Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This past weekend was the first time I have been able to mow my yard in nearly three weeks. Pulling the climate data from Warren Field, in Washington, does not reflect what happened at my house at all! In fact, in keeping records at my house, I found that I had received 3.99 inches in the month of June as compared to 1.33 inches at Warren Field. The station at the Pamlico Aquaculture Field Lab recorded 7.05 inches and the Tidewater Research Station recorded 2.75 inches in the month of June. However, it seemed like it rained a little every day for nearly two weeks at my house. There were places in my yard that just would not dry up enough for me to mow.

In eastern North Carolina, we receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 inches of rainfall each year; some areas a little more and some a little less. Our plants need one inch of water each week to thrive. In the world of averages, we come close to this every year, but that doesnt mean we receive our rain in 1-inch weekly increments. For instance, in looking at the records for my house in the month of June, it rained 14 out of the 30 days. Most of the rains were not large-scale precipitation events, but there was enough to keep it wet for nearly the entire month! Although we do not have a whole wide range of topography, we still have water that stands in certain areas of our lawns. What can you do?

There is the obvious: improve drainage in our yards to help them dry out quicker. This can be achieved by cleaning ditches, constructing drainage ways and installing drainage tiles for your homes downspouts. While doing this will help move the water from your property a little quicker, it will not help downstream from you. In fact, this contributes to flooding downstream: all that water has to go somewhere! I feel like we fight Mother Nature all of the time and for needless reasons.

There are alternative, more long-term and sustainable solutions that can be more beneficial to our surroundings and our neighbors. One way to begin dealing with all of this water is to remove some of the impervious surfaces from our property. For instance, look at a gravel driveway, permeable pavement or pavers as alternatives to asphalt and concrete. Gravel allows rainwater to seep through. Permeable pavement does the same thing but with a bit more structure. Permeable pavement can be more expensive and typically requires design by a certified professional. This is not an alternative for all applications but can certainly replace your impermeable driveway or walkways in a residential setting. Pavers, installed with gravel in between, can accomplish much of the same stormwater and water-quality benefits as permeable pavement.

What about your house: you cant make that a permeable surface, can you? I am not aware of a way to do that just yet, although water features do create a zen-like ambiance, Im not ready to have a dripping roof! What we can do is redirect our downspouts to rain gardens. At my house, I have an area of the front yard that just doesnt drain very quickly. However, it will drain naturally once we go without rain for a day or two. This is a great scenario to look at installing a rain garden.

Rain gardens are areas of your property where you can allow water to sit for one to three days while it naturally filters back into the soil. Our soil acts as a natural filter to strip the water of harmful pollutants and keep them from reaching our streams, rivers and estuaries. Growing plants that can handle wet feet in these areas enhance the soils filtering potential too! Rain gardens require a little thought up front, a little excavation work and a little maintenance to get started, but the results can make your property more functional and aesthetically pleasing, adding value. Rain gardens are an amazing way to add some pollinator habitat to your landscape, as well. Many of the plants that will do well in a rain garden are pollinator friendly such as hibiscus and swamp milkweed. Living in one of the counties with the most shoreline in the entire state of North Carolina, this just makes sense!

If you would like to start a rain garden, visit our extension website at beaufort.ces.ncsu.edu or call the Extension Center near you for more information. N.C. State Extension has a 12-page guide to get you started, which is available at your local center. We also have our Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox that can aid in selecting the right plants plants.ces.ncsu.edu. The Master Gardener Hotline is open in the Beaufort County Center from 10 a.m. until noon Mondays and Wednesdays. If you have other questions or concerns involving horticulture, email gene_fox@ncsu.edu or call 252-946-0111.

Gene Fox is the area consumer horticulture agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Original post:
Are you tired of the rain yet? - Washington Daily News - thewashingtondailynews.com

Keystone Hardscapes has added CST to its brand.

