Pop Goes Your Energy Bill!

When we remodeled our kitchen, I was shocked to see what was behind the drywall supporting our cabinets and appliances: nothing. Our old house has what’s called “balloon framing,” which means, once the drywall is taken out, you see the 2 x 4 boards spaced every 18 inches or so apart - and that’s about it.

This surprised me: first, because the kitchen was re-done in the last 20 years and I thought this cheap construction went out of style - and building codes - before then. This is a bad idea with harsh Chicago winters and sticky summers as they may have little or no insulation in the walls, or just in a small area, as we found in our case. (Nice use of styrofoam).

It also surprised me because it was a kitchen - where you have pipes, electrical lines and food. The first two should be covered or protected so they don’t spark or leak or freeze. We found uncapped live wires in our wall that sent this daughter of an electrician into a bit of a panic.

When I saw the results of the third item, FOOD, I was equally aghast. Balloon framing PLUS kitchen plus old house equals EEEK!! The builders made it easy for mice to find their way up the walls and underneath the stove, where they chowed and partied on a regular basis. My cats had tried to tell me about the mice and I had ignored them, but the evidence was clear, and gross.

I wondered where this type of construction started, expecting some warm climate city or country. Nope. According to wikipedia, this style of building was also known as “Chicago construction,” as it was popularized in my home city in the 19th century. I’d hoped we had learned better by the 1980’s but by the looks of my house, I was wrong.

Balloon framing is still used today because it IS cheap. I was right about that! This construction method uses 2”x4” or 2x6” studs along the walls every 16 inches (or 18 or 20 inches, it’s changed over the years). Besides being cheap it’s easy, so DIY’ers can build homes or additions. The major downsides are that fires move through the walls easily - and so do other things such as cold air and mice coming in from the cold.

Old House Web, says the term was originally derogatory, meaning it was so light, it could blow away in a breeze. Many balloon-framed buildings have survived 75 or more years, including my 110 year-old home. The method is still used today but has become less popular due to fire hazards. If you know Chicago’s history, you may find it ironic that construction type is associated with this city (hint: Great Chicago Fire).

As we cleared out the old kitchen, I wanted to know what could be done to fix this open-air balloon issue so we didn’t get unwanted guests or cold air (or fire!) going forward. I also looked online to see what we could do that was good insulation, and green.

Orange blown-in insulation sealed kitchen

Fine Home Building suggested 2 strategies: blowing in insulation between the studs into the air cavities. Our contractor used the “orange” colored version of this material in our kitchen (right) so no more mouse in our house (or kitchen, at least!). It came out of foam cans - bright orange - and hardened to seal in just a few minutes.

The other suggestion was to have a weatherization professional come out to do a home assessment for the entire building and recommend proper sealing and insulation methods. My next step: a Home Energy Assessment.

Re-cycling: old Huffy heads to Honduras*

1990's era Huffy bike

Yesterday I said goodbye to an old friend. We first got together in Houston in the early 90’s, and took some fun and scary rides on tough Texas streets before we returned to the Midwest. A few years ago, I got a new all terrain Trek for my birthday. Poor old Huffy didn’t stand a chance next to this comfy cruiser - and was left to gather dust in the basement. 

It was full of cobwebs, heavier than today's bikes, and the tires were flat, but was still "ride-able."

I thought visiting family or friends would take her out once in a while, but that didn’t happen. And it seemed wrong to keep the old bike and not put it to use, so I called Working Bikes and asked them to give Huffy a new home.

Working Bikes repairs and donates bikes to individuals that need transportation in the U.S. and about a dozen countries in Central and South America and Africa.

The organization donates 6,000 bikes every year and has a map of where the bikes have gone so far.

There are drop-off sites around the city and lots of upcoming bike drives (collections, not rides) as Working Bikes is in full Spring Bike Drive mode right now. 

I hit the jackpot: Omar would be in my neighborhood the very next day and could pick up the bike. He gave me his cell number and a time frame, then called the next day when he was on his way. It couldn't have been easier - and I didn't have to even try to squeeze the bike into the back of my car.

As promised, Omar pulled up in his small pickup truck and I handed over my old Huffy. I got a donation receipt and found out my bike would go on the next shipment of 500 bikes to Central America. I like knowing that my bike will find new life abroad and help someone get around in El Salvador (*well, relatively close to Honduras). 

If you have old (or not so old) bikes you no longer use, reach out to Working Bikes via email at donations@workingbikes.org or call the store at  773 – 847 – 5440 --- and get those wheels out of your basement and ‘back on the road,’ where they belong.

Home Energy *JUMPSTART*

Showerheads, aerators & lightbulbs, oh my!

                      

Already this year, I've found ways to conserve water and energy use in our home - and save money too. I've been shocked to find a lot of free programs to help Chicagoans become more efficient - and I'm exploring them one by one.

We got a water meter installed with Chicago's MeterSave program, so we pay for water we actually use in our home now instead of a flat fee based on square footage. Our first month's bill - until we're on the regular bi-monthly schedule - was only $12!!

