What Have You Planted That You Really Wish You Hadn't?
rainydaywoman_z8
12 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (10)
tony_o
12 years agotropicalzone7
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Boy I wish I hadn't forgotten ...
Comments (16)While I garden at home, I spend way too much time going back forth for things and since there is more than 1 gardener in my household, I am finding it a necessity to develop my own garden bag (akin to a tool bag) that will house my favorite implements. These will include: Stiff tape measure Spade with a ruler engraged in it Pruners (precision and larger) Ziploc baggies Plastic bags (for plant trimmings that cannot go into the compost, trash, etc) Alcohol swabs (sterilizing pruners) Gloves (more than 1 pair, just in case) Hand cultivator (one side has tines, one has a hoe, great for breaking up roots) Weeding sickle Rasp for sharpening things Strips of old T-shirts for tying things Pocket knife/Leatherman Zip ties Wide brimmed hat. If I gardened away from the house I would probably add sun screen, water bottle and a camera to document anything that I feel I would need to research later (bugs, foliage spots, etc), for many people this could be accomplished with their phone, but I would not trust my memory when comparing images online later. Pen and paper is always a good idea too....See MoreI wish I hadn't let my architect talk me into...
Comments (32)He didn't talk me into anything just wasted 7 months of my time and $50,000 for a plan that was 3X more than I told him on day one (very emphatically) that I was going to spend. So here I sit $50k poorer with a large set of drawings I'll never use that I put so much time into helping develop. I have no idea what to do next. That's what my architect inadverantly talked me into. He had no idea whatsoever how much anything costs as he evidentally only worked with millionares with unlimited budgets. Heck the biggest red flag was in December when he and the only contractor willing to even discuss the project at that point with me were wasting my entire work day when they were supposed to be talking about reducing the cost on my project but, instead they spent an hour or 2 talking about their experiences with rich clients and how very funny it was to have clients with unlimited budgets that would build something, not like it, and tell them to just tear it down and do it again another way. Knock me in the head with a hammer(pardon the pun)! IMO it seems architects in my small city (Baton Rouge) like clients with unlimited money who don't care how many anything costs. I am a hard working person who has worked their behind off for all that I have. I was so intimidated being a female going to get a huge loan and hiring an architect (seemed pretentious). But, I felt with an investment this large, I thought it was the right thing to do. I felt sheepish doing it. It took 5 month in the process to finally go to bid and 2 out of 3 contractors refused to waste their time doing a formal bid and personally told me so. They said the architect was crazy and it was a totally unrealistic project and that I would be wasting my money and that the drawings were horrible. On December 24th (yes Xmas Eve) the architect told me he would do everything in his power to make it right. The story ends today March 2 with me having NOTHING still and waiting. So, I would also advise never, ever use relatives or feel obligated to use someone related by marriage. No matter how good people say they are. Trust your instincts and stick to your budget. Or you will be sitting here waiting 7 months later with no plan, much poorer and frustrated. I know I sound mad. I am. He is now fired. I don't have any recourse that I know of. I finally got my loan approved (post mortgage crisis) after much frustration architect frustration. Now I have to start over. PS I signed the first architect agreement or SOW on 7/28/08. Put timelines in writing or it will cost you money! My SOW said 4-7 weeks for drawings to go to bid? That was 7/28/08...See MoreTried Risotto for the 1st time - Almost wish I hadn't ,LOL
Comments (11)Annie, you might try this recipe for lamb. It's one of my favorites. It's a great cold weather dish. (And I apologize to anyone who's tired of me posting it, but it really is easy, delicious, and the long slow braising does dissipate a lot of the slight gaminess that lamb sometimes has). FWIW, my dog goes absolutely crazy when I cook it. There is a French bistro dish called "Gigot de sept heures"--yes, that's "Seven hour leg of lamb". I first ran across this in Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles Cookbook". The first time I fixed it there were two teenagers in my house who claimed they didn't like lamb. Suffice it to say there were no leftovers. Bourdain makes the comment that when it's done, you should be able to cut it with a spoon. Like all common recipes, there are variations: but it's basically a braise in a heavy casserole dish. I used a deep cast iron Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, and it worked great. Season the lamb with slivers of garlic, sear it, add liquid and vegetables, cover the pot, put it in a slow oven and DON'T PEEK for seven hours. Omigod, is it good--and easy!! This is a perfect dish for a day when you have a lot of laundry or housework to do. You gotta be in the house anyway, so may as well have a no-stress supper cooking while you're doing other work. You put it in the oven after