Home & Garden April 2016
A Special Supplement to The Daily Republic & ADvisor
2 • Home & Garden • April 2016 • 001385378r1
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 3
Water is the secret to lush lawns By CAITLYNN PEETZ The Daily Republic Various components go into beautiful, lush lawns. Lawn maintenance involves ensuring lawns have all of the nutrients they need to thrive. Fertilizer is essential when feeding lawns, but is a process that should be done carefully and timed correctly for optimal results. According to Marc Mebius, owner of Mebius Nursery & Garden Center, there is one secret, aside from fertilization, to generating a lush, green lawn. “It’s a big secret, but I’ll tell you,” Mebius said. “Water, water, water and some more water. That’s pretty much what it comes down to.” The type of grass and whether a lawn is mostly in the sun or shade may dictate fertilizer requirements. While many lawns are comprised of several different grasses, a general rule of thumb is that the lawn will need to be fertilized in the spring at the very least. After that, fertilization schedules should be customized according to grass type, climate and other factors. Spring is a prime time to fertilize because the lawn is reviving after a long season of cold weather and dormancy. “People tend to forget about fertilization,” Mebius said. “Also, if you have a good, healthy stand of blue grass, that’ll actually force out a lot of weeds.” Mebius said the best time to begin planting depends on local weather. “We’ve had some nice days, but it hasn’t been quite warm enough to grow grass, because nighttime temperatures are too low. May, generally, is a good time to start planting.” Come spring, lawns need to be fed to turn green and grow. Soil supplies some of the nutrients grass needs, but many soils lack elements that lawns need to survive the growing season. Lawn and garden experts at Lowes say a healthy and actively growing lawn uses a great deal of energy, and fertilizer will provide the boost it requires. Fertilizer helps promote new root and leaf growth, aid in recovery from damage, reduce weeds and replace nutrients
lost to water runoff. And, if a lawn looks healthy, it probably is, Mebius said. “If it looks good and lush, it probably is,” he said. “It’s hard to get the visual presence without having a healthy lawn.” Fertilizing the right way Follow these steps to feed the lawn and help it thrive: Identify the type of grass in your lawn and consult with a garden center to find the right type of fertilizer for your grass. Many grasses are categorized by season and may be referred to as cool season, transitional or warm season grasses. Test the soil to check for pH. You want the soil to be as close to neutral as possible so it can readily process the nutrients in the fertilizer. Broadcast or rotary spreaders will evenly distribute fertilizer and will not cause striping on the lawn like drop spreaders might. Resist the urge to fertilize by hand, as you may lay an uneven amount of product, producing burns and brown spots. Fertilizers come in slow-release, fast-release, and weed and feed formulations. Which fertilizer you use will depend on the type of grass you have and how much time you have to devote to lawn maintenance. Slow-release fertilizers may be preferable because they do not need to be reapplied often. Use caution and set the spreader to distribute less product if you are unsure how much to apply. Excessive fertilizer can damage a lawn. Water the lawn well after application, and always follow the fertilizer manufacturer’s instructions. Keep people and pets off of the lawn for a day or two after application. Scotts recommends that lawns with warm-season grass be fed over the summer as they grow steadily from spring to fall. Another application of fertilizer in the fall will supply lawns with nutrients to continue to grow and then survive winter. (— Metro Creative contributed to this report.)
On the Cover Cover design and publication layout by Stacey Schleich. Cover photo by Metro Creative.
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4 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Outdoors with a touch of whimsy Create fairy gardens for kids in six easy steps By Metro Creative Gardening can be an enjoyable activity for adults and children alike. Gardening encourages creative thinking and can make for an eco-friendly activity as well. Adding a touch of whimsy to gardening can make it that much more attractive to children. Perhaps that is why fairy gardens have become so popular among youngsters. Fairy gardens can be designed in outdoor gardens or in containers that children can nurse and enjoy indoors. Here are six steps to get your fairy garden up and running. 1. Choose your container or location. Decide where to place the fairy garden. Hollowed-out tree stumps are both contained and outdoors, and kids may feel like the fairies inhabited this neglected area of the yard and made it their own. Otherwise, use containers you already have, such as old pots, hanging baskets,
picnic baskets or cookie tins. Wooden birdhouses with their roofs removed also can make for clever places to house the gardens. 2. Choose a theme. Fairy houses can take on any theme their creators prefer. Themes help children decide what to include in their gardens. For example, a seaside retreat may work well with little reclining chairs, sea grasses and succulents. You can then complete the theme by adding some seashells and colored stones. 3. Draw up your design. Before securing anything in the container or digging into your garden bed, sketch out a garden design. This gives you an idea of how the finished product will look. Even before planting, gently place plants and other components in their spots and move them around accordingly until you find the desired look.
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4. Include similar-needs plants. Mixing plants that have different requirements can make it challenging to care for the fairy garden, so select plants that require similar levels of sunlight, prefer similar soil conditions and require roughly the same amount of watering. Herbs are a smart choice because they stay small and are easily maintained. 5. Don’t forget a fairy dwelling. You will need to add a house for the fairies to inhabit. Small bird houses can work, but you also can consider old teapots, bird-nesting boxes or even homemade houses assembled out of bark and twigs. Use your imagination and the garden will take on a life of its own. 6. Invite the fairies. Children can invite fairies to take up residence (fairies often show up at night and tend to remain unseen), or children can create their own fairies using craft materials.
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 5
How to tend to an indoor herb garden By Metro Creative Fresh herbs and recently picked ingredients can add fl avor to any meal. A home chef can even improve the fl avor of store-bought or prepared foods with an herb garnish that can transform otherwise bland dishes into something you’ll want to eat again and again. Harvesting fresh herbs is easy for homeowners who have gardens right in their backyards. However, everyone does not have a backyard, and even those that do might find their gardens threatened by changing seasons or unwanted critters. When gardens are moved indoors, the bounty of fresh ingredients continues no matter the date on the calendar. Herb gardens are perhaps some of the easiest gardens to cultivate indoors because they don’t require large pots or much space. The plants themselves are relatively compact, and it only takes a pinch of herbs to give a meal some extra fl avor.
