for you to work through.

But before I do, if you don't want to go through all this hassle in the beginning, or if you just want the pleasure of finding out your birding needs for yourself, then I suggest you go ahead and buy the basic platform bird feeder. It's always the best place to start and can give you a great boost on your learning curve.

But, if you want to get all the info together before you decide which garden bird feeder you're going to buy, then read on. Probably the best way is for me to do a list of the most important facts to consider. You will need to think about;

* What types of birds you want to attract to your garden

* How long-lasting is your bird feeder

* Is it easy to maintain

* How much seed should it hold

* Do you live in the colder climes or the more warmer ones

* Are you on the migrating paths

* Do you want to squirrel and raccoon proof your feeder

* How much will you be willing to spend

Just to clarify the first item in the list, one of the most important questions you can ask of yourself when buying a bird feeder is what type of bird do you want to bring to your garden? This is important because your choice of feeder will always be influenced by the type of bird you want to attract.

Suppose you're hoping to attract hummingbirds, then buying a platform garden bird feeder isn't going to get you very far. Hummingbirds require nectar so you'll need to buy a hummingbird feeder for them to feed from. The same applies to orioles. Then again, if it's northern cardinals you want to attract then you'll should look into buying garden bird feeders that sit on the ground, or you might go for suet bird feeders for woodpeckers and similar birds.

You probably get the general idea, but don't worry of you're still wondering how on earth you'll be able to find out which birds are in your area. That can be a fairly simple problem to overcome as any field guide for your area will almost certainly provide it, or failing that I've always found the internet to be a great source of information. If that doesn't help, you could always look for information at your library or maybe even from a bird society in your area.

Now you've got the information you need it's just a matter of narrowing it down to which particular birds you're aiming to attract. After that you can go back to any of these sources to get the skinny on which garden bird feeders your birds will want, and don't forget there's always the friendly sales person from your local pet store.

The role of color in any landscaping design is a vital one. When color is not used properly, it can destroy the integrity of the design, causing visual confusion and chaos. The correct use of color however can enhance even the simplest designs, resulting in a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.

Using Color Theory for Effective Landscaping To be able to effectively use color, knowledge of color theory is necessary. Do you know the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary colors? What about neutral colors? Using the following table will help.

Primary Colors include red, yellow and blue. Secondary Colors include green, violets or purples and oranges. Tertiary Colors are blends of the primary and secondary categories. Neutral colors include white, grays and silvers. Note: Black is not a color - it is the absence of color!

Creating Harmony between Colors The harmonious use of color occurs when colors are used properly. In order to achieve this harmony, it is necessary to study color combinations and work out which ones go together well. It is a good idea to match warm colors with other warm colors and cool to cool. Whilst there are cool and warm tones in all colors, it is generally accepted that the "cool" colors are blue, pink, purple and green, whilst the "warm" colors are red, yellow and orange.

Using colors based on your needs Select colors that reflect the purpose of the landscape design, for example, if you are after a relaxation area, greens, violets or pinks are the ideal choice. If you are looking for a vibrant space, choose bright colors such as reds, yellows and oranges. To create diversity and depth, mix neutral colors such as white or gray with primary or secondary colors, whilst tertiary colors are used to link or separate primary and secondary colors. Use a color wheel to help you match colors.

Exterior colors complimenting your interiors Matching the color scheme of your garden to that of the interior of your home allows a transition or flow between the landscape and the building. Colors in the garden that when seen from the inside of the house are complimentary and allow for harmony.

Using Seasonal Colors Choose your very own unique set of landscape plants carefully and you will ensure that there is color in your garden all of the year as well as adding interest for the viewer.

Using warm colors cautiously Unlike some people who are blessed with a brick patio and some large area to landscape, then you should be careful how you use "warm" colors such as red, yellow and orange. Their vibrancy gives the illusion of being closer or bigger. "Cool" colors will soften the effect and give the illusion that any garden even a stone patio is bigger.

