Oborain is bringing a vacation favourite to the backyard.
The company makes prefab outdoor showers that can be assembled in 30 minutes. Water comes from the house through garden hoses. (A plumber will need to install a hot-water faucet.) Each modern-style shower has a stainless-steel frame, a deck made from the Brazilian hardwood cumaru and wall panels made from dark red mer-anti, a hardwood from Malaysia that resists weathering and splitting. The shower fixture has a shower head with three settings, including pulsating massage, as well as a thermostatic temperature control.
The showers can be installed permanently or disassembled to move or store for winter.
More on Oborain showers, including ordering information, can be found at www.oborain.com.
Prices range from $4,300 to $12,000 US.
Taming a weedy area
Q: I have poor, sandy soil on the south wall of my garage. Whatever I plant there struggles, and I can never get ahead of the huge weed problem in that area.
Would building a 60-centimetre-high bed be an answer?
A: You may have success with a raised bed, but an easier approach might be to try to diagnose and address the problem you have now.
I would start by having the soil tested. Many labs can do the work. The soil test will tell you what your soil needs and what to add to improve it.
As for the weeds, try putting a thick layer of newspaper over them and topping the paper with compost. The newspaper will smother the weeds and will break down over time, further enriching the soil.
It's also a good idea to get into the habit of spreading a half-inch or so of compost on top of the garden every fall.
Next spring, consider planting native prairie plants in the area. They like the full sun of your south-facing location, and they don't require a lot of fertilizing, watering or other fuss.
Device creates smart TV
Favi Entertainment's SmartStick turns any high-definition TV into a smart TV. The plug-in device lets you browse the Internet, use applications and get access to streaming media services such as Netflix, Hulu and Pandora. You can also use it to stream media files wirelessly from a computer to the TV.
The device is a dongle that plugs into a TV's HDMI input. Power is supplied via a cable that connects the device to a USB port on the television.
The SmartStick is expected to be available this month at retailers including Walmart, Radio Shack and Best Buy, and online at Newegg.com, Amazon.com and Favientertainment.com.
The 4-gigabyte version is $49.99 on the Favi site.
