September 2011

The green movement is encouraging more and more people to change parts of their lives in a positive way. Living sustainably benefits both you and the world around you. A sustainable option that many people do not know about is companion planting. Companion planting is the planting of different crops in close proximity because they are beneficial to each other. Some aid as pesticides, some help with pollination, and some help with productivity. By using companion planting, you can hopefully eliminate or reduce the need for chemical pesticides or fertilizer by utilizing nature’s own versions. Here are a few common and extra-helpful plants to use as companion plants.

Marigolds

Marigolds are the wunderkind of the plant world. The golden blooms are beneficial to practically all other plants; the exceptions are Brussels sprouts, beans, and cabbage plants. Tomatoes see special value from being near marigolds. The flowers produce a pesticide from their roots. This works to keep out beetles, eelworms, nematodes, and other pests. It can even be effective to stop the growth of some weeds.

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We all know that remodeling a kitchen is harder than having it built in the first place. There are certain important things you need to consider before starting your remodeling project.

A qualified kitchen remodeling contractor will often walk you through the entire process, but it is always better to understand what you’re getting into first.

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In older houses, faulty, old windows can account for a third of the total heat loss in winter and as much as 75 percent of interior heat gain in summer. If you have old, leaky windows, replacing them will cost you money up front, but in a few years they’ll have paid for themselves. You‘ll save so much on your energy bills, your new windows will not have cost you a dime.

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This time of year, termites are a big problem for many homeowners. Experts say, you need to be aware of what’s going on in your yard. Any wood in contact with soil can be attractive to termites. It’s unusual for them to infest mulch, but it can happen.

Instead, termites are more likely to attack decaying stumps or fallen limbs that contain large pieces of dead wood. As long as you keep the wood-based mulch a foot or so away from the house’s foundation, you should be able to see any mud tunnels that termites would make as they cross the barren zone.

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If you’ve looked around your neighborhood, you can see that there are a lot of homes for sale. 2011 is a new year for the housing market and many real estate experts seem to be hopeful yet cautious. In order to recover, it is well known that jobs are the key. Without job creation, homeowners will continue to face foreclosure and won’t be able to qualify for a home purchase.

With inventory levels still high, housing in 2011 will not recover unless consumers have the jobs and confidence to grab up the excess. Local real estate experts say a full recovery is not likely. Unfortunately, there are too many people without jobs and lending standards are still too stringent.

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