Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Save money by gardening on the cheap
HOW can you save money gardening this year?
Well, all it takes is a little thought and ingenuity and you can save a bundle.
In Britain last year, a survey of 1,000 people found that 26 per cent were saving as much as $400 a year by growing their own fruit and vegetables. Most of the respondents said they were doing it more for fun than to save money.
B&Q, the United Kingdom's largest outdoor goods retailer, reported that as a consequence of this attitude, sales of vegetable seed have rocketed by 27 per cent.
Growing your own food can indeed save you money, but you have to remember it always requires time and energy; you might put a price on that and decide the savings are not so impressive.
Still, growing your own food is definitely an option worth considering.
Here's my pick of ways you can save money by, dare we say, gardening on the "cheap."
Divide and conquer
Why buy more plants when you can divide ones you already have to fill empty spaces?
Lift your shasta daisies, echinacea, hostas, hardy geraniums and rudbeckia, and slice clumps into pieces.
You can fill all those dead spaces for nothing.
Go for seeds
Grow your own plants from seed. Marigolds, petunias, lobelia, alyssum, salvia, snapdragons and nicotiana are all easy to grow in a pot plonked on the top of the fridge.
Or you can simply sprinkle half-hardy annual seeds such as sweet peas and California poppies directly into the garden.
Shop for bargains
You can often find smaller family-owned cottage nurseries which are able to sell plants, particularly summer bedding plants, for less because they raise them from seed in their own greenhouses. Garden centres often have to mark up prices to cover their higher operating costs.
Do it yourself
You certainly can save money by doing your own landscaping. Do your research and you can often do simple projects like installing a brick patio or a small retaining wall.
Plant more carefully
One of the best ways to save money gardening is to think more carefully about what you plant where.
Plants often die or get diseases that require spraying when they are planted in the wrong place.
Remember the gardener's mantra: right plant, right place
Instead of impulsively buying what jumps out at you at the garden centre, first walk your garden, identify the conditions of the places where you want to plant, and then go shopping for plants that will thrive in those specific locations.
Invest in better tools
It can be expensive having to keep replacing basic tools such as a trowel or pruners because they break after only a few months of use.
Spend a little more on a quality tool that will last for years and you will save a lot of money over its lifespan.
Join a garden club
This shouldn't, of course, be your prime motive for joining a garden club, but the fact is you often get plants for free or get to buy them at a discount when you are a member of a club. Many clubs also place bulk orders and get a break on the price. It's worth considering. In addition, you learn everything we have been talking about above and more.
-- Postmedia News
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Pour vinegar in tub to help clean out jets
QUESTION: Thank you for all the great tips. Today I have both a tip and two questions.
My tip: When cleaning your tub or shower, spray it with cleaner and wipe it down while wearing a pair of dollar-store exfoliating gloves. These gloves are inexpensive, reusable and have just enough roughness to clean the scum but not scratch your tub or shower.
My first question is: My Jacuzzi tub is seldom used and I'm concerned there could be scum in the jets, which would then flow out into the bath water the next time the tub is used with jets on. How do I clean the jets in my tub?
My next question is: My pale blue towels seem to have taken on a yellowish tone in the centre area. How can I get them back to one uniform pale blue colour? Thanks again for the great advice you continue to give. Lorrie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Thanks for the great tip Lorrie. Clean the water jets in your jet tub by pouring between 8-16 cups of white vinegar into the bathtub. Add enough water to cover the jets. Begin spraying action and run for one or two minutes. Your tub should be ready for some good old-fashioned rubber duckies and you.
The towel situation does not sound good. Without seeing the fabric, my guess is that either due to bleach products or a manufacturer's defect, the dye is permanently gone. Your best be is to re-dye the towels using Rit dye, however Rit dye does not always pick-up bleached areas.
QUESTION: I do hope you can help me. I have a white jacket that is washable and I tried to wash it, but all that happened was it floated on the top of the washer. The label says it is 100-per-cent polyester (lining) and 50-per-cent down feathers. I've tried pushing it down and it still wants to float on the top, so of course it is not coming clean to my satisfaction. I had no idea this would be such a nightmare when I purchased it. Again Reena I do hope you can come to the rescue. Thank you so much Sylvia (St. Andrews)
ANSWER: Celebrate, if your care label says "washable" because you will save yourself a lot of money with this home-cleaning method. Just follow the three R's (remove, room, rest and rest). OK wait; make that the four R's. Remove: Take off all fur or leather trim. Room: Give your jacket lots of space to move in the water. Wash your jacket by itself on the machine's gentle cycle. No bleach, just detergent and if your machine has an agitator then it's better to wash it by hand in the bathtub. I usually put weights (i.e. one white brick) on feather textiles when I am handwashing to keep them submerged in the water.
