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August 26, 2010

The Heralded Teak Furniture Manufacturer: Kingsley-Bate

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — kinganc @ 5:59 pm

With an average lifespan of 75 years, teak wood has long been commended as the ideal choice for outdoor furniture. It has qualities unlike any other wood in its ability to withstand the rigors of adverse climates, yet weather attractively.

There are only a handful of successful teak furniture manufacturers and it is Kingsley-Bate leading the way. They are the first American company to use Javanese teak in the manufacture of its furniture. In the early 1980′s, Kingsley-Bate and the Indonesian government developed a teak furniture program in Java. This was a great undertaking as the Indonesian government allows the felling of a limited number of trees each year.

Kingsley-Bate’s Javanese teak is carefully harvested from controlled plantations. This ensures there will be no harm to Indonesia’s natural resources. For every tree cut down, an equal amount of reforestation must take place. Preservation of the earth’s resources is a major concern today and Kingsley-Bate is committed to their environmental responsibility.

Due to the increasing demand of this beautiful hardwood, teak furniture has become a symbol of affluence and luxury. As America’s leading manufacturer, Kingsley-Bate sets the benchmark for quality and design of teak furniture. They use only premium quality Javanese teak and precise mortise and tenon joinery in the construction of their furniture. Their factories fully assemble each piece of furniture prior to shipment to ensure all pieces fit together and reassembly requires minimal effort.

The design of Kingsley-Bate’s teak furniture incorporates the superb skills of wood carvers and craftsmen. The combination of exceptional material and craftsmanship is the reason Kingsley-Bate is consistently listed as a top selling teak furniture line in numerous publications such as Casual Living.

Some of Kingsley-Bate’s important projects include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Westin Vail Resort, Biltmore Estate, Martha’s Vineyard Ferry Terminal, University of California-Berkeley, M.I.T. and many others. Their teak furniture is regularly identified for residential and commercial use by both interior and exterior designers, architects, hotels, universities, parks, resorts and more.

Kingsley-Bate offers only the highest quality products to the casual furniture market. They set the standard for design, style and durability of teak furniture. Every year, their line is expanded to incorporate new products and accessories giving the consumer more options than ever.

Jennifer Akre is successful business owner of many outdoor furniture websites including http://www.MoreThanTeak.com. Her websites offer product and information on teak furniture, Kingsley-Bate, Adirondack chairs and other outdoor furniture.

August 22, 2010

Multi Purpose Tree ? Sugar Palm

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — soccerfreak21 @ 8:55 am

Palm family is unique in the aspect that most of its members have muli purpose benefits to the mankind, unrivalled by few other trees. There are several palm species such as Borassus, Areca, Sago, Fish Tail etc. Because of their beautiful structure, many of the palms adorn gardens.Though pal trees grow very tall, they can also be raised in home gardens or as dwarfs in pots.One of the most important palm trees is the Sugar palm.Botanically known as Borassus Flabellifer; it is widely distributed in the tropics such as India, Srilanka, South East Asia, New Guinea etc.

People from temperate regions are not much aware of this palm and hence are not privileged as people of tropics in appreciating the multi fold benefits of this palm. The tree grows upto 30 meters in height, with separate sexes. The female trees bear edible fruits of about 20 cm diameter.

Over a lifecycle starting from fruit to tree, the sugar palm or toddy palm provides six types of edible portions at different stages. The immature or unripe fruits contain 2-3 locules, and the locules contain a hydrolyzed carbohydrate which is very tasty. (Called ‘munji’ in Telugu language). On maturity the carbohydrates convert to hard starch and this starch is not edible. The locules are in hard shells, which are covered by fibrous material, and this fibrous material which was earlier greenish-whitish in color and tasteless, accumulates sugar and turns orange-red juicy fibres.

This sweet orange juice with characteristic flavor (fruit at this stage called ‘tati pandu’ in telugu), is mixed with flour and baked into cakes. If the ripened fruit is left untouched, the fruit falls to the ground and the seeds (or locules) generate a peg geotropically into the soil. The seed, which has hard starchy material, gets again hydrolyzed into sugars and takes the form of semi solid white mass (the seed on ground with peg into the soil at this stage is called ‘burra gunju’ in telugu). If this stage is not disturbed, the hydrolyzed starch gets transferred through the peg inside the soil and forms a cotyledon.