Bringing a few houseplants into your home is a very easy and extremely pleasurable way to add some life to your home's environment. If you are very keen on gardening, why not place a few in each room of the house? Nothing could be better than being surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful blooms. You will be pleasantly surprised at the comfort and peace that will encompass you.

Not only do most common houseplants require relatively little maintenance to bring you beauty, they also have the benefit of ensuring that the air inside your home is cleaner.

Some of us have experienced disappointments with our choices of houseplants. No matter what we do, they seem doomed to fail. After a few attempts, most people in this situation will reach the conclusion that their house isn't "right" for indoor plants, or they do not possess a green thumb and they give it all away.

Most of the problems that occur with houseplants stem from a few basic errors: potting practices that are less than perfect, over watering or not watering enough and failing to provide adequate "feed" for the plant. Once these problems have been overcome though, most people manage to be very successful with indoor plants.

The initial point you must realize is that indoor plants do not have the same access to soil drainage as do outside plants. Indoor plants that have too much water will suffer from root rot and the plant becomes very unhealthy. The lesson behind this is to ensure that your indoor plant is placed in a pot that allows for adequate drainage.

How to care for indoor plants includes proper drainage as as important consideration. Ensuring adequate drainage is quite simple. A ficus tree, for instance requires rich, well-drained soils. You should choose a container that has a number of holes in its base, to allow for excess water to drain out on to a saucer. If you have pots without holes, it will be necessary to create a layer of rocks in the base of each pot as an alternative. These rocks will form a drainage "pit" to prevent the roots of the plant sitting in the water.

Another point worth considering is that indoor plants have different soil requirements to outdoor plants. Indoor plant soil can be purchased from garden centers - use this instead of common garden soil from outside.

The last point, but certainly equally as important, is this: Choose a pot that is the right size for your plant. Most plants sold in pots are ready to be transplanted into a larger pot as soon as you get them home as they are already crowded. There are exceptions to this: ferns prefer to be cramped, but a general rule of thumb is that the greater the pot in which you place your plant, the healthier and more attractive they will grow.

A well maintained, healthy and aesthetically pleasing hedge can improve the appearance and functionality of your property. A hedge at the front and side boundaries of a property can be utilized as a buffer against traffic,general neighborhood noises and unattractive things. A well positioned hedge can also accentuate the layout of your garden and focus attention on the house and its surroundings.Those hedges placed strategically within the property boundaries have the ability to highlight pathways and divide specific areas within the garden and are extremely useful as a blind against necessary but unattractive elements of the garden such as tool sheds.

Plants that are commonly chosen for use in hedging vary in style, size and leaf structure. Taller hedges require plantings of species such as holly, thorn bushes or even wattle. Roses, camellias and barberry bushes are ideal for less formal, unstructured hedges. Shorter, lower growing plants that make great hedges include the varieties of box or smaller pine specimens, whilst a variety of fruiting trees such as apple, cherry, plum and quince can also serve as an effective and productive hedge, particularly when used around a vegetable garden. Nut trees are also popular for this use. Formal "clipped" and squared off hedges are almost always comprised of varieties of privett, which are relatively easy to train into the desired formal structure. For a more "original" look, other species of shrubbing plants, when positioned close together, can make successful hedges.

When you are planting out a hedge, the same amount of care and attention is required as for all other plants. Correct preparation of the soil is vital to optimize the health of the plants. A hedge with gaps or unhealthy straggly plants is an eyesore. Garden plants, for instance, should be of the same size when they are planted out to ensure equal growth. Correct spacing of the plants to achieve the close hedge has to be planned, as does the actual layout and structure of the hedge you wish to achieve.

If you are after a straight hedge, it is advisable to excavate a trench to the required size of the hedge. Ensure that one side is straight and set the plants so that they are aligned against this straight edge. The depth of the trench is dependent upon the requirements of the plant. Some plants will need to be planted more deeply than others. The size of the plant is also a determining factor in this.

Generally, plants used for hedging should be planted closer together than if they were to be used as a specimen plant. Those that spread outwards will be planted further apart than those whose growth is more upright like bougainvillea shrub. You should seek the advice of a gardening expert to ensure that your hedge is planted appropriate to the different species.

