Sweet sights of Spring

  
Oh, how I love to see the geese and ducks head north this time of year. True harbingers of Spring. But then I love birds at all times of year. Don’t tell anyone, but occasionally, I go to birdJam.com, a website where you can listen to bird calls and play various species. In fact, sometimes when I’m ignoring a deadline doing exhaustive background research, I amuse myself by playing bird calls while my cat, White Kitty, sits on the desk and acts perplexed. Very entertaining, indeed. I’m also loving all the bird motifs that are showing up in decor these days – to wit, the lovely vases from Urban Barn, shown above. Cute,no?

Reelly green lawncare

Just learned about a new Toronto-based company that wants to help homeowners reduce their carbon footprint by offering  “green” lawn care. Reellawn drives fuel-efficient vehicles to tow their tools around town and only uses reel or “push” mowers — no motors, no fuels, no emissions. So simple - and yet so clever.

Making the cut

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about reel mowers that elicited a huge response, and lots of questions from readers about how to sharpen the blades themselves. Since I’m a newbie to reel mowers, I wasn’t sure, so I called Emily Routly, a customer service representative for Lee Valley Tools, which has been selling reel mowers for years. She told me about two products the company sells for sharpening and offered some good general tips, such as:

Before you purchase a reel mower, make sure the blades can in fact be sharpened. Routly says some models are designed with blades that must be replaced when they’re dull.

Sharpen the blades of your reel mower after it comes out of the box, because they may not be ready to cut. Routly says mowers from Lee Valley, for example, are shipped with the blades painted to prevent rusting during shipping.

Use a soft cloth to keep blades clean and dry between use. If you’re fussy about your tools, wipe them down with oil to prevent rust.

Keep a good edge on your blades, says Routly, and not only will mowing be easier, you’ll minimize tip browning because the blades will shear the grass rather than tear it.

Lee Valley has two options for sharpening blades: A hand mower sharpening kit includes a lapping compound — a slightly abrasive gel — that is applied to the edges of the blades after one of the wheels has been removed. When the blades pass across the cutting bar, they’re honed. The kit sells for $25.50. Additional lapping compound is available separately for $6.50. The other product is a 20-inch strip of aluminum with an abrasive finish that clamps to the bottom plate of the mower. Again, as the blades pass across it, they’re automatically sharpened. The strip can be trimmed to fit mowers as narrow as 10 inches. Three strips come with the sharpener, which costs $26.50, and a replacement pack of two strips costs $7.50.

Does the Big Guy love BBQ?

Ontario Gas BBQ has created its own list of great gifts for Father’s Day - all BBQ-related, of course. Here they are:

• Cattleman’s Branding Iron Kit (in case Daddy wants to brand his steak)

• Weber Poultry Roaster (a fancy-pants version of Beer Can Chicken)

• A digital thermometer, perhaps the Thermapen, which reads internal temperatures in under three seconds (my personal fave)

• Charcoal Chimney Starter

• Rotisserie kit

• Smoker kits

• Pizza Stone

• Butt Rub (Hey folks, I don’t make the news – just report it!)

Reely good tips

While researching this week’s Hot Home Products column on reel lawnmowers, I came across some good lawn care and mower maintenance tips. Here they are. Don’t cut the lawn to a height of less than two inches. You’ll burn the tips and weaken the grass. Do leave the clippings on the lawn – they provide moisture and excellent nutrition. In fact, Mark Cullen once told me that taking clippings to the curb in a bag (not allowed in many areas anymore, BTW) is like carrying $5 down there. The exception might be in areas of the lawn where you are battling something nasty like Creeping Charlie and don’t want it to spread. That’s when you should use the grass catcher bag attachment so that you can gather up the offender. (Good luck with the that one - not only has Charlie moved into my lawn, but he's invited about five million of his relatives along. Oh well, at least it's green!)

You’ll want to keep your reel mower blade sharp, as its efficiency  lies in its ability to make a clean cut. This can be a DIY job – if you get a hand mower sharpening kit from Lee Valley Tools ($26)  —  super simple to use. And on a final note – keep in mind that small twigs or stones can get caught in a reel mower. When you pick them out, remind yourself that just because you think the reel mower is “cute” and “pretty” doesn’t mean the blade isn’t sharp (see above), so be careful when you extract anything. I speak from personal experience on this one....

Super shiny schooner

I’ve always loved looking at pictures of the beautiful shiny wood surfaces of Canada’s favourite schooner, the Bluenose II. So I was delighted to sit down recently with Ralph Swan, a product specialist with Minwax who’s worked with the crew of the iconic boat, to learn how that glorious finish is maintained, despite constant exposure to salt water and harsh sunlight. Wood elements of the schooner’s deck and mast are finished with Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane, which has UV blockers to protect against fading by sunlight, and which forms a protective barrier against water. Oils in the product allow the finish to expand and contract with the wood as seasons and temperatures change. Ralph pointed out that if Helmsman is tough enough to withstand what the Atlantic Ocean can throw at the Bluenose, it can probably do the job for your outdoor wood furniture, planters, exterior doors, and window frames. To celebrate its collaboration with the Bluenose, Minwax is sponsoring a great contest in which you can win a trip for two to Lunenburg to sail on the famous schooner. Look for ballots at your local home improvement retailer. PSST. Need a quick  and affordable staycation from household chores? Click on Ralph's name to find out about the lovely B&B he and his wife Gail run in Ayr. If you go, check out the beautiful wood furniture and nab some tips from Ralph - he's a genius with wood!

