Build & Bloom April 2014

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There’s just something about the start of the spring season that is inspiring.

Who doesn’t want to get out and work in the yard or start tackling those projects around the house that it was just too cold to care about?

Let’s face it, everyone can get even a small case of spring cleaning fever, even those who confess that a little bit of dust here and there doesn’t really bother them.

It’s a good time to wash the windows, wash and iron the curtains, vacuum and sweep in the corners and clean out the closets.

And of course, everyone can use a little help and words of inspiration to get started tackling those projects. Just about everyone who responded said that they use vinegar and water as a cleaner for the windows and newspapers as the “towel.”

Following are some helpful hints: _______ Polly Brooks Part of our spring cleaning ritual is going through our clothes, getting rid of items we don’t want or didn’t wear during the last few months, and storing seasonal items.

This year, we switched our closets to spring mode on Saturday, March 1 ... the day before the coldest day of the year!

Yep, we packed up all those heavy sweaters and jackets only to FREEZE the next day! _______ Kay Stech Spring always brings a new beginning and I like to have my house cleaned top to bottom. It just makes me feel good when everything is done.

I do my normal cleaning of the house but then I do a few extra items.

The wood stove must be completely cleaned out (this is one of the many items on my husband’s honey-do list); the walls and cabinets are wiped down.

I have wood cabinets and they get a good oil coat on them. I like to have my windows cleaned inside and out.

The house gets a cleaning with the power wash.

I like the flower beds to be cleaned out and we begin planting a few plants.

I did not get my mom’s

green thumb, so everything typically has to be replanted each spring.

I then move to the storage rooms, although I have to admit they are last on the list and sometimes I don’t get this done.

Once everything’s done, then I feel like I can enjoy my summer. ______ Lorrie Hess To this day, I don’t consider spring a better time for cleaning than any other time; however, when the mood strikes, I clean with gusto.

Everything is taken out of drawers and closets, sorted, thrown out or fixed and reorganized — just like when we used to pack up and move.

In fact, my spring cleaning looks a lot like moving. Everything is out of its place, with boxes and bags nearby for sorting, stor-

ing and throwing away. It actually looks a lot worse before it becomes good again. _______ Shea Nebgen My spring cleaning involves my kids’ closets.

Each spring we will try on last year’s clothes and see what fits and doesn’t fit. This helps me take stock of what we need to purchase in the way of shorts, shirts, shoes and swimwear. _______ Anne Weinheimer I guess I don’t “plan” my spring cleaning. Spring puts me in the “mood” to clean up and clean out.

I focus on our WINDOWS. It makes me feel so good to have them freshly done.

I also love to have my daughter come over and help me with my closet. She is SO honest with me about some of the things I hang

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Honey-Do List

Wooden deck •Look for nails which have worked their way out and caused loose boards (screws or ring-shank nails work best).

•Check railings for loose areas.

•Use a pressure washer to get rid of moss and mold.

Air conditioner • Clear outdoor unit of leaves and debris with a power blower.

• Vacuum or change the filter inside the home for better air flow.

Gutters • Clear out leaves and debris and check for corrosion and joint separation.

Trees • Inspect for broken or dead branches and trim as needed.

Pavement • Inspect cracked pavement and patch or fill with materials from a home center.

• Brush sand into joints to help keep out weeds.

Lawn • Sharpen dull mower blades.

• Check sprinkler system for

C

leaky valves and broken or misdirected sprinkler heads.

Fridge • How will your beer stay cold with an improperly working refrigerator? Check door seals, making sure they are air tight. Vacuum coils to make sure the fridge is working properly. (Man tip: A fully stocked refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.)

Vents • Make sure animals have not built nests in your vents. Check the attic to make sure the bath fan, dryer or range hood have not become disconnected.

Safety • Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, replacing batteries as needed, as well as the pressure in your fire extinguisher.

Windows • Yeah, you do windows. Give them a good cleaning so you can see the new flowers and spring growth.

For issues like roof work and foundation work, you’re going to want to call a professional.

on to.

I love to clean out a drawer or cabinet when I have an extra few minutes, so I keep things like that pretty tidy.

Now the yard … I have a friend helping come up with a manageable plan for our yard. That will be our focus this spring. _______ Natalie Bowman Being a teacher, spring cleaning comes at times of the year that I have a break of a week or more, so Christmas holidays, spring break, and summer break are prime times for spring cleaning.

I try to target different areas of my house.

My closet is always on the top of the list. I try to go through clothing and discard or donate anything I haven’t worn in the last year. It’s great to do that

at the end of the season because then you don’t get sentimental about getting rid of something (example a sweater when it is 80 degrees outside).

I pull everything out of cabinets in my bathroom and kitchen, throw away what I don’t need or what has expired, and rearrange everything neatly.

Lately, my choice of cleaning solution has been Pine-Sol. Everything smells so fresh after you use it, so I use it in my home and in my bed and breakfast units. _______ Ann Duecker I take down and wash the curtains in the house and hang them on the line outside to dry to have that fresh smell.

Clean out closets, drawers and either donate Cont. on page 6

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Spring cleaning unwanted items to charity and/or have a garage sale.

Then, reorganize the items in the category or set of items they belong to, i.e. dishes, linens, tablecloths, etc.

For the outside, we clean the weeds, grass and old plants out of flower/vegetable gardens and prep the soil with fertilizer and compost for new plants.

We may even redo the shape of the garden bed.

I sweep, mop and scrub the floors in the house since we have tile flooring.

I use just regular dish soap, a rag and a soft brush for those harder to clean spots in the tile.

For mopping the tile floors, I use a bucket with warm water and regular dish soap and scrub the floors and then go back over them with just warm

water to wipe any soap residue left on the floor.

For the antique furniture, especially, we use Solid Gold, liquid or spray, to help preserve and clean the natural wood. Also use it on regular furniture and/ or Pledge. _______ Valerie Remschel Well, I basically think about it, and it never really gets done. I have every intention of using my “Spring Break” time to clean windows, clean closets, etc. but I usually end up finding many other FUN things to do like riding bikes, driving down to the beach, or going to the movies.

I usually manage to get some yard work in though.

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Cont. from page 5

some.

•Cleaning out the garage, getting the pool cleaned out and the flower beds ready to plant new flowers. Oh, we also clean out tub drains and light fixtures that have captured scorpions.

