November 21st, 2008 at 03:01pm
Under Homes and Gardens
Everyone knows the decorative benefits of indoor water fountain. How often have you passed by a trickling waterfall, thinking to yourself, “wow, isn’t that a beautiful water feature?” and perhaps, “wouldn’t that look great in my living room?” What many people don’t realize, however, is that these water features are more than just pretty works of art: they also help improve total body wellness, and they may even enhance your daily meditations! When you meditate, try doing so near your indoor water wall fountain; the soothing sounds of trickling water will lull you into a serene state, aiding you in your meditation and relieving your stress.
By joanne
November 21st, 2008 at 02:35pm
Under Homes and Gardens
Leading horticulture recruitment specialist AndersPlus provide comment on the positive impact of foreign labour on the industry, and what considerations employers need to take into account when trying to recruit the best staff in a difficult market.
Skills Shortage
Down the ages, Britain’s culture and economy has benefited from a tradition of travelling the world and visiting distant lands to seek new ideas, cultures, methods and techniques, then bringing them back and making them our own. The days of empire building and great expeditions may be long gone, but our willingness to learn from other nationalities is now having a profound effect on our horticultural and agricultural industries.
The horticultural industry, similar to numerous other British industries such as education and healthcare, is experiencing the positive impact foreign labour is having on a sector starved of skills and manpower.
There are numerous areas of the industry where migrant workers are providing essential labour, both qualified and unqualified, including hard and soft landscaping, labourers, gardening, horticulture, agriculture and forestry.
But not only are they supplying an urgent service, they are helping to enrich the industry by introducing a diverse range of skills and horticultural traditions.
As a result, looking outside the UK for workers should not simply be about plugging a gap in the workforce, it should also be about employers considering that different nationalities have to offer in terms of skills and horticultural traditions, as well as the more mundane issues of work permits and legal requirements.Who, where, what…
At AndersPlus we have used statistical evidence based on our database of more than 7,000 workers to identify which nationalities make up what proportion of the workforce and the type of roles each national group tends to take.
Nearly half of all non-UK nationals working in the industry are Antipodeans, with Eastern Europeans, predominantly Polish and Slovakian, making up almost a third of the labour force. The remainder of the world constitutes the rest of the workforce.
When evaluating potential candidates for a particular role it is extremely beneficial to remember that some nationalities are particularly suited to specific areas of the industry thanks to their skill set and cultural heritage.
Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans are generally all qualified and appropriate for relevant roles including landscape architects, and hard landscaping with trade skills such as paving, decking and carpentry. New Zealanders specifically tend to fill roles in horticultural plants and nurseries as qualified maintenance gardeners and soft landscapers. South Africans are usually qualified in both landscaping and horticulture and fill a large proportion of management and supervisory roles.
Western Europeans, mainly Spanish, French and Italian, are often very good gardeners and North Americans also tend to occupy this kind of role. The Spanish specifically also tend to specialise in forestry, and he French in soft landscaping.
Amongst the Eastern Europeans, the Polish have a good reputation for hard landscaping such as carpentry and paving, as well as for forestry, while the Czechs fill roles predominantly in nursery, gardening and forestry. Hungarians, meanwhile, are usually general gardeners or labourers, and the majority of Lithuanians and Slovakians take roles in agriculture and labouring.
Legal considerations
Now that you know who is most likely to be appropriate for the role, it is time to give consideration to the legal considerations of employing a worker from overseas. The prospect of employing workers from abroad can be daunting, and the complications involved can sometimes act as barriers, preventing companies from experiencing the benefits of using foreign labour. Using a recruitment agency is an obvious way of minimising the complexities, but, with or without the assistance of an agency, there are several key areas necessary for evaluating potential foreign candidates. AndersPlus has identified the main areas for evaluation.
English competency
A good level of English competency may seem like an obvious requirement, but with increasing health & safety legislation, a minimum level of understanding is of paramount importance. Inductions, presumably already part of the employment process, will need to consider foreign employees and their level of understanding, particularly when laws in their own country may differ, along with any culturally influenced work practices.
Work permits
Give consideration to the type of Visa or work permit requirements, such as how long, where and what type of work can be undertaken. For example, Bulgarians and Romanians can only work in UK on a self-employed basis.
Qualifications
As qualification standards and education systems differ across the globe it is essential to check relevant qualifications - where they were obtained, the criteria required to meet the standards and their comparability to UK standards and qualifications.
