At Home Living 032517

Saturday, March 25, 2017 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

home.cjonline.com Home sales

Setting the stage

Making home more attractive can boost selling chances page 6 n Jamie Kidd on beneficial insects, page 2 n The race for peas in a pod, page 4 n Alternative workspace: Cozy cubby, page 5

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

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Plant flowers, herbs that attract beneficial insects There are 250,000 known species of plants in the world. There are 215,000 known species of animals. There are 625,000 known species of insects. Doesn’t that just bug you? (I’m feeling itchy.)

There are about 86,000 species of insects in North America, with 76,000 considered harmless and/ or beneficial to man. That leaves only 10,000 species to be an irritation. That should make you feel better.

Actually, it’s reassuring to know nature has established certain controls that prevent insects from overpopulating our environment. Beneficial insects prey on pest insects, making life much more pleasant for the rest

JAMIE KIDD

mark your calendars

n “Spring Lawn Care” will be presented by Shawnee County Master Gardener Steve Paige at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 30 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. Paige will provide handouts on springtime lawn care and answer questions. n The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon May 6 in the Shawnee County Extension Office parking lot. jamiehan@ksu.edu

of us. Beneficial insects also pollinate plants and contribute to the decay of organic matter and the cycling of soil nutrients.

Gardeners must identify beneficial insects and learn to cultivate habitats for them. Using a bug to kill a bug — biological control — will allow for much less chemical usage in the home landscape and, therefore, much less chemical runoff into our streams and urban water

systems. Homeowners use many times more chemicals than farmers do.

Helper types

Beneficial insects can be predators, parasitoids or competitors.

Predators consume several to many prey over the course of their development. They’re free living, and they’re usually as big or bigger than their prey.

They may be generalists, feeding on a wide variety of prey, or specialist, feeding on only one or a few

related species.

Common predators include lady (bug) beetles, rove beetles, many ground beetles, lacewings, true bugs (assassin, ambush and minute pirate bugs), syrphid (hover) fly larvae, spiders, aphid midges and some mites.

“Parasitoid” means parasite-like. True parasites are generally much smaller than their hosts.

As they develop, parasites usually weaken but rarely kill their hosts. Parasitoids are almost the same size

as their hosts, and their development always kills the host insect.

The adult deposits one or more eggs into or onto the body of the host. The larvae that hatch feed on the host’s tissues. The host dies, and the parasitoid pupates inside the host’s body, later emerging as an adult.

The vast majority of parasitoids are small to minute wasps that don’t sting humans or other animals. Tachinid flies and certain species of beetles also are parasitoids.

Competitor insects can be pests themselves, as well as being beneficial.

They compete with a nondamaging stage of a pest species. For example, dung beetles break up cow manure piles in pastures as

they prepare dung to feed their larvae. This action speeds the drying of dung and makes it less suitable for the development of the larval stages of horn flies, face flies and other pest flies. The use of competitors in pest management is uncommon.

While earthworms don’t consume other insects, they are especially beneficial for soil health and should be protected.

Attract and protect Beneficial insects can add to the success of your garden. Attract and protect them by: n Filling a shallow birdbath or dish with stones and water so tiny insects can drink without drownKIDD continues on 3

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Kidd: Avoid using insecticides, which can kill good and bad insects Continued from 2

ing. Aphid midges lay considerably more eggs with a constant source of water than without. n Plant a variety of nectar- and pollen-rich plants, including herbs (fennel, dill and parsley) and flowers from the daisy family (cornflower, coneflower, sunflower and coreopsis). n Most beneficial insects are small. Plant tiny flowers making it easier for them to feed. n Plant the flowers in rows among your vegetables, create wide borders around your garden or shrubs, or place “island” plantings in the middle of the garden or landscape. n Leave some weeds,

such as lamb’s quarters, Queen Anne’s lace and dandelions, in your garden. Dandelions are important because they play a part in the ecology of 93 different insects.

(And you thought they had no earthly purpose.) n Avoid using insecticides. They kill the good and the bad insects. Spot treat instead of broadcasting. Use horticultural oils and soaps that don’t leave a killing residue. n A good layer of mulch provides a habitat for all kinds of predacious beetles and other small animals.