•I have found that straight vinegar works great on calcium build-up on most everything. I have vinegar in a spray bottle and use it on indoor sink faucets, water residue from the tray from the refrigerator ice maker and water dispenser. _______ Cindy Kunz I have no “secrets” on the subject of spring cleaning, but one of the things that I really like is Dawn dishwashing detergent. A few drops in a bucket of

Spring recycling Instead of just throwing away unnecessary items or stacks of newspaper, home owners doing a little bit of spring cleaning should consider taking advantage of the free recycling service offered by the City of Fredericksburg.

The Fredericksburg Recycling Center, located at 302 East Ufer Street, is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. as well as Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon.

The center accepts plastics #1 and #2, newspapers, computer paper, magazines, phone books, aluminum cans, tin cans, corrugated cardboard, certain non-corrugated cardboard and grass clippings.

According to City Communications Manager Juli Bahlinger, each person generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day, which amounts to 1.5 tons a year.

Of that, 75 percent is recyclable, though on average only 30 percent is recycled.

The city is also examining the possibility of offering curbside recycling services to residents and businesses, but a decision on implementing the program will not be made before this summer.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

warm water cleans almost anything in your house. I wipe down everything from woodwork to blinds to furniture. I always use a microfiber rag when I wipe down stuff.

I’ve tried to get away from a lot of hard chemicals in the house.

I only use a steam mop on my floors, no streaking compared to chemicals.

And on my outside furniture, grills, etc., Krud Kutter cleans just about anything. _______ Cathy Collier I want to run and hide even at the mention of the term “spring cleaning” because it somehow sounds like some kind of dictate from that great House Cleaning God In The Sky. But on further reflection, I realized that “spring cleaning” is something that comes over me periodically throughout the year.

For me, there is usually some kind of motivating factor — company is coming, the Standard’s Relay for Life team or a church group is having a garage sale, or I’ve purchased something new and I’m looking for space to store it.

Spring cleaning, to me, also means

cleaning out flower beds and, for Terry, getting the garden ready for another round.

Last year we never really got around to replenishing the mulch in the flower beds so this year we got an early start.

Mulch is the number one best way to keep moisture in the beds and weeds out. It’s well worth the time and effort.

I read a tip about cleaning your shower head by putting white vinegar in a plastic bag and wrapping it around your shower head overnight. That worked well.

This isn’t a particular spring cleaning tip, but I also like to throw the brushes I use on dishes into the dishwasher with a regular cycle to clean them up.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

New looks

(from the oldest decorating trick in the book)

By Lisa Treiber-Walter For ages, there’s been a decorating trick that people have relied on to help their homes withstand any fast-arriving and leaving fad — repurposing.

Admittedly, it takes a certain knack and imagination, but taking items and using them for something wildly different than their original intent has kept homes in envy-worthy states.

Whether it’s as simple as finding a beaten up rustic ladder AN OLD colander (right) makes an attractive table accent for Ann Duecker, while an old ladder (below) showcases family photos for Kelsey Robison.

and cleverly transforming it into a shelf to hold family treasures or using Grandma’s old white ceramic colander and turning it into a table centerpiece laden with decorative pieces, repurposing can create interesting looks and immediate conversation pieces.

Getting fresh looks out of old items is a design-on-a-dime decorator’s inexpensive solution, as well as the answer to those who have sentimental attachments to items that have been replaced by newer, more efficient models.

There are complete websites dedicated to crafting items out of wooden shipping pallets (which are often free at the back of warehouses to

PALLETS, as repurposed by Levi Robison, make this beautiful entry way table for his family’s home.

anyone willing to cart them away.)

From tables to backyard swings to indoor garden centers and more, pallets are an endless supply of decorating ideas.

There’s also just as many sites dedicated to what one can do with old doors and old window panes, turning them into everything from tables to picture frames.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

• Use an old television cabinet and turn it into a play kitchen for toddlers or even an unusual aquarium.

• Use glass telephone pole insulators as candle holders.

• Make cutting boards in various sizes out of old granite or formica countertops.

• Make planters out of just about anything that can hold dirt, such as old metal coffee pots, old wash basins, and even bicycle baskets still attached to that old town cruiser (yes, we’ve seen one or two of these in Fredericksburg in yards,) etc.

• Use the base of an old, woodburning stove, add upholstery and cushion and, wahlah … there’s a new ottoman.

• Use old sheets or curtains and cut them up into new, patterned kitchen towels and cleaning rags.

• Used pantyhose serve as gentle ties to hold garden plants in place.

• Deer antlers can make highlyvisible, highly-recognizable key A FORGOTTEN CHAIR and chain ends or even key chain and wash basin now give an old- other item holders as a rack on the garage or by the door most often fashioned feel to landscaping.

— cheap, self-contained solar lights placed in old chandelier fixtures hung from trees around the yard serve three purposes: to provide functional lighting so no one steps on prized azaleas, to offer unique scenery and to provide conversation “ice breakers.”

As some of the best ideas are borrowed ideas, the following are a few repurposing suggestions from others:

Let

passed on the way out of the home.

• Perishable coffee grounds and egg shells are often crushed and added to gardens because “green thumbs” know their value.

Egg shells proAN IMPRESSIVE RACK — Antlers give a ‘manly vide calcium, touch’ as it serves as a functional rack for tools. which is important for fast-growhighly-unusual couches out of ing plants. Coffee grounds contain things like a bed frame or a clawa 20 to 1 ratio of carbon to nitro- footed bathtub sawed in half. gen, which makes them ideal for • Removing drawers from an growing plants. older dresser and replacing them • Old end tables can be easily with various sizes, shapes and coltransformed into cute dog beds by ors of suitcases can create an intereither turning them upside down esting look. and adding cushions or, if they are • Old cake tins can be punched the enclosed kind, removing one through in the middle and fastened or two panels and adding cushions to a rod for a tiered cookie, cupin fun fabrics to the inside. Or, for cake or incoming/outgoing mail the more adventurous, convert a stand. wine barrel into a retreat for an • Hollow out that old world globe inside pet. from Grandpa’s study and convert • Some people have made some Cont. on page 10

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

New Looks

Cont. from page 9

handy wine glass holder when fastened to the wall.

• Got a junk draw filled with keys to locks no longer owned? Bend keys (or old wrenches) and nail them to an old board or driftwood to make a key (or tool) rack.

