The best part of one agent’s job

This morning I enjoyed the beautiful drive from Elizabeth City to the ReMax Alpha office in Moyock.  Our office is always busy, agents coming and going,  people in and out,  it is a great place to work and the atmosphere is upbeat.   This is a great time to buy in Carolina,  so many  choices and low interest rates.  One of our agents, Gretchen Keeter, came up to the front desk and she had a great big smile on her face.  That smile is recognizable because it can mean only one thing, clients are on their way to the office.  When you ask some real estate agents what they enjoy the most about their jobs, some will answer the money, others will say I get to help families find their dream homes, but this top gun agent enjoys helping clients finish their dream home.  Today is a particularly special day because something very exciting awaits her clients in the conference room.  The family gets to pour over an array of samples;  cabinets, counter tops, tile, carpet and choices of board and batten siding and shutters for their home.  The clients,  Barry and Linda Dailey and their son, Stephen,  have purchased a custom built home in Snowden Crossing.  The  home is built by Quality Homes of Currituck.  I’m sure when these homeowners have settled in their new home and time has past by , they will remember this special agent who helped them choose the decor of their dream home.

5 tips for a low-cost, low-stress yard

Trim the hours you spend on lawn and plant care, and have more time to enjoy the outdoors. Plus, you’ll save money over the long term.

There’s nothing lazy about summer if you’re constantly working in the yard.

If the thought of a weekend conjures visions of backbreaking work pushing a mower in the hot sun or trying to coax reluctant plants with gallons of water or fertilizer, maybe it’s time to change the relationship you have with your yard.

It is possible to have lush, green inviting outdoor spaces with less mowing, watering and work.

With a few easy steps, you can cut the hours you spend on lawn care and have more time to enjoy the great outdoors. Not only will you have a yard that’s inviting you to come out and play, but it will be less expensive to maintain.

Here are five ways to make it happen.

Keep grass longer
Want the lawn healthier? Let it grow a little longer, says Susan Littlefield, horticultural editor for the National Gardening Association. “It doesn’t give you the putting-green look, but the grass stays healthier,” she says. (Bing: Find landscape-design software)

Not only does it hold moisture better, but the taller grass also “shades out” germinating weeds, giving you natural weed control that you don’t have to pay for or apply. But you won’t necessarily be mowing the lawn less. Ideally, she says, “You don’t want to cut more than a third of the grass blade” each time you mow, she says.

Just how long you want to keep your grass will vary with where you live and the type you’ve planted, she says. The cool-season grasses, popular in Northern climes, typically do best at 2½ to 3 inches, says Littlefield. The warm-season grasses favored in warmer regions do better “a little lower,” often around 2 inches, she says.

But if you want to get the ideal length for your lawn, find out the exact species you’re growing and do a little research. Two good sources are the National Gardening Association and your local cooperative extension office.

Leave the cuttings on your lawn
Want to skip some stress when you mow? Leave the clipping bag in the garage, drop that rake and leave those clippings where they fall.

Research at the University of Connecticut has shown that you can cut your use of nitrous fertilizer by 50% or more, just by letting the grass clippings do the work for you. “It’s kind of a no-brainer, but people don’t do it,” Littlefield says. “They will decompose and the nutrients in them will return to the soil,” she says. “It’s recycling.”

You also don’t have to worry with emptying clipping bags and leaving more yard waste bound for the landfill.

A lot of homeowners worry that those clippings will contribute to thatch and endanger the health of their lawn. Not so, says Littlefield. Because you’re letting your grass grow longer, you’re only taking a little off the top. And that’s not going to get matted or cause problems, she says.

But if you want to get the ideal length for your lawn, find out the exact species you’re growing and do a little research. Two good sources are the National Gardening Association and your local cooperative extension office.

Leave the cuttings on your lawn
Want to skip some stress when you mow? Leave the clipping bag in the garage, drop that rake and leave those clippings where they fall.

Research at the University of Connecticut has shown that you can cut your use of nitrous fertilizer by 50% or more, just by letting the grass clippings do the work for you. “It’s kind of a no-brainer, but people don’t do it,” Littlefield says. “They will decompose and the nutrients in them will return to the soil,” she says. “It’s recycling.”