Once the transfer of sugars is complete, the cotyledon which measures 1-2 cm in thickness and 15-25 cm in length and of conical shape is again edible (this stage is called ‘tega’ in Telugu). If this stage is also not harmed, the cotyledon gives rise to a new palm. While the earlier edible stages namely munji, tati pandu, burra gunju and tega are derived from fruits, there are two other edibles that can be derived from the reserve material stored near the apical bud of the tree. The reserve material which sustains the growth of the tree and much helpful in reproductive stage, is very sweet and looks like a cylindrical white portion with several layers.

The inner the layer, the sweeter it is (this cylindrical sweet portion is called ‘muvva’ or ‘movvu’ in Telugu. The sixth edible derived is called the toddy (‘kallu’ in telugu) is derived from this apical bud, by making an incision. From this incision, the liquid food material that is part of the plant’s translocation is tapped and this is an intoxicating and energy giving drink.

Apart from the edible uses, there are several other benefits which man has been using since time immemorial. The leaves are used for thatching and making mats. The leaf stalks have tough fibers, which are twined to make tough ropes for building of houses, boats, etc.The dried shells, leaf stalks are used as fuel. The trunks are used either as live poles in construction of thatch sheds, or as timber in replacement for wooden poles.The trunk of the tree is hollowed, and is directly used as a boat (called ‘dhone’ in telugu) for travel and fishing in many parts of the tropics.

Thus the Sugar Palm or Palmyra Palm or Toddy Palm is unrivalled even in the palm family, for the multi-fold benefits it offers in its life time at different stages.Apprecating this Indian’s give it the status of ‘son’ for it takes care of them single handedly even in hard times.

Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The famous Kolleru bird sancturay, a fresh water lake that attracts birds from as far as Siberia, is located near Kaikalur. Kolleru lake once vast , beautiful and sheltering scores of birds and other animals is on the verge of extinction. The author Holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences and is cofounder of an organization involved in Nature conservation and sustainable development. The author can be reached at uravikumar@yahoo.com.

August 19, 2010

Fake Grass

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — petrizza25 @ 11:55 pm

The history of artificial or fake grass is to say the least an interesting one and arose out of the social desire to in-effect ward off what could be seen, as far back as the 1950s, as an increasingly unhealthy tendency by youngsters not to exercise.

History has it that birth of synthetic grass began through attempts by scientists trying to develop a type of grass that would not only allow children and adolescents to play on regardless of the weather condition but encouraged them to do so, in other words, a surface that they enjoyed using or a user friendly surface. Hence the advent of fake or artificial grass.

The result was one of the early prototypes of what we now know to be fake or artificial grass. The earlier types were not only hard under foot and made for impracticality especially where sports and children were concerned given the tendencies to fall but were very unpopular. Conversely, however, in terms of workability and endurance this surface proved itself worthy, with the originally playing field where the fake grass surface was installed lasting twenty years of solid wear.

Claims that in terms of practicalities due to poor drainage and its tendency to rot fake grass has limited applicability are unsubstantiated. Furthermore, highly contentious arguments revolving around the argument that artificial grass causes more on-field injuries when used in sports-grounds is again unfounded and may be derived from factions wanting to see this type of surfacing a thing of the past. The claim by the industry is that if laid correctly no problems should occur. In fact, if anything, this type of surface should encourage better drainage enabling competitive sports to continue play with less interruption time due to rain.

Today the advances in artificial grass surfaces are enormous and can’t be down-played. It is common practice to no longer use asphalt as an underlay beneath the surface of the grass which has increased the shock absorption provided by the grass, decreased the retention of heat during summer and further improving the drainage ability of the grass. Finally and possibly most importantly no longer does fake grass look, both on and off T.V like the earlier versions of fake grass, that is, FAKE.

Typically artificial grass is approximately 3cm thick (from base to blade tip). The material of the ‘blades’ themselves are a polyethylene-polypropylene blend which are then woven into a mat-like backing (much like that of carpet). The only maintenance that is recommended is that the surface be given a once over each month, which involves rubbing it down. It you were to get this done professionally it is estimated that it would cost no more than a couple of thousand dollars a year. While this may initially sound a lot when compared to the water costs alone for the real thing ? there is virtually no comparison. For those still sceptical and missing the small things associated with ‘real’ grass consider this. In America, consumers missing the smell associated with cut grass can purchase, that is right, purchase a can whose contents promise that ‘just cut smell’!

