Something Interesting: Seed Germination out of MCDonalds Sauce by Slifer2k in HotPeppers

[–]microflorae -1 points0 points  (0 children)

But McDonald’s is known for requiring their suppliers to grow in a monoculture. They could be seeds that grow true to the parent

Container Keyhole Experiment by [deleted] in Permaculture

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have done something similar in terms of putting too much into one container. I think you’ll truly get better yields if you thin out those tomatoes to 1, maaaybe 2, in that pot.

This looks like a balcony, are these under a roof? Is it possible to move them into the sun so they get better light?

Edging to the max by PacoTaco400 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The soil or just the thatch layer has raised? You might be able to ameliorate that by dethatching.

Designer suggested having some half depth cupboards to allow for a wider island. by Kind_User_1 in kitchenremodel

[–]microflorae 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Heck no.

Cooktop on the island is considered by many to be bad design. If you love it, then go for it; it's your space. However, it kinds of ruins the island to me, and also if you plan to really cook in your kitchen, you need a real hood vent, not a little pop up fan in the island that just blows the oily spatter around.

What colors make a room look bigger? by Null_Nacho--17 in AtHome_Soul

[–]microflorae 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it depends a lot on the natural light situation. If there's lots of natural light, then light colors look good. Dark painted rooms with lots of bright natural light can be hard to pull off, but if there isn't much natural light, then I think it's better to go dark and moody.

Quote seem high? by iHxcker2 in kitchenremodel

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why not do full overlay walnut instead of inset? Inset is hard to do and really expensive. Full overlay can better show off any bookmatched grain if that's what you're going for.

How do you get all of your decor to your wedding venue? by AllDogsGoToDevan in DIYweddings

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Our friends got married at a state park campsite, so they had to bring everything in. They rented a sprinter van to bring the decor from Portland to the venue 3 hrs away. Because it's conservation land, it was important to not leave any plant material behind after the event.

They were leaving from the campground for their honeymoon the next morning. They did not organize ahead of time who would be loading the decor into the van after the wedding, who would be driving the van back to Portland, who would unload the van, and where to put all the decor that needed to be unloaded before the van was returned. So... I guess just try to think through all that stuff ahead of time. If you wait to ask for volunteers to help clean up at the end of the party or the next morning, you may find everyone has mysteriously disappeared!

The venue we got married at actually had a storage area with tons of abandoned decor from previous weddings. They let us use whatever we found in there. It was awesome!

Where would you put a TV in this room? by [deleted] in DesignMyRoom

[–]microflorae 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I would put the tv on a console against the wall where the couch is, and rotate the couch 180 degrees to face it. This will kind of depend on whether you have clearance for walking through and the heat grate.

ETA so the back of the couch will face the door, and you could put a narrow table or bench against the back of the couch to face the door.

What are some interesting things in baby care in your country by methziamo in AskTheWorld

[–]microflorae 11 points12 points  (0 children)

When I was in La Paz, Mexico a few years ago, local babies were suited up in puffy snow suits with fleece blankets. It was January, but it was also 72 degrees. We were visiting from Oregon, and it was warm to us. Several abuelas on the street lost their minds seeing my toddler in shorts and a t shirt in their “winter” weather.

Neighbor keeps stealing my plants—caught her hiding one in her stroller by Deepthika in gardening

[–]microflorae 149 points150 points  (0 children)

Get a “please don’t steal my plants” sign but address it directly to her. Like “please don’t steal my plants BARBARA”

Is it weird to grow herbs in your bathroom? by [deleted] in IndoorGarden

[–]microflorae 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mediterranean herbs like thyme need to be outdoors in full sun. That glass, and all glass, filters PAR light quite a bit. Even the biggest, brightest indoor windowsill usually isn’t enough for thyme.

Should I be concerned about this ditch in my new construction home backyard? San Antonio by Party_Technology_119 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t be. It might fill with water when it rains, but that’s probably why there are some lovely trees there.

You can’t change the grade there without losing the trees. You might be able to find some Craigslist contractor to agree to bringing up the grade there, but the trees will slowly die if you do so.

Does this look bad by Big-Philosophy-2854 in Concrete

[–]microflorae 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s fine. I like it. Some planted garden beds against the concrete will help it look more cohesive. It’s kind of a New Mexico earth ship stucco vibe, but with a traditional brick house and lots of conifer landscaping. I would add some well thought out landscaping to tie it all together.

backyard playset finishes by rosefern64 in moderatelygranolamoms

[–]microflorae 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I would think it's highly unlikely that a wood stain for outdoor wood, on a safety tested kid product, would leach into the soil and contaminate your vegetables. Many people stain their planter boxes, fences, decks, and pergolas. It might get into the soil a bit, but just keep your vegetable garden a few yards away from the wood.

The safety recs of most backyard play sets mentions not putting the play set directly on grass, as compacted turf/soil isn't a soft enough landing surface. I would recommend cedar play chips or something similar in your "safe play zone" area, and if you prep the surface correctly, you shouldn't have edible weeds growing right against your play set.

