At Home Living 031916

Saturday, March 19, 2016 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

Paint job Transform your home with a new coat of color page 6 n Jamie Kidd on killing weeds, page 2 n Are seeds from last year still good? page 3 n Window treatments add character, page 4 n Choosing a home security company, page 7 n Cost-free ways to refresh your home, page 10

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Weeds in lawns can be tricky to kill in springtime Just two days until spring. My gardening gloves are beckoning me, and my green thumbs are all but sprouting.

One of the things I’m getting ready for is spring weeds. Henbit, chickweed and dandelion are all intruding on our greening lawns. Here is some good information that will help us deal with these three stooges.

Weeds like henbit and chickweed are actually winter annuals. They germinate in fall, lie quietly through the winter and rise up with a vengeance in the warming days of spring.

We don’t notice them in fall because they are small and we are pretty much done working in our yards for the year. I think they know this, and that’s why they sneak in. Just my opinion.

Jamie Kidd Jamie KiDD

jamiehan@ksu.edu jamiehan@ksu.edu

The good thing is, winter annuals die with the heat of the summer.

The bad thing is, they leave seeds behind.

While we get excited in spring about killing these invaders, it’s not the most effective time to do so. Let me explain. Winter annuals germinate in fall and spend their energy pushing food down to their roots to over-winter and have a good reserve for spring growth. In spring, they are busy pushing the food

reserves up, creating larger, more noticeable leaves and flowers.

Many post-emergence weed killers work on the premise of entering through the leaves and being pushed down to the roots. Can you see then why fall is a better time to control these weeds? Postemergence products will still offer control, just not as much as they would in fall.

The second-best time to control dandelions is in the spring, but it doesn’t last long. The time arrives during or just after the first flush of cheerful yellow flowers. Products that contain 2,4-D are the most effective chemicals at this time.

If you only have a few dandelions, you can choose to spot treat them or dig them out. But, be sure to get

UPCOMING EVENTS

n “Spring Lawn Care” will be presented by Master Gardener Steve Paige at 7 p.m. March 31 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. Handouts on how to care for your lawn in spring will be available, and Paige will answer questions about lawn care. n The Master Gardener Response Line opens April 4. The hours have changed to 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Those with questions can call (785) 232-0062 or walk into the K-State Research and Extension office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. n The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon May 7 in the parking lot of the K-State Research and Extension office. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, gently used gardening tools, plants to attract pollinators and monarchs, and hanging baskets and patio pots for Mother’s Day will be sold. the whole plant — root and all — or it will come back.

Spraying at other times during the year can help control dandelions, but it is a little less effective than fall and spring.

So, mark your calendars now. If you have problems with henbit, chickweed and dandelions, apply a weed and feed product to your lawn in November. Temperatures must be at least 55 degrees, and the grass needs to be wet enough that

the granular herbicide will stick to the foliage. This can be after a rain, irrigation or while dew is still on the grass in early morning.

Steve Keeley, K-State Research and Extension turf specialist, says an even more effective control of dandelions and winter annuals can happen by applying a liquid broadleaf herbicide sprayed under these conditions: n The weeds are actively growing.

n Soil moisture is plentiful, never droughty. n Air temperatures are between 50 and 75 degrees, never above 80 degrees.

New dandelions sprout in late September, so try to wait until October if you are just spraying for dandelions. November is better if you are spraying for both dandelions and winter annual weeds. n Wind speeds are below

KIDD continues on 3

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Are last season’s seeds still viable?

By Dean Fosdick The Associated Press

If you save seeds, you might wonder whether those from last year are still viable. A quick and easy pre-season seed germination test can answer that question.

Much depends on how the seeds were collected and stored, said Ross Penhallegon, an associate professor emeritus and horticulturist with the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences.

“Surplus seeds can’t be left out.

Weevils might get in,” he said.

“Typically, they should be placed in some kind of closed container, and then stored in a refrigerator or freezer over the winter.”

Germination tests can be performed using wet paper towels, soil or trays.

“I like testing seeds using moist towels and placing them in a dark, warm area,” Penhallegon said. “It’s simple, fast and works well indoors.”

Count the seeds out on a few paper towels. Wet them, and then roll the towels up or fold them in half.

Place them in a plastic bag marked with the seed variety and date. Redampen them every day and then be prepared to wait.