Last week, we got our FREE rain barrel, for joining the MeterSave program. I can't wait until it's warm enough to hook that up. More snow is in the forecast tonight so it may be a while before I'm outside gardening again.

Luckily, there are more things I can do INSIDE to conserve, so fear not!

In a previous post, I mentioned a joint program of People's Gas and ComEd called a "Home Energy Jumpstart" - in which homeowners can get energy- and water-saving products installed, for free, in their Chicago area homes or condos. 

Although I was skeptical, I set up an appointment to check it out first-hand. Even with 6 new inches of snow on the scheduled day, the 2-man crew showed up on time with identification badges in a People's Gas vehicle. They even covered their shoes so they didn't track in (nice).

The 2 guys work for a company called Franklin Energy, which is contracted by the utility companies to do the Home Energy Jumpstart installations, and they were professional, courteous and knew their stuff. As we walked through the house, Alex filled out assessment forms, noting the type and condition of our heating and air conditioning units, water heater, insulation, refrigerator and freezer.

Their supplies included: showerheads, faucet aerators, programmable thermostats, compact-flourescent lightbulbs (CFL's) and pipe insulation. Because our furnace is a steam boiler system, I was told it was not compatible so we didn't get a programmable thermostat. I'll have to look into that later, but steam heat has its own special requirements.

Downstairs, Alex checked the boiler and hot water heater, all in good condition and recently serviced, and said all the pipes were well insulated. He noted that steam pipes get hotter than pipes for other types of heating systems and require pipe insulation rated over 220 (degrees, I'm assuming) for steam, compared to 180 rating for other pipes. Good to know.

Our kitchen got the green light, with all new, efficient appliances and faucet from our recent rehab. Our main floor (half) bathroom was fine as is, with a low water flow faucet to match the tiny sink (8-inch bowl). We didn't test a low-flow faucet aerator because it was not the standard size faucet opening - so one size aerator does not fit all faucets, apparently. 

Upstairs in our main bathroom we hit pay dirt on all 3 items: showerhead, handheld showerhead and faucet. This bathroom faucet used to pour a LOT of water into the bowl, much more than needed to wash hands. Switching the aerator, the silver ring at the end of the spout, means that about one-half of the amount of water comes out now. 

Our old faucet may have used up to 3 gallons of water per minute, but an average faucet uses 2.2 gallons of water per minute, according to the EPA. Changing to a low-flow aerator can reduce faucet flow 30%, down to 1.5 gallons per minute. It's a noticeable difference and since we mostly use this sink for washing (hands, teeth, etc.), this should add up. 

Faucet aerator

 
One note: once you have aerators in place, it's not as easy to fill up water pitchers or mop buckets. I'm just learning to do other things as the room humidifier fills up that we use in our bedroom at night. It's a minor adjustment. 

After learning about the EPA's water efficiency program, WaterSense, I was disappointed the showerheads did NOT have WaterSense labels. The EPA tests and certifies that products meet performance and efficiency standards - but I decided to test these products out for myself anyways.

We replaced the showerheads in both upstairs bathrooms while the other technician from Franklin Energy switched out lightbulbs throughout the home to CFL's. In the end, he changed out 6 bulbs, because we already had quite a few CFL's and some light fixtures have unique bulbs that can't fit normal CFL or incandescent bulbs. 

This energy-efficiency 1.5 gpm showerhead uses less water than traditional showerheads, which means you'll use less energy heating water for showers.

We still have the old incandescent light bulbs, but it will be hard to get more of them since Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which requires the phase out of incandescent bulbs over the next few years with the goal of replacing them with more energy-efficient bulbs going forward.

If you hadn't heard much about this lightbulb phase out, there is a quick Q&A about the upcoming changes - which include phasing out 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs in 2014 - and a link to the legislation itself, here.

So the final score for our Home Energy Jumpstart: 2 showerheads, 1 handheld showerhead, 1 faucet aerator and 6 CFL/lightbulbs. 

By switching to low-flow items throughout our main and guest bathrooms, I can already tell that we're using less water in our daily routines. 

The big test was taking a shower to see if the new showerhead works. The unit itself is much smaller (in size and circumference) than the old one - and that DOES mean a smaller "cone" or spray of water. You can definitely tell the difference from the old showerhead. 

It also took longer for the water to warm up - perhaps because of the lower water flow - but we fixed that by setting the water heater up just one notch, and it's plenty hot enough now.

After a week with the low-flow features, my husband and I agreed that it was all fine. We can get used to the reduced amount of water in the shower (and still get clean and wash our hair) and in the sink (and just do something else when filling up containers). 

We've got more to do in our old house: we'll check out rebates for furnace tune-ups (check) and attic insulation (to check) and schedule a whole-house energy audit to see where we need to seal things up. This should keep me busy until spring arrives! 

Use it (fix it, share it) or Lose it

Have you watched home improvement shows and noticed so many homes are totally cluttered? Entire basements, spare rooms, garages, even living rooms piled so high you can't safely walk in the space. It's hard to see the house or space around all the stuff. 

      

Some homeowners want to leave their over-crammed pads forever. They tour houses, many neatly staged by professionals, and visualize everything calm and orderly in the space. Others want to rehab their way out of chaos and stay put. Some renters think owning their own place will make everything better. 

