Spring Home and Garden 2016 by Journal Tribune

2 Spring To-Do List

3 Bird Feed Ingredients

3 Retaining Walls

4 Eco-Friendly Home Tips

6 Patio Perfection

7 Decking Myths

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PUBLISHED SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2016

journal tribune Spring Home & Garden

Saturday, MAY 14, 2016

Your spring

CALLIE FERGUSON/Journal Tribune

to-do list safe, and energy-efficient this spring. From the rewarding joys of planting a vegetable garden to the peskier chores of killing mold, here are some helpful tips to remember as you embark on spring cleaning: Clear and repair gutters: Organic detritus such as leaves, branches, and dirt builds up in gutters and creates blockage that

By CALLIE FERGUSON Special to Journal Tribune

Spring is officially here, and with it, the arrival of longer days, flowers in bloom, and yes, like it or not, an annual spring cleanup. Our homes require unique care at different points of the year, and there are several basic things to keep in mind to ensure that our homes and environment are clean,

prevents water from effectively flowing out and away from the home, warns Chris Langlois of Standish Hardware in Standish. The collective weight – both from the debris and the obstructed pools of water– applies stress that can cause gutters to break. Carefully remove items caught in gutters and repair broken spikes that destabilize their structural integrity.

spring home & garden Publisher: Devin Hamilton DESIGN/LAYOUT: Michelle Cote, art director, Shelley Richard, Claire Smith Advertising: Dayle Pennell, sales manager, Devin Hamilton, Justin Chenette, Bradford Laverriere, Bobbie Manning NEWS CONTENT: Journal Tribune News Staff, Submitted Content

Retaining walls improve space

Check bird feed ingredients

6 Earth-friendly home tips

Raising backyard chickens

Get patio perfection

Spring Home & Garden is a publication of the Journal Tribune in Biddeford.

Decking material myths

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Eliminate mold and mildew: Moist, wooded and shady environments increase the opportunity for mold, mildew, and algae to grow on the roof and siding of your home, says Langlois, as direct sunlight is unable to reach these areas and prevent their growth. Mold and its microbial peers deteriorate their material host and should be removed with a detergent solution either by hand or with a pressure washer. If removing by hand, use caution on ladders and roofs, and Kathy Hopkins, extension professor at the University of Maine, advises you to consult your local hardware store to avoid detergents with a high percentage of bleach. Note that certain kinds of mold are a health hazard and may require a professional service for proper and safe removal. Shades and draperies: Blinds and awnings block the sun’s rays with no cost to your energy bill. Keep blinds and draperies drawn to stay cool indoors, and, as Hopkins recommends, install them on the southern side of your home where sun exposure is increased. Window films – which use a clear, reflective technology – can be applied to glass panes and offer a discreet way to intercept the heat. Fill in cracks: Hopkins also notes that just as heat does during the winter, cool air leaks through the cracks in your windows, walls, and doorways. Reduce your energy usage by filling in cracks in your walls and windows using calk and a calking gun. For those with an window airost, In! mp es are LE o C t , lch ggrega AILAB u V M &A YA l R Soi ELIVE D

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Your spring to-do list

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conditioning unit, seal leaks along its junction with adhesive strips. As a note: check to see if your AC unit is Energy Star approved, which could save you up to 25 percent of the appliance’s operating cost, according to the Efficiency Maine website. Find out more about energy-efficient products and guidelines at Energystar.gov. Mulch your garden: From seeding vegetables to planting flowers, there are endless possibilities of what to grow in your garden. Something everyone should do, says Leata MacDonald at Everlasting and More nursery in Old Orchard Beach, is mulch your garden beds at the start of every spring. Mulch – a mix of composted organic materials, such as bark and leaves – is a green and cost-effective way to reduce your water usage, echoes Hopkins. Mulch is applied to topsoil and insulates your garden beds; it also discourages weeds and eventually breaks down into nutrient-rich soil. Outdoor Lighting: While a light above your door is more than acceptable, try to reduce the amount of outdoor light fixtures in your yard, patio, and gardens. Not only do they increase your energy usages, Hopkins is concerned with the way in which nightly light pollution can confuse wildlife such as bats and birds. Keep lighting to a minimum, she advises, and for the light fixtures you do have, outfit them with LED bulbs that are 70 percent more energy-efficient than their incandescent counterparts.