You also don’t have to worry with emptying clipping bags and leaving more yard waste bound for the landfill.

A lot of homeowners worry that those clippings will contribute to thatch and endanger the health of their lawn. Not so, says Littlefield. Because you’re letting your grass grow longer, you’re only taking a little off the top. And that’s not going to get matted or cause problems, she says.

Make the plants do the work
Want to minimize your labor, costs and stress? Plant for the yard conditions you already have.

“You make the plants do the work,” says John Greenlee, author of “The American Meadow Garden,” and owner-founder of Greenlee Nursery in Chino, Calif., and Greenlee & Associates. “If you have a shady area that is wet all the time, you don’t install drainage,” he says. “You plant something that likes shady and wet.

“When you try to partner with nature, gardening is so much easier,” he says.

His tip is to look for regional plants native to the area and conditions.

Three sources include local native plant societies, local and regional horticultural gardens, and independent gardening centers.

It may mean a little detective work to investigate the growing conditions in your yard, then to discover what plants would do best there, he says. “Based on a lot of the research coming out, Americans really don’t know what they’re doing,” Greenlee says. “They’re trying to change their gardening world, rather than acknowledging their gardening conditions.”

Once you plant for your actual conditions, he says, “you would be amazed at not only how beautiful your garden is, but how you now have all this time on your hands.”

Get the most out of your water dollars
Looking for a cheap way to save water, prevent weeds and help plants thrive? Use mulch. “It’s one of those things people overlook,” says Liz Primeau, author of “Front Yard Gardens.”

Her formula is “No less than 2 inches (deep) all around plants.” And don’t mulch right up to the plant itself, she warns. “That will suffocate them.” Instead, stop about 2 inches from the stem.

If you (or a neighbor) have a tree or stump removed, ask the workers to leave the resulting wood chips for your yard, Primeau says. Not only does it save money and landfill space, but you’ll get a ton of garden-ready mulch.

When Primeau recently had a dead tree removed, the result was 12 yard bags of wood-chip mulch — enough to cover “the whole garden,” she says.

Another key to less stress and smaller water bills is to use a network of drip hoses. They use minimal water and soak roots, which is exactly where the plants need water, Primeau says. Instead of buying a couple and moving them around, get enough for all of the areas you water regularly and leave them in place for the season.

Break up that lawn
Love summer but hate mowing? Consider reducing the lawn space in your yard.

“Lawns take a lot of work,” Primeau says. “They also use a lot of water.” And homeowners “try to make it look like a golf course, and that’s a lot of stress,” she adds.

Large expanses of lawn also aren’t that visually interesting, and often don’t add much to curb appeal.

For a simple approach, establish (or extend) planting borders around walkways, patios, decks, trees or the footprint of your home. Select native plants (or their hybridized versions), so that you don’t have to spend much water or time, Primeau says. Perennials will come back next year, reducing the cost of new plants.

For a lush green that requires zero care, try meadow grasses or — if you need something low and green — fast-growing ground cover.

Don’t be afraid to personalize your yard with outdoor living spaces, Primeau says. Create a small Zen garden or meditation area with pea gravel. Or, craft a cozy relaxation space with some seating and a water feature or birdhouse, paving stones and some low-growing ground cover.  By Dana Dratch of Bankrate.com

                                                  

June home-maintenance checklist

Early summer chores should get you outdoors: Look for winter damage, ward off mold and rot, sharpen your tools and patrol your home’s perimeter for pests and other problems.

With the start of summer and warmer weather, you can focus most of your maintenance chores outdoors. First, however, attend to a couple of jobs that will help you stay comfortable and safe inside the house.

Switch ceiling fan blades
Switch ceiling fans to push cool air down, where you’ll most enjoy it. Observe the fan while it’s running: In summer, you want the leading edge of the blades (the part that goes around first) higher than the trailing edge (the part that rotates last). Locate the fan’s switch on its outside body. When set correctly for summer, you can stand beneath it and feel the breeze. This should allow you to adjust your thermostat higher (or set the air conditioning lower), saving fuel while enjoying the cooling effect of the moving air.