But wait there is more??in addition, other requests by customers have included wanting to have the newly laid ‘fake’ lawn have the same effect as when you just cut real grass and there are the alternating light and dark bands of grass. This too can be achieved?..ah the marvels of modern society.

Once perceived as being exclusively for those at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale, time-and resource-poor, fake grass has now become the stable for all regards of income bracket. With everyone becoming increasingly time-limited and wanting immediate results – ‘visual’ perfection ? artificial grass answers both these requirements.

As already mentioned fake grass has many advantages being both low maintenance, cheap and providing reliable year-round good looks for those concerned with their gardens aesthetic appearance. Especially in areas where water is particularly scarce and or for areas whether there is heavy usage ? i.e. constant foot traffic ? then fake or artificial grass may provide a practical solution. What is more, with fake or artificial grass there is no limit to the amount of area you wish to cover and up-keep is negligible especially when compared to the requirements of real grass. Golfing greens require the employ of a number of full-time ‘green keepers’ whose job it is to solely look after the lawns!!!! For those without this luxury in budget or time the alternative is clearly ??.fake grass. No need for pesticides, watering, mowing, and replacing of dead patches etcetera.

While slow to catch on in many Westernized countries, Asian nations who are resource tight have long used fake grasses for their play-grounds, private lawns and commercial turfs. Furthermore, using fake grass removes the threat of degradation by human or other pests. The laying of fake grass is also immediate ? like that of carpet. Another advantage is that is does not have to be a permanent fixture but can be lifted at any time.

HCOA is a directory of information on mowers, tractors, fertilizers, grass and outdoor appliances. For more information you can visit their website at http://www.hcoa.com.au

August 15, 2010

How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch!

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — upgoingstar @ 11:56 pm

You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that accumulates on top of the soil but below the grass line? That’s thatch.

Thatch consist of grass clippings, grass stems, roots, and other debris that either decomposes or accumulates on a lawn over time.

A few reasons thatch can occur are

1) A lawn has never been aerated

2) Cutting high grass frequently and leaving the clippings on a lawn.

Thatch is not always a bad thing as it can hold moisture to protect the lawn from extreme heat and lack of water.

Questions to be asked before removing thatch(dethatching)

1) Is there enough thatch on the lawn to justify dethatching?

2) If so, what process should I use to dethatch the lawn?

Lawn business owners and homeowners need to measure the amount of thatch in a lawn to determine if dethatching needs to be done. I prefer to take a pencil and stick it in the thatch until it touches the ground.Mark the pencil with your fingernail where the thatch comes up to.

After doing this a few times you will be able to eye it and know whether or not to dethatch. The first couple of times you can measure with a ruler.

As a guide, anything over 1/2 inch should be dethatched as this prevents adequete nutrients, air, and water from reaching the soil. Excessive thatch can also encourage pests and lawn diseases.

Dethatching can be done in 3 ways depending on the size of the lawn and the amount of thatch accumulated.

1) Aeration- For lawns that have less than an inch of thatch. This is done with an aerator. Always use an aerator that pulls plugs from the ground as opposed to the ones that poke holes.

2) Rake the lawn manually- using a leaf rake, garden rake, or thatching rake. Raking is fine for small to medium size lawns with thatch less than 1 inch. Raking does take some time, but less stressful on the lawn than a Power Rake.

3) Power Rake- Also called a Power Dethatcher. Use this when there is more than 1 inch of thatch on the lawn. Power Rakes are a stout piece of equipment that uses an engine like a lawn mower to drive vertical blades or tines to cut the surface of the soil. These blades or tines can be adjusted to certain depths.

You can rent either a power rake or an aerator from Home Depot or another equipment rental store in your area.

If you decide to dethatch using a power rake mow the lawn to about half of its regular mowing height.

The blades of the power rake should be adjusted to cut about 1/2 inch into the soil to remove thatch. Always go over the yard twice and change direction of your paths. For example, (long ways and short ways) or (diagonal one way and diagonal the other way).

After dethatching, rake up all the debris and thatch.

If you would like to fertilize or reseed the lawn, this is a good time as roots are exposed.

Water when you are finished dethatching.