But, no matter what, they still have to deal with all their stuff. And all that stuff is often what's really stressing them out and making them dislike their current space. 

Instead of "Love it or List it" idea, how about "Use it or lose it." We all have lots of things lying around: clothes with missing buttons or broken zippers, multiple pairs of tennis shoes from the last dozen years, artwork that was never hung up, things with tags still attached, appliances, outdated or extra games, gadgets or electronics, old books and toys, and so on.

I'm doing a room-by-room review to find forgotten, abandoned or broken things, and all the stuff that's not currently being used. I'll start with BIG items first, since they take up the most space. My goal is to decide for each item whether to fix, share, return, donate or recycle it - and then do it, ASAP.

Some stuff can be fixed or repaired and it's just a matter of getting it done. We may know people with the skills and tools to fix stuff - and maybe they're looking for an excuse to dust off their belt sander, power tools or sewing machine! 

When my bike fell apart last summer, my friend, a super-talented bike repair guy, found a replacement fork when my local bike shop couldn't even order one - and fixed my bike. I helped re-assemble it , and my bike is better, stronger and faster than ever (well, maybe not faster). I was also thrilled I didn't have to "fork" over the money for a new bike!

If you don't know anyone handy, maybe Community Glue Workshop can help. This group organizes monthly gatherings to fix things with the goal of keeping stuff out of landfills. Common items repaired include: toys, furniture, jewelry, clothing and appliances.

Maybe suggest a project exchange with a friend or family member - and help one another clean out your basement or garage, reorganize your closet or de-clutter other rooms in your home. It's much easier with another set of hands - and a set of objective eyes to help decide what to keep or what's best to get rid of straight away. 

In our basement, there are 6 big items: a box spring, an air conditioner, a pedestal sink, a freezer, old kitchen cabinets and a bicycle. In our living room we have a flat screen TV. I'll tackle these one by one and see what can be done. 

First, the queen-sized box spring is in perfect condition, but it won't fit up the narrow staircase to our 3rd floor guest room. Luckily, it was wrapped in plastic by the moving company last year, so it's clean and dry. Who needs a box spring?

A box spring goes with a mattress, usually as a set, and most charities won't take beds, at all. But when I got to the Salvation Army site,  I saw that they accept box springs (with or without mattresses), plus small appliances, clothing, and household items,. Also, they pick up, for free, and pickups in Chicago can be scheduled on the site. Bingo!!

The SA site has a donation guide with approximate dollar amounts for different items, based on how they price items to sell; this is handy for tax purposes. We have a room air conditioner in the basement that was left by the previous owners - and SA accepts them too, woo hoo!

Although I haven't gone through all of our closets yet, I estimated a bag/box of women's clothes, men's clothes, bedding and winter coats/hats. I could easily take these smaller items to the SA store in my car, but the scheduled pick up gives me extra incentive to clear things out, makes it worth the organization's time to pick it all up - and gives me a deadline.

Now what to do with that pedestal sink? I go downstairs to inspect the sink, also left by the previous homeowners. It's in good condition, and has no cracks or chips. I wipe out the dust and take a picture so I can figure out who might want it. 

Online, I saw a pedestal sink re-purposed as a planter. We have an old claw foot tub turned into a water lily pond in our backyard garden (from previous owners). So, this would complete our set, and be better than just having the sink collect dust in the basement.

I think this sink can find its true purpose so I keep looking online. The planter idea is my "plan b."

I checked a few architectural and antique shops but this sink has no real design or historical value - so that's a strike. I remembered a workshop I attended at the Rebuilding Exchange. I was surprised at the variety of things for sale there: doors, crates,cabinets,  windows, bathtubs and, yes, sinks. I checked their donation page and then emailed a note with a picture of the pedestal sink.

A few hours later, I got a response from the RX Donations Department. Yes, they'll gladly accept this sink as a donation, if I can get it to their location during business hours. I plan to drop it off as soon as I can safely get it into my car - and hope this sink can find a new home.

Then there is the upright freezer, another gift from the previous owners. It came in handy when we rehabbed our kitchen last year but now it's unplugged and collecting dust and rust in our basement. I already know what to do with this one, because I've already cleared out an old refrigerator that was here last year with ComEd's Refrigerator Recycling program. Set up an appointment and they'll pick up the old fridge or freezer, haul it away and properly recycle it - and send you a check for $50, to boot! Woot woot!

We put 5 of our old kitchen cabinets in the basement when we rehabbed our kitchen last year because we didn't want to just toss them in a landfill. We've decided to re-purpose 2 of the cabinets with drawers to store and organize tools and painting supplies. The other 3 cabinets we'll give to my parents to use in the basement they are refinishing at their new house. 

Re-using is better than recycling, unless the item is a bicycle, which means we can do both! This brings us to my old Huffy 10-speed, which has been sidelined since I got a new bike several years ago. I thought friends or family members would use it, when they visited, but that hasn't happened. Also, we joined Divvy bike sharing, and with bikes available all over the city, we don't need to keep this old one any longer. 

