Choosing the right Christmas or birthday gift

Is it Christmas time, or a different holiday, and you are having trouble thinking of a good gift to give to your boss? Maybe it's for another employee or just someone you don't know well enough to know what they like. Here's some help to find that perfect gift.

Think about what you know about your boss. Do they enjoy any particular activities, like sports cars, certain activities, are they a geek, a true fan of certain shows or movies? Hopefully you've had enough water-cooler conversations with them to know the answer to some of those questions. This will help you form even the smallest personality profile on them and then you can start brainstorming on what types of things they will like.
Decide how much you want to spend. If it's not much (£10 or less), ask some of your co-workers if they want to chip in.
Gather up store ads in the newspaper or a generic website and browse through them to get ideas. With their interests in mind and a set budget, you should find something that they will enjoy.

You can buy one of those pre-made gift baskets or even better, cheaper and much more thoughtful is to gather items separately and create your own custom gift-basket. This way you can truly personalize the basket and buy items you know they will not only like, but truly love (i.e. their favorite candy/beverage/snack).
If you absolutely can't think of a gift, write a meaningful card, don't just sign it. Say something you truly mean (i.e. I really enjoy our meetings, you make me smile when you talk about your children, or thank you for your understanding when I was out sick for 4 days).
Consumable or disposable items work well since the person wont feel like the gift is 'just taking up space.'
Buying every day items with a little twist will brighten his day (a personalized mug, those neon post-it notes instead of the boring yellow ones, etc.).
If you are still uncertain as to what to buy, ask a more sensitive worker or one closer to your boss. He or she will be more attuned as to what your boss would enjoy.
Find out what store they really like spending money at and buy them a gift card. Again, if your budget is not impressive, ask your co-workers to join.

Article taken from Wikihow

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Ways to survive in 2010

Today we’re going to look at five ways you can engage your customers in 2010. One of the real benefits for brands of using social media or of building an online community, is that it can build sustainable engagement with your customers. Here are five ways to get this engagement.

1. Be active about asking your customers for their opinion
Too often firms don’t ask customers what they think. They may give ways for them to contact the brand, tell them their opinions or call them with compliments or complaints. But this is all very passive. Brands need to be actively asking their customers what they think. You need to go to them, not the other way round. For the customer, being asked what they think makes them feel special, part of our organisation and valued. A simple task such as calling your ten top clients in the first week in January will give you new insights into what you are doing right (and wrong) and will make ten more loyal customers. You then need to think about how you do this long term and on a much larger basis.

2. Make it easy for customers to complain
For an example of a good feedback form, visit www.poplartreegardencentre.co.uk who consider their customers feedback essential in survival and development of their online business and garden centre as a whole.There are many ways that customers can raise their complaints about you and your products. They can tell you directly, post their thoughts on their blog, write to a newspaper, talk to all their friends…the options are endless. As a brand you should be able to feel in control of these complaints. Nobody likes to hear that their customers are unhappy, but it is much better for them to do this in a space where you have right or reply and you can even learn from these complaints. If you don’t provide a way for people to complain they will still do it, except you won’t know where and won’t be able to respond.

3. When you ask your customers something, make sure you respond
There’s nothing worse than being asked for your opinion and then not hearing what people think about it or if they are going to do anything having heard it. When you ask customers questions, or ask them to complain you must respond. Closing the feedback loop will make them feel valued and make them realise that you are actually listening to what they are saying. This will encourage them to continue to engage with you and, by knowing what and how you think, it will make their contributions more focused and productive from your perspective.

4. Deal with customers in public
Only some of your customers are going to want to talk to you and give you their opinions, and an even smaller proportion are going to want to complain. But all of your customers will want to know that you are an organisation that listens and responds. They want to know that if they were to have an idea or some feedback, that you would take it on board; and if they were to have a complaint that you would deal with it. There is a huge benefit to engaging with your customers openly and in public. If they can see you resolving a customers problem they will have greater respect for you as a business that cares about it’s customers. If they see you giving feedback they will know that you’re an organisation that listens to and focuses on the needs of its customers. Respond, and respond publicly; this is where an online community can really pay dividends.

5. Realise that engagement is not a campaign
Unlike other activities, engaging your customers cannot be run as a campaign. It is not about creating a number of advocates for a product launch or about having a conversation with some of your customers for two months. Engagement needs to be ongoing; sustained and sustainable. Once you start to listen to and close the feedback with your customers you must keep doing this. Of course, the benefits you get will be vast and wide-ranging, so most brands won’t want to stop engaging!

