Questions And Answers On Vegetable Garden Mulch
Steve asks…
when is the best time to mulch vegetable garden?
I want to start off a vegetable garden and dont know whether to mulch after sowing the seed or when the seedlings appear.
Home Gardener answers:
Hummm, I would mulch when I have the permanent plants to a height where I could mulch and not cover them or crush them by accident. Most direct seed sowing is for things like lettuce or beets and things like that and then you thin them. After that they take a while to get big enough to surround by mulch. I use straw not hay because it is cheap, not acidic and makes the soil lighter and breaks down well as well as lets the rain in and keeps weeds down. Hay is not good, it has a lot of seeds in it and can be bad for your back lol. Good luck.
Charlie asks…
Can I use dyed black mulch in my vegetable garden?
I’m trying to figure out if the same black triple-shredded mulch I use for the flower beds would have any effects on my vegetable plants. Anyone know if there are harmful chemicals in the dye they use or the process they use to make the mulch?
Home Gardener answers:
I don’t know about any threat from chemicals leaching ito the soil but the black mulch will increase the soil temperature. Right now, that’s a point of concern here in Los Angeles with our heat wave. From fall to spring, that would not be a bad thing. But I can’t help regarding the dye and what it’s made from.
Good luck.
Jemima asks…
are there any dangers with using dyed mulch in your vegetable garden?
i was tired of the soil drying out so i added red mulch ,is ther any danger to my vegetables or me from the dye?
Home Gardener answers:
Nope no danger at all i have it in my garden and everything is growing well i also have the red
Helena asks…
best mulch for vegetable garden?
Vegetables include broccoli, spinach, cabbage, capsicum and tomatoes. All established and growing well.
Home Gardener answers:
I’d have to disagree with both. My experience with both compost and straw has not been good. Many times you find compost with weed seeds in it. Straw often has to sit for several months for all the weed killers to wash out of it, and then it is often full of nutgrass seeds.
My best cheap mulch has been newspapers with a topping of garden soil to hold it down. If you’re not cheap, order the paper mulches from a garden supply outlet. The red ones are supposed to work wonders for Tomatoes.
Mark asks…
What’s the best mulch for a vegetable garden?
I’ll probably have a little bit of the most common stuff–tomatoes, peppers, beans.
Thanks.
Home Gardener answers:
While wood chips, sawdust and pine straw are good for a flower bed, don’t use them in your vegetable patch. They all can harbor insects, are high acid and the main disadvantage is that when they start to break down (rot) the process will rob much needed nitrogen from the soil. Compost, rotted barnyard manure, old hardwood leaves, sphagnum moss, hay and straw all work well for veggies.
Wayne asks…
should I mulch my vegetable garden?
I live in new england. Growing a organic veg garden this summer. should I put down mulch to help with weed control and retain heat and moisture? If so, what should I use? i don’t want to use commercial bark much because of the added chemicals and dyes. What do you use?
Home Gardener answers:
With the exception of clear plastic (which warms the soil), mulch cools the soil but it does preserve moisture. Grass clippings and compost are a good organic mulch. They are relatively high in nitrogen, so they don’t need extra. Wood chips, bark, and leaves are good for mulch, but they tax the decomposition capacity of the soil. Vegetables will not get enough nitrogen as a result of too much organic material. Depending on the decomposition level, add enough nitrogen fertilizer to compensate for the added organic material. Forgive me if I don’t speak strictly organic language. I’m hybrid in my gardening techniques. I use the developments along with the experience of the ages.
I use grass clippings, peat moss,”Nutrimulch” (wood shavings and turkey manure), cow maunure, kitchen-waste compost, wood bark, and chips, depending on availability. I add NPK fertilizer to boost growth and decomposition of organic matter. I till vines and stalks into the soil as early as possible to provide food for microbes and earthworms. And I get big yields of delicious vegetables: peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, herbs of all sorts, flowers, potatoes, and squash. I used a little greenhouse (what I call a hoop house) to warm my garden this year, and in spite of snows and freezing temperatures, my peas are nearly ready to bloom.
Jim asks…
Has anyone ever used moss for mulch in thier vegetable garden?
A friend of mine has a lake in his yard and every year moss grows out of control. This year I picked up a truck load and blended it in my compost pile , which is very healthy. Since then though, I discovered grubbs by the hundreds. I’m wondering if this was a good idea or not. I never saw any grubbs before, could it be that the moss had the larva in it? Or is this just normal for a compost pile?
Home Gardener answers:
Moss harbor critters like red bug and mosquitoes,if you would like to put it to good use wash it in diluted Clorox then rinse well it is good for holding in moisture.
Caroline asks…
home & garden. Is it ok to use lawn grass clippings as mulch in a vegetable garden?
Home Gardener answers:
Grass clippings are all I use in my vegetable garden. I add them throughout the summer and they compost in place. My soil is terrific, with very little effort. Just make sure that you don’t turn green clippings in to your soil as that depletes available nitrogen. Once they’re dry it’s fine. I have a very weedy lawn but haven’t had much trouble with weeds in the garden at all. Straw does work great too but the years that I used hay I was overrun with clover. Between that and the fact that grass clippings are free it was a clear choice for me!
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Questions And Answers On Grow Your Own Vegetables
Mike asks…
Do you grow your own vegetables and herbs or do you buy them from the market?
Home Gardener answers:
Living on a village has its good sides. I have made a a small hot-house and there, herbal plants that need care are growing and so do lettuces, peppers and tomatoes. Out on the open are growing spinach, cabbages, leeks and onions.
Many years ago we grew potatoes too, but moles got the best of the crop. So that was given up. In all, the bought green groceries are limited to fruit, mostly during the summer.
Kirstie asks…
VEGETARIANS… If you had to grow your own vegetables would you still be a veggie?
Home Gardener answers:
Absolutely! They taste a lot better than shop bought veg, no chemicals or artifical colouring. It’s also very satisfying when you’ve grown them yourself. You don’t really need a garden either, a lot of veg can be grown in large pots.
Thomas asks…
Would it be a good idea to grow your own vegetables instead of flowers?
Home Gardener answers:
Yes, if you have a garden or allotment it’s a great way to supplement your diet. I shared a house with a friend for several years and in the garden, which wasn’t very big, we managed to grow runner beans, broad beans, onions, garlic, courgettes, rhubarb, peas, tomatoes and several varieties of herbs.
Home-grown vegetables always taste better and you have the satisfaction of getting something to show for the work you’ve put in. If you’re new to growing there are plenty of books on the subject which you can buy or borrow and when you buy seeds, the planting instructions are printed on the packet.
You need seed trays, a decent set of gardening tools, a greenhouse (or if that isn’t possible, a cold frame), flower pots, watering can, beanpoles, lots of twine, some bird netting (but you don’t want to discourage the birds completely – see below), some kind of insect repellent, a compost bin, a bit of muscle power and some patience.
One good thing to do is set up a bird table with plenty of seeds and vegetable scraps to encourage the birds, especially at this time of year when it’s nesting season and they’re raising their young. Not only will they be less likely to start feasting on your seedlings, they will also gobble up lots of creepy-crawlies that would otherwise attack your plants.