Keystone Hardscapes

Keystone Hardscapesis embracing the needs of homeowners, contractors, developers, architects, designers and landscape material distributors in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. by aligning CST under its brand.

Recognized for manufacturing high-quality pavers, segmental retaining walls and related outdoor living products, CST gains award-winning design innovation, a deeper product offering and robust marketing expertise as part of Keystone Hardscapes.

This transition will help landscape professionals secure more projects that produce greater profit while generating repeat business, says Ed Fioroni, vice president of sales for Keystone Hardscapes. Were also part of The QUIKRETECompanies and its vast national distribution network, complementary product portfolio and technology resources, which really reinforces the value of rolling CST into Keystone Hardscapes.

Founded in 1984, CST built its reputation on its MONO-CAST one-piece construction that guarantees hardscape products with consistent integral color and strength that will last a lifetime. From permeable pavers used on a driveway or pool deck to fireplaces and segmental retaining walls used to create an outdoor paradise, CST has a wide range of hardscapes sizes, colors and finishes for any residential or commercial job. Injecting CST into the Keystone Hardscapes organization means these regional customers will have a single-source for all purchasing, technical support and customer care. This consolidated service model delivers proven product performance with the financial efficiency customers want.

Link:
Keystone Hardscapes Adds CST to Brand - ForConstructionPros.com

BAUMHOLDER, Germany When I accepted the offer to come work for the Army in Germany, I had visions of gallivanting across Europe every weekend.Then, COVID-19 happened.So, while I did get a couple of short trips in, it wasnt until the recent Fourth of July weekend that I took my first trip through the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Outdoor Recreation.After listening to a co-worker describe the intended trip, I decided to sign up for the All-Terrain Vehicle/Utility-Terrain Vehicle trip leaving from Baumholder on Independence Day.I am old enough to have ridden the original red Honda 3-wheeler ATVs back in the 1970s, so I was looking forward to four-wheeling through the forests around Baumholder. But, because I signed up late, the quads were gone and I would be driving a utility vehicle.The UTVs are perfect for two or three people (as long as you dont mind being close). I thought I would be disappointed with the UTV. I wasnt. I still had the wind in my face and still had that open-air feeling. The trip wasnt just for single riders/drivers. There were several couples and a family of four, with a child seat, who rented a UTV with a back seat.I had no idea where we were going and, most of the time, I had no idea where we were. The only forest trails I saw were as we sped past on the road. We were on pavement all day. Its still foreign to me (no pun intended) for quads and UTVs to be street legal on major roads.In the 90 minutes to our destination, we must have went through 15-20 villages. We received incredulous looks from people at crosswalks and from their driveways. I laughed at the looks of normal vehicle drivers after they decided to be nice and let the first quads turn in front of them, only to be held up as the next eight UTVs came rolling through like a parade.UTVs dont have power steering. Turning the UTV is more like wrestling a cow in the direction you want it to go. The tires grab the pavement in a turn and chirp when you make a turn. They feel top-heavy. It takes total concentration. Another rider, the aforementioned co-worker, almost wiped out his family and himself twice in a span of three seconds. Its easy to start sightseeing, take a turn too tight and suddenly youre staring at the Audi emblem on the hood of an oncoming car, over-correct and almost bounce off the guardrail. Im not saying he did that but, he did that. However, you get used to it.And, we werent just putt-putting down the road. Most of the roads had 70km speed limits and we easily did the speed limits, which, in an open-sided golf-cart-on-steroids, was exhilarating. I looked down at one point and saw I was doing 83 km, but only for a second.Then, we were in a parking lot. Our ears still ringing from the motors and wind, our arms tired from jostling with our steeds, the guides said something about a castle and something about a town with great photo opportunities and great food. And, the group ambled down a cobblestone path through a tunnel of trees before the world opened up and we saw the castle Berg Landshut.Many in the group properly oohed and awe-ed.As we stepped out into the sunshine, we were able to see the real view, which was the steep vineyards that make up the Mosel wine valley dropping at a ridiculously steep angle to the Mosel River. The river splits the city of Bernkastel-Kues, which looks like it came straight off of a postcard.It was quite an impressive surprise.Berg Landshut was great to walk in as it sits perched on the side of the hill. The sun glinted off the tour boats far below. Traffic noise failed to reach up to the castle, so it was easy to imagine what life in the berg might have been like when it was built in the year 1247.After all the photos were taken, it was time for the most difficult part of the trip; the steep walk back up to the parking lot. Its no joke. Its about two hundred yards, although it felt like 80 miles. Then, back in our UTVs, down switchback after switchback, through a tunnel and right into Bernkastel-Kues.What a fantastic, this-is-what-you-expect-to-see-in-Germany town. You are encouraged to take in the sights of Bernkastel-Kues at your own leisure. We had about an hour and a half to do whatever we wanted. Many grabbed lunch at any of the numerous outdoor restaurants and toured the streets of the village.Time passed quickly and it was time to head back to the vehicles and begin the drive back the Baumholder.We took a different route back. Much of it along the Mosel. It was amazing. Yes, you have to pay attention to the road, but you cant not look at the green vineyards towering above you on one side and the river full of history shining in the sun as it flowed on the opposite side. The tranquility only interrupted by an occasional car or motorcycle pack passing you.Ninety minutes and another 20 villages or so later, we were back at Baumholder Outdoor Recreation. Our bodies vibrated and ears rang from the UTVs. Our arms sore from wrestling those machines around turns and our faces grimy and windblown.Ill do it again.While going off on your own throughout Europe certainly has an appeal, dont be afraid to take advantage of the tours offered through DFMWR Outdoor Recreation in Kaiserslautern and Baumholder. Its well worth it.Bring a jackets. Starting off in the mornings and riding in an open cab, it can be chilly.Baumholder Outdoor Recreation offers the ATV/UTV trips every Saturday in July and August. The prices are $95 for the quads, $125 for the UTVs and $175 for the family truckster UTV. You must sign up before the trip. Outdoor Recreation pays for the gas for their vehicles.Contact Baumholder Outdoor Recreation at 0611-1435-313401 or DSN: 531-3401. Baumholder Outdoor Recreation is open Thursday-Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Read the rest here:
First Outdoor Recreation trip immersive, enlightening - United States Army