• Tie keys or mismatched silverware pieces at various lengths and top with something decorative to make a wind chime that’ll add eyeappeal to any backyard patio or scenario.

• Throwing away some old books that no one wants anymore or that aren’t in good enough shape to donate? Strip off the spines, but leave them covered, add a tassle or other clever end to make recycled, and yet interesting, bookmarks for future reads.

• Old coffee cans have been making their way into garages as nail and screw containers for years. Paint them and keep them in the kitchen as inexpensive canisters. Or, let imaginations run wild and decorate

one for the guest bath as a spare toilet paper roll holder.

• Spokes on an old bicycle wheel are a natural fit when turned into a clock. Kits found in any hobby store can make a clock of just about anything.

• Use a junked out old locker for a kid’s toy closet in a bedroom.

• Bundle empty plastic water bottles and tape them together, covering the tape with ribbon to make unique flower bouquet holders.

• Transform old skateboards or surfboards (or even kneeboards or skis) into a small-sized table with big-sized fun for children.

• Turn old boilers or fashionable hats into lamps or hanging light fixtures (so long as care is taken not to get flammable fabrics near hot bulbs.)

• Turn an old mirror into a chalkboard and position it in the kitchen or family room for messages (necessary and “just because”.)

• Save used Pringles cans, decorate them in holiday themes, then use them to gift homemade cookies to teachers and friends.

• Into candle making? Get a kit at a hobby store and turn Great Aunt Mae’s teacup into a decorative candle (with no chance of spilling hot wax, thanks to the matching saucer!)

• Rather than buy expensive refills for a Swiffer duster, use clean, but old, fuzzy RECYCLED magazines, rolled up and socks. organized, make for eye-catching frames.

• “Up-cycle” an old crib

Mason jars = possibilities - Use to store cupcake liners.

Mason jars … the possibilities - Turn them into “memory jars.” there go miles beyond preserves, Each time the family takes a trip, coljams and jellies.

- Line the inside with favorite scrapbook paper or crumpled up tissue paper, then put in flameless candles and place the lids back on for pretty, soft-toned night lights for overnight guests or table décor for a wedding reception. Or, line sidewalks with them or hang them randomly from trees for awesome touches to an outdoor, evening party.

- Cut a small hole in the lid and use it as a no-tangle yarn or twine dispenser.

lect small mementos and place them in the jar or use them to decorate the jar, then label each one with the date and location before keeping them together on a shelf.

- Easily convert them into soap dispensers.

- Use the lid as a pattern, cut out a round of sandpaper, glue it grit-side up to the lid, then place matches inside the jar for a handy, waterproof dispenser complete with striking pad.

into an entry-way bench. Or, if the kids are still young then upcycle the crib into an art station.

• Got an old suitcase that’s too tired to take on any more miles?

Split it in half and use it for two, open-topped storage bins for under the bed.

• Look up origami online and learn to fold actual money into unique gifts instead of buying ordinary gift cards.

• Clean out baby food jars, add ribbons and hang them in windows for pretty, albeit miniature, flower holders.

• Finished with a wrapping paper roll? Slit the used inside cardboard roll lengthwise and wrap it around another roll to keep things contained without having to use pattern-marring tape.

• Use a plastic shoe holder and hang it on the back of the utility room door to store bottles of various types of cleaners. The organization of having things visible and on-hand will astound.

• Got a cool frame but tired of the old graduation or prom picture in

A BUTCHER PAPER spool from yesteryear now makes for a conversation piece for Kim Jung’s table. it? Place a page of scrapbook paper under the glass, tilt the frame and use it as a vanity tray. It’s a good way to tie in a room’s color scheme.

• Convert an old wooden sewing table into an outdoor party drink station. Or, turn an old refrigerator on its side and also use it as a cooler.

• Use an old bird cage to contain paper cups and plates from flying away at an outside affair.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Quarter-acre gardening Schmidt takes love of planting to new level

By Yvonne Hartmann

IT’S TIME to start planting, and Vicki Schmidt gets her tiller out so she can till the soil before planting a variety of vegetables in her quarter-acre garden. — Standard-Radio Post photo

Some people garden for fun, others for the challenge of making things grow while others want to enjoy the benefits of a bountiful harvest.

For Vicki Schmidt, a vegetable garden is all that and more.

Schmidt has been planting a garden almost every year since she married her husband, Dorman, over 40 years ago.

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dener,” Schmidt said. “We always said she could stick a clothespin in the ground and it would grow. I guess I inherited her love for gardening.”

Time to plant And now that spring is here, Schmidt is more likely to be outside working in her quarter-acre garden rather than staying in the house.

To get the garden ready for spring planting, Schmidt adds composted manure before she tills the garden for the first time.

“I garden organically,” she said. “I don’t use pesticides and I try to use composted manure as a fertilizer.”

So far, she has gotten the onions in the ground and over the weekend she tilled the rest of the garden and

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Build&Bloom

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

got the potatoes in the ground.

“We missed the St. Patrick’s Day planting date, but we are still in the decreasing moon stage,” Schmidt said.

It’s a joke among her friends about the size of her garden, which this year may get even bigger if her future sonin-law, Chad Miller, has a say.

He has big plans for the garden.

“He always planted a garden with his grandfather and wants to start gardening again. I believe we might be truck farming this year if he has his way,” she said.

She added, “I may have to reign him in a bit after the onion fiasco.”

The “fiasco” she is referring to is the hundreds of onion plants that Miller convinced her they needed to plant.

Over the coming weeks as the temperatures begin to warm, Schmidt will also be planting green beans, radishes, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini squash, okra, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Her favorite vegetables to plant are green beans, potatoes and corn and “I love the smell of the tomato bushes.”

On the other hand, Schmidt confesses that she has no luck with heirloom tomatoes. “They seem to look

In addition, she uses soaker hoses to water.

During the summer, Schmidt says she works where she has shade, saying, “I try not to go out in the direct sun too much. I like working in the evenings.”

THE SHELVES in Vicki Schmidt’s pantry are lined with canned vegetables from her garden. Along with the green beans, corn, okra and more that she cans, she also makes homemade ketchup, salsas and more. — Standard-Radio Post photo

at me and say, ‘Nope, I’m not going to grow,’” she said.

