f you’d like to install a raised bed but don’t have the resources to build one, you can achieve the same effect by growing your plants in straw bales. It’s also a great option for those with poor soil or who don’t have a patch of dirt to call their own. Typically used as Halloween decorations to display winter squash and pumpkins, straw bales can also be used to grow those vegetables in an economical, low-maintenance way. Sizes vary, but standard bales measure roughly 14 to 24 inches high, 18 inches wide, and 36 to 42 inches long. When shopping for bales, avoid hay, which contains seeds and, as we know, is for horses. Straw is for gardening, and most of its seeds have been harvested, so there shouldn’t be many (or any) remaining in the bale to sprout into weeds. Straw is also less likely than hay to have been treated with pesticides, which would inhibit your plants or prevent their growth altogether. To be sure, ask the retailer if their bales are organic or at least pesticide-free. Prep work It will take about two weeks to condition your bale, a process that turns it into a moist, fertile garden bed. Select a location that provides the correct sunlight exposure for the plants you will be growing. You can place the bale on any flat surface — concrete, gravel, wood pallets or even grass (if you don’t mind the grass beneath it dying). But be aware that after the bale is wet, it will be very heavy and difficult to move. Set the bale with its cut (prickly) end facing up, then begin the conditioning process. On days 1-3, apply water slowly and evenly until it begins to run out the bottom of the bale. A soaker hose snaked over the top and, ideally, set on a timer would facilitate the process and ensure the straw doesn’t dry out. On days 4-10, sprinkle the top of the bale with one-third cup of herbicide-free lawn fertilizer that contains at least 20 percent nitrogen (organic gardeners can substitute a 50/50 mix of bone meal and blood meal). Water the bale to dissolve and distribute the fertilizer, but take care not to overwater, which would wash out the nutrients. Continue to water the bale daily. As the nitrogen works to decompose and transform the bale into a nutrient-rich environment for plants, the center of the bale will heat up, similar to a compost pile, and then begin to cool. It will be safe to plant seeds or seedlings when the temperature drops below 100 degrees (use a compost thermometer to measure the bale’s internal temperature). Black ink mushroom growth at the beginning of the process is normal. They will die down on their own. Do not eat them! This July 2023 image provided by Adrienne Reeves shows tomatoes, marigolds and peppers growing in straw bales in a garden in Livonia, Mich. (Adrienne Reeves via AP) Planting and growing Poke holes or cut slits in the top of the bale and plant your seedlings, filling each little hole around them with compost or potting mix. If planting seeds, make holes or slits following the depth recommendation on their packet. Drop larger seeds in, then fill each hole with compost or potting mix. If planting smaller seeds, sprinkle a layer of compost or potting mix over the bale’s surface, sow seeds, then sprinkle more compost or potting mix over them to achieve the recommended depth. Continue to water daily to ensure the center of the bale and the area around each plant are kept consistently moist. Depending on the weather, more frequent watering may be necessary. Do not let the bale dry out. Apply fertilizer and amendments throughout the growing season as you would to garden plants. Although many flowers and vegetables grow well in straw bales, those with shallow roots and heavy tops, like corn, should be avoided.

NEW YORK –

Less than three years ago, Mary Ann and David Giordano were taking turns lying on the living room floor with their Afghan hound Frankie, hand-feeding the desperately ill dog anything she would eat. She had developed severe kidney problems after contracting Lyme disease, despite being on medications meant to repel the ticks that cause it. Veterinarians weren’t sure she would survive. Yet on Monday, Frankie was at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, healthy and ready to compete. She would face off against over a dozen other Afghan hounds — including the winner of last month’s World Dog Show in Croatia — for a chance to advance to the next round of the United States’ most prestigious canine event. “It was really tough,” Mary Ann Giordano said, her voice halting as she described Frankie’s eight-month-long ordeal. “But she made it.” For all the pooch pageantry of Westminster — the coiffed poodles, the top-knotted toy dogs, the formality of dogs trotting around a ring — it’s also an illustration of the bond people form with dogs, and what each will do for the other. Like setting up an array of box fans and even a portable dehumidifier to get a puli’s long, thick cords dry after a bath, a process that can take 24 hours, in Valarie Cheimis’ experience. The cords form naturally, though owners aid the process by separating them. Why go through all that? “These are fun dogs. They’re full of personality,” Cheimis said as she petted Csoki, one of her pulik (the proper plural), ahead of ring time. Sure, the Hungarian herding breed can be stubborn and barky, Cheimis said, but Csoki also looks after her geese and chickens at home in Kingfield, Maine, even lying down next to the goslings. Mister, a bloodhound who won a merit award in his breed Monday, also puts his breed’s ancient instincts to work. He’s qualified to trail missing people, though his calls so far have been resolved before they got into the field, said co-owner, breeder and handler Renee Wagner, of Niagara Falls, New York. A handler shows a Sloughis’ teeth during its breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. (Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo) The 148th Westminster show kicked off Saturday with an agility competition — won by a mixed-breed dog for the first time since Westminster added the event in 2014. Nimble, the winner, was handled by Cynthia Hornor, who took the trophy with a border collie last year. Monday marked the start of the traditional judging that leads to the best in show prize, to be awarded Tuesday night. Semifinals begin Monday night, pitting the winners of each breed against others in their “group,” such as hounds or herding dogs. The 2,500-plus first-round entrants range from tiny Yorkshire terriers to towering great Danes. They include a newly added breed, the Lancashire heeler, represented Monday by a single contestant named Mando. If he knew a lot was riding on his little shoulders, he didn’t show it as he appeared in the first-round ring and someone in the audience yelled, “Yay! History!” “He just has a rock-star attitude,” handler Jessica Plourde said afterward. The show also was a first for Alfredo Delgado and Maria Davila, who had traveled from Juncos, Puerto Rico, with their French bulldog, Duncan. Their path started when Delgado’s brother found a lost Frenchie. It was soon reunited with its owner, but Delgado was intrigued by the breed. Fast-forward some years, and he was in the Westminster ring as Duncan’s breeder, owner and handler, with Davila cheering him on. “We made a dream come true to be here,” Davila said afterward. “To share with experienced people in the ring — that was awesome.” Comet, a Shih Tzu, right, competes in breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. (Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo) Westminster routinely attracts a roster of dog showing’s heavy hitters. This year’s field includes Stache, a Sealyham terrier who won the National Dog Show televised last Thanksgiving, and Comet, a shih tzu who won the huge American Kennel Club National Championship that was televised on Dec. 31. Comet is “just everything you would want in a shih tzu,” co-owner, breeder and handler Luke Ehricht said after Comet won his breed Monday morning. With a flowing coat like a vanilla-and-caramel ice cream sundae that’s melting onto the table, the dog looked up at his handler with the sweet expression that’s prized in the breed. “He’s a very sweet, loving dog” who knows when it’s time to perform and when it’s time to relax, said Ehricht, of Monclova, Ohio. Later, Frankie, the recovered Afghan hound, and her littermate Belle stood side-by-side in their breed’s ring. So did the Giordanos, an Annandale, New Jersey, couple who have been side-by-side since high school. David handled Frankie, while his wife led Belle. Both dogs took jaunty spins around the ring, but neither won. Nor did the recent World Dog Show winner, named Zaida. The ribbon went to another highly ranked Afghan, named Louis. “This breed’s supposed to be ‘the king of dogs,’ and he knows he is,” handler and co-owner Alicia Jones said.  

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?