The results of seed germination tests generally take from four days

Dean Fosdick/THE Associated Press

Whether seeds are viable from one year to the next often depends on how they were collected and stored. to a couple of weeks, depending on temperature and seed variety.

Tomatoes like a soil temperature of 85 degrees. The optimal temperature for lettuce seed is 75 degrees, said Tianna DuPont, an extension agent with Washington State University.

“If soil temperature is too cold, germination will be slow,” she said.

Seed size also plays a part. Small seeds take a few days to spring up.

Large seeds need a week or more.

Ten percent of any leftover seed group is a good representative sample for germination tests, Penhallegon said.

“The more seeds you use, of course, the better and more accurate the test results,” he added.

Some seeds remain viable for a year, and some for three years or more, Penhallegon said.

Here is the approximate life

expectancy of certain vegetable seeds, according to “Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers” (John Wiley & Sons, 2007): n Six years: lettuce. n Five years: collards, cucumber, endive, muskmelon and radish. n Four years: beets, cabbage, eggplant, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and watermelon. n Three years: asparagus, celery, peas and spinach. n Two years: sweet corn, leek, okra and pepper.

Let us not ignore flowers. A representative sample of flower seed longevity: n Five to six years: nasturtium, zinnia and calendula. n Four years: celosia, cosmos, hollyhock, marigold, petunia and sweet peas. n Two to three years: digitalis, impatiens, pansies and phlox.

And herb seed: n Five years: cilantro and dill. n Three to four years: arugula and fennel. n Two years: sage and chive.

Successful seed saving requires preparation.

“Humidity and temperature during storage affect seed viability,” DuPont said. “A good rule of thumb is the temperature plus the humidity should add up to less than 100 for good storage.”

Kidd: Mow regularly, fertilize at right times Continued from 2 5 mph. n The lawn won’t receive moisture through rain or irrigation for at least 24 hours. n The lawn won’t be mowed for several days before or after the application. n Read labels. Applying the wrong product for your turf type can cause damage.

Complete control with chemicals in the spring is unlikely. It is best to make your lawn as healthful as possible by mowing regularly, fertilizing at the right times (May, September and November for fescue), aerating once a year or more in compacted areas, and watering appropriately.

Jamie Kidd is a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

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Warm up your windows with interesting shades, panels

By Mary Carol Garrity Tribune News Service

I have fallen back in love with window coverings. Do you remember when we covered our windows in big, heavy drapes? I wasn’t a fan.

Then, as people grew tired of all that fussy finery, we gravitated toward clean, simple coverings like blinds and plantation shutters or left our windows unadorned.

Now, I think we’ve found our happy place right in the middle.

Whether it’s a drape with a simple pinch pleat that breaks on the floor

just like a man’s trousers or a tailored Roman shade, today’s window treatments bring charm and character to a space without overwhelming it, adding that perfect finishing touch to a well-decorated room.

Make them personal

Window coverings can be like art, a focal point of a space.

When our daughter Kelly and her husband, Britt, moved into their home, they did some major renovations, including creating a sensational kitchen.

The window coverings, simple and striking, play a starring role in the beautiful space.

We’re seeing lots and lots of interesting trim on shades and panels now.

And Kelly’s kitchen is a great example of how something as simple as an intriguing black outline on cream fabric can make your jaw drop.

The crowned jewel of this kitchen? The monogrammed shade. Love!

When I went to the fabric market this winter, I was wowed by the new looks in trims. Among my

WINDOWS continues on 5

Bob Greenspan/Tribune news service

Whether it’s a drape with a simple pinch pleat that breaks on the floor just like a man’s trousers or a tailored Roman shade, today’s window treatments bring charm to a space.

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Windows: It’s OK to add panels over other coverings Continued from 4 favorites were the variations on the classic Greek key pattern.

Add layers of interest

Customers often ask me if it’s OK to add window panels over other window coverings, like Roman shades, woven coverings like matchstick blinds or plantation shutters. Yes! Everyone has a different color quotient, but I’m over the moon about the bold choice to layer two complimentary but very different fabrics together on a window. The panels give pizazz to the room all day long, but in the evening, when the shades come down, the room is extra special.

For years in my Atchison home, I resisted adding fabric treatments to my living room windows. I was pretty happy with the look of my plantation shutters, and I was worried curtains would accentuate the irregular window spacing in my old house and make the room feel darker.