Poplar Tree Garden Centre | Glasses Lolita Glassware

Poplar Tree Garden Centre Glasses Lolita Glassware

You can find some wonderful hand painted glass here that will make the perfect gift for Christmas.

Making Compost

It’s not rubbish, it’s renewable. Why throw your kitchen scraps in the bin when you could be using them to make your garden more lovely and attractive to wildlife?

A compost heap makes a delicious refuge. Larger mammals come to root around for old fruit, hedgehogs to eat the slugs, and reptiles and amphibians love the warmth it generates. It’s also a great way to attract the elusive slow worm.

Ideally site your compost bin in a reasonably sunny site on bare soil. If you have to put your compost bin on concrete, tarmac or patio slabs ensure there’s a layer of paper and twigs or existing compost on the bottom. Choose a place where you can easily add ingredients to the bin and get the compost out.

Have a container available such as a kitchen caddy or old ice cream tub. Fill your compost caddy or container with everything from vegetable and fruit peelings to teabags, toilet roll tubes, cereal boxes and eggshells. Take care not to compost cooked food, meat or fish.

Empty your compost caddy along with your garden waste into your compost bin. A 50/50 mix of greens and browns (see pages 6 and 7) is the perfect recipe for good compost.

It takes between nine and twelve months for your compost to become ready for use, so now all you need to do is wait and let nature do the work. Keep on adding greens and browns to top up your compost.

Once your compost has turned into a crumbly, dark material, resembling thick, moist soil and gives off an earthy, fresh aroma, you know it’s ready to use. Lift the bin slightly or open the hatch at the bottom and scoop out the fresh compost with a garden fork, spade or trowel.

Don’t worry if your compost looks a little lumpy with twigs and bits of eggshell – this is perfectly normal. Use it to enrich borders and vegetable patches, plant up patio containers or feed the lawn.

Types of compost heap

• A literal heap – a loose pile – is good for animals that might like to burrow into it, such as hedgehogs and toads.
• A dustbin-style compost bin is good for worms and invertebrates but larger animals won’t be able to find a way in.
• Make a traditional boxed compost heap with planks, posts and chicken wire.
• A compost heap with several chambers is ideal. Once you’ve filled one section with scraps, you can leave it to rot while you put fresh waste into another. If you don’t have space, try to build in access to the bottom of the pile with a door, so you can use the old stuff while you’re adding to the top.
• Avoid chemical activators. They can be poisonous to wildlife.
• Autumn leaves are good for the heap.
• Compost needs to be damp to keep it decomposing, but not soggy-wet. Sunlight should stop it from going slimy.

How to Prune safely and effectively

Whether they are grown in a pair of sleek galvanised steel containers outside your front door or planted among perennials in a border, box topiary shapes are among the most useful plants in the garden, providing structure, texture and all year round colour.

Although box balls, cones, cubes, pyramids, domes, spirals and a menagerie of animal shapes are among the trendiest things you can grow, they quickly lose their appeal when a crisp outline is lost beneath a shaggy coat of new growth. The answer: give plants a trim in June.

When to prune

Box will burst into life in March and lots of lime-coloured shoots will soon conceal the dark green shape beneath. Although you'll be itching to prune shoots back as soon as possible, don't.

Trimming young, sappy growth in the spring is likely to bruise the foliage, leaving you with a topiary shape that is unsightly. It is best to prune in mid-June, when the leaves are hard and leathery, and again in late summer if necessary. Don't worry if you did prune in the spring, the bruising will be eventually hidden by the subsequent flush of growth.

How to prune

It's possible to trim simple shapes - such as cones and balls - by eye, but for greater accuracy use a garden cane as a cutting guide for straight edges or make a template.

To prune balls, take a length of garden wire and twist it into a circular shape that can be held and moved over the plant as you prune. To ensure you are left with a perfect sphere, make the frame smaller than the mass of foliage.

Restore a cone shape by standing above the plant and pruning in an outward direction from the centre, working around the plant with an easy to handle set of secateurs. Alternatively, rest three canes on the sides of the cone and push into the ground. Secure the canes at the top to make a wigwam and bind the sides together with garden wire. Use your shears to prune to this framework.

