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SECTION
NESDAY | JUNE 4 | 2008
Wednesday.September 27.2017 Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Fall home and garden checklist
BEFORE
BOOK YOUR SIDING PROJECT TODAY High-quality versetta stone, foundry shakes, windows and bellyboards Beautify, update the look and add value to your home
AFTER
WE DO: Siding Decks • Fences Flashing • Gutters Railings • Patio covers Awnings • Windows Doors • Soffits Green insulation •
604.483.2224 6801 Cranberry Street
644H49FHG
FALL HOME AND GARDEN
Ensure furnace is working efficiently and replace dirty filters Scrutinize and clean wood stoves, fireplaces and chimneys Make sure all fire extinguishers and smoke alarms work Discuss fire-exit plans with all family members Repair or fill cracks in driveways and walkways Investigate perimeter areas for possible insect infestations Inspect windows and doors and seal any gaps Inspect roof surface for damage, including vents and flashing Check for rotting trim and make sure house siding is intact Check gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage Probe sundeck for damage, including railings and stairs Prepare sprinkler systems and outdoor faucets for freezing weather Rake dead leaves and stockpile for backyard composting Aerate soil and fertilize fall and winter vegetables Add compost to garden beds to resupply nutrients Plant seeds that will thrive and flourish in cooler weather Plants autumn bulbs and potted perennials Place mulch around plants to suppress weeds and prevent freezing Bring plants indoors that cannot handle cold weather Clean, lubricate and sharpen garden tools
B2 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS Fall home and garden tips and advice
Indoor air quality in homes is a growing concern, especially at this time of the year. Most household dust contains contaminants that are circulated through central air systems. Air-duct systems can be cleaned by a professional, leaving your home fresh, clean and virtually contaminant-free.
TREVOR ANDERSON Aaron Service & Supply
Clear your roof, drains and gutters of loose debris and tree branches and invest in roof repairs when needed. A small problem now can lead to bigger problems in the winter.
WARD MORCAN
Nelson Roofing & Sheet Metal Just a friendly reminder to remove and drain all outside hoses this fall to help prevent damage and costly repairs from frozen water pipes in your home. If you forget, you might be calling a plumber in the spring.
DERRICK ALEXANDER Nice! Plumbing
When it comes to fall home improvement and maintenance, businesses in the Powell River area have homeowners covered. From preparing gardens and outdoors areas for rainy and cold weather to ensuring home perimeter and indoor maintenance is taken care of, store owners, managers, employees and trades professionals offer tips, tricks and ideas to protect and enhance what is, for most people, their most important investment: their home and property. Throughout the following pages, these local experts point out areas that require annual maintenance, suggest interior design upgrades and inform homeowners of options for improvements in a variety of areas, including repairing driveways and sidewalks and weatherproofing and protecting homes from vandalism and theft. Advice for winter gardening and keeping sundecks and patios in good condition will satisfy green thumbs and do-it-yourself-
ers, while suggestions for enhancing the look and feel of indoor spaces provide ideas for adding value to the home. Whether homeowners complete annual tasks or upgrades on their own or hire a professional for their expertise, taking the time to run through checklists, such as the one on page one of this guide, and making
sure all areas are managed and dealt with can lead to a warm, cozy and worry-free winter. In addition to advice from local business professionals, Powell River Regional District’s Let’s Talk Trash team presents their own ideas for composting yard waste, upcycling to avoid unnecessarily adding to landfills and how to deal
with construction and renovation waste. As temperatures drop over fall and winter months, more and more time is spent indoors. Ensuring a home is in tiptop shape before the change in weather not only potentially saves money, it also provides peace of mind and allows homeowners to dream of spring projects and outdoor activities.
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B3 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Cottage-style comfort
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS Upgrading your attic insulation will not only save on your winter heating bill, but keeps your house cooler in the summer by separating your attic heat from the living area.
