by Reg Brookhouse

Top-rating reality TV shows featuring backyard renovations are proving popular with audiences around the country and for good reason. They are tapping into a trend that started back in the 80’s, which saw people from all walks of life renovating or making improvements to their homes. And not just their own but also to their investment properties.

The lure of the potential for increased capital gain may be one reason or the prohibitive expense of moving or upgrading another. But essentially it has been about improving one’s living environment… enhancing one’s lifestyle. It’s about creating a haven where one can shut out the world and its stresses.

The popularity of landscaping and home improvement TV shows, reflect the innate desire we all share for a comfortable and uplifting sanctuary that supports our mental, emotional and physical wellness – a space not only to call our own but one on which we can stamp our own identity, our individuality.

With the busy lifestyle that most of us lead today, spending time at home can be a luxury and even then, can be just as stressful than when we are away from it; detrimental to our own peace of mind and relationships. Especially too if we are spending the majority of our time consuming multimedia such as computer games, TV and the internet – activities that keep us isolated from loved ones and immobile a lot of the time.

One of the best ways we can enhance our health and our relationships is by spending time doing things together and even more so by doing them in the great outdoors. And a great place to start is in our own back yard if you are fortunate to have one.

There are lots of ideas on how to achieve this and if you are a fan of the TV programs mentioned you will have access to lots of creative projects to choose from that you can do together. Whether it be the establishment of a garden, a veggie patch, or a makeover that sees new plants, shrubs and flowers or a new paved area for an outdoor setting, a patio, a new fence, pond, fountain, a play area, a new BBQ area or a water tank, a bird feeder, a compost heap, a pet enclosure, worm farm… the list is endless.

Not sure about where to start or how to do it? – check out the helpful magazines and publications available at your local newsagent, bookshop or library. The goal at the end is to bring you closer to the colours and sounds of nature – plants, flowers, bees, birds, fresh air and sunshine – a backyard that is a thing of beauty as well as being functional.

Why not plan a project now that you and the whole family can enjoy doing together; one that involves the input of everyone. Start with something simple or small that helps you and the children ideally to interact with nature, yet one that has other benefits like saving you money, for example a planter box for tomatoes.

For bigger projects where more people power is needed, invite your friends or neighbours over for a working bee, share the fun and the results. And for really big projects bring in the professionals for a quick and cost effective result. Gaining maximum enjoyment from your backyard is the aim.

We are fortunate to enjoy a temperate climate – one that allows us to spend a lot of time outside. Outdoor living does not mean having to put up with nasty insects like disease carrying mosquitoes, extreme weather or pests. It is possible to micro manage the mini ecosystem contained within your back yard.

Effective planning can circumvent extreme heat and water run-off, minimise noise, enhance privacy and moderate upkeep and maintenance. Enjoy what each season has to offer but without the downside – spring, summer, autumn and winter all exhibit their own personalities – something to be appreciated rather than avoided.

Become the star of your very own ‘backyard blitz’, feel the satisfaction and enjoy outdoor living on a level you may not have dreamt of before. You’ll be adding value not only to your lifestyle but also to your property in the process–a win/win on both counts.
Magic Garden Potions
If you’ve waved a magic wand over your roses but the pests still persist with their invasion of your garden and if you’ve even hand-picked the pests or disposed of troubled foliage, take refuge in the following potions that may help protect the welfare of your garden for seasons to come. These tried and tested homemade potions can help you control both pests and disease for a landscape that blooms with health and beauty.
Luckily, most of the ingredients to formulate various and effective garden remedies are probably already in your pantry or medicine cabinet. If you have items around your house like uncoated aspirin, canola oil, baking soda, Epsom salts, castor oil, chili powder, petroleum jelly, and white flour you are off to a running start. Even Tabasco sauce and white glue can contribute to your arsenal of potions. Not only are many such items generally part of your household, but they are essentially inexpensive—often costing much less than garden center products.

After the breaking of a bud, leaves become quite vulnerable to black spot. A plague of roses worldwide, black spot disease can reach epidemic proportions in gardens. Lesions of black spots form on the leaves and the damaged tissue eventually becomes a disagreeable (and even disheartening) yellow. While there are garden center products like GreenCure that may be purchased, you can effectively fight the spread of black spot by dissolving uncoated aspirin in water and spraying the leaves of your roses. It does a very neat job of wiping out this penetrating garden headache.

If you happen to be out of aspirin, try mixing one cup of milk with eight or nine cups of water. This simple mixture is said to cure plants of mildew better than commercial fungicides that contain toxins. This mix should be sprayed on the problem plants about twice per week. Cinnamon and water spray is also known to be effective against powdery mildew.

General fungus issues can reach nightmarish proportions in gardens. But there are a couple ways to combat them. First, that lovely multi-purpose product called baking soda is a super preventative against fungal spores. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to blow away, which affects its great potential. Combine three tablespoons of baking soda with a gallon of water, three tablespoons of corn or vegetable oil, and a few droplets of dishwashing soap and you have a antifungal cocktail your grass and garden will love.

Liquid soap is an ingredient that may come in handy when you are plucking pests from leaves. Drop the bugs in bucket of soapy water and they will never crawl out again. The soap has the ability to seep into the waxy surface of the insect’s body where it does its dirty business—kills bugs dead. The soap is a good spreading agent too. It ensures uniform coverage on leaves where insects may be congregating. With any remedy, however, it is best to try a little bit first and see how your plant manages.

Painting your plants foliage with a potion of this or that can be a painstakingly slow endeavor. Sometimes you’d just like to draw a line on the ground and inform your garden pests not to cross it. This is easier than you might think. Mineral and vegetable oil is a cheap way to place a barrier of protection around a vulnerable area in your garden. These oils will also smother the eggs of insect pests. Certain pests like ants can be detracted from areas by a sprinkling of cinnamon, cloves, or even pepper (this is a great organic way to keep them from crossing the thresholds of you doors too).

Chili powder and Tabasco sauce are also effective repellants and killers of pests. If you’re having trouble luring insects to traps, consider blackstrap molasses or petroleum jelly which stops them in their tracks. More good news about Tabasco sauce—raccoons don’t like it! The hot sauce will detract raccoons and rabbits from chewing up your garden.

If you have an aphid or mite problem, you might want to brew a large batch of sun tea. Add about a handful of fresh basil (slightly crushed) to the tea and let it sit a couple days. This brew is a handy pesticide. Grab a spray bottle placing a couple drops of liquid soap inside. Fill with your basil tea and happy spraying! Chamomile tea can be added to the bottom dish or tray of young indoor plants to stop fungal disease. A spray combining a few drops of liquid soap, one gallon of water, and a couple tablespoons of red pepper will also stop insects like cucumber beetles and cabbage loopers.

Vinegar is also a great pesticide, buts it’s an equally adept weed-killer. Similarly, apple cider mixed with white vinegar will also prove a valuable ally in the fight against insect pests and weeds. You can prevent weeds from germinating by using corn gluten meal.

Larger pests like chipmunks or even deer may be kept at bay by giving your garden a healthy dose of fermented salmon. This pungent odor (that’s putting it nicely) has a skunking quality that detracts many critters from entering your domain. Furthermore, this stuff is a most magical fertilizer. Its fatty and amino acids along with various vitamins are most nutritious for your garden. A touch of Epsom salt can enhance the look of your garden’s foliage too!

As you have read, there are many everyday items that may significantly improve the health and well-being of your garden. These homemade remedies are often far healthier for your patch of earth than store bought remedies that contain harmful ingredients. Stock your garden pantry with these items during the growing season and you will have a ready dispensary at your disposal.