If you’re really lucky you might even find you have a resident hedgehog. These are called the gardener’s friend for a good reason – they eat slugs and other pests. So do slow worms. Slow worms like to hide under rocks – put down a few rocks on a patch of bare earth and who knows, you might find one.
Reward will come when you realise you have produced e.g. A year’s supply of garlic…
Helena asks…
Do you grow your own vegetables, South Africa?
.
I grow my own tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppadews and chillies.
Home Gardener answers:
Yes.
Tomatoes, chillies, onions, green beans and leeks.
Rosemary, garlic chives, thyme, parsley and basil.
It is so nice to go and get your vegetables and herbs fresh from the garden.
John asks…
Is it rewarding and fun to grow your own vegetables in your back garden ?
for years now, I’ve had this fascination and desire to do gardening.
Its fun, its relaxing and therapeutic and rewarding.
Its november – what sort of Vegetables might I be able to grow now – thru into Dec,Jan and Feb ?
I’d love to give Potatoes, Carrots and even Onions a go.
no idea if any of them are in season or out of season for this period.
Do you need to do your homework first, to find out the ideal conditions to grow certain vegetables ?
what are the basics – the essential things you MUST do to get off to a safe start that will give me satisfactory results ?
the idea of growing my own potatoes and making chips sounds quite fun.
Or using the onions & carrots grown by myself, in cooking.
Home Gardener answers:
For the first couple of years,
you will spend quite a bit on your tools, pots of different sizes, bags of compost to make your soil good, Insecticide and fungicide spray along with other sprays which you will need, garden canes, cloches, water butts and hose pipe etc.
Its hard work in preparing everything and keeping it that way, but once done you will get great satisfaction when picking them fresh from your ground plus giving a few left overs to your neighbours.
It depends on how serious you want to make it and it can be more expensive than buying from the shops at times, but once you get the bug you wont be able to stop.
As for your information. You can get all this from your own P.C. Just type in…for eg… (growing cabbages) and it will give you all the info you need. ( Or preparing a vegetable garden.)
It will tell you how and when to grow all types of veg.
As for your seeds…Buy them off ebay, there are some good cheap sellers there. Don’t get paying high prices from shops or garden centres when you can buy them for 99p a pack.
You will soon learn what to do and what not to do.
Its not the growing you have to worry about, its all about getting the soil right. Just like I said at the beginning. Buying compost and adding all what you can to the soil to make it a good texture, as your veges wont grow very good just in soil alone.
Happy Gardening.
Marie asks…
Is it more expensive to grow your own vegetables ?
During World War Two, Americans grew their own vegetables in victory gardens . By the same token, in the early 1970s, the United States government recommended Americans grow their own vegetables in “inflation gardens” to deal with inflation . Every so often I’ll read a “How To Save Money” article that says “Grow your own vegetables in a graden . My mom had a garden and she claimed that it was much more expensive to grow your own vegetables . She just had a garden because she enjoyed gardening . I’ve often said “My mom had a garden, and she always said it’s more expensive to grow your own vegetables !” . There have been times when somebody’s said “No, it’s actually cheaper to grow your own vegetables !” .
Now I don’t know wehat to think . Who’s right ? Did my Mom turn a cheap hobby into an expensive one ? Is it cheaper or more expensive to grow your own vegetables ?
Home Gardener answers:
Heck no! I grow my own veggies and just bought red peppers to tide me over until I can harvest the ones on my plant. They were on sale for $1.99 a piece. I only paid $1.99 for each of the three plants I have and they each have about 8 peppers in various growth stages that I am waiting till maturity to harvest. Same goes for my tomato plants. I have romas, grape, beefeaters and Big Berthas. I don’t believe I paid over $3.00 for any of my plants but just paid $2.99 a pound for romas, 2 containers for $3 for grape tomatoes while I’m waiting for them to turn red. Even if I throw in the water and organic fertilizer growing my own veggies, citrus, avocado and herbs is saving me money. Besides nothing beats eating veggies right out of your own garden, sharing your harvest with friends and neighbors and controlling and knowing what chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides WEREN’T used on what you are eating.
David asks…
When growing your own vegetables, do you have to worry about salmonella?
What is the cause of salmonella? My garden-grown vegetables are safe from salmonella, right?
Home Gardener answers:
Salmonella and Escherichia coli (or e.coli) are passed on to edible plants when manure (of any kind) has one or both bacteria and has not been properly composted but is used as fertilizer anyway. The bacterium goes into the soil and is taken up by the plants through vascular absorption (or systemically) and is INSIDE the plant and fruit or vegetable tissue – so the bacteria cannot be washed off.
If you use chemical fertilizers, none at all or properly heated manure compost – and there are any harmful organisms in the manure they will be killed by the heat (during proper heat composting) and using the compost is fine. You still should wash all your fruits and vegetables before consuming them 
. I hope this information was helpful.
Paul asks…
Why is growing your own vegetables good for sustainability?
Why is growing your own vegetables good for sustainability?
Home Gardener answers:
It is not. It is, however, part of “feel-good-ism.” It FEELS good to so it, but lends nothing to the earth’s so-called “sustainability.”
I made that last part up myself. – Thumper
Richard asks…
doesn’t walmart sell seeds to grow your own vegetables or fruit?i want to try to grow bananas?
Home Gardener answers:
I have some banana trees. I do not live in a tropical climate, I live near the Mississippi River in the upper midwest.
You grow them from trees. The trees shoot up new trees when they are about two years old. You can separate the new baby trees from the roots of the bigger trees to grow separately. They do not have seeds.
We take our banana trees outside in April where we plant them in sand and full sun. At about age five, they will drop a long rope with a beautifully sweet-smelling flower on the end of it. Small four inch bananas then form on the top of the plant that grow upward not down like you see them in the stores. After having bananas the big tree dies. By that time it is about ten feet tall or more.
Each fall in mid October, we dig up each tree, cut off all the leaves and wrap the roots in a garbage bag then haul them to the basement. They winter there where we dribble water on each rootball about three times during the winter. In spring we take them back out where they sprout new leaves and grow.
I accidentally killed some of them last year by fertilizing them. So just for reference, do not fertilize. Just let them grow. They are sturdy, hardy plants. And when you get rewarded with a flowering tree you feel wonderful. Their scent is beautiful.
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Questions And Answers On Permaculture Gardening
Davina asks…
Which book explains permacultre better: Mollison’s Introduction to Permaculture or Hemenway’s Gaias Garden?
I have read reviews of both books on amazon. I would like to get started in permacultre, and I want to know which book covers practicality better.
Thanks in advance.
Home Gardener answers:
Gaia’s Garden is a fantastic book, but it is targeted to the home-sized property and really only covers one climate. So it depends on what you mean by ‘getting started in permaculture’. If you are looking to really get into it, then I would recommend the Mollison book and follow that up with attending an introduction to permaculture course. If you are just looking to grab some of the concepts and for a more practical implementation for your home then definitely Gaia’s Garden.
