at long last! the londo lodge kitchen is ready for her close up four years later!

Home Decor

At Long Last! The Londo Lodge Kitchen Is Ready For Her Close Up FOUR YEARS Later!

Drescription

Ican’t believe it’s been a year and a half since I last talked to you about my kitchen! Honestly, what is time anymore? 2020 feels both like it was 30 seconds ago and that it was 30 years ago. I’m pretty sure this is the longest design project I’ve ever worked on. Four. Full. Years. But it’s done and I could not be more relieved/excited/happy!

The kitchen as it looks today has lived in my head since the moment I first toured the house, almost exactly four years ago (August 2020). I was EXTREMELY lucky in that Londo Lodge was the first house I ever looked at, the first house I ever put an offer on, and the first house I was lucky enough to snag. And the kitchen was really what sold me on the house. The space was large, dated but well-designed, and located at the center of the house. It was obvious from the home’s layout that the family who built this home really saw themselves as kitchen gatherers – my type of people (unless I’m in there trying to cook, in which case, GET OUT!). The layout of the room was really nice. It was spacious, grand, and filled with practical storage. Too much storage, to be honest (which is why I knocked out a wall of upper cabinets in favor of more windows looking out onto the forest).

So why did I change it?

Mostly because the kitchen as it was doesn’t go with the style overlay I have planned for the house. The home is pretty much a 90s contemporary box – very simple, efficiently built, but not a lot of artistry, no millwork or details anywhere. I really want this house to feel more like the little cabin in Yosemite where I was raised, which was a 1929 craftsman bungalow. So my goal is to combine Craftsman and Cape Cod elements with some rustic cabin accents to create a home that feels older, more historic, and overall just more romantic. The old kitchen didn’t really go with that vibe. So from the moment I saw it I had an idea in mind for what I wanted to do.

Now, before I get into what I did to transform the kitchen, I want to show you what I did to make it work as-is for the first three years I owned the home. I’m extremely lucky I got to do this renovation and would not have been able to afford it without getting a ton of it sponsored. So I get that a huge renovation like this is not a possibility for everyone. As you can see from the photos, styling can make a HUGE difference to how a space feels. So for those of you out there who aren’t in a position to take on a renovation, just know that there’s a ton you can do by removing dated accessories and adding in objects that update the space. The updates I made midway are probably a full blog post to themselves, but I wanted to share these images to encourage those of you out there (most people, including me if I weren’t a content creator who could attract sponsors) who can’t afford to gut their homes – creativity and a little elbow grease goes a long way!

Oh, and for the record because I get this comment every time I post about my old kitchen, the thing on the ceiling is NOT a skylight. It’s a terrible, depressing 90s fluorescent light. So no, I did not remove a skylight to build my new kitchen. I actually tried to add one but I couldn’t find a sponsor for that (maybe someday when I redo the roof!). Okay, onto what I did!

Like a lot of people, I’ve had a thing for Nancy Meyers kitchens for a long time. I love that they are cozy and aspirational at the same time. The goal with this house is to build my dream home, so I definitely wanted the kitchen to feel grand and high-end without feeling pretentious. This is a “cabin” after all, it should feel cozy and down to earth. The goal with renovations at this house is to do them well and do them once, so I decided to go very classic and traditional with my design – I definitely didn’t want to do a trendy kitchen that I needed to renovate in five years. Or even ten years. I want this to last a long time.

The first sponsor that came on board to help with the kitchen was Bertazzoni. I have worked with them numerous times and I love their appliances so I was elated to have their pieces in my home. I decided to base the color palette of the room on the range, Bertazzoni’s Heritage Range (Color: Avorio). I color matched the range with Timeless by Clare Paint to make the range feel integrated with the cabinetry. But I didn’t want the room to be completely devoid of color, so I brought in a faint gray/green/blue in the tile (backsplash is Chain Homme in Mist by Fireclay). Something that’s a little hard to tell from the photos is how warm the room is. Timeless and Avorio are basically a “bone” color. Not bright white, more muted and warm.

The inspiration for the backsplash color was the pretty pine trees outside, some of which have really beautiful silvery accents at the tips of the needles (these are called “Silver Tips”). I wanted the kitchen to feel neutral and relaxing but not boring and this color really did the trick. I also added that color on the ceiling, using Clare Paint’s “Rain Check.”