Gravel is a great material to choose for your garden for all sorts of purposes. Choosing gravel for your garden is a cost-effective, natural solution, and it's low maintenance, so long as you lay it over a weed membrane. Create a rustic, relaxed scheme in your garden with gravel but first, learn how to choose gravel correctly.

Find more garden ideas in our ultimate gallery.

Slate from Nustone edges raised beds dressed with a gravel mulch

Gravel is a versatile material that can be used in both contemporary and traditional style gardens. So, whether you want to add touches of gravel around the edges of a patio, create a seaside style garden with expanses of gravelled bedding or use gravel to create a pathway, add it to your garden design shopping list.

Find out how to lay a gravel path in our guide.

But see it as just one hard landscaping element; garden designers tend to stick to a palette of three to four different materials, such as gravel, brick and oak, to avoid a garden design becoming too busy. This makes it easier to achieve design unity, and allows you to break up one expanse of material, such as paving or decking, with gravel edging, for example.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Ideally, choose your garden gravel to accent or complement what is already present in the garden, especially the fabric of the house and the local natural stone.

Pea gravel in shades of earthy brown, honey, dark grey and deep brick red work well with most materials used in British architecture, especially period homes.

Contemporary glass-clad or wooden exteriors, tend to suit a subtler colour combination in white, pale grey and black.

If your garden gets a lot of shade you might want to choose a pale coloured gravel or paving that has natural light reflecting qualities to brighten your garden up.

Try to view the stone before you buy it; just remember it will look completely different when wet.

If you have several packs of the same gravel to lay, mix them up to enhance colour blending.

