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Being uncomfortably hot, and no prospect of getting cool anytime soon isn't an enjoyable experience. We bring you the top 7 tips for staying cool on your camping holiday this summer. Nobody says "hey, let's go camping now that its unbearably hot", but a camping holiday planned for weeks might just have to go ahead, so you need to adapt to the weather conditions. And the plus side of summer is the beautiful balmy nights it can give us, with perfectly clear evening skies! But what can we do to stop the heat ruining the experience? Read on…

It’s May! The last month of Autumn and the trees will soon be bare. The rain comes more frequent, as the cold winter is ushered in. Well, Autumn is a great time for planting. The air is cool, the soil is still warm and the frequent rain has increased the moisture in the soil. All these factors help new plants establish good root growth, and then slows down in winter. So, pick up your garden gloves, trowels, buffwear etc. and let's get dirty. Autumn is also the best time to start transplanting any shrubs or trees to make new plants from cuttings. Plants can only be safely transplanted during late autumn and winter when no longer in active growth. For cuttings, cut approximately 10 cm from hardwood herbs or shrubs and remove the lower leaves. Dip the cut stem about an inch into hormone powder - this will stimulate root growth. Now prepare a pot with moist planting medium and plant the dipped stem cutting into the pot. Keep moist at all times (not wet) and sheltered from strong wind and the sun by covering the pot with a clear plastic bag, then see the results in Spring!   Autumn produces a lot of leaf matter which can be used as compost, nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil. For good garden hygiene, clear a little way around the base of shrubs and trees to limit the build-up of mulch and matter around the stem or trunk area, especially in high rainfall areas, it will help prevent collar rot and other fungal attacks. Pruning stimulates new growth so it’s not a good idea to prune around this time of year, as plants are trying to go dormant. So as a general rule, do not prune if it's wet out there, as it spreads a lot of diseases. The best time to prune would be towards the last month of winter. Now after preparing the soil, it’s time to decide what fruits, veggies, flowers and herbs you would like to see in spring. Have you got your pots? The soil? The tools? Talking about pots and tools - here are some fantastic garden tools, pots and other items that I think you will find rather delightful. Get the kiddies on the weekend to join you, it’ll be fun. Oh yes, there are also some products featured that’ll keep you warm and comfortable while you're out there hanging around or having a Barbie  

Relief yourselves from stress, anxiety and all the symptoms that contributes to being confined or caged in. It is a well known fact that caged animals show symptoms of anxiety and depression as opposed to the ones that are free to run in the wild. Well it is the same for us, and most of us don’t even realize that we are caged 24/7. We are confined in the office for at least 10 hours a day, if not more. When we finally leave the office, we head straight home and seclude ourselves for rest of the day. A daily ritual for most of us and many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts. We fail to enjoy "The moment" at it's best, whatever the moment has to offer and we slowly but surely slide down the path to depression and anxiety. Depression is a common mental disorder which is suffered by more than 300 million people of all ages, globally. No doubt there are effective treatments available for moderate and severe depression such as psychological treatments or antidepressant medication, but do keep in mind the possible adverse effects associated with antidepressant medications. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin. Researchers compared the reported rumination of two groups of participants. The first group hiked through an urban environment The second hiked through a natural environment The result was to no surprise, they found those who walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex. (an area of the brain related to mental illness). Those who walked through the urban environment however, did not report decreased rumination. In another study conducted by psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David L. Strayer, it was found that creative problem solving can be drastically improved by both disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature. Participants in this study went backpacking through nature for about 4 days, during which time they were refrained from using any technology whatsoever. They were asked to perform tasks which required creative thinking and complex problem solving. The researchers found that performance on problem solving tasks improved by 50% for those who took part in this tech-free hiking excursion. This study shows that both technology and urban noise are incredibly disruptive. It constantly demands our attention, this distracts us and prevents us from staying focused. It is evident that a nice long hike can reduce mental fatigue, relax the mind, and stimulate creative thinking. All these benefits can be tapped on easily, and inexpensively. Australians are truly a lucky bunch. We have walking trails, reserves, parks, the outback etc., and all in close proximity.  So, what are you waiting for? Gather a group of friends or even the family and start living. Go on . . . get your good pair of sturdy hiking boots. Having a buffwear will be ideal for the hike, and don't forget the water bottle to revitalize yourself. Next, be sure wear a couple of layers of clothing, so you’ll be rugged up when it’s cool and can easily take it off when it’s warm. If there is room in your haversack then you might want to throw in a GERBER BEAR GRYLLS - Basic Kit, just in case it takes a little longer to get back. A GERBER BEAR GRYLLS Ultimate Multi-Tool will also be a very handy tool to have when hiking. Depending on how dense the bush land you are exploring is, a GERBER BEAR GRYLLS Survival Series Parang should clear any obstacles in your path very easily. It is great for the little stopover breaks where you need to gather firewood. Bringing your mobile may be wise but just turn your signal off so that you can use it when you really have to.   There are so many more items you can bring along for your comfort and safety. Just visit www.botanex.com.au. There’s More . . . To Life  

  Incredible two handed machete pruning. Christmas trees in America is a serious business. Here they are shaped using this interesting method of pruning to create the perfect sphere.