Rose Cottage Ltd

I nearly missed the fact that this weekend was Memorial Day weekend. I’ve been so busy lately with other things, that making plans for the weekend was a moot point by the time I remembered on Friday! If you’ve had a May like I’ve had and figure you can make up for it on the 4th of July – here’s a very special way to be ready for your next outdoor holiday – and a guarantee you won’t forget it!

This fantastic outdoor kitchen is on sale right now plus FREE SHIPPING!

The Sonoma Outdoor Kitchen is a Grill Island and outdoor greatroom all-in-one! 10ft grill island complete with a Sonoma Mocha arched pergola and lattice. The 4 piece lattice roof can provide shade or be removed to allow in sunlight. Includes raised back bar on outdoor kitchen for seating and entertaining. The outdoor kitchen is finished with tan supercast tops and an Ameristone stucco finish.

The kitchen is constructed with 22 gauge galvanized steel frames. A Cook Number 24in stainless steel grill sits on the left hand side allowing space on the right side for food preparation and entertaining. Accessories include a 27in access door, paper towel dispenser and slide out cooler drawer. The beautiful stone-like Super cast counter top has the same characteristics and properties as concrete and natural stone.

5 other styles available from…

Busy, busy times but I did manage to get a updated photo of some of the goslings yesterday:

Another inch+ of rain during the week really has the lake looking better for water level than it has in the last 4 or 5 years.

Here’s a shot showing the dock first week of June 2012:

And here it is – yesterday:

Hard to tell from the pictures but this is nearly a foot higher water level than last year.

Thought I heard the first Hummingbird yesterday but didn’t see it. Time to get those feeders out! And a good time to enter the Duncraft sweepstakes…Win $250 Duncraft Shopping Spree – Enter here at duncraft.com.

Dreary day in North Carolina but we can always use the rain and all my yard work was completed yesterday so let it pour!

Nice color around the yard this time of year though. Here’s a shot of the Clematis providing its show a bit later than last year:

Congratulations to Oxbow – who won the Preakness Stakes yesterday. I actually picked the winner this year – who won against 15-1 odds – but I had no money in the deal so just enjoyed the victory!

Happy Sunday…

After about 6 years of trying to “hatch” an Iris on this property I’ve finally been successful – and it was worth the wait!

Every year the darn squirrels seem to have “Iris radar” and somehow steal nearly every bulb I’ve planted. This one Iris stalk that made it was actually from an initial group of 6 bulbs I planted. Score one for me…

Happy Friday!

I have to keep my distance a bit from the goslings. They are getting used to seeing me and know that I will throw food for them so they come running – which does NOT make the parents very happy.

I took this first picture from around the corner of the house before they saw me…

Then I was spied…

…and off and running they came. This is making for some tough strategic planning around the house and yard when it is time for Cato to head outside. And a belated happy first birthday to him this past weekend. He’s being very good with the goslings – Lord, thank you for the assistance!

The good news for the lake, 1.25″ of rain last Sunday – but what a dreary week that has followed. One flash of sun per day is about all I’m getting which is not great for taking pictures but here is a little update on the goose nest/hatching…

Out of 5 nests on the lake this year, 3 nests are now vacant and the new “residents” can be seen around the property – two groups of 6 goslings and one group of 5. Hard to tell how many will survive to adulthood. One out of 6 was the average for last season.

Welcome to May 2013!

It’s that time of year to think about opening your pool for the summer or to attend to spring/summer maintenance on your water feature. Here are some timely “insider” tips from Thomas at Falcon Pools…

Swimming pools, ponds, fountains and other water features are going to require a certain level of maintenance. Anyone who owns one of these needs to take a look at the different issues that can arise and make sure that they can be easily avoided.

Common Issues with Fountains

Water replenishment problems tend to be a big issue for those who own fountains. Due to the water being unable to replenish, the fountain ends up becoming unused. In order to avoid this, you need to take a look at the general planning. A well-planned fountain is not going to have replenishment issues. Often, these issues are caused because the basin is too small and this causes water to splash out. You need to make sure that your fountain cycles the water properly, effectively and economically. Keep an eye on the environment and the environment will keep an eye on you.

Common Issues with Ponds

Some people may choose to have a pond in their back garden, believing that it will help to give themselves a sense of peace and tranquillity. Some may even fill their pond with a few fish. When it comes to pond maintenance, it is important to remember that enough plants are kept within the pond itself. Water plants will be there in order to create more oxygen in the water. This in turn will help your fish to survive.

If the water is cloudy or brown, then you will need to take a look at the filter and pump for your pond. Make sure that everything is working properly. Sometimes this means that you will have to clean the filter yourself, imagine that! At the very least, you need to be re-introducing yourself to your old hose pipe and making sure that it had a good pressure and stream.

Common Issues with Pools

There are a lot of issues that can arise with your swimming pool, especially during the summer months. A lot of people are going to forget to cover their swimming pool in the summer because it’s enjoying a lot of use. This can cause things like dead leaves, insects and, unfortunately, small animals to fall into the pool. In turn, these pieces of debris can cause your filter to clog up.

When this happens, you need to make sure that you clean out your pool. You will also need to add chlorine to it now and then to ensure that the water continues to look shiny and clear. After you have added chlorine, you may want to take a look at the filter. The filter is there to ensure that the pool remains clean, but the device itself is going to have to be cleaned out as well.

All of these issues need to be taken care of as soon as possible. Leaving something for longer is only going to cause the problem to continue. By making sure that you get on top of these issues, you can ensure that your water features remain clean and ready for summer.

About the Author

Thomas Jones and Falcon Pools are dedicated to bringing a more environmental and ecological (not to mention beautiful!) approach to swimming pool design. Thomas has recently been working on all manner of projects across England and Wales, with an eye to bringing more swimming pools to UK homes and gardens.