Friday, September 30, 2011
Network Architect Jobs
Graduating with a computer science degree I’m now looking for Network Architect Jobs preferably in my local areas. However I may go a bit further if the remuneration is good, even to the extent of moving to a new city but I draw the line on going overseas. There’s no place better than working in my own country since we’re still quite good job wise compared with other countries.
Handwatering
Water restrictions often occur over most of Australia during the summer months and it sometimes becomes compulsory to turn off the automatic watering system and water our gardens by hand. It is a time to think about how we use this precious resource and adopt ways of watering that can substantially reduce the amount of water we waste.
Hand watering on a beautiful early morning or evening is a pleasurable experience that gives us the time to look more closely at our garden, the plants and the soil. We have more control over how the watering is done and can cater to the individual needs of different plants more successfully. Sometimes it is the only way to water plants deeply. Watering at these times helps to increase water penetration and minimise evaporation.
Potted plants under a verandah, eaves or awning must be regularly watered by hand and it is important to water the soil thoroughly all the way through. Check by feeling below the surface to make sure it has penetrated deeply. Soil can become hydrophobic if it is allowed to dry out too much and it is then difficult to wet again. Water will bead and flow over the surface of the soil and drain away without being of use at all to the plant. Wetting agents will have to be added to restore its water holding capacity. These can be bought in liquid or powder form and are applied to the surface of the soil.
Planters with a built-in reservoir at the bottom can save you time and water. Overflow can be prevented by checking the water level as the water drains into the base of the pot, and watering will be a lot less frequent.
Whether you are watering pots or plants in the ground it is important to water only the base of the plants. Keeping water off the foliage will reduce the chance of plants developing fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. Pathogenic fungal spores will travel rapidly in water splash or soil run-off and infect otherwise healthy plants. Infrequent, deep watering will encourage root systems to penetrate the deeper soil layers and have access to more permanent water, as well as nutrients. A deeper root system stabilises plants, especially trees and large shrubs, making them less susceptible to wind, drought and insect stresses.
Plants require more water when in active growth and this may not necessarily be in the summer months. Observation of your own garden situation is critical in using water efficiently. The condition of the plants and the soil varies with the season; natural rainfall, temperature, wind and growth activity and these are conditions that cannot be taken into consideration with an automated watering system. Hand watering gives you the time to observe the changing relationship of all the elements that influence your garden and at the same time gives you the time to enjoy the plants and their smells.
Hand watering on a beautiful early morning or evening is a pleasurable experience that gives us the time to look more closely at our garden, the plants and the soil. We have more control over how the watering is done and can cater to the individual needs of different plants more successfully. Sometimes it is the only way to water plants deeply. Watering at these times helps to increase water penetration and minimise evaporation.
Potted plants under a verandah, eaves or awning must be regularly watered by hand and it is important to water the soil thoroughly all the way through. Check by feeling below the surface to make sure it has penetrated deeply. Soil can become hydrophobic if it is allowed to dry out too much and it is then difficult to wet again. Water will bead and flow over the surface of the soil and drain away without being of use at all to the plant. Wetting agents will have to be added to restore its water holding capacity. These can be bought in liquid or powder form and are applied to the surface of the soil.
Planters with a built-in reservoir at the bottom can save you time and water. Overflow can be prevented by checking the water level as the water drains into the base of the pot, and watering will be a lot less frequent.
Whether you are watering pots or plants in the ground it is important to water only the base of the plants. Keeping water off the foliage will reduce the chance of plants developing fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. Pathogenic fungal spores will travel rapidly in water splash or soil run-off and infect otherwise healthy plants. Infrequent, deep watering will encourage root systems to penetrate the deeper soil layers and have access to more permanent water, as well as nutrients. A deeper root system stabilises plants, especially trees and large shrubs, making them less susceptible to wind, drought and insect stresses.