Both books belong on your bookshelf at some point.
As an aside, I am part of a small group of people that is putting together a web site where you can study permaculture through vidoes and eventually an interactive class. We all studied with Bill. If you’re interested, we need people that are going to ask a lot of questions to help motivate us to put some content up. It’s only early days, but go to permacultureonline.org and sign up. Drop me a line if you have more questions.
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Questions And Answers On Home Vegetable Gardening In Pots
Kylee asks…
Storage for home/ mobile garden?
I am in college, but I want to start a garden just in case a plague hits. I don’t have any physical area (like land) to keep my vegetables.
What would be a good place?
Maybe large or small pots, or wheel barrel. I also need it to be mobile.
Also, can anyone give me the best survivalist websites?
Home Gardener answers:
You need a lot of room to grow enough to sustain yourself
try Hydroponics, its the only way to grow in a small confined area
a lot of pots in an enclosed area is asking for dampness humidity problems and if the dirt is not clean, welcome to gnat city
hydroponics can be set up to grow vine type plants that hang from a string to get more yield, but IMHO
you wasting your time unless you have a good sized room
supplemented with light from outside, if you want to use pots use vermiculite/perlite mixture and powered all purpose hydroponic nutrients
you will have to learn how to adjust the PH information is readily available on line on how to do this and what to use as far as being mobile, that is something I would be wanting to see myself
hydroponics can be set up and broken down very easy given the right system.
Thomas asks…
Questions about hanging plants (strawberries and tomatoes)?
I just started my first vegetable and fruit garden. Well I planted some tomatoes and strawberries along with other things. The only thing is I dont have a lot of room to work with at my current home, actually hardly any room at all. I may also be buying a home in the next few months. I was researching on my garden and came across hanging strawberry and tomato plants. I was wondering if I could replant my current plants into some hanging pots or if I had to buy all new plants already in the pots. This would give me more room and the plants would transfer easier if I do buy a home. The plants are only a few weeks old.
Also, can green beans be grown in a hanging pot since they are also a vine plant.
Thanks for any and all help!
Oh also, the strawberry plant I figure will grow over the pots edges if planted in a right side up pot, but the tomato plant should be hung upside down right?
Home Gardener answers:
Sure, you can certainly replant your tomatoes and stawberries in a hanging basket, especially since they’ve just been in the ground for a few weeks. Just dig carefully around the plants and try to get the entire root ball. Use a good potting soil, replant them, give them a light fertilization (I’m a Miracle Gro Man), and you should be good to go. Remember, tomatoes require full sun, while strawberries like semi-shade.
As far as the green beans, they can be planted in a hanging basket, but I’m afraid they will have a tendency to grow up the hangers (which might look pretty cool.)
Have fun with your plants, and I hope this information helps.
David asks…
How can I go out of town for almost 72 hours and Not Worry if my Potted Veggie Plants are Thirstying for Water?
What can I buy at the Garden Store to help hold in the Moister of the Soil in my Potter Vegetable Plants?
I’m scared.
I Don’t wanna come back home from my sister’s wedding this weekend and find all my Vegetable Plant all *Wilted*.
Yes. The Soils in the Pots ‘Dries Up’ real fast in like 36 hours time.
Help, please. lol
Home Gardener answers:
Look for a product called soil moist. I’m sure it has other names also. It is a polymer gel that holds moisture. You add it to your soil. I guarantee it works if you can get some. If not, put saucers or bowls under the containers, put them in the shade and at peat moss (the kind in sheets), all in the bottom and add water. Make sure they are in the shade.
Ken asks…
Hanging tomato plants?
I recently purchased a condo in October of 2008. Previously I lived at home with my parents and siblings. Every spring I would do a little project with my siblings (they’re much younger) and we would plant vegetable seeds…water them…and watch them grow. The only draw back was that we were lucky if we got ONE tomato plant out of the 15 starter cups that we planted.
Even though I’m living in a condo and only have a porch and no yard, I would still like to have some type of a tomato garden. I think that I’m going to buy the plant rather than plant the seeds. I also dont know what way the plant will be more successful, in one of those new hanging baskets I see all over the place, or the traditional way in a big pot on the porch?
Any opinions about the hanging tomato plant baskets? I’d really like to try it but not at the expense of my plant.
Thanks!
Also, I have a small amount of dirt near the stairs for my porch that I’d like to plant some bulbs in. I want to do tulips, but I also want to do something else that will stay in bloom for most of the summer. Any suggestions?
Home Gardener answers:
I’ve not seen anything that makes me think the ones they advertise on TV are much good. I know a woman who tried two of them last year, and they still try to grow upward, toward the sun. Also, when you water them, it washes the nutrients in the soil out with the water. I’ve planted tomatoes both in the ground and in pots, and both will do well, but you’ll need to water the ones in pots more often. When you plant them, add a cup of Miracle-Gro for Tomatoes (yes, this type specifically). It’s like Viagra to them. You might want to plant annuals in addition to your tulips. Since the tulip bulbs will be buried about 6″ underground, you can plant just about anything above them.
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Questions And Answers On Retaining Wall
Ken asks…
retaining wall?
I need to have a retaining wall put in my back yard. Do I need to call a contractor or a landscaper? Also, In the Atlanta, Ga. area anyone know any good (contractor or landscaper) in or around this area?
Home Gardener answers:
Hi,
I am not from ATL but maybe I can help! The answer to your first question, no your dont have to have a contractor.But to you need to talk to a contractor and see who they suggest for a landscaper.Most of the time latino american do the best job for the money.Talk to your contractors who build custom homes to get the best results.
Alana asks…
Retaining Wall?
How much should I pay a landscaping to build a 10 foot long by 3 foot high retaining wall?
Assume there is a slope of about 20 degrees and it is made out of simple concrete type blocks from Home Depot.
Home Gardener answers:
I own a landscape company in the upper midwest.
If you can find a trustworthy Joe Pickup Truck type dude, you might be able to get that done under $1,000. Of course, you get what you pay for.
Realistically an established company up here would charge you in the $1800-3,000 range. Depends how many guys and what equipment they’re sending over. Also depends whether they will have to haul away extra sod or soil, or bring in a lot of soil to backfill.
It costs my business $450 in labor time, fuel, and driving, on average, to show up, unpack, repack, and leave a site. That’s what makes those small jobs comparatively expensive. It costs us the same to show up and do a little work as it costs to come do a lot.
Lynn asks…
Retaining wall?
Im going to build a retaining wall behind my house and Im using concrete blocks to do this, what I need to know is how deep and thick does the footing need to be?
Home Gardener answers:
For that answer you are going to have to check with your local city’s building code. In my town, its 18″, and thats actually a pretty common depth for the first course to be set at. Also, since you are building a retaining wall, dont forget about the rebar. This you’ll wanna place vertically inside of your blocks. If you are living in a colder climate, one that has alot of snow, the depth may be more due to frost conditions. Your best answer for its depth though wil come from your city’s code. Now….. If you have questions about how to lay the blocks…. Ask another question daniel son…..
