Need more light for your growing seedlings? Seedlings in my greenhouse are growing excellently with the addition of energy-efficient lighting solutions from Johnny's Selected Seeds.
My head-gardener Ryan McCallister and I start sowing seeds indoors soon after the New Year begins. We sow thousands of vegetable and flower seeds - all those wonderful seeds I enjoy purchasing during my travels, and seeds I order from my favorite sources. We plant them in seed starting trays and nurture them until they are ready to move into larger pots or outdoors. To supplement the natural sunlight, we set up an area with racks and LED strip lights. The lights are compact, easy to assemble, and provide full-spectrum lighting needs for seed starting and propagation.
Enjoy these photos.
One of my favorite garden supply sources is Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine. I discovered Johnny’s years ago and have been using their seeds, plants, and tools ever since. Johnny’s provides practical solutions for both the home gardener and the professional farmer and uses the expertise from great horticultural masters such as Eliot Coleman.
Here in my head house, Ryan is assembling this LED Propagation Rack Kit from Johnny’s. It includes eight 48-inch LED strip lights, connecting brackets, four hangers, link cords, and a power cord.
The lights are being used for this vestibule between my head house and my greenhouse. Lights are already installed on the left rack. Notice how much more light is provided for the growing seedings.
The 48-inch horticultural lights are durable and can deliver maximum lighting without excess damaging heat.
Ryan begins assembling the lighting panels – no tools required.
The light strips are connected in pairs using the brackets provided. Ryan secures one at each end of a pair of light strips.
These click into place easily and can be adjusted in width to fit various shelf dimensions.
After attaching the brackets, they are easy to slide along the strips to the desired locations.
Link cords connect the two light strips together at one end.
Strip light hangers attach to the center of the brackets.
The hangers will secure the lights underneath each shelf.
And longer link cords connect the paired strips on the other end.
Here’s Ryan ready to hang the lighting strips.
It takes only minutes to assemble and the lights fit perfectly across our shelving unit.
Grow lights are essential for indoor gardening because they mimic natural sunlight providing the specific full light spectrum needed for photosynthesis.
Ryan uses “s” hooks on the shelves to attach the light strips.
Here they are all positioned and ready to use. They hang just a few inches from the plants. LED lights also consume less energy and have longer lifespans compared to traditional bulbs.
For our rack seedlings, we’re also using Johnny’s reservoir trays, which come in a variety of depths and fit perfectly under seed trays to catch excess water.
Ryan arranges the trays and pots to fit as many as possible onto the rack.
Once all the trays are in place, the lights are turned on. We have them on timers, so they go on and off automatically.
These lights will promote healthy growth and maintain compact and robust lush green plants. In time, these plants will move into the greenhouse and more seedlings will fill these racks. I’m so excited for this coming growing season!
It’s always so satisfying to check off time-consuming cleaning chores.
This week, as part of a Winter house project that involved replacing a carpet, moving furniture, and redecorating several rooms, my housekeepers took on the task of cleaning and polishing the brass. Brass is a strong, corrosion-resistant alloy made from a combination of zinc and copper. With its bright golden color, brass has long been used for home furnishings and decorative accents. Cleaning brass takes time and thoughtful effort, but now these pieces are shimmering once again.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Whenever I clean anything in my sink, I always line it with a soft towel to protect the sink as well as the piece being cleaned.
I have long used Wright’s Copper and Brass Cleaning Cream. It comes in small and large sizes – both with application sponges.
Wright’s all-purpose cleaning creams come in a paste like form and is easy to apply with a sponge or soft rag.
After removing any dust, Carlos starts by gently rubbing small amounts of cream along the tarnished surface. Carlos wears rubber gloves to protect his hands from becoming black from the dirt and tarnish.
Carlos also applies cream in the crevices. Tarnish ranges in color from a light yellowy gold to almost black, depending on how long it has been allowed to develop. In addition to using soft sponges and rags, one can use cotton swabs or soft bristled toothbrushes to apply the cream to tight areas.
Once it is completely cleaned, all the cream is removed with tepid water. Carlos rinses it thoroughly to ensure no cream is left on the brass shell.