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Saturday, MAY 14, 2016

Improve outdoor space with retaining walls

(BPT) — When you picture a retaining wall, do you imagine it holding back dirt? That’s the most common use for retaining walls – to address elevation changes and prevent erosion. But concrete segmental retaining wall, SRW, units are multi-purpose landscaping tools with many more uses. Site planners, engineers, landscape architects, designers, developers and builders have long relied on SRWs to manage sloping properties, provide more usable space, or create stadium seating. Homeowners, too, have discovered retaining walls can be used to create functional outdoor features. Most SRWs are easy to install, which is an important consideration for both landscape professionals and do-it-yourselfers. With retaining wall systems, homeowners

A place for plants

Tree rings and planters built with retaining wall units create a tidy solution around hard-tomaintain areas, such as shallowrooted trees and other problem spots. Planters and tree rings can function as usable space for perennials, annuals, vegetables and herbs. SRWs can be used to create planter walls up to 4-feet tall without the need for geogrid reinforcement.

Build a backyard

and landscapers can create freestanding walls, seat walls, columns, stairs, planters and other features without the need for special units.

Stunning seating

While commercial installers often use SRW units for amphitheater and stadium seating, retaining walls can also be used to create beautiful and durable outdoor seating on a smaller scale, from freestanding walls that double as seating, to two-tiered seat walls.

Ditch the deck

Raised patios built with retaining wall units are a low maintenance option to replace aging wooden decks that require continual maintenance.

Create curb appeal

Where the yard meets the driveway, retaining walls can be installed as a barrier to protect the lawn from damage caused by tire tracks, plowing or de-icing. A tiered arrangement that addresses a slope in the yard adds space for plants

Can’t read it, don’t feed it

Why bird lovers should choose top-of-crop natural feed (BPT) — A growing number of Americans are choosing natural foods for their pets; nearly a third say they prefer natural products, according to PetFoodIndustry.com. People who feed wild birds care about them just as much as their four-legged pets and want to know they’re feeding their backyard birds the most natural and nutritious options available. It’s hard to feel that confidence when reading the mystifying ingredient list on the feed bag makes you feel like a bird brain. • Avoid seed blends that are full of cheap fillers, like oats and red milo. Fillers not only lack nutritional value, birds will kick them right out

of the feeder. Select natural feed comprised of top-of-thecrop seeds and pass by seed coated with chemicals and mineral oil. • Take note of ingredients you can’t read, often it’s an indication the ingredient is a synthetic or lab engineered. Ingredients like menadione sodium bisulfite complex and thiamine mononitrate aren’t found in natural food, they’re man-made versions of vitamins. Since wild birds normally get all their vitamins and nutrients from natural sources, adding a synthetic version is questionable at best. The rule of thumb for buying all natural is if you can’t read it, don’t feed it. Focus on serving feed with an ingredient list you can read and understand like shelled sunflower seeds. Easy, right? It’s a favorite feed to a wide

range of backyard birds, too. • Get to know the types of birds visiting your feeder and research feed they prefer, or buy feed from a reputable company who has already done that work for you. Feed is specifically formulated to attract certain species of birds as well as the largest number of birds, too. When you know and serve what your backyard birds prefer, you’ll keep them coming back to your feeders. • Feel free to supplement seed and feed with natural food you already have at home. For example, jays and woodpeckers love raw peanuts, while mockingbirds and orioles love fruit, and chickadees, blue jays and cardinals savor suet. Soak raisins and currants in water overnight, then place them on a table feeder, or purchase blends with a dried fruit and

and shrubs. Freestanding walls are often built along property lines on corner lots to prevent unwanted traffic from cutting across the yard. Columns created using retaining wall units can be paired with any style home, from classic to contemporary, to add curb appeal. When the front entryway is freshened up with seat walls and other features, the space functions like an old-fashioned porch for visiting and other outdoor activities.