Topiary spirals may look complicated, but it is easy to re-establish an overgrown specimen. Working from top to bottom with your secateurs, prune the upper surface of the spiral making sure you remove the foliage as far back as the main stem. Next, trim the upper and then the lower turn of the spiral to create its curved edges.

With practice, pruning topiary is a doddle. For the greatest success use a pair of hand held trimmers to leave a lovely clean finish, and regularly step back to double check your progress - unfortunately, if you make a mistake there's no turning back.

Pruning a Deciduous Shrub - Deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia (Yellow Bell's), are those that lose their foliage during the winter season and have a unique ability to renew themselves almost indefinitely. Some of these shrubs growing in the eastern part of the country are alive and healthy after more than a century, yet these plants don't appear to be to be more than five years old. The secret is proper pruning. Each year a deciduous shrub produces many shoots from the plants base or roots. Wait to begin pruning deciduous shrubs until they are three years old. The best time to prune deciduous shrubs that do not bloom in Spring is late winter. Wait to prune shrubs that flower in Spring until after they bloom. The goal is to remove all but 1/3 of the plants shoots. Below is a basic guidline for pruning deciduous shrubs.

Laying Turf

The key to successfully laying turf is using the right tools and planning carefully.

The best times to lay turf are between March-June and September-November.

Prior to the selected turfing contractor doing the job have a good look at the area in which the turf will be situated.

When planning where to lay the turf try and leave a border near fences and walls as it is hard to cut the lawn there.

Is it a jungle? Weeds will need treating several weeks before the lawn is laid with a good biodegradable weedkiller. One that will kill the root as well as the leaves such as Roundup or Tumbleweed. I know from experience that thistles in particular are a real pain when it comes to coming through the turf. Before the lawn is down you have an opportunity to get rid of them - take it! Or else you will be continuously standing on them with your bare feet as you admire your garden on a cool summers evening. Not the best thing. Have a look on the product label to see when it will be safe to lay the turf after the ground has been treated. If in doubt ask at your local garden centre.

Ground preparation for turf

Is it a building site? Your contractor should make sure that any rubble is raked off the surface of the ground prior to any turf being laid. Loose stones and building rubble will prevent the turves roots from making contact with the soil and could make the turf die in patches.

The topsoil should then be thoroughly rotivated down to about the first 6 inches to aerate it properly. It is then raked level and gently treaded down (not whacked with a spade as I have seen on Rogue Traders!)

Turf arrives!

Your contractor will probably have ordered 5% more turf than needed, this is normal and should be included in the quote as this excess will be lost when then lawn is laid and trimmed.

Apart from exceptional circumstances the turf should arrive the same day it is to be laid. From the moment it is dug up on the 'turf farm' until 4 weeks after it is laid in your garden there is a constant battle to keep it moist enough. Failure to do means it will suffer and may die. Therefore, sitting rolled up on your drive or in the back of a truck all night is bad. If its impossible to lay the turf on the same day then it should be rolled out on your driveway (not your prepared surface) and watered to keep it moist.

Laying the turf

Start by laying the first turf down the longest straight edge. Butt and fold the neighbouring turf next to it knowing that there will be some shrinkage and if you try and stretch the turfing at this stage you will end up with some gaps when it is bedded in.

The turf should be firmly but carefully tapped down using the back of a spade to ensure that the roots and the soil are in good contact.

If there is an obvious dip in the profile add or remove soil as necessary.

Avoid using odd small sections of turf near the edges of the lawn as these will dry out faster than you can water them and probably die.

After laying the first row, place a plank on the turf and use it to carry the next row of turf to the bare areas of soil. Do not walk on the turf or soil whilst you are laying it as it can be damaged.

Stagger the joints of the turf whilst laying; as you see bricks in a wall.

Once finished the edges can be trimmed. The correct tool being a half-moon spade.

During the first four weeks the lawn should be watered constantly. The first watering should soak the cultivated layer of top soil the turf is laid on. This is very important, as until the root system binds with the soil the turf will lose moisture at an alarming rate and can die quite rapidly if abused.

Avoid excessive walking on the turf especially at the early stages and after about two weeks give the lawn its first cut. Use Turf tracks wherever possible to minimise damage to the turf. Try and cut about one quarter of the length of the grass during each trim at this stage, progressively taking more off as the lawn matures. Just think that a grass plant partly lives via photosynthesis through its blade and chopping all of that off will severely injure or kill the plant and hence your lawn. At best it will go a very unattractive yellow for a few days. A sign that you need to get the lawnmower out more often.

