Make this a Garden Season to Enjoy
(ARA) - The catalogues are starting to pile up and the list of landscape improvements grows longer each day. Don’t let this overwhelm or discourage you. Instead spend a bit of time planning now for better results in your garden. You will be amazed how much fun you can have while achieving your landscape goals under budget and within your schedule.
Take some time to look through those catalogues. It is a great way to gather ideas and get some feedback from everyone who uses or enjoys the landscape. You might find if they are invited to help with the planning they might just help with weeding. And no one is too young.
“Break out the crayons, paper, pencils, ruler, old catalogues and make garden planning a family event,” says nationally known gardening expert and author Melinda Myers. “Younger children can glue pictures of their favorite plants on a piece of paper while older ones can do the measuring, sketch the garden and help with the planting diagram.” And if you are the sole gardener and caretaker, don’t worry. The same process works and you get to make all the decisions.
Once the family has had their input or you created your wish list of plants it is time to make sure your plan is realistic. Check to see if the plants selected will grow in the heat and cold of your region. Make sure they can also tolerate the soil, wind and moisture conditions. Matching the plant to the growing conditions means an attractive landscape and productive gardens with less work. Catalogues, your local Extension service and the Internet are great sources of information. This is great way to fight the winter blues.
Now it’s time to focus on the foundation of the garden, the soil under your feet. Preparing the soil with proper fertilization helps the plants you select grow and thrive. Start with a soil test to find out what type and how much fertilizer and soil amendments you need to add. The soil test results can save you time, money and insure you do the best for your plants and the environment. Over fertilizing wastes money, damages plants and can harm the environment.
While waiting for the results you can keep everyone involved with garden planning. Gather a cup of soil from your garden. Remove any sticks and stones and place it in a clean quart straight sided jar. Fill the jar 3/4 full and add a teaspoon of non-foaming detergent and shake. This is a great way to burn calories or use excess energy our young gardeners often have. Then allow the soil to settle.
You will begin to see layers of the different particles. Check the jar again in two days. The bottom layer is the heavier sand particles, followed by the medium sized silt and last the clay. This exercise will give you an idea of your soil structure. Compare what you found to the university lab results. “I have used this with young gardeners and it is amazing how excited they get about the soil in their garden. Even the more seasoned gardeners seem to enjoy this activity,” says Myers.
Now select a fertilizer suited to your plants. “I prefer low-nitrogen slow-release fertilizers like Milorganite,” says Melinda. “It is goof proof and safe for gardeners of all ages and experience to use. The organic source of nitrogen does not promote excess growth at the expense of flowers and helps to build stress tolerant plants. The non-leaching phosphorous is good for the environment and non-staining iron encourages a deep green color. Plus one product is good for all your gardening needs.”
Incorporate Milorganite into the soil before planting your flower and vegetable gardens as well as landscape plants. The slow release nitrogen won’t burn the developing roots or interfere with flowering.
Give flower and vegetable plants a mid season boost. The organic source of nitrogen in Milorganite will not burn heat and drought stressed plants. And be sure to water thoroughly and only as needed to keep your plants looking good throughout the season.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
If you are worried about how long your home could be on the market, Fast Action Home Sales could have you handing over your keys in just weeks.
(NewsUSA) - For the many Americans whose front yards have had a “for sale” sign displayed for months on end, a new sell-it-yourself guide helps homeowners get bids and sell their homes in just weeks. Finally, some good news if you’re having a hard time selling property in today’s turtle-paced housing market.
It’s all laid out for you in a “sell-it-yourself” system, just published by California real estate pros who’ve been selling a different way for nearly 14 years with great success in any market.
It’s called the “Fast Action Home Sales System” -; a step-by-step guide that helps homeowners sell their homes quickly on their own, with or without a real estate agent.
The system uses unique “for sale” signs (and lots of them); compelling print ads; a custom-built web site; even your own 800 phone number to field dozens of calls sellers can expect from the blizzard of advertising they create leading up to one frenzied weekend.
“Even in today’s market, we typically get 75 to 150 prospective buyers to a home on Saturday and Sunday,” says Conrad Kuiken of Compass Realty in Carlsbad, Calif. “Then crowd psychology takes over. Buyers start bidding on the property, and we almost always get at least one bid at fair market value.”
System developers Kuiken and George Cappony have assisted in marketing thousands of houses in all parts of the country and in all price ranges using this system.