Since some power dethatching can make a yard look bad, remember to dethatch when a lawn can recover the best such as right before the prime growing seasons. Different types of grasses have best and worst times to dethatch because the growing seasons vary.

Having a healthy lawn can can definitely improve the look of the landscape and the curb appeal.

If you need any questions answered, please ask them at http://www.LawnForum.com so the other members can benefit.

I’m here to help,

Kevin Whiteside

Kevin Whiteside is the owner and editor of LawnForum.com Monthly, an online newsletter for lawn and landscape professionals. Get a FREE subscription here mailto:LawnForum@aweber.com

He is also the author of “Turn High Grass Into Cold Cash- How to Start the Ultimate Lawn Service” http://www.grasstocash.com/adtrackz/go.php?c=areathatch

August 12, 2010

Daphnes for Scent and Colour

Filed under: Business — Tags: , — Ramm88 @ 11:55 pm

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of plants knows that daphnes have wonderfully fragrant flowers. And because some of them – usually the most scented – flower in winter, they’re the sort of must-have plants that are usually among the first planted in any new garden.

There are around 50 species of Daphne, many of which are choice garden specimens. They are widespread lot, ranging from Europe and North Africa to temperate and subtropical Asia. Most of them are evergreen or nearly so, but a few are deciduous, often flowering before the foliage expands.

The plant everyone calls daphne is Daphne odora, particularly the cultivar ‘Leucantha’ , which is often misspelt ‘Leucanthe’ . This shrub, a native of China and Japan, sells in vast numbers, mainly on the strength of its perfume, but also because it’s a reasonably hardy evergreen bush. It grows to around 1.5m tall with leathery, deep green leaves up to 80mm long. From mid-winter on into spring it produces clusters of small, starry, pale pink flowers. Several flower and foliage forms are available and the variety with yellow-edged leaves, ‘Variegata’ (sometimes called ‘Aureomarginata’ ), is often hardier and easier to grow than the species.

Daphne odora can be quite particular about soil conditions and is slightly frost tender in cold winter areas. It does best in cool, moist, humus enriched, well-drained, acid soil in sun or light shade. Work in plenty of compost or similar organic matter – it’s impossible to use too much – and feed regularly with liquid fertilisers and an occasional side dressing of acid fertiliser. Kept healthy, D. odora develops quickly and is attractive even without flowers, but it isn’t a long-lived bush. You can expect to have to replace it at least every 8-10 years.

Because daphnes are so popular, nurseries propagate thousands of them every year. For many years the plants were nearly all cutting-raised and with repeated propagation by this method the cutting stocks declined and became badly infected with viral diseases that were transmitted to their progeny. Around fifteen years ago Daphne odora ‘Leucantha’ was refreshed by producing new plants by tissue culture, thereby eliminating most of the disease problems. At the time, the improved appearance of these virus-free “high-health” plants was remarkable. Although since then new batches of tissue cultured plants have been introduced, many of the original high-health daphnes were used as cutting stock and now these plants are showing viral problems. When buying ‘Leucantha’ try to ensure that you get a tissue cultured plant or a first or second generation cutting from cultured stock.

Several other species are similar in appearance to Daphne odora and are well worth growing as slightly different alternatives to what everyone else has. Of these, Daphne bholua and Daphne laureola are the most commonly available.

Daphne bholua occurs in both deciduous and evergreen forms, but here they all seem to behave as semi-evergreens (or semi-deciduous if you like). It is shrub up to 3m tall, sometimes rather narrow and open in habit, that like Daphne odora flowers in winter and spring. The flowers are strongly scented, white-tinged-pink and open from deep pink buds. Black fruits (drupes) follow the flowers.

First classified in 1825 but slow to enter cultivation, it is one of a group of four species known as paper daphnes because in their home range paper and ropes were made from their bark. It was first recorded in gardens in 1938, but didn’t really become at all widely grown until the late 1960s to mid 70s.

Native to the eastern Himalayas, it is somewhat tougher than Daphne odora under New Zealand conditions. Though strangely, British references often rate it as slightly less hardy. Whatever the reason for its local success, just be happy to know that in most of our gardens it thrives.

Daphne bholua is difficult to raise from cuttings and although it can be grafted, seed is the best method of propagation. The seed germinates well and while the seedlings are slow to start into strong growth, they gain vigour with age and usually flower in their fourth year.

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