Clean dryer vents
Although you probably know to remove lint from your clothes dryer’s lint filter after each use (to prevent fires), you may not have heard that maintenance also includes cleaning the hose that pipes warm, moist air from the dryer to the outdoors. Use a long-handled brush, found in hardware stores (or search online for “dryer vent brush“). Also, clean the recess beneath the filter with a lint-trap brush. Make sure to purchase a brush that fits your dryer’s particular lint-trap type. Read the dryer’s manual for directions. Check vent hoses to ensure they fit tightly to each other, to the dryer and to the outside of the house. Pull out the dryer and vacuum accumulated lint under and around it.

Tune up yard and garden equipment
If your lawn mower has gas left over from last fall, empty the tank before adding fresh fuel. (Gas becomes stale after a month.) If possible, just run the mower until the tank is dry (best done in fall before storing the mower for the winter). If that’s not possible, use a siphon pump ($3 to $4 at a hardware or automotive supply store, composed of flexible tubing and a squeeze bulb) to transfer the old gas into a gas can. Take the old gas to your county’s hazardous waste disposal facility. Call ahead to learn hours and rules for disposing of fuel.

To keep your lawn mower running for years, you’ll also want to keep it clean. Avoid cutting wet grass; it’s hard on the mower engine. Frequently wipe, brush or scrape the mower’s underside clean (with motor off) so clippings don’t jam the blades. Change the oil each spring; change spark plugs and lubricate with every change of season (consult the owner’s manual for product specifications and directions); replace air filters every couple of years.

Sharpen mower blades
Proper cutting is key to a healthy lawn, and lawns cut with sharp blades need less watering (read 10 secrets to a perfect lawn). Also, hard work is made easier with sharp tools. Manufacturers recommend replacing mower blades yearly if the mower is used frequently. Check your blades’ effectiveness by examining the cut edge of the grass: If grass blades are ragged, the lawnmower blade is dull. You can extend the life of a mower blade by sharpening. Call a hardware store, garden supply store or lawn-mower dealer to learn where to get tools and blades sharpened (about $10 to $20) or purchase a sharpening tool (Dremel, for example, makes a head for rotary tools) or buy a whetstone or hand sharpener at a garden supply or hardware store. Before removing the blade from the mower to sharpen it, disconnect the spark plug wire (otherwise you could jump-start the engine by moving the blade). Also, wear safety goggles.

Clean gutters
Take advantage of dry weather to clear out leaves, needles and debris, leaving gutters free to carry rainwater away and protect your home from mold and rot. Depending on your home’s surroundings, you should do this several times a year. Hire someone (around $50 to $100) or get a stable ladder (and someone to hold it) and do it yourself. Use a garden trowel or your (gloved) hands to muck out the debris. Scrub gutters with a non-metallic brush. Slosh water from a hose through the gutters and the drainpipes to finish the job and test that they’re clear and that water is flowing away from your basement, foundation or crawl space.

Tip: Newer ladders are rated for safety according to their use and the weight they can bear. An industrial-grade Type 1A folding ladder is safest for jobs under 17 feet, according to tests by Consumer Reports. Remain on or below the highest safe rung labeled on your ladder. Use an extension ladder for taller jobs. (See Rutgers University’s page on ladder ratings and safe use.) Keep aluminum ladders away from power lines.

Inspect gutters
While you’re at it, inspect the gutters. Look for joints separating, loose connections and attachments, sags, dips and corrosion. Tighten or reattach loose gutter connections.

Clean out downspout ends (also called “leaders”). These should extend out at least 3 feet at the ground, though some experts suggest 5 or 10 feet. The idea is to prevent water from running back to your home’s foundation.  At the same time, take care that your downspouts don’t drain onto your neighbors’ property, causing problems for them. Some cities have ordinances regulating the distance you can discharge your gutters from your property line (ask for details at the city planning department).

