Container Gardens

Not a lot of space for a garden, but looking for some of the fun of planting and enjoying the beauty of a garden? Try something on a small scale by using a container to plant your bright blooms.

Anyone can grow plants in a container, as it is simple to design and plant, and a snap to maintain. Even apartment dwellers can have pots on a balcony or deck to brighten up the view. Containers have the distinct advantage of being moveable to change the look outside your home. They can also be a handy solution for a yard with poor drainage and soil.

The key to successful container gardening is to use a rich soil with manure and peat added, or use a bag of ready made peat-based growing mixture. Make sure there is plenty of good drainage in any container you use, so the plants don’t become water logged after a plentiful rain or watering.






Try using a 16 inch terra-cotta pot and add larger plants for an immediate flower show. Start in the center by setting the plants that work well together in shade or sun. Don’t forget some vinca vines, or ferns to hang over the edge to add some green. Some good choices for container gardens are the ever popular geraniums and impatients. Add some variety by including some dusty miller, salvia, and verbena. Or start with a geranium and add some ivy geranium and several Dahlberg daisies.

A combination of color can make the planter really fabulous, such as several shades of pink with some purple, or plants that carry out a theme of blue and white.

Use your imagination when selecting pots, making sure all have adequate drainage. Different size pots and crocks or strawberry planters and wooden planters can all be used together. Vary the height for interest.

One more tip, don’t forget to water frequently and pinch back the spent flower. Starting a planter garden is a sure fire way to add some color to your life! Have fun with it.

How Much to Spend to Increase Curb Appeal

When investing in landscaping, try to get the most bang for the least amount of buck. You never want to spend a huge amount of money on a property if you’re planning on selling in the near future.

The idea is to do whatever is necessary to make the yard look clean and efficient. Buyers want a home that is easy to maintain. Prune the shrubs, keep the grass nicely mowed and green, and possibly add colorful flowers near the entry ways.

Make sure that your yard is not extravagant when compared to the other homes in the neighborhood. A buyer will tend to pay only as much as the other homes in the neighborhood are selling for. Therefore, if you overspend, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your expenses.

Creative Vegetable Gardens

If you wish to have a garden, but don’t feel you have the room, look again. A sloped hill which is hard to mow works great when planted in the wide row method. This strategy means to plant in three foot wide rows of the same or mixed plants.

Consider making a strip garden in the middle of the lawn. A small area around the drive way or deck could be used to plant.

Containers provide an excellent way to grow vegetables. Make sure these plants get frequent waterings.

Think about growing climbing vegetables in a long rectangular box and using the deck railing as a pole support.

Use one of these great methods and you can have a great vegetable garden in no time!

Where do Remodelling Dollars Pay Off the Most

It’s a proven fact that certain home improvement projects pay off when it comes time to sell, while others do not. If you’re looking into doing some remodeling to improve your home’s appeal now, don’t forget to take into account which projects will make a difference if you sell in the future.

Kitchen and bath improvements are high on the list of what buyers are willing to pay more for. Also, additions such as sunrooms are very popular. Try not to do anything that would be considered extreme or outrageous. Homes with very unique tastes are usually hard to find the right buyer for later.

Repainting in more neutral colors almost always pays off, and adding on a new deck is a good investment as long as the costs are not too unreasonable.

If a remodeling project is done by a professional, it is worth more in the long run. Ask your neighbors for recommendations of contractors that they’ve used, or give me a call for my list of people.

A good rule of thumb is to confine your total remodeling expenses to 10% of the homes estimated value. If you stay within this figure and plan wisely, you’ll most likely recoup most of your investment.

Raised Bed Gardening

Do you long for some color around your house, but need a garden without a lot of maintenance? Consider creating a raised - bed garden against the house or near a property line. You will add three seasons of color and some low maintenance landscaping.

You can start small by spreading 12 inches of dirt, holding it in place with rocks. Start by planting from low to high so the bed rises in tiers and every plant shows well. Annuals can be mixed with perennials to keep the bed in flowers. Set the plants fairly close together at the start so the bed fills in fast.

