Landlord says he paid gardener with my security deposit but no work done?
I paid £500 security deposit. Landlord has taken £280 off this apparently to pay gardener to 'tidy up' garden. I left garden in a better state than before I moved in (have photographic evidence). I've been out of the property 4 weeks now and gardener has not been in to do work despite letting agent having paid him. AGain, I have photographic evidence. Where do I stand?
Take advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau, but I would say that the landlord should be able to justify that the work had to be done to restore the property, and that that work has been already been done or is scheduled to be done. If he can't, he is not entitled to keep the security deposit.
I don't even think it would apply to the garden anyway, unless you had let it go to pot, or you'd ripped everything out and covered it in concrete.
I would write to him and query the gardening charge and tell him you have photos to prove the condition of the garden when you left. Don't actually give him the photos yet. Also, tell him that you may have to take legal action to reclaim the money if he cannot justify his making this charge. Hopefully, if he can see that you are not messing around he will suddenly change his mind about how necessary the gardening is.
Good luck.
Kelly Green Garden Queen is another take on the classic time and resource management game. However, instead of the familiar farm, cafe or restaurant, Kelly Green Garden Queen takes on a new premise: an organic flower garden nursery.
You take on the role of Kelly, a city girl who suddenly finds herself the new owner and manager of her family business: an organic nursery. Help her adjust to the village life and manage her nursery while keeping her customers happy.
During the course of the game, Kelly will be joined by family members eager to turn the family business into a success. Guide them in performing tasks in the most efficient manner while keeping their customers happy in order to earn the most money every day. Decide when the flower pots should be prepared, the soil potted, the flower seeds planted and the pots watered... and that's just in the first level! It gets more complex with more tasks to manage as you progress further into the game.
As you complete each level, more types of flower seeds are available to you. In addition, various upgrades that give you options to improve your efficiency, keep your customers happy and earn extra income can be purchased for your nursery. All these additions make your task of efficiently running the farm more challenging.
One aspect of this game that makes it more interesting than its competition is the presence of a new level of strategy in it. When new buildings such as a greenhouse or a lemonade stand become available to you, you get to choose exactly where on the nursery you want them placed. Skillfully placing the various components of the nursery will make Kelly run between tasks more efficiently, allowing her to get more things done.
There is also a variety of customers that Kelly has to cater to. There are those that just phone in their order, and there are those who personally turn up at the nursery and wait there while you grow their flowers. (These must be very patient customers if they are willing to wait at the nursery while you grow their flowers from scratch!) These two types of customers will have a patience meter as well. The lower their patience, the less you will earn from them. Phone customers can be contacted by phone and be reassured that their order is on its way. Customers who visit you can be soothed with a nice cold glass of lemonade!
There is a minigame that activates depending on what the customer orders. Customers usually order flowers by the pot, but some can request for the flowers to be presented properly in a bouquet. When the flowers for these orders are ready, you will then be taken to a flower arrangement table where you get to arrange the purchased flowers for the customer. If you choose the vase and decorations that the customer likes, you will earn more cash for their order.
The game isn't just about growing and selling flowers though. You will also have to worry about the various materials and utilities needed to run the nursery, such as the water supply, soil and the lemonade supply! You will also have to contend with a cow and all sorts of parasites that are trying to ruin your precious flowers.
Kelly Green Garden Queen is a nice fresh take on the time management game genre, introducing a new setting that's different from the typical farm or restaurant. Experience the pleasant and comforting role of running a nursery, from the growth and sale of flowers to the maintenance and protection of the nursery. Help Kelly turn her nursery into a success as she progresses through the four seasons and become the best flower gardener!
Steven maintains Game Tycoon at http://www.game-tycoon.com , a website devoted to strategy, simulation and time management games. You can read game reviews, download games and play them online.
Japanese Garden "Nursery" Lee's Oriental Landscape Art
More and more people are taking up vegetable gardening as it is gaining popularity. Vegetable gardening will provide you with cheaper vegetables compared with those from the stores. Moreover, your home vegetable garden will produce far better tasting vegetables. Vegetable gardening is very similar to growing herbs or flowers in your garden and if the proper procedures are taken and proper care has been given to the plants, they will flourish and provide you with great tasting vegetables.
