When you get down to it, the way your place is paved can have a greater affect than many realize on how well the environment fares. Here’s Why:  

The right road, street and parking lot paving can lower stormwater runoff and so reduce pollution. Many people are asking the people in charge of paving to consider using permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) on upcoming projects. They look like popular concrete paving stones but are set in with small spaces between them. The space is filled with small stones to allow runoff to filter down and into the soil. They come in a variety of styles and colours to suit most places and purposes.

In Addition, The Pavers:  

• Reduce runoff from common rainstorms by as much as 100 percent; eliminates surface puddles and flooding;

• Promote street tree survival;

• Reduce ice hazards because snow melts faster;

• Have a 50-year life cycle for surface;

• Are compatible with underground stormwater storage systems, many slower-draining clay soils and cold climates;

• Preserve wooded areas that would otherwise be cleared for stormwater detention or retention ponds;

• Contribute to urban heat island reduction through evaporation and reflective, light coloured pavers;

• Are highly visible;

• Reduce the need for continuous expansion of drainage infrastructure;

• May be used on sloped site with proper design;

• Simplify surface and subsurface repairs; no unsightly patches or weakened pavement from utility cuts;

• Can be used for traffic calming;

• Enhance property values.

What Can I Do?  

Contact your local municipal officials and make sure they know that permeable pavements can reduce stormwater runoff pollution.

Learn More 

Communities and their members can learn more from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and find ICPI-certified installers at www.icpi.org

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Trees in Houston, Texas may show signs of damage this spring as a result of freezing weather in the winter.

In late 2009, the weather was unusually cold for the Texas Gulf Coast. In December in particular, arctic blasts affected Houston, and this southern city of mild winters experienced a rare snowfall on Dec. 4. This icy weather damaged the cycling system of many Houston area trees, according to Houston arborist Louis Flory of Ability Tree Experts.

Trees undergo what is called a cycling system on annual basis, with trees typically losing their leaves in the fall and growing them back in the spring. However, Flory points out that in late 2009, the parts of trees that circulate food and water through the trunk were frozen. These parts, known as the cycling tissue, must be functioning to enable trees to undergo cycles at full capacity.

Therefore, trees that should be budding this spring and producing leaves may not do so on time, a phenomenon known as a late bloom. Many trees experienced internal damage from the freeze, and signs of this damage may only be noticeable in the coming months.

Flory said palm trees in particular are experiencing visible signs of damage such as brown leaves. Without the internal system to circulate nutrients, the canopy cannot be property produced. Furthermore, trees that were damage before this winter are even more likely to have problems in the spring and summer of 2010.

Beyond late blooms and poor canopy production, Houston trees damaged in the winter are also more vulnerable to infestations by insects or diseases, said Flory.

To keep from losing your valuable trees, you should consult with an arborist or tree care specialist, said Flory. A tree care specialist can diagnose problems in trees and offer a range of professional solutions including the following:

Deep Root Feeding – This process involves the injection of fertilizers directly into tree root zones at extremely high pressures. Deep root feeding can provide trees with vital nutrients exactly where they are most effective.

Tree Spraying– This is a process of applying treatments that are powerful both for fighting insects and for restoring the health of trees. Only a licensed arborist can apply the most effective treatments.

There are many other solutions a tree care specialist can provide. If it appears that your own trees aren’t producing leaves when they should, your hunch could be correct. The good news is the right treatment can in fact rehabilitate your trees and keep them green and healthy during the upcoming spring and summer months.

Stephen Palkot is a Houston writer and online marketer for Ability Tree Experts. The company provides Houston tree service including tree trimming, tree removal, tree care, and stump grinding.
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A brilliantly designed outdoor patio not merely stretches a building’s outside living area but conveys the owners’ tastes and individuality. Take a look on the web for inspiration for expanding backyard living, utilising compact spaces, recommendations for refurbishments and problem solving patio ideas.

Install a number of patio spots that will beutilized all year around employing the use of patio gazebos. A patio gazebo has the potential to add more drama along with shield from periodic rain showers as well as the hazardous rays of the sun. A slate, gravel or brick pathway directing visitors to a patio gazebo with potted plants encircling it offers a comfortable setting for outside eating.

Whenever the home is built on a steep slope it is complicated to make use of this type of back yard. That sort of scenario can be one particular obstacle which can be fixed with fresh patio ideas. One task is to offer comfortable access from the property to your patio as well as around other areas of the home. Constructing patio terraces up and down the slope is going to increase the amount of both useful and interesting spots.

It will take impressive perspective and superb patio ideas to refurbish old and falling apart outdoor spots. As you are remodeling a property aim to let in light and open up the view to the outside places by means of big windows and French doors. Design patio spots that have unusual plants, colorful blooms and water fountains. Utilise some of the old along with installing fresh pavers and patio bricks.

Front yard patio ideas that want to add, if needed, a screen to make the yard to block the view from your neighborhood may help with privacy concerns. Solicit the aid of the local nursery or gardener in deciding on the correct kind of trees that will grow to surround the space. One more suggestion would be to install a sunken patio area that may help it become challenging for any passerby to view.

Patio ideas and creations will range from magnificently chic to very laid-back and tranquil. The important thing is to make use of what your home already provides. However, if all you have is a small side yard space make as much of it as you can. A home developed on a hillside can create terraced places that help to make beautiful destination places where visitors will be able to linger.Houses with stunning vistas of foothills, rivers, seas or countryside may want to design outdoor spaces that make use of these striking vistas.

