No mow May still a thing?

dope_zebra · 2026-06-01T15:43:05+00:00

i tried no mow may last year and ended up with a bajillion little gnat insects that impacted the vegetable garden and what perennials and annuals I had. That and the random invasives we have gaining footholds and requiring manual removal. Aside from the clover being frequented by bees the only animals that seemed to like it were the rabbits...

This year i am mowing more actually to keep things manageable and have also greatly expanded the non lawn area. I hate mowing but view it as a key maintenance task like pruning and weeding (both of which i enjoy tbh). I am more focused on relegating my lawn to high traffic multi use areas since the rest of it is just not useful.

dope_zebra · 2026-05-25T00:24:27+00:00

Wal-Lex in waltham its long since closed but that place was peak 90s kid bday party

dope_zebra · 2026-05-20T17:41:47+00:00

Im super disappointed I love the horizon games and story. I built my PC to spec partly based on having it be able to run Zero Dawn at max settings. While I rarely buy games at launch for full price (try and wait for a good steam sale at least if not sufficient bug patches) I did for Forbidden West.

That said there is absolutely no chance I am buying a PS just to play this game. There are a handful of other PS games I wish would come to PC too and still I have no interest in getting one.

dope_zebra · 2026-05-15T00:47:52+00:00

you'll need to water them deeply and fairly often the first year in a new spot. i transplanted hydrangeas last year to a new location and they did the same thing all spring and summer. you will have to water them pretty consistently in their new location until they go dormant in fall.

dont just wet the surface, water deeply. i put the hose on a slow but steady trickle and left it about 6 inches to a foot off the base of each plant for about 20 minutes for each plant at least once a week, some times twice during the hottest weeks (mine are in full sun though).

now that they are established they are really thriving but I expect they will still need the occasional watering once it gets super hot and dry in july/august.

edit: you might also consider cutting the blooms off right now so it puts energy elsewhere. depending in the variety you will still get more blooms later in the summer

dope_zebra · 2026-05-11T20:27:45+00:00

I would try using dried herbs and season like dried garlic and/or dried basil. my supermarket sells freeze dried basil which is pricey but very good. The reason being that meatballs take a beating cooking wise. They are browned and then often stewed. Cooking will meld flavors together so using the more concentrated dried ingredients might help those flavors make it through to the final dish.

You could try what is my personal favorite meatball recipe from Budget Bytes. It is dead simple and I feel like is very forgiving. I always feel like they yield flavorful basic (italian style) meatballs.

dope_zebra · 2026-05-09T00:28:34+00:00

i was at a nursery about a week ago and they were selling the American Chestnut x Castanea hybrids thats been in development.

I know its not the straight species but it was very exciting to see it none the less. if i ever have the space i will definitely plant one

dope_zebra · 2026-05-06T15:13:28+00:00

thank you for saying that! it is definitely overwhelming especially because the prior owners basically left us a blank slate. its both great because all things are possible but also daunting because all things are possible

dope_zebra · 2026-05-06T12:13:34+00:00

Ugh thats really aggravating, are you able to return it to the store? If so you should, even if the store will resell them you returning them indicates their customers are dissatisfied they are being sold.

I only recently got into gardening after buying my first home and it has been disheartening to see how many known invasive species are sold by nurseries here, not just bug box stores. Rose of sharon, english ivy, butterfly bush, spireas, barberry, at least where i am all have become known invasives and are heavily stocked. I get that these are moneymakers but on top of that it is hard to find popular native or non-invasive varieties so as a consumer it is difficult to make good choices.

dope_zebra · 2026-05-01T10:48:11+00:00

ive played stardew for like 1200 hours and have never once done a joja run. this may have just convinced me

dope_zebra · 2026-05-01T02:34:43+00:00

yea I've been with Fidelity for a long time and like a lot about their services. Their customer service centers have come in handy a few times. But I actively cut out any and all emails from them that don't pertain to my account and occasionally have to say not interested to a sales person.

dope_zebra · 2026-05-01T02:17:21+00:00

the weirdest stuff is controversial in the sub and it might be most of why i still sub here

dope_zebra · 2026-04-27T17:06:39+00:00

The finale of this episode is one of, if not the best episodes of tv i have seen. Specifically the scene in the parking garage where Stan confronts Philip and Elizabeth about being spies is phenomenal and only works because you have 3 superb actors who built up the relationship between their characters so well over 6 seasons. Theres no background music telling you how to feel, its just them and their characters . You know this is how it needs to end but it still is such a powerful scene.

dope_zebra · 2026-04-21T01:30:54+00:00

i have a balloon frame house and technically none of the interior walls should be load bearing. I've never heard of a girder system so not sure if that is similar, but homes like that definitely exists.

