RC Byron Art Blog

Eating out doors with family or friends has been increasing in popularity on a yearly basis, although very dependant on the weather. Of course that restriction is not as bad as it once was with the increase in availability of the gas barbecue. For me and for many others though the only real way to barbecue is on a Charcoal Barbecue.

The charcoal smell from a Charcoal BBQ, and the chargrilled taste, cannot be replicated by its gas counterparts, making the traditional charcoal bbq the prefered choice of many keen would-be outdoor chefs.

Always think about the positioning of your Charcoal Barbecue before setting up. The following pointers should help you when looking for somewhere to set up your charcoal barbecue:

Make sure there is nothing overhead that can catch fire like trees or washing lines.

Not too close to any building.

Try and set your charcoal bbq up on an even surface.

Make sure you have an escape route planned in the case of an emergency.

Somewhere that you can preferably exclude pet’s from.

When choosing the right spot for the Charcoal BBQ also consider what it will be like when all of the starving guests are in the same area. So work out how much space you will need and then make a concious decission on whether to go for a Portable BBQor a built in charcoal barbecue. The best way is to weigh up the pro’s and cons and work out which will best suit your needs.

Most people will go for a portable BBQ as they are convenient and easily put out of the way when not in use. Whereas a static charcoal BBQ is out in all weathers and open to animals both wild and pets running on them or worse.

OK, so you’ve decide on the type of charcoal BBQ, you’ve pick your spot to set up, next you can start to look for the actual barbecue itself.

Safety is also of great importance after all it is a fire that you are playing with. Some of the portable BBQ’s that are available are far too flimsy and are prone to collapsing or bending causing not just a fire hazard but also possibilities of burning. Go for a sturdy charcoal bbq with a good thick solid base. not only will it last much longer it will also be much safer.

Whatever happens though don’t let your heart rule your head and just run out and buy the biggest and meanest charcoal BBQ that you can find. Remember, the bigger the Charcoal BBQ, the more charcoal you will have to put on it, which can often be very costly.

Now, although health and safety has already been mentioned it is the most important thing of all, just make sure the kids and pets are out of harms way, then crack open a nice cold beer and enjoy you charcoal BBQ.

The caliber of your garden can, to some degree, hinge on the quality of your garden topsoil. Your plants make use of this topsoil to acquire all of the nutrients needed to prosper. Over the next few paragraphs i will check out what makes a good garden topsoil, and ways to get the most from it. Hopefully this will allow you to get the most out of your garden.

The moisture levels of your Garden Topsoil is probably the single most important thing for you to watch out for. If your moisture levels are too high, the soil around the roots will be sodden. on the flip side if there is not enough moisture in your topsoil the plants will not be able to draw the nutrients they need. This is a sign that the water has drained away too quickly and that the right amount of water is not being held in the garden topsoil. There are of course things that you can do to improve your gardens topsoil.

To ensure the water drains easily and to stop the soil clumping, try digging in fine gravel or sand to your garden topsoil. Horse Manure or well rotted compost will also benefit your soil.

Whilst these may be the cheapest way to improve your drainage, they are by no means the easiest, buying high quality garden Topsoil in the first place will reduce the need to do this, but obviously that comes at a premium. Other ways would be to introduce large amounts of well rotted manure or compost which will not only add a lot of nutrition for your plants to feed off but will also help with moisture retention.

If your garden is not well maintained you will face the bain of every gardners life, weeds. They seem to grow quicker than you can control them. If this is the case then the best thing to do for your garden and your sanity is after weeding the area cover it in a good natural Mulch. This is a double edged sord as not only is it bio-degradable and will add nutrients back into your garden topsoil, it will discourage weeds from re-growing as it blocks out all light.

Areas of lawn can show signs of problems with the topsoil. Out of sight out of mind springs to mind when talking about the condition of the topsoil underneath your grass. But inevitably poor topsoil will affect the quality of your lawn. Moss for example would suggestthat you have popor drainage and the water is not draining away properly. This can be addressed with small amounts of sand, turf dressing, Aerating the lawn will also allow the garden topsoil to dry out a bit.

If your garden topsoil is too dry your lawn will not have the deep grewen colour you would expect, as the lawn is not getting the nutrients it needs from the soil. Yes, lawns should be slightly dry but on the other hand they still need moisture to draw those all so important nutrients.