Recycling is not just for aluminum cans, newspaper
October 9, 2011
Jeff Gaidjiergis, who owns and operates Mr. Scrappy Recycling, shows some of the items he’s collected from residents that are waiting to be broken down and taken to a recycling facility. By Christina Lords
If residents are looking to replace used pots and pans, old garden tools or aging aluminum ladders, Jeff Gaidjiergis will take them all — and then some.
Gaidjiergis, more affectionately known to some Newcastle residents as Mr. Scrappy, said most people have scrap metal, electronic waste and countless other odds and ends items that have been collecting dust around the house and they don’t even know they can be recycled.
Weeping conifers add focal point for landscapes
October 9, 2011
Modern landscapes tend to be on the smaller side, and most people would like to concentrate on smaller-scale specimen plants as focal points in a small garden.
The benefits of conifers in winter in particular add to the focal point options in landscapes by adding structure, texture and color with interesting shapes and colors.
Weeping trees are often not very tall. They will usually stay at whatever height the lead is or where the crown is no longer supported and begins to weep downward as they grow.
However, do not underestimate how wide any weeping tree may get, and give them room to fulfill their potential.
Enduring another La Niña
October 9, 2011
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Jeff Renner tells us we are in for another La Niña.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not moping around, crazy mad about the weather. Every little ray of sunshine and every little tinge of warmth have been appreciated to the max by me. But still, I’m unable to come to grips with the big picture. The issue of global climate change is huge, impacting much more than just gardening, making it hard to comprehend.
You can grow edibles and ornamentals in containers
May 6, 2011
The grow-your-own-food revolution is in full swing for small space gardeners. Blend that with the desire for pretty container designs and you have a remarkable variety of combinations at your fingertips.
Apartments, condominiums, balconies or small-scale patios are all viable locations for growing many edibles in containers. As long as you can find a small spot of sun for the bulk of the day, you can grow quite a harvest. Choosing plants that are nutritious, delicious and beautiful is the very best way to maximize your limited space, whether it’s in a window box or several large containers.
Herbs like lemon thyme and chamomile add interesting foliage interest and texture. Contributed
A number of edibles that are highly ornamental also create horticultural drama. By adding some of your favorite ornamental annuals or perennials to your container designs, you can have the best of all worlds in one square-footage-challenged garden.
If you decide you want to grow tomatoes in containers this season, try under planting your tomato with trailing million bells or calibrichoa and sweet potato vine. The only limit to what you can grow with edibles is your imagination.
A seismic retrofit can help protect homes during earthquakes
May 6, 2011
Strengthening a residence through a home earthquake retrofit is as simple as ABC: anchor, brace and connect.
Most homes built in the past 30 years or so do not need a retrofit to hold steady in earthquakes, but older homes may need some foundation tune-ups. If the foundation is not secured to the rest of the structure, major damage can result from the ground shaking.
The earthquake in Japan — plus major temblors in New Zealand, Chile and Haiti in the past year — has renewed the focus on seismic safety at home.
“When the earth starts shaking sideways, the foundation moves with the earth,” Sound Seismic co-owner Leif Jackson said. “This big, massive object is not going to immediately move with the foundation. It’s going to kind of lag behind, and it’s going to lag behind when that foundation oscillates back in the opposite direction. So, the house and the foundation get out of synch, and it can get jolted off of the foundation.”
Though most homeowners can take some small steps to reduce earthquake risks, older homes make for the likeliest candidates for a seismic retrofit, due to the adoption of modern building codes from the mid-1970s onward.
Easy solutions to the most common garden problems
May 6, 2011
Do you have a problem? Do you find it difficult to grow the plants you love because of hungry beasts that ravage your roses down to stubs?
Perhaps the endless rainy winters have left an unexpected pond in your backyard where you wanted a cactus. Or maybe it is your neighbor’s small forest of evergreen conifers casting deep, dry shade on your side of the fence.
Let’s take a look at a few solutions for some of our area’s most common gardening challenges.
