RSS Link

Gardening

Nicotine Fix

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3038512708/

Believe it or not, cigarettes can be a good thing.  They have beneficial uses   that go beyond clouding your lungs with smoke.

For example, cigarette tobacco makes a great anesthetic for a bee sting.  Simply rip open the cigarette, pull out a wad of tobacco, lick it, and stick it on the sting.  You’ll get quite a good numbing effect.

And if you are still battling bugs in your garden, the alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants, which includes tobacco, can also be used as an insecticide.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewbain/766040444/in/photostream/

A commonly used insecticide in the 1880s, nicotine is  toxic to insects—particularly aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, leafhoppers, and asparagus beetle larvae.

The best way to utilize tobacco is to make a nicotine tea.  Soak a cup of plant leaves or cigarette butts in warm water for about 30 minutes.   Add a dash of soap, strain through a cheesecloth, and  you should be all set.   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/2671524520/

But don’t drink this tea.  Put some into a spray bottle and shower the leaves of your plants.  For ground critters, pour a little of the solution around the stem of the plant.  Be careful around young plants, as it can harm them.  It’s also a good idea to avoid using toxic tea on pepper, eggplant, and tomato plants.

So keep makin’ those smokes, oh giant conglomerates!  Even if sales are diminishing due to smarter consumers,  your product may still have a future in killing bugs. 

by John Barker

Written by editor on September 2, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

He said, She said

Hey friends, here’s this week’s report from blogland. 

I discovered an almost brand new blog called Meet My Ugly Baby, a 367 day apartment-flip project in Vancouver.  Today, and I mean TO.DAY, they get the keys and the clock starts ticking.  

Any e-Bay aficionados out there?  There’s a great story at BossyColorBlog that features gin, a pretty shade of blue, and lots of cardboard. 

Russel Wright Iroquois casual china

Thinking about fall yet?  Grass Rooted has some good tips about rakes.  She says better to check your supplies now than when your hands are blistered and the job is half done. 

Subtraction by Addition – get it?  Home additions that make a house uglier. These are bad.   At  HomeOwnerNut.

If you didn’t make it to Atlanta this week for the 2010 International Woodworking Fair (IWF), here’s a sneak preview of some  new tools on the showroom floor. 

Until next week, happy weekend!

by Lisa Oram

Written by editor on August 27, 2010 at 9:36 am
Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Your Next Mower

I suppose in some parts of the country, there are people who are counting down to the last mow of the season.  But, where I live in Florida, mowing the lawn is never out of season.  NEVER. 

Lucky for me, lawnmowers are going high-tech.  I’m one of those guys who will maintain my van without a second thought; I’m never behind on fluids, brakes, oil, or anything.  But when it comes to my lawnmower. . . well, I feel sorry for the poor thing.  And Snapper knows that I’m not the only person out there who isn’t diligent when it comes to mower maintenance.

In collaboration with BMW Group DesignworksUSA, Snapper conducted research on what FIYers like us would consider to be the ultimate lawnmower.

The result is the Snapper NXT series:

While the push start button and the multi-notched cutting system are cool, there are some other features that are also worth noticing.

The walk-behind mower apparently responds to the “pace” of the user with something called the REACT™ Drive System.  This intuitive system senses your inertia and compensates the mower’s speed accordingly.

The riding mower offers a tight turning radius, an ergonomic seat, and really bright LED headlights.

What interests me the most, however, is an option that comes on both mowers: a dashboard with a digital display.  On this you will find information crucial to the mower’s maintenance, including oil, filter, and spark plug status.

The mowers range in price from $499 (for the walk-behind) to $2600 for the rider – unless, of course, you can snag an end-of-the-season bargain!

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 23, 2010 at 11:03 am
Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Celine Dion: Wet & Wild!

Some people love the feeling of a waterbed and being soothed to sleep by gently moving water.   Celine Dion, it seems, has different idea about how to love water:  a personal waterpark on her 5.7 acre property that includes multiple slides, bathing areas, and a lazy river.  Think of it as like living on Fantasy Island. Da plane, boss!