When you want to start vegetable gardening, the first thing to do is to decide on the size of the garden you want to have and choose a suitable place for it. The place you want to plant your vegetables should have good drainage, good and deep soil, and good air flow. It also needs to have as much sunlight as possible. Because vegetable are so tasty, many animals, such as rabbits, deer, dogs, and others will try to get to your veggies. A good way to prevent this from happening is to build a fence around your garden. You may also want to put out some traps to catch moles, mice, and other small animals.
Before planting your vegetable garden, you need to prepare the soil properly. You achieve good soil for vegetable gardening by cultivation and the addition of organic materials. In order to control weeds, you need to till or plow the soil while mixing mulch into it. For those with a small garden, instead of plowing you'll be better of with spading.
A vital part of soil preparation is mulching. Minerals, nitrogen, and other nutrients that plants will need to thrive are released when organic matter is added to the soil. Compost is the most popular and ideal type of mulch you can use. Usually, the soil and the types of plants will determine the type and amount of fertilizer to be used. Some plants have specific needs. For example, leafy plants, like lettuce, spinach, and cabbage usually need more nitrogen to grow better, while root crops like carrots, turnips, potatoes, and beets require more potash. Less fertilizer is needed by tomatoes and beans, while plants like potatoes, celery, and onions need a larger amount.
The garden arrangement is a factor that is very important in vegetable gardening. Due to varying conditions, there is no one plan of garden arrangement that will work for each and every garden. One popular way is to group vegetables together according to the amount of space they require. Plant vegetables needing only limited space together, such as spinach, beets, radishes, and lettuce and plant together those that require more room, such as potatoes, corn, and pumpkins. You should also consider planting tall growing plants towards the back of the garden while planting shorter ones towards the front. This will prevent sunlight from getting blocked and ensure that every plant will have sufficient sunlight.
You should begin planting your vegetable garden at the right time of the year. However, if you really want to get started early even when it is not the right time, you may want to start your vegetable gardening in a hotbed indoor and then transplant them later when weather permits. After completing your planting, make sure that your vegetables get the right amount of water. How much to water depends on the type of plant. Usually, most plants will require about an inch of water per week.
Weeds take up nutrients, light, and water that are meant for your vegetables. Hence, they must be controlled in vegetable gardening because they often bring insects and disease into your garden. Cultivation or mulching can get rid of weeds. You may also want to consider using controlled chemicals or buying seeds that are disease resistant in order to protect against disease and insects.
Because you get to eat the vegetables at the end, many people have made vegetable gardening their favorite form of gardening. Home grown vegetables taste much better than those from the supermarket and it is rather inexpensive to start vegetable gardening. If you provide proper care and maintenance to your garden and put in the effort, your vegetable gardening will be fruitful and you'll be rewarded.
About the Author
Get more vegetable gardening tips
from Richard's website. Request for a free copy of "Indoor Gardening Secrets" report from his gardening
website.
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I'm doing a science project in which we ecosystem in a bottle with a plant and animal. I am investigating the use of garden snail, as our animals and all I can find that will eat lettuce and fruit, but I need a real plant that can grow in the bottle. Does anyone know what can I use? Besides, what should I do about water for the plant and the snail?
Hi KM, UPDATE, Good morning. Alnight rained here. I would like a little more information to help you. How big is the bottle? The amount of water depend on the size of the bottle. How long do you have? Some seeds of plants will have 2 weeks to arrive, and the snail will eat the plant's minute break the ground. Why not be used lettuce plants? Snails are broken (to eat) to the lettuce. I would go with lettuce and pepper plants. Add a few few drops of water if the bottle is included. I'm glad to hear about your science project. I really do not know where these plants would be obtained at this time of year. I have a large garden. Snails love pepper and eggplant leaves. Similarly, because the green coffee plants, but usually eat in growth (the middle) part of the plant before starting it. I really do not think the tomato plants will help. I've never had a problem with spiral tomato leaves. Will be excavated in the case of tomatoes that are on the ground. Do not use too much water. If one includes the bottle, you can get enough water, without irrigation. If you think otherwise, I will return to you sometime tomorrow. Having a good night. From Los Angeles
In the Garden, Spider plants, How to with Houseplants
I live in NY and I am wondering about starting an indoor garden?