Once the plants and seeds are in the ground, Schmidt has a small tiller that she uses to till between the rows. “I try to use hay mulch or shredded paper to keep the weeds down during the rest of the season,” she said.

Secret to success Schmidt explains that she normally just plants a spring/summer garden, because by the time everything is finished producing she is ready for a break.

She said that Terry Neans, the local Gillespie County Farm Bureau representative, has sent her a planting/fishing calendar for years “which I love.”

Between that and the Farmer’s Almanac, she knows which are the best days for planting.

“And yes, I plant by the moon for which I get teased mercilessly,” Schmidt said. “Above ground crops on an increasing moon and below ground crops on a decreasing moon.”

Schmidt said that she also relies on advice she got from Chester Langerhans years ago on how to plant tomatoes.

Cont. on page 16

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Keeping water flow in check

By Matt Ward With the summer months fast approaching and water bills expected to rise, local homeowners can be proactive about protecting both their landscape and their pocketbook by reviewing the City of Fredericksburg’s water rationing policies, which are expected to be updated this month.

In the new regulations, watering hours will be reduced in the first four stages, while stage five will continue to allow no outdoor watering.

Currently in Stages 1-4, customers are allowed to water from midnight to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to midnight on their designated days. Changes to the watering restrictions would see these hours cut in half, with watering times set from 5-9 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. Stage 4 conditions would only allow nighttime watering.

The proposed water regulation ordinance is designed to add flexibility to the watering schedule allowing watering with a handheld hose, bucket or drip irrigation on any day of the week within the watering hours for each stage of watering restrictions, according to Clinton Bailey, city director of public works and utilities.

“Watering times for conventional sprinkler systems have been reduced in an attempt to conserve water by discouraging ‘over-watering’ and encouraging residents and commercial businesses to consider the installation of more efficient irrigation systems such as drip irrigation,” Bailey said. “Most automated sprinkler systems can easily be adjusted to isolate zones of drip irrigated areas such as flowerbeds and gardens from the grassy areas, enabling the customer to concentrate conventional ‘water intensive’ surface irrigation into a shorter amount of time.”

The ordinance would also allow the washing of vehicles on weekends in residential areas through Stage 4.

PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION to the City of Fredericksburg’s watering restrictions can help keep sprinklers from ineffective and/or wasteful water usage, especially in drought conditions.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

As a result of the increased demand and cost for water, Bailey said residents have turned to alternate landscaping methods to help lessen the burden of recent drought conditions.

“The city is beginning to see more water customers installing both xeriscaping and drip irrigation,” he said. “It is very evident by taking a quick drive around town, especially in the newly developed areas that xeriscaping is a water conservation technique that is fairly widespread and can actually be quite attractive as an alternative to turf grass.”

By allowing handheld, bucket and drip irrigation in Stage 4, residents will be able to water on any day of the week (including weekends) during the proposed hours of 7-11 p.m.

“Regarding water levels, at this critical stage of drought, city staff feels that the 75 percent reduction in watering time (16 hours to 4 hours) for conventional surface irrigation will more than offset the water used by allowing watering with a handheld hose, bucket or drip irrigation,” Bailey said.

City staff has encouraged residents and commercial businesses to familiarize themselves with the requirements of the new ordinance, which is available for review online at www.fbgtx.org, and contact staff if they have any questions.

“As good stewards of our water supply, I encourage residents to contact a landscape professional for advice on how much water

their particular landscape may need, consider installing more efficient drip irrigation systems for flowerbeds and gardens and install an automated sprinkler/ drip irrigation system that is easy to set to each stage of the city’s watering restrictions,” Bailey said.

Over the course of the year, the city will be working on the development of water conservation information that will be distributed to its water customers.

Additionally, the city is considering hosting workshops regarding installation of drip irrigation and managing landscapes during times of drought.

The proposed watering regulations will also change how the city moves between stages in water conservation.

While the city manager has and would retain the ability to change stages as needed, city staff have proposed moving to the Local Drought Index, which is calculated by the Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District.

The index is calculated weekly based on four drought sensitive parameters — daily average water levels from two Ellenburger aquifer wells, average daily flow of the Pedernales River, prior 10-month cumulative rainfall recorded at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park and the Palmer Drought Index.

Additional information about the Local Drought Index is available online at www.hcuwcd.org/ localdroughtindex.htm.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Quarter-acre gardening Schmidt said to dig a hole, fill the bottom with composted manure and put a layer of dirt over that. Pull all the leaves off the plant except for the uppermost ones. Plant the tomatoes up to those remaining leaves.

“The stem portion that is in the ground draws more roots to pull more water and nutrients from the soil and makes for a Ready to plant? much sturInterested in planting dier plant,” fruits and vegetables she said. “You but don’t where to get don’t have to started? Texas A&M add fertilizer AgriLife Extension Serthroughout vice Gillespie County is the season a good place to start. because it They have brochures is already and pamphlets coverthere.” ing a variety of topics, She added, including a planting “Most years I guide, recommended have tomato vegetable varieties plants that and tips for container are as tall or gardening. In addition, the Gillespie County taller than I Extension Agents are am.” Schmidt also available to answer is 5’4”. any questions that an In addition, individual may have.

Schmidt says she plants peppers the same way as tomatoes.

However, she takes a book of paper matches and puts them in the hole under the dirt before putting in the pepper plant.

Also, she said, “Mr. Eckhardt at Farmer’s Grain said to sprinkle stock salt in the garden if you have nematodes. It seemed to work for me.”

She also subscribes to two magazines, Organic Gardening and Texas Gardener that contain lots of good

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information on gardening.

In addition, she has several gardening books and reads lots of articles that she comes across.

For those thinking about gardening, Schmidt said to start small to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Site selection and soil preparation are very important, she said, adding to avoid working the soil when it is wet.

The rewards Thanks to Schmidt’s garden, her family, which also includes children Eugene and his wife, Leslie, Megan, Chenoa and Alexis, eats fresh vegetables every day during the growing season.

She also shares her harvest with friends and family, and cans the rest.

“I know that the vegetables I grow probably cost more to grow than what they cost in the store, but homegrown vegetables taste so much better,” she said.

“Planting a seed and watching it grow never ceases to amaze me,” Schmidt said. “People say there isn’t a God. Oh my gosh. Sit still and observe things around you. How can you not believe?”