After you’ve cleaned and repaired your gutters, test them by having someone run a hose into the gutters while you walk around the house, looking for leaks and observing where the water drains. Or walk around the house to check during the next heavy rainstorm.

Consider gutter guards
If your gutters fill up frequently, you might want to investigate installing gutter guards (or screens, filters or covers) to reduce — perhaps eliminate — cleaning. There’s a wide variety, made from various metals or synthetics. Costs vary from around 60 cents a foot to $7 per foot, plus installation (the average house has roughly 200 feet of gutters), which means you could pay up to $1,500 for materials alone. You could hire someone to clean the gutters (at around $75 each time) for many years for that amount. Although gutter protection is marketed aggressively, systems vary in effectiveness. Check claims by searching product names, and get three or more references from customers who’ve used the product for several years. Then, call and interview each company.

Inspect for roof leaks
Start on the ground, using binoculars to scan for evidence of roof damage, including shingles that are curling, broken, cracked or missing. To check your roof for structural stability, stand across the street and look at the roof line. If it appears to sag, get a professional to inspect it. The cause could be damage to the roof supports from heavy snow or many layers of roofing materials.

Next, look for telltale signs of roof leaks. Inside, inspect the attic — look at the ceiling, rafters and walls, particularly right beneath the roof — for discoloration or stains. (While you’re up there, check to ensure that attic fans are working.) Pay attention to skylights and chimneys, which are prone to leaks. Seepage is most likely at joints and openings where one material meets another and where the flashing (seal) is weak. Go outdoors again and check the siding beneath the eaves for evidence of leaks. Call a roofer to repair leaks and reinforce flashing. Don’t put off patching a roof leak, since collected moisture can cause expensive rot and decay. (For DIY roof repairs, read “5 roof repair tips: How to fix leaks and broken shingles.”)

Check for foundation cracks
Make a yearly tour of your home’s foundation to spot any cracks. Hairline cracks and diagonal cracks that start at windows are unlikely to signal serious problems, but keep an eye on them to see if they change. Call a structural engineer if a small crack grows wider or if you find any of the following:

• a crack wider than the thickness of your fingernail
• horizontal cracks
• a stair-step crack that break bricks, blocks or solid concrete
• a pattern of cracks that rounds a corner
• a crack with one side higher than the other
• a crack that starts narrow and grows wider

To keep moisture out of cracks that you’ve found to be stable, fill them. Purchase a foundation crack repair kit (many include an instructional CD, goggles and gloves) that uses an expanding polyurethane filler for a permanent seal. Caulk and concrete aren’t effective for this. Learn more about foundation cracks and repairs at InspectAPedia

Patrol the grounds
Spend a half-hour walking around your house with an eye to where the foundation meets the ground. Make sure the earth around the house slopes away from the structure — about an inch per foot is good — so water does not collect around the foundation. Dampness invites mold and mildew and, in worst cases, weakens a foundation. Also, keep your eyes open for signs of termites: wings or droppings that look like little pellets. Rake leaves away from the foundation to discourage mice and rats. Keep garbage cans tightly closed. Store recycling securely and clean bottles and cans well before putting them out so food odors don’t attract rodents. Turn compost piles regularly and compost only vegetable matter, not animal products.

Scrub the decks and porches
On a sunny day, wipe down and hose off lawn, garden and deck furniture. Sweep decks and porches. Inspect wood decks and porches for rot by pressing the wood with your hand, foot or a tool to find any soft spots. Gently probe soft spots with a screwdriver to learn the extent of the damage. Paint stores carry epoxy putty used to harden, seal and stabilize rotted wood. (These are potentially toxic products, so follow directions carefully.) If the damage is severe, replace rotted boards.

