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Stories Tagged - Home & garden
July 04, 2024 | CREB
Home maintenance tips for the summer
The summer season is an excellent opportunity to take care of home maintenance. If you don’t know where to start, we have a list of tasks to prepare it for the rest of the season and the chilly months that follow.
Feb. 28, 2018 | Barb Livingstone
The road to right-sizing
At the age of 22, Vancouver actor Todd Talbot bought his first home, paying his mortgage with the help of a rent-paying friend.
It was a unique occurrence among his theatre colleagues.
"(As an actor) you don't make a ton of money and you are pretty transient," said Talbot, who, as a teenager, appeared on the Hillside TV series with fellow Vancouverite and current Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Reynolds.
However, it was this initial foray into real estate – $190,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo two blocks from Kitsilano Beach – that sparked Talbot's second career as an entrepreneur, leveraging one piece of property for another, and then another, and eventually leading to ownership of several real estate companies.
Aug. 02, 2017 | Donna Balzer
August in the garden
Gardening tips as summer winds downAugust in the garden means the harvest is underway, but everything in the garden isn't ready in the same way or on the same day. Here is a primer for garden work this month:
July 13, 2017 | Donna Balzer
Gimme shelter
Shelterbelts provide a variety of benefits for country homeownersThe phrase "eat dirt" probably came from a country dweller without a shelterbelt.
When people move to the country, the first problem they often encounter is wind. Thankfully, a shelterbelt can solve that.
Outside the shelterbelt's protective boundary, it's the Wild West. But inside, the shelterbelt provides a cozy spot where flowerpots don't blow away and dust doesn't find its way into your eyes and mouth. The benefits don't stop there either. With a well-planned shelterbelt, falling snow will pile up on your lawn, instead of in the middle of your driveway.
May 18, 2017 | Donna Balzer
Back garden oasis
There is no need to leave town with a garden retreat in your back yard
Together with her husband Bruce, Linda converted a back yard shed into a retreat – a cabin retreat.
"You gotta have a cabin in the back yard," said Linda, my neighbour.
March 16, 2017 | Donna Balzer
From oil to soil
Boost your soil, save your back and protect the environment this spring with biochar
Al Chomica, formerly from Calgary, is explaining to me over the phone how biochar, a new garden product he is testing, holds both minerals and soil life firmly. He has been making biochar for years, but this spring he is excited to try a new commercial source.
Biochar, a natural long-lasting form of soil humus, is created from burning organic matter in a low-oxygen environment. It is not wood ash. It is the hard part left over after the fire. Chomica says it stockpiles food in the soil, saves your back and will improve the world.
March 01, 2017 | Donna Balzer
Grass for Roscoe
Even our feline friends enjoy the taste of freshly grown greens"Hey guess what Anne? I grew some cat grass for Roscoe!"
I was calling my friend ahead of my flight to Calgary and was just so excited. In just five days the cat grass seeds I'd planted had sprouted in their little four-inch pot and were now ready to eat. It was a special treat I was hoping my friend's cat would enjoy.
Feb. 16, 2017 | Donna Balzer
How much would you pay for a home grown tomato?
Hamlet tomatoes don't come cheap, but store well
My daughter was the first to notice I paid $12.95 for Hamlet tomato seeds.
And as she looked over my shoulder at the price, I was embarrassed. I admitted I ordered them without price checking and I wondered: would these seeds really be worth three times the price of every other seed?
Aug. 22, 2016 | Miles Durie
Summer tech
Ahh, summer in the city. What a great time to be a homeowner, right? Step out your door and survey your domain, listen to the birds, smell the flowers and greenery — then plan your evening barbecue.But wait. There's a flipside to all that. Did you water the lawn and garden? Does it need mowing before you can enjoy it? Better get it done, because tonight you're going to have to hover over the grill to make sure your steaks are done to perfection, while your friends and family enjoy the results of your backyard labour.
Well, we all know technology can't solve every problem, but it can certainly help reduce the stress and time you devote to looking after your outdoor living space.
March 24, 2016 | Donna Balzer
What is your garden style?