This bike should be on the road somewhere, instead of collecting dust in our basement. And that's just what Working Bikes believes: that bikes should be shared and used. The organization accepts donated bikes at their site or at many locations in Chicago. They fix and donate the bikes to local people and send them to under-developed countries. Their site says they donate 6,000 bicycles each year! 

That leaves the flat screen TV, which gave up the ghost in the final scenes of The Terminator a few weeks ago when the streaky colored screen went black. Our research suggests this is a common problem with this brand and we'd like to at least try to fix it. A friend recommended local repair place 20th Century TV & Stereo so we're going to see what they can do. 

After I sort out the BIG items in our house, I'll tackle the next phase of Use it or Lose it, which will include electronics, gadgets, cell phones, gardening materials, and whatever else I find while I'm digging around. In between episodes of HGTV, of course!

Front Yard Design

My husband and I knew we had a lot to learn about our newly-purchased and over 100-year-old home, and many decisions to make as we settled into it. We looked forward to the peace and quiet of our own inside space, with no more footsteps or other sounds above us, and to having our very own outdoor space as well.

With a dozen years of practice at our condo building under my belt, I was ready to dig into my very own garden, with gusto. I knew the previous owners of our house had worked in the yard and put time and attention into it. I looked forward to building on their efforts.

We moved in late December and could only recall or see a few plants in the yard: a large lilac bush, some kind of thorny rose, many hostas, and IVY. It grew thick from the corner house, through the fence and filled the strip along our front sidewalk. 

In the spring, we waited to see what would show up. As the days got longer and warmer, new sprouts peeked up all over the place. Every day was a discovery as another plant lifted its head through the healthy soil to say hello. This is what it looked like in late March of 2013: 

What we didn't see until late spring were HUNDREDS of colorful bulbs planted the previous fall, from early crocuses to hyacinth, tulips and daffodils of various colors, sizes, shapes and bloom times. What a sweet gift to welcome us to our new home and garden!

As the warm months continued, perennials popped up and many bloomed into fall. I added garden beds along the front and side fences, where grass and ivy had been before. I split plants that were overgrown and moved them around the yard, including hostas, sedum, Solomon seal and bleeding hearts.

This is what it looked like in June:

I put annuals in pots for height and pops of color, and planted small pansies along the fence. I switched the large pots at the bottom of the steps from spring bulbs to a summer display, and later a winter one when I returned the bulbs to the big pots last fall. 

But I waited to tackle the full front yard space until I'd lived with it for a full year. And with that year nearly up, I'm ready to plan for the front yard and garden. This way, I'll be ready to roll when the weather breaks.  

This month, I started reading articles for shade gardens, since my front yard is shady due to nearby trees and buildings. It's kind of a relief, as it helps narrow down options for plants. 

I made a list of plants I want to add in the front yard: more coral bells, corydalis and hydrangea, new Virginia bluebells, cardinal flowers, and Japanese forest grass or Japanese tassel ferns. I'm sure I'll be able to find most, if not all, of these plants at my local plant store, Gethsemane, when the weather warms up and I'm back out in the yard.

Then I thought about the things I'd like to change or fix in the yard. 

It turns out my idea to identify problems first was a good one, according to Jeff True of Hursthouse Landscaping, in a front yard design class at the Chicago Botanic Garden this week. Once you know the issues, you can find creative solutions to solve them.

Before you go pick out plants, Jeff True said, you need to consider the house and property, and use that as a guide in your design process. And it is a process, he reminded us, and will have multiple stages and steps along the way. In fact, he suggested doing projects in phases to help break it down into more manageable steps, and spread out the costs.

To get started, get a broad view of the house and front yard, he said, including the fences, building, driveway and sidewalks. Each of these will affect the design and function of the home and garden. Also consider your own personal style and how you want to use the space itself, as it will be a reflection of the gardener when it's all done.

 A few design elements to keep in mind for the overall space: 

* Consider a greeting area for family, friends and guests, i.e. a landing, porch or patio.
* Think about lighting in the space and consider adding solar or LED lights.
* Screen areas for more privacy where desired, using trellises or other items.
* Check the views from inside the home as well to keep sight lines clear out windows.
* Keep front door visible from all access points to the house, if possible. 
* Use the same materials for patio, landings and planters as on the house to unify it.

For the garden itself, these are some design elements to consider:

* Make a list of favorite or new plants; experiment and have fun with them.
* Keep plants below the line of the window sill so they don't block or crowd windows.
* Balance evergreen, deciduous and broadleaf plants in the design.
* Anchor corners of property with shrubs or trees to delineate space from neighbors.
* Generally put shorter plants in front and go taller toward the back.
* Consider form, texture and color when choosing plants for eye appeal.
* Generally plant shrubs and larger plants at least 3 feet from the home's foundation.

Considering the overall space first, I will definitely use these design ideas as I start making plans for my garden this year. I look outside and it is raining, but it's okay because it makes me think that maybe, just maybe, spring is not too far away after all. 

