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Hometalk is where people share and help with everything home & garden

Laurie M

Gorham, ME
2 Followers 2Likes
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Home Maintenance & Repairs

Home Maintenance & Repairs

Outdoor Living

Outdoor Living

Painting

Painting

Gardening

Gardening
+ 2 more
  • Laurie M
    Followed 6 topics Yesterday
  • Good landscaping turns your home into a show-stopper.
  • Recycled fence and spindles for potting bench
  • #1 - Use as many free materials in your landscape as you can. Every part of the world has at least one thing in abundance that you can use for free, be it gravel, rocks or stones; wood, pallets or pine needles; dumpsters, landfill sites or Craig's List and Freecycling networks as cheap sources for repurposed items. Find out what's in your own neighbourhood or town and use it!  I've used my local freecycling network to find plants and shrubs for free. I got a whole lilac hedge that way, it really works!!
  • #2 - Beg for plant divisions or cuttings from family, friends and neighbours. Anyone who has perennials , bulbs or tubers will have to be dividing them up every so often and will be happy to let you have the extras. 1
  • #3 - Look for local gardening clubs, they usually have plant sales once or twice a year to raise money for the club and you can get beautiful plants for much less than gardening centers sell them.  Plus you know they will survive in your climate because the local gardeners have grown them.
  • #4 - Watch for end-of-season sales.  You can pick up loads of plants at a discount from department stores that have seasonal garden centers.  That's where you can pick up your trees and shrubs for less and save big!
  • #5 - Grow your own plants from seed.  Some plants are super simple to grow, you can even just toss the seeds out in your garden at the right time and they'll grow well.  Hardy geraniums, sunflowers and pansies are easy to start from seed.  Poppies and cosmos are good examples of seeds you can just sow directly in the garden.  Opium poppies can even be sown while there is still snow on the garden!
  • #6 - Grow plants that self-seed or spread easily.  Examples are creeping thyme, culinary thyme, Johnny Jump-ups, Ladies' Mantle, campanula, euphorbia, lamium, bugleweed, poppies and bee balm.  I don't quite understand the desire for growing borderline plants in the garden.  I personally don't want to drag some plant kicking and screaming into my garden, I'd much rather have ones that are happily growing and flowering and self-seeding all over.
  • See 5 more photos

6 Ways to Landscape Without Breaking the Budget

I'm back to my first love these days - gardening! I love being in the garden, digging, planting, sowing and enjoying. This house will be the 6th that I've landscaped and because I always ...»
seem to buy houses that have no landscaping, I have learned how to do it on the cheap.

Here are some of my best tips: .

#1 - Use as many free materials in your landscape as you can. Every part of the world has at least one thing in abundance that you can use for free, be it gravel, rocks or stones; wood,pallets or pine needles; dumpsters, landfill sites or Craig's List and Freecycling networks as cheap sources for repurposed items. Find out what's in your own neighbourhood or town and use it! I've used my local freecycling network to find plants and shrubs for free. I got a whole lilac hedge that way, it really works!!

#2 - Beg for plant divisions or cuttings from family, friends and neighbours. Anyone who has perennials , bulbs or tubers will have to be dividing them up every so often and will be happy to let you have the extras.

#3 - Look for local gardening clubs, they usually have plant sales once or twice a year to raise money for the club and you can get beautiful plants for much less than gardening centers sell them. Plus you know they will survive in your climate because the local gardeners have grown them.

#4 - Watch for end-of-season sales. You can pick up loads of plants at a discount from department stores that have seasonal garden centers. That's where you can pick up your trees and shrubs for less and save big!

#5 - Grow your own plants from seed. Some plants are super simple to grow, you can even just toss the seeds out in your garden at the right time and they'll grow well. Hardy geraniums,sunflowers and pansies are easy to start from seed. Poppies and cosmos are good examples of seeds you can just sow directly in the garden. Opium poppies can even be sown while there is still snow on the garden

#6 - Grow plants that self-seed or spread easily. Examples are creeping thyme, culinary thyme, Johnny Jump-ups, Ladies' Mantle, campanula, euphorbia, lamium, bugleweed, poppies and bee balm. I don't quite understand the desire for growing borderline plants in the garden. I personally don't want to drag some plant kicking and screaming into my garden, I'd much rather have ones that are happily growing and flowering and self-seeding all over.