The refrigeration wall is one of my favorite elements in the room. I knew from the get-go I wanted to move the refrigerator and I wanted the whole wall to feel like cabinetry, so I opted for Bertazzoni’s panel-ready columns. I trimmed them out to look like a big armoire and I really love the result. To match the range, I added large-scale Bertazzoni Heritage Handles to the refrigeration wall (which includes 24” Freezer, Wine Fridge, and Refrigerator from left to right).

To keep the refrigeration wall flush I installed a large custom-built china hutch at the same depth. I love the way the whole thing looks and this is one of my favorite vignettes in the room. One thing I may change eventually is the cabinet depth. While it’s great to have the 24” depth to maximize storage, shelving this deep can be a bit impractical because it’s hard to reach all the way to the back to grab things. So I may eventually add a false wall to the back of these cabinets to make them shallower. Or I may leave them the same. They’re a bit hard to style but the depth actually serves a very practical purpose when it comes to renting my house out on Airbnb.

Originally, I’d planned on having these cabinets lock, filled with pretty dishes and my favorite pottery pieces. But that ended up being out of my budget, so what I’ve done with styling is put all the most delicate things in the hardest-to-reach spots. I’m hoping this deters people from using and breaking my favorite stuff while allowing me to have the hutch styled the way I want. So far it’s worked but when you rent your house out to strangers you kind of have to be ready for them to break stuff so I’m just considering that a cost of doing business. I’d love to share all my beautiful dishware with the world, but judging by the fact that guests have already broken/damaged a decent number of things I think you kind of have to assume people are not going to be gentle with your stuff and act accordingly. I want to be generous and share but I also don’t want to be furious when people aren’t careful with things I love. It’s all about balance!

Another one of my favorite details is the beautiful antique painting I installed on the side of the china hutch. I did this because I don’t love looking at the side of a cabinet and wanted to do something intentional to make the spot a focal point rather than an eyesore. I found the art on Etsy and it was definitely a splurge. It cost $500 and that expense came at a time where I was REALLY running out of money for the project. I’ll do a budget breakdown at some point, either here or in my newsletter, but the overall budget for this kitchen was over $200K (I haven’t finished the tally yet), I put in a bit more than $100K, so I am definitely still digging myself out of a financial hole. Why did I spend $500 I didn’t have on art? Because I knew it would totally define the space. Not only was it in my minty color palette, it speaks to the majestic pines outside the windows. I’m still broke from doing this, but I don’t regret buying the painting at all. I built a frame for it out of scrap wood from a wood flooring project, installed it on the side of the cabinet, and added an art light.

The painting was made in 1923 by Sano Gofu, a Japanese artist born in 1883 and while it is one of a kind, you can find similar works on the Sakura Antiques Etsy shop.

For some reason, it felt a little awkward to just have a painting over drawers, so I decided to disguise the top drawer as an art ledge, which I think really helps ground the painting and make it look like it belongs there. There’s also the added benefit that it feels sort of like the drawer is a secret because it has no hardware on it. And I love any sort of playful hidden design elements like this (someday I want a secret bookcase door).

Another favorite corner is the coffee cabinet. I added this cabinet for a few reasons. Firstly, I wanted the three windows to be centered on the sink and there were two extra feet of room on the left. Second, I wanted a place to hide the coffee maker because for as large as this kitchen is, there isn’t a ton of counter space that lends itself to appliances. There’s a huge amount of counter space, but almost all of it is in front of a window or part of an island/peninsula (which would be a weird place to put an appliance). I also loved the idea of a cute little coffee station. Because the look I was going for was historic and traditional (and because I hate looking at them) I decided to do my classic trick of putting the microwave in a cabinet. This is such an easy design hack, I’ve done it in most of the kitchens I’ve ever designed. If an appliance isn’t decorative and pretty like the range, I don’t want to look at it!

There’s so many white/cool tones in the room, so I wanted the island to be a wood finish. I looked into all sorts of ready-made options that were way too expensive but ended up hiring Justin Swaby, the carpenter contractor from my HGTV show “Build Me Up” (and longtime friend) to build a custom island. I designed the island using Sketchup and we made a lot of last-minute changes on-site to elevate it and save money on lumber. For example, I’d originally wanted 4” solid white oak legs, but we ended up doing poplar instead because it was cheaper. And instead of doing solid legs, we fused four planks together. The wood is currently a little green but will desaturate overtime to a more neutral color.