You may need to divide the plants as they grow, but you will have a lot less weeding. You can also reduce weeds by spreading mulch on the new bed. Now just water, fertilize, and pick off the dead flowers and you will have a garden looking its best in no time!

The Scent of Your Home is Important to Buyers

How a home smells when a potential buyer comes to see it for the first time, can make or break the sale. Imagine for yourself the difference between the scent of fresh cut flowers and the smell of a cat’s litter box.

My experience with showing various homes over the years suggests that foul smelling odors do turn off a buyer from purchasing an otherwise perfect home. Even homes that are very attractive, with great curb appeal, can be overlooked by buyers if they fail the sniff test!

It is important when preparing for a showing of your home to do everything you can to eliminate unpleasant odors. Common odors to look out for are cigarette or cigar smoke, strong smelling foods, mothballs, pet odors, and the smell of trash left in receptacles.

Take whatever action is necessary to remove all of the above mentioned odors, and replace them with pleasant scents. Some fresh cut flowers placed strategically throughout the house, or mild potpourri could be used. One more tip, consider baking cookies or something with a cinnamon fragrance before an open house or showing. Everyone loves the scent of Mom’s home cooking!

Carefree Perennial Gardens

Designing a perennial garden to accent your home and bring a bloom of color to the garden is well worth the investment of time and money. A well designed perennial garden can eventually be almost maintenance-free after it is established. What a wonderful reward to have those shoots of green peeking out of the ground after a long cold winter.

Choose perennials that will guarantee a season-long show of color by laying out a design on paper before planting. Consider the size of the garden, taking into account factors such as lawn size, shrubbery, the formal or informal look, and where the garden will be viewed.

You might want to consider a bed which stands alone in a large open area. Most people prefer to plant a border along a house, fence or walkway. The border will soften the lines between building and lawn and lend a dash of color and interest as well.





Choosing which plants to buy can be an overwhelming task if you arrive at the nursery unprepared. The primary requirements of the plants must match the soil, light and climate conditions of your garden. Ask for assistance if you are unfamiliar with the best plants for your area.

If you are a beginner you may want to start with the “cottage garden” look, which is essentially for people who don’t want something highly organized. Plants are added to suit the taste of the gardener.

The most important thing is to choose the plants that you love without regard to right and wrong. The effect will be a kaleidescope of color as the true cottage garden has a casual but charming appearance.

The nice thing is if you plant something and want to change it, you can even move perrenials to a new location the next year. So just get started and begin seeing the rewards in a blooming way!

Garden Beauties

Have you been wondering what’s new? Or, what plants are tried and true? There are many recommendations advised by the experts. Here’s just a few that came in on the top of their list.

Two new roses come in ahead of the rest: ‘Carefree Delight,’ a relaxed 5-foot shrub rose, that covers itself with dainty 1-inch single pink flowers. Also, ‘Liven Easy,’ a four foot tall floribunda, blooms in clusters of two to five salmon-pink flowers, each up to 4 inches across.

Both roses flower steadily from late spring through fall and grow well without any spraying to control leaf diseases.

Also recommended is the ‘Oakleaf Hydrangea,’ a two season shrub. It’s one of the few deciduous shrubs that flower well in the shade. If you’d like more great flower and plant picks, talk to your garden center.

Some Guidlines for Selecting a Builder

So you’ve decided that a new home is for you. Make sure you follow some guidelines to make sure you’re happy with the home building process.

Select a reliable builder with a strong reputation in the area that you desire to live in. Try talking to people in the neighborhood about their home building experience. Were they happy with how the process went? Do they feel good about the end result? When you’ve narrowed down which builder you think you’d like to work with, then begin working out the details.

Think through in great detail, exactly what features you would like in your new home. You will prepare a detailed agreement before building, usually referred to as “plans and specifications.” It is easy to have misunderstandings if you are not very specific in this agreement.

Make sure if interest rates are low when the building process begins, that you “lock in” an interest rate. Do not allow any arrangement where the lender may increase the interest rate later if they go up before your home is finished. Also, make sure there is a definite completion date stipulated in your contract.


If there are any improvements or street repairs to be made in the neighborhood, find out in advance whether you or the builder will be responsible.

