A Bridal Flowering of your Own

Author: Krissy Lanni

Weddings; the day many women dream about since the time they are little girls. Location, setting, decorations, colors, the wedding and bridal dresses, flowers, tuxedos and of course the bridal bouquet; weddings are the day dreams are meant to come true. After the date, one of the biggest, and usually the next decision to be made, is the wedding location and setting. Once this decision is made, the formidable task of looking at the tremendous amount of accessory alternatives available can begin. Matching the accessories with the setting is a remembrance all present will remember. Bridal bouquets are no exception. Selecting the proper mixture of flowers that will create and become the bridal bouquet can be matched in gorgeous and stunning ways to compliment not only the bride, but the wedding setting choice as well.
Since the setting has been chosen, when choosing the bridal bouquet, the colors, shapes and textures can be considered accordingly. Not only all the flowers, but the bridal bouquet in particular, has tremendous meaning and importance in a wedding. It not only is an extremely personal accessory to the bride but is something that will be captured in the vast majority of the wedding pictures. Additionally, in many traditions and wedding reception settings, bridal bouquets are "thrown over the brides shoulder" to some lucky single woman; signifying upon her lucky catch of the bridal bouquet, she is next in line to stand at the altar and become married.
Let's look at a few tips and variations of flowers composing bridal bouquets in different types of wedding settings:
Modern Setting Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Selected, assorted mixture of: prince garden roses, black beauty roses, some sort of dark flower, such as chocolate cosmos, mixed with zinnias, ash berries and perhaps some type of geraniums, such as peppermint.
Elegant Setting Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Selected, assorted mixture of: garden roses, miniature calla lilies, gomphrena, zinnias, baby tears, gloriosa lilies, hydrangeas, nerine lilies, bittersweet, cymbidium orchids and perhaps acorns.
Including rhinestone crystals in any bridal bouquet will make it more elegant.
Urban/Downtown Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Ask the floral designer for unusual blooms, bold shapes and graphic, embellished ribbons.
Garden Setting Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Selected, assorted mixture of: cabiosa, lace-cap hydrangeas, nerine lilies, snowberries and classic soft colored roses, viburnum, berries, belladonna and amaryliss are ideal for garden wedding settings. Ask the floral designer for lush and romantic, loose bouquets in soft pastel colors that are natural and feminine. This is an ideal bridal bouquet for a couple that is marrying among the greenery of a garden or outside area.
Uptown/Residential Setting District Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Selected, assorted mixture of: monochromatic clusters or blooms with strong colors arranged tightly. What this does is create striking bouquets, ideal for this type of setting.
Beach Setting Bridal Bouquet Ideas: If you are marrying by the sea, pick a free-flowing, whimsical design with a mix of textures in flowers and grasses.
Other Setting Bridal Bouquet Ideas: Other popular flowers often found in bouquets are: tweedia, nigella and dusty miller, colored roses, oregano, wild grasses and seed pods.
The bridal bouquet is the most important accessory a bride carries. She has to feel comfortable and beautiful carrying the bouquet. It is the finishing touch, like wearing a diamond necklace to complete the look of a gown. It is therefore critical and important that the bouquet is designed to accentuate the bride as well as to bring out her personality on one of the most important days of her life.

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Add a Koi Pond to your Landscaping Project

Author: Steven Cancel

Landscaping your lawn could entail a number of things. It could be as simplistic as having several plants and shrubs surrounded by various rocks and woodchips or even a water garden complete with fountains and flowers. The largest, most elaborate form of landscaping is a Koi pond.
A Koi pond is a project that will require a large surface area, and even more research. This illustrious landscape is very stimulating, but also may require some work when the changing of the seasons occurs.
Once the weather breaks and the leaves appear to be changing colors, it is generally a good idea to install netting over the Koi pond to eliminate the amount of leaves and sticks that will land in the Koi habitat. This will drastically lower the amount of debris to be removed at seasons end. Another precaution that should be taken during the break of the weather is winterizing the Koi pond.
In winterizing the fish habitat requires several pieces of advice. One of the most important steps to take into account is the cleaning process. It is wise to physically take the fish out of the pond, place them into a bucket full of the water in the pond, and clean the excess bacteria from the pond. However, completely removing all the bacteria will destroy the harmony of the pond through the summer months; the plants feed off the bacteria while the fish feed off the plants. Other things that need to be removed are the remaining leaves and sticks that were not caught by the netting. Failure of removing these materials will result in creation of methane gas, a byproduct of the decomposing that will occur. Lowering the amount of water will allow the pump to circulate water, allowing the fish to survive below the level of ice that accumulates in the cold weather. Another tip worth perusing is to create a hole in the ice when the winter season approaches. Do not use force when attempting to create a hole. The best method for this is to place a pot filled with boiling water over the ice to allow a hole to be melted into the ice. This will allow the gases that accumulate in the pond to escape.
The largest problem that occurs with the overall presence of the Koi pond is mobility throughout the surrounding area of the piece. Installing a bride over the center or an area of interest will serve a dual purpose. The practical purpose for this landmark is to be able to cross over the pond to access other portions of the yard or landscape. On the other hand, the second purpose of building a bridge is to create the effect of vastness and attractiveness. Bridges can come in a variety of styles with according costs.

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Basic Gardening Tips

Author: Tracy Ballisager

Are you looking out for ways to enhance the exteriors of your home? However, at the same time, do you feel a little lethargic? Well then, you are lucky. There are some basic gardening tips that can help you to add a decorative touch to any deck or patio area, plus add some greenery to it. Once you decide on decorating your garden and if you are a beginner at it, then you should understand some basic gardening tips, to make it a delightful pastime.
Gardener's gain satisfaction when they see their creation, smell the blooms and sit in the fresh air. Just imagine spending a weekend in the yard that you have created with a lot of love. As a beginner, you need to understand and follow some basic gardening tips that can help you create a masterpiece. In the beginning, you have to go quite slow and start small, by using your imagination. Therefore, choose a task that does not take long to complete. Initially you have to start of by controlling the weeds and pests, but first enlarge the garden. There are some key considerations for successful gardening like-
Soil
Initially you should always start with good soil and you may have to purchase some testing tools from the local gardening shop to find out what your soil needs. If your present soil has clay or shale, then you need to treat the soil before planting. You might have to treat around 60% of the soil to make it fertile enough to start your gardening. You need to include peat moss, garden compost, planting mix, perlite and composted manure.
Water
The condition of the soil determines the amount of water it needs and if you treat the soil properly then you will need less frequent water. If you have decorated your garden with lawns, then you should water them every 2-3 days during the first week and then stop watering them every day during the next week, as too much water usually prevents oxygen from entering the soil space and this suffocates the roots. Shrubs and roots need frequent and deeper levels water ever 7-10 days. Once the plant settles into the ground, then it requires less watering. You should saturate the root thoroughly; water only after the soil dries up.
Fertilizers
Basic gardening tips suggest that you should not fertilize a dry plant. You should always mix the fertilizer with water and then gradually pour it over a plant. You should first water the plant before fertilizing as the fertilizer burns the roots of the dry plant. You should fertilize the plants every week or after every third watering session. Perennials should be fed late in April or through August.
Pesticide
After planting, you should keep the plant pesticide free. Good quality pesticide can be made in a jar, by combining 1-teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty bottle that has a spray nozzle attached, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture with 1 cup of water and then you can use this solution every ten-days to avoid whiteflies, aphids, mites, scales and other pests.

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