Home Care
Lawn Expo in Roxbury on April 10th
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010Whether you live in Roxbury or just nearby, you should come to the LAWN EXPO on APRIL 10th at the ROXBURY TOWN HALL from 1-3PM to learn about greener ways to take care of your lawn and rid it of unwanted pests and weeds naturally. Speakers will give advice on handling native species of plant, landscaping and tick control.
Another important element of this event is the “20% by 2010” program. Roxbury has committed to this program, with a goal of 20 percent of Roxbury households pledging a portion of their electrical energy green. Currently, 4 percent of households are enrolled, and if the goal is obtained, Roxbury will acquire a free solar panel for a town building. THIS IS A GREAT THING! LETS GET ON BOARD AND GO GREEN FOR OURSELVES AND OUR TOWN! See you there!
—Alison Lundie, Realtor® & Roxbury resident
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Lawn Expo in Roxbury
Published: Litchfield County Times, Tuesday, April 06, 2010
By Jack Coraggio
ROXBURY—A beautiful lawn is an unwavering vibrant and verdant hue, closely trimmed, no invasive species, no weeds, no brown spots and no patches of dirt. Or is it?
A new school of thought in the field of lawn maintenance is sprouting. To achieve the so-called healthy lawn—one free of crabgrass, dandelions and clovers, along with sliding shades of green—almost always requires the use of pesticides, herbicides and other such chemicals.
Such unnatural treatment is a distasteful method to many, and so germinated the Freedom Lawn concept, which promotes organic and alternative approaches to property care. Moreover, Freedom Lawn encourages homeowners to embrace some of the imperfections in the grass, as freedom advocate Abraham Lincoln did with the warts on his face.
“Pesticides are good at maintaining lawns,” admitted Roxbury Conservation Commission member Erika Ketchum, whose agency is conducting a Freedom Lawn Expo at the Roxbury Town Hall next weekend. “But with the health effects, they may do more harm than good.”
The expo will feature information on natural care, integrated pest management and statistics on adverse health findings associated with garden care chemicals. Several guest experts will give advice on topics such as handling native species of plant, landscaping, tick control and prevention.
“Ticks and Lyme disease are quite a relevant concern, so we’re looking to have the health director from Newtown come in to explore other options,” Ms. Kethcum said.
The concept of the Freedom Lawn was developed by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Three professors proposed this naturalistic approach to lawn maintenance, allowing unrestricted growth of grasses, clover and other broad-leafed plants commonly regarded as weeds. The program, already adopted by other Connecticut towns, like Milford, discourages the lawn fertilizers that enable ground and water pollution and contribute to serious health issues for organisms in contact with these treated lawns.
“A freedom lawn is an equal and opposite reaction to high- maintenance, high-input lawns and involves no inputs like fertilizers or weed killers,” stated lawn care blogger Kelly Burke. “It’s made up of a ‘survival of the fittest’ host of grasses and other plants sometimes referred to as weeds. Mowed high and regularly, a freedom lawn can provide aesthetics similar to lawns with more intense maintenance programs.”
The Roxbury Board of Selectmen endorses the event, one which will also feature experts from Roxbury’s Energy Task Force, there to explain convenient green energy initiatives and the #5 recycling program. Roxbury has committed to the “20% by 2010” program, with a goal of 20 percent of Roxbury households pledging a portion of their electrical energy green. Currently, 4 percent of households are enrolled, and if the goal is obtained, Roxbury will acquire a free solar panel for a town building.
“It’s all about changing the mindset, teaching people to work with nature instead of against it,” Ms. Ketchum said.
A second Freedom Lawn Expo is planned in early June. This first expo, open to the public, will be conducted from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, at the town hall.
It’s February, Have You Checked the Furnace?
Thursday, February 11th, 2010The kids had already planned that there would be a school delay the night before, so I wasn’t in a rush when I saw on the news that their magical powers had worked. Stepping down the stairs, after my cats had been jumping off and onto my bed between wrestling matches, I began the morning. By the time I hit the bottom stair I knew something was wrong. The smell of oil filled my house and when I opened the cellar door to check on the furnace, it grew worse. Running down the steps to see what the matter was I stopped short into a smokey room. Opened the slider and windows. Turned off the furnace. What is going on?
No fire or further drama ensued. I called my service company. They came and cleaned out my furnace which had become choked with soot. Scary yes. The worst part was the smell though and to get rid of it meant airing out the house. Which I did, opening doors and windows throughout the house. Oh, the temperature? 20-degrees of course, and windy. Good thing we had a delay because none of my kids were getting out from their warm beds. But soon the delay was over and the bus was coming, so they layered on the clothes and came downstairs. Breakfast, lunches, no more hot chocolate, make more tea, brush teeth, coat, backpack, jump in the car, get on the bus. Now for child #2.
That reminds me. To remind you to check your furnace. A typical day in my life, but we could have awoken to something worse. Strange thing was we had had a cleaning back in June. Not cleaned enough I guess. So learn from my story of a cold February morning, to have your furnaces checked and cleaned regularly.
February 11, 2010
—Alison Lundie, Realtor
lundiea@raveisre.com
203-948-2856
alisonlundie.raveisblog.com
(ps, thanks to www.coolclips.com for the cartoon, it fits my morning perfectly)
Furnaces need regular checkups