We're For Water

One of my goals is to conserve water - and I started by having a free water meter installed in our home last month. Each time I’m about to turn on the faucet, take a shower or wash clothes, I think about – and appreciate - the water I can so easily access each day in my Chicago home.

My behavior has also changed. I take shorter showers and turn off the faucet while I’m doing other tasks. I use a soft, handled brush in the kitchen to clean and scrape plates and pots, instead of the water sprayer on the faucet. The brush also keeps my hands clean so I don’t have to wash my hands as often.

For drinking, I take a refillable aluminum bottle to yoga and make sure I drink all the water and don’t pour any out after class. I fill a glass bottle with filtered water for me and guests – and use the same glasses used for other drinks so fewer dishes need to be washed.

When I do laundry, I put clean clothes on drying racks to humidify rooms as the clothes dry, which also gives people, pets and plants much-needed moisture on these cold winter days and uses less energy and water than a humidifier.

For my car, I grab clean snow, which we’ve had no shortage of this winter, and wipe off windows, side mirrors and head- and tail-lights so the car needs fewer trips to the carwash.

As a gardener, this year I’ll use TWO rain barrels and our existing compost bin. We’ll install a 2^nd rain barrel in the front yard, which we’re getting free for joining the city’s Meter Save program. Using a compost bin means fewer food scraps in the disposal – and we make new soil from yard waste and veggie peels!

When I add to the garden, I’ll get native plants that need less water. As a bonus, I can get rebates on some native plants, as well as trees, shrubs, compost bins - and rain barrels - through the city’s ongoing program, Sustainable Backyards.

Haven’t heard of a rain barrel? They come in many designs, basic to fancy, and can be purchased at hardware, home improvement and garden stores during the warmer months. Each rain barrel can save 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months, according to the EPA. This can reduce water use in warm weather months, when outdoor use accounts for as much as 40% of water use.

To take it to the next level inside my home, I signed a “We’re For Water” pledge on the U.S. EPA’s site. Here are the pledge’s first 3 steps:

1)     Check toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the color appears in the bowl before flushing, there may be a leak.

2)     Tighten pipe connections to prevent dripping.

Even better: Install faucet aerators or showerheads.

3)     Replace fixtures, as needed– check for WaterSense labels.

Aerators are the small screens screwed to the end of faucets and can (usually) be taken off easily to clean out gunk or residue. Old aerators use generally 2 to 3 gallons per minute (or gpm), whereas a new aerator can cut water use down to 1.5 gallons per minute.

Showering accounts for about 17% of water use in the U.S., and showerheads are now being designed to use less water – and still provide a quality shower. According to the EPA, the average American family could save 2,300 gallons of water by switching to more efficient showerheads. Utility bills will also be lower as less energy is needed to heat (less) water for sinks and showers.

As I searched for rebates, I saw forms for water heaters and furnaces and, sure, that makes sense as they’re big ticket items that use a lot of energy. However, I was surprised to see other items pictured on the site, including programmable thermostats, pipe insulation and compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

“This could take a while,” I thought, expecting different forms for each item on the Home Energy Jumpstart  site, which is a joint program between People’s Gas and ComEd to get customers to conserve energy – and, consequently, water.

Unless my eyes deceived me, all the items listed were available for FREE?! To confirm, I read the People’s Gas site again:

Get energy-saving products installed in your home for free through the Home Energy Jumpstart Program, offered in partnership with ComEd.

The program is available to owners of single-family homes, two-flats and individually-metered condos and townhomes. Renters are also eligible, with permission from their landlord.

In addition to the free items below, you also can receive a $250 bonus rebate on top of the standard rebates from the Peoples Gas Home Energy Rebate Program when you install a qualifying high-efficiency furnace, boiler or water heater.

Call 855-849-8928 to get started. Please have your Peoples Gas and ComEd account numbers handy when you call.

I grabbed my latest gas bill and called the number. Within 3 rings, I was on line with a representative and within 2 minutes, I had an appointment for, get this, FREE products AND installation of ALL ITEMS on the site: programmable thermostat, aerators, showerheads, CFL’s and pipe insulation. I hit the jackpot!!! 

The representative said the crew will have all the materials to install including multiple aerators and showerheads for the kitchen and bathrooms, so I guess I can recycle that list I started for the home improvement store. And I just need to wait until my appointment on March 5. 

Ready, set, jumpstart!! (Stay tuned for an update after March 5). 

Hello Mister!

With a new plant manual and renewed determination to do right by my house plants, I've made some progress since a recent visit to my local plant store, Gethsemane.

First, I took inventory. With my Anthurium, I have 30 house plants right now. The bright red flowers and big shiny leaves of our "new guy" were just the ticket to brighten up our house during this long, cold winter. Isn't he handsome? 

 

Anthurium andreanum

This guy was selected after a long conversation in the Gethsemane greenhouse, with a helpful and patient staffperson (though I have been known to talk to my plants, too). So far, he's acclimating well, hasn't been harassed by my two cats and even has a new flower coming up and starting to uncurl. We're off to a good start in our relationship. 

After setting up the new guy in a pretty pot holder with drainage holes in indirect light, I set out to get to know my other house plants better. I went room by room and plant by plant with my plant manual to learn the names and habits of my silent housemates.