But drawn by irrepressible desire to always add gorgeous new textiles to my rooms, I decided to go for it.

To make sure I allowed in all the natural light possible, I hung the panels on the outsides of the windows. The addition of the curtain panels, a soft blue floral finished with a green flange, warmed up the room so much, I was sorry I had waited so many years.

Do you have blinds or shutters that you still like? Leave them up. Just finish them off with panels.

If your windows are bare, what about woven shades, like matchstick blinds or bamboo shades? These simple, rustic beauties even look at home in a formal room.

Variations on a palette

When I worked with my friends Julie and Mark on their country dream house, they wanted to create a family home that was filled with color and patterns. They landed on a palette of gray and yellow for a number of the rooms, telling the story through one beautiful window covering after another.

In their living room, the floor-to-ceiling windows got a zip of pattern, thanks to sensational Roman shades. The pattern is bold, but done in a palette of soft grays and yellows, it supports the design

choices in the room, accenting without overwhelming.

The charming color palette of gray and yellow continues in the master bedroom.

Once again, Julie selected a stunning combination of fabrics to bring the colors to life and make the room truly unique.

The floral fabric used in the panels featured had sweet embroidered centers.

I’m a big fan of the time-honored cafe curtain. Simple and sweet, these timeless treatments do an excellent job of allowing natural light into a room, yet provide privacy.

Julie went with a darling black and cream toile for the curtains, an unassuming treatment that lets your eyes drink in the fabulous coral ceilings.

If my laundry room looked like this, I might do the wash more often.

This column was adapted from Mary Carol Garrity’s blog at www.nellhills.com. She can be reached at marycarol@ nellhills.com.

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Fresh coats of color bring new life Hiring and disposal

By Dustin Lemmon

Special to The Capital-Journal

Bright colors in the spring don’t always have to come in the form of budding flowers. A new coat of paint on your house can liven up your property as well.

Painting also might be necessary. If the winter weather has your deck or siding looking even more faded than it did last year, or the paint is peeling, it will soon be a good time to paint or stain.

When you do go to paint, it’s important to do the job right; otherwise, you might end up having to paint again in a year or two.

Leslie Noller, owner of Allied Paints, 2818 S.W. Gage Blvd., said moisture isn’t the biggest problem when it comes to paint and stain failing.

“Anywhere you leave an area where moisture can get in, paint is going to start to peel,” she said, adding you should cover all sides of the board or moisture will seep through.

Walker Gray, owner of Gray & Company, 625 S.E. Hancock St., said you should inspect the caulking around the perimeter of your home in the spring to ensure the seal hasn’t opened because of the freeze-and-thaw cycle of winter.

Noller and Gray agree if you’re debating whether to do some touch up work — or an entire wall or house — you’re probably better off doing the whole thing at once.

“Most people want to go ahead and do the whole house, because if you do part of it, it won’t match the rest,” Gray said.

If you touch up a spot, Noller said, it can be difficult to get paints to match.

She suggests taking a chip

Photographs by Metro Creative Connection

A fresh coat of paint can give new life to your house. It’s best to paint when the temperature is above 50 degrees and no hotter than 85 degrees.

A fresh coat of paint on siding and trim can make your house more attractive. Spring is a good time to paint your home or stain your deck. with you to the paint store to help find the same color.

“Sometimes, paint can fade differently,” she said, noting you might then get some painted areas that shine through more than the rest.

You can then wait for

the paint to dull down over time, or just go ahead and paint the whole section.

As for when to start, Noller and Gray recommend waiting until the daytime temperature is above 50 degrees.

“Never paint if it’s going

to freeze at night,” Noller said, adding paint “will bubble in the spring.”

It’s also possible for it to be too hot to paint. Once the temperature creeps above 85 degrees, you’ll find your paint drying as fast as you brush it on, she explained. If you don’t get around to painting until later this summer, consider painting in the early morning or evening and painting shaded areas as you move toward the middle of the day.

Tips for staining

Staining decks is a common springtime project, Noller said, especially for families who might be getting ready to celebrate a graduation.

“Graduation is a big deal,” she said. “They always have people over.”

Before you stain a deck, consider doing some light power washing and possibly some sanding. Noller emphasized “light” power washing, because homeowners can easily cause damage if they don’t know what they’re doing.