Commitment
Depending on your requirements it important to ascertain how long a potential candidate plans on staying in the UK and their level of commitment.
References
The best candidates will have readily obtainable references that have already been translated into English so ensure you request these.
The process of checking a candidate’s background can be complicated and this is an area where you can really reap the rewards of using an agency. A good agency will carry out all the necessary checks into work permits, qualifications and references before introducing a candidate and therefore it is only a matter of matching the right person with the job.
A day in the life…
Gavin Jones, a significant commercial landscaping and grounds maintenance company, has been employing a number of workers from overseas for more than 10 years, and have found this resource to be a valuable complement to their local labour force.
By using the combination of direct recruitment and agency assistance, the company now has a dynamic and motivated workforce, having addressed local skills gaps and labour shortages with workers from overseas particularly in the London Area. Throughout a seven-year relationship with the agency, Gavin Jones has consistently used AndersPlus when the company has large projects to be completed at short-notice and require a significant “instant” skilled labour force.
The company has found the use of labour from abroad to be a very positive experience and have generally found staff from overseas, often antipodeans in the London area, to be motivated and able workers. The seasonal nature of horticultural work tends to appeal to those who are working to fund their travels and Gavin Jones migrant workers often fill roles such as operatives (eg gardener) for anywhere between 2 months and 1 year; however there are examples of those who are able to commit for longer filling roles such as Foreman, Supervisor and a even a Contract Manager.
“Although we undertake our own assessment when recruiting,” comments Gavin Day from Gavin Jones, “It’s when we require labour at short notice that we really appreciate the benefits of using an agency. Working with the agency alleviates our liabilities in terms of checking visas, references and other details, reducing the complexities of using labour from overseas and helping us to fill any staff shortages within a very short period of time.”
Read more about gardening landscaping jobs, horticulture recruitment agency and heirloom organic seeds.
By joanne
November 21st, 2008 at 03:10am
Under Homes and Gardens
Any one who has built raised beds for vegetables will give you an enthusiastic thumbs up if you’re thinking about trying this method yourself. Raised beds give an efficient use of space and the frames are easy to construct and look after.
Raised bed vegetable gardening has lots of advantages over ordinary garden beds in that the soil has better drainage and will warm up earlier in the spring, providing for an earlier harvest.
The raised bed garden is so much easier to maintain. The higher bed means less stooping and bending when weeding or caring for plants and you never have to step in the beds which prevents the soil from compacting. Because the soil is cultivated deeper, raised bed vegetable gardening provides an ideal environment for root crops such as beets and carrots and, with the looser soil, crop yields tend to be greater. Plus the raised beds simply look neater.
Economical Construction
Raised beds are not necessarily expensive to build because the frames can be made from rough cut or even used lumber. The boards can be painted or stained with a non toxic preservative.
The sides of your raised bed vegetable garden need to be a minimum six inches deep and about four to six feet wide, or just wide enough for you to reach the center from either side without having to step into the bed. The walls of the bed will have to be anchored to prevent them from falling over and this is best achieved by driving stakes at four to six feet intervals on the outside of the frame.
Once the frame is made it is ready to be filled with soil, but not just any soil. The beds should contain a mixture of sand, soil and organic compost material. Using just regular garden soil will cause the beds to pack down and make drainage difficult. Your plants will thrive in the looser soil and it makes an ideal environment for earthworms as well.
A Frameless Option
If you don’t have the option of raised beds, because of a limited budget or lack of materials you can still try your hand at raised bed vegetable gardening following a method the Chinese have used for centuries. It’s really more of a mound than a raised bed but will offer you many of the same benefits. Mix equal amounts of compost and sand into the soil to build up mounded beds. These frameless beds may need a little more attention to stop them from eroding or becoming too dry.
Which ever method you pick, raised vegetable gardening will make the chores involved much easier. Raised beds are a great way for those with limited mobility to continue to enjoy a favorite pastime. Your garden can grow as your needs grow, simply by adding new beds and the beds look attractive all year long because clean up in the garden is minimal.
And of course, every gardener deserves a place to relax in the backyard. Why not built a pergola. It’s the perfct place to relax with family and friends or for some well earned solitude.
pergola kits
diy pergola
Building a pergola
You can do the hard work yourself or hire a handyman to build it for you. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than buying a kit. In fact you could save hundreds of dollars.