 

Dion’s home and water playground is located on Jupiter Island, Florida.  It requires 6 wells and 500,000 gallons of water to maintain.  According to WPTV, neither the town government nor her neighbors are too happy.

Maybe she should fill the pools with money.  Apparently, that Titanic thing and her stint in Vegas left her with quite the overflow.

Still, the woman knows how to make a waffle and apparently knows her waterparks. Can you imagine the rounds of Marco Polo? They must have to send out a search party.   I bet her nine-year-old son is the most popular kid in class (as if he weren’t already.)

When everyone wants to just hang, there’s plenty of dry space for that, too. The main home features six bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, an elevator, a soundproof TV room, and multiple fireplaces. Outside, there are  guest quarters with another eight bedrooms, an outdoor spa, and tennis courts.  Dion is expecting twins in the fall.

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 19, 2010 at 11:46 am
Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

He said, She said

It’s the middle of August, which means it’s hot where I live. I imagine it might be hot where you live, too. 

There are some things that nobody wants to do when it’s this hot -  like putting on a new roof or welding. For me, whose house is PURRRRFECT and doesn’t need those things anyway, being hot meant I didn’t want to read anything too heady or technical as I sweated my way around blogland this week.  I simply didn’t want to think too much.

Freshome - Interior Design, Decorating, FurnitureSo, I spent some time at Freshome. 

In the architecture department,  I indulged my senses with beautiful photos of gorgeous homes from around the world.  Click the View More button at the bottom of any post  and you will be treated to a stunning display. 

Here’s a picture montage of a totally different kind.  Aaron Whomsley is a handyman who runs what he calls a “light construction company” in West Chester, PA.  This week, he features a lovely kitchen renovation he’s recently completed.  Thirteen photos.  Beautiful work. I wish this guy lived near me. A good handyman is a good find.   

There are nice photos throughout the posts on Rambling Renovators, but I am especially drawn to their occasional feature called Love List.  Shouldn’t everyone have a love list? 

This blog, Brick House, is sorta the opposite of a love list.  Read the FAQs (tolerable even in heat) and then look at the pictures. 

And, one day, when the temps dropped a little, and I managed to focus on two words next to each other, I really enjoyed this post at Garden Rant.  I think they make some sense . . .  but they also could  be kinda lunatics.   What do you think?

Happy weekend!  Keep cool.

by Lisa Oram

Written by editor on August 13, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Beauty of Burning Rubber

Aahh… the smell of fresh roses and old rubber…

While that doesn’t sound like the best combination, it certainly makes for a pretty one. Re:Treads are flowerpots and containers crafted entirely from recycled tires. It sounds like a bizarre mix, but it’s actually quite beautiful.

It’s also very cool, considering the U.S. dumps about 300 million tires each year.

Handcrafted in Pakistan, these pots look awesome and are awesome eco-friendly. So even if you don’t have the best green thumb, you’ve got bragging rights!

 

“Retail consumers are clamoring for ‘green’ products right now, and we recognized that using the scrap tires as a construction material represented a unique opportunity to both capitalize on this trend and to lighten the load on our landfills,” said Alec Junge, president of River Market Pottery.

Right before these tires go to tire heaven, the company strips the tread, which gets recycled into mulch. The steel belts are also recycled. Then, the rest of the rubber is sewn up, and reinforced with some added galvanized rivets or bolts.

 

While many tires look the same, there are 68 different Re:Treads designs in seven shapes and sizes. Expect to pay about $10 for an 8-inch flowerpot. If you’re looking for something bigger, a 25-inch basin will cost $99.99.

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 10, 2010 at 10:31 am
Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

From the Kitchen to the Garden

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamees-y/2486609979/sizes/o/

I make some mean salad dressing.  Really, I do.  No kidding.    

Here – have one of my recipes, on da house:

  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  •  2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
  • Juice of ½ Lemon
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Mix together all the above ingredients.

Now here’s where it gets dicey – add olive oil and vinegar—until it hits the right consistency/flavor for you.

You want to make an emulsion—so whisk it and taste as you go.

