WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018
Preparing to get Dirty The snow is on the way out, temperatures are starting to rise — time to garden, and these are some of the tools you’ll need By Christopher Baldus Stock Images
Sand wastes little time, its grit sliding through your fingers. Clay, smooth to the touch, resists until it splits into clumps. But, dark, rich, loose garden soil rolls over your hands, leaving a shadow of its embrace. That feeling of pressing your hands into the soil is a joy Therese Manggaard looks forward to. Losing that experience would be a shame said the master gardener when she was asked about adding gardening gloves to the collection of tools a new gardener should gather to get started. “Get your hands dirty,” she said,
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This article was featured in the March-April edition of Austin Living magazine.
and she shared these top five pieces of gardening gear for gardeners already looking ahead to the new growing season. Beyond the tools, Manggaard also suggests you wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect yourself from the sun and cancer down the road. She encourages everyone to garden, but not because of the good food. There is more to it than that. “Most people think of gardening as a means of eating well,” she said. It does so much more for you in terms of stress relief and exercise. It offers you something to look forward to each day, whether that is seeing the sprouting of your carrots or feeling the sensation of loose soil over your hands.
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN
What you will need for the garden 1. A Triangle-Shaped Hoe
This style of hoe is ideal for cutting furrows for seeds and removing weeds in the rows, Manggaard said. She has tried other types of hoes, but the flat or open-faced tools are prone to cutting weeds rather than lifting them out. Cut weeds will grow right back.
2. Garden Shears
You’ll want a pair of shears that are designed to spring back open after you engage the blades, otherwise your hand is going to get pretty tired, Manggaard said. These shears are valuable in the garden as you need to trim away weak parts of plants that drain energy from the best producing vines. This tool is also valuable outside the vegetable garden when is comes to pruning shrubs, dead-heading flowers and the like.
3. A Garden Rake
It’s difficult to improve on a classic design, although a peek into patents by the online journal “Atlas Obscura” shows that in 1894, Edmund Brown sought a patent for what he describes as “an automatically clearing attachment for iron tooth door-yard rakes.” When you pick the rake up, the attachment is supposed to push off leaves and debris. While that didn’t really take off, the garden rake is a workhorse. “You need this for leveling the soil and breaking up clumps,” Manggaard said. Nice, worked up soil helps greatly with seed germination and strong healthy plants.
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN
4. A Regular Spade Shovel
You could go with one of those short spade shovels — the ones with a handle on top and reach only to about the midsection of an average man. However, you likely will regret not getting a long-handled spade when you are trying to dig out a stubborn rogue shrub or weed that is in the way of your garden. “You are going to want the leverage of a long shovel,” Manggaard said. A long shovel will serve you better also if you need to turn over and prepare your garden soil by hand. She recommends getting your hands on a good rototiller for this task, but just in case, a shovel will do the job. She advises to drink a lot of water, if you do that job.
5. A Hose with a Sprinkler Head
OK, that’s two things, but together they will help you evenly water your garden. Manggaard suggested getting the sprinkler head that sprays like a shower head. You need to water your garden, but don’t overdo it, she said. A rule of thumb for watering your garden is to give it an inch a week. You don’t necessarily need to water each day. If it is too damp that encourages shallow roots. Plants do better if their roots need to push deeper to get water.
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Photo by Jim Kruger/Steve Herder. Landmark Photography/Herder Photography
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD  SPRING HOME & GARDEN
3 Major Home Renovations that are Worth the Effort By State Point Media
Building a new home? Overhauling an existing one? Here are three renovation ideas that will add beauty and value.
Expand Your Living Space
Don’t let that basement sit unfinished and unused. Substantially expand your home’s livable areas by turning your attention to the bottom floor. Finishing a basement is an involved project, potentially requiring electrical and plumbing work, insulation, drywall and more — but the end result is worth the effort and expense. What’s more, some of the less technical aspects of this renovation could even be DIY-ed. Before getting started, consider what type of space would most benefit your household long-term. You may even be able to recoup some cost of the investment. For example, turning your basement into an at-home fitness center means ditching the costly gym membership. Want to reduce time and money on your commute? Your basement may just make an ideal home office.
Add a Focal Point
Is your interior design in need of a little something? The right eye-catching elements can make a room pop while adding vitality to
your living spaces. A fireplace, for example, adds ambiance and comfort while also creating a natural gathering space. What’s more, new models pair the charm of a traditional open-front fireplace with the design flexibility of gas models. The Phoenix TrueView from Heat & Glo offers the convenience of gas without the glass, giving homeowners an unobscured view of the flames against the traditional brick or fade-resistant reflective black glass liner. An optional Bluetooth speaker system allows one to hear the fire as well as see it — making it a focal point for the ears as well as the eyes.
Boost the Backyard
If you find that your household spends very little time in the backyard, figure out why. Is there a lack of shade? Are there not enough places to sit? Take a poll so you can diagnose the problem and take steps to correct it. Consider also how to make this space usable for a larger portion of the year, such as adding a fire pit or an enclosed, heated patio. Lastly, consider aesthetics. A bit of landscaping can make your backyard as visually appealing as your home’s interiors. This season, consider the renovations that will go furthest to boost your home’s livability, beauty and value.
