It explains the reasons I do what I do:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-frauenfelder/home-diy-the-courage-to-s_b_589371.html
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Border lilies are blooming
Most of the plants are thriving. The plants my mom ordered for me included a set of Red Border Lilies, which border my front yard... kind of like the tulips did.
The knockout roses are the exception to the thriving. Three of the five aren't doing well. If it were all of them, I'd think it was something I did, but the ones that are doing well aren't even next to each other. I'm going to just hope that the other three are able to revive themselves from the roots. If you have any advice, please pass it along.
I have an absurd amount of mint. It's the most fragrant mint I've ever smelled and I'm tempted to plant more throughout my grass because it makes mowing the lawn pleasant.
The butterfly bushes seem quite happy. One has quadrupled in size.
In the backyard:
Some friends helped me put together an above ground garden with garden soil and peat moss. I put a brick border around it with some brick remnants I got from freecycle. Freecycle was also the source of some day lilies that I put in the back of the garden. They're drooping a little but I am confident they'll perk up soon. The garlic in the same garden is sprouting, as are 2 unidentified plants that were also part of the masses of plants my mom sent. I don't remember exactly what I planted where, but as long as they're growing I'm happy. Some animal ate my kohlrabi seedlings that I got from my CSA farm share, but the basil, cilantro, and parsley seedlings are growing quickly.
I'm particularly pleased with how the variegated hosta plants and ferns are doing in the shade garden. I used some chopped wood that was at the very back of my backyard to section off this shade garden. It should still get plenty of run-off water from rainstorms since it's at the bottom of my hill and I've added some mulch to keep moisture from evaporating as quickly.
A tip I learned from a friend is that you can use grass clippings around plants just as you would mulch. Thrifty, huh?
The knockout roses are the exception to the thriving. Three of the five aren't doing well. If it were all of them, I'd think it was something I did, but the ones that are doing well aren't even next to each other. I'm going to just hope that the other three are able to revive themselves from the roots. If you have any advice, please pass it along.
I have an absurd amount of mint. It's the most fragrant mint I've ever smelled and I'm tempted to plant more throughout my grass because it makes mowing the lawn pleasant.
The butterfly bushes seem quite happy. One has quadrupled in size.
In the backyard:
Some friends helped me put together an above ground garden with garden soil and peat moss. I put a brick border around it with some brick remnants I got from freecycle. Freecycle was also the source of some day lilies that I put in the back of the garden. They're drooping a little but I am confident they'll perk up soon. The garlic in the same garden is sprouting, as are 2 unidentified plants that were also part of the masses of plants my mom sent. I don't remember exactly what I planted where, but as long as they're growing I'm happy. Some animal ate my kohlrabi seedlings that I got from my CSA farm share, but the basil, cilantro, and parsley seedlings are growing quickly.
I'm particularly pleased with how the variegated hosta plants and ferns are doing in the shade garden. I used some chopped wood that was at the very back of my backyard to section off this shade garden. It should still get plenty of run-off water from rainstorms since it's at the bottom of my hill and I've added some mulch to keep moisture from evaporating as quickly.
A tip I learned from a friend is that you can use grass clippings around plants just as you would mulch. Thrifty, huh?
Friday, May 21, 2010
Garbage disposal - didyouknow?
My friend had a broken garbage disposal (or I should say "non-functioning" instead of "broken") and was dreading having to wait for a contractor to come fix it on a Friday evening. She shared her dread with a group of about 10 people. I asked if she had tried the reset button on her disposal and everyone in the room had no idea that garbage disposals have reset buttons. Well... the reset button worked! Now she can do something much more exciting than wait for a contractor to come press a button.
I'm blogging about this because the other people in the room and numerous of her other friends didn't know about the garbage disposal reset button. I want people to know that they might be able to save money if their disposal won't turn on just by pressing the reset button instead of calling a contractor.
Now you know!
I'm blogging about this because the other people in the room and numerous of her other friends didn't know about the garbage disposal reset button. I want people to know that they might be able to save money if their disposal won't turn on just by pressing the reset button instead of calling a contractor.
Now you know!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Ceiling fan installation
The DC area seems a bit confused about what season it is. One day it feels like spring, then we get a taste of summer, we think we've jumped straight to fall, but then we're back to spring. I'm not fooled though because I know summer is approaching so I decided to prep my room for humid summer nights. The house has central air, but I grew up in the south without AC, so I'm well versed in the benefit of air movement via ceiling fan. I also think it looks nicer than this light.
I won't go through the whole installation process because fans have instructions included. There are some tips and tricks that will make the installation process easier.
My first tip on ceiling fan installation: Don't do it alone. This is important for 2 reasons: dealing with electricity is never a solo project and there are too many pieces for 2 hands. I got Emily to help me tackle this project for her first visit to my house (she'll have the opportunity for revenge since she just bought a home).
Second tip: Turn off the power to the light at the fuse/breaker box. Dealing with electricity is much safer when you cut the power. Electrocution is bad.
Since I was doing a flushmount installation with the ceiling fan, I had to insert some small screws at the very top of the fan. The ceiling got in the way. More than a couple of times, we dropped the screws... that wasn't a big deal until one fell into the fan. I had to disconnect the wires, remove the fan, get the screw out with needle-nosed pliers, and essentially start over. This happened twice when my patience ran out and I covered the holes before trying again. Save yourself the hassle and use this better plan: before starting installation, use some masking tape over potential holes in the fan that screws may fall into.
Another problem with the close-to-ceiling screws is that the threads didn't want to line up. The needle-nosed pliers came in handy again. I used them to hold and guide the screw while using the screwdriver, and it caught the thread and glided in.
The end result is this awesome fan.
I should also warn you that ceiling fan installation does require upper body strength. Be prepared for a good shoulder workout.
I won't go through the whole installation process because fans have instructions included. There are some tips and tricks that will make the installation process easier.
My first tip on ceiling fan installation: Don't do it alone. This is important for 2 reasons: dealing with electricity is never a solo project and there are too many pieces for 2 hands. I got Emily to help me tackle this project for her first visit to my house (she'll have the opportunity for revenge since she just bought a home).
Second tip: Turn off the power to the light at the fuse/breaker box. Dealing with electricity is much safer when you cut the power. Electrocution is bad.
Since I was doing a flushmount installation with the ceiling fan, I had to insert some small screws at the very top of the fan. The ceiling got in the way. More than a couple of times, we dropped the screws... that wasn't a big deal until one fell into the fan. I had to disconnect the wires, remove the fan, get the screw out with needle-nosed pliers, and essentially start over. This happened twice when my patience ran out and I covered the holes before trying again. Save yourself the hassle and use this better plan: before starting installation, use some masking tape over potential holes in the fan that screws may fall into.
Another problem with the close-to-ceiling screws is that the threads didn't want to line up. The needle-nosed pliers came in handy again. I used them to hold and guide the screw while using the screwdriver, and it caught the thread and glided in.
The end result is this awesome fan.
I should also warn you that ceiling fan installation does require upper body strength. Be prepared for a good shoulder workout.
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