If you’re painting your deck, make sure to scrub it first. To remove mold from wood decks, use a solution of three quarts warm water, one quart household bleach, one-third cup detergent and two-thirds cup tri-sodium phosphate. Rinse thoroughly after scrubbing, then treat the deck with a commercial fungicide (found, along with TSP, at paint and hardware stores). Caution: Wear rubber gloves, work in a ventilated area and do not mix bleach with any products containing ammonia; the combination creates toxic fumes. To clean composite decking, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Seal decks against weather
Wood decks need to be painted or stained every two or three years — more often if they face extreme weather. Watch the weather forecast for a spell of several dry days before treating decks. (You don’t want to seal moisture into the wood and encourage rot.) If you’re unsure if the wood is sufficiently dry, borrow a moisture meter from a paint store (sales people will explain how to use it). Take readings in many spots. When the wood is dry, thoroughly strip old stain or paint before applying the new finish. Paint stores carry products for this purpose. When renting a power washer, ask for instructions and use it cautiously. Pressure washers can easily gouge and splinter wood decks and railings.       By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

May Gardening Series Part 2

Vegetables  As you’re planting your vegetable garden, consider planting times as well as plant compatibility.

• In most climates it’s safe now to seed or plant hardier vegetables such as beans, peas, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, corn and chard.
   
• When you’re sure the soil is thoroughly thawed and warm (at least 60 degrees), go ahead and sow cucumbers, squash, melons, peppers, tomatoes and other tender annuals.
   
• Plant celery and cucumbers near your bean starts — they make good neighbors!
   
• Beans also get along well with peas, corn and potatoes, but keep them away from “aromatic” vegetables such as leeks, garlic, onions and shallots
• • Carrots, tomatoes and lettuces also like each others’ company — just be sure not to mix them with dill.
     
  • Seeds of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and melons can be sown directly into the ground now.
     
  • If you sow vine crops for later transplant, use peat pots. At planting time, bury the whole pot so fragile roots don’t become damaged.

Planting
Shop for new plants as well as replacements of plants that didn’t make it through the winter, then transplant them when the soil warms up to 60 degrees.

• If you’re transplanting seedlings, introduce them gradually to their new environment to harden them off: Set them outdoors for longer and longer periods for a week or so before planting. Choose sheltered, shady areas at first, and work up to sunnier, breezier spots.
   
• You can buy and plant new trees and shrubs in May. Whether you purchase them in a container or they’re burlapped, their planting holes should be twice the circumference of the root ball.

Fertilizing
Fertilizer is your garden’s friend. Don’t neglect to feed your little green ones.

• Start using a liquid fertilizer on recently set-out annuals after they’ve had a chance to get established.
   
• In mild climates, trees and shrubs such as rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, roses and junipers can still take fertilizers for a while to come.
   
• Use rose fertilizer or an all-purpose garden fertilizer on roses, perennials and deciduous and annual trees and shrubs. In most climates, new growth should now be popping up on roses. If you don’t see signs of life at or above the graft, the bush may have kicked the bucket.
   
• Beware of over applying fertilizer, which can be fatal — or at least cause leaf burn.
   
• After applying, give fertilizer a thorough watering-in.

Pruning
Pruning needs vary by climate zones.

• In cooler climates, May is the month to finish up your pruning duties on sap-oozing shrubs and trees; waiting until June can cause new growth to appear. Without a chance to mature, new growth won’t survive the winter.
   
• In milder climates, such as the Pacific Northwest, you’ll want to hold off on pruning evergreens until early June.

Weeding
In many areas, weeds have already begun flowering and seeding all that rich soil you’ve prepared so carefully.

• Nip weeds in the bud now, or get ready for some extra workouts this summer — and for up to seven years to come.
   
• If you use sprays to control weeds, especially morning glory and other resistant pests, be sure to choose a warm day without wind.

Pest control
The slugs crawl in, the slugs crawl out … and so do all those other persistent garden pests.

• Make it a last call for as many slugs as possible: Set out stale beer in shallow saucers or jar lids, especially around tender transplants. Slugs will drink, get drunk, fall down and drown. Or pick slugs by hand. Whatever your method, today’s slug war will reduce their numbers later in the season so the vegetables you sow will make it to table.
   
• Give aphids their walking papers: Hit them with a heavy dose of hose water, or wipe aphids off plants, then saturate problem areas with a spray of insecticidal soap.
   
• You can also use insecticidal soap to reduce damage on plants suffering from ash plant bugs.
   
• If you find tent caterpillars in tree branches (they’re especially fond of crab apple and fruit trees), prune out the limbs and destroy the cocoons.

Preparing your patio
If you’re expecting a warm Memorial Day weekend, early May is a great time to get your patio picture-perfect for entertaining.

• Spruce it up with an easy-to-build wall lattice or trellis for clematis, climbing roses, kiwi or even hops.
    
• Finally ready for a striped table umbrella? Shop for this first, then choose container plantings to complement its colors.
    
• Container plants and trees can be moved around to create a variety of colorful seating borders.
    
• To cozy-up outdoor cocktail parties, break the ice with a chimenea, or potbellied clay fireplace.
    
• Dress nearby trees in strings of lights for evening entertaining.

There’s still plenty of time before summer for bigger projects: Add a flagstone path, create a water element, build a wraparound bench, or add a stone or rail enclosure around your deck or patio.

By Sally Anderson of MSN Real Estate

 

The 1st part of this series was presented on May 7th.

May Gardening

From knowing what to plant when (and where) to fertilizing and controlling pests, here’s what needs tending to this month.
Don’t be fooled by a late frost: Find out the mean freeze date in your area, and be sure soil is warm and workable — not too wet, not too dry — before putting tender plants in the ground.

Bulbs
Get those showy summer sprays of color started by planting bulbs of dahlia, lily, tuberous begonia and gladiolus.
Plant a few “gladdie” corms every week from now until early July for continuous summer cuttings

* As their blooms fade, remove the flowers from tulips and daffodils and give them a dose of fertilizer. But leave those leaves where they are: They’re needed to produce next year’s buds. Peonies, too, will be hungry for fertilizer now.
* Got mums? From now until the beginning of July, you can make chrysanthemums bushier and more productive if you pinch a half-inch off of each stem when they’re 6 or 7 inches high

Annuals
Early in the month, get a jump on flower planting with hardy annuals such as dianthus, petunias, snapdragons and pansies.

* If another frost threatens to sneak up on you, cover annuals overnight with thin burlap or newspaper.

* Most summer-flowering annuals can also be put in the ground now.

* Hang mixed baskets of fuchsias, geraniums and impatiens when the evenings warm up, and plant zinnias, lobelias and marigolds in the ground or in containers.

* When you’re safely in the no-frost zone — probably midmonth or a bit later — you can set out those six-packs of seedlings to harden them off before transplanting.

Perennials
As the shoots of your old friends start peeking up through the soil, give them a light dose of fertilizer. Then head for the nursery to start selecting this season’s new perennials, many of which can be planted now if you’re sure Jack Frost has left town.

* There’s still time to plant the early birds such as primroses, coral bells, candytuft and saxifrage.

* In mild climates, start adding summer-flowering plants such as phlox, daylilies and delphiniums.

Lawn care
If you haven’t done so already, assess the needs of your lawn now

* Toss the moss, thatch and weeds.

* Aerate, feed and overseed to get rid of bald patches.

* Around midmonth, feed grassy areas with an even coat of high-nitrogen fertilizer.

* Unless spring showers are on their way, follow up with a good thirst-quenching dose of water.

* Anxious mowers, get out your measuring tape: When grass reaches 3 1/2 to 4 inches, bring out your tuned-up machine and let ‘er rip, leaving grass 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches high. A bit of extra height is good for its health, leaves shorter clippings (leave them in place to nourish the lawn) and cuts down on weed growth.

This is the first part of a two part series with the second part following on Wednesday, May 16th.

By Sally Anderson of MSN Real Estate

The 7 habits of successful gardeners

1. Make compost
Short version: Mother Nature never throws anything away.

Longer version: Composting is the rare silk purse from a sow’s ear, something for nothing, win-win. You start out with kitchen, yard and garden debris and wind up with two benefits: a great soil amendment and many green points for avoiding the landfill.