More plants

Here are some more common plants that at-

tract and feed beneficial insects: Yarrow, allium, perennial and annual alyssum, golden marguerite, butterfly weed, aster, butterfly bush, calendula, purple poppy mallow, caraway, wallflower, shasta daisy, feverfew, morning glory, coriander, cosmos, crocus, evergreen euonymus, ivy, heliotrope, lobelia, alfalfa, spearmint, bee balm, rosemary, sage, schizanthus, stonecrop, marigold, verbena, speedwell, hairy vetch and zinna.

Get to know the “good guys.” Be able to recognize them. They are your friends and allies. Remember, this can be free pest control.

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Gardener’s test: first harvest of peas

By Lee Reich

The Associated Press

In some gardening circles, a gardener’s skill is measured by how soon he or she gets the first bowl of shelling peas on the table.

Peas are a good choice for such competition, because raising a good crop demands the best soil you can muster as well as timely sowing and harvest. Peas are a cool-weather crop (50 to 70 degrees is best), so they must be planted early.

Not too early, though, or the seeds are apt to rot.

Not too late either, for the plants languish in hot weather.

The earliest possible crop of shelling peas is also a worthy goal because peas are such a quintessential garden delicacy. The sugars in fresh-picked peas

start changing to starches as soon as the pods are picked, so it’s impossible to buy fresh, frozen or canned peas that match the flavor of homegrown ones.

when the soil temperature hits about 40 degrees. So stick a thermometer 3 or 4 inches into the ground to know when to sow pea seeds in your garden.

The race is on

Tricks for earliness

I’ll admit to being drawn into the spirit of pea competition — with some reservations. I won’t grow smooth-seeded shelling peas, such as Alaska, which are the earliest. They don’t taste as good as wrinkleseeded types, whose seeds wrinkle up because they are so high in sugars.

I won’t use fungicidetreated seeds, which can be planted earlier with less danger of rotting. Handling poison-coated seeds takes the fun out of pea planting.

And quantity is also important to me, so I won’t

lee reich/THE associated press

Shelling peas don’t travel well because their sugars begin to turn to starch as soon as they are picked, making this vegetable a must-have home garden delicacy. start peas indoors in pots, because it would be impossible to manage enough transplants to get a decent meal.

As far as when to drop those first seeds into fur-

rows, too many gardeners bow to tradition and sow them — or try to — on St. Patrick’s Day. That may be the ideal date for planting peas in Ireland, but not everywhere. Pea seeds sprout

No matter when peas are planted, there are tricks to getting the sprouts up more quickly and successfully. Pre-sprouting the seeds indoors gives them a slight jump on the season once they’re in the ground.

Soak the seeds in water for a few hours, and then rinse them at least once daily, draining them after each rinsing. Rootlets should be evident after a couple days or so.

Planting slightly less deeply than recommended or in raised beds gives them warmer soil, which also speeds sprouting and

growth.

If peas have never grown before in your garden, sprinkle the seeds with a bacterial inoculant, available in stores, so plants can make use of atmospheric nitrogen as fertilizer.

Maximizing yield

Correct plant spacing and propping the vines up off the ground are yield enhancers. Rather than single rows, sow double rows about 6 inches apart, with 2 inches between peas in a row. If you plant in beds, run a double row up the middle of the bed.

Peas reign as king in British gardens, and traditional staking for peas there is pea twigs — tree and shrub prunings trimmed so their branches lie in one plane, PEAS continues on 9

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Comfy, cushioned cubby is inviting, cozy workspace

By Beth J. Harpaz The Associated Press

It’s a quiet but cozy workspace, designed to promote focus and creativity while providing an alternative to a traditional desk or office.

It’s also a bright pink cubby covered in comfy cushions.

The pink seating is the brainchild of Karen Bala, Jen Taylor and Michelle Bristol, of Dyer Brown, an architectural firm. It was an element of Dyer Brown’s Boston office space design for Criteo, a tech company that works with retailers to personalize online ads for consumers.