Overall, I really like the way the island came out and it means a lot to me that a longtime friend and collaborator made it for me. Justin also jumped in at the last minute to finish up what the original contractor left unfinished (that’s a story for another day but the original contractor ended up abandoning the job, leaving me to finish it alone for six months until Justin came up to help and get it done). One thing I’m on the fence about is the island styling. Part of me thinks it’s a bit busy. And another part of me thinks it gives the type of “real” that makes Nancy Meyers’ kitchens feel really cozy. If you look at the kitchens in her movies, there’s a LOT going on in the backgrounds. For example, Google the kitchen from “It’s Complicated.” There’s stuff EVERYWHERE. So I’m hoping my island gives a little bit of that “Hey, a person lives a full life here and uses this stuff!” comfort we get looking at kitchens in Nancy Meyers movies.

By the time I got to the window treatments, I’d fully run out of cash. So I asked my mom to help me make a DIY “camp shade” for each of the windows and doors. I actually had these all over the house before I got my glamorous Romans and drapes from Everhem (highly recommended btw I love them). These roller shades are not the easiest to use – you have to roll them up by hand and then tie them back with the straps up top. But because of where this room is, I actually don’t close them at night. They’re mostly for if I leave for long periods and I want to close up the house for insulation. I’ll do a how-to on these soon, they’re pretty easy to make if you have a sewing machine (or a mom who does). And I think they make a great temporary (or permanent depending on how high/accessible the window is) window treatment that looks a lot more chic than those paper blinds people normally use as a stopgap. These windows cost about $20 a piece to cover which is a lot more affordable than custom Romans, which would be around $1500 per window (if you read this blog I’m sure you know by now custom window treatments are not cheap).

One thing that makes me laugh when I look at the photos of this room is how many lights I put in. In person, you don’t question it at all, it just seems really luxe that there’s all these beautiful fixtures everywhere. In photos though it can look a little busy. I decided when I bought this house that I didn’t want recessed lights anywhere. Controversial opinion: I’m over recessed lights. I think in most cases they are installed in unattractive patterns and the light they provide is very top-down and unflattering. I’d much prefer an attractive small flush mount to a recessed light. But I did want to make sure there was adequate lighting for food prep, so I installed six sconces, eight ceiling pendants, and one cute flush mount. I’m happy with the results as much as I know it looks like I went wild at the lighting store.

Honestly, there are about a million tangents I could go on about this kitchen: Why is there a new door? What happened to my pizza oven/fireplace idea? How did I make the beam that divides the two rooms? Why do I hate recessed lights, who hurt me? Who did all the custom millwork on the sides of the cabinets (me)? Why didn’t I put quartz on the island? Why is that wine fridge so huge? What happened to the contractor? How’d a kitchen cost that much money when so much of it was sponsored? What am I regretting already? And so on. But I think I’ll have to come back another day to explore those (or like I said, perhaps explore them in my newsletter, which you should totally read by the way) because, remember, this was a four-year project and there are literally too many stories to fit into one post without your eyes glazing over as you slowly start to question why you let yourself get sucked into this never-ending rant.

I guess the sentiment I’d like to leave you with is this. I’m very lucky to have gotten to do this project. But I also had to scrimp and save for four years and am currently broke from doing it. It also doesn’t match the rest of my house. Over time, I plan to swap out all the windows and doors to match the new, traditional ones I put in the kitchen, but that will likely take me years to do as I save up and replace them one by one. So you might walk into my house and be like “Wait why is this kitchen a 1929 traditional kitchen and the adjoining room is updated 90s contemporary?” And you’d have a point. Updating your home is messy and can sometimes lead to things feeling disjointed while you save to do the next project.

Most people can’t just do everything at once, if they get to do it at all. And my opinion about all that is that I’d rather save up and spend a lot on something I consider permanent than do something cheaper that won’t age as well. I said no to a few potential cabinet sponsors because I wanted cabinets I could paint by hand. I wanted the texture of the brush strokes and the ability to change them whenever I wanted (and to touch them up given this kitchen is getting a lot of use). Home makeovers often look a lot different than what we see online. Which can sometimes be frustrating to people at home because it makes them feel like their projects are taking forever while everyone else’s are flying by.