Keep an eye on how your new home is progressing during the building process. If things don’t seem to be going according to schedule, don’t be afraid to inquire with the builder. If changes are called for that deviate from the original agreement, get a written change order agreement drawn up. This will ensure no surprises at the closing.

If all of this seems like a lot for you to keep track of, call on me first, for help. I can help make sure you are being represented and protected properly. An investment this large deserves special attention to detail.

Flowers that Last

A flower that lasts for two to four weeks, even inside in the winter, has got to be popular. The amaryllis, a bulb that produces large, attractive, trump like flowers, is deserving of its reputation for being the easiest to grow of all the bulbs that bloom indoors.

If you visit Holland during the Christmas holidays, you’ll find the amaryllis standing in for the poinsettia as the Christmas flower. The indoor color and ease of growing make it a favorite.

It’s possible to have flowers last two to four weeks, and some growers have even planted multiple bulbs in order to enjoy consecutive flowers. The plants will produce three to five blooms on two stalks, one to two feet tall. The second stalk shoots up just as the first stalk’s flowers fade.

Unusual varieties are available, including miniatures like Scarlet Baby, with small flowers. Miniatures are especially suited for small sitting areas or anywhere space is limited.






Visit your local garden center and you’ll find amaryllis pre-potted or in planting kits. If you choose to purchase the bare-root bulb, follow these instructions: Before planting, place bulb and dangling roots in lukewarm water for several hours. Then place in a pot at least an inch wider than the bulb, leaving room for watering. Allow about a third to half of the top of the bulb to show.

Water sparingly until part of the stem and bud have developed. Water more liberally through the blooming stage, keeping the soil moist.

Amaryllis like a bright, warm room, about 70 degrees. Direct sunlight and a warmer room speed flowering. A cooler room will prolong the blooms.

If you enjoy flowers, keep the bulb growing outdoors, in the shade. Follow instructions for moving back indoors, and with luck, you’ll have blooms again in 4-12 weeks.

Rewards of a Rose Garden

Roses have the reputation of being difficult, fussy plants that require a great deal of attention and time. Although it takes some effort on your part to maintain the beauty and health of a rose garden, the reward of numerous blossoms in wonderful vibrant colors is sufficient reward for most gardeners. A little water, fertilizer, and spray, on a weekly basis, can be a pleasant excuse to spend time in your fragrant garden.

Your rose bed should be planted where it receives full or partial sunshine at least six hours a day. There are varieties of roses that thrive in more shade but they will not be as fragrant as the others. Good drainage is also critical for roses. They like a lot of water, but do not like wet feet, so a raised bed of at least ten to fifteen inches high is a solution. It also makes gardening chores easier. Roses do best in loamy soil with high humus content. Amend the soil with organic matter such as compost, peat moss or cow manure and be sure to test the soil to determine the acidity.

Check with a nursery in your area for tips on when to transplant roses, but generally, any time from spring to fall, or when the plant is dormant and the ground is workable. Water every 3 or 4 days, soaking the soil to 8 inches; and fertilize depending on your type of soil, but usually about once every 4-6 weeks.



Lots of varieties of roses are available. The choices include climbing roses, tree roses, miniature roses, hybrid perpetual roses, grandiflora roses, and antique roses to name a few. Look at your space and the view from the house to determine how you want to define the space for planting. The rose can serve many functions including becoming a fragrant hedge, which provides bouquets of fresh cut flowers to decorate the inside of your home.

Give roses a try. The rewards are many and the satisfaction of seeing a perfect rose that you have grown makes it well worth the effort.

Add Fragrance to Your Home

Potpourri is a great way to add fragrance indoors. Most potpourri is made of lavender and rose petals. Combining different herbs makes a distinct change in fragrance. Here is a recipe for Rose Petal Potpourri.

3 cups dried rose petals
2 cups dried lavender flowers
1 cup dried lemon verbena leaves
1 tablespoon powdered allspice
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1/4 oz. essential oil of rose

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight jar for several weeks before using.

What to Look For in a Lawn Care Contractor

Whether you decide to hire a neighborhood teenager, a local company or a national firm, there are certain requirements that you should look for when hiring a lawn contractor.

