The Home News
Home & Garden
thespruce.com
1. Succulents
If you have a bright sunny windowsill in your kitchen, succulents are a great option. The term “succulent” describes plants that store water in various structures such as their leaves and/or stems, which makes them drought-resistant and generally lowmaintenance. There are hundreds of different types of succulents that come in a variety of stunning shapes, colors and sizes. Popular succulent species include echeveria, Haworthia, aloe vera, crassula, kalanchoe, sedum and more. Though most succulents are not toxic, note that kalanchoe and euphorbia succulents can be toxic to humans and animals.
Color varieties: Soft greens, pinks, purples, blues, blue-grays, deep purple or nearly black;
some show green and pink variegations; some grow reddish tips or margins
Sun exposure: Bright, indirect light but it depends on the succulent
Soil needs: Succulent or cacti potting mix
2.
Spider Plants
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the easiest houseplants to care for. They make excellent hanging plants and when they are happy, they flower and send out offshoots prolifically. Avoid placing a spider plant in direct light as it will cause the leaves to burn.
Color varieties:
Green foliage, sometimes striped with white Sun exposure: Bright, indirect sunlight
Soil needs: Loose, well-draining potting mix
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Nazareth Area
Garden Club
Monthly Meetings
March-Nov., Tuesday 7 p.m.
Dryland UCC • 4415 Newburg Rd., Nazareth
Featuring educational gardening-related speakers
Annual membership $25
Visitors always welcome!
Events
Annual Plant Sale May 31
Schoeneck Moravian Church from 9 am to 1 pm
Annual Flower Show Sept. 5 & 6
Schoeneck Moravian Church
FMI: 484-221-0047 or nagcinfo@gmail
Visit us on Nazareth Area Garden Club
4 houseplants that will Thrive in your kitchen
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3. Snake Plant
Snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata, previously Sansevieria trifasciata), also commonly known as "mother-in-law's tongue," are among the most popular houseplants, and for good reason. They come in different colors, shapes and sizes and are generally lowmaintenance. There's no need to take up valuable window space with these tropical plants—they do well in bright to low-light conditions. Snake plants are toxic to animals.
Color varieties: Deep green leaves with graygreen or golden-yellow stripes
Sun exposure: Bright, warm light but avoid direct sunlight
Soil needs: Sandy, well-drained potting mix
4. Rubber Tree
If you are looking for a large statement plant for your kitchen, rubber trees (Ficus elastica) are a great choice. These relatives of the fiddle leaf fig are adaptable to many growing conditions and can grow into fullsized trees in their native habitat. When grown indoors, regular pruning keeps their size and shape under control. Choose from several varieties of rubber trees for colors to match your kitchen's design. The plant is toxic to animals.
Color varieties: Emerald to dark green; variegated green, pink, gray, yellow and white
Sun exposure: Bright, indirect light
Soil needs: Fast-draining potting soil, such as one with perlite and peat moss or coconut coir
9 signs a fixer-upper is a money pit
1. Crooked Rooflines, Walls and Floors
When looking at a home, check for straight ceilings, walls, floors and rooflines. Any sagging or bowing could indicate an issue with structural elements. Check the roof or ridgeline before entering the home.
Crooked rooflines can also, but not always, be associated with other uneven structural elements like walls, ceilings and floors. Walls should be plumb without large cracks, bowing or leaning. Ceilings and floors should also be straight and flat. And beware of excessively uneven surfaces.
2. Water Intrusion Problems
Water can find its way into a home through a leaky roof, damp basement and compromised exterior siding. Once water gets in, it can lead to rotted wood, foundation issues, mold and insect infestations.
Some telltale signs include visible mold, water stains on the ceiling or walls, soft wood or the presence of insects. When inspecting a home, look to see if the ground grades away from the foundation. And be sure the roof is in good condition with proper gutter systems.
The integrity of the roof and siding should be closely examined during inspection. Look for missing siding, or cracks or holes in siding material.