This Pavestone Old Black Sandstone is the perfect complement for traditional style pea gravel

For footpaths (and for designing a driveway, while we're at it), use a medium sized gravel that wont move around too much (or get stuck in tyres), but is still comfortable to walk on.

Use cobbles and larger stones or boulders to infill awkward shapes in garden borders, to highlight planting, to add interest in corners, to soften the edges of paved or decked areas and to define separate zones within the garden.

(Image credit: Clive Nichols)

Most gravel stones will cope with general garden use; harder stones, such as granite, cope better with heavy traffic important if your car will be driven on and off it.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Loose gravel is the best gravel for country gardens, but suits contemporary gardens, too. Water-permeable, it is easy to DIY-lay, too, making it an affordable option. It's the best gravel for pathways, too. Unless your gravel is contained, however, it will wander, so raking stones back into place will become a regular maintenance job. You may also find that the gravel needs topping up every now and then. If your garden is on a slope or regularly experiences heavy snowfall, loose gravel will not be practical. How to keep gravel in place? Use a cellular grid over the weed membrane and lay the gravel directly over that.

Resin-bound gravel is more suited to contemporary gardens, especially urban courtyards. It's not dissimilar in looks to loose gravel but, with the particles totally set in resin, the finish is more streamlined, although still permeable. It comes in a range of colours and textures, and can be laid over new bases and some existing ones, such as asphalt and concrete; it's also suitable for slopes.

Self-binding gravel will work in both traditional and contemporary gardens. It works by knitting together once compacted to form a solid base and surface. This gravel looks more natural than resin-bound gravel, is permeable and can be used on slopes of less than one in 15.

Loose gravel costs around 30m; self-binding gravel costs from 55m; self-binding gravel can cost as little as 10m.

(Image credit: Beauxfort )

You will need to create a good solid foundation for gravel that's to be used as a pathway or seating area; check the levels carefully, too. Before you lay the gravel over soil in a flowerbed, simply level the soil, then apply a weed block fabric to stop perennial weeds taking hold.

You can also use a gravel grid, like the one above, to stop the gravel moving about. This is particularly useful in a driveway where the movement is that much more dramatic.

When using gravel and aggregates, always hose it down before use to clear any small sediment.

Original post:
How to choose the best gravel for your garden - Real Homes

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

In preparation for theIndependence Day holiday weekend,there will be no lane closures or other activities that impede traffic on state roads beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3, and ending 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 6.

Escambia County:

oIntermittent east and westbound lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.

oIntermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).

Santa Rosa County:

oIntermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.

oIntermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).

All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

Pictured: New entrance and exit ramps recently opened at Nine Mile Road and Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds Filed Under News

View post:
These Are This Week's Road Construction Trouble Spots - NorthEscambia.com

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Summertime and its time for the lawns to turn brown, cars to get dirty and to water plants and flowers by hand.

And swimming pools? No water for them. Pools should have been filled in spring.

Ipswich water restrictions that limit such water use will be in force for the foreseeable future, said Town Manager Tony Marino.

I dont anticipate it [the water restrictions] will be lifted any time soon, Marino said via text.

The restrictions will continue despite recent showers and predicted rain for Friday, July 10.

Gov. Charlie Baker issued a drought declaration for the region in early July.

Vicki Halmen, water/wastewater director, didnt return phone calls or an email to expand on Marinos statement.

How much rain is needed to lift the restrictions, how much water the restrictions will save, how much water Ipswich needs to save and how much dry weather will force Ipswich to go to the next step, a water ban, remain unanswered questions.

Showers are hit or miss. We need a good 5 or 6 inches of rain to catch up, 2 to 3 inches just to keep from going backwards, Wayne Castonguay Ipswich River Watershed Association executive director, said in a recent article addressing low water flows in the Ipswich River.

Halmen posted a notice on the town website detailing the water use restrictions.

