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Let me begin this chapter by assuring you that one of the loveliest wines I have ever tasted was made with gorse flowers by a member of the Bourneouth Wine- Makers' Circle.

This I sampled while lecturing at the Town Hall there on the occasion of the Amateur Wine- Makers' Second Annual Conference and Show.

Flower wines, cannot, of course, be likened to any other homemade wine-or commercial wine- because their flavors are unique; they can only be described as delicately aromatic, their bouquet cannot be found in any other wine.

Their popularity is lessened only by the labor of collecting the flowers; but by choosing a spot where they abound, enough for a gallon or two may be gathered in an hour.

Care is needed if we are to get the best from our ingredients. When gathering the flowers it is best to use a basket of ample size because crushing will damage the flowers and we shall not get such a delightful wine.

All flowers should be gathered on a dry day but not necessarily on a sunny one; though it must be sunny when collecting dandelions otherwise they are either closed or half-closed and difficult to find. In their closed state

they teem with insects which would get into the wine and spoil it. Dandelions close when gathered but this does notn matter. In fact it is a great help because we should use only the petals of dandelions, and when they are closed the petals may be pulled out all together merely by holding the head of the flower and pulling on the petals grouped together.

Although only petals should be used many people make quite good dandelion wine by using the whole heads, but I use petals only.

To achieve the best result a wine yeast should be used and this may be an all-purpose wine yeast. Invert sugar should not be used in these recipes because it is inclined to slightly alter the aroma of the flower and change the delicate color of the wines made from recipes in this chapter.

Bakers' yeast is included in the recipe together with household sugar; those preferring to use a wine yeast 'started' as directed may, of course, do so.

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Every year, the environmental problems are getting worse. Global warming, pollution, and other concerns are now very evident. Many environmentalists are now taking an active part in the hope of saving the world before it’s too late. One way to effectively address such problems is by using solar power. With many households and establishments using generators to back up their power supply, which do you think is the best choice?

Power failure happens in the most unexpected hours and so having a generator can provide the needed power. The portable generators are widely used and you can even find large generators that provide emergency power. If you want to help in reducing pollution and other environmental problems, why don’t you opt for solar power instead?

The initial cost is a very important consideration but you will also need to look in the benefits that you can gain the future. Installing a viable solar power system can be quite expensive than just purchasing a portable generator. However, once you’ve installed the power system, you can already enjoy free unlimited power supply. Maintenance is minimal and you will not spend huge money on it. You don’t need to buy fuel just to run the system because the energy of the sun fuels the solar power system. In a portable generator, you will need to buy fuel to run it and so you will continue to spend money to enjoy power supply.

Generators can be purchased easily, online or locally, and so it’s quite convenient to obtain them. On the other hand, solar power is not that convenient to install and purchase as well. The market for solar power is rather small but because of the technological advancements, the market will soon grow. Today, the best way to obtain solar power kits is through the internet. Anyone can settle for a little bit of inconvenience especially if huge benefits are involved. Besides, after the installation of the solar power system, you don’t need to monitor it often unlike in generators where you will refill the fuel, change the oil and filter, and two times servicing in a year. The solar power system can last for twenty years even with minimal maintenance.

Both solar power and portable generators are efficient. However, when it comes to cost-efficiency, solar power is ahead. As long as the sun shines, energy can be generated. The system can also store energy so that it can be used at night or during rainy days. In a generator, you will need to re-fuel from time to time. You will need to pay for the fuel every time. Sunlight is free but fuel is not and so the cost efficient option is very obvious.

In terms of dependability, solar power and generators are almost the same. Solar power is best used in places where there is bright sunlight all throughout the year. If the period of bad weather is lengthy, all the stored power can be consumed. Generators can be used whether it’s sunny or rainy but the problem lies with the source of fuel. If you can’t refuel the generator, it will not work.

It’s your choice whether you will use solar power or a portable generator. It all depends on your capacity to pay for the device. You can further evaluate these two by reading this article carefully.

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Hanging a picture may seem like the simplest of all home improvement projects. While it is quite easy, there are factors like wall type and object weight that you need to consider before hammering away. If you're a beginner or if you've hung pictures before but always done some in a hit or miss kind of manner, these tips will come in useful.

The first thing you need to do is purchase the right fasteners for your picture and your walls. The most common fasteners for hanging things are picture nails and hooks. While these are the most common type of fastener, they are not the most appropriate or effective ones to use in all cases.

If you are going to hang anything on a concrete, stucco or brick wall, then you should not try to use a regular nail. A concrete screw will securely anchor your object and will prevent you from chipping the wall's surface. If you use a nail in a concrete or stucco surface, you can end up removing chunks of the wall around the nail when hammering.

If your object is heavy, then you might want to insert a plastic anchor or molly bolt-for fastening into the hole to ensure that there is no damage to your wall. Make sure that you are using the right type of fastener for your wall surface.

Once you've figured out the type of wall surface and the most appropriate fastener to use, you will need to decide on placement.

The first thing you want to decide is how high you want to hang the object. The basic rule of thumb is to hang pictures so that the center of the picture is at eye level. Have someone hold a tape measure against the wall and then stand back and see what number is at your eye level, that's where the center of your picture should be.

Once you decide on the height on the wall, you need to measure the picture itself to determine the mounting height. You will then measure from the bottom of the picture to the highest point of the hanging wire. You can then figure out the hanging height by subtracting half of the picture's height and adding the difference of the eye-height level you measured before.

Your measuring isn't done yet though. You want to take that figure and measure that distance on the wall so you can make a mark where the bottom of the hook will hit. After you have that vertical mark, you want to measure horizontally to ensure that your picture is in the center of the space. Next you will mark where the vertical and horizontal lines cross.

Holding the faster in place, you will nail or screw the fastener into the wall. After the nail or screw is in place, you want to carefully hang the object on the wall. Make sure you are careful not to mark or scrape the wall with the frame.

Once the picture is on the hook, you should step back to see whether it is level. You can shift the picture to either the left or the right to adjust the level.

If you find (after hanging) that the picture is either too low or too high, you can adjust the wire on the back of the picture rather than making a new hole.

If you are planning on hanging multiple pictures and/or objects on one wall, then you want to plan out your measurements very carefully. Start by holding up your pictures or laying them on the floor in the pattern you want. Measure the wall space and measure each picture to ensure that you have enough space. You want to make the vertical and horizontal marks for each picture rather than just guessing. It is often easier to offset the pictures when you estimate. If you do want all of the pictures even, then you need to use a level and be really exact in your measurements. A laser level can be useful in these types of situations.

Don't be intimidated with all of these steps if this is your first time hanging a picture. Taking your time and doing all the prep work outlined above will ensure that your picture is centered, level, and really adds character to your space.