brunch, then do whatever you need to do, and after seven hours you have some juicy and scrumptious lamb. A half hour before serving, cook up some noodles or something to catch the juices. Here's Bourdain's version. The only liberties I take with it is to brown the meat prior to putting in the other goodies, and since I have a very tight fitting casserole I don't bother with the flour seal. You can also use a little more wine if you want. The garlic cooks down so its not overpowering; do use at least the amount it calls for. GIGOT DE SEPT HEURES 1 leg of lamb, about 6# 4 garlic cloves, sliced, plus 20 whole garlic cloves 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper 2 small onions, thinly sliced 4 carrots, peeled 1 bouquet garni 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup flour, 1 cup water Preheat oven to 300 F. Make many small incisions in lamb, place slivers of garlic in each incision. Rub lamb well with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. (At this point I would brown the lamb on all sidesÂbut thatÂs not necessary.) Place it in Dutch oven and add onions, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic, wine. Put lid on Dutch oven. Combine flour and water, make a 'caulk' and use it to seal the lid to the dutch oven. Place it in the 300 degree oven and cook for 7 hours. Yes, 7 hours. NO PEEKING--leave it alone. Remove the Dutch oven and break the seal. You don't eat the cooked flour paste. That's it. About a half hour to an hour of prep, then you leave it the heck alone for 7 hours. It's nearly foolproof. Serve it with whatever else you want, and a medium bodied red wine goes quite well with this (say, a nice Zinfandel) but a dry white (such as the remainder of the bottle you opened to get the cup of wine in the recipe) is fine as well if that's your preference. Bon appetit!...See MoreLicense and ins. Card photo. Wish I hadn't
Comments (22)My DH has been in a couple of minor fender benders in the last couple of months, neither were his fault. In Oregon you have to complete an accident from for the DMV and it want's license no, expiration, vehichle VIN, license #, insurance policy # and insurer-for BOTH drivers. The 1st someone backed into my truck while DH was driving, causing about $1500 damage-didn't look like that much, but when the estimate came back it was hefty. DH was uninjured. The second, the other driver started to go thru a red light, stopped and backed up-right into DH's truck front end. Damages are minimal, but he got a hard shock and his back is hurting. Unfortunately, the other insurance co in both instances is the same. Our insurance is a dream to work with, but this other company is horrible! Their adjuster told DH his back could not possibly be hurting after such a 'tiny' bump. They are treating us horribly-and they didn't pay our estimate on the first one-they paid THEIR adjusters estimate, which was less than 1/3! They said we could send them the bill for the difference and IF they thought it was fair, they'd pay it. We didn't hire an attorney for such a small bill, but this time, with them telling DH he doesn't need to see a doctor (and our Insurance pays for that no questions asked), we might end up hiring one. Insurance issues are horrible to deal wtih....See Morecrispy_z7
12 years ago
gastone21 (z7a VA)
6 years agopoaky1
6 years agogastone21 (z7a VA)
6 years agopoaky1
6 years agoshane11
6 years agopoaky1
6 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESGardening With Kids: How to Plant Bulbs
You don't need expertise to get flowering bulbs in the ground in fall — but kids will feel like gardening pros come spring
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES6 New Plant Varieties That Beat Out Their Parents
With better resistance and fewer demands, these garden beauties are worth a spot on your wish list
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNGreat Design Plant: Blue Fescue
Is there anywhere this grass doesn't look great? Bonus: It outlasts other grasses in color and doesn't hog water
Full Story
LIFEYou Said It: ‘Put It Back’ If It Won’t Help Your House, and More Wisdom
Highlights from the week include stopping clutter from getting past the door, fall planting ideas and a grandfather’s gift of love
Full Story
FUN HOUZZ10 Things People Really Don’t Want in Their Homes
No love lost over fluorescent lights? No shocker there. But some of these other hated items may surprise you
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESInvite Mining Bees to Your Garden by Planting Their Favorite Plants
Look for mining bees (Andrena) pollinating woodland wildflowers in U.S. gardens this spring
Full Story
LIME FOLIAGE5 Gold Plants to Illuminate Shady Garden Spots
Dark garden corners don't have to mean deep, monochromatic color. Gold plants brighten the landscape with shots of luminosity
Full Story
GROUND COVERSGreat Design Plant: Blackfoot Daisy for Prettier Dry Ground
Don’t let its delicate looks fool you. This ground cover can survive extreme cold and heat, and with little water to boot
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES8 Plants That Snobs Love to Hate — and You'll Love to Grow
Don't dismiss these common annuals, perennials and shrubs — there are reasons they've been popular for so long
Full Story
TREES7 Deer-Resistant Flowering Trees to Plant this Fall
If you live in a neighborhood with roaming deer, consider these beautiful trees that won't tempt hungry guests
Full Story
More Discussions
poaky1