The water restrictions permit irrigating public parks and recreation fields between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and irrigating lawns, gardens, flowers and ornamental plants, by a hand-held hose also between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Water restrictions prohibit:

Lawn irrigation by any system other than hand held hose or bucket;

Washing vehicles except to meet core function of a business;

Washing the outside of buildings, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement;

Filling or refilling swimming pools.

We urge everyone to comply with the restrictions to ensure an adequate water supply through the summer. If these restrictions are not effective and rainfall is insufficient, a water ban prohibiting all outside water use will be imposed, Halmen wrote in the statement on the town web page.

Read more:
Ipswich water use restrictions likely to remain - News - Wicked Local Ipswich

The sun was out in Newport Beach, the skies clear on the eve of July 4 when Bruce Ogilvie plopped down in the sand. But something, he said, felt off.

A lifeguard had chased him out of his usual spot, which seemed puzzling at the time, but then Ogilvie saw the guard sprint into the water and save two girls caught in a rip tide. This wasnt the first rescue of the day, Ogilvie realized, and the guard needed the area cleared to run as fast as he could into the churning ocean.

In hindsight, he said, I shouldve realized: Hey, something bads going to happen.

By 6 p.m. that evening, huge waves were cresting over Balboa Pier and flooding through Balboa Peninsula, an idyllic oceanfront community in Orange County that has increasingly come face-to-face with sea level rise. This thin spit of land is all that stands between the ocean and the bay the first line of defense for the rest of the Newport Beach coast.

There wasnt a large enough sand berm in place to protect this sudden breach, and residents said there was little warning except for the full moon overhead creating extremely high tides, and an angry surf that kept getting bigger and bigger.

It was kind of a triple witching effect, said Ogilvie, who noted that because of the high tide, the peninsulas gate and valves were shut and unable to allow any drainage into the bay.

City officials were stunned by the oceans intensity. One lifeguard said he couldnt help but think of a tsunami big waves are not unusual for Newport Beach, known for epic surf spots such as the Wedge, but what surprised him Friday was how each wave did not break nor dissipate. Each wave seemed to build on top of the next one, moving one large wave farther and farther up the beach until it overtook and eroded the sand berm that had been standing in as protection.

It came in unexpectedly early and unexpectedly large. ... It hit right at high tide, said Mike Halphide, the Newport Beach Fire Departments chief lifeguard. His team that day rescued 100 people overall and prevented more than 2,500 other incidents by warning folks who were about to put themselves in danger.

John Pope, the citys public information officer, said extra crews and machines have been deployed to aggressively build a new, larger and taller sand barrier before the next high tide.

We expected high surf the forecast was about 5 to 7 feet, and as much as 20 feet at the Wedge, but it was just such an unusual confluence of ocean activity, he said.

The water pooled into the beach parking lot, submerging cars up to their wheels and covering the pavement with mud, trash and foam. More seawater rushed past the junior lifeguard training station, through the soccer field and onto Ogilvies street and his neighbors homes and driveways.

Cars and bikers tried to navigate out of the flood as pedestrians waded through calf-high water. Dramatic news helicopter video showed a 40-foot sailboat battered by angry surf and whitewash. Several people and a dog on board had been rescued shortly before the water smashed everything into pieces, according to KABC-TV.

One seasoned lifeguard had been transported to the hospital earlier after making back-to-back rescues, Halphide said. After the first rescue, the guard immediately went back out and had to take another person through the pier, where waves six to eight feet tall were pounding against the pillars.

By the time he got the victim to the shore, he was so exhausted and just about collapsed, Halphide said.

Seriously folks, please please please be careful around the water this weekend, Newport Beach Mayor Will ONeill wrote on Twitter, along with photos of the shattered sailboat washing ashore. We werent kidding when we said this weekend posed public safety concerns.

By Saturday morning, sand dozers greeted beachgoers and those who came to gawk at the scene. A number of cars were still stuck in the mud, and heavy machinery roared and beeped as crews scrambled to build a much bigger sand berm. The flooding had also dumped a large amount of trash and debris that officials said may take up to a week to clean up.