It’s easy to fall into thinking that compost’s last name is bin, and that careful layering and turning are part of the deal. But piling shredded leaves in a corner counts, too. So does “trench composting,” handy for those with little garden space, and so does bringing your kitchen scraps to a place that will compost them if you can’t – try the nearest community garden. I have a friend in Manhattan, for instance, who brings her coffee grounds, orange peels and such to the Lower East Side Ecology Center at Union Square Greenmarket.

2. Use compost
Spread compost around plants to ward off disease; put a bit in your potting mix to add slow-release micronutrients; top-dress beds with it to improve soil structure no matter what kind of soil you have; or use it to help restore life to soil that’s exhausted from years of chemical abuse. Sprinkle it on the lawn spring and fall to encourage the shallow grass roots. It’s almost impossible to use too much.

3. Plant crops in wide beds
Crops are anything planted for harvesting: vegetables, cutting flowers or shrubs on hold to be transplanted. Keeping these grouped as tightly as possible in beds that are not trod upon cuts down on weeding, conserves water, allows the compost to be concentrated where it will do the most good and improves soil structure year upon year as the layers of organic matter pile up. These beds are frequently raised or at least corralled neatly by boards or — I saw it once and am still impressed all these years later — by long slabs of granite. Aesthetics aside, the primary virtue of this tidiness is easier path maintenance. From the soil and plant point of view, it’s the special treatment that matters.

4. Mulch
Mulch clothes the soil in a protective barrier that moderates temperature, conserves water, helps keep soil-borne diseases from splashing up and helps keep soil itself from splashing up — on your lettuce, for instance. Almost any organic mulch that will rot down into the soil is preferable to landscape fabric with some kind of icing, but choosing the right mulch for each job is worth the extra effort.

Straw is inexpensive, but it’s untidy compared to wood chips and it breaks down a lot faster. That makes straw suitable for the vegetable patch, while the chips are better for under shrubs. The specialized mulches for warming soil and/or reflecting just the right light upon your vegetables are seldom biodegradable. My experiments with them are ongoing, so all I can say at this point is: Remember that they work only when light falls on them; the more your garden resembles a jungle — no names, please — the less effective they will be.

5. Feed the soil, not the plants
Short version: Junk food, including organic junk food, has plenty of calories and may include added vitamins. But it’s not great long-term nourishment, for many reasons we’ve learned and others we can so far only observe. Our bodies know the difference between eating a carrot and taking a capsule of vitamin A. Same deal with the soil.

Longer version: Plant health depends on healthy roots; healthy roots depend on healthy soil for air, water and nutrients delivered in forms plants can use. Soil rich in organic matter — compost — is generally rich in nutrients and in the teeming life (fungi, bacteria, worms, etc.) that makes those nutrients available to the plants.

Ornamental plants in good soil seldom need added fertilizer, and crop plants that do need extra food need less of it when it’s released slowly by friendly soil from things such as rock powders, kelp and green manures. For an example of how this works with nitrogen, one of the most important nutrients, here’s a Rodale Institute research report.

6. Share something
If you have a garden, you’re rich.

Got seeds? The Seed Savers Exchange isn’t just about vegetables; there’s an affiliated flower and herb exchange, too. Got flowers? Hospitals won’t take them anymore (allergies), but group homes, soup kitchens and — why not? — your neighborhood hardware store might be delighted with a bit of brightening up. Got produce? There’s a national umbrella campaign for vegetable gardeners who want to plant a row for the hungry, and many food banks, farmers’ markets and community gardens have set up organized donations. But there’s no law that says you can’t just give your extra beans to anyone who genuinely wants them. Hunger isn’t always physical.

The garden itself is worth sharing too. Garden tours are popular fundraisers so, if you’re up for the attendant stress, it’s likely there’s a cause that’s looking for locations. In my experience with these things, there’s always a lot more preparation than I’ve allowed for – but also a lot more given back in new friends, new ideas and gazillions of pats.

 

7. Be there
Whether Lao-Tse actually said it or not, it’s true: The best fertilizer is the shadow of the gardener. 

 

Article By Leslie Land of The Daily Green

The weekend is almost here!

