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Blinded by the light

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I’ve often thought of having some blinds installed in our house. I think I would probably have them in our south facing rooms since the sun is so very bright from early morning until at least noon. It’s absolutely blinding at times. There’s nothing like trying to cook something in the kitchen and not being able to see what you’re doing because it’s so bright.

I guess I shouldn’t complain. We only have a couple of east facing windows, no west facing windows, and the rest face North which makes at least half our house fairly dark.

If I had blinds installed in the kitchen at least I’d be able to partially shut them when the sun was too bright, and open them up fully again when the sun wasn’t shining directly in through that window.

I’ve actually been thinking of renovating the kitchen. That can’t happen until we finish the living room/ dining room (this weekend I hope) of course. I might even hold off until we’ve finished renovating the basement as well. I think getting more space in this house that we can use is more important than having the kitchen of my dreams. However, the kitchen is on the list of reno’s that we plan to do.

I’d like to give the kitchen a Mediterranean feel. It’s fairly plain right now, so it wouldn’t matter if I picked blinds that would suit the future kitchen because I’m sure they would fit in just fine with the current design and colors of our present kitchen.

I’ve always liked bamboo and wooden blinds as opposed to metallic, fabric or plastic blinds. I guess I’d better start looking for blinds soon since the sun is getting stronger and my kitchen is getting brighter!






Why do we garden?

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I think there are many reasons why some of us choose to garden and I’d love to hear what you can add to my list, and your reasons for adding them.

I began my small garden with the hopes of growing vegetables and fruits in my yard. Not only to cut down some of the cost of purchasing food for ourselves, but also to provide my family with the freshest and most nutritious food items that I could. There is nothing like eating a freshly picked tomato is there?

Another reason why I like to grow some of my own food is that I know exactly what it’s been exposed to. Nothing.

I don’t use chemicals on my garden, and because my fruit and vegetables are picked and eaten fairly quickly under very sanitary conditions I know that, unlike some of the fruit and veggies that are sold in the grocery stores (spinach and strawberries for example) that my produce is free from food borne contaminants such as e-coli.

Another reason to garden is that it’s good exercise. Particularly for the obsessed like myself. When I get out in my garden, and I’m in the mood to work, I can be out there for 8 or more hours at a time. I come inside and I’ve earned the right to be tired. I sleep better. I feel a little bit healthier and my muscles get a work out too.

Moderate gardening for one hour can burn 300 to 400 calories!

Exercise is good for the bones too, so therefore gardening helps reduce osteoporosis.

Another reason I enjoy gardening- besides having so many lovely flowers and plants to enjoy eating and or looking at, is that my garden relaxes me. The act of gardening is good for my soul. It puts me at peace with the world even after the most stressful of days.

Gardening also gives me another area to entertain friends and family too. What better place to gather for a nice meal and some good wine with friends than in a lovely garden. Now that’s living.

Why do you garden?

New Years Resolutions for Gardeners

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Happy New year everyone! I hope that you all have a fantastic year!

When we thinking of making New Years resolutions it’s usually something about ourselves, such as, to be a better person, to lose weight, to quit smoking and so on, but do we ever resolve to take better care of our gardens? I don’t think so.

Since I wasn’t feeling very well this past year I wasn’t out in my garden as much as I was in past years. Usually I’m out there every day – dead heading, trimming, adding organics to the soil and so on. I really fell off this fall when I didn’t even put my garden to bed for the winter. Yes, this year it is totally without winter protection. It should be interesting to see what happens come Spring time.

So in the New Year, I’ve decided to try to follow these great tips from the Plant Doctors at The American Phytopathological Society – perhaps you will too:

  • Mulch my perennials after the ground freezes to help them overwinter comfortably even though temperatures may fluctuate.
  • When studying plant catalogs, look for pest- and disease-resistant plants, such as mildew-resistant phlox, Fusarium-resistant tomatoes and disease-resistant crabapples that will make my gardening job easier and keep my plants healthier.
  • Send a soil sample to a laboratory to learn what my lime and fertilizer needs are, rather than guessing.
  • Set plants in the ground only at the proper depth-deep planting harms roots and kills plants!
  • Use only the well-drained areas of my garden for plants-unless I purchase some swamp-loving species!
  • Inspect plants carefully before purchasing to find evidence of invaders such as spider mites, scale insects or mealybugs, or root swellings that might mean crown gall disease on plants such as flowering cherries or roses.
  • Spread a circle of mulch around young trees to keep lawn mowers from damaging the bark, leading to canker diseases later on.
  • Use only a few inches depth of mulch and keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems of plants to discourage crown rot.
  • Scout regularly for symptoms in the garden, so that I can pick off the occasional spotted leaf before problems escalate.
  • Irrigate new trees and shrubs the first two years especially during dry weather to help them establish good root systems.
  • Use a soaker hose or some type of irrigation system for the flower beds and vegetable garden that won’t wet the foliage and encourage leaf spots.
  • Obtain a diagnosis when the cause of a problem is unclear or needs identification.
  • Prune only in dry weather, especially when pruning plants prone to fire blight, such as pears, crabapples and hawthorns.
  • Encourage beneficial insects and mites by minimizing use of broad- spectrum insecticides.
  • Join a Master Gardener class to learn more about the fun of growing and maintaining plants.

To the New Year and better gardens for all.

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