The cubbies are “a very welcoming, inviting space that you want to be in,” said Taylor. “As people spend more time in the office, comfort is a priority. Creating these informal amenity spaces that replicate the comforts of

home can help companies attract and retain talent.”

The comfy cubbies — three in all — are in a lounge area. Each consists of a rectangular space recessed into a wood-paneled wall. The front of the cubbies are open, but the top, sides, floor and back are lined with pink foam bolsters covered with FilzFelt, a type of felt. The soft materials increase comfort and absorb sound.

The bold color contrasts with the cozy vibe, and ties in with “the energy and excitement” of the company’s fun, young office culture, Taylor said.

“The rest of their office is heavily packed with work stations,” said Bristol. “We wanted to make sure that this worked with their office culture of being very vibrant and energetic.”

The color — actually a magenta — matches a hue in some of the company’s branding documents. And

darrin hunter/dyer brown architects via ap

Jen Taylor, left, and Michelle Bristol, of Dyer Brown, an architectural firm, are seated in workspaces they designed for the Boston offices of Criteo, a tech company.

The comfy cubbies are quiet but bright and cozy. They promote focus and creativity while providing an alternative to a traditional desk or office. The concept also can be adapted for the home. there was no concern that pink might be off-putting to men.

“We’ve seen the trend move away from pink as a gender-specific color,” Taylor said.

Each nook has a single overhead light fixture but

no electric outlet.

“We wanted it to be an unplugged zone,” Bristol said. “We wanted them to use it for heads-down work, where someone has to write something or make a phone call.”

Employees take laptops

into the cubbies, but the lack of outlets helps “keep the spaces open so nobody is hogging them,” Taylor said.

The feedback, they said, was extremely positive, with workers telling them, “I want to try it out! I want to be in that place!”

How could the concept be adapted for home design?

A simple reinterpretation would be to cushion a window seat or convert a closet by removing a door and adding a bench.

An unused corner, or space between furniture and a wall, might also work.

Do-it-yourselfers might consider building a pod-like structure with plastic or wooden panels.

Wrapping the material in foam and fabric for comfort and sound insulation would be key to maintaining the cozy aesthetics.

Bright colors work well in a kid’s bedroom or playroom, lending a sense of

energy even if the cubby is designed to be more of a quiet spot. Calmer colors might work best in a home office, especially if the space is intended to help users disconnect a bit from technology so they can dig into a book or craft.

An inexpensive stick-on light could easily illuminate the space.

Dimensions will depend on the intended user and available space. The office cubbies are 3 ½ feet deep, 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

Cushioning the space is important not just for comfort and mood but also to increase the quiet.

Bristol said that even in an office with hundreds of employees, the padding muted background noise.

In a home environment, a quiet nook could promote concentration on a task like doing the taxes or organizing recipes, even if kids were playing nearby in a family room.

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Deep cleaning, staging can help a house sell Research: Staged homes spend 73 percent less time on market

By Shanna Sloyer

Special to The Capital-Journal

With a hot real estate season predicted again this spring and summer, sellers will be looking for tips on how to make their homes more attractive to potential buyers.

Setting your house apart from others on the market at the same price point can mean more offers, a quicker sale and a higher sale price.

“The overall principle is to have your best foot forward,” said Jamie Sauder, president of the Sunflower Association of Realtors and a broker at Coldwell Banker Emporia Real Estate.

Sauder encourages his clients to start by decluttering and deep cleaning, followed by a professional cleaning that hits on areas that may have been missed. He advises poten-

STAGING TIPS

Here are a few things that can be done to help a house sell quicker: n Start by deep cleaning carpets, windows, air vents and other often-neglected areas. n Remove personal photos and collectibles and keep decorations to a minimum. n Clean out closets, cabinets, shelves and other storage spaces to highlight the amount of storage available. n Store small appliances in cabinets and off kitchen countertops. n Remove or replace furniture that isn’t to scale with the room it occupies. n Take care of repairs or hire someone to do it. n Consider investing in one or two small home improvement projects as needed. photographs by keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

tial sellers to keep their homes clean, sparsely decorated and depersonalized so they are ready to show

A couple of elaborate candlesticks add interest to the dining area in the home. at any time.

