Wicker Chair + Spray Paint = Instant Happiness

I sat in wait, determined to find out. The answer was a bit of a surprise:It was a blue jay. And a few feet away, watching from a branch as the first bird chipped paint off a column on the porch, three companions cheered her on, as if awaiting their turns at bat.But why? Maybe Google will know.Though the original articles it refers to—from “Bird Watcher’s Digest” and Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s former me

You can order the plan, a pdf, from Wave Hill’s shop. My pairs were adapted from there–made in cedar, not pine; the arms slightly longer; the wood slightly thicker and so on–and a savvy carpenter can adjust the angle of the seat and back before screwing everything together, to be more upright or less so. Follow the plans to the letter…or have some fun with them. Order the Wave Hill chair plan by calling the Wave Hill Shop at 718.549.3200 x 249, or email jenahb at wavehill dot org.Want them painted? My expert woodworking neighbor recommends using Benjamin Moore Aura exterior on top of an oil-based primer to help stop any tannin bleed (assuming that the material is cedar, which is the best choice if you plant for long life of the chairs, or to leave them outdoors in winter). If there are knots, use oil-based Binz primer on the knots only.You may recall my recent interview

Before long Christine and I were swapping seeds, and Tom (who worked for Steinway pianos before moving upstate fulltime) found himself building things for her expanding garden.They’ll have a display of garden furnishings set up “downtown” on Copake Falls Day all day long, and Tom will be here at the garden from 1-4 as well. Want to inquire about a custom order, or reserve a pair of chairs? Try him at 518-329-5699.broken arrow plant sale, and on-hand expertsWANT TO TALK PLANTS—or maybe buy some really flashy ones? Adam Wheeler, the propagation and plant-development manager from Broken Arrow Nursery, and their perennial manager, Carl Galanter, will both be here all day hosting a giant plant sale in my driveway. Between the two of them (the three of us?) I hope there’s no Urgent Garden Question that will go unanswered.You can

Don’t know Ruth Stout? As I have written before: Long before phrases like “lasagna garden” were making the rounds of the as-yet-uninvented internet, Stout was layering all her organic materials (chopped up cornstalks, fallen leaves and such) on top of her Connecticut garden soil. The idea behind her sheet composting, as it might be called, was to thwart weeds, reduce the need for fertilizers, conserve moisture and spare herself the work of composting in a conventional heap with all the toting and turning of materials.Her no-till approach rests on the foundational principle of applying mulch, mulch and more mulch, and then simply moving it back a tiny bit each year a bit to make room for a row of seeds or seedlings. (Less soil-turning equals fewer weed seeds

Those were among readers’ and listeners’ Urgent Garden Questions this summer. Ken Druse, longtime friend and author of such beloved garden books as “The New Shade Garden” and “Making More Plants” and “Natural Companions,” helped me answer them.When Ken Druse and I taped the July 2018 Urgent Garden Question show in earlier July, my most urgent question was: Will it ever rain again? Be careful what you wish for, because it started shortly after and hasn’t really stopped, with something close to 4 inches falling in about two weeks.Read along as you listen to the July 30, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below

Adirondack chairs look great but how many cans of paint are needed for each chair?

Growing fruit trees isn’t always easy. The pests, the late freezes, and the skill necessary to prune them right can feel a bit overwhelming.It’s especially frustrating when someone

If you’re preparing to put your home on the market, you’re probably thinking of how to present your home in the best light for potential buyers. Your space should be clean, orderly, and presentable so that buyers can envision themselves making it their own, and often, homeowners are advised to skew more neutral in their design schemes. However, according to beloved virtual real estate marketplace Zillow, that’s not exactly the only advice anymore.

This craft is loaded with charm, sturdy and perfect for a garden that looks like something out of a fairy tale. And it started with an old tomato cage!

One of the most viewed chemistry tips post on Chemistry Cachet is this homemade weed killer (link in blog post below). Readers love how effective and easy it is to make. I have also used it to kill bugs! It works amazing to kill ants especially.

This past weekend I was able to do a little hocus pocus and turned an old, dilapidated iron bench and table thingy into a pretty magical chair and ottoman. This set was generously given to me by a good friend. (Thank you, Kirk!)

For this tutorial, I'm excited to show you another way to rust metal! This method is great for large steel/metal objects that you cannot soak (see my other metal rusting tutorial for smaller items). I used it forthese AWESOME steel planter boxes from DIYCartel. They come in raw steel and are gorgeous as is… but you know me… I like everything rusted to perfection! Here's a picture of the «after», so you can see what I mean!