Inscribe a Pumpkin

Looking for a inexpensive but great looking grouping for your Thanksgiving Day decor? Try these pumpkins with a special message you create yourself. All you need are some sturdy squash and they are still around, left over from Halloween. A group of inscribed pumpkins look great on the table, the kitchen counter or even on the front porch. For ideas and complete instructions:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4552312_use-pumpkins-as-indoor-decor.htmlor.html

Thanksgiving Decor

Are you having the family over for dinner on Thanksgiving? If so, you'll want to dress up the house in all the best of harvest decor. I love this time of year, it is so easy to decorate with all the best of the harvest. Big bowls or baskets of apples, pumpkins by the doors, dried flowers and grasses, just to name a few.

Decorating the dining table is, for some, a wonderful opportunity to bring out the best in linens and tableware, but it's also the chance to decorate it. Some will go for the formal look with a big bowl of chrysanthemums and autumn candles, others may like the casual look of a cornucopia basket. These baskets are shaped like a horn, open in the center as to allow you to fill the opening with fruit, leaves, mini pumpkins or anything you feel delineates thanksgiving.

I have many articles on e-how which give detailed instructions on all that matters to making your home look it's best for when company comes. Please stop by.....

http://www.ehow.com/how_4551008_decorate-cornucopia-thanksgiving.html

The Greed of A Realtor

My post from the other day talked about my husband and I searching for a new home. Dave has been working "out of town" for just shy of a year now, and we decided to put off selling our home until the market improved, but buy now while the prices were down. After what seemed like months, we finally found our perfect home. It had everything we wanted in a tranquil neighborhood. Last Monday we made our offer, and after a couple of days a deal was struck. Dave went to the bank and got a cashier's check for the required 3,000.00 in Earnest money and had it delivered to the title company. He ordered inspections while I called and got an idea what homeowners insurance would cost. Now, Dave had signed the paperwork the same day that our offer was accepted, but my signature had to wait until he came home Thursday night and then we were to fax it to our realtor the next morning. But, something happened in the meantime that really destroyed my faith in almost all realtor's.

The same day that we delivered our Ernest money, the sellers agent showed "our" new house. These people made an offer, higher than ours as it turned out. The sellers realtor had the seller reject our offer and accept the new one. So, the day after the seller accepted our offer, we were out. I was so disappointed, I really loved that house.

Our realtor told us that what the seller's realtor did was in fact legal, but incredibly dishonest and unethical. We weren't even given a chance to raise our offer. What kind of agent does something like this? Someone without any scruples is my guess. Oh, we could threaten to sue, or at the very least, cause lots of problems for the seller and his realtor, but what would that gain us? I don't have the energy to fight a losing battle.

I'm somewhat surprised at my attitude.....in years past I would have never let this go. I would have called that realtor and given her my best in "shame warfare". Nowadays, I think I'll just drop her a nice little note and let her know she's working in the wrong state.....she belongs on Wall Street.

From The Tundra To The Valley

Wow, it sure has been a long time since I've written here, but I've had a good excuse. First of all as a gardener I've spent my summer outside, every minute of it! You know the more you plant, the more time you must devote to taking care of all of it.

Then we have been on the market all summer, again. That makes 2 years in a row that we've been trying to sell our home, I know many are in the same boat. We finally gave up the ghost and took it off the market a month ago, I hated to do it, I desperately wanted to move back to our hometown. And my husband lost his job here almost a year ago and has been commuting back to our old neck of the woods. That's a 3.5 hour drive and the cost of fuel has been killing us, not to mention that he's over in the valley with the rest of our family.....and I'm here.....by myself. BooHoo I know, but it's been rough.

So, when there wasn't a buyer in sight for the house, we (ok, me) moved to plan B. We made the decision to hang on to our house until the market improves, we had dropped our price 150 thou, yes thousand, and still couldn't pull in a buyer. So, we pulled the equity out of this house, it was payed for, and started all over with a new mortgage and a plan to buy another place while prices were low. We just had a offer accepted and am thrilled.