While her family may enjoy the fruits of her labors, they don’t share Schmidt’s passion for gardening.

“My family pretty much has an aversion to the garden,” she said. “If I am in the garden, they are afraid to come out for fear I might ask them to help.”

She said, “However, I realize that gardening is not everyone’s passion.”

Along with the obvious benefits of a table and pantry filled with homegrown vegetables, Schmidt said that

Cont. from page 13

gardening is a stress reliever for her.

“If I have a headache, it seems to disappear after I have been in the garden for a while,” Schmidt said. “I love to see the results of my labor sitting in the cabinet in jars.”

“I know gardening and its results are a lot of work, but it is work that I enjoy,” she said. “I get to be outside.”

“I love the sounds of spring and summer when I’m in the garden,” Schmidt said. “You hear a whole set of different sounds after dark and the stars are just fantastic.”

Schmidt has asked her electrician husband to install lights at the corner of the garden but he won’t do it because according to him, “I won’t ever come in if I have lights.”

That hasn’t stopped Schmidt, though.

“The husband of a very good friend of mine gave me a little headlight to use after dark, which I have used if I’m in part of the garden that doesn’t get the light from the outside lights on the house,” she smiled.

In the future While Schmidt enjoys working in her vegetable garden, she would like to add an area for fruit trees such as apple, peach, pear, apricot and plum.

She would also like to add blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and maybe some grapes.

In addition, she said she would like to put in permanent asparagus and strawberry beds.

“I want to start planting flowers in the garden, too,” Schmidt said, adding, “so many things, so little time.”

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Is a ‘Smart Thermostat’ for you?

New devices let you control home settings while you are away.

Smart meters.

They’re still relatively new, but they are quickly changing the way homeowners control their indoor environment.

From his or her phone, persons can now control the temperature, locks, lights and more. But, of course, these homeowners pay for this convenience.

Lisa Crenwelge, a second-generation owner and operator (with brother Chris) of Hill Country Refrigeration, said her company has installed several of these units.

She said the family air-conditioning and heating company is seeing more interest in them.

“The most obvious benefit is that consumers can remotely control their units,” Crenwelge said. “If you leave your A/C running while you’re away, a smart-phone app will let you adjust the temperature from anywhere, or turn the unit off.”

Eventually, smart metering also may assist true market pricing for consumers when usage can be monitored. If a homeowner

uses less energy, he may get a better price than an energy hog.

And in the bigger picture, it may mean an end to estimated bills, a constant complaint of consumers, who often sign contracts for a set rate no matter how much energy they end up using.

Crenwelge said her company, which is a Trane dealer, uses the Nexia Home Intelligence system for customers who request smart thermostats with their Trane A/C system.

Nexia comes with a monthly subscription fee of $9.99, but it lets users monitor and control many other functions, such as activity or motion, door access, tamper alerts, low battery reminders and even furnace filter change reminders. It works with Trane, GE, Schlage, American Standard and Leviton products.

And that system’s web app, as with others, can be used to program thermostat adjustments, use motion sensors, turn off lights and more.

But privacy concerns have surfaced with Google’s acquisition of Nest, the most popular smart meter. As it does with one’s browser search history, Google may use electricity use to market products to its users or share information with the government.

Cost may also be a factor, as the new smart meters initially cost more than traditional ones and may come with an annual $30 to $50 charge. But a selling point is that the investment will be made up with energy use savings.

So, even though smart meters are just coming into use, their potential is exciting.

DID YOU KNOW….?

The term “smart meter” often refers to electricity meters, but the term can be applied to natural gas or water meters. In fact, the City of Fredericksburg recently installed smart meters on its water connections to monitor use in hopes of encouraging conservation.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Why landscape with native plants?

By Raeann Reid The reasons to landscape with natives are many! In addition to being beautiful, native plants require less water than nonnatives, attract and sustain local wildlife, require little or no soil amendment, are natural to their ecosystem and help to maintain biological diversity.

Choose a mixture of native plants based on their seasonal interest and your landscape can be beautiful all year.

Natives are showy when leafed out or covered in flowers, but even when the stems and branches are bare or decorated only with berries or seed heads, they are architecturally beautiful in the landscape.

Water conservation is important to all of us in the Texas Hill Country because of the drought conditions and current low levels of surface and groundwater. Watering restrictions may become more severe in the future, so native plants are the best choice for our landscapes.

Native plants provide cover, nesting, and shelter for local wildlife. Nectar, berries, seeds, leaves and grasses provide food for mammals, birds and insects and many plants are larval hosts for butterflies and moths.

The soils in the Hill Country are shallow and most drain poorly. You can amend the soil to grow a non-native plant. The plant might look good for a while, but eventually, the native soils surrounding the amended area will affect the plant negatively. Native plants have adapted to the Hill Country environment to enable them to survive here with minimal help from humans.

When planning your landscape,

Fall aster adds beautiful color in autumn.

consider your environment and the look you want to achieve. Choose plants that are suited to the soil and sun exposure of the area you are planting. Be sure you can provide water to the plants to get them established and ongoing, as needed.

Consider the plant size at maturity (height and spread), keeping in mind that native plants grow best when given room to breathe. Choose native plants to attract birds, bees and butterflies. Decide if you want to limit the color palette or mix it up and try to use a variety of natives whose seasonal interest are at different times of

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the year. Then there is deer resistance.

Remember, no plant is deer proof, but many will entice deer only when there is nothing else available to eat.

Do not plant and ignore your natives.

Native plants grow and propagate in nature with no human care, but planted natives will need additional water until established. Natives in landscapes do require some maintenance to look their best. Most, with the exception of some native grasses, require annual care: pruning to shape and/or remove dead branches or woody stems or cutting back almost to the ground in late winter. Some require deadheading or cutting back during the blooming season to extend the bloom period. They do well without soil amendment, but some thrive with natural fertilizers.

Many resources are available to help you select and maintain the right natives for your landscape – books and websites specific to the Hill Country, local nurserypersons, Master Gardeners, Texas A&M AgriLife agents and your local chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT).

For more information about how NPSOT can help you with your selections, attend meetings January through October, the fourth Tuesday of the month. NPSOT also offers a free, two-hour native plant consultation to homeowners. An NPSOT member comes to your home and advises which native plants will do well in your landscape. Contact Kathy Lyles, Fredericksburg Chapter president, at 830-997-0724 or klyles@beecreek. net, with questions or to schedule a consultation.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Best TEXAS natives Our favorite shrubs, trees and perennials.

