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Archive for September 30th, 2009

Grow Your Herbs Indoors

September 30th, 2009 No comments

Herbs are the leaves and flowers of low-growing woody plants that do not have a trunk, that have stems growing from the base. Examples of herbs are licorice, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, dill and celery.

Herbs are useful in many ways. They enhance the flavors of foods and improve health. Using herbs in cooking can add flavor and aromas and make food much more interesting. There are lots of herbs that are easy to grow and look great when grown in the home and they can make your cuisine taste really good. They have the added benefit of providing fresh air inside the house.

There are culinary herbs meant for cooking, and medical herbs. Ornamental herbs look good and also they are useful, they can provide you home with a nice looking effect. Here are some examples of herbs you can grow indoors.

Licorice is a blue-flowering plant, which looks like a pea vine. It is simple to grow inside and looks good too. Licorice is utilized in many conventional medical herb formulas in many cultures because it covers up the flavor of other herbs.

You may use the entire root with skin or peeled, to naturally sweeten foods. You don’t need to use much. It can be used to add flavor to teas. Many herbal teas sweeten and flavor their formulas with licorice.

Oregano is an evergreen herb with dark green, wide leaves and pretty pink, purple or white flowers. Oregano can be discovered growing wild on the mountains of Greece and the Mediterranean. The herb likes partial shade as its leaves can be burned by the full sun.

It is easy to propagate Oregano and this can be done by seeding, cuttings and root division. For seeds, it will be helpful to sow them in containers and cover the seeds with only a light layer of soil. Frequent pruning can encourage stronger and healthier growth. Oregano is very easy to propagate, the plant will send out runners when mature. Roots grow out from these shoots. Oregano grows well as a container plant. Oregano has an important place in Mediterranean cooking and can be used in many dishes.

Anise Hyssop is an evergreen, whose silver green leaves release a magnificent liquorice aniseed fragrance. The rich violet blue colored flowers are loved by bees and butterflies. The dried or fresh leaves can be used in tea or crumble the tangy flowers over fruit salad. Anise hyssop is simple to grown from seed. Established anise hyssop will produce lots of plants for you to share, they are very easy to grow by root division.

Some other herbs you can grow inside include lavender, borage, bergamot and calendula. All these herbs have colorful flowers. Indoor herbs will make your rooms smell and look beautiful, many herbs are pretty and extremely fragrant. Your indoor herb garden will provide you with color, lush foliage, and a wide variety of flowers. You can also use fresh or dried herbs and mix them with products like soap, shampoo, lotion and oil.

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Fire Alarms are Worth Every Penny

September 30th, 2009 No comments

Fires are one of the most preventable accidents in the home, yet many people die in a house fire due to faulty or missing fire alarms. Using and maintaining proper fire alarm equipment can prevent deaths. Fire alarms, when used correctly, can save lives by alerting you to smoke or heat.

The most important part of any fire alarm system is the smoke detector. Smoke detectors can save your life by alerting you to smoke from fire. You can find many smoke detectors that can also detect the odorless, but deadly carbon monoxide. Most rooms in the home should be equipped with a smoke detector. The number of smoke detectors in your home is determined by its size. Some areas may require several smoke detectors. All smoke detectors rely on batteries for power. Newly built homes will have smoke detectors already hooked to the electrical wiring, but they still contain a backup battery. Change your battery at least once a year, and check each smoke detector to make sure it works.

Heat detectors can save lives by alerting you to a large temperature increase or dramatic change in temperature. A rate-of-raise heat detector determines how fast the temperature is changing. A quick rise in temperature over one minute can sound the alarm. A fixed temperature heat detector measures a large increase in temperature, and will sound when it reaches the temperature threshold.

Heat detectors cannot be used without a smoke detector because smoke is more likely to kill you than the flames. Smoke can also be detected first before flames are even present. Heat detectors are great to pair with smoke detectors since you can use heat detectors in the kitchen or other areas where smoke detectors would sound too easily. When choosing a heat detector, be sure to place the right one in a room where it will not be so sensitive. The fixed temperature heat detector may be more suitable in the kitchen since cooking can increase the temperature too quickly.

Sprinklers systems can save lives by putting out a fire before it has the chance to destroy the entire house. Once a specific temperature is reached, the sprinklers will release water over the fire. Each sprinkler head must be activated in order to release water. If a fire breaks out in one area of the house, only the sprinkler heads in that area will release water. This gives the sprinkler heads more pressure and water to put out the fire.

While a sprinkler system can cause water damage, it can save your home from complete destruction. Waiting for firefighters to extinguish the flames can cause a bigger fire, and more water is needed to put it out. It is much cheaper to repair a small area of water damage than it is to replace your entire home.

Fire alarms can save lives and property. While a smoke detector is necessary for any home or business, combining it with heat detectors and sprinkler systems can increase the survival of people and property.

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