With the arrival of fall and its chillier days, the desire to remain bundled up at home often starts to take over. Do you want to transform your interior into a comfortable and cozy space? Become inspired by cottage-style homes to infuse a touch of rustic appeal and warmth into your décor.
DAN AGIUS Modern
Varied textures To create a cozy nest, opt for throw pillows made of felt, faux fur or wool. Natural fabrics like linen and cotton are equally suitable. Furthermore, choose hardwood furniture and accessories to create a look that’s 100 per cent authentic. When it comes to walls and floors, do not hesitate to mix concrete, wood and stone. Finally, patternwise, plaid and jacquard are perfect for achieving that cozy cottage feel.
Warm colours v For a soft, soothing atmosphere that will make your home more inviting, opt for neutral shades inspired by nature. Prioritize muted tones such as white, beige, light grey, pewter or even black for walls, accessories and furniture. Additionally, consider including hints of forest green, burnt orange or dark red to add depth to your décor.
fortisbc.com/connectnow
DAN ROBINSON
Rural Septic Services
Soft lighting Indirect lighting (fixtures such as sconces that direct light upward to bounce off walls and ceilings) is the key to achieving a cozy ambience reminiscent of faraway ski chalets. Make sure to install dimmers to be able to adjust the brightness of the room to your liking. Also, add multiple candles and opt for fragrant varieties that smell like pine, cranberry or pumpkin and scatter strings of lights around the fireplace or
windows to bring a festive touch to the interior.
Hunting trophies What would an authentic cottage home be without game trophies on display? Decorate walls with faux animal mounts (deer, moose, bear, bison, et cetera) made out of wood, cardboard, metal or plaster for a perfectly rustic look and feel.
Energy efficient natural gas fireplaces, furnaces, hot water tanks, and more.
Any tree that can reach your house, power lines or parts of your property that you want to stay safe should be addressed. Prepare now because the storms are coming. Look up, because what’s up there could be coming down.
MIKE PIROZEK
Mike Pirozek Contracting
SPECIALIZING IN: Rock and sound-barrier walls Landscaping Trenching and more Working with every budget
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KEITH BROWN
Another fine fall in Powell River is upon us With heating season approaching, it is a good idea to request copies of trade qualifications from the technicians you have working in your home or business. I know you pay good money for nice work. Let’s have a safe and cozy season together.
EXCAVATING Commercial & Residential Fully insured
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Connect to Gas. Get up to $2,700 in rebates
If you can’t remember the last time you pumped your septic tank, it’s probably time to do it. If you ignore your tank it could lead to more expensive problems down the road.
B4 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
Taking the chill out of winter
For a complete but inexpensive way to keep out the winter cold, adding rubber foam strips around your door edges will create a tight seal. This will keep extreme temperatures from entering your home. You can also add a double-draft door sweeper. This simple weatherproofing piece slides on the bottom portion of your door to keep air from entering. For windows, putting film up over the window is more complicated, but it’s very effective. Use double-sided tape to hold the film in place while stretching it across the window. Use a hairdryer to heat up the film and shrink it so it’s tight across the window.
CHUCK KIRKPATRICK Rona Powell River
ALL LOCAL Professional and friendly service
Be sure to clean out your gutters as buildup will cause stress on corner sealants, weaken brackets and potentially rot your fascia boards. Check for areas on your gutters that need attention, caulking or sealant, as well as flashing and siding problems and nasty cable or telephone line screw holes. Also, deal with drainage problems or standing water in areas such as sundecks, sidewalks or driveways.