Most stains will last two years depending on the amount of sunlight your deck receives, she said. You’ll want to apply a fresh coat after that time.

If it’s been five to six years since you last stained, you’re more likely to have problems with mildew, which makes it harder to get the wood prepped for staining, she said.

The frequency and degree of staining and washing also may vary depending on where you live. In the country, for example, you may deal with more dust.

If you’ve never done much painting and are trying to decide whether to do the work yourself or hire someone, there are a few factors to consider. Not only do you need to decide if you have the time and the budget, but you also should consider more practical concerns. For instance, if you have to paint a tall wall, how are you with heights?

“It’s all about your personal confidence level,” Noller said. “Some people’s budgets won’t allow them to” hire someone.

Gray said most of his company’s work is commercial and industrial, but they do some residential painting. The number of calls they receive from homeowners always goes up in the spring. As for cost, there is no set standard.

“Every job is different, and we bid it job by job,” he said.

If you do the work yourself and end up with extra paint, you have a few options for disposing of anything you have left over.

Before throwing paint in the trash, you first must make sure it has dried out.

If you have just a little bit left, you can do this by leaving the lid off the can, Noller said. If you have more, she suggests slowly pouring it out onto cardboard, for example, letting it dry and harden, then pouring a little more and so on, until the can is empty.

However, you don’t have to do all of that work, she said. The Shawnee County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 131 N.E. 46th St., takes paints in addition to other household hazardous waste from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and on special collection days the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon.

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Go bright, bold for interiors Bold patterns are best used as stand-alone highlights

By Cathy Hobbs

Tribune News Service

Familiarity of local companies a plus when shopping

Often homeowners are confused by color, afraid to use color in a bold, bright way, and as a result stay the course and avoid using color entirely.

When it comes to deciding how to use bold or bright colors in a useful or purposeful way, these are some basic color rules I would suggest.

By Angie Hicks Angie’s List

tribune news service

The basics

n Select one or two of your favorite colors and build a color palette around them. Then ground these bolder colors by pairing them with neutral colors such as white, tan, brown, black or gray. n Find a bold inspirational piece, such as an area rug or piece of art, and use it as the springboard for your bold color palette. n Start with an accent wall. If you are unsure if you want to take the plunge by painting an entire room a bold color, just paint one wall an accent color. n Think contrast. I have seen so many gorgeously successful rooms in which a room was painted with a bold, bright color and then accented with a simple neutral, such as pure white.

Know security needs before signing contract

An unexpected touch of turquoise brightens this living room. Color highlights can add personality to a space. n Avoid mixing bold, bright patterns. These types of patterns tend to be statement pieces and are typically best as standalone highlights in a space.

Choosing colors

Now that you have some basic color rules, what’s next? Where do you begin?

Color is an individualized choice — what color appeals to one person may not appeal to another, hence the best colors involve those colors you love.

I suggest you begin by selecting your favorite color or colors, regardless of what those are, and then completing your color pal-

ette by pairing it with an appropriate complement.

Blending

Looking for colors to blend or coordinate with your brighter colors? As a general rule, colors that are complementary colors on the color wheel blend well with each other.

Looking to blend a bright color with a neutral color?

The best choices are tints, tones and shades of white, black, brown or gray.

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C.

Dear Angie: What are some important things to ask a home security company?

— Carol W., of Fort Worth, Texas Dear Carol: There’s no shortage of options, but finding the right home security company means knowing your security needs, how much you can afford to spend and understanding a security company’s contract.

First, you’ll need to decide whether you want to work with a national home security company or a local business.

One advantage to hiring a local company is you’ll be more familiar with the business, its technicians and the way they work. That kind of familiarity is vital if your alarm system activates and you need to speak with someone during a very tense part of the day or night.

Make sure to ask prospective home security companies how they charge for different products and services.

Some companies offer free equipment or low installation fees, but paying little or no money upfront sometimes means paying more for monitoring later.

Monitoring typically costs $25 to $50 per month, but some companies charge $100 or more. Be sure to ask about their monitoring fees and included security features.

You might be able to cut costs by purchasing the equipment for your alarm system. Leasing home security equipment for three or four years could mean pay-

ing $3,000 or $4,000 for $1,200 worth of equipment.