A homeowner in Apple Valley, Minnesota, nicknamed her unmowable backyard “Billy Goat Hill” because there was no yard space and no safe way to access her garden and fire pit at the top. Plus, erosion was a continual problem. A landscaper in Rosemount, Minnesota, solved the problem by excavating for a small back yard and creating tiers of retaining walls with offset stairs, patio landings and seat walls. The result was a small, usable backyard space with safe access to the hilltop and ample planting space for perennials.

nut mixture, like Nutberry Suet Blend. To attract orioles and tanagers, skewer halved oranges onto a spike near your feeders for a special treat. • Don’t forget the importance of the right type of feeder. Dish and bowl feeders are great for serving fruits,

while most birds will appreciate a terrific tube feeder for seeds both large and small. Traditional tube feeders are great all-purpose feeders, and a must-have for backyard bird feeding. Buy feed from companies who specialize in wild bird food.

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journal tribune Spring Home & Garden

Go green to save green: 6 earth-friendly home tips

(BPT) — From cleaning out the garage to upgrading your floors and windows, it often seems like home improvement projects will never end. While you may be dedicated to making your home a better place,

it’s also important to consider how it affects your carbon footprint. Are you doing everything you can to make your home earth friendly? Not only could your home benefit from energy-saving

changes, but you can also lower your utility bills and live green without sacrificing your style. Consider some of these ideas to be both earth friendly and cost-effective year round:

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Choose the right materials

Start the planning stage of your project by selecting materials with low impact on the environment. For example, reclaimed wood is durable, versatile and renewable, and can add beauty and timelessness to your home. Since it is recycled, your reclaimed wood project doesn’t involve chopping down or harming any new trees. Other eco-friendly alternatives include linoleum instead of vinyl, low or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, bamboo and cork.

Rent your project tools

Before you go out and buy all the tools and equipment you need for each home

improvement project, do a little research to find out what you can rent. Not only does this save you money, but it also limits energy consumption, pollution and waste associated with manufacturing, storing and maintaining new equipment. You can easily find a rental company to provide a variety of products such as aerators, augers, jackhammers, pressure washers, chainsaws and more.

Hire savvy professionals

If you’re undergoing a serious remodel, you’ll most likely be working with a contractor, designer or other professional to review your plans and turn them into reality. Make sure you not only hire the right

journal tribune Spring Home & Garden

Saturday, MAY 14, 2016

people, but make your goal of going green loud and clear. Ask to see examples of their work and have them explain what tactics they use to be environmentally friendly.

Use energy efficient equipment

If possible, make sure the appliances, tools and equipment in your home have the ENERGY STAR label. This means that the Environmental Protection Agency qualifies

that product as energy efficient. The ENERGY STAR label is becoming more widely recognized as more consumers bring these types of appliances – like ovens, stoves and HVAC systems – into their home for both cost and energy savings.

use significantly less energy and last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, so you’ll save more in the long run.

Invest in watersaving features

Fixtures like low flow faucets, toilets and showerheads are just a few of the ways you can conserve water in your home and reduce the amount of your water bills.

Additionally, there are plenty of washing machine and dishwasher options that give you the same level of cleaning power while saving both water and energy.

Try eco-friendly lighting

A lighting upgrade is essential for an earth-friendly home. While LED and CFL lightbulbs tend to cost more upfront, they

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Raising backyard chickens:

Egging on the farm-to-table movement at home

(BPT) — As more Americans choose restaurants that take pride in buying from local farms and cooking in season, many families have brought these farmto-table values home with them. That may feel like the latest trend to emerge from the culinary world, but its roots run deep on family farms; the benefits of growing your own food and living “backyard-to-table” have been practiced there for generations. A backyard-to-table lifestyle has countless benefits: saving money at the grocery store, living more sustainably, knowing exactly where your healthy foods come from and spending quality time with your family - to name a few. And, for families seeking to grow more of their own food, it’s important to know the appeal raising backyard chickens plays in living this movement year-round. “Many people begin exploring the backyard-to-table trend by raising their own vegetables, fruits and herbs, but you don’t have to stop there,” says Lisa Steele, top-selling author of “Fresh Eggs Daily” and “Duck Eggs Daily,” and creator of the popular backyard chickening website FreshEggsDaily.com. “Raising your own flock of backyard chickens provides a reliable source of wholesome eggs, and chicken droppings provide excellent fertilizer for the garden,” Steele says. “From the coop to the garden to the kitchen, it’s a fun and rewarding way for families to spend time together, and raising poultry

teaches about a sustainable lifestyle.” The chicken experts from Tractor Supply Company offer some tips to get you started: • Before buying chicks, prepare. They’re babies and will need special care, including a “brooder guard” to help keep them warm. This can be as simple as a cardboard box or circular cardboard fence. Add a heat source, such as a 250-watt infrared bulb placed 18 inches above the ground. Disinfect the area with chlorine or ammonia and spread a few inches of wood shavings on the ground. The day before bringing chicks home, turn on the lamp to ensure the litter is thoroughly warm. • Poultry require clean, fresh water

at every age. A 1-gallon chick waterer refreshed regularly will provide plenty of hydration for a small flock. • Keep the lamp on 24 hours a day during the first week the chicks are in their new home, and then gradually reduce the amount of light to 12 to 13 hours per day. • Pay attention to how the chicks behave. If they crowd into the corners of the brooding area, away from the lamp, they may be feeling too warm. If they chirp a lot and huddle under the lamp in a pile, they may be feeling cold. At 6 weeks old, chicks should be ready to move in to their chicken coop. • Chicks require different kinds of feed than adult birds. Until they’re

about 8 weeks old, chicks should eat a special chick “starter feed” with more of the protein that young birds need. Feed them following the bag directions, but only buy a month’s supply at a time to ensure the minerals and vitamins stay fresh. • Between eight and 18 weeks, your flock should be eating “grower feed.” A grower formulation helps a young hen develop into a reliable egg layer. At 18 weeks, your flock can transition to adult feed. To encourage egg production, a feed with 16 to 20 percent protein is recommended. “Layer feed” contains calcium so eggshells stay hard. In about 24 weeks, your flock will be established, and your family can begin enjoying fresh, wholesome eggs every day. As well, home gardeners will enjoy the natural pest control and outstanding fertilizer chickens naturally provide. Truly, for Americans looking to live more sustainably and embrace the backyard-to-table movement at home, backyard poultry is the next big thing in food.

Get patio perfection (BPT) — Patio (or deck) perfection can be within your reach this season. Simply follow these seven steps to create an outdoor environment where you’ll be proud to entertain all summer long. 1. Update your patio furniture. Whether your current patio set is worn out, you need more seating or are just in the mood for a whole new look, new patio furniture can change the way you feel about your outdoor environment – and how much time you spend

there. You can create what feels like a new space but trading in your old furniture for traditional wicker, durable metals or exotic woods like Eucalyptus, you can find the right dining set, settee, chaise lounge, glider, ottoman, coffee table, rocker or much more 2. Replace cushions on your current set. If your current patio furniture is in good shape but just in need of some freshening, it’s easy enough to give it new life with small tweaks like updated patio

cushions. Cushions are the crowning touch to catch the eye on patio furniture, and they come in hundreds of patterns, shapes and styles. 3. Add a water feature. One of the best ways to create your own oasis can be with a water feature. Easy to find and simple to set up accessories like a fountain can bring the harmony of water to your outdoor environment. For example, those with a waterfall feature immediately create a feeling of Zen and help drown out the

noise of everyday life. 4. Make some shade. When you need a break from the sun, but aren’t ready to head indoors, shade can help you stay outside so you can enjoy the fresh air longer. You can add shade in many ways, from

installing a retractable awning over the deck or patio to strategically planting trees or climbing vines on a trellis. And of course, the simplest way to add shade is to use patio umbrellas, which are available in a wide • See Patio Perfection, Page 7