Tita Jaramilla, dressed head to toe in red, white and blue, jogged by with three friends and greeted folks with smiles and a spirited Happy Fourth! Every year, she and her friends celebrate the holiday somehow, and this year was no different.

With so much going on and large gatherings and events canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, she said, we thought wed have our own little parade this year.

On the morning of July 4, Tita Jaramillo runs on Balboa Pier dressed in red, white and blue.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

They had planned to run six miles, a Fourth of July 10k, but the flooding had forced them to reroute and run an additional six, almost seven miles. She was a little out of breath by mile 13, but said spending the morning this way meant a lot to her.

The way our society is, with everything so upside down, I think people have forgotten how much they love our country, she said. I havent. I come from a military family. My dad fought in Vietnam and he made sure we have the freedoms that we have now. Were not going to not celebrate today.

As for Ogilvie, he spent much of the Fourth of July searching for sandbags and moving mud and debris out of his yard and driveway. His house was spared from the water, he said, but his neighbors home across the street sits on lower ground and had about an inch of water inside.

He recalled waiting for the city to come help pump out the flood, as he and his neighbors stayed up late and tried to clean up the mess. The first pump they brought was not big enough, they had to get another pump, and then at some point they just rode it out, praying, hoping that the waves would stop coming and that the tide would go back down and they could open the drains back up so that water would drain to the ocean.

Ogilvie watched the cleanup and construction crews Saturday morning and hoped the bigger sand berm will be completed in time. High tide is expected to peak again at 6.5 feet at 9:06 p.m. Saturday and 6.3 feet at 9:47 p.m. Sunday.

They need to pile up sand and create a wall, a barrier, so when the waves crash, and they come in, the water cant breach over and go to the soccer field, he said. Once it crosses over and goes to the soccer field, were hosed.

Read the original:
Huge waves hit Balboa Peninsula with July 4 weekend flooding - Los Angeles Times

TIGHTLY engineered metres of rectified paving and patio are not for everyone. Once resting on a stable base and levelled for safety, more romantic sylvan choices are both beautiful and, incidentally, more nature-friendly.

If you fancy some of the hard stuff, foot-paths in character flags, reclaimed brick and even cobbles setts are within the abilities of most gardeners. Luscious flags can be surrounded by less expensive materials. Leaving gaps between the chosen paving in soft but packed joints will aid draining. Concrete is not even completely necessary, but get familiar with a useful soft mix of sand and aggregate. Explore tutorials online to understand soft and hard bases and joint choices with a little give under pressure.

We cannot have wobbles or uneven ground. Small slippages and movements underfoot can sprain an ankle or pitch a walker into the cotoneaster. Cuddle the paving in to be self-supporting and use a rubber mallet to "thwack" in level annually. Brick laid on a crushed stone base finished in sand and bordered in wood sigh. Complement any existing stonework, favouring the tones of the quarried stone particular to your area. A colour in your garden lichens, its planting, a thread of icy quartz; look for a lead. Slop a little water on potential paving to see its look in the rain mid-tones can go positively black.

Brick paths can go straight down on a soft base, but should be laid to ensure no dangerous wobbles. Stone setts should be 50mm deep if you intend to drive on them. Picture: iStock

Brick houses are beautifully complemented by a little of the red stuff around beds, walls and BBQ areas. Try concrete paving stones mixed back through traditional brick for raised beds and paths; the colours sit up really well against greenery. Reclaimed, porous brick can be easily damaged and commons intended for walling, is suited to foot traffic only. Prices from 2 per reclaimed or new "rustic" brick, and at least 55 per square metre for limestone sets; choose 50mm depths if you ever expect to drive over them.