“Sellers have sold everything from $100,000 condos to $3 million mansions,” said Cappony. “Good market, bad market, it doesn’t matter; there are buyers out there, and our system will find them.”
The entire process normally takes between two and three weeks from start to finish.
“Pick a date, get everything ready, follow the system, and it’s very likely you’ll sell your property,” Kuiken said.
For more details, you can access a “quick-start guide” to the FAST Action Home Sale System at http://www.RealEstateKit.com , or call 1-800-669-1038.
(NewsUSA) - Advertising is telling the world how great you are, while publicity is having others tell the world how great you are. Companies and organizations that understand the importance of publicity are generally more successful than those who use advertising alone to reach their target audiences.
Newspapers, magazines and radio and television news programs are filled with stories about businesses and organizations. Those who know how to present materials professionally to the right people will get media coverage for free, while those who don’t understand how publicity works have to rely on large advertising budgets to reach their audiences, usually with less impressive results.
“If you can get a news organization to report about your event or praise something you’re doing, you have gained an enormous amount of credibility that simply couldn’t be generated through paid advertising,” said David Forman, a public relations veteran and author of “Publicity Professor,” a workbook that teaches business owners how to get free news coverage.
The first step in reaching out to media professionals is to create an appealing press release. Its main purpose is to get an editor or producer interested in what you have to say or in what you are doing. It should contain enough information, specifics and quotes that a writer can craft a story from it without ever having to call you.
A media alert is another tool for getting press coverage. Its purpose is to give news assignment desks the specifics about an event in a way that entices editors or television news directors to send a reporter or camera crew.
There are dozens of other ways to get news coverage, such as placing feature stories or writing pitch letters offering your expertise in a subject for quotes or on-air interviews.
Forman says you don’t have to hire outside help to get publicity.
“Nobody knows your business like you do,” Forman said. “You simply have to reach the appropriate person with your message, in a format that media professionals expect.”
Using real-world examples, “Publicity Professor” shows you how to give editors and producers exactly what they’re looking for to get your story covered for free.
The guidebook includes easy-to-follow templates of press releases, media alerts, feature stories and pitch letters; suggestions on creating newsworthy special events and awards programs; and resources for contacting local, regional and national media.
For further information on promoting your business, order a copy of “Publicity Professor” by calling toll-free (866) NEWS-400 or by visiting www.publicityprofessor.com.
(ARA) – If a man’s home is his castle, shouldn’t there be one room in it where he can “hold court” with his noble peers and watch the game? Or where he can retire for solitude to take care of some paperwork or indulge in some woodworking?
Welcome to the concept of the “man cave,” guys. You can create the sanctuary of your dreams and enhance your home value at the same time by renovating your basement into the ultimate guy retreat.
More than half of home buyers say they want a finished basement, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders. Real estate experts agree that adding square footage to your living space will deliver the dollars when it comes time to sell. How you decorate that extra space will be secondary.
Here are the top 10 things you’ll need to turn your basement into the ultimate “man cave”:
1. Finish it. – First, finish those cinderblock walls and concrete floor. If you’re a real handyman, you can do the job yourself the old-fashioned way with framing and drywall. Or, you can go quick and easy – and only slightly costlier – with a professionally installed basement finishing system that will cut construction time to just a couple of weeks, rather than months.
2. Get wired. – You have to have a TV – big screen preferred. And tunes, man. Getting wired can be as easy as connecting cable to your portable TV and strategically placing a boom box, or as grand as a wall-mounted, high-def, flat screen TV with surround sound.
3. Go wireless. – A laptop or desktop is a man-cave must for work and play. But you don’t want wires cluttering up your kingdom. If you haven’t already done so, install wireless connectivity on the primary computer on the main floor of the house. That way, you can use the Internet in the basement without the expense and inconvenience of a lot of wires.
4. Get “guy” with the décor. – Nothing says “This space belongs to a guy” like sports décor. Frame and hang your old high school or college jersey. Mount that foul ball you caught in the bottom of the ninth. Put up a wallpaper mural of your favorite sport. From scenes that give you a pitcher’s-eye view of home plate and the stadium, to images that make you feel like you’re on the green at Pebble Beach, you’ll find easy-to-hang wallpaper murals at www.muralsyourway.com. You can customize the mural size or even have one made from a picture of your own sporting glory days.