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Saturday, MAY 14, 2016

• Patio Perfection, From Page 6

5 biggest myths about decking materials

(BPT) — Whether you’ve decided this is the year you’ll add a deck to your home, or you’re still pondering the project, as soon as you say the words: “I want to build a deck,” you’ll start hearing and reading lots of advice. Some of it will be useful, like: “build the biggest deck you can afford” and “add features that fit your lifestyle.” However, you’ll likely hear conflicting opinions about what material to use. Should you go with natural or composite decking? Your choice will affect how the deck looks and functions through its entire service life. And beware: There’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding wood versus composites. So as you weigh your options, make sure you know fact from fiction. Here, then, are the five biggest myths about wood.

Myth No. 1 – Wood is too expensive

Domestic softwoods remain one of the most cost-effective decking options on the market. For example, a dura-

range of hues, patterns and styles. 5. Heat up your grilling station. What outdoor environment would be complete without a great grill? Accessories make grilling fun and easy, and ensure you’ll look and operate like a pro when whipping up summer fare. From grilling mitts to barbecue tool sets, burger and kabob grilling baskets, grill toppers and even taco shell baskets, you can outfit your grill station with everything you need for a great grilling experience. 6. Lighten up. When you’re having a great time outdoors, who wants to go inside just because it’s dark? Add some lighting to your outdoor living space to crea finish in order to enhance the look of your deck. Which is pretty easy considering western red cedar is pitch and resinfree; and therefore, accepts and holds a wide range of finishes. But for the lowest maintenance option possible, you can just let your deck weather naturally, and it will take on a rich silvered hue over time.

Myth No. 3 – Wood’s beauty can be easily duplicated

ble, long-lasting Western Red Cedar deck is considerably less expensive than a synthetic deck. And since composite manufacturers try really hard to mimic wood’s natural beauty with faux grain etc., it begs the question why pay more for a knock-off? Moreover, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report, wood decks retain more of their value than composites when it comes time to sell. So a naturally beautiful cedar deck is a better investment all round.

Myth No. 2 – Wood needs too much maintenance

Of course there is no such thing as “no maintenance.” But naturally rot-resistant woods such as western red cedar require less maintenance than you may think. True, you’ll need to remove grime from the surface and between boards from time to time, as well as give your wood deck a thorough cleaning as needed, but that’s about it. You may also choose to add

Wrong. Multiple national studies show that wood remains the top choice for deck building. Why? Its natural beauty just can’t be beat. Nothing looks, feels or smells like real cedar – although composite manufacturers continue trying in vain to duplicate the look of natural wood grains.

Myth No. 4 - Composites are just as ecofriendly as wood

Wood is the only building material that is 100 percent renewable and sustainable. Furthermore, untreated wood can be recycled at the end of

ate ambiance and allow you to enjoy your patio long after the sun goes down. You can invest in hardwired patio or deck lights, go eco-friendly and easy with solar lights, or choose from an array of batterypowered or candle-fired lanterns. 7. Use decor to create a theme. Just as your home’s interior has a design theme, choosing a theme for your patio or deck can pull the look together. Whether your taste is Boho Chic, Tribal or Weekend Getaway, you can find decor items that underscore the theme. Wall decorations, outdoor rugs, decorative planters and flower pots, wind chimes and statuary all work together to create a look you’ll love throughout the spring and summer. its service life. By comparison, composite decking – even planks made from recycled materials – can’t be reused in any way after the deck’s service life is done. In addition, wood actually improves air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and emitting oxygen. That’s because when a tree is harvested, it traps carbon dioxide in its cells, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Myth No. 5 - Wood is depleting forestland

Not true. Real cedar is harvested from the most sustainably managed forests in the world. In fact, more evergreen trees are growing in North America now than there were over 100 years ago. As you gain knowledge about deck building options, you’ll learn more about why wood is a top choice for decks. For example, did you know that in addition to being rot, decay and insect resistant, cedar remains cool underfoot, unlike composites, which can get unbearably hot during the summer months?

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Saturday, MAY 14, 2016

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