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Working in a Garden Centre

admin — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:57:00 +0000

Whether you’re an expert on all things horticulture or simply a plants enthusiast who has a thirst for knowledge, there’s something very rewarding about working in a garden centre. Getting to spend every day surrounded by sweet smelling plants and caring for them is an appealing idea for many, as is chatting with like-minded customers who you can both advise and learn from during the completion of your day to day tasks.

What exactly are you expected to do as a garden centre worker? Is it essential that you know your stuff before you apply or are they happy to have you learn on the job? Well, for the second question it actually depends on the place you apply to. Many companies are more than happy to take on enthusiastic individuals who may not be plant experts but who are willing to learn, whereas some others will accept only those who have an in-depth horticultural knowledge. Don’t be dismayed, however – even just a week or so of research will inform you greatly about a majority of the plant world you can expect to see in the garden centre and you’ll find yourself identifying species in no time if you simply put in the effort.

As for the job itself, a garden centre worker can expect to be involved in tasks like growing plants, including planting seeds and bulbs then nurturing them as they sprout and grow. You’ll also be expected to weed and prune plants to keep them healthy and presentable to prospective customers, as well as deal with pests and diseases that could harm the plants. Many garden centres want their staff to be able to advise customers on the products that best suit their requirements, and good customer service and rapport is always a plus. You may also be expected to work as a cashier, serve food in the cafeteria and make sure that the temperature, light and humidity of the greenhouses are all working correctly.

There are several other roles that you may find yourself taking at a garden centre, but the above provides a general idea of what staff usually do. Working in a garden centre is an enjoyable, rewarding job that lets you spend time with nature and like-minded garden types who love to talk about plants. So if you’re a bit of a plant enthusiast yourself, you could find that a gardening career is the ideal one for you – so why not check in at your local garden centre and see what positions are available today?

Paul Buchanan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Article from articlesbase.com

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How does OSB compare to normal plywood for cutting Christmas lawn decorations?

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:57:03 +0000

If I cut out life-size reindeer from OSB board to decorate my lawn, will they hold up as well as normal plywood? Is OSB more vulnerable to humidity?

Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

admin — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 22:19:37 +0000

Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

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Home Page > Home Improvement > Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

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Posted: Jan 17, 2010
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Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

By: Alexis Hall

About the Author

For tips on allium caeruleum and allium giganteum, visit the Allium Flower website.

(ArticlesBase SC #1735618)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Taking Care of Butcher Blocks, Countertops, and Kitchen Islands

The wood is widely considered the healthiest building material in the world. The solid wood represents a reliable, sturdy material that can last very long without requiring excessive protection. However, wood is a natural living material and, unlike man-made materials, it reacts to different environments in specific ways. We would like to draw your attention to the basic maintenance instructions for the solid wood countertops, island tops or butcher blocks. Following these directions will result in having a great looking, easy to maintain custom countertop that will last for many years.

Tops with a Mineral Oil Finish

The panel must be oiled carefully on top, bottom and sides, giving a special attention to the end-grain area, as the section that the wood is most likely to absorb humidity through. Each cut or drill you make in the panel (either for size adjustment, sink cutout or other purposes) must also be oiled thoroughly. Proterra mineral oil (Hesse, Germany) is a product that we recommend for kitchen tops applications given that it was specially designed to come in contact with foods. For situations where there is a great deal of humidity involved (like sinks, water faucets, etc) the mineral oil only will not assure the best protection and it is advisable to use polyurethane or any other similar finishing instead.

With a soft brush, oil the wood generously on all sides or simply pour a small quantity of oil on the wood and then spread it with the brush. Let the wood soak the oil for about 20-30 minutes and then remove the excess with an absorbent paper towel. When the top is first installed, it is advisable to apply 2-3 successive coats of oil, after which, the oil can be applied once several months or whenever needed. Every time you sand the area to remove scratches or cut marks, a new coat of oil must applied.

Maintenance

In order to keep your wooden top clean, periodically scrape or brush away any food residues existing on its surface, wash with warm soapy water and dry it well using either a dry cloth or paper towels. Apply a new coat of oil any time needed. Alternatively, you can warm up a 1:4 combination of beeswax and mineral oil until the mixture becomes homogenized and then apply it uniformly on top’s surface, thus getting supplementary protection against both stains and humidity.

Avoid setting your wood top next to extreme heat sources like stoves unless there is appropriate insulation between the heat source and the top. Avoid spilling vinegar on a wood top having a mineral oil finishing, as it can cause cupping or cracking. Do not use corrosive chemicals or excessively harsh detergents on a wooden top having a mineral oil finishing, as they can cause irreversible depreciation.

Repairing

If properly installed and sealed and periodically oiled, there is no reason that your top won’t last a long period of time in the same good shape it was when new. Sometimes however, due to poor maintenance and improper environmental conditions, some problems might arise; it is our duty, therefore to inform about these problems and the way to solve them.
·   Cupping and warping
Are prone to appear whenever there is a significant difference of moisture between the topside and the bottom side of the panel. If possible, place the top on a flat, hard surface, concave side facing down. On the convex side, uniformly place some fairly heavy objects. It will take up to 12 hours until the panel will straighten completely, after which, oil it abundantly on all sides.
If it is not possible to manipulate the top, simply apply generously mineral oil on the concave side until the panels straightens. In this case, however, you might need to repeat this operation several times to obtain the desired result.
·   End splits
Will manifest whenever the panel is placed in an excessive dry environment without being properly sealed. To repair, mix wood sand with a small amount of water-based wood glue and fill the cracks thoroughly. Allow 15-20 minutes to cure, sand the area with a 120 grit sand paper and then oil the top freely.
·   Scratches, cut marks and food stains
Can be removed by sanding uniformly the affected area, brushing away the resulting wood dust and applying a new coat of mineral oil. The finger-jointed panels can be sanded to a 3/8″ depth, while for the continuous lamella panels and the end-grain butcher blocks, there are no such restrictions.

Tops with a Polyurethane Finishing

A solid wood surface finished with polyurethane based finishing requires no maintenance at all. However, scratches, cut marks and other damages will be difficult to repair; therefore extra care is required.

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Alexis Hall -
About the Author:

For tips on allium caeruleum and allium giganteum, visit the Allium Flower website.

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What should a gardener consider when planning to build a small hobby greenhouse?

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:36:44 +0000

What should a gardener consider when planning to build a small hobby greenhouse? What materials should be used to build it? Does it need heating and cooling? Where can it be placed on the property? There are many considerations, and careful planning is important before a project is started. Building a home greenhouse does not need to be expensive or timeconsuming. It can be small and simple, with a minimum investment in materials and equipment, or it can be a fully equipped, fancy, automatedconservatory. The final choice of the type of greenhouse will depend on the growing space desired, home architecture, available sites, and costs.

The greenhouse must, however, provide the proper environment for growing plants. Regardless of the size and type of greenhouse you choose, consider how much time you have to manage the system. Do not be too ambitious; some new greenhouse owners find they do not have as much time as they thought. On the other hand, it is a misconception that greenhouses require constant attention. The environment can be maintained with minimal upkeep using automatic controls, which operate the heating, ventilation, watering, humidity, and artificial lighting systems when no one is home.

A hobbyist should invest in automatic controls and start with easy-to-care-for plants. Sometimes the hobby grows into a business, so give some thought to the possibility of expanding your greenhouse in the future. Constructing the greenhouse yourself can make the project more enjoyable and less expensive if you are handy with tools. Prefabricated greenhouses can be purchased, or they can be built of simple frames. However, only qualified electricians and plumbers should install the automatic systems.