If I’m honest, I would have loved it if I could have afforded to do this renovation sooner. And I would have loved it if the renovation itself hadn’t taken a full year, which drove me further into debt because all those months of construction meant I couldn’t rent the house out to help pay for the renovations. Real talk, one of the reasons this project took so long is I kept running out of money. I’d have to stop and wait to save up then start again. And I think this is true for a lot of people. So if you’re stuck in the middle of a four-year (or more, I’ve heard stories!) renovation you’re not alone. At the end of the day having the agency to renovate is a privilege in itself, which is something I tried to remind myself of every time I got frustrated and sick of the project.

The length, complexity, and challenges of this project led to an epiphany for me about the type of content I personally share online and on Instagram. Basically, it’s the job of content creators to make things look fun and enjoyable. We love the type of video where a person walks into a room and snaps and the whole thing transforms. But as fun as all that is to watch, it can become a disservice in that it makes things look a lot easier than they really are. This renovation made me realize that I’d actually bought into the “this is quick and easy!” I’d personally been responsible for promoting. And that has made me a bit more thoughtful about how I present this type of design project online. I want people to have fun and enjoy watching the process, but I don’t want to add to the frustrations people may be having about A. Not being able to afford a renovation in the first place or B. How long their renovation is taking. It’s a hard balance to find as a content creator so I’m trying to find the middle ground between misrepresenting the ease of this type of renovation and being a drag to readers because I am too explicit about the hurdles I had to overcome to get the job done. Overall, I think the kitchen project has helped me be a bit more honest about the hiccups and setbacks that can happen in a renovation like this. I hope that brings comfort to people dealing with the same logistical and financial worries I’ve been struggling with since the start of the pandemic (I know WOMP WOMP we don’t wanna hear that word anymore, but so many people are still struggling).

All that being said, I could not be happier this project is over. I’m actually at the house today working on a few maintenance projects to keep it fresh for my Airbnb guests (installing a new TV, yard work, planning a bedroom makeover, deep cleaning the deck furniture, and so on). I’m glad I have this glamorous Nancy Meyers kitchen now. And I’m even more glad the four years of planning stress and one full year of manual labor that led to it is finally over.

Now, a shameless plug! Would you like to come to my house and use my new fancy kitchen? You can rent it on Airbnb! There are limited slots available for summer but fall is more open as I’ve just released those dates and that is a lovely time to visit Yosemite. Come on over and live your Nancy Meyers dreams!

Japanese Aralia Is the Quirky Bloom You Should Add to Your Garden Now — How to Care For It