5. Drink up. – Watching the game? You’re going to need liquid refreshment. A wet bar is every guy’s dream, but you can also cool off effectively and economically with a small refrigerator or even a portable wine keeper.
6. Snack attack. – The guys are going to work up appetites playing friendly poker and it could get ugly if you don’t have any snacks on hand. Be sure to include space for snack storage in your design, whether it’s a pantry or some cabinets.
7. Sit on it. – You’ll need the armchair of your dreams in order to be an armchair warrior. Make sure there’s some comfy – and durable – seating for your buddies too.
8. Work it out. – Sometimes a guy just wants to work up a sweat. Portable treadmills and exercise bikes are better than ever and easy to store. Set aside a corner of your man room for the manliest activity of all – exercise.
9. Or work on it. – If you’re a doer rather than an observer, you’ll want a well-equipped workbench.
10. Sit on it, part II. – It wasn’t just Al Bundy’s dream. It’s the ultimate man room upgrade – your own private bath.
If you haven’t given your walls much thought since last agonizing over paint chips, now is the time to consider today’s new wallpaper and wall decor products. It’s like switching from traditional to high-definition TV — you won’t see walls the same way ever again. Wallpaper’s sharper image has everything to do with advanced technology incorporated into striking designs to suit the way we live today.
These are just a few of the wallcovering innovations that add a designer’s touch to your decor without breaking the bank:
Easy-Hang Wallpapers
Almost all wallpaper companies produce easy-hang “non-woven” wall coverings, which are easy to hang and remove. Installing non-woven wall coverings can be faster than painting, which requires preparing the wall surface (wallpapers always hide a myriad of blemishes), applying primer and at least two coats of paint.
Non-woven wall coverings adhere to walls with magnet-force, yet are easily repositionable. Unlike pre-pasted, paper-backed wallpapers, non-woven wallpapers do not expand or contract on the wall, so seams won’t ever separate — in fact, they virtually disappear.
Made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers found in common household products like tea bags and coffee filters, non-wovens are tear-resistant during installation and removal. Forget about using steamers and chemicals to pry wallpaper off sheetrock. A quick tug at a corner of these eco-friendly wallpapers brings entire sheets down in minutes without damaging walls. This makes wallpaper a viable option for renters, who can even roll the sheets and use them in another home when they move.
Natural Textures
Wallpaper companies have always produced eco-friendly wallpapers such as naturally textured sea grass, bamboo, grasscloth, silk, burlap and jute — but only for the high-end of the market. Recent technological advances have made them both far more affordable and colorful. Natural wall coverings are now available in fashion-forward peacock blue, silver, gold, kiwi and violet.
For a designer touch, cover the archway or support walls of a great room with a naturally-textured wallpaper to envelop the room in warmth.
Peel-and-Stick Wall Decor
At first glance, these new “wallternatives” look like giant stickers in a box. But this peel-and-stick technology sticks to walls only as long as you want with no residue; and can be repositioned, removed and reused on any flat surface. Perfect for children and teens with changing tastes and college students living in dorm rooms, many peel-and-stick wallpapers also have decidedly grown-up appeal, including dramatic damasks, hip silhouetted blooms and pop-art flowers. These non-toxic, amazingly affordable wall appliques can transform even the smallest bathrooms, bedrooms, laundry rooms and alcoves.
Digital Printing
Specialty limited-edition murals in painterly or photo-realistic styles; scenes of romantic, faraway places; and amazingly realistic nature scenes pack a powerful visual punch and take the place of costly artwork. Thanks to new digital printing technologies, wallpaper companies now offer detailed murals that no one ever tires of viewing.
Interior designers often choose murals for rooms where families linger, like the dining room … and now you can, too.
Courtesy of ARA Content
To see today’s new innovative new wall décor products, visit the following Web sites:
www.brewsterwallcovering.com
www.cheswall.com
www.seabrookwallcoverings.com
www.thibautdesign.com
www.wallquest.com
www.yorkwall.com
You don’t have to call a pro every time you need a repair
Here are 10 skills every homeowner should master. You don’t need to run out and learn them all immediately, of course. But you’ll appreciate them — and save yourself lots of money.
You can tackle most with simple hand tools, either items you own or those you can buy for $10 or less. The only power tool here is a variable speed drill.
