The Home News Home & Garden Supplement 2016

www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016 | Special

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Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

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www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016 | Special

Check if seeds are still Viable with this genius Gardening trick

All you need is a paper towel and plastic bag.

Via countryliving.com

Do you have a partially empty pack of seeds

sitting around in your house from last year? If so, you're not alone—it's common to run out of space in your garden without time to plant the rest of the bunch later on. And to make things worse, it's surprisingly hard to tell if seeds are still good to plant.

According to Food52, "the paper towel test" is a quick fix to these worries. In just four easy steps, try this gardening trick this year to eliminate the risk of wasted time or money: 1. Start off by running a paper towel under water, then ring it out so it's damp.

2. Next, place 3-4 seeds on top of the paper towel while it's still wet. Encompass the seeds and paper towel inside a plastic bag to keep moisture in.

3. Place the plastic bag with seeds somewhere

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warm (Food52 suggests the top of your dryer machine).

4. Wait a few days (usually around three) and check to see if your seeds have sprouted.

If your seeds don't sprout within this time, they've probably gone bad and shouldn't be planted. While this simple trick may seem just a bit reminiscent of a middle school science class, it will help you avoid wasting your time on seeds that will never sprout, or worse–throwing out perfectly good plants-to-be. And remember, many types of seeds can be good year after year, so it's definitely worth it to check if you have any doubt.

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CIHYLIK FARMS & GREENHOUSES

The Home News Office Location: 255E S. Best Ave. (Rt. 145) Walnutport, PA 18088 Phone: 610-923-0382 Fax: 610-923-0383 E-mail: AskUs@HomeNewsPA.com Paul & Lisa Prass - Publishers William J. Halbfoerster, Jr. - Editor Emeritus Joe Korba - Assoc. Publisher Catherine Stroh - Account Executive Tony Pisco - Graphic Designer Carl Merrit - Delivery Driver

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Do you buy or sell first When you’re ready to move?

Via Realtor.com

H

omeowners who decide they’re ready to become move-up buyers face a chicken-or-egg dilemma: Should they sell their current home first and then buy another, or buy a new one and then sell? The answer depends on several factors, including your local market conditions, your financing options and your feelings about potentially moving twice if you sell your home before your next residence is available.

Market conditions

Before you blithely assume that your real estate market is a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, you need to realize that you must be very specific about the market for your particular neighborhood, the style of home you own, and the price range for your property.

In addition, you need to assess the availability of homes that meet your criteria. You’ll need to work with a knowledgeable, professional REALTOR® who can talk to you about how Seller Saved cardthat 061115.pdf 6/15/2015 2:29:48 PM to yours are quicklyDALhomes are similar

Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

selling and for how much. On the buying side, you should do some preview shopping to get an idea of what you want and how easy it is to find it. For example, if you must live in a particular, popular school district, you may want to consider buying a home first so that you’re sure you have a place you want.

Financial options

In an ideal world, everyone would have the funds to pay cash for their next home, but the reality is that most people need the equity from the sale of their current home for the down payment on the next house. One option is to sell your home and then negotiate to rent it back from your buyers, but remember that you’ll need to pay them for the rental. Also, lenders will limit the rent-back term to a maximum of 60 days because a rental lasting longer than that would be considered an investment property.

Alternatively, you can temporarily live with friends or family or in a short-term rental while you’re between homes. In that case, you might need to pay for a storage facility for your possessions. A drawback to selling your home

www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016 | Special

first is that you may be unable to find a home to buy, or you may feel rushed into taking a place that doesn’t meet your expectations.

If you can qualify for the mortgage loan on both your current home and the next home, you can access the equity in your current home with a line of credit. You’ll need to take out the line of credit before you put your home on the market and then you can pay it back at settlement.

You may also be able to borrow money for a down payment from relatives that you can repay after your home sells. Some lenders also offer bridge loans for transitioning homeowners as long as they have excellent credit and sufficient equity in their current home. A lender can help you evaluate your options.

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Farmers Market Schedule

Risk aversion and a plan B

You’ll have to ask yourself what scares you most: selling first and having nowhere to live or buying first and being stuck with two mortgage payments. The answer depends on your finances and your local market, but in either case you should have a back-up plan to deal with the worst case scenario – either another source of income for those mortgage payments or an identified place to live for a few weeks or months while you shop for a home.