Charlie asks…
Does a retaining wall need to be set on top of a base of crushed stone?
I am building a 2-1/2 ft high retaining wall of 64 lb Oldcastle Rampart concrete blocks. Do I need to set it on a base of crushed stone or can I set it directly on top of the earth? How many inches of crushed stone or gravel would I need directly behind the wall? Is gravel okay or does it have to be crushed stone?
Home Gardener answers:
Straight on top of the earth mate.
Just make sure its level first.
You can do this with a string from one end of your wall to th other.
Helena asks…
How to apply caps on a retaining wall?
Can anyone provide me with help putting caps on my retaining wall? The retaining wall has curves to it and the caps will not fit on the curves evenly. Do I have to cut each of the caps? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.
Home Gardener answers:
Yes, you have to cut each of the caps to the radius of the wall. I would definately do a dry run first to see how each piece fits. Maybe even put a tick mark that crosses both the cap and wall so you know where the piece has to go once you mortar it.
Graham asks…
Can I paint a cement retaining wall, and if so, what product do you recommend?
I have a cement retaining wall in my back yard and have recently had a cement patio put in right in front of it. The wall is old, cracked in places, and I think it would look better if it was spruced up somewhat. What suggestions can you offer?
Every single answer was great and very helpful. Thank you so much. It’s too hard to pick a best answer because I think everyone provided good suggestions.
Home Gardener answers:
First patch the cracks with a cement patch. You can paint it with the same type of paint you would use for a garage floor and you can get it in many colors.
Marie asks…
How do I rebuild a retaining wall from timber to brick?
We have a retaining wall made from timber and it is falling down, we would like to rebuild it ourselves using bricks. The wall is about 1.5 metres high and we live on a slope.
Home Gardener answers:
What you want to do is remove the wood retaining wall and about a meter and a half of fill behind it. Replace the wall with a block wall and back fill it with the soil that you removed…if the soil is loose you will need to use plywood and supports to hold it in place while you are building the brick wall. If you are planning to build a block wall without mortar you will need to back fill the wall as you build it (this is usually called landscape block).
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Questions And Answers On Home Garden Tips
Graham asks…
Summer squash in a home garden?
My mom and I are growing some summer squash in our garden. All of the squash up untill this point have rotted and then eventually develop this white (yeast like) fuzz on them with black tips. Now we have three very nice and harvestable sized squash on the plant now.
Are these healthy looking ones safe to eat?
I’m worried my plant has some disease and I know nothing about gardening as this is my first year with a garden.
I’m sure as long as they don’t show any signs of rotting, odd coloration, mushiness etc they are fine to eat but you never know.
Thanks for any help
Home Gardener answers:
The healthy-looking squash are safe to eat. Probably what was happening was the earlier squash blossoms weren’t getting pollinated, so the little squash embryos rotted and fell from the plant. Female blossoms produce the squash, and a female blossom has a tiny squash embryo directly behind the blossom. A male blossom is just on a stem. If there are no male flowers on the plant, or their pollen isn’t reaching the females, the little squash embryos cannot develop and mature, and they end up shriveling, rotting and falling from the plant.
No big deal, you can pollinate the female blossoms yourself so long as there are some male blossoms also. Go out to the garden in the morning, while the pollen is still fresh. Find a male blossom and rub some of its pollen onto a Q-Tip or small paintbrush. Then transfer the pollen to a female blossom. This will pollinate the female blossom and its little squash will mature and be edible.
Charlie asks…
tips to make my garden more beautiful?
i have a small garden in my home…i want to make it so beautiful and feel fresh…….please help…
thanks…
Home Gardener answers:
First u have to set ur garden in a way that attract everyone. Then plant beautiful plants and shrubs. More attraction use double colored roses, its add beauty to ur garden. Then plant sm good smelling plants that gave a freshness to ur home everyday. U have to set ur gardens ground with small green plant, it attracts more when u cut it beautifully after its growth.
Daniel asks…
How can I stop my grandmothers garden from dying?
I am responsible for maintaining my grandmothers LARGE garden for the next week. She left one day ago and already some of the flowers look like they’re dying.
A few of them appear to droop and look to be curling up and hardening. I believe she watered them before she left and I watered them again in the evening. The next morning I watered them, then watered them again in the evening. The temperatures been around 90 degrees and about half of the plants are hanging on pots above the fence while the others are in the ground.
The garden is about three feet wide but goes all around the perimiter of the yard and there is a ton of stuff. I usually run the water right where the plants roots are for about ten seconds then move to the next plant, the whole routine usually takes me 45minutes. Unfortunetly these plants aren’t looking too good and she will be very disappointed if she returns home to dead plants.
Any tips on how I can keep them alive?
Home Gardener answers:
Water the plants at night when it is cooler and so less of the water evaporates and the plants are able to absorb more.
Shelley asks…
any tips & some easy plants for a first time gardener?
I’ve just purchased my first home & it has a little raised garden in the back. it looks like it might be shaded for part of the day.
what would you recommend for a first time gardener? something easy & low maintenance, but will produce some yummy foods?
any other tips?
thanks!!
also, i don’t know how to time it!!
any help is much appreciated!
i’m in the pacific northwest, btw.
(meant to mention that. oops!)
Home Gardener answers:
Well, here in the zone 4/5 border vegetable gardening is pretty much done, at least as far as my abilities. I suggest that you start fresh next spring. I find that the reliables in my garden are carrots, peas, beans and radishes. If you happen to be a radish fan, they just go nuts! Both carrots and radishes seem to do best with deep watering fairly spread out as it forces the root (the part we eat) to reach down deep looking for water. Also, pumpkins grow wonderfully. Gardening is never really low maintenance. The area must be prepared and that alone can be a tough job. Then there is weeding (yuck) but give it a go. Start small and then decide if the work involved was too much or if you want to go big! You never know, you might just fall in love with it!
Steve asks…
I have a medium size garden that is now filled with weeds, any tips on removing them?
I work full time, and study through dis ed, and am a single mum, so I dont have time to do everything. One of the things thats been neglected, is my garden. I got a quote today from a home services company $70! The gardens only about 3x2metres. The cost seems excessive to me! Am now thinking about biting the bullet and trying to get it done myself. Any tips to make the job easier? As some of the weeds are rather hard to get out, I broke gardening tools on them during my last attempt.
This plastic covering thing is interesting, but will it kill the plants>? My “plants” are some grass like bushes that were there when I moved in. I live in SE QLD Australia, and we are not allowed to water our plants and definitely not our weeds. I could face fines if I did. And the ground is very dry and hot.
Home Gardener answers:
Spray the entire surface with Roundup. Once everything is dead, cut them low with a weed-eater and till everything under. Pull out the rest by hand. Use a pre-emergent like Preem to keep it under control.
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Questions And Answers On Patios And Decks
Mark asks…
What are some economic ideas for decks/patios?
