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This 2010 photo shows a Victorian greenhouse near Stockbridge, Mass., where weeds were beginning to take hold on the ground beneath the plant stands. Spreading landscape cloth can be an effective deterrent or they can be dispatched by hand weeding. One weed plant can produce hundreds of seeds. Weeds can be especially troublesome in greenhouses, hiding pests, starving plants and spreading disease. (AP photo)
Prevention is the best way to manage greenhouse weeds By DEAN FOSDICK Associated Press Weeds can be especially troublesome in greenhouses. They starve plants of nutrients, water and light. They also protect insects, mites, rodents and other pests. “Not only are weeds a problem in and of themselves ... (but) many greenhouse weeds harbor other pests, including white fly, and may be an alternate host for important viral diseases,” said Joe Neal, a professor of weed science and department Extension leader at North Carolina State University. And if your greenhouse crops are to be potted outdoors later, “then the weeds tag along,” he said. So what's a greenhouse grower to do? “When it comes to weed prevention in greenhouses, a good place to start is at the greenhouse door,” said Lee Stivers, an Extension educator with Penn State University. “Anything or any being going through the door is a potential carrier of weeds and weed seeds — incoming potted plants, potting soil, muddy work boots, tools and equipment, dogs and even wind,” Stivers said. “Vigilance at the doorway will go a long way toward preventing weeds from becoming established in the greenhouse.” Controlling weeds outside around the perimeter of the greenhouse means fewer weeds sneaking in through the door, she said. “Similarly, you could put screening up on any ventilation fans to keep seeds from blowing in,” she added. Weed management in greenhouses, hoop houses and other enclosed settings can involve prevention, sanitation, landscape cloth, herbicides and pulling by hand. “Prevention and sanitation are key, but once weeds are in the greenhouse, you want to have an integrated approach See Weeds p. 2D
This 2013 photo shows a Hobby Greenhouse in a Langley, Wash., backyard. This greenhouse was built on a platform to prevent troublesome weed growth. Weed management in greenhouses, hoop houses and other enclosed settings include prevention, sanitation, use of landscape cloth, pulling by hand and very careful use of herbicides. (AP photo)
This undated photo provided by The Monacelli Press shows a photograph of a dining room in a house on Penobscot Bay, Maine, featured in the book “Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons From Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's The Decoration of Houses,” by Thomas Jayne. (AP photo)
Edith Wharton's design legacy showcased By KATHERINE ROTH Associated Press Edith Wharton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author famous for novels set in the late 19th century, also wrote an influential book on interior design, long considered a sort of bible of American decorating. “The Decoration of Houses,” written before any of her novels, was radical when published in 1897. Co-authored with Wharton's distant cousin Ogden Codman, it advocated classical simplicity and balance in contrast to the excesses of the Gilded Age. The book was “the levelheaded, indispensable book on the subject,” says interior decorator Thomas Jayne of Jayne Design Studio in New York City. He calls it “the most important decorating book ever written.” Jayne has written a new book, “Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons from Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's The Decoration of Houses” (The Monacelli Press), that revisits the classic. He argues that Wharton's fundamental ideas about proportion and the planning of space still create the most harmonious and livable interiors, whether traditional or contemporary. His book traces contemporary ideas about design and decor back to Wharton
Above, is author Thomas Jayne in an apartment he decorated in New York, N.Y. Jayne has a new book titled "Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons From Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's The Decoration of Houses." At left, is a photograph of a kitchen in Nantucket, Mass., featured in Jayne’s book (AP photos)
and Codman, showing where the old and new approaches coincide and diverge. Organized as “The Decoration of Houses” was, with distinct chapters on walls, doors, windows, ceilings and floors, Jayne's book adds kitchens and the use of color — two major
aspects of home design today that Wharton and Codman did not address. Accompanying the text and selected quotes from Wharton and Codman's original are lush photos of interiors from Jayne Design Studio that demonstrate Wharton and Codman's design principles.