Rugged rugs

This week's Hot Home Products column is all about outdoor rugs, which often serve the same purpose as indoor rugs do: define a space, create a soft surface for feet and pull together room decor. The rules for laying outdoor rugs are roughly the same as they for their indoor cousins. Buy a rug that's big enough so that the feet of your furniture - at the very least the front feet - sit on the rug. Here are a couple of pics of outdoor rugs that did not make it into this week's column, From top to bottom, the Chilewich and Zia Shag from Crate and Barrel and the Lavarao rug from Ikea.

 

 

Very affordable, very E-Z

Visited Humble, Kim, and Colleen, the terrific morning team at EZ Rock today (so that's what the subway looks like at 7 a.m.!) As usual, it was a blast, especially the part where we gave away a summer prize package to a listener, with outdoor oil lamps from Urban Barn, and an Oster blender in my fave new garden tub from Garant.) We talked about fun ways to add a little elegance to your summer without breaking the bank. One idea was to splurge on some outdoor lighting. I’m loving solar options right now, but also can’t resist the lanterns from Urban Barn(see pic at right) we gave away. Such a cool shape, and I love the silver finish – very old Hollywood. These little beauties are just $16 for the small size and $24 for the larger. Another easy idea — if you have older glassware that you don’t use much (it’s easy to pick it up for a song at garage sales), dust it off, set a tealight inside each one and place them on the table. You’ll get amazing sparkly light that will look great in the garden. Cut crystal brandy snifters are especially effective.

Another great summer indulgence? Fruity drinks with cheap and cheerful (okay, they're also kinda silly, too!) umbrellas. Invest in a blender and mix up a batch of fun summery drinks like Margaritas or whip up healthy fruit smoothies. Serve them with chips and salsa, or fresh fruit and cheese, and invite a crowd over. Try the Oster blender. At about $50, it’s very affordable - it has a perfectly respectable 700 watts, and is darn good at crushing ice, a central star in summer bevvvies. (Check out the recipes below.)

Beach Ball (5 servings)

What you need

• 6 oz. citrus-flavored vodka
• 2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1 medium banana
• 3 cups ice
• 2 tsp. sugar
• Garnish: watermelon triangles

What to do Put all ingredients except ice into blender. Cover and process until smooth. With motor running, remove feeder cap and add ice cubes. Continue to process until smooth. Pour into tall glasses. Garnish with watermelon triangle. Creative Cook’s Note: For variety, substitute cantaloupe or honeydew melon for the watermelon and use the same type of melon for the garnish.

FROZEN SUNSHINE (4 servings)

What you need

• 4 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. clear orange-flavored liqueur
• ¼ cup half-and-half
• ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 4 cups ice
• Garnish: orange slices and paper umbrellas

What you do

Put all ingredients except ice into blender container. Cover and process until smooth. With motor running, remove feeder cap and add ice cubes. Continue to process until smooth. Pour into stemmed glasses. Garnish with orange slice and paper umbrella.

Pics that didn't make the paper - pity!

Simply did not have enough room in this week's Hot Home Products column to show readers images  of all the great outdoor stuff I found, so here are some bonus pics. In order, you'll see:

A fun outdoor mat from Urban Barn

The City bistro set, also from Urban Barn

The gorgeous Greenwich dining set from Andrew Richard Designs

Pretty, affordable glass lanterns from BouClair

A wooden bistro set, also from BouClair

Colourful glass markers from Vacuvin (available in June from the Bay and Home Outfitters)

A Brie baker for the BBQ from Gourmet du Village

   

 

 

 

Watering cans and ill-behaved birds - there is a theme here!

Every once in a while, I pick up an ordinary object and am amazed by the difference good design can make to functional items. My most recent discovery – the wonderfully ergonomic Botanica watering can from Garant. Use the side handle to tip the  dainty little spout at one end to, say, gently water delicate herbs in a window box. Use the central handle on top to pour from a large hole that can be used for bigger jobs, such as pouring water into the bird bath (a daily occurrence here at the Hodge Podge Lodge, after the Starlings get in there and behave disgracefully! Such ill-bred creatures.) It comes in green and blue – I’d love to see it in metal, but I guess you can’t expect that for $10. Speaking of things functional, can someone explain to me why I can’t find any decent string at any of my local big box stores? It’s all garbage, splitting and tearing like tissue paper when I so much as look at it. Thank goodness for Lee Valley Tools  where folks apparently understand the value of string that's got some backbone. I’ve got some on order as I type. And I’ll be needing a lot since about half of my backyard is covered in limbs that were removed from the way way WAY overgrown Maple tree. Tell me again what reason I had for deciding to cut and bundle the branches myself rather than pay to have it hauled away? Oh yeah, now I remember, there were about 250 reasons, all of them worth about a Loonie. Oh well, at least I’ve got good string…..thank you, Mr. Lee, I know you understand.