Cost-effective, attractive and with a firm foothold in a sharper stone, gravel drains superbly and can be refreshed every three to five years depending on foot traffic. The scrunch of gravel is a useful security measure and its especially good going for gripping the tyres of wheelchairs if not laid too deep. Prepare a good, stone or crushed concrete base in a larger size, compacting with a tamping machine or a lot of stamping flat in heavy boots to allow the sub-strata to lock together. Matching this, look for self-binding, angular gravel of 10mm or less, which will again lock into a stable surface, working down into gaps left in the supporting base. A layer of moisture-permeable fabric weed barrier -or two- lapped up on the edging will dissuade plants from coming up through your gravel.

About 10mm self-binding gravel is cheap and versatile, but will work its way into the ground eventually. Picture: Kilsaren

Inevitably, small weeds will find their way into your path in blown-in material, some carried in on any muck left on unwashed stones. Together with hand pulling, we have found rock salt a good alternative to chemical weed-killers for thuggish invaders. Gravel does shift and flow on inclines, and even on flat going should be well contained with upright boundaries and gravel mats where required a brilliant addition on driveways; prices from 8-10 for 25kg bags of washed slate, pebbles, quartz and flints, and far less if bought by the tonne (22 tonne-27 tonne small lorryloads). Unwashed stone of any kind can carry in Japanese Knotweed be wary. Mechanical spreading costs up to 50 per hour or part of an hour.

In a state of decay, mulch terrifies some gardeners, but its a warm, understated, fragrant, inviting pathway between raised beds and looks beautiful against grass or blousy beds. Play grade mulch blankets around 40 -80mm, are soft enough for children to take a tip on without injury or splinters. Strulch (straw mulch) has a golden, very fine appearance, popular in public gardens and parks, but a lesser life than wood of about 2 years. Any chipped wood will do, and mulch is easy to carry and pour out in bagged form, making it ideal for DIY installations and refreshing of around 2.5cm depth per year as it decomposes into the earth. 5cm deep mulch paths can be laid straight on the ground or by taking the topsoil out with a spade in sections to provide a trench, which is again filled with crushed stone or gravel, battered flat. If drainage is an issue in that area go for a sub-strata to hold and sip it away.

To create a pathway start by marking out the direction, shape and any bends with a length of hosepipe and some wooden dowelling. Add L shaped metal or plastic edging or brick if soft edges nip at your nerves. Mulch will ingest a lot of rain, and it is squelchy under boots in very wet weather. 50l bags of Bord na Mona mulch from 7 (Hanleys, Cork), 1 tonne/850l/750kg bag of mulch, 1.5m3, (delivered) from 120 nationwide quickcrop.ie. Strulch, mineralised wheat straw, 2.x 50l bags from 25, fruithillfarm.com

De-lawning might seem an extreme process, but in many gardens green, turf rivers between beds are the only sward that stays. Mown paths can form conjunctions between planting frothing with flowers or slice through the rich biodiversity of a meadow-style planting or a poetic orchard. The use of the mower puts a clean edge on an otherwise-casual landscaping (carefully curated more often than not).

A little tension between the kept and the apparently lovely but unkempt, works well. Green paths can be set with stepping stones or cut into swirls and Celtic strap-work in larger grassland. Try studding the boundary of your clipped grass going with trees or box hedging for added magic and consider allowing traditional flowering weeds a little room. Very cottage garden and lovely for a run with bare feet. The single caveat for grass between the toes is very heavy use (balding and puddling) not quaint.

If your lawn has unpleasant troughs from kids (or adults) springing up the same route or you want a way to circumnavigate a long bed or even loose gravel, step-stones could be just the thing. If youre putting them in the lawn, keep in mind we want them set fairly low so that the machine will skim over them without dinging the blades. You can use naturally occurring flat stone, or buy in flags or concrete pavers or wood rounds in round or angular forms, theres plenty of choice. Just ensure the surface has a non-slip key.