When growing herbs indoors, your indoor growing area must have adequate light to simulate the longer days of summer; otherwise, the plants may go dormant. It’s ideal to have a southern exposure on the herbs, with at least eight hours of sunlight per day. If you do not live in a particularly sunny locale, consider supplementing the plants with grow lights, which will provide the full spectrum of light the plants need to thrive. Indoor air can become too dry for herbs, so you will need to compensate by providing humidity. While there may be added humidity in a kitchen greenhouse window, it still may not be enough to keep the plants healthy. Think about misting the plants daily to create some extra humidity, or place herb pots on top of a water-filled tray with pebbles so the evaporating water will add moisture without making the roots soggy. Insects are another threat to in-
door gardens because there is no cold weather to inhibit the hatching of insect eggs. Soil from outdoors may be more susceptible to insects that are already living in the dirt. Instead of soil from outside, use packaged soil or a nonsoil alternative that will hold moisture without the added risk of bugs. If small insects appear, use a mist of soapy water to kill the bugs without harming the plants or making the herbs unfit for eating. Group herbs together according to their watering needs to make maintenance that much easier. New sprouts generally need more water than established plants. Prune the herbs as needed for recipes. If the herbs experience a growth spurt, trim some of the plants and freeze the herbs for later use. Many indoor herb gardeners begin by growing parsley, chives, oregano and basil, but you can experiment with just about any herb.
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6 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Invasive, threatening species can hurt ecosystems By Metro Creative Introducing chemicals or pollution into the environment can compromise an ecosystem. However, seemingly harmless non-native plants and animals can do an equal share of damage, as well. Many people might be surprised to learn that invasive species can cause turmoil in the environment, even contributing to the destruction of certain ecosystems. Certain invaders are more virulent than others. Non-native species of animals and plants are like enemy marauders. They may look like the other wildlife around, but they do not quite meld with the environment. When the ecosystem is not equipped to handle a non-native species, these species can quickly consume all of the resources and multiply so quickly that they effectively obliterate the native species. Many non-native species of plants and animals become problematic when they are put into an environment inadvertently, such as when they hitch a ride on other items. Plant life may be brought home from a vacation abroad, or new animals can be introduced to the environment if they escape as pets. Shipping vessels can bring back microscopic sea creatures, and insects have been known to hitchhike on various modes of travel. Although efforts are made to prevent new species from invading an area, it’s impossible to catch everything. Because these plants and animals likely have no natural predators in their new surroundings, they can reproduce
much faster and take over. The following are just a few of the globally invasive plants and animals that can threaten local ecosystems: • Asian tiger mosquito: Spring and summertime outings have remained forever changed thanks to this highly invasive mosquito. Its distinctive black and white stripe pattern helps the Asian tiger mosquito stand out from others. Native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia, scientists believe it has quickly become one of the planet’s most widely distributed animal species, spreading to at least 28 countries in a matter of 20 years. It’s believed these mosquitoes hitch rides on imported tires. • Asian carp: There are many different species of carp, which are native to Russia and China. Large fish with voracious appetites, carp take food right out of the mouths of native fish. These fish also stir up sediment in lakes and riverbeds, changing clear water to murky water, thus pushing out some species that can no longer survive. • Burmese python: These tropical snakes have been introduced into many warm areas, including Florida. Many were taken as pets only to outgrow their indoor habitats. They can live in the water and climb trees. With their massive size (20 feet in length), the pythons have few predators and require a lot of prey. Florida wildlife experts estimate 30,000 Burmese pythons reside
in Everglades National Park alone. They even feast on alligators. • Soapbush: Sometimes referred to as Koster’s Curse, this is a perennial shrub that is highly invasive in many tropical regions of the world. Originally from Mexico and the Caribbean, soapbush was introduced to Hawaii in the 1940s and quickly began taking over. • Kudzu: This vine is native to Japan and can grow upward of a foot per day in the right conditions. It was brought to the United States to help prevent soil erosion and has never left. Since its introduction, Kudzu has been spreading across the United States at a rate as fast as 150,000 acres annually, according to environmentalists. • Cane toads: Cane toads were introduced to many countries with warm climates as a method of naturally controlling crop pests. However, the toads’ own defense mechanism of
secreting toxins makes them deadly to predators outside of their normal habitats. Therefore, there’s nothing to keep these cane toads in check, and they have wreaked havoc on native animal and plant species, especially in Australia. • Asian long-horned beetle: Another invasive insect, the beetle does most of its damage in the larval stage. This is when it burrows through and feeds on tree wood beneath the bark. In large concentrations, the larvae can destroy a tree. The University of Vermont Entomology Research Laboratory says the beetle is currently infesting trees in Ohio, Massachusetts and New York. Trees must be removed, chipped and burned to destroy the invader. Non-native plants and animals can destroy environments, and men and women must always be careful when dealing with such species.
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 7
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By Metro Creative It’s remodeling season, and with so many projects on the to-do list, which should you tackle first? While some projects provide great long-term return on investment, a few simple ones can provide instant savings. Here are the top home spring projects to help you save money: • Caulk around windows and doors: Stop air leaks around your home by sealing existing gaps and cracks. Use caulking or weather stripping around doors and windows. Installing a door sweep is also a good idea. • Insulate your home: Use insulation with a high R-value, such as Roxul Comfortbatt, which can be used to top up insulation in your attic. Aim for an R-value of 50 or a depth of 16 inches. For whole home e ciency, ensure other areas of your home, such as crawl spaces, basement headers, walls and ceilings, are well insulated. It will keep your house cool in the warm weather and take the stress off your air conditioning unit.
• Clean your AC unit: Come spring, it’s not uncommon to find an air conditioner’s condenser and compressor blocked up with dirt and debris. This can result in greater stress on the unit, causing it to work harder. Giving it a thorough cleaning is easy and can help maximize your AC unit’s service life while minimizing your energy bill. • Plant trees: Direct sunlight can heat up surfaces and building materials, as well as the interior temperature of your home. Consider planting trees in strategic locations to provide shade and reduce cooling costs. • Install a rain barrel: Water is an important, but costly resource. Installing a rain barrel is an easy and affordable measure to reduce your water consumption, while keeping your lawn and garden looking great. These simple home maintenance tasks can be well worth the effort, potentially providing hundreds of dollars in annual savings.