-Bath Farmers Market- Opening day May 20 with festivities. Held at Keystone Park from 3-7 p.m. every Friday.

-Northampton Farmers Market- Opening day May 24. New location Municipal Park, Laubach Ave. and Smith Lane. Every Tuesday from 3-6:30 p.m.

-Nazareth Farmers Market- Opening day April 30. Held every Saturday in the Nazareth Circle at Main and Center Streets from 9-1 p.m.

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Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

Five kinds of kitchen trash Your garden will love

The next time you're baking or making a cup of coffee, don't throw away the scraps. They may just be useful food for your garden.

Via countryliving.com

T

he health benefits of chocolate are clear: It can lower the risk of heart disease and can decrease bad cholesterol. But many gardeners don't realize that chocolate husks, along with a few other waste products from the kitchen, are also good for the garden.

1. Chocolate husks

Zach Pickens, farm manager at Riverpark Farm, a New York City restaurant with an accompanying on-site farm, swears that chocolate has helped his tomatoes thrive. He partners with Mast Brothers, a local chocolatier that provides him with cacao husks left over from production that Pickens uses as mulch. "[The husks] not only help insulate the soil and protect the roots, but they also provide phosphorus for structural stability and nitrogen for green growth," Pickens says. "It smells delicious to boot." Just remember not to spread chocolate on the garden if you have a dog.

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2. Banana peels

Aphids treat gardens like all-you-can-eat salad bars. But they can't stand banana peels. Chop up a few peels, bury them an inch or two in the soil, and say goodbye to those pests for good. Don't use whole banana peels unless you want rodents, such as squirrels and raccoons, digging in the soil.

3. Eggshells

Crush eggshells into small pieces and sprinkle them on top of the soil. Slugs, cutworms, and other insects are put off by the crunch when they crawl over the sharp edges and will leave for softer pastures. You can also toss the crushed shells into your compost heap. They break down quickly and give your plants a much-needed dose of calcium, which can help with bottom-end rot, a calcium deficiency found in some plants.

4. Coffee grounds

Give your garden a wake-up call by using leftover coffee grounds. Allow the grounds to cool before placing them sparingly onto the garden. Then blend them thoroughly into the soil. The grounds' contents, which include phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium, will help improve the soil's structure. You can

also add coffee grounds to your compost pile.

However, because coffee grounds can raise the soil's acidity level, limit their use to plants that like high acidity, such as azaleas and hydrangeas.

5. Nut shells

The shells from peanuts and pistachios are a good addition to your compost heap because they don't break down as quickly as other items.

These larger pieces can help vary the thickness of the compost, which will aid in soil aeration.

Wash them thoroughly to rid them of salt, which can kill plants. A warning: Avoid using walnuts as they contain juglone, a compound that is toxic to plants.

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Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

The Giving Plate

by Alice Wanamaker

T

his DIY recycling project is not only a great way to put new life into old plates, but makes for a unique gift for any family or friend. While a Giving Plate is traditionally a Christmas gift, it can (and should) be given throughout the year.

Follow these simple instructions to create your very own personalized Giving Plate!

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• Light colored plate—white or pastels work best • Sharpie pens in various colors, allowing you to customize your plate • Oven with rack

Instructions

Using your best handwriting, write the following poem on your plate using the Sharpie pens: “This plate shall have no owner for its journey never ends, It travels in a circle of our family and friends.

It carries love from home to home for everyone to share, The food that’s placed upon it was made with love and care.

So please enjoy what’s on the plate, then fill it up again.

Then pass along the love it holds to your family and friends.”

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake the plate for 25-30 minutes to set the marker.

After plate has cooled, wash by hand.

Fill the plate with your most delicious treats (brownies, fruit, or cookies are suggested) and share with someone you love.

Note: Before giving the plate, include a card with a small note and include the item given, date, and location. Tracking the plate’s travels is almost as fun as eating the treats!

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10 tips for Picking paint colors

the process as an adventure.

To get started, select a favorite color drawn from artwork, a rug, dishes and an accessory or furniture piece as a main color or accent.