3. Outdated Systems
An older fixer-upper may have many endearing features. But if the major electrical, plumbing and heating systems haven’t been modernized, it’s sure to be a money pit.
Old boilers and furnaces can also be expensive to update. Some signs to look for include water on the floor near the unit and loud noises during operation.
Cast iron pipes, low water flow and discolored water can all be signs of aging plumbing that’s also
costly to replace.
4. Roofing Issues
Aging roof shingles and leaking roofs can lead to moisture issues in the home and a different set of problems.
While a sagging roofline is easy to spot, a leaky roof isn’t. Roof issues can include a leaking chimney, moldy sheathing or new shingles installed over rotten sheathing. Visible signs in the attic can include mold or water stains on the sheathing. Look for water stains on the ceilings below, too. It’s costly to replace the roofing as well as remedy any secondary moisture issues.
5. Retaining Walls
Make note of any retaining walls on the property. They serve an important function, and need to be addressed if they show evidence of disrepair or failure. Signs include bulges, cracks and leaning away from the hillside. Repairing or replacing a failing retaining wall can be prohibitively expensive since it requires heavy equipment and possibly an engineer.
6. Driveways in Disrepair
If the home has an asphalt or concrete driveway, take a good look at it. If it’s failing, snow removal will be that much harder. Plus, they’re unsightly and detract from a home’s curb appeal.
For concrete driveways, look for large cracks and shifted panels that heave up or sink lower than the rest. For asphalt driveways, look for large areas of “spidering” (i.e. small cracks that connect to each other), sunken areas, large cracks, heaving or missing pieces.
7. Problematic Trees
Trees can offer many benefits to a home, but overgrown or diseased trees can be expensive to remove. Dead trees can be dangerous if they fall. Same with really tall softwood species like pine,
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9 signs a fixer-upper is a Money pit
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which can break easily in storms. Trees planted too close to a house can act as a highway for bugs to enter the home, or damage foundations or sewer lines with wandering roots.
8. Foundation Issues
Nothing says money pit quite like foundation issues. When viewing a fixer-upper home, look carefully in the basement for signs of problems. Also look around the exterior for possible causes of foundation issues, often caused by poor
drainage, which can result from a lack of gutters, downspouts discharging next to the foundation, or ground that doesn’t slope away from the house.
Water can displace or disrupt the soil supporting a foundation, leading it to shift and crack. These cracks then let in water and cause further damage. Depending on the extent of the damage, repairs can involve large construction equipment and a team of professionals with huge price tags.
9. Problematic Sewer Lines
A sewer main line connects a home’s drainage pipes to a municipal sewer system or septic tank, and these can be really expensive to repair or replace.
Because a main line is often found under the foundation and runs underground to the street or septic tank, detecting problems can be a challenge. Signs inside the home may include foul smells in the basement and multiple slow or backed-up drains.
However, sometimes there are no warning signs. Issues can only be detected through a sewer inspection, when a camera is sent down the line to check its condition.
Repair work requires yard excavation and possible removal of a portion of the basement floor to access the line. Sewer inspections are a separate service from home inspection, but most inspectors offer it.
In The Garden
Caterpillar
Handy hacks for steel wool Weekend
Home News Staff
From cleaning to DIY repairs to even home maintenance, steel wool is a must-have tool to keep handy.
Remove Tough Stains
If you need to remove tough stains from your windows, try spraying a spritz of Windex on the window and buffing the stain away with super-fine steel wool.
Clean Your Oven
Steel wool can be a great alternative to harsh oven-cleaning chemicals. After running the oven’s self-cleaning cycle, try using steel wool to remove any burnt debris and your oven will shine like new.
Clean Pans and Cookware
Steel wool is a great option to remove those stubborn stains from cooking on steel cookware. Simply soak your pots and pans, then use a steel wool scrubbing pad and watch those stains disappear.
Remove Crayon
If crayon marks “somehow” ended up on your wallpaper, you can use steel wool to remove them, but be sure to test a small area first.