8 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Don’t forget to trim the trees By Metro Creative Lawns and gardens tend to draw the bulk of homeowners’ attention come spring and summer. But it’s important that property owners tend to the trees that dot their property as well. The types of trees homeowners have on their property may infl uence when it’s time to trim and prune the trees. Homeowners concerned about tree maintenance should speak with local landscaping professionals and tree services about caring for the trees on their specific properties, but there are a few tricks to pruning trees that homeowners should keep in mind when dusting off their gardening tools. Prune at the right time. The Arbor Day Foundation notes that pruning during dormancy (i.e., winter) is the most common practice. Pruning in late winter, after the season’s coldest temperatures have passed, can lead to impressive and healthy growth in the spring. The ADF advises that some trees, including maple and birches, may bleed sap during prun-
ing. But this is normal and should cease as the tree starts to bloom. Novice landscapers should confirm with landscaping professionals about the best time to prune trees on their properties to ensure they are not inadvertently harming the trees or making them more vulnerable to fungus. Use appropriate tools. When removing branches, use sharp tools to minimize damage to the bark. The ADF notes that young trees are best pruned with onehand pruning shears with curved blades. For trees with high branches, use a pole pruner or hire a professional tree service. Novices should avoid anything too risky when pruning their trees, leaving the more di cult jobs to the professionals. Follow the rules of pruning. When pruning trees, the ADF advises homeowners follow the one-third and a quarter rules of pruning. In adherence to these rules, no more than a quarter of a tree’s crown is removed in a single season, and main side branches are at least
one-third smaller than the diameter of the trunk. When pruning deciduous trees, homeowners should never prune up from the bottom more than one-third of the tree’s total height. Finally, where possible, homeowners should aim for side branches that form angles that are one-third off vertical to form 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock angles with the trunk. Water correctly. Like lawns and gardens, trees need water to thrive. Insu cient watering can make it hard for trees to thrive in summer, but overwatering can be harmful, too. The ADF suggests that watering each tree for 30 seconds with a steady stream of water from a garden hose equipped with a diffuser nozzle should be su cient. Newly planted trees may need more help as they try to establish deep root systems, so consider laying mulch around newly planted trees. Mulch helps the soil retain moisture and form deeper, stronger root systems. Trees maintenance should be a priority as homeowners once again start
tending to their lawns and gardens. More information about caring for trees is available at www.arborday.org.
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 9
Your yard may be a haven for Zikacarrying mosquitoes. Here’s what to do. By ADRIAN HIGGINS The Washington Post The appearance of the Zika virus in our hemisphere, with all its attendant worries for expectant parents, casts a new and darker light on the presence of the Asian tiger mosquito. This ubiquitous pest of mid-Atlantic gardens is closely related to the mosquito spreading the disease in Brazil (Aedes aegypti), and the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been known to spread the disease in Africa. The tiger mosquito in the age of Zika has prompted readers to wonder about garden features that might prove a haven for the mosquito. As a so-called container mosquito, it has evolved to reproduce in the smallest amounts of collected water, even in bottle caps. Thus, the species has found a nirvana amid the detritus of the human landscape, where so many
people seem clueless as to how other animals live. It is no wonder that the tiger mosquito has spread across much of the United States since it arrived from Japan in the 1980s. This is how the insect works: The mated female adult needs the protein of a blood meal for egg development. She then lays her eggs in standing water, they hatch into larvae that develop and turn into a pupa before emerging as a winged adult. The whole process can take little more than seven days. Some potential breeding grounds are obvious — old tires, buckets and abandoned swimming pools — but with this sneaky pest, others are not as apparent: Corrugated PVC drainage pipe, a clogged gutter, a soda can buried in a rug of ivy, even folds in the tarp over the woodpile. Folks who are aware of the problem are keen to minimize potential breed-
ing sites before the mosquito begins to appear in May, but they have questions about how to deal with some common garden elements that could cause problems. Best to deal with three landscape elements in particular: Fish ponds Mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs in stagnant and shallow water, so ponds that are deeper and with a robust filtration and circulation system are better placed against the pest. But the best way to rid your pond of mosquitos is to stock it with fish; they spend their whole day looking for food, and that wriggling mosquito larva presents the perfect snack. I have had a fish pond for more than 20 years and never had a problem with mosquito larvae. I first stocked the pond with hardy goldfish and about six years ago added mosquito fish. The latter are
smaller, growing to just three inches or so, are dark, almost black, and reach every nook and cranny in the pond. Both have proven winter hardy for me — all they need is a hole in the ice, which can be achieved with a fl oating heating element. I threw in five mosquito fish, which increased naturally to several dozen. If your local aquatic pond store or garden center doesn’t have them, common goldfish work just as well. Even mosquito fish may not be able to pierce a mat of algae, so it’s important to keep on top of algae growth, which is a problem in early spring as the water warms. You clean up string algae by scooping it out and adding a fish-safe algaecide to the water (available at pet/ pond stores). You prevent it by growing aquatic plants that will cover much of the surface of the pond and rob the algae
See MOSQUITOES Page 10
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10 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
MOSQUITOES Continued from Page 9
of the light and nutrients it needs. Rain barrels The popularity of rain gardens, in which storm water is captured before it enters the municipal storm sewer, has led to the parallel interest in rain barrels to capture water coming off roofs (we called them water butts where I come from). These barrels can become prime breeding sites for mosquitoes if you’re not careful. The slightest opening between downspout and barrel should be well screened. “I’ve seen some with not-good screening and [mosquitoes] breed like mad,” Jeannine M. Dorothy, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, wrote via email. If you have a rain barrel, you should also use mosquito dunks containing a biological larvacide named Bt. One method of thwarting mosquitoes is to put a few drops of mineral oil or detergent on the water to break the surface tension they need to hatch. These “would not work so well and would
need constant re-application, which homeowners are not likely to do,” she wrote. So screen the barrel, add a dunk and use the water for your garden. Bird Baths It’s so much fun to see birds playing in and around these shallow basins, but you cannot neglect them. Even if we lived without mosquitoes, you should replace the water every two to three days for the sake of the birds. My neighbor in the community garden replenishes the bird bath every day. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: “To provide a safe drinking and bathing environment, it’s important to change the water every day or two.” Good advice. If you are away from home for more than a week, you should fl ip the basin over to prevent rainwater accumulation, or store the bird bath under cover. As we are out in the garden getting ready for the growing season, spend a moment or two thinking about other potential breeding areas for tiger mosquitoes this summer. Even without the threat of Zika, these mosquitoes are irritating in so many ways.