I just recently bought a house and it has no patio, deck, or any outside place for a table, grilling, etc (and it is our first house so we have a lot to learn!) One of the first projects I want to do is make an outdoors place because we spend a lot of time outside. I have been looking around at other people’s houses and it seems that most people in my area have wooden decks and some have concrete patios. Do you know what would be cheaper? Or do you have any other ideas on what we could do to create a place for our outdoors activities?
Thanks a lot.
I forgot to say – it would be a low profile deck. There is about three steps from the back door to the ground.
Home Gardener answers:
It would depend on how big of a deck you want to do. Using wood might end up costing you a bit more money but would take less time than laying down patio stones or interlocking bricks and if you use pressure treated, would last longer. Sidewalk slabs would be the cheapest although not very nice looking.
Take an afternoon and hit up a couple of the chain hardware stores. If you bring them the measurements (ie Home Depot’s project centre) you can usually get a quote from them.
Shelley asks…
whats the best weedkiller to use on patios/decking please. ( i have children and pets so it needs to be safe)?
Home Gardener answers:
Try Vinegar
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Questions And Answers On Garden Plants Online
Don asks…
What is a good online store to buy garden plants?
Has anyone tired Garden Harvest Supply, http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/category/buy-vegetable-plants-online
Home Gardener answers:
Try: http://www.agroleads.com/garden-plants
All the best
Chris asks…
Where can I order kitchen garden plants online?
vegetable plants, fruit plants and herb plants
Home Gardener answers:
Try www.bloomingdirect.com/kitchen-garden. They provide good quality of kitchen garden seeds and plants.
Kylee asks…
Where is a good place to buy garden seeds and starter plants online?
I have been trying to find grape seeds and strawberry seeds online. I figured it would be easier (and probably more expensive) to get starter plant. Does anyone know of a reputable place to get seeds and plants online?
Home Gardener answers:
Territorial seed company, www.territorialseed.com if your in the continental u s.
Charlie asks…
Is there a gardening site that lets you make a online garden picking plants and all?
Home Gardener answers:
Better homes & garden has a free interactive landscape planing website. You’ll have register to log on to their website (You don’t need to buy anything or subscribe to their magazine).
“Plan-a-Garden lets you design anything from a patio-side container garden to your whole yard. Use your mouse to “drag-and-drop” more than 150 trees, shrubs, and flowers. Add dozens of structures like buildings, sheds, fences, decks — even a pond.”
P.S. You may also have to close their magazine ad. By clicking on the x
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/planagardenhome_03022002.xml
Garden Styles & Plans from Better Homes & Garden:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/special-spots/foundation-garden-plan/
Plans from HGTV:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_landscaping_design/
Lowe’s Landscape & Garden planner
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=Down_to_Earth/GardenPlanner/gardenplansplash.html&rn=none3D
Garden planner
http://www.gardencomposer.com/demo-planner-1.html (demo)
http://www.gardencomposer.com/demo-planner-15.html
BBC Gardening- Virtual Design
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/virtualgarden_index.shtml
DIY Planner
http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/1496-FREE-On-Line-Garden-Planner
Thought you’d like to see some landscaping design ideas from this Just Gardeners website:
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/articles/art_landscape-design.html
This site contains a gallery of forum users’s own pics too:
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_cornus.html
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_donnalockman.html
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_jill.html
Garden Web’s Landscape-design forum:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/design/
Good luck!!! Hope this is helpful.
Susan asks…
Where to buy good quality plants ONLINE?
Aside from Michigan Bulb and Springhill Nursery … what are some other reputable places to buy garden plants/bulbs/etc. ONLINE in the US.
Thanks Reyn … I’ll give those a try.
Any others out there folks?
star nursery does NOT have plants. Thanks though.
Home Gardener answers:
On line plant companies are what you go to in the winter while planning your garden.
Now all the plants you could possibly want are in the stores near you, plus you don’t have to pay postage.
Unless there is some “rare” plant why go online?
Shelley asks…
bought plug plants online but not here till end of may, garden centre said too late for plug plants now?
The garden centre said it’s too late for plug plants now so they don’t sell them. Why do the website Ive bought from still sell them then?
Home Gardener answers:
Garden centres operate much like supermarkets they are always one jump ahead. Christmas always starts in September in supermarkets.
However, don’t be worried about your plug plants not arriving until may( especially if you live in the U.K.) as there is less chance of them being damaged by frost.
Continue to shop online for plants, you’ll save a fortune, most garden centres charge an arm and a leg for everything.
Richard asks…
What are some names of online plant/garden nurseries?
I’m looking to order some plants/flowers for my gardens for this spring, but I can’t remember any names of nurseries that deliver nationally. I don’t like Burpee, and am open to new places. Can anyone personally recommend some places they’ve used. Please do NOT just Google search places and post them, I’m looking for gardener recommended places that sell Starter plants. Thanks!
Home Gardener answers:
The Wilds love of flowers dates back to when Herman Wild, who was on a Wagon train to the southwest, when it broke down. Influenced by the wonderful meadows of wildflowers, he settled in Sarcoxie in 1868. In 1885 Gilbert Herman Wild paid $45.00 for a crate of peonies roots from Europe. They were planted behind the family home. Three years later the flower blooms were sold to an Omaha Wholesaler for $3.00. That single sale launched Gilbert H. Wild to begin a lifetime of passion for the peonies.
417) 548-3514
3044 State Highway 37, Sarcoxie, MO 64862
http://www.gilberthwild.com/
This company is in my home state and I’ve ordered many, many irises
and daylillies.
They have a plethora of plants.
EDITED: I use to raise and sell mums and I always ordered my plants from this place.
Bristol Mums..50 Pinehurst Road, Bristol, Ct..1-800-582-2434
Bristol Connecticut is the Mum capital of the world. When you buy mums in all probability the plants grown at other farms are probably originally from here.
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Questions And Answers On Home Garden Design Show
Graham asks…
Fiancee’s father is trying to run our new house with projects, how can I tell him to stop? He’s also my boss?
Big dilemma here and I don’t know how to handle it.
This is my first home. Obviously, I’m not going to know how to do everything and will need help. I understand that part.
However, my fiancee’s father has taken it upon himself to invite him self over (more like barge in) and basically expect me to drop everything I’m doing to do whatever HE wants to do on MY house.
He’s designing parts of the garden, putting up shelving, etc.
It’s hard for me to say “no” because he’s my boss at work. Basically I talk to the man the majority of the day during work…and end up being stuck with him after work too. I see him more than I see his daughter. I honestly need a break from him. Not only that, but I don’t want him designing my house. He’s not the type of guy who you can easily say no to either.
The problem is, my fiancee is not in my corner. She said she’s glad her dad is showing up because he’s owned a house for 40 years and knows everything. I said I understand that, but I want to design things my way. Naturally, her response is “what do you want to design differently?” I don’t really have an answer because I haven’t really had time to think…as all of these home projects are being force fed.
Last week…I was so ticked off that he invited himself over that I left my house and made up something that I had to do. Basically saying listen…show up at my house if you must, but I’m not going to be here all the time.
I think it’s my fiancee’s responsibility to tell him to stop, not mine.
And please don’t say “maybe you should think twice about marrying this girl if she doesn’t agree with you,” because the house is already bought.
Her dad has always been the man of the house where she grew up…and she’s having a hard time letting go of the fact that he’s not the man of this house.
What do I do?
Home Gardener answers:
Do a search here on Yahoo Answers for interfering mother-in-law and just apply the answers to your father-in-law.
You will get tons and tons of advice.
I know probably a little sarcastic here but it amazes me when it come to the wife’s family doing the same thing the answers are few or so sweet as to what to do.
Talk about double standards.
Jemima asks…
The beer scooter!!?
beer scooter
Haha this made me laff today i was chatting to a mate about my plans for fri being my birthday.. and i was like “how the hell we going get home from the club” and he sent me this lol
probably on a beer scooter
How many times have you woken up in the morning after a hard night of drinking and thought ‘How did I get home?’ As hard as you try, you cannot piece together your return journey from the bar to your home.
The answer to this puzzle is that you used a beer scooter. The beer scooter is a mythical form of transport, owned and leased out to drunks (without their knowledge) by Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Bacchus has branched out since the decrease in the worship of the Roman pantheon and bought a large batch of these magical devices.
The beer scooter works in the following fashion:
The passenger reaches a certain level of drunkenness and the ‘slurring gland’ begins to give off a pheromone. Bacchus or one of his many sub-contractors detects the pheromone and sends down a winged beer scooter.
The scooter scoops up the passenger and deposits them in their bedroom via a trans-dimensional portal. It is not cheap to run a beer scooter franchise, so a large portion of the passenger’s in-pocket cash is taken as payment. This generates the second question after a night out ‘How did I spend so much money?’
Beer scooters have a poor safety record and are thought to be responsible for 90% of all UDI (Unidentified Drinking Injuries). An undocumented feature of the beer scooter is the destruction of time segments during the trip. The nature of trans-dimensional portals dictates that time will be lost, seemingly unaccounted for. This generates the third question after a night out ‘What happened?’
With good intentions, Bacchus opted for the EMIT (Embarrassing Moments In Time) add on, that automatically removes in descending order, those parts in time regretted most. Unfortunately one person’s EMIT is not necessarily the EMIT of another and quite often lost time is regained over a suitable period.
Independent studies have also shown that beer goggles cause the scooter’s navigation system to malfunction thus sending the passenger to the wrong bedroom often with horrific consequences. With recent models including a GPS, Bacchus made an investment in a scooter drive-thru chain specialising in half eaten kebabs and pizza crusts. Another question answered!
For the family man, beer scooters come equipped with flowers picked from other people’s garden and Thump-A-Lot Boots. These boots are designed in such a way that no matter how quietly you tip-toe, you are sure to wake up your other half. Special anti-gravity springs ensure that you bump into every wall and the CTSGS (Coffee Table Seeking Guidance System) explains the ring marked shins.
Most useful of all is the on-board heater which allows you to get home from the bar in sub-zero temperatures wearing just a T-shirt. The final add-on Bacchus saw fit to invest in for some scooters is TAS (Tobacco Absorption System). This explains how one person can apparently get through 60 Marlboro Lights in a single night.
Home Gardener answers:
Best I’ve heard all week! But u forgot to mention the beer scooter’s amazing ability to leave horrendously embarrassing voicemails on your bosses/ex’s/mother-in law’s phone. Not to mention the 2am mispelt texts telling ur entire phonebook how much u really really really love them!!!
David asks…
How do I keep peace with my family, while not wanting religion being pushed into my personal life?
Im about to have a my first baby but I am having a growing fear that my dad is going to push his religious believes into my life again just bc im having his first grandchild. hes not just religious, hes SUPER religious. He even has an extreme diet to “be more like jesus” which has lead him into manorexia (and has effected my brother and i as well)…believe me i wish i was lying.
its so bad that he talks about eating grass for a better diet. not wheat grass. im talking about grass that grows on the side of the road…yeah.
all my life, he wanted my brother and I to work on his “holy” farm, so when I planned to make something of myself- he stood in the way of me going to college bc “girls dont belong in school bc they should have babies instead and be at home“. Dont worry he did the same with my brother “bc who was going to plow his fields for his garden of eden” no joke. he saved hardly money for us and never supported our dreams- not even verbally. As a matter of fact, we both (including our mom) lived in neglect bc he would give all the money to the church or save it for his retirement. he backed down about getting in the way for a while and all was well. my brother escaped to NY city where he cant be bothered by our father’s random unplanned visits and I became a full time student learning what I loved to do- Graphic Design. Only recently, My dad has been able to barge into my life again due to my unborn child and say & do what he pleases. In the beginning of the pregnancy I was afraid of losing my dreams of becoming a Graphic Designer, so I thought of abortion as being a choice. I simply wanted to get information about the procedure to know what i was getting into and know what I was about to do. well he decided to show up (without asking) at the center, guilt trip me, and feed me a bunch of promises that he would help out and there were ways. Well through out my WHOLE pregnancy hes hardly called, only helped me 4 times with bringing home heavy groceries (when im single& dont have a car), he told me that my child should live a hard life to become more “humble”, and reminding me every time he saw me that I was fat (which I only gained a tummy and nothing else during this whole pregnancy) and that folic acid is bad for the baby. BASICALLY all his advice was stupid. just stupid and religious. things like: “your only 6 months pregnant, you should be able to do sit ups…” AND HE WAS SERIOUS. my goodness. Even when I needed him to cosign for an apartment that didnt have lead paint problems. The day that I was to move in, he decided not to sign the lease. His reasons were that the pope was going to take over the world and that the economy will only get worse. Honestly, it was him basically saying “ I dont want to risk anything with my retirement money” and he tried to get me to get a different place that was WAY too far away and I’ve already said no to. now Im 9 months preggo and any day the kid will come. Hes assumed that he should be the first to be called, to hold my baby, and probably be the first to bless him…yeah no. I actually would rather that he’d be called last simply because hes failed to understand pregnancy for 9 months and how the pregnant body works. hes failed at helping me when I needed him the most and still only do least amount when hes made to do it. hes failed to understand that I have a life of my own and that expecting me to be home all the time, then giving me guilt trips when i am not there for his unplanned visits. And if hes there, he is going to annoy me with the useless crap that spews out from his ignorant mouth and then ill want to throw him out of the hospital (bc im going to try to do a natural birth, so my patience WILL be thin). HOW DO I WIN AT FAMILY POLITICS especially when hes my father, the eldest of all aunts and uncles?? How do I make sure his religion doesn’t get a chance to effect my child’s life??? How do I tell him to back off nicely or to respect my wishes? How do i keep him from jumping in whenever he feels like it? HOW?!?! Ive tried being nice and he didnt take me serious, then i tried being more assertive and clear and all that did was make him feel like i didn’t appreciate him. I feel like i cant win. please someone help me. I love my dad, but his religion has taken away the father i thought i knew a looooooong time ago. hes not my dad anymore. hes now a puppet.
p.s. his church made me a baby gift bag. its sweet of them, but I really dont want to except anything from them. i mean anything. I have a feeling that if i except it then my dad will have an excuse to try to bless my kid. I would rather die a million deaths then to have my dad’s church dunk my kid in cold water and say that he’s “saved from the grips of satan” when the only thing in my life that has made it hard to live was religion itself.
Home Gardener answers:
Just tell him that you don’t believe in what he believes and that you are the child’s parent and you do not want the child exposed to any religious rhetoric from him. Therefore, if he wants any part in the child’s life he must respect your wishes and refrain from any attempts to religiously influence the child’s life. Tell him the first time it happens, he will never see his grandchild again.
John asks…
How do I keep peace with my family, while not wanting religion being pushed into my personal life?
Im about to have a my first baby but I am having a growing fear that my dad is going to push his religious believes into my life again just bc im having his first grandchild. hes not just religious, hes SUPER religious. He even has an extreme diet to “be more like jesus” which has lead him into manorexia (and has effected my brother and i as well)…believe me i wish i was lying.
its so bad that he talks about eating grass for a better diet. not wheat grass. im talking about grass that grows on the side of the road…yeah.
all my life, he wanted my brother and I to work on his “holy” farm, so when I planned to make something of myself- he stood in the way of me going to college bc “girls dont belong in school bc they should have babies instead and be at home“. Dont worry he did the same with my brother “bc who was going to plow his fields for his garden of eden” no joke. he saved hardly money for us and never supported our dreams- not even verbally. As a matter of fact, we both (including our mom) lived in neglect bc he would give all the money to the church or save it for his retirement. he backed down about getting in the way for a while and all was well. my brother escaped to NY city where he cant be bothered by our father’s random unplanned visits and I became a full time student learning what I loved to do- Graphic Design. Only recently, My dad has been able to barge into my life again due to my unborn child and say & do what he pleases. In the beginning of the pregnancy I was afraid of losing my dreams of becoming a Graphic Designer, so I thought of abortion as being a choice. I simply wanted to get information about the procedure to know what i was getting into and know what I was about to do. well he decided to show up (without asking) at the center, guilt trip me, and feed me a bunch of promises that he would help out and there were ways. Well through out my WHOLE pregnancy hes hardly called, only helped me 4 times with bringing home heavy groceries (when im single& dont have a car), he told me that my child should live a hard life to become more “humble”, and reminding me every time he saw me that I was fat (which I only gained a tummy and nothing else during this whole pregnancy) and that folic acid is bad for the baby. BASICALLY all his advice was stupid. just stupid and religious. things like: “your only 6 months pregnant, you should be able to do sit ups…” AND HE WAS SERIOUS. my goodness. Even when I needed him to cosign for an apartment that didnt have lead paint problems. The day that I was to move in, he decided not to sign the lease. His reasons were that the pope was going to take over the world and that the economy will only get worse. Honestly, it was him basically saying “ I dont want to risk anything with my retirement money” and he tried to get me to get a different place that was WAY too far away and I’ve already said no to. now Im 9 months preggo and any day the kid will come. Hes assumed that he should be the first to be called, to hold my baby, and probably be the first to bless him…yeah no. I actually would rather that he’d be called last simply because hes failed to understand pregnancy for 9 months and how the pregnant body works. hes failed at helping me when I needed him the most and still only do least amount when hes made to do it. hes failed to understand that I have a life of my own and that expecting me to be home all the time, then giving me guilt trips when i am not there for his unplanned visits. And if hes there, he is going to annoy me with the useless crap that spews out from his ignorant mouth and then ill want to throw him out of the hospital (bc im going to try to do a natural birth, so my patience WILL be thin). HOW DO I WIN AT FAMILY POLITICS especially when hes my father, the eldest of all aunts and uncles?? How do I make sure his religion doesn’t get a chance to effect my child’s life??? How do I tell him to back off nicely or to respect my wishes? How do i keep him from jumping in whenever he feels like it? HOW?!?! Ive tried being nice and he didnt take me serious, then i tried being more assertive and clear and all that did was make him feel like i didn’t appreciate him. I feel like i cant win. please someone help me. I love my dad, but his religion has taken away the father i thought i knew a looooooong time ago. hes not my dad anymore. hes now a puppet.
p.s. his church made me a baby gift bag. its sweet of them, but I really dont want to except anything from them. i mean anything. I have a feeling that if i except it then my dad will have an excuse to try to bless my kid. I would rather die a million deaths then to have my dad’s church dunk my kid in cold water and say that he’s “saved from the grips of satan” when the only thing in my life that has made it hard to live was religion itself.
Home Gardener answers:
You have tried being nice ..your have tried being assertive ….these are not working , so there is no easy way to handle this situation . Until you except there is no easy way , then sadly you will be dealing with this situation for the rest of your life . This is your baby , you have a responsibility to protect your child from anything you believe to be harmful ….so you have to do this at any cost or and the expense of someones feelings . I also suggest …if you don’t want to have anything to do with this church , then do not accept anything from them …even if they are being nice . If you accept anything from them , you are opening the door to unwanted visits / attention / pressure / from them . Start of as you intend to end up .
Nancy asks…
How do I keep peace with my family, while not wanting religion being pushed into my personal life?
Im about to have a my first baby but I am having a growing fear that my dad is going to push his religious believes into my life again just bc im having his first grandchild. hes not just religious, hes SUPER religious. He even has an extreme diet to “be more like jesus” which has lead him into manorexia (and has effected my brother and i as well)…believe me i wish i was lying.
its so bad that he talks about eating grass for a better diet. not wheat grass. im talking about grass that grows on the side of the road…yeah.