The new place needs a little TLC, a few things, but I can live with it until we sell the other house. The great thing about this new place.....my new garden. There are numerous old growth firs, the butts must be 5 maybe 6 feet round, and moss is growing up the trunks for many feet. The previous owner was surly a gardener as there are many beautiful shrubs, flowers and vines. There are pink begonia's growing everywhere. There are 3 Acer Maples that were a brilliant red/orange when we toured the place. There is a boxwood hedge that is taller than me and about 100 feet long. I am thrilled to have been given this small piece of wonder to make my own. And that's just the front yard.

I am going to make an effort to write everyday, and to catch up on all the blogs that I once really enjoyed. Hope you come along with me.....

The "Don't Do It" of The Week

When is yard art.......not?

Maybe you consider yourself eccentric or perhaps you give new meaning to the job of recycling. If so, I have a bit of advice for you...less is more!

I have known people who take recycling very seriously, and I applaud them for it. But I also believe that trying to use every bit of scrap that comes your way is sometimes the worst of two evils. The best example of this is in trying to use every bit of metal scrap as yard art around your house. It seems as though some folks just don't know when to stop!

I'm pretty sure most people would not care to live next door or even on the same street with what some would call "scrappy heaven". You all know what a scrappy is, don't you? A guy (usually) has a flatbed truck and drives around collecting free metal, which is then usually sold to a commercial recycler for money. Sometimes though, free stuff is really hard to get rid of, and so it gets carted home where it either piles up or end's up as "art".

Just remember that old saying.....Less is more!

Frazzled Nerves Are A Given When Selling Your Home.....

Well, here I am, back on the real estate market....I'd almost rather have my nails pulled out with a pair of rusty pliers! Although that would be a feat in itself as I've worked so hard I have no nails left. You know the drill, clean every inch of the house, then head outside to repair damage the winter left in the yard. I haven't had time to even shave my legs or rather haven't had the energy to do it after the end of weeks of back-breaking labor around here.

And then we get the realtor over to work out a strategy for selling. Now we tried last year to sell, went thru the whole nine yards keeping the house ready at a moments notice to exit and let a group of strangers look in my closets. In the 6 months we were for sale last year we had.....one couple look at our house! Talk about despair. So hearing that the market was improving we once again called the realtor. We had a sit-down with her to talk about a new price, we were being realistic, we knew that prices were at rock bottom in our state, so we knew that we'd be in for a shock. And geez, we got more than that. Last year we priced the house for 439,000.00. In order to sell this year the realtor said we'd need to price at between 250,000 and 299,000......might as well have poked me in the eye with a sharp stick because it didn't hurt any less. The part that hurts so much is that our price isn't based on years of equity that we'd built up, but the actual money we'd invested in remodeling this fixer-upper we bought 3 years ago. We only want our money out of it.....is that such a horrible thing? I'm not trying to make a huge profit here, just want a little something to repay me for 3 years of back-breaking labor.

So, to make a long, boring story short, I've been so busy I have neglected my blog. Stay with me friends, I'll need you to help get me thru these days of nerve-racking craziness trying to sell my house. Till later.....

The "Don't Do It" of The Week

I love the old brownstones you see so many of, especially in the Eastern parts of the U.S. These brick or stone houses were built to last, and included many architectural features you just don't see anymore.

So why would anyone paint these lovely old stone buildings, especially such an outlandish color as this bubble gum pink. I simply don't understand this choice of color, it is garish and harsh on the eyes. There are certain color's that don't lend themselves to blending into a neighborhood, and pink is one of them.

So, if you are fortunate enough to own a brick or stone home, please think twice before painting it....there is probably a better way to update, refresh or accent it without adding paint to the stone. I'm just saying.....

Grow Your Own Bay Tree

One of my favorite trees to grow is the Bay Tree, I use the leaves for cooking but the tree itself is such a pretty one that it can also be used for an ornamental.

