DIY

Everyday Life: February 2015

April 24, 2015 by

Another month, another snowy jaunt down the A9…

Snow on the A9

I was also back in London to hang out with some our lovely Up & Running Alumni members to celebrate the book coming out, including a DIY 5K that began in front of Buckingham Palace (Rhi and I had planned the route at Christmas).

Julia left Jennie and I in charge of her son Evan for a couple of hours. First act of child minding: “Climb up on that lion, kid!”

Now here’s the Neighbour Cat photo of the month.

I like to think she was dreaming of being a dancer in the Thriller video…

There were glimmers of sunshine amongst the grim and grey. This was from a walk on the Black Isle, not far from the brewery.

I loved the second paragraph of this unsubscribe email. When I’m looking for airport parking I’m looking for the bargain of a lifetime!

The lovely in-laws Mary and David came up for a visit. I took them to the Botanic Gardens to contemplate the cactii, which I like to do when it’s maximum miserable outside.

ORRIGHT LADS? HOW’S IT GOIN’?

I’m sorry this is such an uninspired update! Aside from London, February was a real zombie of a month. I’ll make a better effort to open my eyes in March!

Growing Great Grass: The Gardening Challenge!

January 18, 2015 by Blog Editor

Some people plant fruits and veggies and some people plant grass. The amount of care, concern and sheer back-breaking labor many people put into growing grass is impressive, and it takes a particular kind of gardening skill to grow that coveted emerald green, perfectly uniform lawn to which so many suburbanites aspire. In this article, we will discuss some of the top tips to help you keep up with the Jones’ and have a great lawn.

Choosing the right kind of grass is of the utmost importance. You must pay close attention to factors other than appearance. One of the most important of these is soil. Have your soil tested and choose a type of grass that is most likely to do well in the soil you have. Otherwise, you will spend a great deal of time and money on soil amendments to create the perfect soil for your grass.

Even when you choose just the right grass for your area, you will need to prepare your soil carefully for a uniform appearance. Your yards should be tilled and leveled for a nice, smooth surface upon which to sow your grass seed or sod. Be sure to remove rocks and stones now so that you will not discover them with your mower blades or by spraining your ankle in the future.

Apply a good fertilizer, such as calcium-rich lime, to your soil in an even manner. Rake it in with a fine-toothed rake and then tap the soil all over to create a nice smooth surface. Don’t tap too hard. You want to soil to remain receptive to root growth. You may want to go over it again (lightly) with your rake to create a welcoming surface for your seed or sod.

You can sow your seed by hand or use a seed distributor that you push. Get good, even seed coverage to prevent bare spots and openings for opportunistic weeds. Once you have your seed in place, toss out a light layer of mulched straw or peat moss and provide a good watering with a sprinkler. All of these steps work together to give your seed a good start and help it sink into the soil so the birds can’t get it.

Of course, if you choose to install sod instead of planting seed, your job is a little different and a lot harder. Be sure to order your sod from a reputable company that guarantees no pests or poisons in the sod. Rolling it out is hard work, and you will really need a roller to press it down into the ground for good root contact. Overall, for a homeowner, seeding a lawn is preferable to DIY sod installation.

Your grass seed should be watered gently and thoroughly a couple of times a week until it really takes hold. Once it is well-established, it’s best to water a couple of inches about once a week. This will encourage deeper root growth and hardier grass.

When you follow the tips presented here, you can produce a beautiful lawn that will be the envy of all your neighbors.

Farewell to the Brown House

December 25, 2014 by Blog Editor

Last Friday we handed the keys of the Brown House to its new owners. After very smelly beginnings we loved that place in all its 1970s glory. But much has changed since 2009 so it was time to pass the brown baton. Apparently the new owners plan to do all the Someday things – replace the aged kitchen, bathroom, stairs… and put in an en-suite! Looks like they have no need for a bedroom beer cellar.

We paid a visit to finalise things and camped out in the living room for old times’ sake. We narrowed down our favourite Brown House memories. Mine: the time Gareth was putting up curtains and the curtain rod slipped from his grasp and donked him right on the head. He was so infuriated that he chucked the screwdriver across the room where it donked the light switch plate, smashing it in half and giving him twice as many DIY jobs to complete.

His happiest memory was the time I got up early one morning to go down to the loo. I somehow slipped and went down the stairs on my arse with a cartoony CLONK CLONK CLONK CLONK CLONK BANG.

Rhiannon was staying over at the time and both she and Gareth rushed out of their rooms to find me in a crumpled heap on the floor. After quickly establishing I was fine, they howled and howled with laughter as the sound + crumpled heap combo was apparently all too much. To this day Gareth only has to say, “Remember Shauna… the stairs?” and Rhi instantly splutters, “Those clonks! That crumpled pile of Shauna!” as tears of mirth stream down her face.

Maybe your fondest family memories aren’t based on the misfortunes of others, but slapstick is timeless for us!

Anyway. To mark this life transition I wanted to gather some less painful memories…

This Artex. If you stared at the ceiling long enough… self-hypnosis.

The time that Gareth found a typewriter at the tip and spent months restoring it so we could type stupid notes.

The time the little girls next door gave me this classy manicure. They’d set up a beauty parlour on the street and it only set me back 20p.

Also, this lush green crop in the field behind the house that made a satisfying swishy sound in the wind.

The moment each year when the bluebells arrived in the woods up the road.

Our gardening efforts were patchy… we never could top the huge ass parsnips of 2010!

Strawberry wine experiment + always reliable pea shoots.

After the initial de-stinkification efforts we never got around to much decorating, aside from painting the dining room BLUE, as Gareth explains here in an attempted Aussie accent.

That time he photobombed the tiny Christmas tree.