Gardening teaches patience, persistence, and flexibility. The “Capital G” Garden will never be done, since it is in a constant state of becoming, but necessary tasks just haven’t gotten done during what has been a busy and challenging year. I did what I could to at least spend some time enjoying my happy place – and I hope you can too through this post.
After deciding to replace our gas-powered tank water heater with an electric tankless model, it took us about six months to actually make it happen. The process was reasonably easy and cheaper than it would have been otherwise, thanks to my husband’s DIY skill set. Now I’m thrilled that our hot water is coming to us thanks to renewable energy, not fossil fuels.
Many people associate monosodium glutamate (MSG) with Chinese food, but it’s actually in a lot of what we eat, whether it is added to processed foods or naturally occurring in more umami foods, like cheese, fish, and mushrooms. While it gets a bad rap, recent studies indicate that it’s probably not the villain it has been painted to be over the years.
Since I had purchased far too many plants to get in the ground before leaving town for a few weeks, I turned to a tool that might help me work smarter, not harder: the garden auger. As long as your garden’s soil is reasonably conditioned (i.e. not solid clay), using an auger is an excellent way to move your gardening project forward faster than ever.
Love it or hate it? Rose of Sharon is an oft-planted ornamental shrub, but it is considered invasive in Pennsylvania. The original bush planted by our home’s previous owners has allegedly colonized our neighbor’s yard and is now trying to expand further into ours. Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out how to get rid of it before it annexes any more territory.
Once I got around to demolishing the dilapidated fence around our back porch, I knew I had to get rid of it in a responsible way. Landfilling is about as antithetical to “responsible disposal” as I can imagine, but because of the chemicals in pressure treated wood, there aren’t many better alternatives. The real key is making informed choices about whatever replaces it.
Once we removed my tree, Christian was able to rebuild the retaining wall in our driveway. I learned a lot about the process, which will be useful as more of our walls need assistance. I’m also trying to figure out what to put in the hole left by my tree, but there are a lot of factors to consider for wall and plant health.
As Pittsburghers, we have a lot of retaining walls on our property, and we knew it was only a matter of time before we would have to repair one. Last year our driveway wall was compromised by a tree I loved very much. In order to replace the wall and ultimately protect the foundation of the house, I had to make a hard decision.
Probably the only thing that makes me retreat indoors during summer is mosquitoes. I can handle heat and rain in high quantities, but once I become a buffet, I’m ready to call it quits. Mosquitoes aren’t just annoying; they can carry serious diseases. There are a number of natural solutions to help keep these pests away if you’re looking for an alternative to synthetic repellents.
About a year ago, we finally weatherized our attic. Many people know that weatherization includes air sealing and insulation; many people do not know that those things have to be done in a very specific way in order to work… and the previous owner of our house was not one of those people. Doing the job wrong is ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.