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 11
With garden transplants, don’t crowd the roots By BARBARA DAMROSCH Special to The Washington Post “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree” is a good maxim, as relevant to raising children as it is to training a tree’s upper scaffold. But in spring, when many of the plants in our lives are seedlings, it pays to look downward. As the roots are nurtured, so grows the tomato. For vegetables that are commonly direct-sown, such as spinach, carrots and peas, a good start is a simple matter of great soil and proper timing. Those that are started indoors and later transplanted into the garden have the advantage of an earlier start, safe from the whims of spring weather, but this carries a risk. If their roots are constrained, just at the time they should be reaching out into the soil, the plants will be stunted and never as healthy or productive as they could otherwise be. With cucurbits such as squash, cucumbers and melons, which are rapid growers, being held back in pots for longer than two or three weeks is especially injurious. Because they aren’t planted
until May, starting them now indoors would be a mistake. And with our long growing season, there’s little advantage to starting them inside. The crops most likely to be started ahead with good results are other heat-loving ones such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. With fruits at stake rather than just leaves, it’s natural to want to hurry them along, but putting them in the ground before the soil has warmed will not hasten their growth, and confining them too long in small containers can be even worse. The tops will be leggy and the roots diminished. You find this problem with seedlings that have waited too long at the garden center. You can try to tease apart their little plugs of white, matted roots, but the plants they become will win no prizes. That’s why it’s such an advantage to start your own, provided you time it right. It pays to invest in a good collection of plastic pots that you can reuse every year. The ones I have are black, about five inches across at the top, and hold more
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than a quart of soil. Many nurseries use them for potting perennial fl owers and are often willing to sell you some. You or a friend might have a stash of them sitting in the garage or potting shed right now. They last for many years and stack easily for storage. We use them for the trio of fruiting crops noted above and for artichoke plants, which we start even earlier. Because artichokes are biennials that bear the second year, we give them a few weeks of chilling once they are six weeks old, in an area safe from hard freezes, so that they think they’ve gone through their first winter and are ready to make those yummy buds. So it’s essential that they have plenty of room to grow. When transplanting these crops, it’s important to encourage good root growth by digging a roomy hole in soil that’s loose enough for good root penetration. A shovel with a scooped shape and a pointed tip works fine, but at our farm we’ve found an unexpected ally in the post hole digger. Grab it by its two handles, plunge it into the ground, and pull
the handles in opposite directions. Lift the digger, and you’ll see a hole wide and deep enough for the root ball of a plant knocked out of a pot up to six inches wide. Nestle it into the ground, and its roots are off and running. — Barbara Damrosch is the author of “The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook”; her website is www.fourseasonfarm.com.
Photo by Barbara Damrosch/Washington Post Anna Feldman and David Riggle, former crew members at the author’s farm, move artichoke plants from plastic pots into a garden.
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12 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
A designer gets a new lease on life without leaving her rental By JURA KONCIUS The Washington Post In late 2013, Kerra Michele Huerta’s design business was taking off. Her budget decorating hacks, which she illustrated on her Apartment Envy blog using her own 560-square-foot, one-bedroom rental in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, were plastered all over the Internet, pinned and shared and blogged millions of times. Her calendar was filled with design clients: anxious city dwellers who hired her by-the-hour for strategies on how to replicate her DIY-chic look while personalizing their own spaces. She got a gig decorating an apartment in Paris and an offer for a book deal It all sounds glamorous. But in reality, parts of her life were unraveling. Her marriage broke up and her husband moved out. Twinkie, her beloved Pomeranian, took ill and died. Everything felt different. “The energy of the space had changed,” says Huerta, 32. The stuff in her apartment reminded her of the past:
“Lots of good things and sad things, just lots of memories.” Months went by. “I felt like I was treading water,” she says. Finally, she knew what she had to do: clean house and move forward. In June 2014, she put an ad on Craigslist: “Designer apartment. Everything must go. Cash and carry.” In six days, she sold almost every single thing in her place: the arc fl oor lamp, the cowhide rug, the king-size bed and mattress. (She would be switching to a queen so she could change up her layout.) “It felt good,” she says. “My apartment felt old to me. I wanted something fresh,” she says. “All the spaces I was decorating now were completely different. A lot of stuff reminded me of my old life. I wanted to be my own person.” There were only a few things that Huerta kept: a brightly colored upholstered chair, a small wood cabinet, kitchen storage baskets and some of her artworks. She also kept the two Ikea Billy bookcases on either side of the fire-
place: “They fit perfectly, and who wants to reassemble Ikea furniture?” she says. Then she slowly made a plan. She would take her mid-century-infl uenced apartment in a more feminine direction, keeping a modern edge but mixing in more fl ea-market finds and a bit of art deco and Regency. She describes it as “a little Old Hollywood glamour mixed with some New Hollywood boho.” It was a $140 contemporary painting from a consignment shop she hung above her fireplace that gave her the color scheme for the new place: emerald, aqua, teal and mint green, plus the crisp combination of black and white. She wanted each room to be different, but she used the same color palette throughout to tie it all together. She carefully rebuilt her rooms between decorating jobs, devising new budget-minded ways to put her stamp on a tiny rental. She chose thoughtfully, layering things she loved and could afford. It took almost a year, but after many Etsy searches, Amazon purchases, thrift-shop sojourns and even one trip
to the Greyhound station in a Zipvan to retrieve two eBay bergere chairs shipped from Florida, she was ready for her reveal. The living room got a warmer look. She bought a Movie Queen Sleeper from CB2 ($1,499) for guest accommodations, promptly having it recovered in $38-a-yard emerald green velvet to make it her own. A $300 fl okati rug from eBay gave the living room a softer look. Her parties now are usually cocktail buffets, so she doesn’t need a big dining table or lots of dining chairs. She picked out a small gold bamboo table with a glass top that fl oats in the room. A Lucite console table by the entry has two garden stools stashed underneath that can be pulled out for seating or as extra side tables. Upstairs, one of her most dramatic DIY improvements was covering up the old cracked, yellowed tile in the bathroom. She used a vinyl fl oor covering in a vintage-style black-and-white tile pattern, Stargazer by Spicher and Co., to brighten
See DESIGN Page 15
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DESIGN
Continued from Page 12
Washington Post photo A Lucite waterfall console table provides space for two garden stools. The stools can be pulled up to the dining table or used as extra seating or tables in the living room.