1
REPLACE A DOOR LOCK. If you buy an existing house, you might want to replace the exterior locks. On the inside of the door, remove the two long bolts holding the front and back of the lock together; remove the front and back of the lock. On the edge of the door, remove the screws holding latch in place, and pull the latch out.
To replace, just add new hardware in reverse order.
Door hardware needs tightening and lubricating over the years, so understanding how it works will pay off in more than extra security.
Tips: Before buying new hardware, check the “backset,” or the distance from the edge of door to center of the hole for the deadbolt or doorknob. Replacement hardware will need to match; some locksets are adjustable, and accommodate the two standard backsets. Also, the helpful guy at the home center or hardware store can key all locks alike.
2
CHANGE FURNACE AND AIR CONDITIONING FILTERS. Nothing difficult about this. Be sure you know where all the filters are — on air returns or at the air handler — and how to change them.
Tips: Make a note of filter sizes and keep the information handy. (You want to be sure you have the right size before you climb the tall stepladder.) Also, learn how to clear the pipe that carries condensation from the air handler during the cooling season. The pipes can get clogged with mold and algae — and the water can back up and start dripping from your ceiling. If your air handler is in the attic or a utility room, it should have two drains: one from the unit, and the other from the safety pan under the unit.
3
LEARN THE LOCATION OF THE MAIN WATER CUTOFF. It’s probably in a utility room or closet, but could be at a water tank or near the meter. You don’t want to go looking for it after a pipe bursts.
Tips: Familiarize yourself with other cutoffs, too: Don’t forget the dishwasher and icemaker, for instance. And learn how to turn off the gas in an emergency: Gas valves, indoors or at the meter, are open when parallel to the line and closed when perpendicular.
4
FIND A STUD IN WALL. You’ll want to locate studs any time you’re hanging a heavy object, or installing molding or cabinets. Most homeowners know the tap-tap-tap routine; you’ll get a hollow sound between studs, a solid thunk on the stud. (Most of the time.) The centers of the studs are 16 inches apart — so if you find one you can usually locate the others pretty easily.
Tips: Look for the heads of finishing nails near the top edge of the baseboard. Those nails will be in studs. Or hold a flashlight against the wall, shining the light parallel to the wall. Turn the flashlight slowly to sweep the wall with light. You’ll be able to spot the patches over drywall nail heads or screw heads that aren’t visible otherwise.
5 CHOOSE THE ANCHOR. For spaces between studs, you’ll want to use hollow-wall anchors to mount towel bars, drapery rods and the like on walls. The most important rule is to match the anchor to the weight of the item you’re mounting. From weakest to strongest, anchors are plastic expansion anchors, threaded drywall anchors (Zip-It), winged plastic anchors, molly bolts or sleeve-type anchors, and toggle bolts.
When installing anchors, you can make small holes in drywall with an awl or sharp nail, but you should use a drill for larger holes.
Read More:News & Observer
(ARA) - Many young boys – and girls – enjoy following their grandfather or father around his workshop, admiring his tools and hoping to help with a project. With Father’s Day quickly approaching, there’s no better time for dads or granddads to encourage this interest by letting youngsters pitch in on a kid-friendly project.
“Working together on a hands-on project is one of the most rewarding activities you can engage in with young family members,” says Pat Hensiak, Dremel customer service supervisor. “You’ll create memories that will last a lifetime, and often end up with a special souvenir.” Interestingly, the company recently conducted a survey about do-it-yourself projects and found that a high percentage of men – 44 percent – believe that working on home improvement projects with another family member strengthens the relationship.
These projects include easy steps that kids of any age can follow when working with their dad or grandfather. An experienced adult should always complete power tool work, and this time provides a good opportunity for adults to explain the proper use of power tools and shop safety to their young helpers.
* Build a wooden toy racing car. Working together to create a wooden toy racing car is a classic father/son activity, stemming from derby car racing’s early association with clubs such as the Boy Scouts of America. Nowadays, derby car racing has been adapted by many other groups, including church and community groups, and could even be turned into a family race.
Start by drawing the car on a block of pine showing the top, side, front and back views. Using a vise to hold the wood block, remove large areas of wood with a scroll saw or coping saw. Then, use a Dremel 300 Series rotary tool to shape, smooth and make contours to the car. Kids can jump into hand-sand the car, then paint with their favorite colors and designs. Assemble wheels and you’re ready to roll.