You should also ask security companies about their short- and long-term contracts. If you’re not planning on moving anytime soon, a long-term contract isn’t necessarily a problem. But if you’re unsure how long you’ll stay in your current home or whether you even want a home security system, you might want to avoid signing a long-term contract.

Ask for help choosing security features that best fit for your home and family. If you have a lot of expensive valuables at home, it might be worth investing in cameras, motion detectors and window sensors. But if you have pets that wander free during the day or kids who are home alone, they could trigger false alarms, which can cost you.

Municipalities across the country have ordinances charging residents for false alarms. Fines usually start around $25 and increase with each false alarm. Be sure to check local regulations regarding false alarm fines, and ask security companies what they do to minimize false alarms.

It’s important to interview several contractors before making a hiring decision. Reputable companies should have no problem sending a technician to your house to assess your needs, and honest technicians shouldn’t try to pressure you into a sale.

Angie Hicks is founder of www.AngiesList.com, provider of consumer reviews and services. Send questions to askangie@angieslist.com or tweet with #AskAngie.

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Service Directory

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Zero-cost ways to make your home feel fresh

By Gabrielle Savoie Domaine

There comes a time around the early days of spring when a decor refresh becomes not only necessary, but it’s also imminent. Blame it on the spring-cleaning frenzy or the itching need to open the windows and let some fresh air in for the first time in months — March is a period of renewal.

Only, our wallets don’t always follow our heart’s desires. This is why we came up with some fresh ways to update your decor without spending a dime. Here are some hints to make your home feel new again — for free. n Decorate with greenery from outside.

Get out in the backyard,

go for a walk, and find pretty branches to decorate with. Greenery adds life and sculptural elements.

All you need is a standard florist’s vase and some fresh water. n Flip your rug upside down.

This only works with certain rugs, usually oriental ones, but here’s a quick designer tip: Flipping your rug upside down will expose the textural weave and more muted colors than its flipside. So if you’re growing a little tired of your rug, take a peek at what’s on the back and turn it around. n Rethink your layout.

With a pen, paper and a little arm power, you can completely transform the flow of a room. Plan a completely new layout with your existing furniture: Move

your sofa by the window, or move furniture away from the walls and closer together. Don’t hesitate to bring accent furniture from other rooms or swap artwork from room to room. n Strip something back to its original texture.

If you live in an older home, chances are some things have been painted over and refinished dozens of times, but do you know what lies beneath? Try stripping a door back to its original wood, or do the same with wooden beams or moldings.

My friends once demolished a gyprock wall in their dining room only to find a mint-condition brick wall behind it. Do your research before tackling anything major, but remember that a little patina can go a long

way in making a home feel lived-in but fresh. n Use your leftover paint.

We’ve all had those leftover paint cans lying around that are essentially 95 percent empty, but we keep them just in case. Why not use some of that paint to refinish a piece of furniture that looks a little tired? Dipdye the legs of a chair or stool for an instant refresh. n Style a piece of furniture before throwing it out.

Context has a huge influence on how we perceive items. This is why retail stores put so much effort in presentation, compared to their discount counterparts. If you have an old rusty piece of furniture lying around, channel your inner decorator and give it the best overhaul you can: Style it with your ultimate

favorite books, mirrors and vases.

Worst-case scenario: It still looks terrible and you end up throwing it out. But you just might also look at it in a whole new light. n Edit down to a minimum.

Sometimes when decor feels a little tired, you don’t need to add anything to make it better. You just might need to remove the elements that are making it less than spectacular. By editing down your decor to a minimum, you’re able to reintroduce your favorite pieces. The rest can go to storage or charity, and you’re left with a fresh, well-edited space. n Hang your kids’ artwork.

My parents have always kept every drawing, paint-

ing, crooked pottery or craft project I ever did as a child. As soon as I finished a drawing, it usually went up on the fridge. Which is why I was shocked as a teenage babysitter when I found one of the child’s first-ever drawings in the trash.

Granted, children aren’t all Picassos, but their art is colorful and candid, and it makes for great artwork that you can easily swap around. n Think like a stylist.

Hop on Pinterest, gather inspiration of your favorite styled homes and try replicating the vignettes you love most. Interior stylists often spend very little money on accessories and props to make homes look great: Think vintage pottery, a couple of trays and strategic placement.

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