Clean Rusty Tools
If you have rusty tools, simply grab a wad of steel wool to buff those tools and they’ll be good as new.
Remove Scuff Marks
If your vinyl floors have annoying scuff marks, just a few scrubs of steel wool on the floor should do the trick.
Fix a Loose Screw
If you are working with a screw hole that is too big, simply wrap a small amount of steel wool around the screw before driving it in to add some friction and hold the screw in place.
Sharpen Scissors
If your scissors are dull, you can actually sharpen them by cutting through steel wool.
Cleaning products to never mix
Home News Staff
Spoiler alert- avoid mixing bleach with anything other than water!
Bleach and Ammonia
Combining bleach and ammonia will produce chloramine vapors, which can be dangerous to the respiratory system, eyes and skin. You probably already knew this, however, you may be combining the two without even realizing it. For example, if cleaning a toilet bowl or cat litter pan with bleach; urine contains ammonia.
Moore Twp. Community Days Committee presents
Sunday, April 27
Doors open 11:30 a.m. Bingo starts 1 p.m.
Bleach and Vinegar/Acidic Cleaners
When bleach is combined with acidic cleaners like vinegar or toilet bowl cleaner, chlorine gas is produced. Some examples of acid-based cleaning products are glass/window cleaners, drain cleaners, oven cleaners and mold/mildew cleaners.
Bleach and Rubbing Alcohol
Combining bleach and rubbing alcohol can produce chloroform, which may cause dizziness and nausea.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar
Combining these two forms peracetic acid, which can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Do not mix these products in a spray bottle, and when using them separately, always use gloves.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
You may have used this combo in the past to clean a stinky or clogged kitchen sink, however, storing the two in an airtight container together can cause an explosion.
Different Types of Drain Cleaner
Prizes include plants, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, wheel barrels and more!
Prizes include plants, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, wheel barrels and more!
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If you’re in the middle of trying to unclog a drain and one type of drain cleaner just isn’t working, resist the urge to try a different type of cleaner. Different drain cleaners contain strong chemicals that vary by brand so combining them could result in toxic vapors or damage to your pipes.
What to know before Purchasing and installing A smart bird feeder
Home News Staff
Insulation
moving.com
Cost
Smart bird feeders are equipped with AI cameras so that anytime a bird lands for a snack, a picture is taken of the bird, and with the use of AI technology, it can even identify the bird species for you. All of the photos can then be viewed from an app on your smartphone. Sounds pretty cool, right? There are, however, some aspects of a smart bird feeder to be aware of before purchasing/ installing, such as durability, sun exposure, WiFi connection and more.
Let’s start with cost, since that’s definitely going to be one of the primary deciding factors when you’re choosing between single
Location, Location, Location
Where you place your bird feeder will impact
pane windows only have one they’re not as good as double insulating your home from temperatures. If you live with temperate weather, then opting to save money windows. However, if you’re noise and other external comfort of your home, you with double pane, though note that even a double pane to be able to completely noise and temperatures. Energy Efficiency through windows is 30 percent of a home’s usage. With that in mind, double pane windows, with insulation due to an extra pane of for a layer of insulating, good option for reducing reduction in heat gain and hundreds of dollars a year, the cost of purchasing and pane windows in the first
trees, making it harder for squirrels to climb.
layer of glass, they’re not as good as double pane windows at insulating your home from outside noises and temperatures. If you live somewhere quiet with temperate weather, then you may be just fine opting to save money with single pane windows. However, if you’re concerned about noise and other external factors affecting the comfort of your home, you should probably go with double pane, though it’s important to note that even a double pane window isn’t going to be able to completely block out all outside noise and temperatures.
When choosing a location for your bird feeder, make sure it will get direct sunlight throughout the day, for at least 4 hours a day, for proper solar charging.