Reed palm

The plant manual lists 'secrets of success' for each plant type, which can be hard to figure out as the book lists them alphabetically by name. So, if you don't know the name of the plant, you've got some digging to do. Luckily, there are pictures and descriptions to help decide who is what. 

The plant 'success' list includes temperature, light, water AND air humidity.  Who knew, right? 

Apparently, many plants I own would like more humidity and the manual recommends to "mist leaves regularly."  

Dieffenbachia

Mist-lovers include: stripe-leafed calathea (in maranta group), large-leafed dieffenbachia, dracaena (aka 'false palm'), palms, pink-stem philodendron, climbing pothos (scindapsus), even easy-going schefflera. 

With exception of my fussy tropical crotons, these house plants have missed out on misting so far. 

My reed palm has been beautiful for years and has adapted beautifully to our new home; my large-leafed dieffenbachia grows and grows, with a few turns of the pot to grow evenly; my two schefflera (left) with their cute baby leaflets like stars are the easiest plants I own, except the nearly indestructible 'snake plants' (sansevieria) that grow in nearly any conditions, even in offices under neon lights. 

This winter in Chicago has been brutally cold and with it comes extremely dry air, so I figured this would be a good time to test out a mister - and see if my plants like it.                                                                                                        

Mist-loving house plants' best friend: a spray bottle.  

Some plants LOVE the new misting practice and the extra air humidity from drying racks in the room (bonus: clothes dry overnight, like magic!). 

The dracaena has just one brown leaf left and new bright green growth on top. The philodendron, calathea and crotons are digging the extra moisture - and it shows in the brighter leaf colors, smooth and supple texture and overall health of the plants. 

Other plants seem neutral to misting, including schefflera, dieffenbachia and pothos. I now keep a spray bottle near the mist-loving plants so I can easily mist them. If the air is really dry or other plants look dry or dirty, I give them a quick spritz too. A tiny bit of soap in the water helps deter bugs and keep the leaves clean and shiny.

Armed with my misting spray bottle and my plant manual, my house plants should all make it through this record-breaking cold winter. I hope I am as lucky. 

If Plants Could Talk

If plants could talk, would they whine or complain, cry or carry on? Would they scream, at one another or at me? Would they tease or taunt the cats and dogs?

* "Yo, what's a green gotta do for a drink?" 

* "Hey, move your big fat leaves, you're blocking the light for the rest of us." 

* "The air is so dry in here, it's like a desert." 

* " I can't remember the last time you made us flowers, violet." 

* "Listen, Tiger, those are my babies you're gnawing on and I don't appreciate it." 

If I listen carefully, I imagine the cacophony of voices. For the sake of peace and quiet, since I have about 3 dozen plants, it's probably good that they are silent. But they DO tell us when things are not going well. It's our job to pay attention, and, hopefully, do something about it. 

Now that my eyes are open, after last week's "House Plant 101" session at Gethsemane, I see signs of suffering all around me. Yellow and brown leaves, curling up and drying out; long leggy growth as stems lean desperately for more light; cracked leaves and stems; white powdery dust, small black bugs and spider webs. Oh, the horrors!

Yellow leaves may mean over-watering in some plants whereas brown leaves have dried out - from lack of water or overly dry or cold air. Long leggy stems mean the plant wants more light. Flowering plants that haven't flowered in a while probably also need more light. Shriveling edges of leaves is a sign of dry air or maybe cold drafts. Plants do get stressed when they're moved and need time to adjust to new spaces.

The first thing I learned at the plant talk was that you should keep plants in smaller pots until they've really filled them in with their roots. This means that in most cases, indoor plants should be left in the pots they were purchased or acquired in for a while. If they've filled out and really grown into the pot, you can tell by feeling the sides of the pot or checking to see if the roots are coming out of the bottom.

If you don't like the look of the pot the plant came in, you can simply drop it inside another prettier pot - so the outer pot is a holder. You can place something in the bottom to raise it up if needed. And make sure there is proper drainage - with holes in the plant's pot and a tray underneath the pot holder.

Only when the plant has filled out its pot and feels well-packed should you repot it and then, do so in a pot about 2 inches larger. I admit I've been guilty of putting plants in much larger pots, thinking it would give them room to grow. The truth is, according to plant experts, that will often just lead to weakened roots, over-watering, rotting and plant death. 

The second thing I re-learned was that not all plants will be on the same watering schedule - AND all plants have different water (and other) needs at different times of the year. In winter, most plants are somewhat dormant outside of a greenhouse, at least in the Midwest, and don't need much water or energy as they are not producing new growth. Feeding, trimming, pruning and re-potting should be done generally in the growing season, in spring to summer, not when it's below freezing even if the plants are in the house. 

The key is to reduce the amount and frequency of watering in winter. It sounds simple but I admit that when it's brutally cold and the air gets so dry in winter, I've given plants more water thinking their skins must be as dry as mine. And I've generally done a once a week circuit with the watering can around the house, with a few exceptions that get watered more often.