JOE HUETZELMANN
Home heating oil • Commercial cardlock
Joe Huetzelmann & Company
Heating oil tanks and service plans
Five innovative building materials The construction industry continues to use a variety of classic materials such as concrete, wood, brick and plaster to build the sturdy structures that populate our communities. However, scientists are working hard to develop more efficient, ecofriendly solutions for building the houses and buildings of tomorrow. Here are five innovative materials that have some serious potential: 1. Durable, lightweight bricks composed of cement and recycled paper. 2. Heat-sensitive cladding made with polymer gel that liquefies and solidifies according to ambient temperatures. 3. Self-healing bricks embedded with bacteria that excrete calcium carbonate to fill cracks and holes. 4. Translucent acoustic and thermal insulation panels made from nontoxic silica aerogel. 5. Gypsum board capable of absorbing volatile organic compounds for cleaner air.
Electrical upgrades • Renovations New construction
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B5 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Buying a fixer-upper
Buying a rundown house and renovating it is one way to get a home of your own at a great price. But before taking the leap, a few things should be taken into consideration.
Type of repairs needed Cosmetic repairs are easy to tackle and typically inexpensive, but two types of necessary renovations should give house hunters serious pause: structural and foundational. Issues in these two areas are costly and difficult (sometimes impossible) to overcome. For everything else (electrical, plumbing, roofing, et cetera), weigh the costs and amount of work involved to make a decision.
Sacrificing wants and needs
In addition to the time and money renovations demand, purchasing a home in need of repairs can mean living in less-than-ideal conditions (noise, dust, only one bathroom, et cetera) prior to and during the work. In addition, living in a construction zone can place a huge strain on relationships. Buyers should carefully consider what they are and are not willing to live with, even if only for the short term.
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
Renovation costs
When redecorating, always pick your furniture before you paint. You can buy a sofa that would work with one or two shades of grey, but there are a hundred shades of grey you can paint after you choose the sofa. You can always match the paint to the furniture, but some people unfortunately do it the other way around.
Even if buyers are prepared to do the repair work themselves, there will be expenses for equipment and materials. Less handy individuals will also need to budget for manpower. Expenses can add up quickly and a true bargain is not always easy to come by. Evaluate costs carefully to determine the true price tag of a home that needs repairs.
JAMIE HARDIE
West Coast Furniture
10 qualities to look for in a fixer-upper
For choosing paint colours, some of the best neutral paint choices are Decorator white, Stone Harbour and Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore. These colours are very simple, classic and a lovely beginning to a beautiful room.
1. A fair asking price 2. A great location in a desirable neighbourhood 3. A solid structure and strong foundation 4. An advantageous position on the lot 5. Neighbourhood walkability and ease of access to nearby services on foot 6. A layout that meets needs or can easily be modified to do so 7. Landscaping, or the potential for it, on the property 8. The right amount of space to accommodate you and your family 9. Charm and unique features 10. Reasonably priced taxes and fees
DEB VANDERKEMP
Pebble Beach Design
“
When purchasing plumbing fixtures, look for well-known name brands that replacement parts are readily available for.
JIM FORMBY
Pete’s Plumbing & Heating
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Construction and renovation waste
For all your concrete needs Floors • Patios Driveways • Sidewalks Coloured and stamped concrete Retaining walls
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For example: Concrete can be broken down and reused as the base for building driveways and footpaths. Asphalt paving can be crushed and recycled back into new asphalt for paved roads. Lumber, plywood, flooring and mouldings can be reused directly. Metals such as steel, aluminum and copper can be sold for scrap metal and reformed into new metal products. Recycling building components makes logical sense and reusing materials reduces the demand for new resources, cuts costs related to the production and transportation of new materials and eliminates the need to send
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BARN-STYLE DOOR: This repurposed door was made with scrap wood and a metal panel from what owners Jason Addy and Nola Poirier believe was an old piece of a wood stove. The sliders on the bottom were made from skateboard wheels and the handles are pieces of metal found in their yard in Stillwater. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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If you have ever done home renovations, or worked in the construction industry, you will have encountered challenges around construction and demolition waste (C&D). We do not have a salvageable building materials outlet such as a Re-Use-It Centre or Habitat for Humanity in Powell River. These niche facilities are needed as local thrift stores do not have the capacity to handle household renovation items such as clean wood, flooring, countertops, bathtubs, toilets and hardware. Locally, we rely mostly on the internet to make our trash someone else’s treasure. Currently, there is no provincial recycling program in place that mandates those who create C&D materials to pay for how the products are managed at the end of their lives. This leads to clean wood and other demolition materials entering our waste stream rather than being repurposed or recycled. Some materials have recycling markets in larger cities such as Surrey and Victoria, but these are not currently available in Powell River. Drywall, for instance, is a recyclable product if it was made after 1990 and you have documentation such as an inspection report to prove it does not contain asbestos. If your home or worksite was built from the 1950s through to the 1980s, there is a very strong likelihood that asbestos is in the drywall, which requires special handling and no mingling with other C&D discards. New drywall contains gypsum, which Accurate • Low-impact can be recycled indefinitely and is a valuUnderground Construction able resource. Many common construction www.CoastHydroExcavating.ca and renovation materials can be reused or recycled.