Japanese aralia, also called paper plant or Formosa rice tree, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that can be planted or grown in a container in temperate gardens or kept as a houseplant. With foliage that hints at a tropical location and striking blooms, it is a plant you'll enjoy year-round. Japanese Aralia Care As an evergreen garden shrub or small tree, Japanese aralia has a rounded, spreading form and can reach up to 19 feet tall. The dark green leaves have a palmate form and make long-lasting foliage for flower arrangement. White or cream flowers that resemble drumsticks appear on new growth stems in late fall and black fruit develops in winter from the blooms. The plant can be grown in a container on a shady patio or as a houseplant in colder hardiness zones. It is quite popular with deer, so aim to protect it or keep it inside. If grown as a houseplant, Japanese aralia seldom blooms or develops fruit. Light If you have a shady garden, this is an excellent shrub choice, as it prefers partial to full shade. It can only tolerate about 2 hours of direct sunlight before the leaves are scorched and turn brown. If growing in a container, it should not be placed in direct sun. Find a low-light spot inside and a shady corner of a porch or patio. Soil A highly adaptable plant, Japanese aralia thrives in clay, loam, or sandy soil that can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline. However, you'll see larger, faster growth in soil that is nutrient-rich with organic matter. Container-grown plants work well with any commercial potting soil. Water Soil should be kept evenly moist. However, once established Japanese aralia can survive short periods of drought. Add a layer of mulch to help keep the soil moist in the garden. Reduce watering amounts in fall and winter when the plant is not growing as quickly. Temperature and Humidity The plant prefers temperate to warm temperatures outside and inside with moderate to high humidity. Protect the plant from drying winds. Fertilizer Fertilize regularly with a balanced NPK granular or liquid fertilizer except in the winter when the plant is not growing as much. Where and When to Plant Outdoor planting should be done in a shady area of the garden that receives around 2 to 4 hours of sunlight, preferably morning sun. The plants must be shaded to avoid the harsh afternoon sun. They are ideal as accent specimens, coarsely textured shrubs for mixed borders, or as an irregular screen or hedge. Plant in the garden in early spring after the last frost or late fall before the first frost to give the plant time to settle into the garden. Keep well-watered until the plant is established. Pruning and Trimming Japanese aralia can be pruned or trimmed at any time to maintain it's shape. Late winter is the best time to prune because blossoms will only appear on new growth. How to Propagate Japanese Aralia The best time to propagate Japanese aralia from a cutting is when there is new, green growth. You'll need a small plant pot with good drainage, potting mix, rooting hormone, and clean garden pruners. From Clippings Choose a tender stem with no blooms and cut 4 to 6 inches from the tip of the stem just below a leaf node. Remove any leaves from the lower half of the stem. Fill the container with potting mix and water it well to moisten. Use your finger to poke a hole a few inches into the soil surface. Dip the cut end of the cutting in rooting hormone powder and shake off any excess. Place the cutting in the hole and pat the soil gently around the stem to hold the cutting in place. Put the cutting in a warm place that gets a few hours of bright, indirect light. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. After a few weeks, give the cutting a gentle tug—you'll feel resistance if it has rooted. Once the cutting has rooted, you can repot, if desired, and care for it as usual. From Fruit Seeds The plant can also be propagated from seeds gathered from the fruit that appears in the winter. Soak the fruit and crush them to extract the seeds. Sow the seeds in a well-draining seed-starting mix in a seed tray. Keep the soil warm and moist with bright, indirect light. Once the seeds germinate, thin the plants as needed. When each plant has a few sets of leaves, transplant them into individual pots. Common Pests and Plant Diseases Keep an eye out for aphids, mealybugs, scale, thrips, and spider mites on both garden plants and houseplants. Treat these pets as soon as possible to keep them under control. Overly moist soils may lead to root rot and yellowing leaves. Common Varieties 'Camouflage': Variegated foliage with big splashes of yellow, lime, and green. 'Murakumo Nishiki': The leaves are patterned with yellowish-gold with irregular dark green borders resembling brocade fabric. 'Spider's Web': The edges or the entire blade of the leaves are speckled with a white variegation. 'Variegata': The ends of the variegated leaves show traces of white or yellow. Potting and Repotting Most Fatsia japonica houseplants should be repotted every couple of years to prevent them from becoming rootbound. Roots coming out of the drainage holes or if the plant isn't producing new growth are indicators that it needs a larger pot and fresh potting soil. Gently remove the plant from the pot by tapping on the sides to loosen the soil. If the roots are growing in a circle, gently pull them apart and shake out the soil. Fill the new container about one-third full of soil and add the plant, spreading the root system. Add enough soil to fill the container within one spare inch of rim. Water well and keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Why You Should Never Cover Your Tree Roots Above Ground, An Arborist Says

