Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Making the bed
The shape and form of shrubs help to build the year-round structure and framework of the garden while perennials, once they emerge in spring, define the spaces in our landscape, filling it with colour, texture and beauty. As homeowners in search of the Holy Grail, that is, achieving the perfect garden, we don’t always make the perfect choices. If we did, our landscapes would be populated by only native plant species that are well-suited to the vagaries of our climate.
With a smorgasbord, though, of intriguing new plants to try each spring, the temptation often is to experiment and push the boundaries of our growing zone. Any fears, therefore, that some of our borderline hardy plants may not have made it through this mild winter with less snow cover than usual, could be justified. The answer? Don’t despair. Look forward to welcoming back the plants that survived, embrace the opportunity to fill empty spaces with the best choices possible, and if you decide this spring to take a few chances on marginally hardy plants, be sure to take the necessary steps during the growing season to improve their chances of winter survival.
What are some of this year’s new introductions to consider along with proven selections that have reliable, enticing appeal?
In spring the showy, fragrant blooms of lilac shrubs provide some of the season’s loveliest, most satisfying displays. When Bloomerang Lilac made its debut a few years ago, it was with the promise of repeat blooms in mid-summer. Now Dark Purple Lilac, the newest entry in the Bloomerang series, brings increased vigour as well as a somewhat larger size than the original and recurring blooms throughout the summer that are said to also be larger and more rounded. Mature height and width is 150 cm. Situate in full sun to partial shade, ensuring moist but not wet, well-drained soil.
Shawna Bell, vice-president at Jeffries Nurseries, a wholesale grower and supplier in Portage, says that Sense & Sensibility Lilac, a new listing for this year, has performed well in their shrub trials. Classified as a dwarf lilac, Sense & Sensibility has a mature height of less than one meter and a spread of about 1.5 meters. A zone 3 shrub, dark pink buds open to fragrant flowers that are a soft lilac-pink.
Prairie Petite Lilac is a dense, compact dwarf-growing French lilac designed for the prairies. Gerry Aubin, owner of Aubin Nurseries in Carman, describes it as a real beauty. A hardy selection, it is smothered in pink blooms in May and grows to a height of only 75 cm and width of one meter.
Ready to invite the potentilla shrub back into your garden? Once a staple in most gardens for its dependable hardiness and long blooming period, potentilla is stepping back into the spotlight. This spring the Happy Face potentilla series from Proven Winners offers bigger blooms in a range of colours including pink, white, and yellow. Owen Vanstone, co-owner of Vanstone Nurseries, a wholesale nursery in Portage, is pleased with their performance in trials and likes their coarse foliage, dense form and extra large flowers.
Morden Snow, the last potentilla variety from the Morden Research Station’s breeding program, has the most intensely white blooms, says Aubin, as well as a neat, globe shape.
Two delicious-sounding new varieties of potentilla, Lemon Merinque and Creme Brulee, trace their lineage back to Morden as well where Dr. Campbell Davidson carried out much of his breeding work on potentilla. When the program ended, some of the genetics were offered to Bailey’s Nurseries in Minnesota which this year is introducing Lemon Meringue and Creme Brulee. Both these potentillas bloom all summer long and form a round, compact ball that requires little pruning. Potentilla, a tough shrub that is hardy to zone 2, thrives in part sun to full sun and is tolerant of poor, dry conditions once it’s fully established.
For the back of the border, consider Atomic Amur Maple. Jan Pedersen, sales representative for Bylands Nursery, says that this hardy shrub (zone 2) with three-lobed green foliage, turns a gorgeous, brilliant red in fall. A selection from an open pollinated population of Amur Maple by respected plant breeder Rick Durand, don’t be concerned by this shrub’s mature height and width of 1.8 by 2.4 meters. If desired, it prunes easily to a more manageable 1.2 meters.
There is always considerable interest each spring in knowing the name of the plant selected by the Perennial Plant Association as the Perennial Plant of the Year. Although in some years the winner may not be hardy to our zone, we’re nevertheless motivated to try it. Last year’s Perennial Plant of the Year was Biokovo Cranesbill, a lackluster geranium with washed-out pinkish-white flowers that excited few. Forming a low carpet at the front of the perennial border, Biokovo blooms in spring and again, sporadically, in summer and is hardy to zone 3.
