Take a look at your insulation. Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated. f you have less that 7” of fiberglass or 6” of cellulous insulation you could benefit from more. The ZIP Code Insulation Calculator is a very useful web-based tool. It can be found at EnergySavers.gov and as the name suggests, you enter your ZIP code and it will tell you the amount of insulation recommended for your area. One of the most cost effective ways to make your home more comfortable year round is to add insulation to your attic, since it minimizes both heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
Crawl spaces are often overlooked when it comes to insulation. To address moisture concerns, the best type of insulation to use in crawl spaces or similar areas is a bubble wrap type. This type of insulation looks very much like bubble wrap you use when shipping packages, but it has a foil coating on one side. It gets stapled to the underside of the floor joists with the foil side facing up. Not only does it keep cold air from coming up through the floor, it also will reflect any heat that is lost through the floor back up into your living space.
Duct work that is not insulated and runs through an unheated space, such as an attic, basement or crawl space, and leaky duct work can be other major sources of heat loss. You can loose a lot of heated air before it reaches the register if your duct work is not insulated and it runs through an unheated space.
Other energy savings measures include programmable thermostats, thermal window coverings, compact florescent light bulbs and power strips to eliminate phantom loads.
A programmable thermostat can save 10% per year in heating and cooling cost. Why run your heater or air conditioner all day if you’re not home? Lowering your water heater to 120°F can save a considerable amount of energy. Insulated curtains or blinds will minimize heat loss in the winter and block the sun in the summer.
Toads
Add toad houses to any garden to attract toads for natural pest control. Ordinary toads become plant protectors just by hopping into the garden. They may not be pretty, but toads eat plenty of bugs, so you'll be glad to see them.
To encourage toads to come to live in your garden, try the following:
- Put several broken clay pots in the garden for toads to hide under.
- Water when the ground gets dry to keep the environment pleasant for amphibians.
- Avoid spraying toxic chemicals on the garden.
- Watch out for toads when tilling, hoeing, or shoveling.
grow your own herbs
Basil, thyme, oregano, sage, and parsley are great herbs for beginning gardeners. Place your plants in a spot where they'll receive at least five hours of sunlight. Keep the soil moist and enjoy homegrown herbs all year long.
How to Produce More Flowers
To encourage your perennials and annuals to produce more flowers for the season - deadhead the flower blossoms as soon as they fade or wilt.
Boiling Water = Dead Weeds
Fill a teakettle with water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling water on each weed. By the next day you will have a very dead weed.
This is a free, non-toxic, effective way to kill weeds that can be repeated as needed without fear of toxic exposure.
Raise the Roof
How do you take your garden to new heights? Try putting it on a balcony, a deck or even a rooftop.
If you have some unused real estate on a deck, balcony or rooftop, why not make the most of it with a rooftop garden?
Although your rooftop may or may not have a lot of space on it, you can put pots, plants, soil, furniture or a fountain on it. But first consider how much weight you can put up there.
There are ways to go about creating a beautiful rooftop garden without all the weight. If concrete pots are too heavy for your roof, plastic and foam containers are readily available. Fill them with lightweight potting soil so they won't be so heavy. To make sure the pots drain properly, consider setting them an inch or two off the floor.
Rocks at the bottom of the pot are another way to ensure good drainage, but if weight is an issue on this balcony, consider empty soda cans or water bottles. The same thing goes with potting soil. Adding perlite or vermiculite to the soil mix lightens the load considerably. You can also buy pre-mixed lightweight potting soils.
Other rooftop-gardening tips:
~ If you're looking to hide an unsightly roof and want privacy from nosy neighbors, screen unwanted views and viewers with fast-growing clumping bamboo. Many cultivars are evergreen and range in size from about one to 20 feet tall.
~ Know how much sun and shade the area gets and plant accordingly. Pots in shady spots need plants that like shady spots.
~ To create your own private sanctuary, block out noise from the street below with a fountain.
~ Outdoor rugs are a wonderful way to add color to an outdoor room. They're stain and mildew resistant and won't fade from the hot sun.
~ When considering furniture options, opt for cast aluminum which is extremely durable and lightweight.
If you have some unused real estate on a deck, balcony or rooftop, why not make the most of it with a rooftop garden?
Although your rooftop may or may not have a lot of space on it, you can put pots, plants, soil, furniture or a fountain on it. But first consider how much weight you can put up there.
There are ways to go about creating a beautiful rooftop garden without all the weight. If concrete pots are too heavy for your roof, plastic and foam containers are readily available. Fill them with lightweight potting soil so they won't be so heavy. To make sure the pots drain properly, consider setting them an inch or two off the floor.
Rocks at the bottom of the pot are another way to ensure good drainage, but if weight is an issue on this balcony, consider empty soda cans or water bottles. The same thing goes with potting soil. Adding perlite or vermiculite to the soil mix lightens the load considerably. You can also buy pre-mixed lightweight potting soils.
Other rooftop-gardening tips:
~ If you're looking to hide an unsightly roof and want privacy from nosy neighbors, screen unwanted views and viewers with fast-growing clumping bamboo. Many cultivars are evergreen and range in size from about one to 20 feet tall.
~ Know how much sun and shade the area gets and plant accordingly. Pots in shady spots need plants that like shady spots.
~ To create your own private sanctuary, block out noise from the street below with a fountain.
~ Outdoor rugs are a wonderful way to add color to an outdoor room. They're stain and mildew resistant and won't fade from the hot sun.
~ When considering furniture options, opt for cast aluminum which is extremely durable and lightweight.
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