The Bay tree is one that must be pruned unless you want it to grow to it's full potential, which is 40 ft. high by 32 ft. wide. The tree is best pruned in the fall, although I snip off leaves whenever I need them for cooking. The Bay loves a hot, sunny spot so anyone with a southern exposure should do fine with this tree. However, if you live where the wintertime weather has a hard frost you will need to move it inside.

The Bay loves to be pot bound, so planting in a 12" pot will hold for 6 years.

Use a whole bay leaf for all kind of soups, stews or sauces. Discard the leaf after cooking. The leaf also can be used for pickling, in seafood dishes and marinades.

The "Don't Do It" of The Week

If your lucky enough to have a fireplace in your place, I envy you! I don't have one in my current home and sure do miss the ambiance of having a fire flickering and sending off warmth. Not to mention all the wonderful opportunities a fireplace mantel gives for decorating.

The one thing you should never do though is use your fireplace hearth as an entertainment center, as in this picture. Now I have to ask, "who would do this"? Well, someone did and they must be desperate for a place to set that T.V. I think I would move my dresser out into the living room before I would hide my fireplace with this massive piece of electronics!

So, the moral to this story is, don't use your fireplace for anything other than having a fire, or for the display of a few little pretties, your space will thank you for it!

Painting Wicker.....Should or Shouldn't You?

Have you ever painted any wicker item? It can be a devil, getting into all the little grooves and crannies. Spray paint makes the job much easier, but then you don't have the selection of color and if you want to use more than one color there is alot of taping off to do. I personally don't care for painted wicker, I mean isn't that why you buy wicker in the first place.....to get that natural color of the branch or grass? Guess I just like the natural look of wicker or even rattan, so I steer clear of using paint on it. And another thing is if you do paint wicker and then change your mind about the color, your in for a real treat when trying to remove the paint. It's a very long and tedious job to get paint off of wicker, in fact it's almost impossible to get it all from those nicks and crannies.

I perfer to use stain on my wicker when it gets faded from the sun. Using stain is much easier than paint, I just use a throw-away brush and the stain of my choice. It does take a 1.5 hr or so to do a chair, but the results are worth it. The wicker takes stain really well and will make your wicker furniture look like new.

I also have a pair of wicker chairs that don't need stain every year but do need some TLC. Wicker will dry out and almost appear lifeless, so I give them a good dusting and then wipe them down with a lubricating oil. Pledge has a new product that does just that and it makes the wicker shine and will keep the wood from becoming dry and bridle. For getting into all the groves of wicker, use a throw-away brush.

A Cover for Plants at Night

As a fellow gardener, I'm sure you've seen cloches, the glass domes that you sit over top of plants to keep them warm.These are beautiful, a whole row of them out in the garden, protecting young seedlings. But have you ever lifted one of these? They are quite heavy, and not easy to move around. I use a cheaper, more lightweight version of the glass cloches, gallon pickle jars. I have some that are glass as well as some that are made of plastic. They work just as well and are readily available.

If you don't have any of the pickle jars, try using a gallon milk jug with the spout cut off.....leave the handle to move easily. You can also use paper bags, although they will blow over if a wind picks up. You can fold over the edge and weight down with a few rocks. Plastic bags also work, although you must be diligent about removing it before the sun heats it up inside and your plant cooks.

Whatever you use, a little extra warmth at night when the temps are still dropping below freezing is enough to keep the plant from dying.

A Little Cleaning Hint.....

One of the best parts about spring is being able to open the windows and let some fresh air into our homes. After awhile the very air in our houses begins to smell stale. Last week I finally was able to get outside to wash my windows, and boy did they need it. After all winter the glass was covered with dust, bug stuff (use your imagination here!) and water spots that were magnified by months of winter weather. Time to clean these guys.....

I love clean windows, I think the house just looks cleaner when the window glass is sparkling. Here's how I clean my windows, cheap and easy. First I take the screens off and wipe them down with an old piece of towel. Then I mix up a bucket of warm water with a 1/2 cup of ammonia. To really get the grime off the glass I wet the window and then wipe it with a piece of 0000 steel wool. This will remove water spots as well as all those other bits of grime. I wash the glass again and then dry with an old piece of tee shirt. Replace the screen and on to the next one. After you do both sides you'll be amazed at how nice the glass looks, a good start to your spring cleaning.