I live in upstate NY and would like to start in an indoor garden with herbs and vegetables. Is it okay to start the garden if they would be primarily indoors? What are your thoughts?
You can but there is some possibility that you will draw the attention of law enforcement on the lookout for marijuana grow houses.
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How to Create & Manage an Organic Garden : Starting an Indoor Organic Garden
When Herb gardening, first and foremost you must have a plan before you begin your endeavor. This is the first deadly sin herb gardeners commit consistently. You can grow an herb garden for cooking, or medicine or beauty. Choose which one will fulfill your needs, or have beds or containers for all three. If you are a beginner it is best to start off with just one so that you are not overwhelmed. You want this to be fun and creative, not a job you grow to hate.
The best way to come up with a plan is to concentrate on a theme. Then narrow it down to a sub-theme. Most people grow culinary herbs so let's start there. If you love French cooking plant the herbs that you will be using in your meals. French herbs are savory, marjoram, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Add some parsley and bay and you have the perfect bouquet garni to add to your soups or stews.
If you prefer classic Italian fare you should plant Italian parsley, marjoram, thyme, oregano and sweet basil. You can cook some great pasta dishes with these herbs.
After you have settled on your theme do a little research as to what herbs are available. You should come up with a list that has the absolutely essential herb, the herbs that would be fun to have and the ones that are really not necessary. Then check with your local nursery or online for availability. Again, if you are just starting out you should keep the list to between five and say ten herbs.
On to the next deadly sin that herb gardeners commit. You must have the perfect spot for your herbs to thrive. Consider the herbs needs-they must get four to six hours of sunlight daily. The soil needs to drain well and your garden should be where you can harvest your crop easily. If you have pets keep that in mind when picking your spot. You should mix in a lot of organic material to improve the soil whether it is in the ground or in containers.
The third deadly sin is to use the wrong planting method. You really have to work the soil with compost and bone meal before you even consider any planting. Carefully work through the root ball to encourage new growth. Be sure to water the roots well before planting to give them a good start. Herbs like basil should be pinched off to help them achieve a bushy plant.
You must know the needs of your herbs. Bad maintenance of the plants is the fourth deadly sin. On a regular basis you must water, prune and feed your herbs. Talk to the people at your nursery center to get advice on fertilizing your herbs. Never spray them with toxic chemicals if you find snails, aphids or beetles on the herbs. Here again, your nursery center can help you out. Here is a homemade recipe that will keep the pests out:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
The fifth most deadly sin is to fall madly in love with your plants. You need to cut your herbs. Harvest them at regular intervals. If you have an abundance of the herbs freeze them or dry them. A great way to use them is to make vinegars or oils, even soaps and bath preparations.
Don't get too high tech or overanalyze the situation. The whole purpose here is to connect with the earth. This is the sixth deadly sin of herb gardeners. Work the way nature does. Use natural products, work the soil, and keep it simple.
And, drum roll please, the seventh deadly sin is to not know as much as possible about each herb you have planted. Take the time to do the research. With just a little effort you will become quite knowledgeable and face it, it is the only way to approach herb gardening. Don't beat yourselves up if you make a few mistakes, just learn from them. The whole point is to have fun with your herb gardening and to make some great meals.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening and Herb Gardening You can read more of her articles at Article Bazaar
I'd like to grow cherry tomatoes, lettuce, pea pods, green beans, and herbs. Can you grow those types of things in window boxes...or are those too shallow? I've never gardened in containers before; I'd appreciate any good info. Thank you!!!
Tomatoes need a deep pot or bucket as do pea pods and beans but you may be able to brow your lettuce and herrs in the window boxes.