SHRUBS White Mistflower Ageratina havanensis Mistflower makes a showy fall plant prized for clusters of small white flowers; its fragrance attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, moths and bees. When not blooming, it makes an attractive shrub with cascading branches of small shiny leaves. Heavy pruning in the winter will promote a denser shape and more flowers the following year, since the long-lasting blooms appear only on new wood; deciduous.

Esperanza or Yellow Bells Tecoma stans Spectacular, heat-tolerant plant with striking masses of golden yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers and attractive shiny green foliage; highly pest resistant. Remove seed pods as they develop to maximize blooming; cut back and mulch

during winter; not always winterhardy; some report that it is deerresistant, others report it is not; ‘Gold Star’ variety selected as a “Texas Super Star” plant by Texas A&M AgriLife.

TREES Texas Redbud Cercis canadensis var. texensis Pinkish purple flowers; large shiny leaves; prune for shape only or to raise canopy; most commonly multi-trunked; high heat tolerance; deciduous.

Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora Densely flowered racemes of lavender to violet flowers that attract bees; strong grape bubble gum fragrance; propagate from seed; poisonous seeds; occasional caterpillar problem; slow grower; prune for shape only or to raise canopy; deer resistant; evergreen.

PERENNIALS Gregg’s Mistflower Conoclinium greggii Attracts butterflies in great numbers; can be invasive, but easily divided and shared; keep con- Esperanza, or Yellow Bells. tained if necessary; perennial.

Fall Aster Aster oblongifolium Attracts butterflies; deer-resistant; spectacular while in bloom; perennial; freezes back; cut back in winter Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium leucanthum Attracts butterflies; good for rock gardens; very high heat tolerance; small daisy-like blooms; selfsows; deer resistant; prune back if leggy; perennial; evergreen.

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Texas Redbud.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

A ‘miracle’ around the house

60

Common & not-so-common uses for baking soda

It’s been said that inexpensive baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate) is a miracle compound for around-thehouse uses.

Remember the days when Mom would put an opened box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors?

Or, carefully leveling out an even teaspoon into the dry mix bowl while making chocolate chip cookies?

Believe it or not, the ancient Egyptians used natural deposits of natron, a mixture consisting mostly of sodium carbonate decahydrate, and sodium bicarbonate as a cleansing agent like soap.

In 1846, New York bakers John Dwight and Austin Church established the first factory to develop baking soda from sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide.

Nowadays, there’s plenty of uses that have been discovered for baking soda — from using it for “sodablasting” to remove paint and corrosion from aluminum panels to raising pH

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levels in pools and spas to placing it among old, used books to reduce their musty smells.

It is not a disinfectant, but may be an effective fungicide against some organisms.

Here are other uses for baking soda (although there’s countless others!):

1. Mix a half teaspoon with peroxide and use it as toothpaste.

2. Apply with a powder puff to underarms as a deoderant.

3. Add a cup to bathwater for soft skin or to relieve skin irritations. Also relieves diaper rash with two tablespoons in baby’s bathwater.

4. Use it as face and body scrub.

5. Remove onion smell by rubbing hands with baking soda and water.

6. Reduce insect stings/bites and sunburn pain with a baking soda/water paste — a must for camping trips!

7. Mixed with water, it can be used as an antacid to treat indigestion and heartburn.

8. Unblock stopped up noses by adding a teaspoon to a vaporizer.

9. Freshen breath by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with water.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

10. Use it to relieve windburn.

11. Apply to jellyfish sting to draw out venom.

12. Keep cut flowers lasting longer with a teaspoon added to vase water.

13. Sprinkle it on ashtrays to reduce bad odor.

14. Foot odor? Sprinkle baking soda in shoes and socks to eliminate foul smells.

15. Wipe windshields with it to repel rain.

16. Sprinkle on rugs or carpets and suck it up to remove odors.

17. Improve the smell of household dishrags by soaking them in a solution of baking soda and water.

18. Ready for fun? Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and ¼ cups of water and 1 cup of cornstarch.

19. Extinguish small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothes, etc. by sprinkling on baking soda.

20. Freshen up the air by mixing baking soda with favorite perfumed bath salts and then put the mixture in sachet bags.

21. Sprinkle it onto cat’s litter box to cut down on smell.

22. Deodorize a pet’s fur and

skin by sprinkling baking soda onto comb before grooming.

23. Sweeten tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on soil.

24. Put baking soda under sinks and along window edges to repel cockroaches, ants and other insect intruders.

25. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of ½ gallon water, ¼ cup vinegar and 1 cup baking soda.

26. Baking soda scattered around flowerbeds prevents rabbits from eating veggies.

27. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

28. Soak dried beans in a baking soda solution to make them more easily digestible.

29. Fluff up omelets by adding a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

30. Remove the “gamey” taste of wildgame meat by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

Also, soak raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour, refrigerated, to remove fishy smell from filets.

31. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt and Kool-Aid.

32. Reduce acid of tomatobased recipes by sprinkling in a pinch of baking soda.

33. Spray baking soda and water on walls, mirrors and countertops for easier cleaning.

34. Since baking soda offers a very mild abrasive, it serves as a good cleanser for scrubbing.

Use it to clean the refrigerator’s shelves.

35. Use it to more easily remove grease from pots/pans.

Also, when doing other dishes by hand, add a spoonful of baking soda to water to make scrubbing easier.

36. Scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs with baking soda mixed with water.

37. Use baking soda to “dry clean” carpets and upholstered furniture. Sprinkle it over the fabric and gently brush it in.

Leave for an hour or overnight, then vacuum up.

38. Toddler run wild? Remove crayon marks and scratches from vinyl floors and walls with a solution of baking soda.

39. A baking soda/water paste is a handy cleaner when polishing stainless steel and chrome.

40. Use a soak, then wash of it to get cleaner, better-smelling cloth diapers. It also boosts laundry detergeant’s cleaning power when sprinkled over clothes in washer before start.

41. Marble-topped counters and furniture need care. Clean with a mixture of three tablespoons baking soda mixed with a quarter of warm water. (For Formica, absorb baking soda into a damp sponge first, then wipe.)

