Mountain Times - Vol. 49, No. 53 - Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021

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42 • The Mountain Times • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 “Celebrate endings— for they precede new beginnings.” - Jonathan Huie Courtesy of MelindaMyers.com Moon Valley pilea is a moisture-loving plant that prefers high humidity but will tolerate average home humidity. Winter care for houseplants By Melinda Myers Holidays are filled with new plants and decorations that often find our houseplants relegated to any out of the way available space. Be sure to keep your houseplants looking their best with proper winter care. Make sure houseplants receive sufficient light now and throughout the winter. The shorter, often gray days of winter mean less light reaches our plants. Start by moving plants to the sunniest available window. A south-facing window is usually best, but if it is obstructed by trees, awnings or shears it may be no better than an unobstructed window facing another direction. If brightly lit locations are limited in your home, try rotating plants between high and low light areas. Switching plants every few weeks usually keeps them growing healthy. Give the pots a turn every few weeks to ensure each side of the plant has time facing the light. This encourages even growth and discourages stems stretching toward the light. Consider supplementing natural light with artificial light when light is limited. Newer styles that clip onto pots, are mounted on the wall, or tucked into furniture grade stands make them attractive and easier to use. And now LED plant lights are more affordable, longer lasting and use less energy. Humidity is the other winter stress. Many of our houseplants are tropical and require higher humidity than our homes provide. As we turn up the heat, the humidity declines. Boost the humidity around your plants by displaying them together. As one plant loses moisture, the others will benefit. Add a gravel tray for additional humidity. Fill a tray or saucer with pebbles and water. Then set the plant on the pebbles elevated above the water. As the water evaporates, it increases humidity around the plant. Boost the humidity around your plants by displaying them together. As one plant loses moisture, the others will benefit. Adjust your watering schedule to fit the conditions in your home. Always water thoroughly but only as needed. Use your finger to check the soil moisture below the soil surface. Water moisture-loving plants, like Moon Valley pilea, when the top few inches are barely moist. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry for cacti and succulents. And always pour off excess water that collects in the saucer, or use gravel trays to capture the excess water, eliminating this task. Most houseplants do fine in the same temperatures we prefer. They do not tolerate drafts of hot air from heat vents or cold air from windows and doors. Move plants as needed to avoid drafty locations. Never trap houseplants between the curtain or blinds and the window. The temperature can be significantly colder, resulting in injury and even death of some plants. Place plants on a table near the window or windowsill extension, leaving room to close the window coverings at night. Wait until spring to fertilize. Plants do not need as many nutrients when their growth is limited by less-than-ideal winter conditions. As the outdoor growing conditions improve with longer days and brighter light, so do those indoors. You will be rewarded with healthier, more attractive plants when giving them the care they need this winter. And as you tend your indoor garden, you will help fight the winter blues. Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including “Small Space Gardening.” She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s “Garden Moment” TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her web site is MelindaMyers.com. Rochester Gap By Peggy Mckinley It’s just another day in the @life_in_rochestervermont, where a thin layer of snow remains after the meltdown and is illumnicated by the soft morning light. Do you have photos to share? Send them to editor@mountaintimes.info or share it with us on Instagram/Facebook using hashtag #mountaintimesvt
The Mountain Times • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 REAL ESTATE • 43 How to choose the right lighting inside your home Lighting in a home serves both practical and aesthetic purposes. It’s easy to maneuver around a well-lit home, reducing the risk of slips and falls, and the right lighting can help homeowners create their desired ambiance, which typically changes depending on which room you’re in. When choosing lighting for their homes, homeowners must walk a fine line between appearance and functionality. A fixture in the foyer that instantly impresses visitors likely won’t prove as awe-inspiring if it’s installed in the living room. When choosing lighting for a home, some general rules about what works in each room can help homeowners make the most informed decision. Kitchen Kitchens are often the busiest room in a home, so lighting here can be especially important. A kitchen often benefits, both practically and aesthetically, from different types of lighting. For example, pendant lighting above kitchen islands can make meal preparation easier and safer, but such lighting likely won’t work in breakfast nooks and informal dining areas in the kitchen. Recessed lighting works best in such areas. In kitchens with no island, under-cabinet lighting can be used to illuminate countertops and simplify meal preparation. Formal dining room Many people enjoy the look of chandeliers in formal dining rooms, and such fixtures can be installed directly above the dinner table. The interior design experts at Better Homes & Gardens advise hanging chandeliers roughly 33 inches above the table in dining rooms with eight-foot ceilings, adding three inches for each additional foot above eight feet. Darkened dining areas may be ideal in restaurants, but homeowners may want to split the difference at home and choose dimmable chandeliers for their dining rooms. This allows homeowners to dim the lights for romantic dinners but turn them up for family gatherings with lots of people around the table. Living room Adaptability also is important in the living room, where homeowners may host anything from movie nights to book clubs to parties for the big game. It can be a tall order to accommodate such a wide range of activities, and many homeowners come down to deciding between recessed lighting and track lighting. If the living room currently has neither style, homeowners should recognize that it will cost considerably less to install track lighting than recessed lighting. Better Homes & Gardens notes that flexible track lighting provides ambient, task or accent lighting, and track lights can even be moved to change lighting schemes at any time, making them a budget-friendly option for homeowners whose living rooms are multi-purpose spaces. Recessed lighting also Submitted works well in living rooms, especially ones with low ceilings. That’s because recessed lighting is installed into the ceiling, meaning it does not take up any visual space in the room. That can help living rooms feel bigger. Bedroom The home improvement experts at BobVila.com note that bedroom lighting should provide enough light when getting dressed, but also be able to be toned down as residents prepare for their bedtime routines. Both portable and installed lighting can be used in bedrooms to serve these various functions. Recessed fixtures that dim can ensure there’s ample light to get dressed in the morning, but they also can be dimmed at night as residents try to get ready to sleep. Portable nightstand lights can make it easier for couples sharing a bedroom, allowing one person to stay up and read while the other goes to sleep. Homeowners have many options and many needs when choosing lighting for their homes. A professional consultation with a lighting expert or interior decorator can help homeowners find lights that provide both practical and aesthetic appeal. The mountain is calling Let us be your guide to the Killington area real estate market 85 NORTH MAIN STREET | RUTLAND | 802.774.7007 | FourSeasonsSIR.com Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.
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Mountain Times - Vol. 49, No. 53 - Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021

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