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Private Adoption Agencies

If you are considering adoption via an agency, this article will empower you and educate you about the private adoption agencies.

There are two types of agencies those deal with adoption- Private and public. Private agencies are privately operated businesses. They are licensed by the state in which they operate to conduct adoptive parents home
studies and/or place children for adoption. They are principally supported by the fees they receive from adoptive parents. On the other hand public adoption agencies are operated by country or the state in which they are located and are supported by tax dollars. The main function of public agencies is to find homes for children for whom the country or state has assumed responsibility.
Private and public adoption agencies vary dramatically in what they do as well as when and how they do it. These agencies offer counseling, referrals, and both pre- and post-adoption education.

Private adoption agencies

Private adoption agencies have widely different policies and services. In fact, some agencies will differ from another agencies so much the entire nature of adoption will seem different. This is true for agencies located in same city and operating under same state's law as well, as there is much room for flexibility in how adoptions are arranged. The services of one particular agency which are ideal for one couple may not meet the needs and desires of another.

The advantages

There are many advantages of taking help of adoption agencies. These agencies do all of the searching work for the adoptive parents. They will find a child for the adoptive parents suiting to the specified criteria.

Keep in mind
You should make an initial inquiry of any agency to determine exactly what it is licensed to do. For example some agencies are only licensed to do home studies for adoptive parents hoping to adopt. They are not licensed
to place child for adoption, meaning that the adoptive parents must look to another agency for actual placement of the child. Some other agency may be licensed as full adoption agencies. Keep in mind to beware of the agencies which requires payment of fees immediately after application. Do not deal with any agency that feels or has been reported to be disreputable.
Fee and cost

Like other businesses, private adoption agencies offer services for a fee and must make enough profit to remain in operation. Most agencies are non-profit and may be receiving financial aid from charitable trusts. Fee can vary tremendously among private agencies. Depending upon the type of agency, the services being offered, fee may range from $500 to $25,000. The average fee falls between $2,000 to $9,000. The fee usually covers the adoptive parents preplacement home study, adoption education and counseling for adoptive and birth parents and post-placement evaluation of the adopted child's progress in adoptive home.

You should try to establish a beneficial relationship with your agency. Surprisingly, many caseworkers complain that many of the agency's waiting families fail to show their sincerity and readiness to adopt by such simple acts. Remember an agency's goal is to find the homes for the children they place.
Source:http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/435434/savneet_singh.html

Four Widely-Adapted Plants for Your Yard

Nature has a bounty of plants to choose from, but you have to narrow down your choices that seem to work best for you and the place you live in. The plants I am going to discuss here are suitable for wide geographic areas and growing conditions. Plants’ resistance to weeds, pests and diseases and requirement for less time in pruning are also important factors while choosing a plant.

Aristocrat Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Aristocrat’)

General: It is a small, sturdy shady, bearing white flowers tree attracting birds like robins which eat the fruit. It forms neat, upright, pyramidal form and its flowers appear in early spring, normally before the leaves emerge. Fall color may be red, orange or yellow. There is a brown fruit which requires cleaning up but can provide food to wildlife.

Size: Its height goes to 40 feet and it spreads proportionally narrower than that.

USDA Plant hardiness Zones: 5 to 8

AHS Zones: 8 to 2

Site: Facing full sun, with good drainage.

Pest and disease prevention: It is generally resistant to pest and diseases but fire blight can be contracted, which can be avoided by pruning for good air circulation. Young tree needs to be protected from deer.

Japanese Kerria (Kerria Japonica)

General: It has bright yellow flowers blooming in spring, having arching green branches which bear color throughout the year, forming a loose mound. It can be used for massing and borders. It grows in wide range of soil pH and can be used in full sun as long as it is in a site protected from wind.

Size: its height and width both go to 5 feet.

USDA Plant hardiness Zones: 5 to 9

AHS Zones: 9 to 1

Site: It requires humusy, well-drained, moist soil. It grows in partial to full shade.

Pest and disease prevention: There is no serious problem of diseases or pests.

‘Elegans’ Procelain Vine (Ampelopsis Brevipedunculata ‘Elegans”)

General: Procelain Vine belongs to grape family, posses three lobed leaves and colorful violet, blue, turquoise and yellow berries, which provide food for birds. Porcelain vine climbs with tendrils and can be grown on garden trellis or can be a cover for a pergola, fence or arbor. It can with stand in any kind of soil conditions and even hard pruning. Keep an eye on unwanted seedlings. This plant may be invasive in some zones; check with a certified nurseryperson or your local Extension Office before planting porcelain vine to avoid introducing a noxious weed into the local ecosystem.