Washington Post photo After taking off the cabinet doors, Huerta painted the kitchen shelves mint. She saved the doors for when she moves. Below the shelves is temporary wallpaper. See DESIGN Page 17
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DESIGN
trash-picked filing cabinet painted pink
the bath. She kept the bedroom all one color to unify it, since it has nine doors in it, but instead of the old taupe color, she went with the more dramatic Ralph Lauren Black Dose. “I like dark bedrooms. They provide a sanctuary with drama,” she says. A former closet that she had turned into a dressing room became a stylish little o ce. She furnished it with a
frame with a favorite line from indie
and a glammed-up Ikea desk.
Continued from Page 15
At the top of the stairs hangs a large band Pavement’s song “Shady Lane” that she scrawled on a piece of art paper. “I am an island of such great complexity.” Of course, it’s in a reused black frame from Michael’s. “I’m constantly evolving, both as a person and a designer,” Huerta says. “My space represents where I am now.”
Get the look: 9 budget tricks from Kerra Michele Huerta 1. Trade out a tacky bathroom floor without a renovation. Using a box cutter, Huerta cut a $260 vinyl fl oor cloth to fit the bathroom fl oor exactly and simply laid it on top of the cracked tiles. The black-and-white Stargazer pattern is by Spicher and Co. 2. Find creative ways to use storage solutions in a small space. Huerta hung two Ikea Ribba picture ledges ($9.99 each) in the bathroom, installing them upside down to provide more surface area for toiletries. 3. Hide your thermostat. That ugly plastic box is a pox on your dining room wall. Huerta covered it with a shallow basket made in Rwanda ($40) from Salt & Sundry at Union Market. 4. Dip furniture in gold for an instant upgrade. An ordinary Ikea Micke desk ($79.99) was DIY glamorized with a bit of gold paint on the legs. Huerta says it adds personality and makes it look more expensive. She painted it in her alley before assembling it. 5. Turn trash to treasure. Huerta trash-picked an old metal filing cabinet and transformed it with a few coats of Pink Peony by Benjamin Moore. It’s great storage for shoes and bags, in ad-
dition to files. The hardware was spray painted gold. 6. Make your own headboard. Using pine boards from Home Depot, an old memory foam mattress pad, white faux leather (www.insidefabric.com) and a staple gun, Huerta made herself a custom channeled headboard. Cost: $200. (You could do it for less if you used a less expensive fabric.) 7. Hide your TV on a gallery wall. Downsizing to a 22-inch TV, Huerta incorporated it on a wall in the living room in the midst of a group of black framed artworks. The articulating arm makes for easy viewing. 8. Camouflage an ugly appliance. A hulking old refrigerator is a staple in rentals. She not only covered hers in chic L’Amour Black and White Tempaper (removable wallpaper), she left off the unsightly old handles, and now opens it by grabbing the edge. 9. Paint the front door. Building rules prohibit her from painting the outside of her front door, but by painting the inside mint (Stardust Memories by True Value), Huerta added a splash of color to the dining area.
Washington Post photo Huerta’s new glam bedroom features black walls, a white faux leather DIY headboard and faux fur pillows and throw from Restoration Hardware.
Washington Post photo A TV with an articulating arm becomes part of a gallery wall in Huerta’s stylish living room.
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Spring cleanse while you spring clean Experts say annual rite comes with mental health benefits, too By CANDY DENOUDEN The Daily Republic Despite the recent snowfall, spring has arrived — and with it the annual rite of spring cleaning. After a winter spent cooped up indoors, spring cleaning can rejuvenate a household and provide a chance to rid a home of a season’s worth of clutter. In addition to giving your home or garage a facelift, more experts agree that spring cleaning can have positive mental health benefits, as well. For one thing, the desire to keep things clean and tidy is “built in” to most people, according to Dr. Patsy Fox, a licensed professional counselor-mental health at Dakota Counseling Institute in Mitchell. “It doesn’t have to be the hoarding mess. It’s just the counter tops never get cleaned off, or the sink is full,” she said. “It refl ects on your self-worth. You have
that sense of, ‘I’m not doing what I need to be doing.’ ” She said when people feel their homes or work spaces are messy or cluttered, their internal voice turns into a nagging critic, which can add to their anxiety. Too much anxiety can in turn lead to depression, she said. People may stop inviting others over, “because my house is too much of a mess.” Keeping things clean and clutter-free, on the other hand, helps people relieve anxiety and stay on track. “When you de-clutter, you have a sense of accomplishment,” she said. Popular spring cleaning projects include donating old clothes and cleaning out the garage, but there are other tasks homeowners can tackle to freshen up their homes this spring. Floors Simply vacuuming or sweeping the
fl oors might not be enough to banish some of winter’s most uninvited guests. Dust has a way of settling into a home over the course of a typical winter, and it’s easy for a home’s inhabitants to track dirt and debris inside as well. After vacuuming or sweeping fl oors, go over them with a mop. Doing so can remove any lingering dust, dirt, debris and allergens the vacuum or broom failed to pick up. Apply wood cleaner and polish to wood fl oors to make them look even cleaner. Baseboards Though baseboards might not seem all that dirty, upon closer inspection homeowners might notice substantial accumulations of dirt and dust. Such dirt and dust many not be removed so easily, so homeowners might need to use hot water and a sponge to remove any debris that is clinging.
Curtains Curtains also may have absorbed substantial amounts of dust, dirt and debris over the winter. This might be more visible near the end of winter when more sunlight begins to shine through. Clean the curtains in adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions before you open windows for the season so any wind that blows in does not spread debris onto nearby furniture. Once the curtains have been washed, opening windows may help them dry more quickly. Bathrooms Mold and grime can accumulate throughout a season in which it’s too cold to open bathroom windows to let fresh air in after bathing. Inspect ceilings, tubs, shower stalls and fl oors for any signs of mold growth or grime. Mold growth in a home can lead to respiratory
See CLEAN Page 19
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 19
CLEAN
Continued from Page 18 problems and exacerbate existing conditions such as asthma. If you have let that slip, prioritize such inspections come spring cleaning time. Furniture Dust and dirt can quickly accumulate on couches and chairs over the course of winter. When possible, vacuum furniture to remove any debris that might have accumulated while windows and doors were kept shut, and shampoo any cushions or seat covers that don’t pass the smell test. For the mind In addition to paying a little extra attention to the house in the springtime, more people are recommending ways to “spring clean the mind.” From toning down social media/Internet use to starting a daily meditation routine, expert recommendations vary. On cignabehavioral.com, the following tips are recommended for people looking to improve their mental health: • Breathe. Take 10 deep breaths and empty your mind. • Prioritize. Make task checklists and start on the most important ones first.