Pace out the area taking easy steps rather than reaching wildly out with your ankle. Laying stones just entails digging a hole about 2cm-3cm deeper than the shape and size of the stone and filling it with sharp sand. Push soil down around the edges with your gloved fingers and trowel after setting the stone and check those levels before riddling in some grass seed or setting in some small plants. For something unusual try winders crescent-shaped pre-formed concrete step stones that sit into each other to form a stacked style step-stone path, great for complex turns. Single natural stone step stones with tumbled edges from 17-20 at good DIY or garden suppliers. Concrete forms from 8 each.

Originally posted here:
Take the path less travelled to add interest to your garden - Irish Examiner

Astrophysicians have used AI to find 250 new stars within the Milky Method, which theyimagine had been born outdoors the galaxy.

Caltech researcher Lina Necibnamed the gathering Nyx, afterthe Greek goddess of the evening.She suspects the celebs are remnants of a dwarf galaxy that merged with the Milky Method many moons in the past.

To develop the AI, Necib and her group first tracked stars throughout a simulated galaxy created by the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) undertaking. They labeled the celebs as both born within the host galaxy, or fashioned by means of galaxy mergers. These labels had been used to coach a deep studying mannequin to identify the place a star was born.

They then utilized the mannequin to information collected by the Gaia satellite tv for pc, which was launched in 2013 to create an in depth 3D map of round 1 billion stars.

[Read:NASA enlists AI in the hunt for ET]

We requested the neural community, Primarily based on what youve discovered, are you able to label if the celebs had been accreted or not? said Necib.

The group first checked if the mannequin might spot identified options within the information, akin to the Gaia sausage,the remnants of a dwarf galaxy that smashed into the Milky Method billions of years in the past. The collision ripped the dwarf aside and scattered its stars into the form of a sausage.

Not solely did the AI detect the distinctive sausage form it additionally discovered the brand new cluster of 250stars.

Your first intuition is that youve a bug, Necib remembered. And also youre like, Oh no! So, I didnt inform any of my collaborators for 3 weeks. Then I began realizing its not a bug, its truly actual and its new.

After confirming that the gathering had by no means been found, Necib received to call it, essentially the most thrilling factor in astrophysics, she stated. Shenow plans to additional discover Nyx, and attempt to work out precisely the place the celebs had been born.

Revealed July eight, 2020 13:58 UTC

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Astrophysicians have used AI to find 250 new stars within the Milky Method, which theyimagine had been born outdoors the galaxy.

Caltech researcher Lina Necibnamed the gathering Nyx, afterthe Greek goddess of the evening.She suspects the celebs are remnants of a dwarf galaxy that merged with the Milky Method many moons in the past.

To develop the AI, Necib and her group first tracked stars throughout a simulated galaxy created by the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) undertaking. They labeled the celebs as both born within the host galaxy, or fashioned by means of galaxy mergers. These labels had been used to coach a deep studying mannequin to identify the place a star was born.

They then utilized the mannequin to information collected by the Gaia satellite tv for pc, which was launched in 2013 to create an in depth 3D map of round 1 billion stars.

[Read:NASA enlists AI in the hunt for ET]

We requested the neural community, Primarily based on what youve discovered, are you able to label if the celebs had been accreted or not? said Necib.

The group first checked if the mannequin might spot identified options within the information, akin to the Gaia sausage,the remnants of a dwarf galaxy that smashed into the Milky Method billions of years in the past. The collision ripped the dwarf aside and scattered its stars into the form of a sausage.

Not solely did the AI detect the distinctive sausage form it additionally discovered the brand new cluster of 250stars.

Your first intuition is that youve a bug, Necib remembered. And also youre like, Oh no! So, I didnt inform any of my collaborators for 3 weeks. Then I began realizing its not a bug, its truly actual and its new.

After confirming that the gathering had by no means been found, Necib received to call it, essentially the most thrilling factor in astrophysics, she stated. Shenow plans to additional discover Nyx, and attempt to work out precisely the place the celebs had been born.

Revealed July eight, 2020 13:58 UTC

See the rest here:
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