A wide range of house-plants, grown to have beautiful flowers and foliage, is now available at nurseries. However, many times the life of these plants is unnecessarily short-lived because of unsuitable treatment by their new owners. However, with knowledge of their requirements and appropriate care, these plants can easily be grown successfully indoors.

For the most part, these plants are easy to grow. However, a few require special care because they are tropical plants. Many plants are popular gifts during the Christmas season, but often their new owners do not understand how to provide the correct care and attention. Therefore, you should read a little about your new plant, so that you can help it thrive and keep its full beauty for as long as possible.

If you are a beginner with indoor plants, you should proceed cautiously, first choosing easy to grow plants. Most nurseries can help you choose appropriate plants that will not be difficult to grow. After you have some experience growing these plants, you may wish to attempt more difficult species.

Many unusual species of plants, previously grown only in hot-houses, have recently become popular for decoration in homes. Some of them are native to the tropics, so they require special care. Many can be acclimatized for growth indoors in temperate countries. However, if you are a beginner, you should proceed with caution when choosing such plants. Some are more capable of growing in a hot, dry climate than others, and these should be chosen first, to gain more experience in growing such plants indoors.

Most often, if a plant has thick, leathery foliage, it will respond best to indoor conditions. This is because the leaves are constructed to reduce transpiration to a minimum, which suits them well for the conditions found in a typical living room. Dry living rooms tend to increase transpiration, or the loss of moisture by the leaves. In these plants with thick foliage, there are devices which help the plants to reduce transpiration. The Christmas Cactus is a common example of this type of plant. Indoor houseplants such as the Pony Tail Palm react in the same way.

On the other hand, plants such as the maidenhair fern, Cyclamen, or Fuchsia, have thin leaves. These lose moisture very quickly, which dries out the plant. As a result, they are not easy to cultivate indoors. They grow best in a moist atmosphere, but many living rooms are too dry for them. Any attempt to make the room a more hospitable climate for the plants will be damaging to the furnishings of the rooms.

Often individuals will jump into a hobby before they even acknowledge if its for them. So to start with, the first thing you want to know before taking on a carpentry project is, that its going to suit your interests. The argument to this is, you won't know if you'll enjoy it before you have even tried it, and thats a fair argument.

Determine first of all that you are going to start with something small. Maybe a birdhouse or a planter or even a easy cosmetic shelf. Nothing too fanciful though. It may even be a superb idea to start out with a kit. This way you wont have to invest in a lot of tools while you are in this testing level. Once you have completed your test project and observed that you actually did enjoy it, then you are ready to move onto bigger and better matters, slowly though.

Now is the time to genuinely start reading about what working with wood is all about. Its time to educate yourself and do some research. You need to attain at least the basics if you want to move forward. Plan on investing in some magazines and books. Try to purchase magazines geared towards novices at first, and watch for the ones that offer free models in them as well.

The next item on your list for things to know is, what instruments are you going to require. Dont run out and buy state of the art, or top of the line tools. These are not needed. If you have been studying your magazines, then by now you should have a solid idea what you are going to need. They no doubt gave you some solid pointers on how to select your tools. Every woodwork project will have some tool essentials, but most of these projects will normally comply to the regular wood working tools.

Before you even start to think about starting a tough woodworking project, understand any information that came with your tools. It is imperative that first and foremost you become educated and stick to all of the safety rules and guidelines. Some very big accidents can take place with the types of tools you will be using.

Now you are ready to start your project. Be sure that you have purchased a pattern, and preferably a elementary one. If you jump into something too elaborated it could get dear, and you could become disheartened at it not turning out precisely as good as what it could be.

Woodworking projects demand the same practice as anything else that you have become accomplished in. You will gradually get better the more you do. Try and take some time to maybe take a few classes. Check out your local improvement stores and see if they offer seminars. Just make sure they are relevant to the type of woodworking that you are doing.

If you follow these simple guidelines, and keep studying and exploring, before you know it you will be able to class yourself as a knowledgeable woods craftsperson.