I talked to my husband when he got home from work last night. We're not using any of those bags of soil. We're using all native soil. We've also decided to plant these trees over 2 days. He works second shift so we don't have all day to do it. He's just going to dig a hole in a part of our yard and then when he's done with it will fill it with some topsoil or something. Funny that someone brought up a tiller. We already tried that idea. Well, sort of. We tried to rent one from Home Depot earlier this week, and they said we couldn't rent it yet because it's too muddy outside and they don't want any mud getting on the machine. We told the guy we would never return the machine with any mud on it but he insisted no one can rent the tiller yet. If all we were doing was planting trees it would be one thing but once we plant we are committed to putting up vole fencing around it. We've already got all the poles put up. Where we are planting we can see vole trails everywhere. Not to mention we also have to stake these trees (I stake every tree I plant for 2 seasons) because they are going to be in the prevailing wind section of our yard. The trunks and branches on these 2 foot European Hornbeam fastigiatas are so tiny! They look like they could snap right off. I smiled to myself this morning when I re-read my original post. I was completely panicked when I wrote it. I'm calm about it now. We're planting half today and staking and fencing them, and then the other half tomorrow on his day off. It'll be fine. I see people on videos all the time dig a hole to plant a tree and put the dirt back in and have enough to backfill, but we never do. And we put every bit of dirt we dig out of the hole on a tarp so as not to lose any of it but we still don't have enough.

I have read artciles like these and again come away confused when I see things like: "I don't insist on Ditra or any other uncoupling membrane when tiling over concrete floors, but I do recommend it". To me this says it a nice to have, but not absolutley necessary. Since I already plan on self leveling, if there was one product that I could use that also provided some decoupling I would be happy with that. Would Blue 92 provide both features? Any idea on the cost of Blue 92 compared to Laticrete 86 kit which runs about $28 for a pail with a 25 pound bag. Thanks

We have had good experiences with the crews for the kitchen reno and the kitchen floor plus family room reno. In both cases they were tidy workers who cleaned up including sweeping at the end of each day. They ate lunch out or at the patio table and cleaned up afterward. We never had to clean up after them. When we mentioned to the GC of the family room job that our grandkids were going to be up for the weekend, he had his guys do an extra through clean-up including double checking around the patio in case any nails went astray. Both GCs told us what to expect for work times for the next day or two and generally the workers arrived on time. Of course there was the rare exception here and there like the time that the flooring guy coming to fix a scrape in the floor misunderstood and went to the wrong job (where he had a frustrating time trying to find what he was suppose to fix). Nobody ever harmed any of our landscaping. Perhaps it helps that there was a good size concrete patio to do any work at the family room door. The GC for the main kitchen remodel set expectations for his crew's behavior and they met them. I assumed that they would use the powder room, but he insisted on bringing in a porta potty. He also asked us to take the pictures down from the non-kitchen side of kitchen walls. The very few times that they had to be out of the kitchen family room to do something, they asked first. Other than that, they were only in there and on the patio outside the kitchen. For any messy work, the doors to that area were covered with plastic and taped - very little dust ever made it through that so the rest of the house stayed clean. I don't know what music they played - I was at work. I was working from home when we did the family room remodel and my office is on the other side of the wall, though there are closets on that side which deaden the noise a bit. If they played music or listened to the radio, they kept it quiet enough to not be heard in my office. The only noise that I heard was essential remodeling noise - especially the demo of the very thick "mud" left from a prior tile floor. Security precautions: I wouldn't leave pocket size expensive items lying around. My mother taught me that it was wrong to tempt workers by leaving such stuff out. But we didn't hide things like TVs and computers. Of course we kept them well away from the dangers of the work zone. For the kitchen remodel, we double keyed the patio door and gave the GC the key that opened only that door. Once the project was finished, we re-keyed it to use only our house key. That way, we didn't have to worry about someone making and keeping a copy of the key to use after the job was over. Between our planning - e.g. setting up a temporary kitchen and freezing some made ahead meals for the kitchen remodel and rearranging the living room for the entertainment equipment during the family room work - and their consideration, we were pretty comfortable during the remodels.

