| Home and Garden Page Summer 2002 |
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| In November of 2000 we closed on our first home. It was a house that was foreclosed on, purchased by a real estate agent and then rehabbed. It was a mess when we first saw it and signed the purchase agreement, but the major work was completed before the closing. Since we moved in we have been very busy. We have: * installed a new oil tank (our heat source) * painted all of the rooms, except the kitchen and bathroom * replaced the steps out back leading to the back yard * replaced the siding and all the windows (even in the basement) * added a storm door to the back door * installed shutters on all the windows * replaced the wood front door with a steel door * installed a deck outside the back door * cut down 5 trees and hard pruned the huge oaks out front * installed fencing against the retaining wall in the back * installed a pond and fountain * created a garden, built four flower beds and adjusted the existing foundation beds in the front * built a wall in the basement to create a laundry room The windows, siding and doors were installed by Power Windows and Siding. They were a little pricey, but the products are good and installers did good work. This summer we refinanced our mortgage to get a better rate and included the remainder of the loan we took out to pay for the installation of the windows, siding and door. We decided to go with Washington Mutual because Tony Roggio, the mortgage representative who originated our loan, was now with them. Tony was easy to work with and doesn't do the "hard sell" that most mortgage people do. If you are buying a home in the Bucks County area, I suggest you contact Tony at the Washington Mutual home loan center in Warminster. It's been a lot of work, but the house really feels more like a home now. A place that represents who we are. |
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| Last year was my first year attempting to start flowers and vegetables from seed. As you would expect, I was not very successful. The only thing that worked for me were dahlias, zinnias and marigolds (some of the easiest to start from seed). I realized (a little too late) that I wasn't giving the seedlings enough light to grow properly. For Christmas this past year, Dad and Edgar bought us a large grow light, which has made the process much easier this year. I have almost been too successful - meaning I had to create more beds to put all these flowers in. As you will soon see, I went a little overboard with buying seeds and still have quite a few left. Oh, well. I also have to give credit to my use of Miracle Gro. I think the watersoluable version works best. I started planting fairly early, due in part to my inpatience for spring to finally break. I ended up with: * 24 snapdragon plants * 11 dahlias (a mixture of cactus and dwarf single and double blooms) * 5 zucchini plants * 6 cherry tomato plants * 4 cucumber plants * 8 carrots (which appear to have had their growth stunts by the netting around the peat pellets I grew them in, but they were sweet anyway) * 4 radishes (which are long gone - very hot) * 7 sunflowers (6 of which were subsequently eaten by the rabbits that have overtaken our neighborhood this year) * 20? Wave petunias * 10? red velvet coleus * 4 deep purple "Palisandra" coleus * 5 dianthus * 10 new guinea impatiens * 8 lamb's ear * 5 primrose * 3 zinnias (I just did a few for containers * 10 blue fescue grass * 7 black eyed susans * 4 gazania (2 each of "Pinata" and a pink mix) * 4 small lavender plants, which I thought were doing to die, but when I planted them together in a pot they took off * 10 asters and 15 marigolds, which I started really late and still have to take outside * several other plants that I got mixed up in my seed frenzy, that I am waiting on to bloom, so I can identify what they are. I didn't have any luck this year with: coreopsis, hollyhocks, phlox, delphinium, dusty miller or onions. We also bought some plants (although I know it sounds like we wouldn't need anything else). The majority of the stuff we bought were small plants (much cheaper than full size plants) from Home Depot, such as hostas, euonymus, arborvitaes, boxwoods and two dwarf alberta spruces, which we plants in planters on their side of our front steps. We also bought some flowers from the Penndel Heritage Society (salvia and begonias). Dad was kind enough to buy us some additional plants as an anniversary present. He got us: 2 peonies, a Nikko blue hydrangea (which isn't really blue, due to our soil), a climbing hydrangea, impatiens and a purple leaf sand cherry. Thanks, Dad! The removal of three pines trees, which flanked the front sides of the house, has created more work for us, as well. Mike worked hard to get grass started and it has almost completed filled in on the right side of the house. The tree on the left of the house has left a large bed to be filled. I still have to clear out all of the pine shreddings (the stump was ground up for us) and add in some topsoil. I am still trying to decide if I want to plant a small tree there in the fall, like a dogwood or a magnolia. I think we need some height with all the trees gone from the front. Considering the extremely hot weather we've been having - heat wave after damn heat wave - I am looking forward to fall. I've already begun receiving my fall garden catalogs and I will definitely have to hold back from buying anything else for this year. I am already thinking about plans for next year - expanding the vegetable garden bed, installing new edgings on the bed, etc. |
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