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2006 SPRING HOME S PARPEN
Keep Everything
Coming up Roses
,
V X
(NAPSA) - A great way to experi
ence exquisite roses is to attend the
annual Rose Parade(r) in Pasadena,
Calif. The Bayer Advanced Jack and
the Rose Stalk float, the very first
float in the 2006 Rose Parade(r),
featured the four All-America Rose
Selections: Julia Child, Rainbow Sor
bet, Tahitian Sunset and Wild Blue
Yonder.
Bayer Advanced(tm) garden expert
Lance Walheim, who wrote the best
selling book "Roses for Dummies,"
says, "Roses are easier to grow now
than ever before if you follow a few
basic guidelines":
• Rose plants are graded accord
ing to standards set by the American
Nursery & Landscape Association.
A #1 rose is the highest quality and
will give you the best show the first
summer. You'll find the grades on
the rose packaging.
• Avoid roses with dry-looking,
shriveled canes.
• Soak roots overnight before plant
ing. If you can't plant immediately,
keep packing moist around the roots
until planting time.
Ductless Air Conditioning
What You Should Know
(NAPS) - Fewer homeowners are
clueless about ductless air condi
tioning systems because those who
already have them installed are get
ting the word out how economical
and efficient they can be.
They're called ductless because
they use no ductwork or air dis
tribution systems. Because of that
there are few places where the
systems cannot be installed. In ad
dition to homes, the systems have
been placed in small and large of
fices, shops, motels and hotels,
schools and universities, computer
rooms, banks, hospitals and labs.
Ductless systems are made up of
four components: The condensing
• Roses need at least six hours of
direct sunlight per day to thrive.
• Fill hole with water, let it drain
and then fill again. If the hole hasn't
drained completely in 24 hours, the
easiest solutions are to plant else
where or grow roses in pots or raised
beds.
• Mix the soil dug out of the hole
with equal amounts of compost or
ground bark. Place some of the mix
ture in the bottom of the hole, creat
ing a cone-shaped mound.
• Examine the rose carefully. Prune
off damaged or dead roots. Spread
the roots of the rose-the rose should
be planted at about the same level it
was grown in the field (you'll see a
color change on the stem) and with
the bud union (the swollen part of
the stem) aboveground. In colder cli
mates, plant several inches deeper so
the bud union is covered with soil.
• Fill with soil and create a water
ing basin around the plant. Water
well.
• Mulch the rose with compost or
ground bark. Pile the mulch up high
enough to cover the canes several
inches above the bud union.
• Fertilize and protect from insects
and diseases. Bayer Advanced(tm)
All-in-One Rose and Flower Care
not only fertilizes, it protects against
pests like aphids and Japanese bee
tles and diseases such as powdery
mildew and black spot, all in one
easy step. One application protects
for up to six weeks - systemically
working its way up through the
plant from the roots.
unit, located outside
the building; the indoor
unit or units which
can be wall or ceiling
mounted; thin refriger
ant lines, which con
nect the outdoor unit to
the indoor unit; and a
wireless remote or wall
monitor which controls
the entire system.
According to the Air-
Conditioning and Re
frigeration Institute
there are a number of
benefits users get with a ductless
system. These include:
• Easy installation, easy mainte
nance
• Quiet operation and heating,
too
• Simple control
• Attractive and efficient design
An informative brochure is avail
able by sending a stamped, self-ad
dressed, business-sized envelope
to ARI-Ductless, 4301 N. Fairfax
Dr., Suite 425, Arlington, VA 22203
or by visiting their website at www.
ari.org.
Windows You'll
wont To See
(NAPS) - According to a recent survey, home buyers are placing energy
efficient, multiple-pane windows high on their list of priorities.
The energy-conserving construction of double-pane windows was con
sidered "desirable" or "essential" to 79 percent of homebuyers surveyed,
with triplepane construction important to 48 percent.
In response, more than 90 percent of windows made in North America
now use insulating glass (IG) and there's been a steady move away from
single-panes.
Important improvements include a nonconductive spacer system be
tween panes of glass or "warmedge technology," which now makes up
more than 70 percent of the window market.
One of the most widely used warm-edge systems is called Swiggle Seal,
from TruSeal Technologies, Inc. That company also developed grooved
(notched) warm edge spacers specifically for triple-pane construction.
This can significantly improve the thermal performance of a window.
There are five basic window components homebuyers should under
stand:
• Sash and frame. PVC is the leading sash and frame material and the
choice of high-performance window manufacturers. The thermal perfor
mance of wood remains high, while aluminum and fiberglass offer less
thermal performance.
• Glass. You can get Low-E glass that keeps heat and cold on whichever
side of the window you want.
• Air space dimension. The most beneficial dimensions in IG windows
are 9/16" to 5/ 8" with an overall thickness of 3/4" to 1". When thickness
increases, thermal performance tends to decline.
• Gas conductivity. Thermal performance can improve when the win
dow cavity is filled with argon or other heavy gasses, rather than air.
• Warm edge spacers. These reduce heat flow through the perimeter of
the window and minimize condensation. Well-constructed windows and
doors offer an excellent opportunity to open your home to comfort and
savings.
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