Check tasks off as you go and don’t procrastinate. • Do one thing at a time. • Communicate. Relieve tension by talking with your spouse, partner, friends or family members about your concerns. Learn to address confl ict calmly. • Be tolerant and forgiving. Learning these skills helps you reduce frustration and anger. • Exercise. • Take a break. Always have a lunch break or some “me-time” to relax and unwind. • Put things in perspective. Make a list of the things that are troubling you; then fold it and put it away for the rest of the day. Think to yourself, “Will this matter in a week, month or year from now?” • Stay positive. Praise yourself and others for good work. • Sleep. Make sure you get enough rest. • Eat a balanced diet. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, as they can act as depressants. • Have fun. Find time to do things you enjoy. (— Metro Creative contributed to this report.)
Metro Creative photo When cleaning their homes in the spring, homeowners should not forget to inspect their curtains, which can accumulate dust and dirt over the course of winter.
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20 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Ground rules for a garden that lasts By ADRIAN HIGGINS The Washington Post Suddenly, the whole world has burst into bloom and started to turn green. The abrupt transition happens every year, even if the miracle of it always seems to take us by surprise. Sometimes you just have to state the obvious: Spring is joyful. In a dynamic, temperate plant world such as ours, the burgeoning of the leaves and blossoms stirs a corresponding growth in our spirits. There is also work to be done in the spring, but amid this natural reawakening, it doesn’t seem like real toil. If you want to channel this ebullience into something more lasting, it helps to think of principles that transcend the season. Great gardeners are shaped by these ideas: Gardening isn’t just for spring The next six to eight weeks are the time to prepare beds, sow and plant annuals and veggies, gather and plant containers, revive the herb garden,
plant dahlias and generally go with the horticultural fl ow. But it’s important to remember that this isn’t the only “moment” in the garden, either to enjoy or to create, and the same rewards await on the other side of Memorial Day, when the heat chases fair weather gardeners away. Gardening, when it gets under your skin, boils down to stu ng your world with plants. The growing season becomes an eight-month parade in which each fl owering plant is like a fl oat, coming and going. Some of the most dramatic landscape designs come to the fore after the spring, particularly with the increasing interest in ornamental grasses and perennials. When horticulturists at Longwood Gardens in southeastern Pennsylvania tracked the blooming calendar of 462 varieties of perennials, they found that almost two-thirds of them peaked after June 1. This shift to a multi-seasonal mindset isn’t just for enjoying; it’s for doing.
Some important aspects of gardening are better not done in the spring. Reaping the harvest, planting a fall garden, dividing the irises — these are the jobs of late summer. Seeding the lawn is the work of early fall, which is also the best time to put in a new shrub or tree or move an existing one. The show of cherry blossoms is brief — that is one of their charms — but they have been readying for the display for eight months. This has to be another metaphor of sorts: Spring may come but once a year, but the gardener can work toward it year-round, just as you work on the fall garden now by planting asters, toad lilies, and trees and shrubs valued for their autumn color. Take the long view When you spend five or more hours a day looking at a digital screen, as we now do, it’s easy to see why life in general seems busier than ever; all the other stuff of quotidian existence gets compressed or diminished. In a world of
“now,” the garden offers a respite, but only if we set aside our expectations of instant gratification. An authentic garden demands foresight and patience. If you seek to rush it — by planting fast-growing, weak-wooded and densely foliated trees — then what you gain in early effect is replaced with an ongoing maintenance nightmare later in the form of broken branches, encroaching vegetation and a creeping gloom that limits everything else you grow in its shade. Some folks with deep pockets will have a 4-inch-caliper tree installed at great expense when a 1½-inch version would be far cheaper and easier and do just as well or better in the long term. Studies show that it takes longer for a larger tree to recover its root system after transplanting, significantly slowing its post-planting growth rate. In general, a perennial takes two or
See GARDENING Page 21
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GARDENING Continued from Page 20
three years after planting to shine and a ground cover about the same time to fill in. A small shrub may wait four years to fulfill its promise. A large shrub or small tree needs five to seven years to have presence, a shade tree seven to 10 years or more. “Gardens really aren’t going to sing until they are three or four years old,” said landscape designer Barbara Katz, of London Landscapes in Bethesda, Maryland. “People just don’t understand the time it takes to develop a real garden.” So slow down and wait for the reward. Or plant a vegetable garden. Come to think of it, plant a vegetable garden anyway. Embrace mistakes This is an integral part of gardening and one that professionals rarely talk about, perhaps because it is taboo or perhaps because it is so obvious. Most gardeners and designers I know rarely get it right the first time, because even they cannot predict how living organisms will thrive or not in a given spot and how they will behave with their fl oral playmates.
See GARDENING Page 22
Washington Post photo by Adrian Higgins Iris Reticulata and other bulbous irises return reliably in late winter.
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GARDENING Continued from Page 21
When a new planting doesn’t go to plan — it’s pretty evident after two or three growing seasons — tweak it, edit it or rip the whole thing out and start again. More important, allow yourself that option at the initial planting. Fixing a problem “is just a fantastic opportunity to get better at it,” Katz said. “Give yourself license to make mistakes.” The dilemma is in deciding whether to give something more time to work out or to cut your losses. After years of trying to get catmint to grow in an increasingly shady bed, I pulled it out and replaced it with sedge grass, something I should have done much earlier. A horticulturist friend of mine just pulled a honeysuckle vine after waiting five years for it to form a vertical statement on a purpose-built trellis. “It wasn’t dense enough, the fl ower clusters waned, and the more I trimmed it the less it bloomed,” she said. Some perennials are inherently short-lived, and you have to stay on top of them to keep the effect you want.