The best part about rampant growers and self-seeders is that every year, you can dig up the extras and sell them at a yard sale to make some extra cash for the landscaping items that you can't get for free.

Hope I've been able to give you at least one tip you can use. Happy gardening!

#landscaping #gardening #Maygarden

Anne @ DesignDreams by Anne
Anne @ DesignDreams by An... Canada
30 Comments | Post Comment | 15411 Views
  • Laurie M
    Clipped 13 hours ago to Dream Home
  • Share 1.5K
  • Like 114
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  • Garden inspiration
  • Gardening/cu...
  • Up, up and away.
  • Clematis 'Perle d'Azur'  trained up our mature maple tree.
  • Clematis 'Perle d'Azur',

How To Train a Clematis on a Tree Trunk

When I planted a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) near our maple tree, I also planted Clematis 'Perle d'Azur', thinking that it climb the tree using the hydrangea ...»
vine for support. I knew that Clematis climb by wrapping their wrists around small twigs, so other vines are wonderfully helpful for their successful climbing.

Here are some tips to get a Clematis started up your tree!:

-Choose a tree with rough bark, like a maple or oak. A smooth tree, like a cherry, with not get enough grip for your Clematis as it grows.

-Plant it on the shady side of the tree trunk and add compost. Mulch well. This enables you to give its roots the shade they need to start well.

-If you are not planting by another vine, then add a way for the Clematis to make it on to the tree bark. Use small bamboo canes, fishing line or twigs to make a scaffold for it to climb.

-Help the Clematis along by occasionally tucking its loose new growth into the rough bark of the maple.

It has turned out beautifully! I especially like the dreamy blue of Clematis 'Perle d'Azur' when viewed on the tree trunk against the blue sky. I hope yours does too!

10 Easy
Julie @ Wife, Mother, Gardener
Julie @ Wife, Mother, Gar... Pittsburgh, PA
16 Comments | Post Comment | 6548 Views
  • Laurie M
    Liked 4 days ago
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  • Like 33
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  • Gardening tips
  • Garden Inspiration
  • If a fence is at the maximum height allowed, another option is to put a taller structure within the yard like this one. There were townhouses in the yard behind and this really helped obscure the view. 4
Clipped a photo from:

Privacy Screen Ideas and How to Make A Fence Taller

Empress of Dirt - Melissa
Empress of Dirt - Melissa Canada
4 Comments | Comment on this photo
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on May 07, 2013 to Laurie M's board
  • Share 162
  • Like 78
  • Clip 75
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  • Gardening/cu...
  • Garden and Outdoor Deco...
  • You can make a fence taller! Here the fence posts were extended and lattice was added. Vines will eventually fill it in.
Clipped a photo from:

Privacy Screen Ideas and How to Make A Fence Taller

Empress of Dirt - Melissa
Empress of Dirt - Melissa Canada
Comment on this photo
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on May 07, 2013 to Laurie M's board
  • Share 80
  • Like 13
  • Clip 18
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  • Gardening/cu...
  • Garden and Outdoor Deco...
  • See that annoying sticker residue that hot water and scraping just won't get off?
  • Just put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and rub.
  • And the sticky residue will be gone ...

Easy Way to Remove Sticker Adhesive Residue

Removing the sticky residue left behind by price tags is easy work with some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol.
Linda @ it all started with paint
Linda @ it all started wi... Chicago, IL
15 Comments | Post Comment | 2752 Views
  • Laurie M
    Commented on May 01, 2013
    I'll have to try this on my steel door that has the residue from masking tape on it and can't ...»
    get it off. Thanks for the tip. Will give it a try tonight

