A backyard can mean different things to different people. For the congenial host, a backyard means a great place to gather friends and family on warm summer nights. For the avid gardener, a backyard means a great place to grow prized zucchini and the biggest pumpkins in five city blocks. For the kids, a backyard means a great place to play games of soccer or catch miller moths. For the dog, a backyard means a great place to spend some time after a large meal. No matter what a backyard means to you, chances are you want it to mean something and, chances are, you want it to stand out. If you are nodding your head in agreement, and want your backyard to house a superior deck or a creative garden, then keep reading: this (rose) bud’s for you:

A mist fountain is possibly the best way to purify the air in your home or office. These decorative accents are great to look at, but they also have many health benefits as well. Put one in your home to naturally remove the air of pollutants, using the negative ions generated. Add just a few drops of fragrance oil to scent the air too. No more burning candles and emitting smoke into the air. A mist fountain gives you a clean and natural way to put fragrance in the air and eliminate contaminates. Plus they look great. LED lights and innovative design make these decorative fountains extremely popular.

Telescoping flagpoles are poles that are made from different diameter aluminum tubes that slip inside each other. Each section is raised and locked into place, starting with the top section (the section holding the flag). Telescoping flagpoles do not have ropes to tangle and wear or clang against the pole in windy conditions. They are manufactured in heights of six to thirty-five feet. Due to the tapered effect, telescoping flagpoles generally maintain their strength-to-height ratios, but they are still not quite as sturdy as one-piece poles.When looking for a telescoping pole you should take into account three things: tubing size, locking systems, and spring assist.

The strongest telescoping flagpoles have the largest diameters in relation to their height. When comparing flagpoles of the same height look for the largest diameter tubing in each section. Wall thickness, or thickness of the pole, has some to do with strength, but not nearly as much as pole diameter.

The call came unexpectedly. It was my mother. She was in a panic about the need to clean year’s worth of dirt off the windows on her house. “I love ll the views,” she said, “but I don’t want to spend the whole ay cleaning windows.” No problem, I told her. In “Name that Tune” fashion, I told her how she could clean windows with not five, not four, but only three window-cleaning tools — and do it faster than she ever thought possible. “This, I want to hear,” she said.Outdated methods

Too often, window cleaning turns into a dreaded chore. That’s because until now we’ve cleaned with everything from old shirts, discarded towels, newspaper, and pallets of paper towels. If that’s what I had to work with, I’d board up my windows. But, clean windows aren’t out of your reach.

One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to bring a bit of nature into your personal home or office environment is with an indoor fountain. Indoor fountains run the gamut from small desktop and tabletop indoor fountains to larger floor fountains, wall fountains, and waterfall fountains. Additionally, indoor fountains come in a variety of styles that fit most any decor and price range, and they also make for great gifts.

Probably the best place to start your search for an indoor fountain is on the Internet, because that is where you will be able to get information on all types and models of indoor tabletop fountains, floor fountains, wall fountains, and waterfall fountains. When looking for a quality indoor fountain there are four principal issues that you should consider: materials, size, price, and design.

Indoor fountains can be purchased that are made of a wide variety of materials that include:

Outdoor fireplace, bubbling garden fountain, cozy place to wine and dine-it may be compact, but this backyard has many bragging rights.

Let’s count the ways that the not-so big lawn can make life a little sweeter. One, you don’t have to spend half your Saturday pushing a lawn mower. Two, the short distance between grill and table makes mealtime easier. Three, watering the plants is a breeze with one short hose. So before you go thinking that bigger is always better, check out all the great ideas packed in this small outdoor space.

1. Be sure to think SAFE! As cute as a shelf full of porcelain dolls might look above your little girl’s crib, there is a safety issue there. So, first and foremost on your mind when preparing for and decorating a nursery should be safety. Without safety it won’t matter how cute your nursery is. So, with this in mind, if you borrow or buy an old crib, playpen, or car seat, be sure that it complies with current safety standards. If you do not know, check online. Always think of your child’s safety before good looks, and your nursery will be sure to be a success!2. Use coordinating colors, pieces, and designs, but don’t buy in sets. When a decorator comes in a designs a house, it is not going to look like something you could purchase at a furniture store. Chances are they will find pieces that go well together, but that do not come in a set. You can achieve a decorator look by choosing coordinated wallpaper and fabrics for a wall hanging, quilt, and window coverings, and matching, but not just buying the entire bedroom collection. For best results, it is better to start with a color scheme, and find patterns, fabrics, and accessories that match your scheme. You will find that if the colors are right, even if the pieces do not match, they will go together nicely.