Why do we find one place appealing and are uneasy in another? Why are we attracted

When selecting a color, consider the mood of a room. In a bedroom, do you want the feeling to be restful and soothing or dramatic and intimate?

Soft, cool colors and neutrals usually create a quieter feeling while stronger colors are for drama.

Do you want a dining area to feel sociable and stimulating or appear formal and quiet? Warmer, contrasting and somewhat brighter colors add to a sociable atmosphere; deeper blue-greens and neutrals will give a more formal ambiance.

Do you want kid's rooms to create an active and exciting energy or an orderly and restful feeling?

Be careful not to overstimulate your children with intensely bright hues. You may not know it, but some brighter colors can lead to unrest and irritability.

via hgtv.com

to one product over another? Color—whether architectural or in products—accounts for 60 percent of our response to an object or a place.

The "buzz" about color is usually called "color psychology." But the effects of color are subtle and significant; physical and psychological. Color use is not something that results in a definitive equation between "color and our moods," as is a currently popular expression. Wherever we go we respond to color, but the importance of color is often underestimated. Color use is important to us personally in our homes and in the places where we work.

Start small

If you're not sure where to begin with color, experiment in a powder room or bathroom, a small hall or area between rooms, or an accent wall. If you're doing your own painting, pick an area that's quick to do so you can see your results sooner, and be happy with it or change it. Look at

Think about your mood

Pay attention to lighting

The reason why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint chips: Natural daylight shows the truest color; Incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows;

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Fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone.

So, a strong color might be too bright and overpowering when used on all walls or next to a large window, but it might be effective when used as an accent wall with indirect light.

Learn the color terms

It helps to understand the terminology used to describe color.

Hue is what we call a color. Red is the hue; blue is the hue.

The value of the hue is how light or dark it is.

Saturation refers to how dominant the hue is. As we go from red to pink, the red hue becomes less dominant.

Intensity is the brilliance of the color. The pure colors such as red are more intense than the combined colors such as yellow-green. A stronger intense color usually has a more dominant hue.

If you want a more active space, consider introducing stronger, more intense color. Even if you want a light-colored room, choose colors that are slightly more saturated than off-white or light pastel. Very light color can feel bright and stark when it appears on all surfaces in a room.

However, two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colors can create a luminous effect when used in the same room.

Follow the color wheel

A small color wheel is a great reference tool for modifying and intensifying two or more colors. For example, red and green, which are complementary (opposite) colors, are most intense when used together. You may be surprised at how many combinations function beautifully together, and you may even become attracted to entirely new color palettes. The color wheel also illustrates the visual temperature of a color. Draw a line from the yellow-green mark on the color wheel all the way down to the red-violet; you'll see that all the colors on the left are warm and the colors on the right are cool.

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Boost your confidence by testing colors on Think one color is boring? Create bold or subtle poster board or large areas of a wall. Don't be Rosalie variations Miklas 11/18/13 ATTENTION: __________________________________ ______________ within one color groupDATE: with contrasting afraid to go beyond your comfort zone: Consider paint finishes.

For example, use closely related strong, vivid colors or soft, deep neutrals like colors, or try a single color in different Lauren, Ar chocolate brown or olive greenFAX as main or accent NUMBER: ________________________________ FROM:finishes, ______________ for walls and trim in one space. colors. Or add drama with a stronger color on the For an accent color, select a warmer (more ceiling. Tinted ceilings can dramatically change email: rosakie@millasrealty.com ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________ toward reds) or cooler (more toward blues) the whole look of a room. color to complement your main color group.

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A single color used on walls and trim takes Transform flat, dull walls into interesting and on new significance when applied in different _________________________________________________________________ personal spaces with subtle or dramatic visual finishes. For example, wall and trim colors can texture and broken color. Burnished mineral/ remain the same hue, but use an eggshell (matte metal finishes and layered colored glazes add and less reflective) finish on walls and a satin or depth. Some examples of softly reflective metals semigloss on trim. are mica, copper, pewter, bronze and, of course, antiqued silver and gold.