Regular cutting of the grass also tends to reduce the number of weeds that grow in the lawn. Also, take note that trimming a little and often, combined with a Lawn Fertiliser. applied twice a year is the difference between having something that looks like a park football pitch and a bowling green.

Finding safe, clean and easy passage in the garden is not always easy! With the Garden Track, it is possible to create an instant, robust and weatherproof walkway in seconds. The Garden Track consists of 24 panels, connected by sturdy link pins, to create a 3 metre long path. It allows for easy passage over muddy terrain or gravel, while the snaking action adapts easily to uneven ground. The Garden Track is particularly useful at preventing lawn damage caused by regular and repeated foot traffic. Examples can be found in routes to and from vegetable beds, compost bins and washing lines. The Garden Track will also be of real use to campers and caravanners, as well as offering a useful access solution to wheelchair users, when negotiating problem surfaces such as wet ground and gravel. One time, self assembly is required but this takes a matter of minutes and no tools are required. Once assembled, the unit packs flat for easy storage. Each Garden Track can be extended to provide a longer pathway using the additional link pins provided. Each Garden Track panel is made from recycled polypropylene, while the link clips are in nylon. Dimensions - 303cm (l) x 39cm (w) x 2cm (h)

Rodent Repellent

Voles, mice and rabbit damage can be detrimental to trees and shrubs. Subsurface damage is often caused by voles, which feed on the roots and bark of trees and shrubs. Mice feed on saplings and shrubs below the snow and within the grass layer. Rabbits assault bark and tender buds on areas higher up than the reach of voles and mice.

There are several management options available to you as a gardener:

Use protection - Protect trunks by placing a cylinder of ¼” (or smaller) mesh, hardware cloth. Or put plastic drainpipe around the trunk. The guards should extend two inches below the soil line (as long as they don’t damage roots). Place 18- 24 inches above the anticipated snow line. Guards should be removed or reinstalled each spring to prevent girdling.

Repellants -The most effective repellants for rodents contain thiram, a fungicide that is distasteful, yet unharmful, to rodents. Thiram is a water-soluble spray or paint. Apply it with a surfactant. One application is usually enough for the entire dormant season. Apply multiple applications during the growing season.

Habitat modification - Discourage rodents by reducing grasses and other vegetation that pests use for cover from predators. Mow or chemically control grasses within a 4′ diameter circle around trees. Also, discourage rabbits by reducing vegetative cover, brush piles and other hiding places.

Other - Hunting and trapping, although labor intensive, can be effective. However, mice and vole populations usually don’t respond well to trapping or other extermination, such as rodenticides. High reproductive rates draw in pests from surrounding areas. They take advantage of abundant food and habitat following local extermination. Fumigants and electromagnetic or ultrasonic devices are not effective for long-term control of rodents.

Growers are advised to protect their perennials from damage caused by rodents now that winter is near. Small animals will invade overwintering structures, eat most perennials and burrow into pots if given the chance. The most likely critter to cause havoc is the meadow vole. The head and body of meadow voles measure 3 to 5″ long and the tail is 1½ to 2½” long. They have brown body hairs mixed with black guard hairs; belly hairs tipped gray and small eyes and ears. Meadow voles are active day and night, year-round. They do not hibernate. They feed all winter long on tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, stems, roots, and seeds and occasionally on insects and animal remains. Meadow voles construct many tunnels and surface runways with numerous burrow entrances. These surface runways are the most easily identifiable sign of voles. By the time the runways are noticed, damage is usually done. Voles are prolific breeders. They may breed throughout the year, but most commonly in spring and summer.

To identify animals responsible for damaged plants in your overwintering greenhouses, try using signs. One way is to place some non-toxic bait such as apples out in a problem area and see what kind of damage is done to that bait. The culprit can be identified by the excrement that is left behind. Another way to identify the animal is to capture one, using a small live trap or a mouse snap trap. Good baits include peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices. Once the animal is identified, control measures can be taken. It should be noted that voles are capable of carrying diseases that affect humans, so be careful and use protective clothing when handling voles.

The first step to prevent damage caused by rodents is to deny them access to your overwintering greenhouses. Make them rodent tight. Use fine mesh screen wire such as hardware cloth around the perimeter of the greenhouse. Bury it under ground and bend it outward at a 90 angle leaving it at least 6″ deep.