Garden lovers around the world love putting fountains among their flowers, plants, bushes and shrubs. And with the Christmas season upon us in the U.S., many garden lovers may get their very first fountain as a gift this year.Fountains make wonderful gifts year round. They’re beautiful to look at, and fit well with almost any landscape. They’re also quite serene and have a wonderful calming effect. So if you’re getting or giving an outdoor water fountain for a gift this year, here are a few caretaking tips you’ll want to have on hand…

Many outdoor fountains are made of concrete, and concrete expands and contracts in cold weather. If at all possible, you should move your concrete fountain indoors for the winter.

If you’re not able to move it indoors, check it frequently to see if there’s water collecting in it. You should keep it completely dry during the winter months.

There’s nothing like a cleanser that actually works as advertised, bulldozing through dirt and leaving a surface sparkling clean. But conventional cleaning products can actually leave indoor air polluted with a toxic smog of petrochemical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the synthetic fragrances used to mask them.

Think, then, what damage cleaning products used on a regular basis year-round can do in the enclosed space of a home, where VOCs can build up for months. “When they evaporate, they are transported directly to the brain, where they can be as intoxicating as ether or chloroform,” says Kaye Kilburn, professor of internal medicine at the University of Southern California medical school. “They are palpably dangerous to health.” In other words, when someone complains of being knocked out after cleaning house, it’s likely more than just a turn of phrase.

The new Parisian shop Lavinia, which bills itself as Europe’s largest wine and spirits shop, devotes a generous section to French organic wines. But they cannot be found among the hundreds of bottles laid out appealingly in stylish wood and glass racks. The enviable selection is tucked away at the back of the shop, in the basement.

This choice may not be deliberate, but it seems to reflect the situation of the organic wine business in France. It is blossoming: production is growing by 15% to 20% annually, and demand is increasing both in and outside of France. But the industry remains painfully under-exploited. As the lack of visibility at Lavinia testifies, the average French wine drinker is probably completely unaware if his drink is organic or not, and might care little about it.

Here in the Northeast, summer is almost here. With hot humid weather approaching-it’s already here in the southern part of the country-we can learn a few tricks from our grandparents. Before air conditioning was common, most housewives prepared their homes for the heat of summer. They knew the windows would be open letting in dust as well as fresh air. Children would be home from school and running in and out, dragging sand and dirt with them and dripping water from wading pools on the floors. Afternoons were a time to sit on the porch and drink lemonade, read a book, and visit with neighbors. No one wanted to be cleaning and scrubbing in 90 degree weather.

The EPA released its list of the Top 25 Green Power Partners for 2005, and the list includes some surprising entries. Here is the list, with Power Partners appearing in order of purchase size:You may have noticed a large increase in the number of television commercials for vehicles that are able to run on E85 fuel, manufactured in large part from corn. Auto manufacturers have been dragging their feet for decades, but it appears as if they’re finally ready to become part of the Green Revolution. That’s great news, of course, but there have been many other companies, organizations, and government agencies in all sectors of the American economy that have been using Green power for some time.

In 2005, the EPA released its list of the Top 25 Green Power Partners, and the list includes some surprising entries. Here is the list, with Power Partners appearing in order of purchase size:

Twelve years ago, I set up my first home office, and many of my friends and family members were a little puzzled. “What will you do in there?” they asked, seemingly confused as to why I’d need a whole room instead of just a corner table where I could pay bills and store mail. I explained to them that I would be telecommuting, and they didn’t quite get it. It was 1995, the term was little known in the business world, and people’s reactions to it ranged from confused to suspect over the whole notion of combining home and work space.Within a few years, all this changed. Most people learned more and more about telecommuting and home-based businesses, until it was accepted as a legitimate (and for many people, a preferable) way to work. Now, more than a decade after I set up my first home office, most people I know also have a fully equipped workspace in their homes, whether they work at home or not.

Sustainable homes utilize responsible, eco friendly practices to produce less waste and conserve more energy, a goal that everyone should aspire to. Even if you live in one of the many sustainable housing communities that are being built across the country, there are still areas of your home that can undoubtedly use a green makeover. If you don’t live in sustainable housing, you should be aware of the many chemicals and potentially toxic fumes that you and your family may be exposed to on a daily basis, and hopefully, take steps to correct them. We spend approximately eight hours a night sleeping in our bedrooms, and studies have proven that factors like air quality and atmosphere can largely impact the quality of sleep. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you build a greener bedroom, and improve your sleep, and health, at the same time.

