Funny Garden Moments

Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the fittest. You see that every day in the garden, and not only among plants and bugs. Every spring I barely survive my own enthusiasm. This is the time of year when I’m wishing the snow away and eager to get out into the yard, where the first thing I’ll likely do is strain something. I do it every weekend. At the first opportunity I’m out there poking away at the dirt to see if it moves. If it does it means the frost is out of it and it is dry enough to do something, so I run to get something to dig with. Then I spend the rest of the week walking funny and cursing when it’s really my own fault for letting myself get out of shape.

As each year goes by I’m finding harder to stay in shape, so I came up with a great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Maybe it should create a garden gym. Tied a couple of bricks to a shovel, and I hooked up a rake to the wall with a bungee cord.

Being cooped up in the house without the distractions of nature I’ve discovered a whole new perspective on what I’m actually doing to myself out there in the yard every spring. After a few weeks, I’ve come to realize how much stress I actually put my poor body through.

No wonder it’s always grumbling. I now believe that gardening is just as grueling as any sport. Why, maybe gardening should be in the Olympics. That would be so thrilling. Can you imagine the spine-tingling tension of a topiary competition, or the excitement of competitive weeding? And let’s not forget the sheer titillation of questionable garden clothing.

But then I suppose there’d be the usual scandal over the use of illegal growth hormones (that will be a biggie, I’m sure), and we’d have to watch those hokey interviews with the medalists: “I owe it all to my cow, Jenny, for providing me with what it takes to grow healthy plants.” Meanwhile the medalists will all be sitting there holding shovels with trademarks showing and wearing shrink-wrapped spandex with the logos of huge fertilizer companies plastered over them.

Maybe not. Maybe I’ll skip today’s workout and give the dirt a poke instead.

Container gardening

Plant Containers for added Appeal for the Front of your Home

Admit it: your house might not be the dumpiest on the street, but it could probably use a little pick-me-up. It doesn’t take much to spruce up your house and add a little extra curb appeal, especially through container gardening. Outdoor planters are a fantastic and easy way to add a little extra oomph and increase your home’s curb appeal.

Entryway

The front door can speak volumes about a house – it’s where visitors get their first impression of your home and the people inside. Outdoor planters can add a touch of life to the entryway to make your home more inviting and warm. When decorating around the front door, symmetry is key. Add a tall planter box, to either side of your front door with bright flowers or tall leafy plants. Line the walkway to your front door with smaller planter boxes in coordinating plants and flowers. Choose plants that fit with the overall style and feel of your home, such as short canna lilies for a modern home or petunias, geraniums for a more traditional style.

Driveway

An often forgotten part of the home, the driveway and garage doors have a huge impact on curb appeal. Not only is the driveway one of the largest parts of a home’s outdoor space, but it is virtually a blank canvas full of possibility. To spice up an often bland area, place outdoor planters between the garage doors or along the side of the garage. Tall planters can add height to a space and break up the monotony a garage door. Add plants such as verbena or alyssum for a pop of energy-just make sure the planters are far enough away from the garage door that you won’t hit them with your car! To define the driveway with more than just concrete, place large planter pots along the edges. For these planters, it is better to opt for lower plants like coleus or white licorice that will define the space but still allow you to see into the front yard and entryway.

 

Deck

Just because a deck might be on the backside of the house doesn’t mean it can escape a curb appeal improvement. Instead of allowing your deck to turn into a yard furniture wasteland, add some large planter boxes. The color and life will work wonders on the space and create a more defined outdoor entertaining area. A grouping of large planter pots full of coordinating plants is an easy way to add a sense of style and personality to your deck. See more examples on our pinterest page:  https://www.pinterest.com/robertmoyer3194/planting-containers-for-the-front-door/

 

DIY Projects

Home DIY Projects

Trying to figure out how much your next home improvement project will cost shouldn’t be harder than the project itself. More often than not, however, homeowners will underestimate the cost of their next renovation. Why is it so hard to judge how much a home improvement will cost?  There are a few simple mistakes that homeowners repeatedly make. In this article, we’ll explore those reasons and help you avoid blowing your next renovation budget.

 Do Your Homework

If you’re planning to do most or all of the work yourself, you need to fully understand all of the steps involved in the renovation as well as all of the building code requirements. Don’t wing it. You’re much more likely to have a budget overage occur while doing a project you’ve never attempted before. You need to completely understand every step you’re going to take and every tool you’ll need to perform those steps if you want an accurate budget.

Let me give you an example. Recently, a co-worker described to me all of the details of a kitchen remodel he was planning. He had a really solid understanding of most of the project; then I asked him a simple question:

“Awesome. Good plan. But what are you going to do about the range vent?”

His reaction was telling: “Um. What‘s a range vent?”

He needed to rethink his whole renovation strategy as well as his budget. It’s better to do your homework and find out everything you need to do beforehand instead of finding out after you’ve opened up your walls. Start by going online and reading through articles of other people who have done similar projects. If you’re skeptical or just need more information, many websites have home improvement sections that are an invaluable resource.

 Have a Written Plan and Budget

The best way to stay on budget is to actually come up with a written budget based on real world prices. Don’t guess at how much anything will cost: look up prices online; call your local handyman; walk down to the hardware store.

Come up with a step-by-step list of how you will accomplish your project. For each step in that process, write down what tools and supplies you’ll need. Not sure how to perform one of the steps? Watch it on YouTube, homeowners will come up with some arbitrary number for their renovation budget and have no idea if that number is even feasible.

Once you know the cost of the all the supplies and tools, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on how to lower or eliminate extra costs. Don’t forget to account for the little things! Material waste, support materials, and unglamorous items such as wood glue and caulk can add up and ruin even the best budget.

Another important aspect of having a written budget is keep track of all your expenses. If you use a spreadsheet on your computer or tally it all up by hand, make sure you write down every expense for your home improvement project. This will keep you honest and help your stay on track. 

Stop Creeping

The most common cause of a wrecked renovation budget is due to something called “scope creep.” Scope creep is when you end up doing much more work than you initially planned. Scope creep can be intentional, like when you actively decide to expand the amount of work required for a project. For example, if you decide to install new flooring in the whole house instead of just the one room you are remodeling, that’s scope creep.

More often than not, however, scope creep isn’t something you expect. It just happens. If you are remodeling a bathroom and you find out mid-renovation that you need new pipes, that’s scope creep too. Unfortunately, scope creep isn’t always avoidable, but that doesn’t mean it has to destroy your budget.

The best way to avoid scope creep from sinking your remodel is to plan for the unexpected. Your budget should include an extra 10 to 15 percent for just-in-case scenarios. That extra money won’t cover all budget overages, but it will be a big help when something unexpected comes up.

If you end up not using those funds, you have the option of upgrading your project’s finishing details with something like higher-end faucets, or you can go to a nice restaurant to celebrate completing the project.