Next, mow and clean up the natural vegetation close around the greenhouses to eliminate protected areas for rodents. Most of our wildlife animals will not venture across a wide-open space because they are much more vulnerable to natural predators.

Trapping is not effective for controlling large vole populations, but can be used to control small populations. Place mouse snap traps containing bait perpendicular to the runways.

The most effective repellent many say is The Yeoman Plug-in Rodent Repellerwhich emits 2 kinds of electronic waves: electro magnetic waves and ultrasonic waves which rodents find unpleasant. Inaudiable by humans and domestic pets (dogs, cats and fish), these electronic waves encourage the rodents to move out of the vicinity.

Chemical repellants are available that can be used on plants. Some repel by giving off an offensive odor and others are taste repellants. These products reportedly work for a number of animal pests. Some of these products may not be persistent and some are easily washed off and need to be reapplied.

Finally, when all else fails, there are toxic baits that are effective for reducing the population. One of the most effective and common baits is zinc phosphide treated, cracked corn, or oats. It is a single-dose toxicant available in pelleted and grain bait formulations and as a concentrate. Anti-coagulant baits are also effective in controlling voles. Anticoagulants are slow acting toxicants requiring from 5-15 days to take effect. Multiple feedings are needed for most anti-coagulants to be effective. Toxic baits can be harmful to children, pets and wildlife and should be used with utmost caution. Read and carefully follow the directions and safety precautions on the label of any of these products.

How to plan a garden party

For peace of mind, begin planning your party in the garden six to eight weeks in advance. This will allow you time to gather all the supplies that you need, including garden party decor, gifts, and menu items. Planning ahead also gives your guests time to RSVP and make travel plans, if needed. Don't panic if you find yourself short on time; you can still plan a great party! Planning ahead simply reduces the risk of conflicts with guests' plans and may increase your garden party’s attendance.

If making the invitations yourself, think first about who you are inviting to the party. Consider a flower-themed design, or focus on herbs and vegetables as your inspiration. A general garden invitation can be made from simple construction paper or card stock. Just fold the paper in half, and either decorate with flower or veggie stickers or create your own designs with paint or markers. If you’re short on time, you can purchase personalized or pre-printed garden party invitations online. We recommend mailing your invitations three to four weeks prior to the party—any sooner and your guests may forget, any later and your guests may already have plans. For this party, colors will depend on which direction you take the theme. If veggies and herbs are the focus, stick with lots of greens, tans, and yellows. If flowers are the main focus, any bright or pastel colors will work great. For goodie bags, purchase small toy gardening tools, gloves, sun hats, and flower-themed items like flower rings and pinwheels, seed packets, and assorted candies.

To set the mood there is no better way than lighting your area properly but elegantly. There are a few places where you can get mood setting party lights or solar lights that will bring your garden to life. Most good garden centre shops will sell them. They are easy to install as they require no wiring and because they use solar power they cost nothing to run. The effect these solar lights will give to the party are remarkable.

Make sure your guests are seated comfortably. There is plenty of outdoor furniture available from a garden centre that will accomodate large parties and become a centrepiece for the evening. It is important to chose furniture that is eye catching and materialistically perfect whilst still being great value for money ofcourse. It will give your guests the wow factor as soon as they arrive.

Most importantly, sont let the evening be spoilt by the typical British summertime weather. The chances of rain in late summer and autumn are quite high but with a gazebo the party can go on completely uneffected and into the night. It will cover all four sides and is large enough to accomodate dozens of guests, furniture, banners, foods, lights, heaters and whatever else your party needs. They are great value for money and can be used year after year and party after party. Keep the food coming from the barbecue and entertain as if it was 40 degrees outside.

With the end of the summer approaching, the nights can sometimes get a a little chilly. It is a shame to head back indoors so early. A simple, cheap and effective may to heat your party is to get a patio heater. There are several options to chose from but most people tend to opt for the gas powered patio heaters. They range from £150 to £400 depending on how much you are willing to pay. It is debatable that you actually get any more benefit from spending large amounts of money. You can get just as effective results from a £200 patio heater. Gas bottles are easy to fill. Most, if not all, caravan shop will refill your gas bottle if you take it to them for a very small fee.

