Getting buzzards to leave our patio
Tony Popolillo
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (24)
lazy_gardens
8 years ago
Pyewacket
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Yard/Garden/Patio Show! I get to go
Comments (4)You might check out the Chinese Garden's plant sale that morning. The garden is opening early, and waiving the admission charge for the plant sale. Here is a link. http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/awakening/orchids/more_info/209/ So far, I am attending on Friday. I don't know about the other two days. I usually volunteer for one or more organizations, and I often attend all three days. Since I don't have a favorite type of plant, I find it is an excellent opportunity to buy stock from some of the local specialty nurseries. This allows me to save shipping and handling. If I owned a car, I would be likely be driving to visit at least some of these nurseries, but this way, I at least get to see their stock once a year....See MoreGetting worms to leave the tray with the best castings
Comments (12)I think Ron's got the right idea, esp if your VC is really wet. 2 points. There has to be a lot of light on the top tray, and the babies take a lot longer to move than the adults. If you've got LOTS of babies, you may only be able to scrape off a thin layer of compost each time you take some. Fluff it up every once in a while to encourage drying and allow the noxious sunlight to get a little lower down in to the tray and hurry the worms along. One woman did this and put her 'finished' tray on top of a working tray. The next morning, she had more worms than ever in her 'finished' tray. The worms had moved up. To avoid that, have the tray just below the finished tray have only bedding and food, no (or few) worms. It needs to be a place the worms are willing to go to, but not have lots of worms that will also want to come back up. As the amount of VC on the top gets thinner and thinner, the worms won't have much choice but to go down. You'll never get all of the babies out. The only way I know of to get most of them out is let the finished, 'worm free' VC to sit for a month or three. This allows the cocoons to hatch (is that the right word?) and the babies to grow to a size that's more reasonable to pick out without having any adults laying more cocoons in the mean time. Then you can either try the light method again or put a slice of melon rind on the top of the VC, wait until they congregate there, and scoop of that portion of VC with the worms. They need to be big enough to be able to move effectively. Just don't wait so long that they become sexually mature and start depositing more cocoons. According to the experts, it can take 30-75 days for the babies to emerge from the cocoons and 53-76 days for the worms to become sexually mature after they emerge. Many of your cocoons will take a lot less than the 30 days to hatch as they were deposited a while ago....See MoreShould we enclose our patio for an additional room?
Comments (39)Thank you, everyone. It's such a modest amount of space, but it really makes a difference to have my own little area. And as a former California girl, I really treasure the light in that room, particularly in winter. shades_of_idaho -- we did have our old, scary futon in here for a while, but I banished it to the basement after I found a sofa bed that would fit. We tried to get rid of it a few years ago by putting it out on the front sidewalk (usually a surefire method), and no one took it! A free futon! In a college town! And no takers! desertsteph -- I told myself I would relearn crewel embroidery after the room was finished, but I still haven't gotten around to it. My grandmother taught me many years ago, and I have several half-completed projects. As for the fans in my room, they're made in a little shop about an hour north of me in Illinois. I negotiated a discount by buying two and driving out to the workroom to pick them up. I love their unique look. yogastef -- You're right, it does bring in nature. Makes it more peaceful. I sometimes think it was an incredible folly to spend so much on a sliver of a room, but your comments make me feel better about it, and I really do love it....See MorePlease help me find a ground cover solution for our patio!
Comments (44)We finally decided on white pea gravel, and while it took quite a while to find a supplier (all garden stores nearby were sold out), we're delighted with how it turned out. When weeds pop through we can dig them out (decided on no landscaping fabric), and the kids have decided that gravel is almost as much fun as sand to play with (not to mention it doesn't get tracked in the house as easily.) On dark or rainy days - quite common here - the white reflects some light into the house, unlike the old bricks which just got darker and felt gloomy. We left the brick pathway to the door for now, as well as enough to be a border and hold the gravel in place, so we still have solid walkways and aren't worried the gravel will wash away. The curve of the brick path and the uneven border of old bricks means the patio is an odd shape, which I'm not sure about but my husband likes. The gravel is not as soft as grass, but isn't too painful for walking across barefoot to the table and chairs. I had planned to just do the main patio, and see about the rest of the space later, but we ordered so much my husband got inspired and cleared out the mud and brick pit near the door. That's now a play place for the kids; they love having their own little space and we love that they're happy and that the toys don't get scattered everywhere! For anyone who's interested, we ordered 8-16mm size gravel, at a weight of 600kg (more than 1200lbs), and it cost under 140 euros, including delivery. For convenience we had it delivered in a pallet of 20kg bags instead of the cheaper bulk bags since our back yard is hard to access. That amount covered the lower part of our garden nicely with plenty left over, so I may use that in the the back muddy area, which is currently just hosting ivy and old kids' toys. We layered the gravel at about 1-2 inches deep, but if that's not enough (or if it shifts too much) we may add more or try using the honeycomb-shaped gravel stabilizer grids. So far the amount seems fine for light traffic and playing, and hasn't been too wobbly for our patio furniture. It took months to figure out what we wanted and where to buy it, but in the end it ticked all the boxes: low maintenance, child friendly, not exorbitant, practical for walking on. And as as bonus, every time I look outside it reminds me of an Italian or French garden, which makes me want to brew a cappuccino and go enjoy some sunshine. Thank you to everyone for the input and ideas; may all your design dilemmas have happy endings....See MorePyewacket
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agoPyewacket
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agoPyewacket
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agocatherinet
8 years agoclaireplymouth z6b coastal MA
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agodandyrandylou
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agoclaireplymouth z6b coastal MA
8 years agosunnyflies
8 years agoUser
8 years agoTony Popolillo
8 years agoUser
8 years agoclaireplymouth z6b coastal MA
8 years ago
Related Stories
DECLUTTERINGDownsizing Help: Choosing What Furniture to Leave Behind
What to take, what to buy, how to make your favorite furniture fit ... get some answers from a homeowner who scaled way down
Full Story
LAUNDRY ROOMSRoom of the Day: The Laundry Room No One Wants to Leave
The Hardworking Home: Ocean views, vaulted ceilings and extensive counter and storage space make this hub a joy to work in
Full Story
FALL GARDENING5 Ways to Put Fall Leaves to Work in Your Garden
Improve your soil and yard the organic way with a valuable garden booster that grows on trees
Full Story
WINTER GARDENINGGet It Done: Winterize Your Patio
Let Sandy be a reminder for the rest of you: Time to clean, stow and protect outdoor furniture and accessories
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGSimple Pleasures: 9 Ways to Get Cozy Outside This Fall
Enjoy this magical time with outdoor pleasures that take little effort but provide lots of gratification
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGGet Wise to Size: How to Furnish an Outdoor Room, Small to Spacious
Put your garden slice or grand patio on the best-dressed list with furniture and features best suited to its square footage
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGA Toronto Rooftop Gets a Luxurious Makeover
Privacy screens, lighting, an outdoor kitchen and safety measures for pets make this spacious rooftop patio comfy for all
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING4 Good Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitos in Your Yard
Stay safe from West Nile virus and put an end to irksome itches with these tools and methods for a porch, patio or yard
Full Story
GREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Get a Built-In Outdoor Grill
Put fresh-air grilling on the menu with a built-in setup that suits your patio or yard
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGHow to Get an Outdoor Kitchen of Your Own
New project for a new year: Build a cooking space for your yard or patio to make entertaining a breeze
Full Story
Tony PopolilloOriginal Author