Conefl owers, gaura, some cranesbills and heucheras are classic examples. Be prepared to replant or replace. “They can be like reality TV stars whose careers in the garden were over and done before they began,” said Kelly Norris, director of horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. In the case of the conefl owers, for example, you have to either plant fresh ones each year or fill the gaps with such other, longer-lasting meadow perennials as goldenrods, asters and liatris. In one prominent spot in my garden, a witch hazel now forms an important focal point in front of a wall, a site that needed a large shrub or small tree. I first planted a Chinese fringe tree, but it became too large and dense. I replaced it with a variety of upright Japanese maple, which was perfect except that it died from freeze damage. I replaced it with the witch hazel. Years before, in another corner of the garden, I had removed a witch hazel that had become too rampant, replacing it with a weeping Japanese maple that has remained in scale. Once you realize you don’t have to stick with a plan that isn’t working, the
revelation is liberating. “On the fl ip side, I look at things that I planted 10 years ago, and they are still there: the yuccas, Solidago drummondii, hardy cactus,” said Norris, author of “Plants With Style.” Immutable garden vignettes, rare as they are, present their own problem: At what point do you try something new? This probably comes down to your personality type, but don’t rest on your laurels. Build the soil The most important zone in the garden, and the one supporting the most life, is the one we can’t see — the soil. But it is here that plants take up water and nutrients and where roots wander to find communion with beneficial bacteria and fungi. The gardener keeps this veiled universe fueled by adding organic matter. This, in turn, improves both the vitality and physical structure of the soil. The benefits cannot be overstated: Enriched soil equates to healthier and more vigorous plants, helps prevent soil erosion and compaction, and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Organic mulch, as it breaks down, helps to feed this biosphere, but in the spring, we tend to go mad with the mulch. Garden beds need no more than an inch or two, to keep weeds back and to conserve moisture. Repeated, thick layers of mulch promote surface rooting of plants that is highly detrimental. Mulch stacked in piles against tree trunks — mulch volcanoes — has no horticultural value and can harm the host trees. Mulch quality is also inconsistent: Shredded bark is desirable, shredded wood less so, and mulch that has been stockpiled can undergo anaerobic fermentation that produces compounds that give off vapors that can damage or kill plants. If it smells bad, it probably is. (Rake it away from plants until the mulch stops smelling.) One of the best mulches is of shredded leaves, or semi-rotted leaf mold, from the fall leaf drop. Recycling leaves also saves on the mulch bill, which can add up. A two-inch layer of shredded leaves in November will have kept winter weeds at bay and promoted earthworm action.
See GARDENING Page 23
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 23
GARDENING Continued from Page 22
It can be incorporated into the soil now for all of the microscopic critters waking up as the soil warms. Compost from yard waste, aged and screened, makes a superb soil amendment. If you are laying acres of mulch, you don’t have enough ground covers and other plants. Learn from others The Internet offers a whole world of information and counsel, much of it sound and applicable to gardeners in our mid-Atlantic neck of the woods. The University of Maryland Extension service has a comprehensive website (extension.umd.edu). General help is available under its publications section, where a variety of practical topics are examined. Vegetable gardeners will find advice in its Grow It Eat It section. Similarly, Virginia Tech’s Cooperative Extension service (ext.vt.edu) has a menu of topics dealing with common problems. The university’s Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed
Science (ppws.vt.edu) also has a useful guide for identifying weeds. It may take a wait of two or three years to find a plot, but joining a community garden is another great way to learn from other gardeners. The key is to find the accomplished growers and to observe not just what they are planting but — this may be the greatest secret to growing veggies — the timing of their seeding and transplanting. Ultimately, the best teacher is your own experience. How do you remember all this stuff? Keep a garden diary. Recording a log of plantings and their performance has value, especially when you come to look back at it a few seasons later. Examining a diary entry from last March, I could rekindle my sense of annoyance that a long, lingering winter had delayed the usual jump on the growing season. “Nothing in,” I wrote. “Spring is three weeks late. I survey delayed work and weeds.” This year, March has given us May weather, and the spring will be different, though not necessarily better. One thing is certain: The observant gardener will spend the whole year in growth.
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24 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Why you should prepare a seafood dinner for your soil
Photo by Barbara Damrosch/For The Washington Post Crab meal is added to the soil in the author’s garden with a shallow tiller called a “tilther.” Crustracean shells are highly beneficial to soil.
By BARBARA DAMROSCH Special to The Washington Post The longer I live, the more I appreciate food that is simple and knowable. It might seem easier to make soup from an envelope of dehydrated mix. But filling the pot with real potatoes, leeks and thyme is easy, too, and results in a tastier soup. I want the same clarity when feeding the soil in my garden or, more precisely, the microorganisms that live in it. Their consumption of organic matter makes the soil fertile, by making nutrients available to my plants’ roots. So I feed them what I know: manure, kitchen scraps, plant parts — either broken down in the compost pile or incorporated directly into the soil. The same impulse led my husband to a crab processing plant many years ago. The owners were happy to give him crab shells they’d otherwise have hauled away for incineration. The shells enriched his soil and helped him grow healthy, productive plants. Since then, he’s sought any crustacean shells he could find, tilling them into our gardens and fields. Here’s how they work their magic. The exoskeletons of crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crayfish and countless insects contain a substance called chitin (pronounced KYE-tin), a slow-release source of the nitrogen that
See SOIL Page 25
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 25
SOIL
Continued from Page 24 plants need. Because it doesn’t leach out of the soil, it doesn’t pollute waterways the way soluble nitrogen fertilizers do. But that’s not all. When crustacean shells are added to the soil, they stimulate and increase populations of chitin-devouring bacteria and fungi. Once these have decomposed the shells, they go on to devour certain chitinous pests, most notably rootknot nematodes, which can lead to poor yields in a number of crops. The shells also contain calcium carbonate, the key ingredient in garden lime. Calcium is another essential element for plant health, and it raises the pH of the soil in areas that are too acidic. The shells of mollusks such as oysters, mussels and clams are also rich in calcium. Those don’t break down as rapidly as crustaceans do, but that’s not a defect. We see the white clamshell fragments in our dark earth as time-release calcium pills at work. Gardeners who don’t live near a coast where shellfish waste is plentiful might make a deal with seafood restaurants, offering to take it away as an even exchange.