Take care of your patio heater by covering it in damp weather and you will have something that will make family and friends talk about your garden parties and barbeque’s for years to come. Patio heater covers may seem a pointless expense, but you will soon realise that it is a cheaper alternative than buying a new patio heater every year.

Bird Watching from your garden

It has been discovered that viewing the natural world is very therapeutic. Watching wildlife must be one of the easiest, most pleasurable pastimes possible – and you can do it anywhere. No matter where you live in the world, wild plants and animals can be found not too far away.

The answer is time and place, and being prepared. Most people look at the view and miss the detail. Knowing the right time and the right place to go can give you a head start. Wearing the right clothes and carrying a good pair of binoculars can then open up an entire world which you might easily have overlooked. A good pair of binoculars are avilable from any good garden centre or wildlife store.

Many people that label themselves birdwatchers spend most of their time viewing birds in the backyard. Not only do backyard birdwatchers attract a wide variety of birds to the yard, but they also take pride in knowing the various species that come to visit. Binoculars with a magnification of 8x are great for use in the backyard.Backyard birders typically fall into two categories: those wanting a compact binocular and those wanting full-size binoculars.

Full-Size Binoculars (like 8×40 or 8×42 binoculars) will provide better image quality than compact binoculars. Full-size binoculars (like 8×40 or 8×42 binoculars) will gather enough light to show good color and definition from dawn to dusk. However, compact binoculars may get used more often because of their size.

You can’t get much closer to home than your garden and, with the tempting prospect of being able to bird watch from the comfort of an armchair, there is every reason to take more interest in the antics of the birds that visit your garden.

Gardens are incredibly important places for birds - not least because private gardens occupy more land than that taken up by nature reserves. This means that what happens in gardens, really matters.

Some of the birds that use your garden, such as Robin, House Sparrow and Wren, are likely to already be familiar, but many others use gardens on a seasonal basis and may be new to you. The key to successful garden bird watching is to make your garden attractive to as wide a range of species as possible. For most people, this is best achieved by providing a range of foods, some on the bird table or on the ground and others in hanging feeders. Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and the various tit species will find peanuts irresistible, and by putting out seed mixes you will attract Greenfinches and Chaffinches into your garden. There are even insect based mixes and live food available for insect-eating birds such as Robins.

Putting food on a bird table or in a hanging bird feeder isn’t the only way of providing nourishment. By planting shrubs and bushes that fruit in the autumn, such as Pyracantha and Cotoneaster, you will be giving the birds an important natural food source. During the winter months Blackbirds and other thrushes are drawn to these bushes and will often keep returning until they have stripped them bare. Bushes and shrubs also provide essential cover for birds to nest in. Most good local garden centre’s will be able to provide you with a wide variety of shrubs that will fit the bill. When you arrive at the garden centre, simply ask one of the assistants for some help and they will help you chosing the correct shrubs.

Even the smallest of gardens has room for birds and, once you have started to attract new ones into your garden, you can add to the enjoyment of watching them by keeping a diary of all the different types that you see. This will enable you to build up a picture of when the different birds visit and what they feed on when they are there. The beauty of the golden yellow wing flash of a Goldfinch or the iridescence of a Starling have to be seen through binoculars to be believed; using binoculars opens up a whole new world and adds another dimension to your garden.

You will find that the more you learn about garden birds, the more you will want to learn. So go and put the kettle on and get ready to be amazed.

Keep the dogs out of the shrub beds

If you sit down and calculate the time, money and effort you put into your own beloved garden, it is easy to feel sorry for those that are affected by animals destroying their beauty. Dogs seem to be the main cause for concern. Whether its pulling up plants in the shrub beds, urinating on topiary or running all over your newly laid lawn, you can often be left tearing your hair out looking for solutions to keeping your pets (and other peoples) where they should be.
Now there is a simple, cheap and effective solution. Available in most good garden centres is a variety of devises that emit sounds that only animals can hear. The Yeoman is one of those brilliant inventions and one of the most effective on the market. The Yeoman Keep Pets Off emits an ultra sonic sound wave that the pet can hear. Each time you pet moves into an area the vibrations set off the unit and the ultra sonic sound waves are irritating to your pet and hence your pet should move away from the area. Ensure the unit is positioned in the centre of the area you want the pet to keep off on a flat surface. It can even work indoors. Does your dog jump on the sofa or on your bed the minute your back is turned? For soft suraces like beds and sofas set to high sensitivity and for hard surfaces such as table tops set to low sensitivity.