Avoid overcrowding or under-furnishing rooms

Adding pillows to chairs and books, candles and a serving tray make the living room feel more home-like.

by ensuring selected furniture is to scale for the size of the room. For example, putting a twin or full bed in a small bedroom rather than a king-sized bed will help the room appear larger.

“Give potential buyers the impression that there is enough space for them,” Sauder said. “The best thing is to have (furnishings) in each room that are appropriate to the space the room provides.”

If there are home repairs or improvements that need to be made, Sauder suggests taking care of those items before putting a house on the market.

“When potential buyers see a dirty rug, holes in the wall or baskets of dirty laundry, that’s what they focus on instead of the house,” he said.

HOUSE continues on 7

The floral theme of the home is carried out in a large colorful wall hanging.

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House: Staged homes also sell for up to 17 percent more Continued from 6

Sauder recommends hiring professionals for skilled work, such as electrical or plumbing repairs, to avoid costly mistakes.

He also encourages sellers to ask for free estimates on all home repair projects to get the best price for the work that’s being done.

Depending on the age or condition of the home being sold, certain improvement projects can increase the sale value of a house in the eyes of potential buyers. Fresh paint or new floor coverings usually have good returns on the investment.

“Sellers often don’t want to pick a paint color or flooring because they think the buyer will want to choose their own, but most buyers want a house that is move-in ready,” Sauder said.

Another option for busy

homeowners who don’t mind spending the money is to hire a professional staging service to take care of the staging process for them. These businesses survey a home, focusing on its space and functionality, and then bring in furniture, accessories, rugs and lighting that will maximize and highlight the positive aspects of the house.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, research shows staged homes spent 73 percent less time on the market than non-staged homes and sold for up to 17 percent more.

Whether you go it alone or hire someone to help, it’s clear that staging is an important part of the selling process.

“Due to market conditions,” Sauder said, “spending extra time getting your house ready will result in a higher sale price.”

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Matching pillows and bedspreads allow potential home buyers to get an idea of how the bedroom might look once they move in or how they might want to decorate.

tribune news service

If you want to create a tech-free area at home, have everyone leave their phones at the door.

Unplug with home tech-free zones Tip: Establish rules for the screen-free space

By Emily Udell Angie’s List

Technology brings so much to our lives — information, entertainment, security and comfort in our homes. But it’s not hard to overdose on tech time.

Sometimes, you need to unplug and connect with the great big world beyond the screen. To help your household enjoy some time without electronics on a regular basis, consider establishing a tech-free zone in your home. Here’s how: n Pick a convenient area.

Do you have a place at home to dedicate as a technology oasis? It could be a room that currently serves another purpose, such as your living room, bedroom or kitchen. For example, if

you use your kitchen for meal and homework time, establish a screen-free zone there, unless you need to make exceptions for Internet research for schoolwork. If you have an extra room, such as a sun porch or basement recreation area, even better. n Establish rules.

Set guidelines for your tech-free zone. Maybe you decide it’s OK to listen to music, as long as you push play before you enter and don’t spend time searching and socializing on Spotify instead of focusing on other activities. Maybe you silence phones during your tech-free time, or leave them in another room within earshot, where you can answer if someone calls but aren’t tempted to check apps while you’re doing other

activities.

Another way to help limit tech time is by establishing household rules about electronics-free activities — such as mealtimes or an hour or two before bed — or setting aside a day each week to unplug entirely. The Sabbath Manifesto promotes a National Day of Unplugging to help people slow down and take a timeout from technology. n Find alternative activities.

Decide what kind of activities you want to do when you take your screen sabbaticals. The options are endless, including cards and board games, reading, yoga, scrapbooking or crafts, art, writing, music and so on.

Whether you feel like knitting, meditating or

journaling, make your tech-free zone a place to connect with the present, pursue personal or creative projects or just enjoy time with family. n Decorate accordingly.