The 2016 Perennial Plant of the Year is Honorine Jobert Anemone, a spectacularly beautiful perennial with handsome white flowers that have frilly yellow stamens with chartreuse centers on narrow stems with rich dark green leaves. Bloom time is late summer to early September. Plant this medium-sized perennial (80 cm) in a location with full morning sun and some afternoon shade. With a hardiness rating of zone 4, choose a protected location if possible that has organically amended, well-drained soil that is kept evenly moist. To ensure added winter protection, mulch in fall.
For full sun areas, the Oscar Peterson rose will be an equally stunning white flowered selection. Hardy to zone 3 with excellent disease resistance, this latest addition to the Canadian Artists Series of roses offers an upright, narrow habit, glossy foliage, and large pure white semi-double flowers with a centre of yellow stamens. Suitable for the middle of a bed, it grows to a height of about 1.8 meters.
Grass selections this spring will be more varied than ever, some varieties with distinctively smoky shades. I saw Blood Brothers Switch Grass (a Panicum virgatum variety) for the first time last summer and was struck by its green-blue leaves that had tips with blood-red tones. With an attractive vase shape and height of 130 cm suitable for the back of your shrub or flower bed, Vanstone says that this attractive grass will produce sprays of small reddish flowers that develop into tan seedheads by late fall.
Vanstone says that Red October Bluestem (Andropogon Gerardii) is an outstanding ornamental grass that is hardy to zone 3. In spring, the narrow leaves are deep green with red highlights. By fall the red increases, deepening to burgundy. Seed heads also have shades of red.
I admit I’ve been waiting for Hot Rod Panicum Virgatum, a compact switch grass (90 to 120 cm) said to have the earliest developing purple colour, turning fully burgundy during the summer. Discovered by Canadian gardener Dale Smith as a sport of Heavy Metal grass near St. Thomas Ontario, Hot Rod may not be fully hardy to our growing zone. Still, it’s sometimes possible to identify a micro-climate in the home landscape that provides some extra protection. Brian Heembrock, sales manager for Aubin Nurseries, says that Hot Rod will be available by mid-summer in limited quantities.
Heembrock says that Smoke Signal Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is another selection with a different look. Blue-green foliage takes on scarlet tones in late summer before turning a deeper purple in fall. Tan seedheads provide good contrast.
What about the front of the border? For a splash of colour, Totally Tangerine Avens (geum) forms a low mound of coarse, fuzzy green leaves with tall branching stems (60 to 75 cm) with large blooms in bright apricot to tangerine. Bell says that Jeffries is carrying it for the first time this year. It’s supposed to be a fairly abundant bloomer and is hardy to zone 4. Moisture needs are average to moist. Mulch in fall and remove any dead leaves.
Looking for something to tuck into a small space? Curly Fries Hosta is the 2016 Perennial Hosta of the Year. At only 15 cm tall and 40 cm wide, its bright chartreuse leaves are extremely narrow with rippled edges. Colour is brightest if planted in an area that receives morning sun. For hot, dry spots at the front of the border, there is new Sedum Firecracker, a burgundy-red stonecrop that thrives in full sun.
Whether you are looking for replacements or new additions this spring to your garden beds, there will be no shortage of interesting choices.
colleenizacharias@gmail.com
Renovation & Design
Drain cleaning likely cure for offensive odour
I have a question about a sewer and drain smell issue. I have a front-loading washing machine in the basement that drains into the sewer with a trap. It’s about 10 feet from the stack that goes to the roof. Above it, on the main floor, is the kitchen sink and a dishwasher that all drain into the same drain and are connected to the same stack. I get a constant odour from the kitchen sink drain. Sometimes, much worse than other times. And my front-loading washing machine in the basement always has a sewer odour. The inside of the dishwasher does not have this smell. I leave the washing-machine door open when not in use.
The drain was backing up last year a little into the basement laundry sink when the washing machine drained, so I had the drain Roto-Rootered, but it didn’t seem to help the odour problem. The problem has existed for many years now. It is slowly getting worse. If I pull the washing-machine drain hose from the drain pipe it has a black slimy residue on it. Is there a solution to the stinky drain issue?
I’d appreciate any feedback.
John Fehr, Southdale
Answer: Sometimes there are issues or systems within our homes that seem to be connected, but in reality are not. Complaints of odours coming from drains in homes are common, but not nearly as frequent as those from front-loading clothes washers. These annoyances may be similar in nature, but are actually unrelated, and I will address both and suggest what can be done to improve at least one.