Rest: Not you, the jacket! Take the jacket out of the washing machine and either dry it by hanging it or in the dryer (no heat) to fluff it up and bring back the puffiness. Rest: Put your feet up and eat chocolate.
Fabulous Tips of the Week
-- I love my bananas but not overripe ones. Well, I came across a tip and it really works. When you buy 'somewhat' green ones from the store, separate them and a few days later they will be yellow and kind of ripe, but inside fairly firm. Thanks for listening to me. Gramma "Bev"
-- I recently read your solution for a badly burnt pan. Something that works really well is lemon juice. Just pour lemon juice into the pan and put it on the stove to heat up. As it is heating, use a heat-proof spatula or lifter and start scraping. As you scrape, the black stuff just starts to lift. A couple of years ago, my mom had a very black, burnt copper bottom pan she was using. I tried the lemon juice trick and soon the pan was good as new! Dianne
-- I really enjoy your column in the Free Press. Yesterday, I got a brilliant idea... well, I thought it was brilliant. Both my husband and I are in our 70s and it's a bit difficult for us to get down on the floor. We had to kneel down to read the serial number on our stove (to have it repaired). To get that number, one has to pull out the drawer at the bottom of the stove. The sticker is right there, on the right. But being able to read it, especially with bifocals, required some major efforts on our part. We did it, and after we were done, my brain clicked in -- I have a cellphone with a camera and it just requires one of us to bend over and click a photo. If it doesn't work, erase and do another one or use a digital camera. Plus, if numbers had been difficult to read, we could have transferred the photo to our computer. I'm going to use this trick next time something rolls under the bed! Thanks again for what you do. Lilianne
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
Renovation & Design
The colour purple is hotter than ever
Dear Marc:
We are in the process of having our family room remodelled. The contractor has already started taking out a few walls to build a bigger open area. I have been flipping through magazines and watching design shows to try to find ideas for neat colour schemes to use in my new family room. The painters are coming in a few weeks and I'd like to have the colours chosen for them. What are some great colour combos I could use? -- Sandy
Dear Sandy:
Colours are what tie a room together. Whether it's a soft taupe on a wall contrasted with deep-purple florals on the side table, colours in a room work together to create unity among the design elements in the space. I've compiled some colour schemes that are a must-have for any homeowner looking to design or renovate her space in 2011.
* Purple is one of the hottest colours of 2011. It has been lingering in design trends for a few years, so most designers thought it was going to be outdated this year. That is not the case. Purple is here to stay and it's hotter than ever. The shades of purple to look for vary between bright purple to deep grey-infused purples. Some great examples include: Garden Plum (P5096-85) and Fashion Girl (P5194-63) by Para Paints
* Grey is the new taupe. Taupe used to be the colour of choice for designers and homeowners alike. Those who wanted to design neutral colour schemes used taupe as their neutral and built their colour schemes from there. In 2011, the trends are shifting away from taupes and going in the direction of greys. We see greys in dark and light shades. The lighter shades are used as main wall colours and the darker shades are used as accent walls or accessory colours. One of my personal favourites is Guys Night (P5248-73) by Para Paints, which works perfectly as an accent in a "guy space."
* Blue was a popular colour last year, and is still used as an accent colour for 2011. Popular shades this year include bright sky blues, such as Church Tops (P5007-62D) by Para Paints, grey-infused blues, such as Starless Sky (P5155-62) by Para Paints, and blue-greens, such as my personal favourite, Rocky Crest (5104-73) by Para Paints. Blues makes a great accent colour, and the colour promotes a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Some cultures even believe it promotes human metabolism. Blues, depending on their shade, can be paired with many colours such as grey, taupe, purple, yellow and green.
* Yellow is a very happy colour, reminding us of sunny summer days, where the blue sky contrasts with the yellow rays of the sun. This year, yellow appears in many shades, from sunny to golden yellows. The sunny yellows are paired with sky-blues, vibrant purples, and deep greys. The golden yellows, however, are paired with more traditional taupes and chocolate browns. Whatever your taste, bringing sunshine into your space is sure to create a vibrant, attractive atmosphere. Some of my personal favourites include Golden Rod (P5058-83D) and Bean Bag Toss (P5049-42) by Para Paints.
* Red is the colour of passion. While not at the front of 2011 trends, I believe it still makes a wonderful accent colour in a designer space. As with any passion that must be expressed in moderation, the same can be said for the colour red. It makes a great accent wall colour, but a fire-truck-red room might be a little much. Rather than overwhelming the eye, it's best to balance such a bold colour with a more soothing colour, such as grey or taupe. Some of the popular shades of red steer toward pinkish reds and corals, such as Assert Yourself (P5080-63) and Fireside (P5076-63) by Para Paints.
Pairing vibrant colours is a great way to bring a dull space back to life. Don't be afraid to be bold and different. Design is about exploring how our surroundings affect our everyday lives.
-- Postmedia News