Plants require more water when in active growth and this may not necessarily be in the summer months. Observation of your own garden situation is critical in using water efficiently. The condition of the plants and the soil varies with the season; natural rainfall, temperature, wind and growth activity and these are conditions that cannot be taken into consideration with an automated watering system. Hand watering gives you the time to observe the changing relationship of all the elements that influence your garden and at the same time gives you the time to enjoy the plants and their smells.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Maternity clothes stores
I have the weekend all to myself; the missus is going shopping with her sister at some maternity clothes stores. Her sister is having a baby, not her so I get to do what ever I want this weekend. This is rare opportunity so I have to make the best of it. What should I do? Go to the game with the boys? Poker games with the boys? Get piss drunk with the boys? Sounds good but are they going to be free though? Looks like just me in front of the idiot box all weekend.
Pond Maintenance
Ponds require a little bit of work to keep them looking good. The ecosystem of a pond involves the interaction of many factors including water, gases, minerals, sunshine, plants and animals. If this delicate balance is disrupted, algae will spread and the water quality will deteriorate rapidly. The health of a pond is affected by its size and shape, acidity or alkalinity of the water, amount of surface exposed to the air and sun, the type of plants used and the presence of pond life. Algae can build up quickly in warm weather and look very unsightly. Healthy ponds need oxygen, which is provided by oxygenating aquatic plants that also absorb carbon dioxide. Some good pond plants include Bacopa caroliniana, which produces foliage that floats on the water surface where it captures light for photosynthesis. It will also produce delicate mauve flowers. Not all plants float such as the submerged hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum which is useful for oxygenation and providing a place for fish to hide. The Eel Grass, Valisneria gigantia is another lovely pond plant with its strappy leaves.
Water hygiene is an important part of pond maintenance. The appropriate way to improve water quality is through plant selection and appropriate maintenance techniques. Nursery manager, Tony Debincat uses a safe way of removing bacteria and excess algae. He adds a very small amount of Condy’s crystals to the water, which changes the colour to a reddish tint that lasts for around 2 days before clearing. This treatment doesn’t harm fish or plants if used in an extremely low concentration similar to very weak tea. In spring it may be necessary to clean out the pond and carry out any repair work. In summer, check water level and quality, check for algal growth, clean out the pump and filter and check for dead, diseased or damaged plants. In autumn remove any leaf letter and cut back any excessive plant growth.
Waterlilies play multiple roles in a water garden. Their large leaves create shade, produce oxygen, provide a hiding place for fish and produce large beautiful flowers. The tropical waterlilies can be distinguished from the hardier types that grow almost everywhere from the flower stalks, which are above the water. The flower buds and stalks are edible and can be used in salads, just peel off the ‘skin’ from the stalk before eating. The margins of ponds are usually planted with bog plants that are very important because they filter out any unwanted materials. Some good marginal plants include the flowering Woolly Frogsmouth, Philydrum lanuginosum and canna species like Canna indica. There are also some beautiful foliage plants such as Lepironia articulata. If you want advice or help choosing the right plants go to a specialist nursery and remember not to let your pond go, they do need some maintenance.
Water hygiene is an important part of pond maintenance. The appropriate way to improve water quality is through plant selection and appropriate maintenance techniques. Nursery manager, Tony Debincat uses a safe way of removing bacteria and excess algae. He adds a very small amount of Condy’s crystals to the water, which changes the colour to a reddish tint that lasts for around 2 days before clearing. This treatment doesn’t harm fish or plants if used in an extremely low concentration similar to very weak tea. In spring it may be necessary to clean out the pond and carry out any repair work. In summer, check water level and quality, check for algal growth, clean out the pump and filter and check for dead, diseased or damaged plants. In autumn remove any leaf letter and cut back any excessive plant growth.
Waterlilies play multiple roles in a water garden. Their large leaves create shade, produce oxygen, provide a hiding place for fish and produce large beautiful flowers. The tropical waterlilies can be distinguished from the hardier types that grow almost everywhere from the flower stalks, which are above the water. The flower buds and stalks are edible and can be used in salads, just peel off the ‘skin’ from the stalk before eating. The margins of ponds are usually planted with bog plants that are very important because they filter out any unwanted materials. Some good marginal plants include the flowering Woolly Frogsmouth, Philydrum lanuginosum and canna species like Canna indica. There are also some beautiful foliage plants such as Lepironia articulata. If you want advice or help choosing the right plants go to a specialist nursery and remember not to let your pond go, they do need some maintenance.