Projects include the restoration of 18th-century public rooms in Crichel House in Dorset, England; a Montana mountain retreat; and an array of New York apartments and country houses. Just as Wharton's novels See Design p. 2D
6 New Year's resolutions for new homeowners By BETH BUCZYNSKI NerdWallet We all make New Year's resolutions, but let's be honest: Most are wishful thinking. By February, that “lose 20 pounds” or “learn Spanish” resolution has gone right out the window. But not for you, new homeowner. This year is different. Your first 12 months of homeownership set the tone for the entire journey. With just a few smart decisions, you can save money now and get more out of your investment later. So make room on that list between “run a 5K” and “travel more.” Here are six essential New Year's resolutions for new homeowners. 1. START AN EMERGENCY FUND Homeownership has a funny way of costing more than you think. An emergency savings fund provides a financial safety net, and your new home is the perfect reason to start one. Remember, if the furnace quits on a cold night, there's no landlord to call. Laid off unexpectedly or surprised by major car repairs? Mortgage payments are still expected on time and in full. Without an emergency fund, these expenses could force you into credit card debt or worse. See Tips p. 2D
In this 2015 photo, a “Sold” sign is displayed in the yard of a newly-constructed home in the Briar Chapel community in Chapel Hill, N.C. With just a few smart decisions, such as creating an emergency fund and getting an energy efficiency audit, you can get your homeownership off to a positive start. (AP photo)
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Thursday, January 11, 2018
House to Home
Mortgage Index 30-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pts.
15-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pt.
High rate
4.125
1
3.625
1
Low rate
3.750
1
3.125
1
Average rate
3.937
1
3.375
1
This graphic represents a Tuesday survey of regional lending institutions. Figures are based on rates at Range Bank, First Bank of Upper Michigan, the Marquette Community Federal Credit Union and mBank.
Man seeks to preserve pre-Revolutionary War home By CHRISTOPHER MAAG The Record AP Member Exchange HACKENSACK, N.J. — For a month, Henry Kip and his brother Peter stood sentinel, alone. Abandoned by George Washington, whose broken army fled Hackensack for Pennsylvania so quickly that many of his soldiers marched without shoes, the Kips were members of a ragtag militia that walked Polifly Ridge, the last defense against British troops looking to pillage the farms of Bergen County. After volunteering for guard duty, the Kips walked home to a stone farmhouse on the edge of the meadows. That house, built by 1743, still stands. During the Revolutionary War, it was one of dozens of homes along the old Polifly Road, which traced the ridge line from Hackensack to Newark and served as the residential hub for Bergen County's political and economic elite for more than 100 years, until the Civil War. Today the Kip homestead is the last of those houses left. A developer wants to knock it down. Theodore Van Winkle, whose ancestors served in the militia alongside the Kips, and whose great-grandfather Daniel bought the Kip homestead in 1852, thinks that's a terrible idea.
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Ideally, your emergency fund should cover several months of expenses, but it's OK to start small. Set aside a portion of every paycheck with the goal of saving $500 as quickly as possible, and then contribute as much as you can moving forward.
2. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE Just because a standard homeowners insurance policy satisfied your lender doesn't mean you're adequately covered. “Homeowners insurance isn't one-size-fits-all. There are unique coverage options and, more importantly, ‘exclusions’ that homeowners need to be aware of,” says Ryan Andrew, president of The Andrew Agency, an independent insurance agency in Richmond, Virginia. Does your policy cover the full cost of your jewelry or other valuables? Are disasters like earthquakes and floods excluded? Will the policy pay if your dog bites the new mailman? “Your home is usually your biggest asset,” Andrew says. “Spend a few minutes reviewing your coverage and exclusions,
Rutherford, N.J., Borough Historian Rod Leith stands in front of the historic Dutch colonial stone house that was built in 1741 before the American Revolution. (Mitsu Yasukawa /The Record via AP) “I’m very much against it,” said Van Winkle, 90, whose family has lived within a couple miles of the old Kip farm for 330 years. “It’s one of the oldest Dutch homes in New Jersey, and it should be preserved.” The developer, Madison Hill Properties LLC, takes the opposite view. A report prepared on the company's behalf describes the Kip house and 17 surrounding properties as an “area in need of redevelopment,” a term of art in local zoning law that translates roughly to “slum.” Madison Hill has not disclosed what it hopes to build in their place. Representatives of the company did not return calls and emails seeking comment. The company's report points out, howev-
and ask questions so you understand your policy.” 3. GET AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AUDIT Heating, cooling and powering a home isn't cheap. Why be uncomfortable or spend more because your house wastes energy? After the dust settles, you may notice more about your home, particularly if you bought new construction, says Jessie Ferguson, director of operations at Renewablue, a home energy consulting company. Maybe the air smells funny or one bedroom is colder than the others. She recommends getting an energy efficiency audit rather than guessing at the problem. Using blower door tests and infrared cameras, energy audits measure air leaks and detect air infiltration or missing insulation. Audits are performed by utility companies, city governments and some contractors. “An energy audit is an inexpensive way to get real information about your house. They'll tell you which fixes will deliver the best bang for your buck,” Ferguson says. In addition to lowering your utility bills and making you more comfortable, a more efficient home may end up putting free money
er, that the neighborhood is zoned for two-family houses and five-story residential buildings. That would mean replacing the last Colonial-era, stonebuilt home on the old Polifly Road with more town houses and apartment blocks, the same slapped-together agglomerations of vinyl siding and fake brick available from Teaneck to Spokane. “The people who lived in this house, the Kip and the Van Winkle families, were part of the militia that guarded this area during the Revolutionary War,” said Rod Leith, Rutherford’s borough historian. “It's southern Bergen County’s last connection with the Revolutionary War. I hope they let that house be.”
in your pocket, thanks to local, state and federal rebates. 4. CONSIDER A HOME WARRANTY If the appliances in your new home are near the end of their life cycles, a home warranty may help shield you from the cost of replacement. Also called home service contracts, home warranties are annual agreements that offset the repair or replacement cost of major home components and appliances. Approach home warranty companies with caution, however. Read customer reviews and avoid gimmicks that seem too good to be true. Like insurance policies, home warranties are full of fine print, and homeowners often fail to realize what's excluded until they try to make a claim. “They can be helpful in
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turned a probing and often critical eye on the excesses of upper-crust society, so her book on design was a reaction to Gilded Age and Victorian excesses in interiors, which were becoming crowded and fussy, Jayne said. “This was Wharton's first book. She had money and means, and had spent her teens and 20s looking at great rooms and homes. No one had ever written a book devoted entirely to decoration, as opposed to architectural treatises and what they then called ‘domestic economy books,’” Jayne said in an interview. “She offered an unusual combination of philosophical and practical advice. Interior decoration has to function, but she argued for a higher plane of design, with an emphasis on well-proportioned rooms — with well-placed and sized windows, and good structural elements like moldings, cornices and well-designed ceilings — as opposed to the distractions of too much furniture or unnecessarily fussy window dressings and
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flooring,” he said. The book urged people to focus on well-proportioned rooms with “good bones,” Jayne said. “And that's as true now as it was then.” Wharton liked ceilings, he said, seeing them as neglected and perfect surfaces to influence the feel of the entire room. Jayne's book shows several highly structured and painted ceilings to illustrate Wharton's views. Both the original book and Jayne's work point out that beautiful rooms need not be costly. “Baseboards and crown molding are sold by the yard at stores like Home Depot and are extremely affordable,” Jayne says, “and they do so much to provide structure to a room.” Furnishings, too, don't need to be expensive — “they just need to be proportionate to the size and function of each room.” If there is one main takeaway, Jayne says, it is that “tradition is not about the past or about elitism. Tradition is now. It's active and important and democratic.” His section on kitchens, which were ignored by Wharton because neither
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to preventing their spread and reproduction,” Neal said. Some ways to go about it: Weeding: Spreading landscape cloth over greenhouse floors can be an effective deterrent, but it must be kept free of potting soil, Stivers said. “If there are just a few weeds growing on the greenhouse floor, they can easily be dispatched by hand-weeding or using a trowel or hoe,” she said. Sanitation: “Adopt a zero tolerance for weeds in your greenhouse,” Stivers said. “One weed plant can produce hundreds of seeds,” and some, like hairy bittercress, “are quite crafty in how far they can make their seeds travel. Remove weeds from the greenhouse; don't just throw them in the trash can in the corner.” Herbicides: Use chemicals carefully or not at all. “Most of the herbicides labeled for greenhouses require that the house be empty at the time of treatment,” Neal said.