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Walk into another room

Consider walls as planes of color, and see how they interact when viewing one next to the other in adjacent rooms. Approach it like a composition: You're in one room, but you're going to see a piece of another room through it. So as you're choosing colors, consider how they will flow from room to room to create your picture.

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Page 12 Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

like vinegar and lemon. Avoid ammonia, too, and stick to cleaning with special stone soap, or dish detergent and water.

3. An egg stain or spill

The Power of Vinegar Six things you should Never clean with vinegar

If you drop an egg on the floor (or find that your house or car has been the victim of some rambunctious teens), don't reach for the vinegar to help clean up. Just like when you poach an egg, the acidity can cause it to coagulate, making the egg more difficult to remove.

4. Your iron

This kitchen staple is handy around the house — just not in these spots.

Via countryliving.com

"Vinegar can damage the internal parts of an iron," says Forte. "So don't pour it through to freshen and clean it out. To keep irons from clogging, empty them completely after use, and follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions."

1. Granite and marble countertops

5. Hardwood floors

"The acid in vinegar can etch natural stone," says Carolyn Forte, director of the Home Appliances and Cleaning Products lab at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. Use a mild liquid dish detergent and warm water instead.

2. Stone floor tiles

Just like countertops, the natural stone in your bathroom doesn't take kindly to acidic cleaners,

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The jury's still out on this one: Some homeowners find that vinegar solutions cleans their sealed hardwoods beautifully, but others report that it damages the finish. Our advice?

Use a cleaner specifically formulated for hardwood (we recommend Bona). But if you want to try vinegar, always dilute with water and test it on an inconspicuous spot before you tackle an entire room.

6. Certain stubborn stains

Blot, sponge, and try as you might, grass stains, ink, ice cream, and blood won't come out with vinegar alone, says Forte. They tend to set into the fabric quickly or just don't respond to acid, so treat them with a prewash stain remover like Shout Advanced Gel, and launder with a detergent with enzymes (check the package — most stain-fighting detergents have them).

16 Uses for vinegar

See all the versatile ways you can use white vinegar to clean around the house, from freshening up coffee cups to loosening a rusty screw.

Via www.allyou.com

1. Eliminate odors. Swab plastic containers with a cloth dampened with vinegar.

2. Kill bathroom germs. Spray full-strength vinegar around the sink and tub. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

3. Tidy up a toilet. Pour a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar into the bowl. Let sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with a toilet brush and flush.

4. Lose the carpet stain. Make a paste of

www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016 | Special

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two tablespoons white distilled vinegar and ¼ cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the stain and let dry. Vacuum the residue the next day. (Always test an out-of-sight part of the carpet first.)

5. Renew paintbrushes. To remove old paint, place brushes in a pot with vinegar. Soak for an hour, then turn on the stove and bring the vinegar to a simmer. Drain and rinse clean.

6. Wipe off a dirty faucet. To get rid of lime buildup, make a paste of one-teaspoon vinegar and two tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and rub with a cloth.

7. Steam away a microwave mess. Fill a small bowl with equal parts hot water and vinegar, and place it in the microwave on high for five minutes. As the steam fills the microwave, it loosens the mess, making clean up a breeze.

8. Loosen a rusted screw. Pour vinegar onto the screw, and it will easily unstick.

9. Remove gum. To remove gum from fabric or hair, heat a small bowl of vinegar in the microwave. Pour the warm vinegar over the gum, saturating the area. The gum will dissolve.

10. Remove wax. If you get melted candle wax on your wood furniture or floors, gently wipe it away with a cloth soaked in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.

11. Clean the dishwasher and coffee pot. Reduce soap buildup and food residue by pouring a cup of vinegar into your empty dishwasher or coffee pot once a month and letting it run a full cycle.

12. Sanitize pet accidents. You can remove the stain and smell of your pet’s accident by mixing ¼ cup vinegar with a quart of water and blotting the mixture onto the mess with a washcloth.

13. Prep for summer grilling. To remove charcoal buildup from your grill, spray white distilled vinegar on balled up aluminum foil and scrub the grate thoroughly.

14. Restore showerhead pressure. If your showerhead gets clogged with mineral deposits, soak it for 15 minutes in a mixture of ½ cup vinegar and one quart water.