Olympus digital cameras
I bought my first digital camera many years ago and I think I should get a new one now. I feel embarrassed every time I take my big chunky camera while everyone else is using new slimmer models. Plus the new ones have so much better features than my dinosaur camera. There are so many brands to choose from nowadays but I’m eyeing some pretty good looking olympus digital cameras I’ve seen. Gotta keep up with the time I’ll say.
Organic Principles
Organic fruit and vegetable gardens contain no disruptive chemicals or artificial fertilisers. The purely organic soil supports a host of important micro and macro-organisms such as worms that are all doing their bit to aerate, condition and fertilise. Good soil is balanced and seething with life, but how do you fertilise organic plants? The answer is don’t feed the plants, feed the soil so the plants can take up nutrients as they require them. Home-made compost is the gentlest and best of all the fertilisers. Other types such as mushroom compost are also excellent for enriching and conditioning the soil. You can also use any type of well-rotted animal manure. Manure is composed primarily of organic matter but also has some vital nutrients. Blood and bone is fantastic because it is slow release and full of valuable minerals. First add manure to the soil surface, spread it out and cover it with compost. The more variety you add the better, so sprinkle some blood and bone on top, lightly mix it in to the other materials and cover it all with straw to speed up decomposition. This treatment acts like a mini-compost heap releasing nutrients slowly into the soil and keeping in moisture at the same time. Nothing goes to waste in an organic garden because all the debris is recycled back into the soil via compost.
Organic gardens control pests and diseases in a number of ways. A good method is to employ crop rotation, which means cycling plants to a new bed every year, such that they are never in the same bed for 2 years running. Companion planting is another good method because these plants grow well together and protect one another. A good example is planting carrots, black salsify and members of the onion family alongside one another. Their different smells, colours and shapes confuse and deter insects. The same is true for sweetcorn, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. Organic gardens are not free of pests, in fact they are full of them, but because no chemicals have been used, they are also full of predators which control pest numbers. Organic gardeners avoid using sprays by removing pest-infected fruit or shoots. For example, by removing young apples that were infected with coddling moth, the number of moths was lower the next year and fruit yield much greater.
There are many different types of organic gardens, not just fruit and vegetable but ornamentals as well. The plants in organic ornamental gardens have been nourished with rich organic matter and are therefore vigorous and healthy because they are strong enough to cope with and deter pests. Remember that organic gardening is not always easy or pretty, pests often nibble things but you will be better off for it in the long run. For example, Pete shows us a cabbage whose outer leaves have been chewed, but inside is a perfect cabbage that is very healthy because it has never been sprayed.
Organic gardens control pests and diseases in a number of ways. A good method is to employ crop rotation, which means cycling plants to a new bed every year, such that they are never in the same bed for 2 years running. Companion planting is another good method because these plants grow well together and protect one another. A good example is planting carrots, black salsify and members of the onion family alongside one another. Their different smells, colours and shapes confuse and deter insects. The same is true for sweetcorn, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. Organic gardens are not free of pests, in fact they are full of them, but because no chemicals have been used, they are also full of predators which control pest numbers. Organic gardeners avoid using sprays by removing pest-infected fruit or shoots. For example, by removing young apples that were infected with coddling moth, the number of moths was lower the next year and fruit yield much greater.
There are many different types of organic gardens, not just fruit and vegetable but ornamentals as well. The plants in organic ornamental gardens have been nourished with rich organic matter and are therefore vigorous and healthy because they are strong enough to cope with and deter pests. Remember that organic gardening is not always easy or pretty, pests often nibble things but you will be better off for it in the long run. For example, Pete shows us a cabbage whose outer leaves have been chewed, but inside is a perfect cabbage that is very healthy because it has never been sprayed.
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