Image by: GJ Forum Members The junk we find Posted by Mush (Ontario) -- One of our neighbors was putting an old push lawnmower out to the curb, hoping that someone would take it. I did them that favour. I planted pansies in a bright blue cookie tin and now both have a new home! Posted by Seamommy (Texas) -- Last week my mom and I went put on trash day and in less than an hour, we found (in peoples trash) a bike (had two flat tires and the chain was off), a wooden ladder (perfect), an iron bed (not old, but perfect), and a pine porch glider (he said the seat is warped, we got a new one!) and he even helped us load it in the truck!!! Posted by Tannatonk (Montana) -- The junkin we get to do here usually consists of farmers junk piles, but I did find some old iron thingies (I think they might be some kind of old tool bar shovels) and made a nice windchime with them. For the top I used the lid off an old rusted out cream can and turned it upside down (it reminds me of an old hat - I may put some sunflowers on it). Then I drilled holes in that to hang copper tubing pieces that are between 12" & 18" long. For the middle clanger I used an old piece of fancy iron that my friend gave me. I think it was off an old stove. It's really ornate. The whole thing is so heavy but looks really cool. And, I think I'll use the bottom of the cream can as a pedastal for a penny bowling ball that my friend is making for me. It's about 2 feet tall. Posted by lorraine (New Jersey) -- Went to one rummage sale and broke the cardinal rule of rummaging - never put down something you're unsure of until you're ready to leave cause someone else will surely pick it up - and they did. It was only a book with some bird prints in it that I thought I could decoupage on a tray - what was I thinking! Then we headed out to a town-wide garage sale, but like I said it was cold and drizzly and I didn't feel much like getting in and out of the car in that, but we turned around in a church parking lot and they had a sale inside. Found a huge metal colander - 16" across - told the ladies I was going to make a lampshade out of it - it kept me dry walking back to the car at least! In a nutshell: Do Not Wait Any Longer - Grab the stuff when you see it. Chances are great that it won't be there if you procrastinate and wait to go back to get it. What's the worst that could happen--you end up throwing it out yourself if you decide you don't want it after all. Posted by klynnnn (South Carolina) -- I always grab first and sort later and when I'm at a rummage sale or something similar, I always watch for someone else who is "sorting" their items before checking out to see what they're leaving behind, and I alwaystake that 2nd and 3rd trip around just to make sure I didn't miss that "perfect something"... Posted by Monarae (Iowa) -- I went to town tonight. Its 2 days until clean up day for our town. I live by a small town (500 people if we are lucky) and I went around town to see what is around and about. I found a double galvanized wash tub on legs! But its full of the folk's stuff that they want to get rid of too! Now I have to convince hubby that we should take a large cardboard box in and put the stuff into it and get the wash tub. Any suggestions on how to sweet talk him into this one? hehe! Posted by hopeful_in_Brevard (Florida) -- Went to an estate sale this morning. Found an old icecream chair. (White). Got it for a dollar. Wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. Took the seat out, found a pot just the right size to fit in it. Planted a miniture pink rose and a cascading Bacopa "Giant Snowflake". I know this isn't an original idea, but it all fit so perfect and it really makes me feel good. Posted by littleredhen (Zone 6) -- My husand and I were recently at his parent's home. They are getting their driveway paved and had a ton of stuff in and around the driveway that needed to be moved. My father-in-law is a junk man beyond belief. He has stuff everywhere, from alongside the driveway, to the backyard, to the garage, to the front porch! Like even stupid junk like a washer or a screw is laying alongside the driveway. Then there is rusted stuff, an old teapot, a ton of garage doors, metal porch railings and more. My husband is straddling stuff in the garage, as we hand him things. He notices a giant box of mixer blades....... maybe fifty or more blades. I brought home a few of the blades, thinking that they should be made into a windchime or something. Was I nuts for bringing these home?? (The answer to this question, of course, was "No, you're not - that's perfectly good junk!) Posted by Bonnyleigh (North Carolina) -- Today was the rirst time I've ever truly junked. I'm a compulsive yard saler, but today I was really too broke even to yard sale. I was going to all these yard sales in these good neighborhoods and started to notice the trash at the curbs. Monday is bulk pickup time. I was a little embarrassed at first.. people looking at me like i'm crazy.. but ended up with about 20 or so pots, two plastic chairs.. wanted to paint them with Kyrlon... And a wooden chair that i've planted... and a few other things. Nothing profound.. but all those pots will come in handy when I have to pot up my flat of shastas in a couple of months..... But, now I'm addicted.. all day I've been like why don't I go back out and see what else I find.. It's such a rush.. Still no bowling ball though.. I want one so bad... Posted by JeanInWa (Washington) -- I went yard sailing with a friend who has a BIG pick up truck....boy did we make out! She bought a nice dresser for her sister for $3, and an old beat up one for her to plant for $1. I got a headboard for $1 for the back of a bench. I did my first REAL junking. We passed the place where the bentwood rocker was on the burn pile last week end, and it was still there. So, I had her drive up to the house, and I asked if I could have it. LoL The guy looked at me kinda funny, and said it didn't have a seat, and it was falling apart, and I said, great! That's just what I want! Posted by Chatty_Bloomer (North Carolina) -- I had to work at an estate sale Saturday. I love it.......they never miss my bids and I get paid to shop....LOL!! I bought an oak washstand ($5.00) and a walnut turned leg waredrobe ($10.00) that I will be stripping and refinishing for my house. I got an old iron pedal car (with only 1 wheel) that someone had tried to restore but they did a very poor job. I painted it fire engine red and it will go in my son's secret garden with a plant in the seat. I got 3 boxes of clear glass insulators, which we are going to use as hose guides in the flower beds. I got a headboard and footboard to make my mom a bench for her birthday. DH got it put together yesterday and I began painting it. I will post pic when complete. I also got a large footed colbalt blue bowl......I got paid, bought some stuff and still came home with more money than I left with.....LOL!! I would say that's a great junkin' day. Posted by papadon (Tennessee) -- I sit here this morning at the computer and am also looking out the window at my backyard. The sun is gently shining, the wetness from yesterday's rains is sparkling, the birds are singing, the feeders are full, flowers are blooming, the yard is alive. From my window I can see a candle lantern in the maple tree, along with a pvc pipe spinner and several small hanging pots. Then I look and see the swing, with the planted wheelbarrow next to it. A shepherd's hook with another bird feeder. My bed with the courting bench and all of it's developing color is also in view. These things were junk to someone else. Trash even. But in them I find beauty. I find a joy in making them come to life as a piece of art and not just someone else's trash or discards. All this just serves to remind me that there is beauty and value in everything and everyone. We just have to look for it and then find ways to help it show............. May you always have pretty blooms, bountiful junk, just enough rain and sunshine, along with time to care and a joy to share. Blessings and peace to you! (Pictures, from top to bottom, belong to members: janetgia, FlowerGirlDeb2 and FishFan)