Covering a tree's roots above ground can limit the tree's access to oxygen and moisture which helps them grow and stay healthy. Avoid cutting, trimming, or removing tree roots because it can make the tree woody and unstable, especially during storms. To discourage root growth at the surface level, try using mulch to cover the roots, loosen compacted soil, or hire a pro arborist. Despite their seemingly breezy maintenance requirements, trees can be tricky to care for especially if not done properly—this also extends to their root systems. Is it better, for instance, to cover tree roots or leave them alone? To gather these answers and more, we reached out to an expert tree arborist to share their best insights. Meet the Expert Eric North is a certified arborist and urban forestry program manager at the Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest tree-planting nonprofit planting trees. Should You Cover Your Tree Roots Above Ground? No, you should not cover the tree’s roots. according to Eric North, a certified arborist and urban forestry program manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “Oxygen and moisture are typically most available to tree roots in the open pore spaces of the upper soil, often in the upper 18 to 24 inches,” he explains. So, the deeper you go, the more compact the soil gets, which means less space for the oxygen and moisture tree roots need. If you cover the tree’s roots, the tree will only work harder to reach closer to the soil’s surface to reach water and nutrients. All the more reason not to cover your tree’s roots. “The exception to this is when soil erosion or any other disruption to the soil environment exposes fine roots that had been below the soil surface,” North explains. In cases such as these, you can add some soil to cover any newly exposed roots. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Don’t Cut Your Tree Roots But above all, don’t trim your tree’s roots. Avoid trimming, cutting, or removing tree roots when the tree is young or old. “As roots continue to age, they become woody and their primary role changes to providing energy storage and stability for the tree,” North says. So, damaging even old roots can kill the tree’s roots, result in a reduction in the tree’s growth, or lead to unstable trees that will need to be straightened or else may fall down during storms. What to Do Instead It’s normal for roots to want to be near the soil’s surface. North explains how when roots grow near or at the soil surface, it’s typically because that’s where the most ideal conditions exist. However, there are several things you can still do to discourage root growth at the surface level. Correct the soil conditions at the time of planting. Loosen compacted soil and add in some new organic matter (such as compost). Hire a certified professional arborist to improve compacted soils and encourage root growth below the soil surface. Professional arborists have tools that use pressurized air to blow away and loosen soil without minimal damage to existing roots. Cover the tree roots with mulch. This will help the soil retain moisture while remaining covered by the mulch. Are Exposed Roots a Sign of Good or Poor Tree Health? Trees have adapted to a wide range of conditions, and their roots spread out to help them find the most nutrients. Above-ground roots are not necessarily indicators of tree health, North says. However, they can be a reasonable indicator of soil conditions. “Surface roots frequently form when soils are heavily compacted or there is a high-water table,” North says. Both situations can impact your tree’s ability to gather water and nutrients. Are Some Trees More Prone to Above Soil Roots? Yes, some tree species are genetically prone to producing shallow roots, North says. This can include such species and varieties as Ficus, mountain spruces, and trees adapted to areas prone to flooding. “In this latter case, the shallow roots nature is likely an evolutionary adaptation to manage limited resources,” he says.

How Many Cucumbers Should My Plant Grow? Plus Tips for Boosting Your Yield

Cucumbers are one of the easiest plants you can grow in your summer garden, but just how many cucumbers you can expect to harvest from a single plant depends on several different factors. Some of it depends on a gardener's level of experience. The weather, cucumber variety, and whether or not the cucumber plant is trellised properly can also impact the number of fruits it will produce in a season. Want to boost your cucumber yield? Follow these guidelines to get the most out of your cucumber plants this summer. What Determines the Number of Cucumbers Per Plant? A cucumber plant can produce more cucumbers during the growing season than you might expect. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, a healthy cucumber plant can yield anywhere between 15 and 30 cucumbers during its lifetime. Varietal Differences There are more than 100 known varieties of cucumbers, which come in all shapes and sizes and fall into one of three categories: Monoecious Cucumbers These open-pollinated cucumber varieties produce both male and female flowers, which need to be pollinated by a pollinator such as bees. For every female flower grown on a monoecious cucumber plant, 10 to 20 male flowers will grow. If pollination doesn't occur, the female flower will drop off the plant and the cucumber fruit will not grow. Gynoecious Cucumbers These cucumber varieties grow all female flowers, increasing the chance for a high yield of cucumbers. These cucumber plants tend to fruit earlier. However, if not planted alongside a variety with male flowers, the female flowers may not all get pollinated, and therefore may not generate fruit. Parthenocarpic Cucumbers The most productive type of cucumber falls into the parthenocarpic cucumber category. These types of cucumbers don't require pollination in order to produce fruit, allowing the plant to be more productive. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Proper Nutrients Cucumbers are heavy feeders, meaning you need to water the plants frequently and fertilize them during the growing season to maximize harvest. To ensure your cucumber plants have all the nutrients they need, it's best to feed them weekly as soon as they start to produce flowers. To get your cucumber plant to produce more flowers, apply a phosphorus-rich fertilizer. As soon as fruit begins to form, make sure you're watering consistently. Regular Harvesting Frequent picking is essential for prolonging your cucumber harvest. When producing fruit, a plant's goal is to successfully reproduce. The more regularly you harvest the mature fruit, the longer the plant will continue producing flowers and growing new fruits. Gardening Mistakes That Result in Fewer Cucumbers These are the most common mistakes gardeners make when growing cucumbers than can affect the number of fruits a plant produces. You're planting cucumbers in the wrong spot. Cucumber plants need space to vine out and sprawl. If you're planting them in a compact space, they won't have the room to grow large enough to produce flowers and fruit. Cucumbers do best when they have a trellis to climb up. There's not enough sun. Cucumber plants need a lot of sun to thrive—at least eight hours per day. You neglect the soil health. Cucumbers are heavy feeders and need well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients. Boost your soil health by mixing compost into it. There aren't enough pollinators. Most cucumber varieties rely on pollinators such as bees to pollinate female flowers. To help this happen, add pollinator-friendly plants to attract these helpful insects to your garden. How to Maximize Your Cucumber Yield To get more cucumbers out of your crop, be sure your plant has the right nutrients from the start. Add compost to the soil and feed the plants with fertilizer when the cucumber plants begin to produce flowers. When planting your cucumber plants, select a spot that gets at least eight hours of direct sunlight. Once they start produce fruits, pick the cucumbers regularly and frequently. The more often you harvest fruit, the longer the harvest will last. To ensure they stay healthy, monitor your plants for signs of insect damage or disease and treat as soon as possible. The healthier the plant, the higher its yield will be.

