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Constructing Garden Steps
by: Hege Crowton
Steps present as ideal an opportunity for beautifying the outdoors as any other item on your landscaping agenda. Materials which can be used vary from round-cut logs to concrete, brick or stone.

Standard step dimensions for outdoors should be the same as for indoor steps, particularly in areas frequently used. The tread should be 10 inches deep and the risers about 7 1/2 inches.

Treads should be 1/4 inch lower in the front than they are in the back to permit drainage. For any steps other than those made of rounds of logs, a good foundation is essential. The foundation should extend 6 inches below the frost line.

Concrete is an often-used material for steps, although it is not always the most attractive. A simple form can be constructed of a series of boxes, of lx 6- or lx 8-inch scrap lumber, each box the same width but 10 inches shorter than the box for the lower step.

The boxes are placed one on top of the other, and held together by outside lathing cleats. Corners should be well braced. Use 1 part Portland cement to 3 parts sand and 6 parts gravel. The cement is poured and the step tops are levelled by using the flat edge of a board.

If you use pre-cast concrete blocks, the need for forms for step construction is eliminated. The cost is about the same as building steps of poured concrete, although the job—especially for a one-man operation—is easier.

It is important to bond the blocks together well and you can obtain good appearance by applying a thin overall coating of concrete.

Brick steps are built in the same manner as concrete blocks, although more masonry skill is required. A layer of gravel is first laid over the subsoil as a foundation. The weakness of brick steps is the many joints that are required.

In constructing stone steps, the principle difficulty is finding the stone. While this presents no problem at all in some areas, in other areas stone must be purchased, and when this is true, stone steps are by far the most expensive type to build. They are also among the most attractive.

Stone steps can be built without masonry bonding, if large enough stones can be found. The principles of dry-wall construction will apply. If steps are freestanding, mortar must be used. The foundation must be prepared as for brick steps.

The concrete used to make beds for the stones must be placed carefully to keep a good pattern. Levelling must be done precisely (the string level is recommended).

It is best to remove spilled mortar from stones while it is still wet, because when it is dry it presents a problem. Dry mortar, however, may be removed by using muriatic acid.

Wooden rounds cut from large logs make a beautiful and easily constructed set of steps. The bottom round is set in the earth, and the next one placed to partially cover it, leaving a riser. The ground is filled in under the upper round and firmly tamped, and this procedure is followed to the desired height.

Informal wooden steps can be used for long slopes where there is no need for real steps but it is too steep for just a path. Ramp steps can be made with risers of large stone flags, logs or squared timber.

The paths that lead to the steps should have the same width as the steps. The ramps should not rise too rapidly, the largest rise being 3/4 inch per foot.

About the author:
Hege Crowton is an expert copywriter.
She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.
Many of her articles are posted on www.ezinecrow.com
and she also does a lot of writing for www.CrowSites.com

Copyright 2005 www.GardeningCrow.com


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 Things You Should Know About Gardening
 by: Gerardas Norkus

Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens.

1.Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.

2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plant are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.

3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.

4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists.

5. There are several plants that are only suitable for a specified climate, a certain kind of soil or can only grow with certain plants. You have to know what plant grow in the conditions you have in your area this is for you to avoid unnecessary purchases. This is a money saving gardening tip.

6.Landscaping is a good investment which can double the value of your home. This is one gardening tip that can earn you money.

7. Growing grass on bare ground is an easy way to make your home look better and appreciate in value. This is one gardening tip that promotes earning money while growing grass legally.

8. Aside from looking great in your home, trees also provide some sort of protection from direct sunlight exposure and strong winds.

9. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also would offer some protection and would also look great.

10.Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local community already have developed resistance to conditions present in your area.

11.For most gardens plants, their roots go only as deep as 6 inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are being watered.

12.Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.

13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by having diverse plants in your garden.

14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another environment friendly gardening tip.

15. Avoid putting too much mulch on tree trunks, this would encourage unwanted pests to reside on them.

16. Use plant varieties that are common to your area or have been taken from an area with similar conditions.

17. Be sure to know the plants that are poisonous. If you are intent on growing them, make sure to have the necessary cure available in your household. Take note of this gardening tip, it can save your life.

18. The best time to water plants is during mornings.

19. Before planting a new plant in your garden, you must consider its height and size when it matures. This garden tip can help you save money in the future.

20. Newly transplanted plants may require special attention during its first week. This is to reduce the stress and shock it got during transplantation.

And last but not the least of the gardening tips...

21.Plants are living entities. If you want them to grow in your garden you have to treat them as such. They need to be taken care of. They are like your pets, you look out for them. In return you get that feeling of contentment watching them thrive.

A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might have some feelings too.


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