42. Clean coffee maker by running it with a baking soda solution and rinsing.

43. Keep drains running smoothly by putting four tablespoons in them and flushing with hot water weekly.

44. Funky shower curtains can be cleaned by soaking them in baking soda and water.

45. Thermos bottles and containers can absorb the smells of previous contents. Neutralize by cleaning with baking soda.

46. Combine baking soda and hot water to scrub baby bottles clean.

47. Kitchen floors and garage

Cont. on page 22

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Miracle

Cont. from page 21

floors can both get greasy. Scatter baking soda liberally over surfaces, scrub with water and rinse.

48. Get ceramic and other grills in shape by scrubbing with a baking soda solution, then rinsing.

49. Canvas handbags and shoes can pick up mysterious spots easily.

Put baking soda on a small brush and rub those surfaces clean again.

50. Refresh and clean dentures or retainers with baking soda.

51. Get the bread loaf too close to the toaster? Remove melted plastic on the toaster surface by sprinkling baking soda on a damp rag, then clean away!

52. Make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water to formulate a scrub suitable for enameled cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans.

53. The job of cleaning an oven’s interior is made easier by mixing four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water.

54. Battery terminal corrosion can be dissolved and washed away with a solution of baking soda and water.

55. Add some baking soda to shampoo to strip hair and scalp of product build-up. It also helps neutralize oily hair and scalp.

56. A pinch of baking soda in a batch of iced tea keeps it clear and reduces bitterness.

57. Remove skunk smells from a pet with a soak in a baking soda bath.

58. Teeth whiteners can be costly. Use a baking soda mixture when brushing teeth. Smoking and caffeine stains will disappear over time.

59. Dump a little baking soda in the bottom of the kitchen garbage pail prior to putting in the liner bag to freshen up the whole can.

60. Tired after all that? Dissolve three tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Thrifty home improvement When it’s time to buy clothes or household items, some prefer to save money by first visiting area thrift stores. Sometimes, items that are new or nearly new can be bought for a fraction of what they’d sell for at a store.

Others like to use thrift shops to locate hard-to-find items, such as nostalgia items or an out-of-print book.

Some stores, such as St. Vincent de Paul Society, have drop boxes. St. Vincent’s is behind the Gillespie County Law Enforcement Building, facing West San Antonio Street, while the other is at the Golden Hub Community Center on Lincoln.

Goodwill has an office next

door to its store, where people can enter and drop off items to donate.

Others, such as the HCM Thrift Store and The Attic, require items to be simply dropped off at that location.

“People come in and drop their stuff off here Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week, and it’s best to do it first of the week,” said Binky Ragon, who co-owns The Attic with her husband, Mark, and her daughter, Kate. “It helps us with traffic control.”

Whereas some shops sell donated items to support local charities, The Attic is a consignment shop with about 350 consigners. It also rents out rooms to different vendors.

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Helping the needy Dayton Land, manager of HCM Thrift Store, said the store’s donations ultimately benefit the Boys and Girls Club, along with several churches, quilting groups, and area drama departments in town and in Johnson City.

“We also help out the Head Start program by providing them with learning materials for kids,” Land said.

Dottie Duecker, one of the directors of St. Vincent de Paul, said their donations help county residents pay rent, utilities and help out with other needs they might have.

“Most of the money stays in Gillespie County, since a lot of people here need it,” Duecker said. “We do send some to disaster areas like West and Bastrop. We help everybody regardless of race, color or creed.”

At the Hill Country SPCA Resale Store, all the sales benefit the care of the animals at the SPCA.

FRAMED — Taking a close look at a picture frame during a recent visit to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store are (from left) Kari Tidwell and Wendy Ashley. — Standard-Radio Post/Richard Zowie

Donation requirements When it comes to what area stores want in donations, it’s a simple requirement: things that are clean, not broken or torn up and, above all, re-sellable.

“We want things that are in working

condition,” Duecker said. “We don’t repair anything, and prefer to sell something someone will want to buy as is. We accept everything that’s in good condition.”

Lee Miller, Hill Country SPCA Resale Store manager, asks that donations be brought to the back door of the store Monday-Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Clothing or linens with stains, items broken or damaged or major appliances cannot be accepted.

Large items, especially furniture, must be approved prior to donation, as the store does not have the space to take everything.

“Unfortunately, people will leave lesser quality items behind the store after hours, and the store then has to pay to haul these items to the city dump,” Miller said.

“So, money that should go to the animals is being used instead to dispose of someone else’s poor-quality furniture.”

What sells, what’s needed Each store has items that sell well, and sometimes in an area, it’s universal what customers will want.

At The Attic, the Ragons sell a lot of items “off the beaten path” or items that Cont. on page 26

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Thrifty home improvement

Cont. from page 25

are antiques or nostalgic.

“A lot of people are into doing B&B’s in town and look to furnish it in inexpensive ways, and they want things that aren’t garage sale quality but also not antique store quality. They look for a ‘middle man,’ and that’s what we are,” Ragon explained.

She added that jewelry “flies out” of The Attic and is often in demand.

St. Vincent de Paul Society: Land said that at his store, 610 West Live Oak Street; 830clothing and knick knacks 997-3392 sell the best, along with Goodwill: 1420 East Main women’s clothing.

Street, Suite 700; 830-997-9086 Clothing also sells well HCM Thrift Store: 520 Granite at St. Vincent, along with Avenue; 830-997-7688 furniture and household The Attic: 112 North Orange; goods.

830-997-9746 Miller said donations of Hill Country SPCA Resale good quality items maxiStore: 2981 South State Highmize the shelter’s earnings. way 16; 830-990-9085 They accept clothing and accessories like shoes, boots, hats, purses, scarves, belts and ties along with jewelry, house wares, linens, pet supplies, children’s toys, books, home décor, crafts, lighting, patio and garden items, and furniture.

“On a weekly basis, we also group a small assortment of items in our silent auction case for shoppers to bid on,” Miller said.

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is in big demand at his store. Items like that are called “Pick of the Litter.”

“Customers really love the home decor and furniture items we sell because they can beautify their homes at a fraction of the cost,” he added.

Unusual items, things that don’t sell Land said that old antique tools are probably the most unusual items he’s ever seen.

Ragon said they’ve received donations of leather license plates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and they also get a lot of art. One customer bought a four-by-six oil painting for $8 and later found it was worth $800.