The problem with your smelly sink drain may be caused by one or more of several mistakes made in the drain installation, or simply excess debris in the pipes. During my normal daily home inspections I regularly see drains under sinks that are installed improperly or with poor workmanship. This ranges from complete screw-ups with missing traps or venting to improperly sloped pipes. S-traps are all too common and can cause siphoning of the water from the trap. This potentially dangerous mistake can allow sewer gases to enter the living space, rather than harmlessly venting out the roof of the home through the top of the stack. The strong sewer odour in a situation like that is often, but not always, preceded by a gurgling noise in the drain. If you hear that noise immediately after the sink has completely drained of water, call a plumber to come and reconstruct the drains or install an approved air-admittance valve for venting.
If you do not hear anything unusual during the draining of your kitchen sink, and if you smell the odour whether the sink has been recently used or not, you may have nothing more than excess debris in the drain pipes. Most sink drain trap assemblies should be removable, or have drain plugs at the bottom of the semi-circular portion. After placing a bucket under the trap, remove the assembly, or unscrew the plug cover, and empty or scrape out any junk stuck inside. You may be amazed at the amount of accumulated smelly, mouldy, black goo that winds up in your bucket. If it smells similar to what you have complained about, then the mystery may be solved. Rinsing out the trap completely, and scraping any additional crap out from the accessible portion of the drain downstream of the trap, may end the problem after it is reassembled and filled with clean water.
If you have a food disposal, often called a garburator, that may be another source of trapped, rotting material that can have a foul smell. After turning off the circuit breaker that powers the unit, reach inside the top of the disposal with a dull implement, or your hand, and pull out anything that may be stuck inside. Often, things can become wrapped around the grinding mechanism, which have to be manually dislodged. After clearing this out, fill up the top with dish soap and water and let it stand for a few minutes before flipping the breaker back on and running the unit for several minutes with the hot water flowing. If neither of these solutions provides adequate relief, calling an experienced, licensed plumber to review the situation is in order.
Just the fact the washing machine periodically backs up into your laundry sink tells me the plumbing drains for those two fixtures may be poorly or improperly installed. That could also occur if they are draining into old cast iron or galvanized drain pipes that are corroded, or if your main sewer is partially blocked by tree roots outside the home. Ensuring these drains are properly installed, with proper traps, venting and correctly sloped drainpipes, may solve the back-flow issue but will not likely end the stinky washer problem. That, unfortunately, is an inherent design flaw with many of these otherwise excellent appliances.
Because front-loading washing machines have to be extra-well-sealed to prevent leakage while operating, they have double- or triple-folded gaskets on the door. The folds in these gaskets not only prevent a serious leak, they also trap moisture and soap bubbles after the washing cycle has finished. Even with the integral slots cut in this gasket to drain this water, and leaving the door open when not in use, mould frequently will grow on wet, soapy residue left behind. A partial solution to this is, recommended to me by a very experienced appliance repair technician for my own washer, is to jam a small towel under the folds to absorb the excess water, after use. This should be done after using the towel or rag to wipe the inside of the entire gasket after a normal wash cycle.
Assuming both of your stinky plumbing issues are related may be natural, but in this case is not the truth. Cleaning or repairing the drains under your kitchen or laundry sinks may be all that is needed to stop those offensive odours, but has nothing to do with the design-related, mouldy smells coming from your washer, which must be treated in a different manner.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Use pillowcase to clean ceiling fan blades
Question: Please give me an easy solution for cleaning the dreaded ceiling fan blades in my home. T.J., Mitchell
Answer: Clean your ceiling fan in less than 30 seconds. Dampen a pillowcase. Leaving the ceiling fan blades in place; slide one of the blades inside the pillowcase. Pull the pillowcase towards you, the dust remains inside the pillowcase instead of flying all over the room. Repeat for remaining blades.
Question: What is the best way to clean oven vent covers? Marie, Winnipeg
Answer: For extremely greasy vent covers: Boil them in a stainless steel pot filled with half cup baking soda and enough water to cover the metal. Boil 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat. For mildly greasy vent covers wash in the dishwasher.
Question: I am preparing to move back to my cottage for the season. Do you have any tricks for reaching and removing spider webs on the ceiling? David, Winnipeg
Answer: Here is a very easy solution for you. Using a rubber band, attach a clean sock to the end of the handle of a broomstick. Run the broomstick along ceiling edges to pick up spider webs. Toss the sock into the wash.
Feedback
Re: Cleaning Oven
Dear Reena,
I cannot thank you enough for the tip about cleaning oven racks; it is the one cleaning job I hate. I followed your instructions last night and I now have five beautiful clean racks. My family thanks you. Now I will never dread my oven racks again.
