Best Idea, Worst Idea?
idie2live
14 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (55)
User
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoRelated Discussions
your best (and worst!) cheap, thrify, and diy garden tips?
Comments (72)One good tip I learned (from trial & error, then much research) is to plant and harvest things at the proper time for your growing zone- even in places like california where people might tell you "oh you can grow anything there all year round"... not true! some plants are warm season, some are cool season, some like to overwinter, some are annual, some are perennial, some are biennial, etc. Research each plant, and also don't assume plants that seem similar will have the same needs, for example peas and beans both come in bush and vining varieties and grow in pods, but peas like cool weather while beans like it hot- except for a few certain beans that actually do prefer it cool... Also, potatoes can tolerate cool weather while sweet potatoes don't. Kale & lettuces grow best in cool weather while chard seems to do fine in hot or cool. You get the idea. If you plant things at the wrong time you'll be wasting your time and the seeds- I tried lettuce when it was too late to be planting it and in the heat of summer it went straight to bolt. I've planted zucchini and tomatoes when it was too cold for them and they grew poorly and didn't produce fruit. Harvest times are just as important as planting times- I planted radishes once and they didn't seem to get big enough by harvesting time so I thought I could just let them keep growing for a while longer- but found out that if you leave them in the ground too long they get tough and too spicy and shrivel up instead of getting bigger! Also it may be tempting to let a zucchini get huge, thinking it will just provide more food when you let a fruit get 2 feet long... No! Harvest them young & tender and about the size they sell them in the grocery store (or smaller), any larger and you get a hard shell, lots of seeds, and very little (and quite tasteless) flesh. Moral of these stories is to research each fruit or veggie you want to grow & follow the "directions", it will mean the difference between success & failure! Also- healthy soil is #1 important thing for plants - no chemical fertilizer! Compost is your best friend. Mulch is your other best friend- use what is available & free- leaves & pine needles are what I use. Good luck!!!...See MoreBest before winter now worst
Comments (2)You don't need to prune them or do anything else to them. They are weeds - they will grow and spread once they get established, so be patient and let mother nature take care of them....See MoreBest and worst chiles for smoking
Comments (23)Ah ... this popped up again. :) We prefer ripe serranos, split and smoked with mesquite at low (under 200F) temps until they are paper-dry. We tried green serranos, they were bitter. We tried "Sandia" and they were blah. They need to be ripe, thick-walled and have plenty of sugar to get a good smoked version. Without a high sugar content you get a bitter metallic overtone. If it's thin-fleshed you get all smoke and little chile. Will be trying ripe jalapenos and Hatch green (same variety but ripe ones) this year, poblanos next year....See MoreBest/worst decorating books
Comments (14)I especially like two: A Pattern Language by Alexander, et al. It's pricey ($60?), has few pictures and covers design from the small scale of where to put and how high to make a window seat to how to create a well-designed a community. But as a provocative way to think about your space and how to make it the most useful and satisfying experience, nothing beats it. Lots of Susanka's ideas grow from it, I think. A good book to borrow from a library first to see if it speaks to you; if it does you'll treasure it. Don't lend it, you'll never get it back! And Anatomy for Interior Designers. I can't recall author off the top of my head, sorry. It's a splendid, and slyly funny, book that clearly spells out the space constraints of everything we do, or use, or store in a house - from how much space we need in, um, bed, to how much space it takes to store a stack of socks or teacups. It's wonderful for helping comb out the snarls in a room arrangement idea before you get too far down the line. Neither of these are sumptuous decorating picture books, but each is indispensable in its own way to me....See MoreNancy in Mich
14 years agoflgargoyle
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agoronbre
14 years agowantoretire_did
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoronbre
14 years agokathyanddave
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agojohnmari
14 years agobluesbarby
14 years agoTxMarti
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoTxMarti
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agodesertsteph
14 years agokathyanddave
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agogayle0000
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoTxMarti
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoTxMarti
14 years agodesertsteph
14 years agojakkom
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agoTxMarti
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoprairie-girl
14 years agosunny631
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agodesertsteph
14 years agojudithva
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agoprairie-girl
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agodesertsteph
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agoemagineer
14 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
14 years agojudithva
14 years agoprairie-girl
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years agoidie2live
14 years agojudithva
14 years agoShades_of_idaho
14 years ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDES10 Design Tips Learned From the Worst Advice Ever
If these Houzzers’ tales don’t bolster the courage of your design convictions, nothing will
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESFrom Queasy Colors to Killer Tables: Your Worst Decorating Mistakes
Houzzers spill the beans about buying blunders, painting problems and DIY disasters
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES11 Spaces That Aced High School
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. But who knew high school influenced interior designs too?
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNPersonal Style: 50 Clever Real-Life Kitchen Design Details
Get ideas from savvy homeowners who have a knack for creating kitchens celebrating personal style
Full StoryMUDROOMSThe Cure for Houzz Envy: Mudroom Touches Anyone Can Do
Make a utilitarian mudroom snazzier and better organized with these cheap and easy ideas
Full StoryORGANIZING21 Tips for Organizing Your Stuff
Restore order at home with these ideas for tidying up cupboards, shelves, doors and more
Full StoryDECLUTTERINGClean Routine: Housework Strategies the Whole Family Can Share
Keep the peace while maintaining a tidy home, with these ideas to get all kinds of cleaning personality types in on the act
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBook to Know: 'Deck Ideas That Work'
Considering a new deck? Peter Jeswald's handy volume offers loads of design and material ideas
Full StoryLIFE10 Feel-Better Things to Do on a Sick Day at Home
Nourish, pamper and heal yourself when a cold keeps you housebound, with these restorative ideas
Full StoryFUN HOUZZ16 Creative Paint Color Names We Haven't Seen — Yet
Someday, the namers of new paint colors will finally run out of ideas. We're here to help
Full StoryMore Discussions
trancegemini_wa