B7 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Let’s Talk Trash is Powell River Regional District’s waste-management education program.
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS For optimal durability and appearance of your newly installed hard surface floor, it’s essential to control the humidity levels in your home before, during and after installation. Flooring will expand and contract with changing humidity and temperatures, especially as we get into our wet, winter months. Optimal humidity levels for hard surface flooring in our climate is between 35 and 55 per cent and this can be measured with a thermal hygrometer.
Call for details and book your FREE in-home consultation.
KATE ROWLAND
Custom Flooring Centre
When appliances need to be repaired, homeowners should look at the cost of repair versus the cost of a new appliance. Consumer Reports says that the rule is if the cost of a repair is going to be more than half the cost of replacement, then it’s a good time to replace the appliance. There will be other factors as well, such as age of the appliance and whether it’s been reliable in the past.
CARL HAAKENSON
PR Appliance & Mattress
Custom Manufacturers of Quality Cabinets • Millwork 4562 Willingdon Avenue 604.485.4133 • Fax 604.485.7679 • Cell 604.483.6773 woodworks@shawcable.ca
If your heating system is more than 20 years old, you should seriously consider upgrading to a new high-efficient gas furnace or heat pump. If you have an electric furnace or baseboard heat and install a heat pump, your energy costs will be reduced substantially. Don’t wait for winter.
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For those residents who have solar systems and panels on their houses or cabins, make sureGoGreen to check the water level in the Wastewater batteries before the winter season. If you equalize your batteries four times a year, they will last twice as long.
ANDY VESTERING
Top of the Hill Solutions
end user
What’s circulating in your home’s air ducts?
source
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waste to landfills. If you are planning a homerenovation project and want to minimize your waste, try deconstruction over demolition by dismantling reusable items such as windows, flooring, plumbing fixtures, cabinets and counters. You will reduce your disposal cost and might even make money by selling your old sink online or through a garage sale. Instead of buying new, try transforming and repurposing leftover wood pieces and scrap metal into a one-of-akind feature in your home. Have to buy new? Look into environmentally sustainable building materials such as used rigid foam; insulation made from more renewable materials such as bamboo and hemp; insulation from shredded newspaper, jeans, or sheep wool; bricks made from waste plastic or mushrooms; concrete made from hemp and lime; or flooring made from sawdust and linseed oil (Marmoleum). Because we do not have a lot of C&D recycling options available locally, Powell River Regional District and City of Powell River have expanded the Trash Bash event to include some household items to mitigate backwoods dumping. Looking toward the future, our clean, sorted C&D waste can have a home at the proposed Resource Recovery Centre on Marine Avenue at the old incinerator site. For more information, go to powellriverrd.bc.ca and view the Solid Waste Management Plan update recommendations. It is time we deconstructed our idea of how we handle C&D waste.
