Home & Yard Handbook

Hello May!!! We are in full swing of the season we call Spring! I just wish by now I could say Goodbye to having my heat on in the house.  There have been a couple of days I have turned it off, only to wake up the next morning with it 62 in the house.  My family is tough but our pet birds are the ones that are shivering!  I am hoping that as the month warms up we can turn the heat off for good.  It has been great to get outside so far and work in the yard.  

Everything is starting to bloom and come up.  You can start fertilizing your shrubs, now is the time for your azaleas. I read that you can put lime around them to make them more pink, or an acid for a blue color.  I am going to try that this year, I will let you know how it works for mine.  I am going to hold off until after memorial weekend to put any annuals in the ground.  My grandmother was an avid gardener and always said to wait until then because of the risk of frost before then.  It is important to start watering what is up if we are not getting enough rain.  If you do have anything planted early and we are at risk of frost, you can cover the plants with newspaper to protect them over night.

This month the Lilac Festival will be going on from May 8-17.  It is always enjoyable to get down to Highland Park and stroll through the hills.  Especially if you catch a warm day with a breeze, the aroma from the lilac bushes is great. There is also a good line up of live music. 

I would also like to invite everyone to check out agreenroof.com website. Home & Yard has teamed up with George Irwin from Green Roof Technologies, the City of Rochester and many others to bring a living wall to Rochester.  It will be located downtown at the Public Market.  If you view the website you will be able to understand a little more what exactly a “living wall” is. It is going to be one of the largest edible walls in the country that will supply food cupboards in our city.  We are in need of volunteers to help, if anyone can donate some time for the assembly or tending of plants please contact us at 227-9970, we will be providing more information and putting together a volunteer list. The finished project will be in June, so there is a lot that is going to need to get done.

We will document the progress as it begins on our websites, homeandyardhandbook.com and homeandyardradio.com.  

Thank you for your continued support and Happy Spring!!!!!!

April is finally here and after a very gray winter I am happy to say that as I sit here typing this up, the sun is shining brightly through the windows. I seem to be one of those people that are much happier and eager to get my day started at 6:30 when I am greeted by the sun instead of the darkness in the house during winter. I am also sharing an excitement with my two small boys’ that I usually don’t understand, to get outside and play in the dirt!!  The beginning of spring I can say that getting outside and starting in my garden is play.  I am sure that at the start of fall my tune will change and I might call it work.  But being cooped up inside all winter, I long to get dirty!  This month starts a lot of preparing your garden and figuring out how you want it to look.  If you have any large trees or shrubs to relocate you still can before the end of the month.  It is also a good time to divide perennials such as iris, daylilies, chrysanthemums and daisies. You can move them to a new part of your garden or share them with a friend.  You can plant your seeded flowers such as asters, zinnias and marigolds.  Mix the fertilizer with a little peat moss and manure.  Make sure anything that is relocated is watered throughout the month. 

This issue has some articles that will help you get a jump start on your spring chores.  Learn about inspecting and seeding your lawn in the Yard & Garden column. And before cleaning the inside of your house with harmful chemicals, read about some natural products to use in the Living Greener column. Reducing the amount of chemicals that are used inside the home will improve your quality of air and help with your allergies and asthmatic family members. From the Ground Up, our columnist Carm Santora gives us some advice on protecting yourself from contractor rip-offs. 

I want to take this time to welcome one of our new columnists, Kate Siwik.  Invisible Fence is sponsoring her new article every month, Princess’ Pet Corner.  Kate is employed with Invisible Fence and is an expert on behavioral training. Each month she will be bringing us pet lover’s valuable information that will help us with our family pet’s.   

April 22nd is Earth Day.  Monroe County and Maggie Brooks are holding a computer recycling day on April 21st.  It is by appointment only.  Call 753-7600(option 3) Drop off is at the Monroe County Transfer Station.  When you call they will send you the information that you need.  You can also learn more at monroecounty.gov.  Consider recycling and keeping the electronics out of the landfills. 