If you have a dedicated electronics oasis, consider decorating the space in such a way that facilitates feelings of creativity and relaxation.

Hang a fun sign declaring the area a tech-free zone and create a charging station to deposit phones before entering. If you plan to spend your screen breaks reading the classics, set up a comfy chair with a throw blanket.

If you want to use the space to meditate, paint the walls a relaxing color. Set up a big table and chairs if games or crafting is your main focus. And remove all TVs, computers and other electronic devices, of course.

8 | Saturday, March 25, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Organize home for improved well-being Kitchen sink: Cast Sticking to a daily checklist can increase success

By Kelsey Clark Domaine

Those of us whose apartments resemble a Forever 21 on a Saturday look to our hyper-organized counterparts with awe: Their homes are as immaculate as a museum, their days are scheduled down to the minute, and they never have so much as a hair out of place.

While some of their organizational methods may seem over the top, science says they’re onto something — being organized can improve your work performance, your mental health and your overall well-being.

So how can the disorganized among us reap the

tribune news service

The secret to being organized is simple: Stick to a basic upkeep checklist every day. same benefits? According to professional organizer Tova Weinstock, the secret is simple: Stick to a basic upkeep checklist ev-

ery day.

“It’s important to take baby steps when getting organized; otherwise, the process can feel daunting

and overwhelming,” she told Elle Decor.

On a daily basis, Weinstock makes sure to make her bed, put away clothing when taking it off, wash the dishes, wipe down counters, sort through the mail and, most importantly, plan for the next day.

“Before heading to bed, mentally walk through the next day and do your best to prepare for it,” she explained. “Even the smallest habit change (bed making, dish washing, etc.) can help.”

Believe it or not, these small home changes are instrumental in giving you a sense of control over your life — a mentality that can trickle into your professional life as well.

iron or stainless steel?

By Ed Del Grande Tribune News Service

Q: Dear Ed: I’m in the process of designing my new kitchen and want to install either a cast iron or stainless steel kitchen sink. Both materials have advantages, and I’m stuck in the middle.

Can you please weigh in with your thoughts and ideas on this topic?

— Peg, Washington state A: Kitchen sinks are available in many types of materials, but cast iron and stainless are very popular: Cast iron for its wide range of color choices, and, of course, for its strength and durability. Stainless steel gives you classic looks to match just about any style, and it’s a favorite with

home chefs wanting a professional kitchen.

If you still can’t choose, I’ve worked with a third material choice that brings in advantages from both worlds.

Composite sinks are a man-made alternative choice for kitchen sinks.

A composite sink offers a matte finish like stainless, with wide color choices like cast iron.

It’s exceptionally durable, but can help absorb the impact of falling cookware. It’s also heat-, stain-, scratch- and chip-resistant.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for another material choice, a composite kitchen sink may bowl you over.

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Peas: Consider vine size for choices Varieties to grow

Continued from 4

then pushed into the soil between each double row with their butt ends down and branches fanned out down the row. Even before the vines start their ascent, the row of pea twigs can be attractive — and oh so British.

I forgo the twigs and the accent with a temporary fence of chicken wire, which is quicker to erect.

Among wrinkle-seeded shelling peas, you’ll find some — but not a lot — of differences in flavor from one variety to the next.

Consider vine size in your variety choice. Vine size determines how big a trellis you need, and how quickly ripe peas are ready for harvest. Two all-around excellent varieties for yield, flavor and earliness are Green Arrow and Lincoln.

If shelling peas have one fault compared with snap peas or snow peas, it’s the time needed to shell them.

In the interests of science, I once decided to measure the time involved. To my surprise, I was able to pop open about 6 quarts of pods to make 2 quarts of shelled peas in 30 minutes — not really a bad rate, and not really an awful job when you’re sitting outside in the shade with a warm breeze.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Nail notion

You need to head out to an appointment in a few minutes, but your freshly applied fingernail polish isn’t set.

Don’t fret. Wait a minute or two for your lacquer to dry, and then dip your fingertips in a bowl of ice water to harden the polish the rest of the way.

Source: goodhousekeeping.com

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