The third lesson: bugs will happen if you've had plants long enough.Some plants are more susceptible and should be watched but almost any plant may attract unwanted bugs, fungus, mold, fleas or other undesirables. The key is to catch it early so you can protect the plant and keep it healthy.

In my house, the crotons are clearly the hot vacation spots for spider mites and I regularly spray the plants with water tinged with gentle dish soap and a few drops of Tabasco to dislodge the visitors. I also take Q-tips with rubbing alcohol to further discourage their squatting between leaves.

Recently, the begonias I brought in from the porch had a white dusty mold all over its leaves. I should have been more diligent about cleaning up the dropped flowers. To fix it, I did a major triage and cut off all stems and leaves with white dust on it. Then I sprayed the crap out of what was left with the same water/soap/hot sauce substance - and they're looking downright perky again!

The last thing the plant expert shared was the "world's best-selling book on house plants," and I picked one up that day. It describes most major house plants and all their basic types and names of plants and detailed plant-by-plant care tips and trouble-shooting: The House Plant Expert, by Dr. D. G. Hessayon. 

Luckily, I have new tools and a firm resolve to make things right with my house plants. I am now armed and hopefully less dangerous to my houseplants. I look forward to getting to know them better.

For POTS sake!!

I've been digging in the dirt - first at our Uptown condo and now at our house - for about 20 years now and love trying and learning new things. With gardening, there is ALWAYS more to learn, and I was reminded of that once again last weekend when I attended a talk about house plants at Gethsemane.

To tell the truth, I didn't rush out the door or even start getting ready to go on such a cold Saturday morning without some hesitation. I could easily have stayed home with the hubs, and having to dig the car out after yet another snow storm did not help my reticence. 

Since I'm starting to think about what I want to tackle in the front yard (*see below*) IF and when this winter decides to give it up (hard to imagine on one of the top 20 coldest days in Chicago's history), I thought the plant talk would help get my mind *in the game*, er, garden. And being in a warm greenhouse for a few hours would be nice, too.

* I'll be ready to jump in this spring with the help of a landscape design class I'm taking next week at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I'd like to have a plan in place for adding some foundation plants including some evergreens to the front yard and to figure out how to take the garden to the next level. 

As a gardener, most of my green thumb and thinking is focused OUTSIDE, even though I bring some plants inside each winter to see how long they'll survive. Over the years, I've brought in herbs, geraniums, elephant ears (caladium), decorative or thai peppers and, this year, begonias. Most of them did not make it past January so my expectations are set fairly low, and I don't think about house plants when I am 'gardening.'

So I joined the household plant lecture with a few questions in mind. One of my plants had an ongoing bug problem, the begonias had a powdery mold or mildew on the leaves and a few other plants had not made the move from our very sunny condo to our fairly shady house very well. 

For some reason, it had not occurred to me that INDOOR plants were as complicated, varied and in need of attention as much as my OUTDOOR plants.

As the discussion continued, I realized I had been outright negligent of my indoor plants. Some died as a result, including the pretty pink-tinged long-leafed one that froze out on the sun porch one unexpectedly cold night last November. Some had come and gone fairly quickly, others had surely suffered for years but still managed to hang in there.

Is there a group of People for the Ethical Treatment of Plants as there is for animals? Would I be in trouble with them if such a group did exist? Possibly so.

I have taken my indoor plants, with whom I literally share space and air each day, for granted, as if they were stepchildren to my outdoor plants (although descriptive, as a stepparent, I dislike that phrase). 

The truth is, I have been negligent. I've excitedly brought a new plant home here and there and done my best to find its perfect spot - with the right amount of sunlight or shade. I've tried to introduce the newbies to the existing crew, which had grown to over 25 plants we discovered when we moved into our house last year.

But apart from my weekly watering and occasional cleanup of dead leaves, the indoor plants were more or less ignored unless I saw something shocking, like serious spider webs or lots of dropped leaves. (Gasp!)

One plant has been with me for 25 years and with my family for at least 40 years. For his years of 'service' and ability to defy death multiple times, he earned a name. He's a simple spider plant, he makes lots of babies each year that tease my cats, and even my mother knows this plant by name, Harry.

But Harry's indoor comrades have been less fortunate with my affections and attention. Only one other plant has a name in my house; it's a jade plant I got from a former neighbor named Jay, so Jayde came easily. No other plants have nicknames, and I don't even know many of their proper names!

For someone who spends so much time in her garden, this realization was shocking. So I have made it my mission to get acquainted with my houseplants, and make things right for them. And I will do it. Starting now...

Mushrooms & More!

There are lots of great options for organic, locally or regionally grown food in Chicago these days but there are still times when I'm out of milk and have to go without or make a special trip to a store for it. Since I  have a caffeine habit (that I could break if I wanted to do so, but I don't, apparently), this issue comes up pretty regularly - and there's nothing like that caffeine-less headache to motivate me to get to the store.

The milk available at the area grocery stores, however, is not that great as far as taste or quality - at least not in the same ballpark as our farm share produce or eggs anyhow. Target and Jewel have brands that are supposedly organic, and maybe they are better than the average dairy products, or maybe they're not (that's for another entry). And, sure, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's milk "says" it's organic but it is still trucked all around the country to their stores, as far as I know.