604.485.0100
B8 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
TIRED OF PACKING PROPANE? SOLAR-POWERED DC FRIDGE
The best way to protect your property from theft and vandalism in the coming seasons is to install motion-activated lights. With the increase in current crime, having a light source in your darkest areas will deter anyone looking to do damage. A second layer of protection would be having a professionally installed camera system or intrusion system.
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When preparing a roadway, driveway or pathway, make sure to use a road base underneath as a good foundation prior to putting your selected aggregate on the top. If your driveway is planned and prepared properly, you can expect many years of trouble-free service from it.
Check our our selection of 70-250 cc gas-powered cycles and trikes
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For spectacular spring colour, fall is the time to plant your bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils and crocuses. This can be done anytime after Thanksgiving.
GINA DERKATCH
Springtime Garden Centre
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Avoid cold and flu bugs by having your bedding, including comforters and pillows, cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis. Drycleaners have a special cycle for bedding that does a hospital-grade sterilization at temperatures that are hotter than normal household machines.
KAREN KING
Westview Drycleaners
Closing up the garden for winter Harvest season is over, flowers have wilted and leaves have fallen. The time has come to close up the garden and prepare for winter. For anyone not sure where to begin, here are a few items to start with. • Plow the earth to aerate the soil and expose harmful insect eggs, which will die with the cold. • Fertilize vegetables to better protect them against frigid weather and other harsh winter conditions. • Remove pesky weeds and mix them into the compost. • Cover the ground around plants with good quality mulch. • Protect shrubs with burlap or white geotextiles. • Rake dead leaves around the property and mix them in with the compost or use them as mulch. • Prune trees, trim hedges and remove the dead branches. For additional information, consult a horticulturalist, nursery or garden centre.
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B9 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Fall planting tips
LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
“
Always get a minimum of two estimates for any projects you’re looking to have done by a contractor and check references on work ethics and quality of work. Also, make sure all estimates are comparing apples to apples.
RICK OUELLETTE
River City Mini Excavating
“
For choosing kitchen countertops, it’s best to use a plastic laminate, quartz or stone. Wooden butcher-block counters look nice when they first go in, but they can be a maintenance issue later. Stone counters have natural colours and grains, and quartz counters are actually granite crushed up and pressed back together, so there’s more of a visual impact with those. For the most part, people should pick whatever look they like the most.
JOHANN ELEBRACHT Powell River Woodworks
After the last of the season’s harvest and before the first frost, there are many ways to use plants of all kinds to enhance the beauty of outdoor spaces. On that note, find a trowel before you start.
Bulbs Make sure to plant autumn bulbs (crocuses, tulips, lilies, hyacinths, snowdrops, et cetera) in a rich and well-drained soil. Dig holes three times the height of the bulbs, except for tulip bulbs, which prefer to spend the winter one foot below the ground. For optimal results, make sure to leave a space three times as large as each individual bulb between each plant.
Trees Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate for the tree’s root ball with a diameter twice as large as the ball. Next, cut and remove the protective layer of burlap on the top half of the root clump. Place the tree in the hole, fill the cavity with quality soil and compact the earth. Garden centres often offer discounts on trees and shrubs in the fall. Take advantage before it is too late.
Perennials Autumn is the perfect season for planting potted perennials sold in stores. Taking ad-
Stay friends during your renovations • Have a detailed plan before you start • Be prepared for delays, something that is almost inevitable
vantage of a cool day to divide existing perennials is another way to add to a garden. To do so, use a round metal shovel and follow these three simple steps: 1. Plunge the shovel vertically into the ground to avoid severing the roots. 2. Loosen the roots on all sides using repeated movements with the shovel.
3.Separate the roots with a gardening tool or spreading knife. Once the perennials are separated and transplanted, new plants will flourish in all their splendour come spring. After planting bulbs, trees or plants, generously water them and cover their bases with biodegradable mulch.