First you should decide what your lawn care needs are. If you only want the grass mowed and nothing more, than a teenager would be perfect. If you’re hoping to have the most beautiful lawn on the block, than chances are a professional company would suit your needs better. Most professional lawn care companies offer services such as mowing, edging, fertilizing, pesticide spraying, tree trimming, weed control, and shrub maintenance.

Before hiring a contractor set some goals for your lawn, and communicate them in writing. Also, ask for written bids from the companies you are considering, and check out their reputation with the Better Business Bureau in your State.

Ask the company to provide you with proof that they are properly insured. If one of their workers falls out of your tree during a trimming, you’ll want to know the company is insured.

On a final note, make sure the company will be easy to reach and quick to respond to problems. Lawn care is a competitive business so you can expect, and should get, a high level of service.

Giving Buyers the Red Carpet Treatment

You don’t have to roll an actual red carpet down your walkway every time you show your home. (But it wouldn’t hurt!)

The most important thing is to make sure the journey to your front door is a pleasant one. That’s when buyers form their first impressions.

Make sure the walkway is swept clean and is clear. The last thing you want is for a buyer to trip on a broken paving stone, or get matted clumps of freshly-cut grass stuck to their pant legs!

5 Minute Tips for Preparing Your Home for Viewing

Obviously, your home should look its best when potential buyers arrive. However, time is not always on your side. There may be times when you have only a few minutes to get things ready. What you do with those minutes can mean the difference between an interested buyer…. And one who crosses your home off the list.

Here are some of the things you can do to help your home look its best in just five minutes or less:

Put away coats, hats, and shoes. Clean up, especially around the foyer. You don’t want clutter to be the first thing a buyer sees.

Turn on all lights and lamps. A home that is bright looks larger.

Put on some soft music. Easy listening is the best choice. Don’t play rock or jazz music because some people might dislike it. Think elevator music.

Make sure the toilet lids are down. Even when a washroom is sparking clean, a raised toilet seat gives the impression however incorrectly-that thinks are less than hygienic.

Relocate the pets. Put pets in the back yard or basement, or at least segregate them in a separate room. Better still; take them away from your home entirely.

Close the garage doors. Most garages don’t look great on the inside.

Hide the waste bins. Keep them out of site.

Wash the dishes. If possible, don’t leave them on a drying rack. Put them away.

Put away personal items. Put family pictures, bills and other personally identifying information away. You want the buyers to visualize themselves living in your home, not you.

Open all curtains and blinds. This makes rooms look bigger and brighter, even at night.

Staging helps sell houses

Staging a house to sell is becoming all the rage. And more and more people appear to be turning to a real estate stager or home show caser for help.
It’s all about showcasing a home so it will sell fast and for top dollar. Basically In home staging what you want to do is highlight the architectural selling features of the home,” Val Sharp, president of the Canadian Redesigners Association, said in a telephone interview from her Victoria home. “So you place the furniture, hang the art and use accessories to do that,” She said. When successfully staged, a home becomes more appealing to a wider range of potential buyers. The difference between a redesigner and a home stager, Sharp explains, is that redesigners create a home that the people who live there will love, while the focus of a home stager is to create a home to sell.
Most makeovers-whether they’re a redesign or a home staging-are done quickly, usually in only a day or two. Nancy Poulin of Regina offers the following tips to help homeowners make the most of their home’s appearance:
· Hang artwork properly, or the room will look off balance. Most people hang things too high. “Artwork in a room should be hung closest to eye level for the activity that’s being done in that room,” Poulin says.
· Use mirrors to help open up a space and make it look larger.
· To make a hallway seem wider, paint one wall a shade darker than the other.
· Spray lemon or orange-scented furniture polish on a surface close to the entrance so potential buyers are greeted with a pleasant, fresh. Clean smell when they enter the home. “Don’t spray anything too perfumy, or they will be wondering what you’re trying to hide,” she cautioned.
· It’s never good to show a vacant house. Rent furniture and accessories, if necessary.
Staging a home can get better results, faster, Poulin says. But the house has to be priced reasonably, as well.
“No matter how much staging you do, if you are asking way over the market price, it’s going to take longer to sell,” she says.