Then the piece is wiped thoroughly right away with a soft absorbent cloth to avoid any water marks. Enma and Carlos work as a very efficient team.
Droplets of water can get stuck in between the cracks, so always take time to dry every edge and corner.
Enma wipes it down several times until there is no trace of moisture.
Meanwhile, Carlos take on this large brass tray. First it is cleaned of any dust, and then Carlos applies a generous amount of the polishing cream.
Carlos rubs it over and over – notice how the dirt and tarnish come off. Whenever polishing metals, be sure you use a product that is specifically made for the type of metal being cleaned.
It’s looking much brighter and much shinier. Always avoid using highly abrasive scrubbing cloths, metal-bristled brushes, or steel wool; these will scratch the surface of the brass.
And then he wipes it clean and dry. Carlos makes sure to also rest the piece on a towel, so it is always stable and protected.
Here are two more brass shells getting cleaned. All my silver, copper and brass pieces are maintained regularly, so they are never too tarnished when cleaned.
Regular cleaning also helps to maintain a piece’s durability and preserves its natural patina.
Enma dries a weaved basket. This has a lot of crevices where water can linger. The key is to take the time to do it carefully and properly.
And here it shines so brightly after a good cleaning.
And then all the pieces are gathered on a table on my porch before they are once again displayed around my home. Cleaning and redecorating with pieces one already has can easily refresh a space and a room.
As a large farm and home owner not only must I look after all my animals and gardens, but I also have to maintain the safety and upkeep of every house and structure on the property.
I have several buildings here at Cantitoe Corners, and the one I use the most is called the Winter House where I live. This year, it was time to change and update the carpeting in some of the rooms, so I called on my friends at Westport Carpet and Rugs in Westport, Connecticut - they've been taking care of my carpeting needs for many years. The process was quick and everything was done neatly and efficiently.
Here are some photos.
The first room to be addressed is my Winter House Sunken Green Parlor. It is a large room, which I often use for entertaining. Recently, I noticed the carpeting was in need of replacing, so it was cleaned and emptied of all the furniture.
Here is a view from the other side. The life expectancy of a sisal rug depends on where it’s used and the carpet’s exposure to traffic, spills or damage.
The brass floor register grilles were also removed for the project.
The team from Westport Carpet & Rugs arrived right on time with padding and my new sisal carpets.
The padding was rolled out carefully over the floor. There are many types of carpet padding for different areas of the home. Carpet padding serves as the foundation for the carpet. It provides cushioning underfoot but also provides stability, insulation, and noise reduction. The best carpet padding will protect the backing on the bottom of the carpet and keep it from breaking down, thus prolonging the life of the carpet.
Here, Dave carefully cuts the padding to fit around the stairs into the parlor.
Because this room is large, two pieces of new padding are needed to secure the carpet. This padding is very durable and long lasting.
Tape is used to connect the two pieces together, but don’t worry, the tape never touches the floor.
Then the carpet is slowly rolled over the padding and the floor. Every effort is made to roll it out as straight as possible, so adjustments are minimal.
The cut outs for the fireplace surround are done on site. Dave measures and marks the strip to be cut.
And then uses a very sharp knife to cut through the sisal precisely.
He does the same for the area around the stairs.
And uses a scrap piece of carpeting underneath, so the floor is completely protected.
Because the carpet is cut slightly smaller than the space to expose the wood floors, the area between the carpet edges and the walls must be measured several times. This carpet is about four-and-a-half inches from the wall along every side.
Any padding excess is also removed carefully with a sharp knife.
This is a carpet edge serger machine, or carpet-binding machine. It is used to quickly and easily sew a border around the perimeter of a carpet.
The matching colored yarns are placed on spools and the machine wraps the threads over the edges.
The machine is equipped with little wheels so Donald can be pull it along as it surges, making a very neat edge.
Here is a finished serged edge. The serged corners and edges look neat and tidy.
Pieces are cut to accommodate the registers.
And then the brass grilles are returned – no screws needed.
Here is an area done around the stairs.
Although it is exactly the same as the previous rug, once it is down it totally freshens the space and gives it a nice, clean look. Now to put back the furniture.
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