The outside of the home can say just as much as the inside. Metro Creative image AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN
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Tips to protect birds in your yard and garden By State Point Media
One of the best parts of backyard living in the warmer months is all the potential for bird watching that comes with it. You may have even installed a birdfeeder in your garden in an attempt to attract more birds to your property. But did you know, your home poses dangerous risks to the birds that visit your yard and garden? Window strikes are common among many species of migrating birds, and millions of wild birds are killed annually flying into windows. Whether you are an avid amateur ornithologist or just a casual observer of feathered friends in flight, by taking precautions your home need not be part of the problem. Take advantage of the fact that birds can see certain light frequencies that humans cannot to make windows visible to birds in a way that won’t obstruct your own view. Doing so can be a simple home project completed in just an afternoon. Try applying UV decals and UV liquid to your home’s windows and sliding glass doors. Those from WindowAlert, for example, have been proven to effectively alter the flight path of birds to prevent window strikes. While the coating will look like etched glass to the human eye, it will look very visible to Spencer Schock a bird. As UV reflectivity may fade over time, it’s important to WindowAlert founder replace the decals and liquid every four months. Application techniques can be found by visiting WindowAlert.com. “Turning your home into a refuge for birds is a simple way to save lives and protect the creatures that beautify your yard and, in the case of hummingbirds, pollinate your garden,” says Spencer Schock, founder of WindowAlert. Schock also recommends planting trees, shrubs and flowers that provide birds with nourishment and shelter, as well as paying attention to pet cats when they are outdoors, to ensure they don’t hunt the birds that visit. This season, be a better friend to birds by taking a few simple measures in your home and garden.
“Turning your home into a refuge for birds is a simple way to save lives and protect the creatures that beautify your yard ...”
Photo from Adobe Stock
A bird-friendly backyard can add another pleasant layer to property. Metro Creative image
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN
Don’t lose your shirt to high utility bills:
Some energy-saving laundry tips Austin Daily Herald
newsroom@austindailyherald.com
The typical U.S. household cleans and dries about 300 loads of laundry in a year, consuming a lot of energy in the process. Washers and dryers, along with refrigerators, are the biggest energy users among household appliances. Dryers use about 769 kilowatt hours (kWh) a year on average, while washers use 590 kWh and refrigerators average 596 kWh, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That means there is plenty of opportunity to reduce energy consumption, and save money, when doing your laundry. If your washer or dryer is 12-14 years old (the expected lifetime for those appliances) and starting to show its age, consider shopping for an energy-efficient ENERGY STAR replacement washer or dryer that will save you money over the long term. The Minnesota Commerce Department and U.S. Department of Energy also offer these energy-saving laundry tips:
Home owners can see a dip in their utiltity bills by following just a few simple steps when doing laundry. Metro Creative image
•Wash with cold water: Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, while using cold water will save even more. •Wash full loads: Your washer will use about the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load, so fill it up. •Dry right-sized loads for your machine: If the dryer is too full, it will take longer for the clothes to dry. •Air dry when you can: Hang laundry outside to avoid using the dryer altogether. •Clean the lint filter on your dryer: The dryer will run more efficiently and safely. •Use lower heat settings in the dryer: Even if the drying cycle is longer, you will use less energy and be less likely to over-dry your clothes. •Use the moisture sensor option if your dryer has one: Many new dryers come with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when clothes are dry. This will save energy and reduce wear and tear on your clothes. View more energy-saving laundry tips from the U.S. Department of Energy, or check out the Appliances section (pages 56-58) of the Minnesota Commerce Department’s Home Energy Guide (mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/home-energy-guide.pdf). AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN
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Taking an innovative approach to a kitchen can be transformative in updating the feel of the room. Photo provided by State Point Media
Innovative new looks for your kitchen renovation Renovating your kitchen? Think about making updates that will add beauty and functionality to one of the most important rooms in the house. Here are a few innovative new looks and ideas to consider including in your plans.
from neutral tones like gloss black and matte graphite, to custom statement colors like ultramarine blue or ruby red. Three trims — brass, bronze and chrome — give homeowners even more options when creating a look for the kitchen that is truly their own. For more information, visit ilveappliances.com.
Add Geometry
Get Cozy
Geometric tile designs can create a bold modernized look in your kitchen, whether you’re adding a backsplash or redoing the flooring. Get creative by adding a mosaic design as trim around the perimeter or as a central point of focus.
Create a lounge in your kitchen with some furniture that lets you kick back and relax. A nook that contains a loveseat or couch, along with a small bookshelf and side table, may become your new favorite place to look through cookbooks or read a few pages of a novel while you’re waiting for the dough to rise. If possible, create this area in a sunlit corner of the kitchen that’s convenient to where the main cooking action takes place, so that those giving the chef a little company will have a comfortable place to sit and chat with their host. Innovative new looks for your kitchen can transform the space into one that’s more functional and beautiful.
By State Point Media
Create Your Focal Point Enhance any kitchen with an impressive new range that combines the functionality and green energy features of a modern appliance with the charm of oldworld design. If you want an opportunity to tailor this look to your own specifications, consider those from ILVE. Known for their handcrafted Italian appliances,
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Metro Creative image
they have added even more ways to customize their ranges with a new, traditionally inspired solid door option for the ILVE Majestic Collection. Completely windowless, this model features a decorative country-style handrail on the oven door(s) and is available in a range of sizes and colors,
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD SPRING HOME & GARDEN