But they can also buy dried, ground crab or shrimp shells in bags. This is also a good option if neighbors object to fresh seafood waste. (Look for pure meal without additives, such as urea.) If local stores don’t carry them, check online sources such as Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (groworganic. com). Shellfish meal can be added, raked in or tilled just before planting, but whole crustacean shells are best chopped up, turned under and allowed to mellow in the soil for a month or more. Leaving them on the soil surface, as we once did with some crab shells when the ground was frozen, is a bad idea. They attracted fl ocks of sea gulls, whose habit it is to pick up shells and break them by dropping them on shoreline rocks -- or in this case, our neighbors’ cars. A better idea: Invite the neighbors to a big lobster or crab feast, and after dinner put all of the shells on the compost pile. Burying them with a garden fork will not only hide them from birds but also set the heap to “bake,” cooking up the best compost you’ve ever made. (— Damrosch is the author of “The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook”; her website is www.fourseasonfarm.com.)
Create a budget-friendly home landscape By Metro Creative Homeowners understandably envy the award-worthy photo spreads in lawn and garden magazines, wanting to emulate those same looks on their own properties. Scores of designers and landscape architects are involved in the process of creating those amazing lush lawns and perfectly placed plantings. Although not every homeowner has the budget to create lavish landscape designs, it’s still possible for homeowners to create lawns they can be proud of. Establish your budget. The first step in any project is to determine how much money you can devote to the job. Once you have established the budget, all other factors can be built around it. Find an inspiration piece. Great landscapes are inspired by many things, whether it’s a memorable piece of art or a landscape layout in
a lawn and gardening magazine. Use photos of other gardens or neighbors’ yards as inspiration and build off of them. As long as the theme is cohesive, it will look pleasing to the eye. Consider the space and how you want to use it. Understanding the space will help you better allocate your budget. If your yard is more of a retreat, look for ways to create privacy and a vacation feel. If you have kids and entertaining friends is a main priority, focus on recreational aspects, such as a pool, playset and some durable plants. Understanding how to allocate your budget will help you to avoid spending money frivolously. Think about reclaimed or repurposed materials. Brand new items can quickly eat up a budget. However, repurposing salvaged or inexpensive
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26 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
LANDSCAPE Continued from Page 25
items can stretch that budget while adding some unique fl air to a landscape. See if you can find an outdoor patio set that someone is giving away or selling for a lower price. All it takes is a coat of paint and some new cushions to make it look like new. Discarded bricks or stones can be worked into a patio space or used to create raised garden beds. Purchase inexpensive fl ower pots and then paint them to make them look like stone or another desired material. Buy native plants. Native plants, shrubs, trees, and fl owers will fare better than non-native, exotic plants. That means you’ll have to spend less time and money nurturing them into health, and less money having to replace plants that cannot withstand your climate. Consider perennial plants. Perennials may cost more at the outset, but the savings will be realized in the years to come.
Hire a professional. It may seem counterintuitive to spend money on a landscaping professional when you’ve established a strict budget, but that’s one way to save money. Landscape artists or garden designers have the experience to guide you in the right direction and help you avoid potentially costly mistakes. Use gravel in spots where plants don’t thrive. Gravel is an inexpensive landscaping material that can fill in voids where plants or ground cover simply do not fl ourish. Those working on limited budgets may be happy to learn gravel is typically less expensive than concrete or pavers. Ask friends or family for clippings. Don’t be shy about admiring the plantings of those you know. Flatter their good taste and ask if you can have some clippings to propagate yourself. These clippings can turn into lush plants in no time, with no additional spending required. With some frugal spending, planning and budgeting, anyone can create a beautiful landscape.
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• April 2016 • Home & Garden • 27
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28 • Home & Garden • April 2016 •
Farmall 35C ROPS, MFD, 28 PTO hp
CASH $20,388
POWER EQUIPMENT
Farmall 40C ROPS, MFD, 31 PTO hp
CASH $23,208
Farmall 55C CVT with Loader CAB, MFD, 43 PTO hp
CASH $39,136
CORE CCT410
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Pressure Washers MC4015RA - 4000 PSI, 4.0 GPM, $ 420CC OHV Engine 78750
Cordless Electric Trimmer
SALE $275 SC 500 EZ Walk Behind Mower,159 cc, 21 in. Deck, Caster Wheels, Electric Start
SALE $445
MC317RX - 3100 PSI, 2.3 GPM, $ 38160 210CC OHV Engine
XT2 LX42 EFI 547 cc, 42 in. Deck
SALE $1,795
MC152EN - 1500 PSI, 2.0 GPM, $ 56250 120 volt 18.5 Amp Motor XT3 GSE 22.5 hp, 42 in. Deck, Power Steering, Electric Lift
Cam Spray Pressure Washer
SALE $4,650
1450 PSI HOT WATER ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE
Farmall 70A ROPS, 2WD, 62 PTO hp
CASH $19,437 CASH $46,673
Farmall 105U with Loader ROPS, MFD, 90 PTO hp
CASH $72,995
Farmall 110A ROPS, 2WD, 90 PTO hp
CASH $44,995
Farmall 140A with Loader CAB, MFD, 115 PTO hp
CASH $87,465
SPECIAL
ZFS60 Residential
2,87500
$
Zero Turn, 25 hp, 60 in. FAB Deck
SALE $4,425
Part No. ZCS1450SHDE
ZFSZ48 Commercial Zero Turn, 23 hp, 48 in. FAB Deck
Generators
SALE $5,450
MC9000ER - 9000 Watt 420CC Power Ease Engine
SPECIAL
ZFSZ60 Commercial Zero Turn, 23.5 hp, 60 in. FAB Deck
SALE $6,450
891
$
00
PRO Z 148S EFI Zero Turn, 25 hp, 48 in. FAB Deck
Air Compressors BCAC2020 - 20 gallon vertical, 2hp, Direct Drive, 120 volt
SALE $6,650 PRO Z 160S EFI
22500
$
Zero Turn, 27 hp, 60 in. FAB Deck
SALE $7,250
BCAC3030B - 30 gallon vertical, $ 49595 3hp, Belt Drive, 120 volt 996-7704 1-800-952-2308
MCAC 7011RB - 10 gallon wheelbarrow Power Ease OHV 210 CC $ 76500 Engine
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110 volt, 2.0 HP elec., 2.0 GPM, with cart, 40’ hose, diesel or kerosene burner, 140o temp. rise, 120 VAC, AR pump
Farmall 75C with Loader CAB, MFD, 65 PTO hp
ZFS48 Residential Zero Turn, 24 hp, 48 in. FAB Deck
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