* Create a homemade puzzle. Let your kids pick their favorite photo – maybe one from vacation or of a family pet – and use a photo service found in most drug stores to enlarge it to the size puzzle you wish to create. A colorful magazine page or one of your kids’ own drawings will also work. Purchase or cut an 1/8- to 1/2-inch piece of wood to the same size as your image. Allow kids to hand-sand the wood until smooth, then draw an outline for puzzle pieces onto the back. Using glue, affix the image to the top of the wood piece. Follow the puzzle piece outlines drawn on the back of the wood with a scroll saw to cut the wood into the puzzle pieces.
* Make a terra cotta birdfeeder. Kids love watching wildlife gather in their own back yards. Make a trip to the hardware store first to gather supplies: a clay pot 4 to 6 inches in diameter, a clay saucer large enough to cover the pot, a 3/8-inch threaded rod that is 2 inches longer than the length of the pot and saucer combined, three nuts for the 3/8-inch rod, three metal washers, three rubber washers, an extended nut, an eyebolt or threaded hook and a 1/4-inch dowel 3 inches long.
The saucer serves as the birdhouse roof. Using a rotary tool, grind a 3/8-inch hole in the center of the saucer. Make the bird’s door by grinding a 1- to 1 1/2-inch hole in the side of the pot. Beneath the door, grind a 1/4-inch hole using a tungsten carbide cutter and press a dowel into it for a perch.
Thread all components together to form the hanging house:
1. Thread the nut from the top of the rod to position the pot.
2. Slip the metal washer, then rubber washer, up from the bottom of the rod then slide the pot into position.
3. Slide rubber washer then metal washer up under pot.
4. Thread the nut up from the bottom of the rod and tighten against washers until pot is securely held.
5. Repeat the same procedure for securing the saucer upside-down. Then, thread on another nut to act as a lock nut. Thread extended nut on top of rod and screw eyebolt into it as a hanger.
After hanging in a nearby tree, wait for a bird family to make the house a home.
For more family-friendly project ideas, visit http://www.dremel.com or call the Dremel Experts at
(800) 437-3635.
(ARA) – For most Americans, their car is the second biggest investment they will make in their lifetimes. The average price of a light vehicle is $28,715, according to the Comerica Index. It makes sense to have an annual cleaning ritual to help preserve and maintain your car, just as you undertake regular cleaning to care for your home.
“Aesthetic maintenance is important to preserving a vehicle’s integrity and value,” says Ron Fausnight, Shell Car Care technical expert. “Routine maintenance, including washing and waxing your vehicle, can be viewed as preventative maintenance that helps to preserve a vehicle’s paint from the elements while restoring a polished, new look.”
Tires and wheels are often overlooked when washing a car, but they are two areas that take the most abuse throughout the year. Road grime, salt and brake dust can quickly collect on wheels, and without proper removal, can lead to discoloration of aluminum alloys and corrosion and pitting of steel alloys used. When removing the debris, use a cleaner that is pH-balanced to avoid any potential damage to the composition and finish of wheels. A pH-balanced product such as the Black Magic Titanium Wheel Cleaner is as gentle as soap and water, but contains stronger cleansing and shine agents that are safe to use on all wheel types.
“While all preventative maintenance is important, maintaining a vehicle’s safety features should be an even higher priority,” Fausnight says. “Roadway safety needs a multifaceted car care approach, and taking steps to ensure visibility is important.”
Changing wiper blades at least once a year, combined with using a hydrophobic windshield repellent such as Rain-X Original Treatment, can dramatically clear a driver’s vision. The treatment seals the microscopic pores of glass, causing any precipitation to bead up and roll off the windshield. In fact, in tests conducted by a major university, the increased visibility provided by Rain-X improved driving response time up to a full second or more.
“Regular maintenance for your vehicle does not necessarily only relate to the exterior. With gas prices climbing higher than ever, many people are looking for ways to clean the inside of an engine to maintain a vehicle’s performance and fuel economy,” Fausnight says.
In some cases, cheaper gasoline can be a low-quality fuel that meets the minimum requirement of detergency by the EPA, but may allow deposits of gunk to form in a fuel system. One way to help remove this gunk is by using a fuel additive to clear deposits from fuel injectors, intake valves and combustion chambers.