  • Share 516
  • Like 13
  • Clip 21
Clipped to:
  • Around the House
  • Household Tips
  • This is a simple, easy craft for kids and adults.
  • Any used food jars will work. Keep the lids! 1
  • Cover the jar with flat-bottom marbles using silicone sealant as an adhesive.
  • Attach the jar lid to a post or dowel using a wood screw. 1
  • But first hide a wish and tiny toys inside for a surprise later.
  • Check the jars every now and then. You never know when you might find a treasure!
  • See 3 more photos

How To Make Garden Treasure Jars

I started making these treasure jars when my kids were little and they wanted to make some garden art of their own. Because the jars remain functional, you can hide little notes and toys ...»
inside. Use them like little time capsules or part of a treasure hunt. And, of course, the covered jars look like pretty jewels in the garden.

1. Cover any used jar (keep the lid) with flat-bottom marbles (also sold as 'florist stones' or 'glass gems'). I use GE Silicone II sealant (clear, waterproof) as an adhesive.

2. Mount the lid on a post or dowel.

3. Attach the jar.

Notes and tiny treasures can be added at any time.

Full instructions, material list, and sources are listed on my blog here: http://www.empressofdirt.net/gardentreasurej...

Empress of Dirt - Melissa
Empress of Dirt - Melissa Canada
90 Comments | Post Comment | 82504 Views
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on Apr 26, 2013 to Laurie M's board
  • Share 17K
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  • outside
  • GARDEN IDEAS
  • Newspaper. If weeds have popped up on your lawn, smother them with newspaper! Wet a few pages of newspaper and place the sheets directly on top of the weeds. Then place a few scoops of mulch over the moist newspaper.
  • Vodka. That bottom-shelf bottle of vodka that somehow got into your liquor cabinet may not be good for Cosmos, but it'll make a great weed killer.
  • White Vinegar. White vinegar is dirt cheap (about five cents per ounce) and an effective weed killer, plus you probably already have some in your home!
  • Boiling Water. Use a kettle or microwave to boil at least a cup of water (more if you're targeting a big clump-o-weed) and then quickly but safely head outside – you want the water to still be boiling!
  • See 1 more photo

Four Ways to Kill Weeds With Everyday Items

Nothing ruins a pristine yard faster than a bunch of crabgrass, but store-bought weed killers can pack a serious chemical punch! This spring, try killing weeds with household products – ...»
you'll save some cash and avoid harmful toxins.

For more details, visit: https://brightnest.com/posts/2x4-four-ways-t...

BrightNest
BrightNest Denver, CO
3 Comments | Post Comment | 12999 Views
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on Apr 20, 2013 to Laurie M's board
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  • Garden Art
  • Cool Projects
  • Finished raised bed planted with cool season vegetables. 1
  • Dollar Store bird clips hold the seed packets in place.
  • Construction complete and ready for some paint!
  • My version of lasagna gardening! 2
  • See 1 more photo

Something for Nothing! Build Raised Planting Beds for Free!

Who says you can't get something for nothing? I just finished two raised beds made from my neighbor's old shutters and odds and ends of left over wood, then painted them with surplus deck ...»
paint! ZERO COST!!

For quite a while, I have admired all sorts of wonderful homemade and commercial raised beds seen on Pinterest and Hometalk. Because I couldn't justify the cost of buying the lumber and didn't want to tackle disassembling pallets, raised beds did not seem to be in my future. But then, our neighbors replaced their shutters and were nice enough to give them to me when I asked. They know by now that a repurposing project is about to get underway.

You could do other configurations, but I used two shutters on each side and one-half a shutter for the ends. That used up all ten of the free shutters. Odds and ends of lumber stored in the garage rafters came down and became corner, end and middle supports. I even had enough wood screws from another project to use for this one!

See more pictures and all the details on Our Fairfield Home and Garden's latest post

http://ourfairfieldhomeandgarden.com/diy-pr...