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& MATTRESSES Powell River’s Largest Showroom of Quality BC-Made Furniture #122–4801 JOYCE AVENUE, CROSSROADS VILLAGE
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LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
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WESTCOAST BUILDERS CERTIFIED ACCREDITED BUILDER
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DON LINDENTHALER 604.483.6530
A snow load can do plenty of damage to trees, hedges and large bushes Let’s assess and make your yard safe
Mike Pirozek
CONTRACTING
604.483.8473
CERTIFIED DANGER TREE ASSESSMENT AND FALLER RESIDENTIAL TREE REMOVAL Fully insured • Over 25 years’ experience
Plant now Enjoy later
Adding one to two inches of compost on top of your beds in the fall will help resupply the soil with nutrients for the next season. Try adding an additional layer of a lighter organic material, such as well-aged mulch or straw, on top to prevent nutrient leaching and keep down early spring weeds. Make sure compost is free of any weed seeds before applying it to the garden. You will reap the rewards of bigger buds and greater yields if you have prepared a good soil as the foundation for growing your flowers and vegetables.
BONNIE ROBINSON
T&R Contracting
Clean all vents to improve your indoor air quality throughout fall and winter and check that fire alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors are in working order. Make your indoor space appealing and comfortable because you will be spending more time there through the fall and winter months. Take this time to plan for improvements you want to make to your home in the spring.
VALERIE GRIFFITHS
Valerie Griffiths, Real Estate Professional
Pick up your fall bulbs WATCH FOR OUR CHRISTMAS STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 13
604.483.3681 5300 YUKON AVENUE
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK UNTIL DECEMBER 24
FALL CLEANING
Come see us for expert advice on all your fabric cleaning needs
Recently renovated New, advanced dryers
WESTVIEW DRYCLEANERS & LAUNDROMAT 4296B JOYCE AVENUE • 604.485.2616
Properly caring for garden tools Neglecting to care for gardening tools such as shovels, hoes, trowels and garden shears, to name a few, before the colder season sets in is a surefire way to ensure their poor condition come spring. Follow these three essential steps this fall to make sure gardening tools are ready for use once the warmer weather rolls around.
1. Clean Don’t pack up the veggie beds just yet. Now is the time to start your fall and winter crops. Greens do better in cooler temperatures and you can grow broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, garlic and more through the winter and then harvest them in the spring. The frost gives a much sweeter flavour to t h e v e g g i es , s o enjoy sweet, frostkissed veggies into the spring.
HEATHER CLAXTON
Mother Nature
“
Just a reminder not to put salt on your concrete when it freezes. Salt wrecks concrete, so use a five-gallon pail of bedding sand instead. Salt will weaken your concrete’s surface, causing it to break apart, and having it torn out and redone is very costly.
DENNIS BUDGELL
Dennis’s Concrete Finishing
Wash gardening tools with soapy water; if necessary, use a brush to scrub away dirt and grime, then rinse and dry with a clean towel or cloth. For cutting tools, scrub the
blades with a rag soaked in alcohol to eliminate stubborn filth.
2. Sharpen Carefully sharpen all cutting tools with the help of a whetstone, metal file or grindstone. Place tools in a vice to ensure a steady hold while sharpening to reduce the risk of damage and personal injury.
3. Protect Apply a protective layer of lubricant, oil or grease on tool springs and metal surfaces to prevent them from rusting over the winter.
Bringing plants indoors for winter Once the temperature averages 10 degrees Celsius at night, seriously start thinking about bringing favourite plants indoors. Be careful though, as simply grabbing plants by their pot and repositioning them in their usual spot within the home is risky. A sudden change in temperature can shock plants and make them lose their leaves just days after being transferred back into the home. Therefore, it is important to remain prudent when bringing precious houseplants back inside. Acclimation is the solution. For one week, bring plants in at night
and take them back out during the day. After this period of adjustment, they will be more capable of surviving the winter inside a warm and cozy home. Before bringing plants indoors, clean them with lukewarm water to eliminate unwelcome pests and remove stubborn debris, including pollen, dirt and animal hair. Next, inspect plants carefully and pay particular attention to each individual leaf. Cut and throw away any leaves that look infested or remove visible bugs, larvae and eggs to ensure they do not spread to neighbouring, healthy plants.