The top patio ideas consistently incorporate an interesting key item like a fountain, pool, pond or waterfall. Water features also provide the restful music of trickling water. An additional patio design idea can be to put in a fire pit or fireplace. This will add warmth on cooler nights for your friends and family.

Look here to discover fascinating patio ideas for developing a backyard paradise in your own home. Get alot of good suggestions for outdoor patio ideas and designs which will welcome and charm your guests.
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A genuine Denver custom home theater is a great investment in terms of raising your property value as well as enjoyment as a Denver home theater installation literally brings the (expensive) local Metroplex right into your living room (or den, or whatever room works). The challenge is finding the right home theater installer in Denver. The best home theater service in Denver is one that hires the best technicians, trained to install and service the latest audio-visual technology for the lowest price in the shortest amount of time. It’s worth doing some shopping around in order to find the best deals.
Wiring?

There was a time when Denver home theater wiring was a huge issue; walls had to be ripped open and new wiring put in place. It was a major project and entailed equally major expense.
Thanks to new wireless technology however, Denver home theater wiring is a simple matter. What little wiring that may need to be done can easily be hidden by your qualifed home theater installer.

In Denver, home film buffs have options – and access to the latest technology.
What’s Needed?
Of course, any Denver custom home theater will need certain components, but these will vary from one house to another. The home theater installer in Denver will take inventory of any usable existing equipment, such as a projector or big screen TV, then analyze the room for its acoustic properties in order to determine what audio equipment may be required and where to place the speakers.

This should all be included in any fees charged by your home theater service in Denver; make certain this is understood prior to the start of any work.
Why?

If you are a true film buff – or if you are simply wishing to take your everyday entertainment experience to the next level – you’ll find that a Denver custom home theater is a great investment. Thanks to new wireless technology such as Bluetooth as well as dramatic declines in the cost of that technology, Denver home theater wiring is no longer a huge issue. This makes Denver home theater installation a tremendous value. Your first step is contact your home theater installer in Denver and make an appointment. Find out what you have, what is needed, and determine a schedule. Once these elements are in place and work can begin, you’ll soon be enjoying the “Big Screen” in the comfort of your own home with a Denver home theater installation.

Wayne Hemrick writes about- denver custom home theater.
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In the lawn and landscaping industry there are opinions on issues that run deep. If you browse the internet for just a few minutes, you’ll find extremes all over the board when it comes to lawns and their care.

But there is one issue that most lawn pros and environmentalists agree on, and that is that bagged “Weed and Feed” products are NOT conducive to healthy lawns or our environment.

I have previously written about pesticides, lawns and our environment, but want to reiterate some of the key points for you here as we near the fall season.

Problems with Weed-n-Feed

1. Bags of Weed-n-Feed sold to homeowners contain an over-abundance of nitrogen which detroys the soil and pushes too much top growth. They most normally contain “quick release” fertilizers that create fast greening, but no sustainable long term benefit to the turf.

2. Many experts will tell you that phosphorous leaching into groundwater is the big problem with these bagged products. And while I am not a fan of dumping mass amounts of anything on the lawn, I believe if homeowners and pros alike would follow labeling instructions, they are not endangering our groundwater or lakes. The key is FOLLOWING the DIRECTIONS on the bag! (I included this one in the interest of covering all bases!)

3. A granular weed-n-feed product like popular ’4-step’ products contain herbicide and fertilizer in one convenient bag: just dump in your spreader, set the release rate, and lay it down…easy! The problem is that you are hurling massive amounts of granular weed killers everywhere weather there are weeds there or not. In addition, much of this granular mix is left on driveways and sidewalks where it runs off into the street and down the sewer drain.

It doesn’t make sense to throw weed killer in areas of the lawn where there are no weeds! What’s more, while the weed control does not selectively kill the grass plants, it still puts heavy stress and pressure on them and can weaken them over time.

The best alternative to Weed-n-Feed products

I recommend a balanced approach that utilizes target weed control as needed with the eventual goal of eliminating it completely.

This is accomplished by spot-spraying weeds using a garden pump sprayer with liquid weed control mixed with water (according to label instructions). In some cases, a blanket application of liquid weed killer may be needed, but over time, this will be reduced until the weed problem is manageable by good old fashioned “pulling” by hand. (My own lawn is now managed by just hand pulling of weeds)

In addition to spot-spraying of weeds, I recommend slow-release organic or semi-organic (called ‘bridge’ products or ‘hybrid’) lawn fertilizers. These products will add nutrients to the soil without destroying it in the process. They also support healthy soil biotics which are the foundation of healthy turf. Organics do need heat in order to break down, so use organic fertilizers in later spring and early fall.

On a final note: it’s not a good idea to completely “refuse to use pesticides” in your lawn if you indeed do have a major weed problem. Think about this: if your weeds go to seed every year and spread out to all the neighbors on your block, and they do not share the same environmental devotion as you, won’t you be indirectly causing them to put down greater amounts of pesticides every year? Your weeds will continue breeding in their lawns, and they will soak them with more weed killer; year after year! Think about that.

As I always say, “Balance is the key.” When Mother Nature operates in extremes (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes), people and the environment are damaged, but when she sees fit to offer us balanced conditions (warm breezes, light rains, sunny days), everyone is happy. Which attitude should we take?

Al Haneson is a green industry pro and offers advice and details about Midwest Lawn Care and Ohio Lawn Care at his lawn care blogs.
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