Size: Goes about 15 feet tall.

USDA Plant hardiness Zones:5 to 8

AHS Zones: 8 to 3

Site: Evenly moist, well-drained soil and full sun to light shade are good growing conditions for this plant. The roots zone should be limited so as to promote berries. You have to put wires or woody structures for it to climb upon.

Pest and disease prevention: It may be attacked by beetles.

Rugosa Rose (Rosa Rugosa)

General: This species of rose is an excellent option as it is naturally hardy, pest and disease resistant, forms a shrub and bears pink, red or white flowers during spring. In fall orange- red color fruits called hip appears and the green foliage turns glowing orange. It is adapted to windy conditions, sea-side areas and grows in wide range of soil texture and pH levels. The fruit hip, is rich in vitamin C and can be used for making jelly. Cut down the oldest canes in winter so as to have new ones.

Size: It is generally 4 to 6 feet tall.

USDA Plant hardiness Zones: 2 to 9

AHS Zones: 9 to 1

Site: Full drained soil and full sun is required.

Pest and disease prevention: This is generally trouble free but you may have to keep away any leaf litter in order to avoid bacterial attack.
Source:http://www.greendivamom.com/2010/04/19/four-widely-adapted-plants-for-your-yard/

Choosing the Right Plants for Your Backyard

Choosing plants for the backyard requires careful consideration to a number of factors, like soil pH, heat tolerance, hardiness and heat tolerance zones, sun and shade patterns, wind pattern, water requirements, pruning, pest and weeds. I hope these guidelines can help you to shortlist the plants when you plan your backyard.

Hardiness and Heat Zones
All plants can’t survive in all kinds of climatic conditions. A few can survive in long winter, whereas few others can tolerate the hot summers. You can make the use of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which is based on average annual low temperatures to determine which plants thrive and which plants may die in the heat of summer or cold of winter. Simply find in which Hardiness zone you are located in and select plants according to that.
Another map, the AHS Heat Zone Map, developed by the American Horticulture Society, takes into consideration the average number of days that region experiences temperature above 86F. The heat zone information will help you know whether a particular plant will thrive in heat over long periods. If you buy plants that fit in your Hardiness and heat zone, you will avoid predictable hassles such as regular watering or the extra care in winter.

Soil Conditions
You can modify your soil according to the need, but that becomes difficult to maintain over a long time. Get your soil tested by taking the sample to your state Cooperative Extension Service or local farm co-op. You can also mail the sample of the soil using soil test kit and receive the results. Another idea is to use the country maps which show the location and characteristics of the soil in general. You can find these maps on the Internet or in book shops.

Sun and Shade Patterns
Take a general note of how sunlight and shade move about your yard throughout the year and how it changes during the year. You can eliminate the plants that won’t be able to survive in that amount of shade or sunlight. But sun patterns doesn’t remain constant during the whole year. It keeps changing with the sun. Pay special attention to the overhangs from the buildings that can create ‘rain shadow’. These spots can either bake in the sun or never see daylight, depending upon the the direction they face.

Wind Patterns
If the place you live in is windy most of the time, then you may have to eliminate plants that require shelter and can’t withstand wind. If your plant area is sheltered, just be sure to recognize any space limitations of the area.

Water Needs
While you are considering watering as the factor to decide which plant to buy, keep in mind that you might have to water a few plants for one or two summers to get them established. After one or two years, plants overall require less water. To conserve resources, consider plants that don’t require more moisture than your ground water or rainfall provides.

Pruning
Choose the plants that won’t grow larger than the space you have planned for to avoid unnecessary pruning or removing the outgrown parts in lack of much space. Don’t use plants which might outgrow their space and obstruct the view or the passage. If you have limited space, use compact, dwarf and slow-growing plants. Avoid plants which require constant shearing and shaping. When it comes to choosing trees, think about the future maintenance, sidewalks, windows and the doors. Avoid trees that have weak wood or unstable structural characteristics.

Pests and Diseases
You can further consider plants those attract pests and are more susceptible to diseases. Find out the plants those have demonstrated resistance to insects and diseases in your region.

In next few articles I shall be discussing some plants you can chose from that suit your backyard’s growing conditions.
Source:http://www.greendivamom.com/2010/04/18/choosing-the-right-plants-for-your-backyard/