Mcmann i don't like to recommend things to folks for sake of argument on the forum, most folks have there own way and with fig plants they are very forgiving. I do mention things i do and or use and post pictures for those to enjoy of my plants. What i will say if it were my plant and will come out of pot in 2 springs and go into the ground i would slide plant out of pot with its current soil mix some soil you will be growing that plant in from your yard and keep it watered and fertilized for the 2 seasons then transplant it into your yard. In past i have grown a some fig plants in plain ole dirt in a container for several seasons when i first started out years ago and when i pulled it to root prune i decided to use potting soil, its much ligthter in weight and easier on my back to move container around for me, also the soil here from my yard did get compacted and made it very difficult to root prune the plants in containers. The plant will be fine for several years with whatever type of soil you use there pretty tough plants. If you look around the net at fig trees from all over you can see they will grow in pratically anything even out of stone walls ! Martin

One way to handle putting an old self into a larger new kitchen is to draw a smaller old kitchen inside of it. All those things that used to live in the den? Or the basement? Or on the high shelves of the kids' closets? Those are still your least used things. It's great to be able to store them in the kitchen now, but you don't want to have the Christmas dishes and turkey roaster and martini glasses between you and the action. As much as you can, put the stuff you use the most away first, and do it in the tightest workflow area you can, best at point of use, designing your point of use at the closest comfortable place to the previous and next steps in the cooking process. If there's room leftover in your working path--like whole empty shelves or drawers, you can put in some of the least used stuff that makes sense in that location (roaster in the cooking zone, etc.) and put the rest of the overage in the more outlying areas, pantry, wherever isn't blocking you from using your kitchen efficiently. I think Buehl has winter dishes in her dish area because there was room (and she has a very efficient kitchen), but if you can tighten up your workspace by putting the Christmas china out, do it! And swap it in at Christmas time, if you use it all day for a month.

In no particular order: 1) Change all the locks to use a single key and have extra keys made. 2) Measure all of the rooms and draw a plan of each room. Note where the electrical outlets are in each room. Measure the windows and doorways. 3) Figure out where all of your furniture will go before you move it and draw up a plan. Mark your boxes and furniture with the name of the room where they will go. 4) If you have the time and $$, refinish the floors, steam-clean the carpets, and paint if needed -- so much easier to do if the rooms are empty. 5) Take photos. (I wish I'd done this!) 6) If you're not changing the paint, ask the PO what paints were used where. (If you're lucky, the PO will leave the marked cans for you.) 7) Ask the PO for a list of plants, trees, and shrubs and any special care requirements, especially if you're not a gardener or if you're moving to a different climate. Something that looks like a weed in May could turn out to be a beautiful flowering plant in September. 8) Ask the previous owner for a list of service people (septic cleanout, electrician, plumber, snow removal, lawn service, pest control, etc.) that they used. It will be a good starting point. 9) Fill out the change of address form at the Post Office. Find out where the breaker box, gas, and water shutoffs are. Find out if there's a Newcomers Club (or similar) in your new town. Mine was a terrific resource for meeting people and finding out about all sorts of things I never would have known. Stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies and a couple of waster baskets. Clean! Even if the PO hired a cleaning service, it probably won't be as clean as you like. Besides, there's something really disgusting about OTHER people's dirt. Get doormats before the movers come. Put down rosin paper for the movers in the hallways, etc. Call the town hall to find out when trash and recycling pickup is (if your town provides that service) and what the rules are. If your town requires you to use special bags for trash, stock up. My town provides recycle bins. Get your trash barrels and recycling bins BEFORE you move because you'll have a lot of packing materials and other stuff to get rid of after you move. (You can also give away packing materials on Craig's List or Freecycle.) Arrange for the utilities and to keep your current phone number (if that applies). Make sure that the house number is visible!

The front of my house is so bland and boring, and I also am not a fan of the concrete block foundation color. I’m looking to give my house an upgrade, but can’t currently decide what to do. I’ve considered adding stone to the foundation and painting the siding a gray color (the current siding is wood). I’ve also thought of just repainting the foundation a different color, OR painting the siding and the foundation one unifying color. So many decisions, and I want to do something I love right away so I won’t have to change it again in the future. Anyone out there have suggestions? :) Also let me add that we just recently moved in and this is our first house. Any other suggestions on sprucing up the outside? I’ve considered adding shutters and window boxes. Any suggestions welcome for this homeowner newbie.