New York Renovator

How to Keep an Old House Cool in the Summer

27. May 2011

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. before the 1970s malaise and even before the Industrial Revolution, most homeowners focused more on keeping their homes cool in the summer than warm in the winter. Back then, wood and coal were plenteous, and labor was cheap (not to mention that families had dozens of kids [...]

Activities For Kids

2. February 2011

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We’ve had tons of snow days this year. When I was a kid, we ran wild outdoors and in the neighborhood. Times have certainly changed; parents, including this one, are more hesitant to let their children meander aimlessly down the streets. Communities have built structured activities and activity groups for kids. Problem is, finding these [...]

Gardening Update

3. July 2010

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I have been as negligent of my gardens this year as I have been about blogging about them. Thank God, plants require very little care and attention. Unfortunately, the weeds also thrive on negligence. :-p But it looks like my vegetables are holding their own. The snow peas are on the brink of harvesting (I [...]

Yes… MORE Garden Photos

8. August 2009

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I hope you’re not sick and tired of garden photos. Because I’m surely not tired of taking them! I could gaze at them for hours. So I feel compelled to inflict you, as well, muahahaha! This is the time when everything finally bursts into color. Because I use only perennials and late-flowering shrubs in my [...]

My Blue Hydrangeas Won’t Bloom!

7. August 2009

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I’ve had these Nikko Blue Hydrangea plants for YEARS. They bloomed the first two years, and after that, NOTHING. I cannot figure it out. One Plant Guy told me to cut them down in autumn, and new blooms would appear in the spring. Nothing. Another Plant Guy told me to leave the shrubs alone (no [...]

Miscellaneous Gorgeous Garden Photos

2. August 2009

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My gardens always come into beautiful bloom about this time of year. Here are my pride and joy– the gorgeous Stargazer Lily. The scent is knock-off-your-socks heavenly. The Asian lilies are beautiful, too. Here is my beloved Secret Garden on full bloom, finally! Mandeville plant with Black-Eyed Susans. My first year with grapes are doing [...]

Weed Hacking and Building Gardens

25. July 2009

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This yard, where half of it is gravel beneath turf, and the other half is completely waterlogged, is very difficult to cultivate. When we bought the place, it was horribly overgrown. It has been a decade of hacking, digging, sweating, screaming, and crying to plant ANYTHING here. The good thing is that we are old [...]

Adding to Our Walkway!

16. July 2009

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We FINALLY got a break in the clouds and rain, enabling us to continue building our Secret Garden walkway. So far, we’ve done this in three stages. This year, we busted sod and removed a good-sized portion of the lawn, adding to this garden. And this allowed us to continue our concrete walkway. It’s looking [...]

Beautiful Gardens

13. July 2009

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Because I have perennial gardens, everything is still green. My gardens really don’t come into blooming fruition until mid- to late-July. It doesn’t help that I have a lot of blue and purple plants, too: Butterfly Bush, Blue Hydrangea, Veronica, Blue Rose of Sharon, Russian Sage, Purple Coneflower, etc etc, which tend to be late-bloomers. [...]

Archive | summer RSS feed for this section

How to Keep an Old House Cool in the Summer

Activities For Kids

Gardening Update

Yes… MORE Garden Photos

My Blue Hydrangeas Won’t Bloom!

Miscellaneous Gorgeous Garden Photos

Weed Hacking and Building Gardens

Adding to Our Walkway!

Beautiful Gardens

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