the first year of homeownership, when you have so many other things to think about and pay for,” Ferguson says of home warranties. “Just make sure you know exactly what you're getting.” 5. CREATE A DISASTER KIT WITH A HOME INVENTORY Your new home is your castle, but it's not indestructible. A disaster kit that includes financial documents and a home inventory will speed up recovery if the unthinkable happens. A home inventory can be as simple as snapping pictures of big-ticket items in your home, or you could record items, brands, original prices, ages and condition in a spreadsheet. No matter which method you choose, a home inventory is the best way to make sure you have enough insurance coverage
she nor many of her readers at the time prepared their own food, argues for eat-in kitchens, with a focus on kitchens as a gathering space. And while Jayne ignores ballrooms, which were considered essential in Wharton and Codman's day, he says the dining room remains important and should be included in any home large enough for one. “It's OK to have a room that is only used for parties or special occasions, assuming you can afford the space,” he said. “Dining rooms and ballrooms have the same kind of luxury. Wharton called these kinds of rooms ‘gala rooms.’” “Living rooms should be living rooms and gala rooms should be gala rooms, but don't make a hybrid. Each has its place,” Jayne said, echoing Wharton. Jayne is also the author of “The Finest Rooms in America: Fifty Influential Interiors from the Eighteenth Century to the Present,” and “American Decoration: A Sense of Place,” a monograph on the work of his studio (both published by The Monacelli Press).
“Tender, greenhouse-grown plants can be injured by small amounts of herbicide drift.” Many common herbicides can volatilize or evaporate and spread as a vapor, Neal said. “Within a closed structure, these vapors can be trapped. The trapped vapors can injure crop plants that would otherwise not be injured by the same herbicide applied outdoors,” he said. Grow organically, but use care. Products labeled “natural” or “naturally derived” aren't necessarily safe, Neal said. “Common natural products containing acetic acid (vinegar) and natural oils can cause severe eye irritation. So read the label carefully.” Online: For more about managing greenhouse weeds, see this fact sheet from the University of Massachusetts Amherst: https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/greenhouse-best-management-practices-bmp-manual/weed-management You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net
to replace your valuables, Andrew says. Store the inventory, along with copies of your personal identification, credit card information, vehicle records and other important documents, in a fireproof safe or another place that's easily accessible if you have to evacuate. 6. MAKE A PLAN TO BUILD EQUITY Unless you bought your home with cash, it will be many years until you own it outright. Make plans now to build equity faster so you can unlock more benefits of homeownership even sooner. Equity is a fancy word for “how much of your house is paid off.” Home
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equity is a valuable asset; accrue enough and you can use it to finance major renovations or pay off student loans. You can build equity slowly just by making your monthly mortgage payments, or you can find ways to speed up the process. For example, take on smart home improvements or switch to biweekly payments to get “equity rich” even faster.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. Beth Buczynski is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: bbuczynski@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @bethbuczynski.
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