Our communities of Moyock, Currituck, Camden and the Elizabeth City area are great to live in. We always have an interesting selection of fun and interesting selection of things to do on the weekends.
This First Friday’s Artwalk in Downtown EC features Salvage Style Party with hosts Ray and Maureen Donnelly and Amy Finn. The event begins at 5:30 and ends at 7:30.
The Downtown Waterfront Market kicks off the season with a Opening Day Fiesta Saturday morning at Mariner’s Wharf Park at 9:00am. Get there early for the best selection of the season’s first fresh produce. Bring a nonperishable food item for the food bank for a chance to win a basket full of market goodies. Your favorite artisans from last year will be there as well as new ones. Great morning outing for the kids!
Coming up this week you can attend the Locals’ Free Week at The Currituck Beach Lighthouse and Whalehead Club from May 7th through the 12th.
Currituck and Dare County residents, homeowners, and local employees are invited to climb the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and tour the Whalehead Club for free the week of May 7-12. Climb 214 stairs to the outside gallery of the 1875 red-brick tower where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Outer Banks and the Whalehead Club. Next, tour 21,000 square feet of Art Deco design and history at the Whalehead Club. Whalehead Gallery Special: if you become a Friend of Whalehead during your visit, you receive an additional 20% in the Whalehead Club Gallery and Gift Shop that day!

Both sites are open 9am to 5pm, last tours start at 4:30pm. Bring something to show you live, own, or work here to receive free admission.

6th Annual Hog Fest in Historic Edenton

Take a drive to Edenton today and tomorrow and enjoy a weekend full of music, food and fun. The Car Show starts at 8:00 am and ends at 4:00pm. Check out the Craft Show beginning at 9:00 am. Saturday’s bands kick off with The Daniel Jordan Band at 3pm, followed by Bobby Plough, Jeanne Jolly, and ending with Out ‘N the Cold. The Corn Hole Tournament is at noon until completed. Kids’ games run from 1:00pm until 3:00pm. KCBS BBQ Competition Judging begins at 11:30am until 2:00pm. People’s Choice Judging begins at 2:00pm. Don’t miss the Car Show awards at 4pm, KCBS BBQ awards at 5pm and find out who is Corn Hole Tournament Champion.

Sunday the Craft Show opens at 9am. The Motorcycle Show is 11am to 2pm. Gospel music is Noon until 4pm with Ken Mann followed by Nita Adams. Corn Hole boards are open for everyone. Circle s Stables Pony Rides from 11am until 3pm. KCBS BBQ Competition Judging begins Noon until 2pm with People’s Choice Judging beginning at 2pm. The Motorcycle Awards are at 2pm.

Summer Art and Clay Camps

Arts of the Albemarle in Downtown Elizabeth City is thrilled to announce its 2012 Summer Art & Clay Camp program. We are offering four weeks of non-stop creative fun that will inspire your child’s creative side! For the Art Camps, the morning consists of a mixture of photography, painting, drawing, mixed media and will end with a street art project.  Taught by local art professionals, the Art Camps are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are for children ages 7-13. This year, AOA also is offering Clay Camps by Paul Foreman and John Peel. These are all afternoon camps where your children will make a variety of hand-built pieces and learn the glaze and firing process. This summer is sure to be the best year for your creative side. For more information, visit  www.artsaoa.com or click here for the summer camp flyer.  As always, please fill free to call (252) 338-6455.

By Natalie Peel

Northeast Legislative Summit

The Currituck, Edenton-Chowan, Elizabeth City Area, Gates and Perquimans County Chambers of Commerce are presenting the following speakers:  Sen. Ed Jones, Sen. Stan White, Rep. Annie Mobley, Rep. Bill Owens and Rep. Tim Spear at “State of the State and the Region”  at The Pines at Elizabeth City on Friday, April 27th at 12pm.  The region’s legislative leaders will share their thoughts on the past year’s events and look ahead to what is coming.  R.S.V.P. at http://www.elizabethcitychamber.org or call 252-335-4365 to register.  The cost is $20 and includes lunch. Please register by Wednesday, April 27th.