Then just pour it over your salad – or dump it on the weeds in your front yard.  Except leave out everything but the vinegar.  It’s much cheaper that way.

That’s right.  Vinegar is a great weed killer.  Both cider and white vinegar contain acetic acid which attacks the leaves of a plant, but not the root.  Go after the weeds when they’re young, because their root systems are not developed enough to fight off the acidic attack.  As such, they will not have enough energy to re-grow the leaves.

You can use this method of weed killing multiple times in the same area.  Each time vinegar is applied, the weed will expend energy to fight it off—until it runs out of energy and dies.

I like this method.  Vinegar is cheap—and non-toxic.  And tastes damn good in a salad.

I love multi-taskers.

by John Barker

 

Written by editor on August 9, 2010 at 10:55 am
Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Lawn Furniture

There’s something refreshing about lying in the grass. I’m talking about the fresh kind, not the kind with the big, brown patches.

Fung+Blatt Architects have come up with a little something to give you that feeling, even if patches of grass in your area are as rare as a unicorn. The company’s lawnchair is built entirely out of recycled materials, such as steel, rubber, and felt.

Well, not entirely. There’s also the green stuff. However, let’s get one thing straight: they are not recommending AstroTurf for your, well… AstroTurf. Instead, this lawnchair has a real layer of sod incorporated right into the design. This special treatment allows the chair to be as comfy as lying right in the grass — if your grass is shaped like a chaise lounge.

If you’re worried that you’ll want to move this thing into your home at summer’s end (it’s heavy, by the way; get some help) and soon have your very own patch of brown grass to lay upon, you’ll be glad to know the lawn chair requires very little maintenance to keep its green color.  A built-in “moisturizing” system not only keeps the chair hydrated, but also minimizes leakage. That’s cool, but I’d still keep it away from the white rugs.

Three bases are available, including a heavy-duty concrete base, a lightweight metal base, and a caster base, which is perfect if you want to move it around.

The one thing it doesn’t come with? A price. Fung+Blatt currently lists the product as “coming soon.”

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 3, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Bucket Buddy

I’m notoriously clumsy. In fact, this is me in the emergency room on July 4:

I traded in all of the fun and fireworks for 16 stitches in the noggin after face planting into the corner of a kitchen cabinet -  and all before my second beer.

That’s why things like the Bucket Buddy  from Quirky make me happy.

 

 

The Bucket Buddy is one of those ideas that is so simple it makes sense. Essentially, you get an extra hand to help you deal with pouring a full bucket of liquid.  A heavy-duty nylon strap and a metal buckle attaches to the bottom of your bucket.  A hook connects to the rim, securing the strap just beneath the lid.  Ready to pour?   Grip and lift, as they say over at Quirky.  

Check it out:

See?  Told ya it made sense.  Less stress on your back, less spilled water . . . and no gushing gashes. 

by John Barker

Written by editor on July 26, 2010 at 11:14 am
Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Day of the Deck

Everyone enjoys some good deck space. I use mine to grow plants, eat ribs, and I even drag my computer out there to do a little work on occasion. In other words, I spend plenty of time celebrating the uses of my deck. Now, there’s an official day where deck owners can flaunt to non-deck owners.

composite decking

It’s coming up: Saturday, July 24, otherwise known as National Enjoy Your Deck Day. We’re not exactly sure if there’s a card for this day, but maybe you can celebrate by spraying off your deck’s dead bugs and having the aforementioned ribs. Most likely, the latter was already part of your weekend plans anyway.

In case you are looking for other ways to celebrate, Fiberon Deckinghas compiled a few companies to help out. One is Johnsonville sausage. Nothing says deck like encased meats, right?

If you don’t have a decent deck, but a love of free meats, check out the National Enjoy Your Deck Day website.   There’s a map with local parties marked. That’s right; actual people willing to share their decks with strangers. There’s also tips on maintaining your deck, as well as the chance to win a dream deck, which includes $4,000 for parts, labor, and party supplies.

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on July 20, 2010 at 10:48 am
Comments (0)
CHOOSE A CATEGORY BELOW TO FIND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR!