Home and Garden Products
Tips For The Vegetable Garden
Tomatoes and Peppers : Add 2 tbs of Epsom Salts to 1 gallon of water. Add one pint of mixture to each plant as it blooms weekly.
Bury a few book matches under each pepper plant, they love sulphur.
Plant marigold, nasturtiums and foxgloves with veggies for pest control!
Crush washed eggshells and sprinkle around cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower
Blueberries love pine needles
Fertilize asparagus well in early spring. After 1st frost load up with well rotted manure.
Carrots do not like to be planted near dill.
Onions and garlic do not like to be by peas or asparagus.
Cucumbers do not like to be by potatoes.
Garlic plants do well by broccoli.
Cut Tomatoes with 2" stem. Store in cool, dark place to ripen.
Tomato plants need plenty of sun. Keep them in a warm and sheltered area. Protect them from blazing heat or a lot of wind.
Ripen Tomatoes at end of season by placing them indoors next to ripe apples or Bananas.
Fresh Flowers Care
For cut flowers to last, they need sugar for nourishment and an acidic ingredient like aspirin to allows the plant to easily absorb water.
When you receive your fresh flowers, re-cut the stems at a angle so they can absorb the water easily. Make sure all leaves are taken off the stem that will be in water.
Add a drop of bleach to your fresh water to prevent bacteria. You should change the water daily and re-cut the stems daily. (Make sure you remember the drop of bleach).
If you do this daily you will be able to enjoy your cut flowers longer.
Home Painting Decorating Tips
Light colors make rooms seem larger; dark colors make them appear smaller and cozier.
Generally, the ceiling should have the lightest color, the walls darker, and the floors darkest. This rule can be broken to create special effects. For example, a very dark ceiling will lower it and create a “cave” atmosphere, which may appeal to you.
Use the color cards provided by paint stores to mix and match and when you have narrowed down your choices to a favorite few, purchase small jars of the colors and test them out on pieces of drywall. If you are still uncertain, buy enough paint to cover one wall and if it turns out to be a disaster, no worries. Paint over it with a better choice.
A smooth, professional looking paint finish depends as much on how well you prepare the surface as it does on how you apply the paint and the tools you use for the job. Don't skimp on prep time - invest in some up front preparation and the pay-off will be a beautiful, professional looking, lasting paint finish!
Start your paint job by thoroughly mixing the paint with a wooden paddle. If the paint has been sitting for some time you'll need to stir any paste that has settled in the bottom of the can back into the paint.
Always use the best brush and roller you can afford – good paint will not look good without a good applicator! Use the recommended pile height of roller and always apply more than one finish coat (thin versus heavy). Also, don't cut in too far ahead of yourself to ensure you have a wet edge to feather your cutting into the main area of the wall.
Flat or eggshell finishes are great for most rooms, with gloss or semi-gloss reserved for trim. Semi-gloss is sometimes used for kitchens and bathrooms and even children's rooms because it washes so well
Mask edges you don't want painted, and cover furniture and floors with drop sheets
If you don't want to clean your brushes or roller between coats, just stick in freezer, wrapped in a gabage bag.