Increasingly we find ourselves beset by problems that seem beyond our control; global warming, GM Foods, animal testing, the spread of factory farming, the arms trade and human rights abuses, to list but a few. Shoppers are often left feeling helpless, the typical response being theres nothing I can do.But you can by shopping in an Ethical way. Put simply, this is buying things that are made ethically by companies that act ethically. Buying ethically means buying a brand or from a company which doesn’t exploit labour, animals or the environment. The way in which you can act as an ethical consumer can also take on a different form and that is avoiding products (also known as boycotting) you disapprove of such as battery eggs.

Everyone needs to go shopping in one way or another. As an ethical consumer, every time you buy something you can make a difference by choosing an ethical product or by buying from an ethical business.

Forget playing up the environment, data increasingly shows that it’s better to stress a product’s health benefits for humans.

When the dairy cows at Horizon Organic’s farms get sick, they are treated with aspirin and massages. The cows’ feed is grown in soil that is carefully cultivated to stay rich and healthy through crop rotation, composting, and careful tilling procedures. In fact, all the farming practices on Horizon’s farms are geared toward producing dairy products “in harmony with nature.” But do consumers care? Not really, according to Clark Driftmier, vice president of marketing at Horizon, the nation’s largest organic dairy company. So, rather than emphasize the environmental aspects of organic farming in its advertising and packaging, the company more often highlights the perceived health benefits of milk and yogurt produced without pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics.

When consumers think of natural food, their focus may extend beyond organic origin and preparation. Although organic foods continue to be a strong and growing market, the natural food category now contains products that incorporate ethical and sustainability factors, such as equitable trade practices, genetic modification and humane treatment of animals.

Baby Boomers, the largest food spending demographic, are driving the natural products category through their preference for fresh, natural and organic ingredients, as well as their desire for flavors that are exotic, sophisticated and bold. In a recent Packaged Facts report called “Baby Boomers and the U.S. Food and Beverage Industry,” Baby Boomers were found to spend more on household groceries and food than members of Generations X and Y, and seniors. More specifically, Boomers aged 45-54 spend $123 weekly on food, in comparison to $102 for 25- to 34-year-olds and $75 for 65- to 74-year-olds.

Residential design is not going green. It’s gone green. More homeowners are demanding that their home be sustainable, healthy to live in and affordable to maintain. By going green, they choose to reduce the burden on the environment and to add value to their homes.

With rising voices in the national discussion on the urgency of global warming and other environmental issues, homeowners in the tri-state area are simply waking up and learning what it means to be “sustainable and green.” The more they learn, the more they will demand homes that are thoughtfully designed and energy-efficient.

Q: What is the easiest way to clean a shower?

A:Cleaning the tub or shower can be one of the toughest chores in your home. Soap scum, water stains, dirt, grime and grease all build-up over time and can seem impossible to remove. If you are using a traditional tub and tile cleaner, you may be making the job harder than it has to be, and risking your health with the dangerous chemicals as well. Many of these cleaners leave behind a sticky residue that only causes the dirt to build up faster. Plus you are spraying surfaces with chemicals that you then expose your bare skin to.

Most Americans have spent at least a few frustrating hours attempting to use a string trimmer to groom those areas of the lawn that mowers just won’t get. The difficulty of winding spools and the all-to-often broken trimmer line have plagued these weekend warriors for decades. Better Heads LLC, a new player in the aftermarket trimmer head industry, has recently introduced the PIVOTRIM - the “next generation” in user-friendly string trimmer head design.The patented technology was unveiled to retailers last May at the 2006 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas and was met with rave reviews. Less than 9 months later, the PIVOTRIM is available on the shelves of over 3000 locations in the US including Wal-Mart and other local hardware stores.

The new PIVOTRIM replacement head, designed to fit all gas-powered trimmers, incorporates a simple yet highly effective pivot design that eliminates broken lines. The father & son team of Dave and Mike Watts from Pearland, TX developed this product after years of frustration with current tools for trimming their lawns.

In order to support a healthy lifestyle, one must think about more than eating right, regular exercise and taking vitamin supplements. A healthy body needs a healthy home to give it the all-around support that complements a healthy lifestyle - and choosing green cleaning products can help.Using harsh chemicals to clean contributes to unhealthy air in the home, not to mention a mixture of dangerous chemicals ending up in the septic system or the city sewage system. Increasing importance is being made of using green cleaning products because of the concerns over the health of our Earth. But, people need to realize starting their environmental efforts at home is the best way to make a significant difference toward establishing a healthy lifestyle. Different types of natural products often work better than harsh chemical cleansers and by doing so naturally, the environment will stay green longer. Thus the reason green cleaning is becoming so popular for those committed to a healthy lifestyle.