15. Clean your scissors. When your scissor blades get sticky, wipe them down with a cloth dipped in full-strength white vinegar. Unlike soap and water, vinegar won’t ruin the blades or rust the metal.

16. Unclog drains. For a natural, nontoxic way to clean clogged pipes, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar, down the drain. Let the products bubble and foam, then flush the pipes with boiling water.

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Page 14 Special | www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016

Raised garden beds Vs. traditional gardens Via homeguides.sfgate.com

Raised garden beds can range from soil mounded between watering ditches to higher, more sophisticated raised beds boxed with redwood or other materials. Although raised garden beds are smaller and therefore yield less, they can make better use of limited space and have numerous other advantages over traditional gardens for older or handicapped gardeners and those who have problems with difficult soil.

Soil

Raised garden beds drain better than traditional gardens. Their soil warms up sooner in the spring so gardeners can plant earlier. A raised bed also solves problems of stony soil that is hard to till or heavy clay soil or compacted soil.

Horticulturalists at the University of California, Davis, say half of a raised garden bed can be regular soil and the other half organic material or compost. Less organic material is needed if good-quality loam topsoil is available. Loam is soil-containing clay, silt and sand in roughly equal amounts. Because gardeners do not walk

on a raised bed, the soil is less likely to become compacted.

Simple raised bed

You can build an elementary form of raised garden by building a mound of soil 20 to 60 inches wide from the center of one irrigation furrow to center of the next. The width of the mound depends on what is being planted. You can plant single row of cabbages or beans or two rows of beets or carrots on a mound 30 inches wide. Tomatoes, squash and other spreading plants require mounds 48 to 60 inches wide.

Raised box bed

Build a raised box garden bed if your soil is heavy or drains poorly. A raised garden bed should be from 2 to 3 feet above the surrounding soil and no wider than 4 feet. It can be as narrow as 1 foot if space is limited it. The sides and ends are typically made of 2-by-12-inch redwood boards. Redwood is the wood of choice because of its high resistance to insects and rot. You can fasten trellises and plant markers on the sides of the raised bed box. If you have gophers in your area, lay wire mesh on the bottom before you fill the bed with soil.

Gardening ease

The higher level and limited width of raised gardens makes planting, weeding and other chores easier than traditional gardens for handicapped and older gardeners and people with bad backs. You can usually till a raised garden with hand tools.

Drawbacks of raised gardens

A raised garden bed may limit the kind and of number plants you can grow, although in some cases you can plant them closer together. It may be more difficult to grow plants that climb or sprawl. A gardener needs tools and carpentry skills to build a raised bed, and in many parts of the country untreated wood other than redwood may be need to be replaced about five years.

www.homenewspa.com | March 24, 2016 | Special

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Is gardening not your thing? No sweat, we’ve got you covered on where to find fresh produce in the area: Buzas Greenhouse- 3927 Newburg Rd., Easton 18045- 610-252-5289 Cihylik Farms-3960 Cherryville Rd., Northampton 18067- 610-261-1261 Faust Family Produce-523 Nazareth Pike, Nazareth 18064- 610-759-3412 Filchner’s Plants & Produce- 548 Monocacy Dr., Bath 18014- 610-837-9582 Graver Farmstead- 820 S. Delps Rd., Bath 18014- graverfarmstead@aol.com Heidel Hollow Farm-7419 Saegersville Rd., Slatington 18080- 610-767-2409 Joe’s Fruit Market- 229 Nazareth Pike, Bethlehem 18020- 610-759-7877 Juniperdale Farms and The Produce Crib-1015 Browntown Rd., Nazareth 18064- 610-217-7203 Newhard Corn Shed-3250 Mauch Chunk Rd., Coplay 18037- 610-799-3303 Padulas Potatoes- 6199 W. Main Blvd., Bath 18014- 610-837-1661 Raub’s Farm Market- 1459 Tatamy Rd., Easton 18045- 610-253-1419 Seiple Farms-5761 Nor Bath Blvd., Bath 18014-610-837-0847 Strawberry Acres-1767 Clearview Rd. Coplay 18037- 610-262-1890 Twin Maple Farms- 7486 School Rd., Bath 18014- 610-837-0175

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