Be sure to visit Eastview Mall on April 25th for their Be Green and Glamorous celebration filled with all types of green ideas, products and ways to recycle. Many of our advertisers will be on hand with their green products and services.

I want to wish everyone a safe and sun filled month of fresh air!  I also want to share a poem that each year is sent by my friends Doug and Yo Miller along with their Easter egg hunt invitation.  It is a great kick-off to Spring!

In every culture, there are those who can tell a story, make a child laugh, fly a kite, speak to the animals, listen to the trees, catch a fish, feel the heart beat of the earth, dance in bare feet, ride a unicycle, smile with their eyes, or greet a stranger with an open heart.  As the ice recedes from the land, and the breeze across the great water softens, these people will gather on shore, lean into the westward wind, lift their faces to the sun and ……CHANT FOR SPRING!!!

March has arrived!!! I am not going to complain about our winter because I do not think it was that bad.  It also might not be over! But I truly hope it is.  I long for the warm sun on my face and to be able to take a walk without a hat on. The days are growing longer and the sun is visiting us more. Taking a walk around my yard today, I noticed some trees are starting to bud and perennials are beginning to pop out of the ground.  I started to get excited about being able to get outside and WORK IN MY GARDEN SOON!  I think that the signs of Spring put a lot of us in a great mood. I know I am always happier when the sun is shining. 

 One way that you can really enjoy what this next season has to offer is visiting the GardenScape show at the Dome Center on March 12-15.  Tickets are available at Wegmans.  The minute you walk into the door you smell the flowers. The theme is Gardens Of Eden…an Oasis for the soul.  The theme says everything you can expect to experience.  You can have the chance to escape the grey, cold weather and walk into a warm climate surrounded by flowers, trees and ponds.  You will forget you are in the month of March.  It is also a chance to see what new plants are out and get some great landscaping ideas.  There will be many professionals on hand to answer your questions and offer great ideas.  It is not too early to plan what you will be doing in your garden this year.  You can also get a chance to decide which Landscaper you might want to use by viewing their work.  

This issue has a lot of great yard information.  Ontrac Equipment, our cover feature, can help you get your shed ready for Spring.  After reading the great story that our Sally Baccetta wrote on P.4-5, you will find yourself wanting to take a drive to one of Ontrac’s five locations.  The staff is great and can help you to find the right item for your yard.  

Carm Santora also has included a great article on trimming trees on P.13.  

So get out in the garage or your shed, take inventory of your yard tools, get yourself a new pair of garden gloves(three if you go through them like me) and take a deep breath, we will be outside hopefully before the next issue!

This issue is dedicated to the BCB Home Fair Expo that is the weekend of February 27, 28 and March 1.  We have had a very cold winter and the past couple of months been stuck in our houses trying to stay warm.  If everyone is like myself, you have been looking around the inside of your house trying to target your next project or remodeling job to do.  Or maybe this Spring you are finally going to re-do your kitchen or bathroom.  It is hard to decide what business or contractor to call when you need to hire one.  By attending the BCB Home Fair Expo the end of this month, you can do all your research under one roof.  There will be over 200 contractors and businesses that you can stop and see, look at samples, and find answers to all of your questions.  There is also a weekend of FREE seminars that could help you out with your remodeling projects. 

In this issue we have put together a collective group of remodeling articles.  There is also great information on applying for a mortagage that can help you save money.  And Ralph Honda Pontiac is Doing it Right again, by providing us with a great green tip for our vehicles.  I think from the information in the tip it is safe for me to say that I have won the disagreement between my husband and myself over how long is it necessary to warm up your vehicle before driving in the cold weather.  (I knew I was right!)  Please stop by and see us at the BCB show, myself, Len and Brenna the Fixie Chick will be at our booth #257.

We hope you enjoy this issue and take the time to get out of the house and support your local contractors and economy by attending this year’s B.C.B. Home Fair Expo at the Dome Center. We are very fortunate to have such an organization in our area and the fact that they have been providing Rochester with such a wonderful show for 25 years is amazing in itself.

Deanna