Deer
There are a lot of hungry deer in Newcastle. They will eat practically any plant, or at least try it once. And if you plant any of their favorites, such as hostas, roses or tulips, you might as well put out a neon “All You Can Eat Buffet” sign.
As pretty as they are tasty
May 6, 2011
Be bold! Be brave! Be bountiful!
Fruits, vegetables and herbs don’t have to be relegated to a rectangular bed in the backyard. Consider integrating these beautiful plants that grace us with food into your traditional landscape. Expand your edible palette with the following plants that exhibit great ornamental appeal.
Trees
Apple, pear, plum, cherry or the more exotic persimmon, quince and fig. Dwarf forms are available as well as grafted combinations. Apple, pear and fig lend themselves to espalier (trained horizontally) to grow against a fence, side of the house or a garage. Sweet bay (laurus nobilis) evergreen is a perfect accent as a small topiary tree and also as a shrub form for hedging.
The cold is coming, the cold is coming!
November 5, 2010
Tips to keep your home warm in colder weather
Cold weather shouldn’t scare you if your house is adequately prepared for fall and winter. However, many homes aren’t prepared, and leaks can make the interior lose heat quickly when the mercury drops outside.
Department of Energy A technician checks the readings from a door blower. The house is sealed and the blower sucks out air, revealing any leaks elsewhere in the home.
Northwest Homecrafters Inc. owner Wayne Apostolik said the key to plugging leaks and keeping your house warm is sealing first and insulating second.
Apostolik has worked in construction for 18 years, specializing in home remodeling. His company is based in Seattle, but is a member of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce and had a booth at the Earth Day celebration in Lake Boren Park in April.
He said it is crucial to seal a home before insulating, and he used an analogy of a sweater and a windbreaker.
Adding insulation is like putting on a sweater, he said; the wind will blow right through it. However, sealing is like putting on a windbreaker. Together, the combination is effective and helps keep a person warm. However, without sealing, the insulation acts as nothing more than a filter.
Learn to appreciate gray in winter
November 5, 2010
They, whoever they are, are telling us that the winter will be wetter and cooler than usual. Most of us feel we paid our dues when we skipped summer. If this is global warming or La Niña, I don’t like either one.
Every winter, the gray colors seem to cover us like a shroud. All the gardeners I know like flowers, the brighter the better, so winter hits us especially hard.
I noticed that no colors are bright in winter except for maybe school buses and some Volkswagens. Most colorful objects reflect the low light, creating glare as opposed to color. The next time you’re driving, notice how monochromatic all of the cars are. Even the red ones are mostly gray. The shinier they are, the grayer they appear, because they shine with the color of the road, the sky and the surroundings.
Also, wet surfaces shine, and boy do we have wet surfaces. Water can make the ground, streets, sidewalks, decks and patios turn gray like the sky. It’s my hope that we keep our gardeners here, and that they learn to see the beauty of the gray winter landscape.
Tips for winterizing summer cottages and vacation homes
November 5, 2010
It’s getting to be that time of year. Amica Insurance reminds everyone to make sure cottages and vacation homes are secured properly and offers some tips if you are leaving your summer home.
Here are a few tips for preparing your property:
- Unplug all appliances.
- Drain the water system to prevent pipes from freezing.
- Inspect your property for openings and remove all food to keep out rodents.
- Adjust the thermostat. In colder climates, thermostats set at 55 degrees will help to prevent pipes from freezing. In warmer climates, air conditioning should be turned on to prevent humidity damage.
- Clean gutters and downspouts and trim dead tree limbs.
It’s also important to make your home look lived in, Melton said. Empty houses are often targeted by thieves and vandals. To help make your house appear occupied:
- Put interior and exterior lights on time sensors.
- Suspend mail and newspaper service.
- Hire someone to clear snow from your driveway.
The Institute for Business & Home Safety also offers additional tips for protecting your home at DisasterSafety.org.