Softened Water and Me – a love story.

When we bought this house last year, we (ahem … I) chose live brass finish faucets because I was desperate for that beautiful 100-year-old perfect patina. When I asked a salesperson at a high-end plumbing showroom here in LA how he felt about my choice, he said ‘I love them…. because you’ll be back here in 7 years to replace them’. Cool. The order had been placed for weeks and there was no going back. Besides, we had a 100-year-old house and I wanted that patina!! So I asked him what I needed to do to save them and he said very quickly and clearly ‘soften your water’. I mentioned it to you guys and many of you recommended Culligan. I hopped online, scheduled an appointment and basically forbade anyone from bathing until I had set up a meeting. I learned the benefits of their softened and filtered water and wrote the check thinking it was another way homeowners have to spend money without any visual ROI. I ended up going for the Culligan Whole Home system which was around 3k but they do have quite a few different systems that can work for any need or budget. And, after a year living with that water and knowing what the benefits have been, I can honestly say that we are SO HAPPY that we did. AD So when they reached out about working together a few months ago I was like ‘I already have you!!’. It’s a weird brand alignment, I realize, but at the same time not at all. I know I’m not the only homeowner who is wondering if treating the water everywhere in your home is actually worth it. I happily said yes because I knew it was something that you as a reader might not consider at first but is something that can make a long-term difference in your home. Also when I was debating it there weren’t a lot of resources that talk about process, benefits, cost and why ‘water’ is something you should spend money on, so I felt I could give valuable information. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 11 To begin, the benefits of soft and filtered water reach far beyond just the water that you and your family drink every day. You might think ‘wait, I already have filtered water’ but having soft water is different than the ‘filtered’ water you are drinking. Without getting too technical or scientific, water softener systems are designed to remove minerals that can leave deposits on dishes and plumbing fixtures from all your faucets while water filtration systems are designed to remove contaminants and foul odors that might be in your drinking water. So although filtered water is great and delicious and something your family should enjoy the benefits of, soft water goes beyond just what you drink every day and contributes to the longevity of your plumbing, faucets, fixtures and just about anything else that water touches in your house (including your body and skin). To be clear Culligan does both – softens for all the pipes and filters for any drinking water. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 17 Culligan’s High-Efficiency Water Softening System (which is what we have installed in our home) is a unit that typically is installed in your garage, basement or utility space. It’s not huge – about half the size of old hot water tanks. It basically softens all the water at the direct source and then distributes it to your house once it has gone through the system. Ours goes off at around 3am (if I’m up I can hear a slight hum and I’m like – that water softener is doing its job) and a service person comes and refills the tank (based on the level of the hardness of your water) with salt which is needed to soften the water… They know where it is and they have the code to the garage so I don’t have to make an appointment or anything. Culligan 8462 For drinking water there is another system under your sink that filters the water and let me tell you, the filtered water that comes out of both the fridge and the water faucet is the cleanest most delicious water I’ve ever drank. I’m that person who gives glasses of filtered water to my guests with a ‘eh?, eh?’ look on my face, just waiting for them to say ‘My God, woman, your water is delicious‘. And I think to myself… I know. It really is. Yes, the water you drink is important not just in the way it tastes, but also to make sure it is free of any contaminants that might be in your water. I don’t want to dive into any fear marketing here and tell you what might be in your water, but when we tested it at our own home I wasn’t psyched. Normal fridge filtration systems don’t filter out harmful contaminants that might be in your water. Our filtered water comes out of that small faucet and comes through the fridge. Even the ice is clear not white, which is at first so beautiful and strange, then you get used to it and when I see really white ice it’s jarring. On to the reason that my housekeeper knows that I’m insane. Not only did I choose real marble, but yes, live brass faucets, as aforementioned. No brasso on these suckers. We have to use a special cleaner and a wax imported from Belgium… Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 15 Now live brass faucets aren’t