“A lot of people will bring in treasures to the store, and it’ll make me sad because it won’t sell and I’ll have to be honest with them,” Ragon said.

She added that since people prefer to eat on plastic or drink from red Solo cups, china doesn’t sell very well.

At SPCA, some unusual items include skis and ski suits.

“The occasional rare book will cross our path and provide a great deal of excitement,” Miller added. “Items worth thousands of dollars take our breath away. However, regardless of dollar value, the amazing quantity and quality of donations given to support our efforts at the store proves how highly this community values the Hill Country SPCA shelter and its effort to save, protect, and adopt out all the homeless animals in our area.”

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

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Build&Bloom

28

A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Rummage, estate sale ins and outs For those who like to pinch pennies and grab bargains, one popular spring and summer activity is visiting rummage sales.

For some, this means garage and yard sales. For others, this means attending an estate sale.

People have different reasons for having these types of sales, and for them, what sells and how to price what sells varies.

And, of course, when having a sale, there are also regulations to follow.

With that, now begins the time when many head to the classifieds section and start circling rummage and estate sales to visit on the weekend.

ORALIA VALLI takes a close look at clothing during a rummage sale sponsored by Zonta to support local scholarship programs. — Standard-Radio Post/Richard Zowie

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exceeding three (3) consecutive days. There is no permit fee for doing the sales.

Code enforcement officer Annette Loth added that one sign is allowed and that the sign must be on the property and not down the street or on a vehicle. The sign also should not contain any moving parts (such as flags). It may not be attached to an entity such as a bench, trash container, fence, utility pole or other objects.

Loth added that she and the police work together to ensure the regulations are being followed.

“We have had several yard sales where someone will buy bulk items from Ebay or Walmart and then sell them for a higher price,” Loth said.

“Garage and yard sales are not for this type of sale. We do stop them. Those normally do end up in court, and the maximum

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Build&Bloom

29

A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

fine is $500.”

Yard, garage sales Whether the goal is to make money or clear out unneeded items, rummage sales can rise or fall depending on what the seller does to be successful. Many advertise in the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post.

Zonta recently had a rummage sale in Fredericksburg.

Barbara MacManus, president of Zonta, said the main thing a sale needs is word of mouth and publicity.

Their rummage sale proceeds raise money for scholarships for area high school students.

Recently, Grace Family Church had its first yard sale at its Industrial Loop location. Lorna Cantu, who was one of the organizers, said it’s important to not overprice items.

“Be reasonable with prices,” she said.

Some rummage sales

are very adamant about “no early birds”, and some will even state that in their advertisement. That doesn’t seem to be the case for the two ladies’ sales.

“We don’t have early bird specials since we open early,” MacManus said.

“Everybody familiar with us knows we’ll be here anytime after 7:30 a.m.”

At some sales, items are tagged individually while others prefer to put everything of the same price on one table. Two dollars for boys’ pants and 50 cents for toddlers’ t-shirts, for example. If it’s a group sale, each item will be individually tagged so they’ll know who is selling it.

What sells well?

“Jewelry, but mostly costume jewelry,” MacManus said. “Also, well-known brands of merchandise, such as Chico’s, those go first.”

“Kids clothes. A lot of people buy them,” Cantu added.

EXCHANGE RATE — Stefan McCoy hands over some cash to Virginia Salinas to complete a transaction. — Standard-Radio Post/Richard Zowie

Then there are the items that sell poorly.

“People think they are great, but they tend to not be good for selling,” MacManus said. “Sometimes, clothes don’t sell well.”

Cantu has found that elec-

tronics can be a tricky sell.

“I think it’s more because [customers] probably think they won’t work,” she said.

“We plug them in and turn them on to show them how well they work.”

Cont. on page 30

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Build&Bloom

30

A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

Rummage, estate sales When it comes to pricing items, some have certain prices they like to give to items that are in good condition.

“I think of how much I’d pay if I were at a yard sale,” Cantu said. “I put myself in their shoes and try to be reasonable with prices.”

Some look at rummage sales as a chance to get rid of items no longer needed. While MacManus said theirs raised scholarship funds, Cantu added that theirs raised money for their church.

For Zonta, leftover merchandise is donated to the Hospice Thrift Shop or to other charity organizations.

Estate sales Whereas rummage sales often are about getting rid of unwanted items and making a modest profit, estate sales tend to be about selling possessions of someone recently deceased or someone needing to sell items to facilitate a move.

Some of the do’s and don’ts are similar, and some are different.

Shawn Umphress for about 15 years had an estate sale business in the area but is currently inactive.

“Be organized,” she advised. “Have

Cont. from page 29

everything priced before people come in. Advertise. People come in and if see it’s not priced, they won’t stand around and wait.”

Debbie Tinney owns Golden Girls Estate Sales and said it’s important to know the quality of the items and have the education to adequately market them and know how to price them.

For many sales, it’s common for “early birds” to arrive half an hour or even an hour before a sale opens in hopes of getting a head start on bargain hunting. Both ladies, however, prefer to have their estate sale when they are ready to open instead of accommodating those who show up early.

“We never did early birds,” Umphress said. “We believed having items advertised when we were open. We’d open at 8 a.m. if we said 8 a.m. It was fair to everyone. There were no surprises that sales they came to see were gone.”

“People will stand in line as early as 6:30 a.m., but we have set hours,” Tinney said. “The doors will open at 9 a.m.”

When it comes to tagging items, Umphress used a computer to print out tags with UPC labels. They would have

a scanner with a laptop and then, when people would check out, they’d check the tags to produce a list of what had been bought.

“Clients at the end of a sale would have a list of what items sold and what they sold for,” Umphress added.

Tinney added that each item has its own tag, but that other estate sale companies have their own criteria for how they do things.

“I write a ticket for every single item that is sold,” Tinney said. “What it is and what it sells for.”

Some customers like to barter, a practice Umphress prefers to wait to do.

“We didn’t barter on the first day of a sale,” she said. “That would be on the second day. I’d manually change the price.”

The ladies have found that estate sales are about both making money and getting rid of items.

“It also depends on the client,” Umphress said. “Some inherited items and just wanted to get rid of them.

Other people need to pay an electric bill that month or rent and have a sale to pay for it.”

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

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A home and garden guide for the Texas Hill Country

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