Plan Your Gourd Garden Now

Gourds are one of those plants that just keep on giving. First you have this wonderful vine that can grow up to 10 feet long, making it perfect for twining around a free-standing trellis or obelisk. This fast growing vine also has a beautiful white flower, giving the plant a decorative look as well. I like this vine just because I think it's very pretty and could be trained around anything in a sunny location, but the best is yet to come.

There are many varieties of gourds, I'm sure you've seen them used as birdhouses or painted and used in the house. They are great for fall decorating all piled in a basket and displayed on your front porch.

For complete info on how to get started planning a gourd garden, please read an article I wrote on the subject.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4581489_plan-gourd-garden.html

A Bowl Of Bulbs

You know spring is here when you see the first bulbs pop thru the soil and begin to set the flower buds. A big pot of bulbs can really give your garden or porch a touch of color plus give you a pretty specimen to set in a prominent spot.

This low bowl of Muscari (grape hyacinth) will really give that wow factor anywhere you place it, and the best part is that the plants will increase in size, so one pot can become two in no time.

When planning a pot such as this, use lots of bulbs, the plants are small and you really want to create a lush group of plants. The smaller bulbs like the Muscari do very well massed together, or go for any of the other bulbs that stay under 8" or so. There is a bulb in just about any color so you could match the current color scheme in your garden or on the porch. Sweet.....

Changing Direction

This is the eve of our front porch, and my husband is giving the siding a new coat of stain. We needed to do this as you can see that the wood has really been weathered. I bought a new star to hang in place of the wreath, but the colors were so similar that you couldn't even see it. Once the stain was all on we decided that the color was just too dark, from the street this area looked like a black hole!

So we went to the hardware store and had some oil based paint mixed to match the color of the house, which is latex. I think this lighter color makes the area look bigger and much brighter, I'm sorry we didn't do it sooner. What do you think?

A Step Up In The Garden

Remember those old wooden ladders from long ago? Many of us still have these old ladders, although most of them are not safe to actually climb on. But they do make a terrific prop in the garden and can be used to display pots of plants or any other items you like to have in your garden.

One of my favorite uses for a wooden ladder is to train a climbing vine up the steps, like use it as a trellis of sorts. I think it's also good for plants like gourds, you could slip the fruit in a net or stocking and allow it to hang from a step. Maybe a display of all your favorite rocks or small rusty iron pieces. I have a collection of ceramic frogs and snails that look pretty cute sitting on all the steps, any collection would look good.

So drag out that old ladder and find a home in your garden for it, it just may give you a "boot" up on all your gardening buddies!

Thinking about a Very Large Pond? Read this first.....

I have never met anyone who wouldn't want a pond somewhere on their property. The appeal isn't only aesthetic either, the sound the water makes is soothing to everyone. I have had a pond in every house I've owned, but they were small ones, usually only holding around 50 gallons of water or so. So when my husband and I bought our current home, I was very enthusiastic about having a very large pond. This one holds 27,000 gallons of water and is 4' at it's deepest level. There is a well made waterfall with a complete filtering system. The liner is heavy duty with a soft liner underneath it; the walls are made of shale and the area next to the patio is a 2' deep planting bed. This photo was taken late last fall when the cold had mostly killed all the plant material, but it looks wonderful in the summer when all is in bloom. We have several dozen feeder goldfish in the pond which have grown huge. I love to see them all on the top of the water, their color glinting in the sun. I have been able to incorporate water plants which do very well in this sunny location.

Now for the down side: If you think about it, 27,000 gallons of water is huge, if we didn't have our own well I would hate to think of what it would cost to fill a pond this size. Since this pond sits in a location that gets sun all day, algae is a big problem. The filtering system works well, but algae still grows even keeping the PH of the water at it's correct level. Every spring we must drain the pond and give it a deep cleaning, this is an all day project since it takes about 4 hours to drain the water. We then must catch the fish and keep them in a large bucket. Then on to the cleaning: we take our pressure washer and clean the liner of all the algae and whatever else has blown into the water and settled on the bottom. Once this is done it is time to refill the water, which takes 9 hours with only one hose running. The fish go back in and I add a aqua shade product, which turns the water blue and keeps the sunlight from growing too much algae.

