Nottinghamshire have announced that fast bowler AJ Harris has been awarded a benefit year for 2008.

The 34-year-old former England A seamer joined Notts from Derbyshire in 2000 and was an integral part of the 2005 Championship-winning side with 47 wickets.

He said: “It’s a great honour to have played for Notts for the past eight years and to be awarded a benefit is fantastic.

“The supporters and members of Notts have always been very kind to me – just as the Derbyshire fans were in my time with them – and I am looking forward to giving something back next season.

“It will be a big year for me and the club as we return to Division One. I’m very focused on having a good season and will be spending the winter working on getting fit and ready for action.

“I’ve already been fortunate enough to enjoy a decent career and firmly believe I can play on for another three or four seasons.”

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Notts Director of Cricket Mick Newell said: “This is a well-deserved benefit for the whole-hearted and dedicated service AJ has given us.

“He has always given 100 per cent for Derbyshire and Notts and played a major role for us when we won the Championship.

“I wish him all the best for next season and believe he still has a lot to offer us on the field for years to come.”

Harris had an injury-hit season in 2007 but still helped Notts win promotion in the LV County Championship, as well as finish second in the NatWest Pro40 League.

The right-armer has taken 406 first-class wickets in his career at an average of 31.32 and has twice passed 50 wickets in a season.

His name also appears in the record books on two occasions. He became only the third man in history to be dismissed ‘Timed Out’ against Durham UCCE in 2003, and shared a world-record List A ninth-wicket partnership of 155 with Chris Read for Notts against Durham in 2006 – scoring 34 while batting with a runner. Visit Homepage for more..

There’s that part of your home that serves as an open space where you can exercise your freedom. I’m not talking about your bedroom. I’m talking about your backyard. A home’s backyard is a special place because of how you can transform with utmost freedom while being exposed to the world. As such, you have to make sure that your backyard is presentable and beautifully made to captivate the eyes of onlookers, visitors and family members alike. You can put in a swimming pool in your backyard; you can turn it into a small barbecue park or transform it into a playground for the kids. But one of the neatest things that you can do is turn your backyard into a blossoming garden filled with plants and flowers. The question in your mind now is probably, “How can I transform my backyard into a beautiful garden?” Here are just some tips that you can follow to have your own dream garden right in your backyard.

The Soil of Your Backyard
Before you turn your backyard into a garden, you first need to know the kind and quality of the soil that your backyard has. The soil is one of the most integral components in making a garden since not all plants are suitable for the same kind of soil. Is it hard? Is it soft? Is it compact? Is it lose? Does it dry out easily? Do you need to buy soil from external sources? Depending on the type of soil that your backyard has will determine what kind of plants you’ll be using in making your own garden.

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Know Your Plants
The next thing that you have to consider is the type of plants that you’ll be including in your backyard garden. You have to take into account the characteristics of the plants as well as the climate in your area and the type of soil in your backyard. Things like the survivability rate, water requirements, fertilizer use and the amount of care that a plant needs should be a priority. Once you’ve established a list of plants that you can use in your garden, like vegetable plants, flowers, shrubs, small trees and the like, you can begin cultivating the soil and planting the seeds.

Garden Beds
There are several types of garden beds that you can use in your backyard. There are low-leveled garden beds, raised bed gardens and flower pots which you can fill with soil and grow your plants. Each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages, so take note of how each of them works.

Landscaping
It’s not just about the plants in your garden, it’s also how everything in your backyard garden is placed accordingly that can make it beautiful. Yes, landscaping does matter even if it’s just your backyard being turned into a garden. With landscaping, you can make your backyard garden look organized and beautifully sculpted. If you’re still a beginner on landscaping, you can ask friends, family or neighbors who are well-versed in gardening and teach you on the proper ways to apply landscaping.

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