Home & Garden Issue | June 2018
WEST PULLMAN POST Welcome to this special Home & Garden issue. Today’s Home & Garden Celebration offers you gardening advice, cooking and harvesting tips, recipes, and a chance to learn all about gardens, home improvement, and landscaping. Enjoy the show and, see you in the neighborhood! Shirley Holden, Editor-In-Chief West Pullman Post
How to Start a Vegetable Garden Looking to start a vegetable garden? Get ready to enjoy the best vegetables you’ve ever eaten. In many regions, vegetables will grow 3 or 4 seasons of the year. Warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, grow in the frost-free weather of late spring until fall. Cool-season vegetables, such as lettuce and broccoli, grow in the cooler weather of early spring and fall; most withstand light frosts. If this is your first vegetable garden, you’ll want to make sure it’s a manageable size. A few containers might be way to “dip your toe” in the water. Or, a raised bed measuring either 4 x 4 or 4 x 8 feet, will give you plenty of space to learn. In the ground, the biggest that you might want to attempt is a 12 x 24-foot summer garden for a family of 4 that could include: 3 hills of yellow squash; 1 mound of zucchini; 10 assorted peppers; 6 tomato plants; 12 okra plants; a 12-foot row of bush beans; 2 cucumbers on a cage; 2 eggplant; 6 basil; 1 rosemary, and a few lowgrowing herbs such as oregano, thyme, and marjoram tucked in here and there.
When it comes to growing vegetables, 3 things are absolutely crucial for success: full sun, good soil, and plenty of water. Full sun means at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. While some greens and many herbs can make due with less light, vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and squash all demand their full share of the sun. No matter which type or size of garden you choose, make sure you’re starting out with premium quality soil that will help your plants grow big and give you a great harvest. If you’re growing in pots, fill them with an organic potting mix. Trying a raised bed? Load it up with an organic raised bed soil. If you’re going to make a go of an in-ground garden, mix an organic soil for vegetables and herbs into the top few inches of existing soil. It’s also important to know that, like people, vegetables need to be fed. An easy way to add nutrition to the soil is to sprinkle a continuous -release organic fertilizer, around your plants, following label directions. You’ll be surprised how quickly vegetables develop. Most grow from a tiny transplant to a full harvest in 30 to 90 days. Make sure to harvest at the right time ensuring the best taste possible. Their flavor is fullest because they have been on the plant until the last possible moment, using the extra time to build flavors and sugars.
Contractor Spotlight Carlos Hernandez, Owner, Archangel Construction There are contractors, and then there are contractors with an artistic touch. Judge for yourself. This property is located on the 119th block of South Perry Avenue. Perfect for young couples looking to purchase their first home. This home sits on three lots and includes a 3-car garage, automatic gate equipped with solar lights, and plenty of room for gardening and outdoor bar-b-ques. Contact Carlos at 312-885-1746 to schedule a viewing.
How to Start a Vegetable Garden (cont.) It’s worth noting that the first season of your vegetable garden is usually the hardest because of the time, cost, and work in setting up the garden. The next time you plant it will be much easier, as the main set-up will already be done. Above all, don’t give up. As you learn how to start a vegetable garden, you will make mistakes. So did Einstein. A vegetable garden asks that you check it almost daily for water, pest control, and harvest. If you do that, you will discover a new dimension to living. What you see and learn in those regular visits will be as rewarding as the harvest. Enjoy.
Façade Improvements Adds Value to Your Home What effect do your neighbors’ homes have on your property values — and what can you do about it?
family who spends a lot of time in the backyard, a patio addition could be a safer bet. Your family will enjoy it, and it will also add value when you sell. Win-win.
We’ve all seen the streets where one house on an otherwise gorgeous block sticks out like a sore thumb because of a neighbor who never mows the lawn or takes the time to address the chipped and peeling paint on the façade. On the flip side, we’ve also been intimidated by the Martha Stewart types living next door who are always making home improvements and beautifying the yard.
Research your surroundings. Improvements aren’t uniform in every market. Factors affecting property values in one market may not have the same impact in another. Bathroom additions can certainly add value, but check the market first. Adding a master bath might be less valuable than adding a main floor bath, or vice versa, depending on where you live.
The question every homeowner wants to know is exactly: what home improvements will increase will impact property values? The answer?
The same goes with outdoor features like pools — if your home is the only one on the block without a pool, it could be problematic. But being the only one on the block with a pool might not do much to boost your home’s value. Weigh the costs.
When thinking about home improvements, repairs and how to increase property values, here’s what to keep in mind: Focus on what you love. Start with the things that will enhance your quality of life in the home. For example, if you’re a
Kitchens and bathroom upgrades are the improvements that can take your house into another price bracket. But you should do a cost analysis to see if you’ll really come out ahead. Going above and beyond standard upgrades doesn’t always mean you’ll
Before:
After:
Façade Improvements Adds Value to Your Home, (cont.) get the same return on investment (ROI). On the other hand, if you’ve got functional problems like a leaky roof or windows that are old and drafty, it might add considerable value to have those replaced or fixed before you put your home on the market. Focus on Upkeep Don’t let your garden turn into a jungle or put off repainting the house, because it can have a serious impact on curb appeal. Plus putting it off will only make it harder to deal with down the line. Instead, keep your home’s exterior looking good with yearly home maintenance. The front of the house is what the buyer sees in that crucial ‘first impression.’ If the exterior is dilapidated, the buyer will enter the house expecting a lot of deferred maintenance and issues with the house. Boost curb appeal through tasks as simple as painting the front door or adding potted plants. Encourage your neighbors to keep up their homes too. If your neighbors’ homes and yards are well kept and appealing, that’s a good thing in terms of your property values. It’s the neighbor who never weeds his yard or whose house looks shabby that will pull down your property values. Bottom line? Make sure those Joneses keep up with you.
Shirley Holden, Senior Designer Sallis Designs International Beauty...defined sallisdesignsltd@gmail.com
Who We Are: Larry Campbell
Brian Haynes Deborah Stokes Eya Louis Cynthia Stewart Shirley Holden
West Pullman Community Action Group Mission: We engage the community in collaborative activities that connect and mobilize residents to create a vibrant local economy, safe streets, affordable and sustainable homes and responsive life-long learning options.
Eya Louis is the Contractor Development Coordinator at Elevate Energy. In this role, she supports the Technical Services and Construction teams in implementing program goals and operations including assisting with the Solar Installer training program, and guiding contractors in gaining business development assistance to get them ready for Solar and Energy Efficiency projects. Eya is an active volunteer with the Chicago Conservation Corps’ C3 Leadership Program., The Seeds Center of Maple Park, and Habitat for Humanity Chicago’s Community Action Group in West Pullman. Eya is a founding member and Board Secretary for Sustainable Options for Urban Living, Inc., a nonprofit organization on the South Side of Chicago focused on workforce development and entrepreneurship training. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, swimming, and biking.
Cynthia Stewart, a holistic, innovative and creative real estate and community development professional, who understands and excels in the new business model of collaboration across industries, government, for profit and not for profit entities. The Executive Director of Sustainable Options for Urban Living, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization located on Chicago’s far south side. In this role she has developed strong partnerships with multiple community organizations, affordable housing providers, private business, Chambers of Commerce and Industry Groups operating across the City of Chicago and the Southland. Most recently, she was presented with the 2016 Community Heroes Award from Habitat for Humanity Chicago. She teams to craft workable solutions in an atmosphere of trust, cooperation and respect. A graduate of University of Illinois Chicago, Cynthia holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Policy and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.