— Mary
Re: Cleaning Baking Sheets
Dear Reena,
In order to keep my baking sheets looking new I sprinkle them with baking soda. Next I pour three per cent hydrogen peroxide onto the sheets and scrub them. Even though they are over 10 years old, they look brand new.
— Dani
Tips of the week
I work in an office and my feet are always cold. I tried taking a heater to work, but my feet stayed cold. Now I place a heating pad under my feet and whenever I am cold I turn the pad on and place my feet on top.
— Lacey
I make the best air freshener. Take a spray bottle and fill one quarter with liquid fabric softener and one tablespoon of baking soda. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Spray the air in your home, clothes and furniture. Works just as well as commercial brands.
— Carl
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Need a Presenter on the topic: Effective Speaking or The Power of Words? Check out: Reena.ca
Renovation & Design
Basement telepost adjustment best left for the pros
QUESTION: I came across an article you wrote for the Winnipeg Free Press about tightening teleposts, so I thought that I would send you a question. I have two types of teleposts in my basement. One type has no visible nut, but a threaded shaft with a flattened section. The other type has what looks like an adjustable nut.
These are in a new home. I was told to turn the shaft nut counter clockwise to tighten, to make sure there are no gaps between the plate and beam. However, when I turned the shaft with the flattened section, using an appropriate wrench, I found that I was loosening the telepost, as there was a gap between the plate and beam. I quickly tightened the post going clockwise, returning it to its original position. I did not touch the other telepost, the one with nuts. Did I misinterpret the instructions to go counter-clockwise?
Answer:
Physical adjustment of teleposts can be a fairly straightforward job, well within the talents of many homeowners. However, knowing how to properly proceed without causing structural or cosmetic damage to the home is often best left to professionals. The direction and amount of adjustment may be a bit of a mystery, but critical measurements done prior to starting will be the key to a proper job. Teleposts are normally round or square steel tubes, with an integral adjustable threaded rod at one end, installed as columns under beam in our homes. The function of these vertical posts is to transfer the weight of main beam, and therefore the house floor system, to a portion of the house foundation. That part of the foundation is usually either poured concrete footings or deep concrete piers (piles).
Because of this fundamental structural function, any major issues with these inexpensive components may cause serious movement or damage to the home.
Adjusting a telepost may appear to be as simple as putting a wrench on a portion of the threaded rod and tapping it with a hammer until it rotates.
In reality, rotating these too quickly, or in the wrong direction as in the first question above, can cause the floor to rise or fall suddenly. In your new home, the larger teleposts with the nut on the threaded end of the post, are often used when placed over a pile. If your home does have piles under the foundation, there may be no need to touch the teleposts, ever. Unless there is significant shrinkage in the beam, floor joists or other supporting lumber, adjusting this will not be required.
These larger posts are also common when supporting an extra large beam, where a greater span is seen between supports. It is possible that there are footings under these heavy duty posts, but less likely. If there are footings under the teleposts, with our soil conditions, periodic adjustment will be required.
The first thing to determine is if your home is built on piles or footings.
Asking the builder, looking at the plans (if available) or calling the municipal zoning office to review their copy of the plans will yield the answer. If that is the case, don’t touch your teleposts unless they become loose. In that situation, rotating them until they are once again snug under the beam is all that is required.
Determining the direction or proper rotation will be a no-brainer in that unlikely situation. Otherwise, ignore the extremely bad advice given to you and leave well enough alone.
If it is determined that your home is built on footings, adjustments to the teleposts will be required within the first few years after possession. This will also apply to your older home in the second (unprinted) inquiry, which appears to have older wooden posts modified to act like teleposts.
In most homes on footings in our area, teleposts must be lowered over time to compensate for settlement in the perimeter foundation. In other words, the foundation and home is heavier at the perimeter than in the middle, so it normally sinks more in those areas than under the middle of the floor. Teleposts have to be gradually lowered to match that rate of settlement. Standard teleposts are lowered by turning the threaded rod so that it threads into the top of the column, rather than out of it. That is why using terms like clockwise and counter clockwise, or right and left, can be confusing.
The real key to doing telepost adjustments is determining how much the home has settled relative to the footings under each post. This requires measurements than can vary between being simple in an open, unfinished basement, to extremely complex in a basement with many partition walls or multiple beams. An experienced contractor or structural engineer should be consulted to do these measurements, to determine which direction and how far to go with each individual telepost, before any attempts are made.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