Energy Efficiency
Heat gain and loss through windows is responsible for 25 to 30 percent of a home’s heating and cooling usage. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why double pane windows, with
Lastly, consider how far from your home the feeder is installed. If it is too far from your home, it will not pick up on your home’s Wi-Fi which will impact its effectiveness, depending
Single Pane Windows
Double Pane windows are pretty much newer homes, including new If you’re living in or have an older home though and been replaced recently, chance they’re single pane. and renovators have limited with, and need to decide if double pane windows are going
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8am to 5pm
A smart bird feeder
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Quality
When choosing a smart bird feeder, ensure the feeder is weather resistant so it can withstand rain, snow and extreme temperatures.
Considering the resolution of the camera will be very important. For instance, a resolution of 1080p or 2K will produce clear images and videos for your bird viewing.
A wide-angle lens will allow you to capture a larger area around the feeder, improving your chances of capturing quality bird photos.
Attract the Birds!
You may have chosen a great location for your feeder but you aren’t getting many bird visitors. Make sure the area is safe from squirrels and if there is water, that it is fresh and clean. You could also try placing bird seed on top of the feeder so it’s easier to spot when birds are flying past, and try different types of bird seed.
7 gardening hacks to make growing your garden a breeze this spring
1. Protect Seeds with Old Window Screens
To protect your seeds from birds outdoors, place an old window screen (with or without the frame) over your seed trays or pots. Weigh down all four corners with rocks, bricks, etc. Simply remove the screens once the seeds have germinated.
2. Make Biodegradable Seed Pots
Make no-cost biodegradable seed-starting pots using toilet or paper towel tubes cut into 2-inch lengths or paper egg cartons. Place the tubes or egg cartons on a waterproof tray and fill them with potting mix. Plant your seeds and water often to prevent the medium from drying out.
Once the seedlings are ready to be transplanted, plant the entire tube or egg carton section in the garden. Make sure that no part of the tube or carton sticks out of the soil, causing moisture to be drawn away from the plant.
3. Use a Storage Container as a Greenhouse
A large rectangular clear plastic storage container with a latching lid turned upside down makes a great outdoor greenhouse.
Choose a container that is large enough to fit a seedling tray or plug tray (24”x16”x7”) and drill a couple of ¼-inch holes on each side for ventilation.
Place the seedling tray on the lid and the storage bin on top.
Snap the latch shut so it does not blow away in the wind.
As daytime temperatures get warmer, unlatch the cover and leave the container askew so the inside of the “greenhouse” does not heat up too much. When the seedlings have nearly reached the top of the container, remove the top so you don’t obstruct their growth.
4.
Use Barbeque Skewers as Row Markers
Instead of buying special row markers for veggie planting, use wooden or bamboo barbecue skewers instead. They are sold in 100-count bags, work just as well, and are biodegradable. Consider using a wine cork stuck on top of the skewer to label your plants.
5.
Use Sections of Pipe to Protect Young Seedlings
Even if you properly harden off your seedlings, exposing them to the elements 24/7 in your garden can be tough on the tender plants.
To provide some protection from the sun and wind until the plant is established, cut a 4-inch PVC pipe into 5-inch sections. Gently push the pipe into the soil so it does not fall over. You can also use 4-inch plastic pots or plastic water bottles with the bottoms cut out around each seedling.
6. Place Cardboard Around Tomato Plants
The roots of tomato plants are close to the soil surface, so the more you weed around them, the likelier it is that the roots will get injured in the process. Covering the soil around tomato plants with large pieces of (mainly) unprinted, corrugated brown cardboard keeps weeds out and retains soil moisture.
Place the cardboard on the soil and cut a hole where you want to plant the tomato. The diameter of the hole depends on the seedling size, about 4 inches in diameter will slip over the root ball of most tomato seedlings.
Secure the cardboard with rocks, bricks or heavy-duty landscape fabric anchor pins.
Water the tomatoes at the base through the hole.
7. Paint Hand Tool Handles Neon
It’s easy to lose track of your hand tools while working in the yard. Paint the handles neon yellow, pink or orange so that they stand out more and are easier to find in the soil.
