Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Drought

Watering in drought conditions...just a good reminder!

Perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs and lawn all need about an inch of water a week to stay green and healthy. But it's best to water once a week, deeply, instead of several times a week, especially in times of drought. This helps the plants to develop deep root systems, as well as lessening water loss through evaporation.
In drought conditions, the least important thing to water is the lawn; although it will brown out, the grass will simply go dormant to await wetter times. Concentrate instead on your other plants, like trees and shrubs, which are highly susceptible to drought damage. A heavy coating of mulch such as pine bark will also be very helpful in conserving water and lightening the demand on your well.

Monday, February 10, 2014

6 Reasons Why the Young Don’t Dig Antiques





....loved this reader's reply!

I have been collecting since I was 19. I’m 50 now. I have two antique booths and a vintage clothing spot. My son who is almost 11 wasn’t really interested until I took him to a garage sale and I told him this ‘I will give you $20.00 – you go find something you think would sell in one of my booths and I will give you what we make off of it minus the costs incurred’. WOW, did that peak his interest.
His first item was a set of two bubble glass wood frames in perfect condition. He bought the set for $30.00 (ok he went over his $20 budget, but I new he couldn’t pass these up – it was such a GOOD pick for his first time). He recently sold them for $98.00 for the set. They lasted about three weeks in the shop. I went through the cost of the item and the percentage our store is entitled to (Curiosities in Beaverton, Oregon) along with a small percentage mom takes to pay for the booth. Once all the math was settled he received $54.00. He was so jazzed he decided to call himself L’il Picker.
We had a sign made and he now has a shelf at Curiosities where he displays and sells his items he finds at local garage and estate sales. I not only found a way to get him interested (and hooked), he’s also learning the business side of things. So much better than playing video games.