One such product is the new Shell V-Power Complete Fuel System Cleaner that contains more than three times the required cleansing agents by government standards for premium gasoline. The fuel treatment actively cleans all components of the fuel system restoring optimum performance and fuel economy while also protecting from future deposit build-up. When used regularly, a product like Shell V-Power Complete Fuel System Cleaner can actually reduce carbon monoxide emissions and help the engine run cleaner.
Incorporating these tips into an annual cleaning routine, and performing regular maintenance, are important steps to preventing the deterioration of a vehicle and may help to save money in the long run.
(ARA) – Whether it is roses for a special birthday, daisies for Mother’s Day or carnations just because, people receive special bouquets of flowers for many reasons. But how do you care for your beautiful flower arrangement to keep it fresh and enjoy it longer?
Dr. Bridget Behe, also known as the Flower Doctor, is a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University and hosts “Ask Bridget”, a question and answer section on the Web site www.FlowrMD.com. Behe offers her top five tricks of the trade on how to prolong the life of your beautiful blooms.
Food for Thought
Commercial flower food/preservative solution is a must. Carefully follow the mixing instructions on the packet.
Water Wonder
It is best to use warm water in the vase with your fresh-cut stems. If the water feels too hot or cold for you, then it’s not the right temperature for the flowers either. Warm water is taken up by stems faster and the warmth makes it easier to dissolve the flower food/preservative.
Leaf ‘em Out
If any leaves from the stems fall below the water line, remove them. Leaves in the water will promote bacterial growth that may limit the water uptake by the flowers.
Under the Knife
Before placing flowers into water, re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife or scissors. Be careful not to crush the stems.
Climate Control
Keep fresh flowers out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources and drafts such as air vents or fans.
Still have questions on how to keep your fresh flowers from withering away too soon? Log on to www.FlowrMD.com for more information or to e-mail a question to the Flower Doctor.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
SIDEBAR:
Bouquets of flowers are often delivered in a traditional long white box adorned with a bow. Once they’re out of the box there are many stylish ways to arrange your new beautiful blooms.
“Many flower recipients may need a little reminder on how to arrange and keep their flowers long-lasting for days to come,” says Jill Slater, flower designer for the Flower Promotion Organization. “To make this experience simple and enjoyable, we offer design and care and handling advice every day of the year.”
Slater suggests logging on to www.flowerpossibilities.com for flower arrangement recipes and www.flowrmd.com for care and handling.
Love Bubble
Materials:
* 8-inch bubble bowl
* Two dozen roses of your favorite color(s)
* 10 stems Queen Anne’s Lace or filler of choice
* Floral or cellophane tape
* Floral clippers and floral food/preservative
Directions:
1. Fill the container full of warm water that has been treated with flower food/preservative.
2. To hold the flowers in place, make a grid over the top of the bubble bowl tape. The grid is created by placing four lines of tape over the top of the bowl, and four additional lines of tape in the opposite direction.
3. Fill the bowl with rose blooms by cutting each stem to approximately 8-to-9 inches in length. Insert the stems into the tape grid.
4. Cut the Queen Anne’s Lace (or other filler) slightly shorter than the roses and rim the roses with the filler.
Domed Roses
Materials:
* Six to 12 roses
* Five to seven stems camellia or lemon leaves (or other leaves of choice)
* Two bricks floral foam
* One coffee can - small or large depending on number of roses
* Floral clippers, knife, flower food/preservative
Directions:
1. Soak floral foam for at least 30 minutes in warm water that has been treated with flower food/preservative
2. Cut floral foam to fit interior of coffee can. This piece should fill the can three-quarters full.
3. Cut and insert another section of floral foam to fill the rest of the can. This piece should rise about 3-inches above the rim of the can. With a sharp knife, shave the top piece of floral foam into a dome shape. Fill the can with water.
4. Cut the first rose to approximately 4-inches in length and insert it about 1-inch into the center, top of the floral foam.
5. Cut 3 or 4 more roses slightly shorter than the center rose and insert them closely around the center rose. You will begin to see the dome shape of the centerpiece.
6. Cut other roses slightly shorter than the first several roses and keep inserting them into the foam until all of the floral foam is filled. Remember to maintain the dome shape.
7. Cut camellia or lemon leaves to 4-inch lengths; insert them around the rim of the can and in between the roses where space provides. Use the leaves of the roses as extra filler foliage, if necessary