all my life, he wanted my brother and I to work on his “holy” farm, so when I planned to make something of myself- he stood in the way of me going to college bc “girls dont belong in school bc they should have babies instead and be at home“. Dont worry he did the same with my brother “bc who was going to plow his fields for his garden of eden” no joke. he saved hardly money for us and never supported our dreams- not even verbally. As a matter of fact, we both (including our mom) lived in neglect bc he would give all the money to the church or save it for his retirement. he backed down about getting in the way for a while and all was well. my brother escaped to NY city where he cant be bothered by our father’s random unplanned visits and I became a full time student learning what I loved to do- Graphic Design. Only recently, My dad has been able to barge into my life again due to my unborn child and say & do what he pleases. In the beginning of the pregnancy I was afraid of losing my dreams of becoming a Graphic Designer, so I thought of abortion as being a choice. I simply wanted to get information about the procedure to know what i was getting into and know what I was about to do. well he decided to show up (without asking) at the center, guilt trip me, and feed me a bunch of promises that he would help out and there were ways. Well through out my WHOLE pregnancy hes hardly called, only helped me 4 times with bringing home heavy groceries (when im single& dont have a car), he told me that my child should live a hard life to become more “humble”, and reminding me every time he saw me that I was fat (which I only gained a tummy and nothing else during this whole pregnancy) and that folic acid is bad for the baby. BASICALLY all his advice was stupid. just stupid and religious. things like: “your only 6 months pregnant, you should be able to do sit ups…” AND HE WAS SERIOUS. my goodness. Even when I needed him to cosign for an apartment that didnt have lead paint problems. The day that I was to move in, he decided not to sign the lease. His reasons were that the pope was going to take over the world and that the economy will only get worse. Honestly, it was him basically saying “ I dont want to risk anything with my retirement money” and he tried to get me to get a different place that was WAY too far away and I’ve already said no to. now Im 9 months preggo and any day the kid will come. Hes assumed that he should be the first to be called, to hold my baby, and probably be the first to bless him…yeah no. I actually would rather that he’d be called last simply because hes failed to understand pregnancy for 9 months and how the pregnant body works. hes failed at helping me when I needed him the most and still only do least amount when hes made to do it. hes failed to understand that I have a life of my own and that expecting me to be home all the time, then giving me guilt trips when i am not there for his unplanned visits. And if hes there, he is going to annoy me with the useless crap that spews out from his ignorant mouth and then ill want to throw him out of the hospital (bc im going to try to do a natural birth, so my patience WILL be thin). HOW DO I WIN AT FAMILY POLITICS especially when hes my father, the eldest of all aunts and uncles?? How do I make sure his religion doesn’t get a chance to effect my child’s life??? How do I tell him to back off nicely or to respect my wishes? How do i keep him from jumping in whenever he feels like it? HOW?!?! Ive tried being nice and he didnt take me serious, then i tried being more assertive and clear and all that did was make him feel like i didn’t appreciate him. I feel like i cant win. please someone help me. I love my dad, but his religion has taken away the father i thought i knew a looooooong time ago. hes not my dad anymore. hes now a puppet.
p.s. his church made me a baby gift bag. its sweet of them, but I really dont want to except anything from them. i mean anything. I have a feeling that if i except it then my dad will have an excuse to try to bless my kid. I would rather die a million deaths then to have my dad’s church dunk my kid in cold water and say that he’s “saved from the grips of satan” when the only thing in my life that has made it hard to live was religion itself.
Home Gardener answers:
Poor you! I think you can’t win in this situation. Your dad sounds brainwashed. If I were you I’d do it like your brother and I’d get some distance between you and your dad. On the one hand it would give you a bit of peace because I suspect it will only get worse once the baby is there…it usually does and on the other hand it may give your dad something to think about. Then you can get in touch with letter writing because that is the best way to say the things you really want to say.
I wish you the best of luck with your baby and I think it is fantastic that despite of everything your brother and you pursue your dreams.
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Questions And Answers On Garden Ideas For Patios
Lynn asks…
Need some good ideas for a patio fence.?
I have bought 7 black trellises to put around the edge of my patio garden. They stand about 6 foot tall and about 2 1/2 feet wide. The tops has openings that look like a window to which you can hang a large basket of flowers (which I have). The trellis are also spaced out in which I have BIG pots of flowers on the ground between them. My question is I need something to connect the trellis to make them look right. The trellis look like black banding that have braided through, kind of what you would do to a pie top, when you lay the crust under and over each other and the spaces are left in between. Hopefully you can understand what I am trying to do, but need some great ideas. Also this is a container garden, and the cheaper the better for I have spent alot of money and my budget is shot!!!! Thanks Patty
Home Gardener answers:
This sounds really pretty! And now, since your budget is shot, it’s time to get creative.
Go to your local hardware store like Lowe’s or Home Depot and check out the wooden lattice. The ones I got were about three feet by six feet and cost around $16.00 each, but that was years ago. Still, this is going to be your cheapest alternative.
After buying the proper amount, you’ll have to finish the tops and bottoms. You can use lathing strips for this, which are cheap. If you want to be fancier, use molding. Whatever you use, get enough to do both sides of the lattice, so it’s sturdier.
The next step is to prime all the wood on all the surfaces with a good primer. Make sure you prime the wood even on the parts that won’t show. Paint all the wood whatever color you want.
To attach the wooden “frame”, you’ll need some wood glue and “c” clamps. Spread the glue on the frame, then attach to the lattice. Clamp and let dry. Use brads or staples to attach. Paint, then coat with verathane. Really well. You can attach these to your planters with wire. Note: You can also buy lattice in vinyl, but it’s more expensive.
Another option? Make some screens. You’ll need to build frames. Prime and prep the wood. Using an electric staple gun and rust-proof staples, fasten an outdoor fabric to one side of the frame. Set other frame on top and use staples or brads to fasten. Screens can be attached together with hinges. Make sure they won’t rust!
It’s hard to describe this without pics! I hope this is clear. Please feel free to e-mail me with questions.
Here are some ideas for folding screens:
http://www.ehow.com/how_17566_build-folding-screen.html
I hope this at least gives you some ideas! Good luck!
Susan asks…
Ideas for decorating lounge with black leather sofas?
I have just moved to a new house, my suite is 2 leather sofas and i need some ideas for decorating the room. I want to paint the walls and buy some accessories to make it look nice but can’t find any photos with black suites to give me inspiration. The room is rectangle shaped, a good size and has laminate flooring. It has patio doors out to the back garden. Any ideas or links to photos would be great! thanks
Home Gardener answers:
Paint the walls a deep red or crimson or brown or a greenish color. Zebra or other animal print pillows would make it look very nice. Also hanging up painting or pictures really ties up a room. Heres a picture with brown walls
http://img.en.china.cn/0/0,0,153,18525,810,599,7b577d24.jpg
and heres green http://www.furniturespecialists.com/images/20071271052170.black%20leather%20sofa%20&%20loveseat.jpg
Hope i helped 
Helena asks…
Ideas for the garden to look good?
I live with my family and we have in our back garden a medium lawn but want to change it. we have a medium lawn and a small pond in the corner a nice patio a greenhouse and a shed. we went to the library to look at books and would like to have decking in the middle or cobbles in a circle and have stone around the edges with alpine plants like aloe vera. would that be nice or should we just save our money?
Home Gardener answers:
This specialist website should be of help to you with more information on that.
Http://www.greatlandscapingideas.com/
Rachel asks…
Ideas for pot plants/small garden?
I have a small patio/garden space facing south east on the ground floor of my flat. I would like to make it come to bloom this year and would appreciate any suggestions for easy to care for plants and also if I can grow any kind of veg or herbs. I don’t know much about gardening so nothing too complicated but I would very much like to grow some things in pots this year. What is best? When should I start germinating seeds and growing things?
Home Gardener answers:
Mint is easy to grow and virtually impossible to kill. It also smells fantastic and can be used in cooking. Philodendrons are also easy plants, as well as spider plants. Alyssum is good if you want something that flowers, especially if you want something strongly scented; it smells like honey. Tomatoes are pretty easy going, but are sensitive to frost and high temperatures; they like it when it’s between seventy and one hundred. Radishes grow if you simply toss the seeds in soil; just make sure that you shield them from birds. If you are looking at bulb plants, try fairy lilies; they grow quickly and easily in pots, just keep them out of reach of rabbits.
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