The moral to this story is that while having a pond is wonderful, the bigger they are, the more work. And without a well it would be quite costly to fill. Also consider the cost of running a pump to circulate the water and provide power for the waterfall. I have estimated that it costs about $20.00 a month to run our pump. I consider this amount small considering the pleasure the sound the waterfall makes gives to my family and I. I also have the benefit of all the wildlife that comes to my pond to a sip of water. A huge variety of birds, squirrels, deer and all those nocturnal critter's that my dog tells me we have. The dragonflies are a treat as well.

So, if your thinking of building a large pond, please consider all these points of maintaining a large body of water in your yard. My next house will have a much smaller water feature: I'm thinking that a pond less waterfall is the way to go, a pretty waterfall without the body of water to maintain.....the less work the better!

Does A Strawberry Pot Really Need Strawberries?

Who said that you must put strawberries in a strawberry pot? Not me.....I think these pots work very well for many different groups of plants. For those with only a small space but a big desire to grow fresh herbs, why not plant all your favorites in this one pot for your own little herb garden. The larger pots have enough niche's for many favorites, and they could stay in a pot for 2 years before the plants began to overgrow the pot. How about a cherry tomato in the top space, along with some leaf lettuce and maybe a parsley or cilantro. Several different varieties of leaf lettuce would give you lots of color and you could actually get 2 crops a summer. What about spring bulbs? A pot full of tulips or even daffodils would look great on the front porch. For a hot spot.....Cati's or any of the annuals that love the heat, moss roses, marigolds or lavender. I could really see these pots done up for a shady spot.....ferns, sweet woodruff, trillium's, lobelia with a big, beautiful hosta in the top.

So, if you have one of these strawberry pots tucked away somewhere, dig it out and plant it up for a very different kind of container growing. Growing Hint: since my pot stands about 2' tall, it takes alot of water to get all the way to the bottom. My solution to make watering easier (and to save water) is to cut a piece of 1" PVC pipe that fits standing on the bottom of the pot and it comes all the way up to the lip of the pot. I drilled holes every 2" all the way down the pipe. When I water, I pour right down the pipe which waters all the soil right down to the bottom of the pot. It's usually not possible to center the pipe as a plant would go right in the center, but the pipe still makes watering much easier.

Making a Topiary.....Fun & Easy

Making a ivy topiary is one of the best times I have in my little potting shed. I make my own heart shaped form, but you can also buy topiary forms in just about any shape you can think of.

I use a heavy coat hanger and just cut off the hook with a pair of wire cutters. Then start shaping the wire into the heart shape, you may want to wear a pair of leather gloves for this. Your heart shape doesn't have to be perfect, after all it will be all covered.

Once the wire shape is done, find a nice pot you'll want your topiary to sit in. At your local nursery or variety store, find a 4" pot of ivy with the longest tendrils you can find. Transfer the plant into your nice pot, and carefully insert the heart frame. Begin to wind the ivy tendrils around the wire, not to tightly but close. Use plastic covered bread ties to hold the ends of the ivy in place. As the ivy grows, keep wrapping the frame. Give your topiary bright light and water when dry. Don't forget to fertilize during the growing months with a general all purpose mix. Hint: when selecting your ivy plant, only buy one with the small leaves, the larger leaf ivy is usually for outdoor use.

A Very Busy Day!

Wow, what a day.....I just finished pruning all the shrubs in my back yard.....this is quite the job. I started at the crack of dawn and never turned off my electric clippers! I did manage some time to get the rack of lamb on for 45 of my closest friends that are coming for dinner tonite. I'm almost ready for company, but first I wanted to cut my hair, do a manicure and clean the house. How's your day going..........?

o.k., I confess, this photo is actually Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, England............April's Fool!!!