B11 Wednesday.September 27.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com
Fall gardening: redefining resources About this time of year, gardeners gaze at the fruits of their labour. Arms deep in apple peels, tomato guts and pickling vinegar, they now welcome the change of pace the cooler temperatures bring. But after all the harvesting, canning, drying, freezing, pressing and smoking is complete, autumn’s garden activities have only just begun. When observing the natural world in the fall, there is actually a lot on the go. Seeds are being saved by squirrels and transplanted to new homes by the wind. Trees are dropping leaves and mulching the forest floor, mixing with fallen fruit and composting into food for the soil. We can learn a lot from nature, which regards nothing as waste. Here are some fall garden projects for the twitchy green thumb:
Save, collect and dry seeds String and hang stalks upside down, allowing for airflow. Separate seeds from the dried husks before foraging rodents do it for you. Store seeds with silicone gel packets saved from food packaging. Use old zipper bags or pill-sorting containers to organize seeds.
Plant cover crops Sow fall rye and winter peas to protect otherwise exposed garden beds. This prevents erosion and leaching of nutrients during rain. It is also a natural weed suppressant and can be dug into the ground in the spring to fertilize.
LET’S TALK TRASH Mulch Opt for plastic-free mulching, such as a thick layer of fall leaves, wood chips, cardboard or jute coffee sacks. Mulched soil requires less water, helps prevent freezing and suppresses weeds.
Compost yard waste Layer branches, grass clippings and leaves to create a well-balanced, aerated compost pile that will invite healthy microorganisms to help it break down quickly. Or, use the pilot community composting drop-off at Sunshine Disposal and Recycling on Franklin Avenue for loads more than 50 litres or 20 pounds. Drop yard waste off for free from 10 am-4 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. No invasive species and no branches larger than 1” in diameter are allowed.
Clean and store Wash, dry, oil and sharpen garden tools before storing. Recycle broken plastic plant pots and labels at any recycling depot or curbside. Store garden ornaments indoors unless you like the distressed look. Turn breakable pots upside down or store somewhere dry. Leave bird feeders empty until November when bears disappear to hibernate.
Build and upcycle Build that bench, create a play area or make that greenhouse. Use secondhand building materials, driftwood or upcycle broken furniture. Make a used rocking chair swing, playground equipment from car tires,
Blooming bulbs
a greenhouse from old windows or a fire pit from a discarded washing-machine drum.
Not a gardener? Support the local indoor Winter Market from 10 am-12 pm on Saturdays at Community Resource Centre, 4752 Joyce Avenue, or sustainably harvest edible wild mushrooms, seaweed and other free fare from our oceans and forests. Remember to get a permit when needed. Waste is a frame of mind. This fall, explore harvesting far beyond your squash bed. Let’s Talk Trash is Powell River Regional District’s waste-management education program.
PROJECT IDEAS?
Fall and spring bulbs in stock
IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO PLAN
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14 varieties to choose from, including organic
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Feeding your lawn through fall and winter is the most beneficial thing you can do to prevent disease
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Stop in for a bag of Evergro Fall Lawn Fertilizer today
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W H AT I F YO U R F L O O R M A D E T H E A I R M O R E P U R E ?
Designer Hamptons Hard Maple Bianco
PURE GENIUS, FOR A HEALTHIER LIVING SPACE. NATURALLY. Lauzon’s latest innovation, improves indoor air quality of your home without compromising the quality and appearance of your hardwood flooring.
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@customflooringcentres @customflooringcentres
604.485.7555 STORE HOURS: Monday to Friday 8:30 am-5 pm | Saturday 9 am-4 pm | 7345 Duncan Street