Like us on FaceBook www.facebook.com/OurFairfieldHomeAndGarden

#Gardening

#DIYChallenge

#Recycle

4 Hours Easy
Barb Rosen
Barb Rosen Wilmington, DE
126 Comments | Post Comment | 53114 Views
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on Apr 14, 2013 to Laurie M's board
  • Share 6K
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  • Clip 168
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  • Garden inspiration
  • Garden Ideas
  • Make sure everything is off the deck & protect everything you don't want sealer on. We simply used painters tape around the post - for the vinyl we used a paper masker (not shown) 2
  • As a rule of thumb for our area - as the decking has to be butted together when installing it generally, when the gaps are like this we know it is dry enough & can be sealed - still best to check moisture content with a meter 2
  • Got to love builders that leave those grade stamps facing up... we got a few tricks to help eliminate them linked above - in this case the homeowner decided to simply leave them
  • All finished & steps blocked off so pets & people wouldn't hop up there 3
  • Just another finished shot 2
  • See 2 more photos

Sealing your wood deck for years of enjoyment

As a professional deck builder it is amazing looking back at how much things have changed & yet how many things are still the same. One of those items unfortunately revolves around ...»
longevity... Unlike traditional wood decks made 20+ years ago where one could allow them to weather naturally, you would be lucky to get a few year's worth out of a regular wood deck if you tried that now.

In order to enjoy a typical wood deck now it is important that you seal it. No matter if you are a pro or a DIYer, there are two simple rules that I have & hope you will keep in mind no matter what the project is; prepare it properly and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Choosing a sealer:

There are 4 main choices of sealers on the market, each with their own pros & cons. If you are tossing around two or more options, choose the lower tiered item as one can always move up the list but you can't move down it. For example if you are debating between paint & a stain – while you can paint over stain, you can't stain over a painted deck.

· Paint – while many people like the look of paint, this is one of the hardest items to maintain and can easily hide water damaged areas

· Solid Color Stain – while this can look like a paint,it is a stain that gets absorbed into the wood and is easier to maintain, depending on your application some wood grain maybe still visible and it is known to wear unevenly

· Semi-Transparent Stain – For a more natural look with some color, this is the most popular choice, it generally wears more even than solid color, but doesn't protect as well

· Waterproofing or transparent coatings – this will give you the most natural look, but do not hide stains or protect as well

For more on Oil vs. Water Based & other additives: http://bit.ly/DeckSealer

Prepare it properly:

If you ask any professional painter, they will say that on average 80% of their time is spent on properly preparing the surfaces, while only 20% is actually spent applying the product. While this number maybe inflated for decks, just remember that the amount of time spent getting it ready up front, is time well spent.

Getting Ready:

· Gather all the tools, safety equipment and materials that you will need. Take time to read the directions.

· Check the weather forecasts as most products are very specific on minimum temperatures & when it can be exposed to water

· Make sure the wood is dry enough to accept the stain, sealer, or paint of your choice

· Remove everything located not only on the deck, but around it like furniture, potted plants, wind chimes, etc...

· Cover any plants near the deck to protect them from the overspray & any chemicals you may use.

· Removing any large debris by hand and sweep the deck off, paying particular attention to the area's between the deck boards.

Applying your choice of Sealants:

Do you remember the second rule above? That's right; it's as simple as reading and following the manufacturer's directions. I will give you a few tips though that may or may not be located on the can.

· Apply plastic to any area's that you do not want stain or paint to get on, because once you get started, you do not want to stop to try to clean up an oopsie

· For all stains and sealers, do one complete board at a time – if the you only do half a board or work in sections, you will end up with obvious streaks where the two area's overlap

· Do not over apply the product – in most cases it will result in a flaky or splotchy finish

· Make sure the moisture level of the wood is low enough for work to commence – you do not want to trap all the moisture inside the wood

· Stain or seal all six sides if it is at all possible unless you live by the ocean. This will help prevent moisture from getting into the wood and accelerating the degradation of the finish.

· Let it rest – most paints, stains and sealers take at least a day or more to cure

For more Preparation Tips & other Decking Options; http://bit.ly/HTRC-Decks

SLS Construction Solutions
SLS Construction Solutions Cullman, AL
46 Comments | Post Comment | 11626 Views
  • Laurie M
    Clipped on Apr 14, 2013 to Laurie M's board
  • Share 521
  • Like 52
  • Clip 94
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  • Home Repairs
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