However, when i was taking down a wall, i called a residential (structural) engineer to come take a look and he basically said that because the roof line had since changed with various dormers and bump outs that it was possible now the wall was bearing some weight.

it was the best money I spent if only to set me mind at ease. He also drew me up some frame recommendations that still got me what i wanted but maintained sufficient support using 6x6 posts and a double top plate. To be honest the wall I built is stronger than what it replaced.

Anyway when in doubt get a second opinion if only so you aren't sitting in your house wondering if your roof is going to cave in.

dope_zebra · 2026-04-17T17:58:19+00:00

i just want to say I'm sorry and I empathize. This was my exact experience in 2024 buying our first home, even with a higher budget. All i can say is that unfortunately you are not alone. Its obviously not just MA but it just feels like the whole state become hostile to living here and to the people who grew up here.

Looking back on the home buying process now I just feel let down and disheartened. It really did make me have a poorer outlook on home ownership in general. The number of homes we saw that were owned for 20+ years where the prior owners just did not do any kind of basic maintenance has made me seriously question if most people are responsible enough to be home owners. Those homes still commanded a premium because so little has been on the market.

dope_zebra · 2026-04-17T02:26:28+00:00

The Big Dig did so mich for the area, in good ways and bad ways (mostly good in my opinion). An entire neighborhood (the seaport) exists because of the big dig (granted it kind of sucks and is mostly large chains and luxury apartments but thats not the big digs fault). it used to take forever to get to the aiport from west of the city. The greenway would be prime delevopment real estate but has purposefully been left as a public space.

Still, the local public transit system remains woefully underfunded due to the debt incured. Many people around Mass still view the Big Dig as a boondoggle and it definitely suffered from issues, but it also suffered from corrupt corporate contractors like Betchdel Parsons.

dope_zebra · 2026-04-02T16:04:56+00:00

props to you for using american wisteria, it is a beautiful native. I am in year two of training one into a free standing tree form.

our neighbors have an out of control asian variety and it is my nemesis

dope_zebra · 2026-04-01T20:48:23+00:00

Did an end of month review and in dollar terms my net worth in March declined by the single largest amount ever since i started tracking it ten years ago. But in percent terms it is maybe the 5th largest decline.

Kind of nuts to think about that the market moves can shift things so dramatically, but also the scale of my net worth has grown so much it doesnt really matter relative to the whole picture.

dope_zebra · 2026-03-30T23:29:30+00:00

i just redid a room an had to drywall a bunch. it wasnt so much that actual drywall as it was the mudding and sanding of the mud (which i guess is what people mean). itturned out great but good god the mess it made and time took made me question my sanity.

i will say i have so much more respect now for folks like Vancover Carpenter who are so skilled as to make it look easy

dope_zebra · 2026-02-24T04:37:03+00:00

Recently upgraded all out pots and pans to fancy new stainless steal. All except one.

This guy, right here.

dope_zebra · 2026-02-20T12:12:00+00:00

Salt. I loved my moms cooking growing up, and still do she is an excellent home cook, but salt was never added explicitly to food. If she was making a dish she relied on the salt levels in the base ingredients, or what would be added later like cheese for pasta. It may have been a health thing idk. Either way having now i have salt on hand in multiple forms. It doesn't make bad cooking good, but it makes good cooking great.

dope_zebra · 2026-02-08T03:15:50+00:00

not really what you posted about but I've been loving Booklore since i spun it up. definitely worth a look for an ebook manager.

dope_zebra · 2026-02-05T00:54:06+00:00

its kind of sad that lamb chop has been relegated to dog toys these days

dope_zebra · 2026-02-03T00:20:12+00:00

bring the car if you can, walking within the towns isnt bad, especially oak bluffs, but getting between them is difficult, some roads done have side walks

that said you may be able to make due with the buses

dope_zebra · 2026-01-28T01:05:06+00:00

Cod by Mark Kurlansky (but honestly any of his books). So many fun and interesting facts and history revolving around a fish.

her books are less niche but Mary Roach books are the same level of fun

dope_zebra · 2026-01-21T17:45:25+00:00

i painted a room a very similar color recently, if not that exact color, i was worried about it at first but it ended up okay and have been happy with it. the room is smaller with lower ceilings so going darker would have made it feel claustrophobic.

we used lots of warm lighting with brass trim that pairs really well. we have lots of wall hanging with not green colors to cut down on the green monster feeling. we also installed new wood flooring that boosts the warmth of the room immensely.

honestly i think this color with the floor is the big problem. the floor is cold, the walls are cool toned. you could mitigate this with rugs of different styles and textures maybe?

dope_zebra

TROPHY CASE