By joanne
November 19th, 2008 at 08:09pm
Under Homes and Gardens
Home offices are valuable to the homeowner even if he just uses it to pay the bills, operate an internet business or just to do online shopping. Many people can enjoy the benefits of a home office. Individuals who no longer need to commute to a downtown office often work out of their home.
Converting your unfinished basement into a home office is always a good idea; you are reclaiming unused space and also benefitting from the basement’s privacy. Often, a homeowner will consider remodeling his attic to create a home office; it is separated from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the household. A spare bedroom is always a good place to consider converting to a home office - rooms like this often require very little remodeling.
Whatever room you choose must incorporate good design home office, including placement of home office furniture like. Naturally, whatever space you choose needs to be large enough to accommodate at least the basic trappings of an office: a desk to write upon, a file cabinet, sufficient furniture to accommodate business equipment like a computer and modem, a printer, and perhaps a fax machine. Naturally, when we wish to discuss contemporary home office furniture%1%, we must take into account the size of the room.
When planning, you must take into account where the cable jacks are, because most home offices utilize high-speed internet connections. Always remember that efficient contemporary home office furniture%3% takes into account the location of telephone lines; including the possibility of running a fax line, also. Plan so that you can eliminate dangerous zigzagging wires all across the floor - if it is necessary, consider placing them under an area rug or carpet.
Wireless printers are available, which allow every family member to access the printer remotely; though these are a bit more expensive than conventional printers, the ease in which they can be shared eliminates the need, in many cases, for a second printer devoted exclusively to business or homework use. Wireless internet connections might allow you to leave the high-speed cable modem in its existing spot; installation of a wireless router allows you to have your business computer share the same high-speed service without running cable throughout the house. Wireless technology solves a lot of problems.
Get a feel for all the spots you are considering; is it quiet and comfortable, or hectic and noisy? Take the time to choose the right spot for your home office; you can test out different area before you make your decision - simply place a small table in the room or area you are considering, and spend a few hours there reading or talking on the cell phone. It’s better to first test the potential location of your contemporary home office furniture%2% and make the right choice, than to rush into a decision and regret it later. Often, the place you thought would be ideal for your home office may surprise you with hidden drawbacks - the light might be too bright in the afternoon, or the noise from the street might be too distracting.
In general, properly planned and executed, the creation of a home office should provide a comfortable place for you to work, and be a valuable addition to your home.
Frank Sarntarpia
By joanne
November 19th, 2008 at 02:19am
Under Homes and Gardens
A well manicured garden or lawn can certainly be improved if you add some nice garden furniture. There are some very important aspects when choosing the right furniture as they will to fit into the existing theme. It is delightful to discover that the modern day garden furniture is built on the goals to fulfill the stylish and demanding expectations of the modern day user. Make sure it matches the theme you have.
Outside Wrought Iron,
Compliment your backyard by adding a large bar and a fireplace to create a very cozy outdoor dining room you can enjoy. Take time to choose your furniture carefully. There are many ways you can use your furniture to transform your backyard. Your backyard can be turned into a large outdoor dining area. Your backyard needs to be large enough to house those furniture and embellishments you may like to add later.
Wrought Iron Furniture,
Modern garden furniture comes in a variety of materials from wood based to metal. The modern outdoor furniture can be classic and jazzy at the same time. It is important to be able to spend time to maintain it or it won’t last very long. Outdoor furniture is built with durability but that does not mean you can take them for granted. Your furniture will still need regular maintenance and care whatever the quality level.
Comfort should be the number one priority in your garden furniture when you find one that matches your theme! Cushioned seats are great if you value comfort, love seats would be pretty cool for young couples, and lounges to rocking chairs for lazy evenings outdoors. Place small side tables to let your guests use them to place their drinks or snacks during a conversation. Outdoor furniture is available in a rich spectrum of colors to choose from! Purchase from a collection or you can pick from pieces and mix and match.
Any type of social gathering outdoors requires the use of suitable garden furniture. Large tables that let you entertain more guests at one time would be perfect. For formal settings, oblong tables would be great and you can entertain between ten to twelve guests at the same time but a round table is ideal if the space is smaller and you can have between four to six guests at one time. A bar is essential if you desire an adult entertaining space. There is a wide variety of designs you can choose from to suit your taste and preferences.
Wrought Iron Design
By joanne