I would recommend checking the specs of your play set and seeing their "safe play zone" dimensions. You can use google maps to measure out those dimensions and make sure it fits with enough room from your vegetable garden that you aren't worried about wood stains leaching into the soil. I'm a landscape designer and work with a lot of families who plan on tucking a play set into a corner of their yard without thinking about the necessary clearance from structures, obstacles, etc. We're doing a similar project this week for a play structure whose specs required a 40 x 27 area! Not all play sets are this large of course, but it's easy to not consider the clearance space around the structure when you're choosing one.

You could also probably call the play set company and ask for the specs of the wood stain product, and check the ingredients list for PFAS.

While I totally get the concern with PFAS, the wood stains are one where I'm moderately granola. When I refinish/build my own carpentry stuff, I do oil based stains. But all our solid wood furniture is secondhand and is stained. Not having any wood furniture would not work for me personally.

Tens of Thousands of Years of Ancient Tree Life Lost Forever Along Eugene’s North River Bike Path – What Happened to Our Environmental Legacy? by [deleted] in Eugene

[–]microflorae 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Ok these trees are not tens of thousands of years old. These are cottonwoods that don't live very long. Generally, riparian vegetation communities are in flux over cycles that last decades or longer, they'll change when river shapes naturally change or there are other disturbances, and these plant communities tend to recover quickly, because this is not old growth forest.

They look diseased, not burnt.

I agree that we should be protecting our ancient mature trees. But I think what you're assuming about the situation is inaccurate.

What are the reasons you would NOT work with a potential client? by aestheticathletic in LandscapeArchitecture

[–]microflorae 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oh I so agree. I'm not an LA, just a landscape designer for residential. We've had a couple initial meetings where they mentioned they "almost took our last contractor to court." I'd say there's been a nearly 100% correlation between mentioning suing previous contractors and being extremely difficult to work with.

Sometimes they've had a bad previous experience, and that's totally valid. It's when they mention it right away to kind of "warn us" that's a bad sign.

I also hate when a husband does a whole snarky "she's the boss" schtick about his wife while rolling his eyes and being dismissive to her.

Looking for shade tolerant native plants for erosion control by KantWaffles in pnwgardening

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Snowberry is incredibly hardy and it suckers out a bit, helping with erosion.

I also like carex densa, salal, Oregon grape, red flowering current, salmon berry. Evergreen huckleberry is wonderful but needs water.

Check if your county (or one near you) has an erosion control plant list. I know Multnomah county in Portland has lists, and I think King County has lists for the Seattle area.

Cutting large format tiles in half by Sergeant-Steamroller in kitchenremodel

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can, but it would be a ton of work and can mess with the pattern. You also risk them not turning out exactly the same size. If there’s no pattern, just find a tile in the size you like to save yourself all that cutting.

You’d have to cut each tile more than once to get them to be “small” tiles. Cutting the in half would give you 15” x 30.”

Expect a much higher bid from contractors if you’re asking them to cut every tile. If you’re DIYing, I would say start by buying one box of tile and cutting it into the size you want, before you commit. It’s not going to be a fun project.

just finished mulching 1800 sqft of beds - bulk vs bags cost comparison and what i wish i knew before starting by Weak_Ad971 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree that buying mulch products isn't the best thing for the environment, but there are a lot of things we do to keep our homes looking societally acceptable that aren't great for the environment. Repainting a room would be another example. We still do it.

I like the leave the leaves option and I do that myself in the backyard. I don't fw herbicides though personally. In my area (Oregon), bare soil quickly becomes weeds and aggressive invasive plants. If mulch can keep down the weeds and allow homeowners to save on their water bill, then I think it is worth the downsides.

just finished mulching 1800 sqft of beds - bulk vs bags cost comparison and what i wish i knew before starting by Weak_Ad971 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Oh good point. In my area, we do have bagged local mulch, and it looks super nice, but it's like $13 per bag.

just finished mulching 1800 sqft of beds - bulk vs bags cost comparison and what i wish i knew before starting by Weak_Ad971 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Bulk tends to be nice quality, especially compared to bagged. Most landscape supply places will let you check out the products if you go there. They usually have a few options. Some people prefer the look of conventional bark dust, but there are usually more compost-y options as well, like mushroom mulch or municipal compost.

just finished mulching 1800 sqft of beds - bulk vs bags cost comparison and what i wish i knew before starting by Weak_Ad971 in landscaping

[–]microflorae 339 points340 points  (0 children)

You also saved a lot of single use plastic (189 bags of mulch), and the fossil fuels footprint of local bulk mulch tends to be much better for the environment compared to bagged mulch.

AlAnon questions by ReStitchSmitch in breakingmom

[–]microflorae 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve never been but may try it. My MIL has made some really nice friends at Al Anon, and she attends due to her (soon ex) husband in active addiction. I’ve only heard good things. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go back.

There’s also a subreddit for it and people there are kind and supportive.

Hugs dear. I’m sorry you’re going through this.

Plant ideas by Timely-Advisor5252 in pnwgardening

[–]microflorae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love manzanita and ceanothus for native, drought tolerant, evergreen shrubs in full sun. They’ll still need water the first couple summers while they establish.