We get the best milk from an Illinois dairy called Kilgus Farms - which is a family-owned farm that is organic and ethical and raises their cattle the way they were when I was a kid: on pasture land. Generally, we get this awesome milk delivered to our door via another amazing organic company, Farm Fresh Foodstuffs.

This amazing small company delivers organic food of ALL types TO YOUR DOOR! You can see what's available on their website, find great deals, seasonal and specialty items and learn all about the folks who make and grow the food on their website. They deliver twice a week in the city of Chicago as well as in the suburbs (and I'll write more about them another day as well).

My point is that I'm not always ready to put in an order (even though you only need a $20 order with Farm Fresh Foodstuffs to get free delivery) and I'm often SANS milk, which means SANS caffeine, which means SAD FACE.

So when I stopped into the nearby newly opened mushroom store and saw Kilgus Farms milk for sale in their cooler, next to lots of mushrooms, Nueske bacon, cheeses and other goodies, I was elated. I can now find the BEST organic milk only a few short blocks from home!

I picked up some mushrooms to put in a fried rice and grabbed some stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer this past Monday, as I had a friend coming over for dinner. The stuffed mushrooms were excellent and the bag of mixed 'shrooms were delish in the main dish too.

They grow mushrooms year-round, five different varieties to be exact: Portabella, Crimini (aka Baby Bella), White Button, Shiitake and Oyster. 

River Valley Farmer's Table has MORE THAN just mushrooms - and I can't wait to go back and try some of their soups, sandwiches etc. - as they serve breakfast and lunch. What a great find - and just down the street from our house!!

Water Meter Installed!

Save water, save money and 'save the earth'? It sounds too good to be true but it's the real deal, folks.

I heard about the City of Chicago's free program to install water meters from several friends last year and thought it was a great idea to increase water awareness. Even though we live next to the largest source of fresh water in the world with our proximity to Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes, that does not mean water is an unlimited resource we can take for granted.

In some parts of the country, water aquifers are drying up and many Western states are already experiencing water supply issues. Add population growth, climate change and trends of increasing water usage per American citizen and it's pretty clear that we should pay attention to our water and use it more wisely.

Homeowners in Chicago are charged flat fees for water and sewer services based on the size of the building and accompanying yard areas. Our original water bill from the City of Chicago assessed the charges for our single family home in the city as follows:
 3 floors 26' wide building
(0001) Hose Frontage 31" to 62"

With the existing un-metered system in Chicago, home and building owners are charged basically by the square foot instead of actual usage. How then are the actual charges calculated?

The Chicago City Council legislates the cost of water and sewer services and publishes the rates on the city's web site per 1,000 gallons (water) and per 1,000 cubic feet (sewer). Rates for 2014 jumped up from 2013.

"Effective January 1, 2014, the water rate will increase by 15% and the sewer rate will increase from 92% to 96% of the water charge. The metered water charge will be $3.32 per 1,000 gallons (or $24.80 per 1,000 cubic feet)."

Okay, so that's how the system works and it means some people pay for water they haven't actually used, and maybe some intense gardeners are getting a deal. But it's hard to know what's fair or equitable with this type of system. I mean, how are people going to know how much water they pay for or possibly waste each year if they don't know how much water they actually use, right?

According to the EPA, the average American uses 300 gallons of water each day - and about 70% of that water is used indoors. About 27% is used in toilets, 22% for washing clothes, 17% for showers and 16% via faucets. This gives us an idea of what we use water FOR on an average day.

I was skeptical at first but any Chicagoan would be when they hear the city is going to give them something for free that will also save them money. What's the catch, I wondered, but I checked it out.

The program is called Meter Save - and it is voluntary and free for homeowners in the city and surrounding suburbs that get their water supply from the City of Chicago. Besides getting the meter installed for free, the city guarantees that homeowners will not pay more than their previous water bills for a full seven years if they opt in to the voluntary program.

And, to sweeten the deal even further, the city includes a water saving gift - such as a rain barrel or water conservation kits for indoor or outdoor use. I picked the rain barrel and can't wait to install it this spring near our front yard, as we already have one in back.I'm told the city is a little backed up with deliveries of rain barrels but since it's still below freezing, that's not a problem.

When I called to sign up last June, the crew that came to the house said our water shut-off valve, what they called the "buffalo box" needed to be repaired or replaced. They showed me the valve in the parkway in front of our house and that it was bent at an odd angle. If there was a problem, they couldn't shut off the water supply to our house. They advised me to have the valve fixed before getting a water meter installed and they put in a request to have the city fix it.

Once the city fixed the valve (in December), MeterSave called me back to re-schedule the installation and on Jan. 3rd, two commercial plumbers and an inspector arrived again on time. In less than 30 minutes, they had the water meter and electronic reader installed in our home. It was fast and painless.

We'll now get our water bills every 2 months instead of every 6 months and we can see the meter turn to gauge our water usage whenever we like. The city workers will drive by and electronically read the meter for our future bills and we're on our way to conserving water - and money. Voila!