for anyone nor would I put them in every one of my houses, (we aren’t in the mountain house) but goodness gracious if you can keep them up they are gorgeous, but the catch, hard water will absolutely ruin them. If you want to see an example go to George’s plumbing in Pasadena where you can see everything in person and they have examples of what live finishes could erode to if you don’t take care of them (I’m assuming that there were enough complaints so they are super upfront about the risks, with even visual props). Typically, “hard water” means minerals, such as calcium and magnesium in your water that can add to tarnish build-up on your faucets, which can then create rust in your pipes, and a green residue on your faucets among other things. It’s definitely not a “patina” you want. The beauty of a live finish is that it will wear and age with time and gain a patina on it, which is why you will see little spots here and there and imperfections that make it look like it has been there for years, vs something that will always be a bright and polished brass. But there is a fine line between that 100-year-old English look, and disgusting dark green rust. It can work in a super old house, but it is high maintenance, folks. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 16 The soft water also means less hard water spots on our dishes, glasses, silverware or countertops, which if you’ve lived in a house with hard water before you know how annoying those spots can be when they show up on everything. It also helps to prolong the life of your appliances by 30% (according to the American Water Works Foundation) filtering out the minerals that cause excessive wear and tear, which means your dishwashers won’t get a film or backup in them which can cause them to break down and need repair more frequently. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 2 Soft water also means softer clothes for you and yours. Hard water can eat away at clothing fibers so once your water is softened your clothes will feel softer and last longer (plus it’s better for your washer). Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 3 In our bathrooms, the benefits of soft water are visible as well. It’s really the gift that keeps on … flowing. The soft water helps prevent hard water spots on our shower which means less cleaning and scrubbing to keep them looking good, and also better when we shower, bathe or wash our hands. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 6 Any time saved in scrubbing this shower of hard water spots and minerals on the tiles and floors from the water is well worth the investment to me. Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 7 Soft water keeps your hair and skin so much softer as well, by helping to remove all the minerals that can dry it out or irritate it. Ever switch from facewash to facewash wondering why your skin is constantly feeling dry and rough? Well, it may not be the facewash and instead might be the water that you are splashing on your mug. All of this is said not to scare you from your current water situation but to only enlighten and educate you on the benefits that softer and filtered water can bring to you, your kiddos and your home (pipes and appliances). Emily Henderson Culligan Water Softner Benefits 10 I’ve never had treated water before and while it wasn’t something that I thought we needed when we bought our home, having filtered drinking water and softened water going through all our pipes, faucets and appliances has been a very good thing. Culligan 8293 Culligan handles everything from start to finish with the first consultation as well as the final install and they are there to help answer any questions, worries or concerns you have. The costs will differ from home to home, but as I said above, Culligan Water can design the right system to fit any household budget. If hard water is damaging your appliances and faucets then replacing them can be very expensive. Besides, they also offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee within thirty days of purchase. If you decide the system isn’t right for you they will come out and uninstall it and refund you completely. They handle everything from start to finish and Culligan offers salt delivery programs to ensure your softener never runs out of salt and keeps everything functioning at peak performance. So that’s my ‘water’ love story. I’m happy to answer any questions or ask them if I don’t know it all (which I don’t). Where you live will dictate the right solution for your home and if you are renting and can’t have an installed water treatment system they do have a bottled water delivery service (which is what we did for drinking water prior to this house). But if you are investing in your house, with say special faucets, all new plumbing and new appliances then the benefits are worth it. Besides, for some of us who LOVE fresh, filtered drinking water and want to brag to our friends that we have the most delicious water in the world, it’s worth it. Here’s a little video we put together about the process and our very own Culligan system.