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Tell us: What projects have you taken on? What advice can you share?

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Community Manager

Tell us: What projects have you taken on? What advice can you share?

What projects have you taken on? How have you accomplished tasks by being resourceful with what you have on hand? What advice do you have to help others through similar projects? Share your ideas here and earn 50 AARP Rewards points for participating in this weekly discussion. We also will choose one post as our weekly winning post for an additional prize: a $50 HelloFresh gift card.  Click here to see our Rules for participating. 

AARPTeri
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I have over 10,000 photos and slides that I've scanned in digitally from many family members. I've been organizing and labeling, sorting by year, cropping and fixing color, etc. It's very time consuming but rewarding. When I'm done, I'll be sharing these with family members that will appreciate having a visual record of our lives. I'm backing up everything to the cloud in more than one place - just in case...

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I've been an avid daylily grower for many years.  In the Spring, when the plants start to put up fronds and reach for the sun, I clean & weed the beds, sprinkle Flowertone around them to boost the growth, remulch, then water.  As the plants grow larger and the scapes (stalks) with buds start to appear I protect the area where mine are planted with deer fence.  Deer LOVE to eat those buds.  These gorgeous flowers grow in their own little seasons - early growers, mid-season, late season.  Usually something is blooming from late May until early October.  The genus Hemerocallis literally means "beauty for a day," hence the flower itself only lasts about 24 hours, however, many buds on a plant indicate more flowers coming constantly.  It's the plant that keeps on giving.  I have about 50 different hybrids I've collected over the years.  This complex plant has been "engineered" by hybridizers to create well over 60,000 varieties.  It is one of the easiest plants to grow, and is especially drought resistant.  I look forward to the daylily season every year with great anticipation as each day brings new surprises in the garden.  It is a wonderful hobby and I've met some of the finest people I know in the daylily world.  

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PhyllisW846096,

 

Daylilies are awesome. Are you a member of a Dylily Society? I love the great names they have. My favorite name is: A Moose Fishing On A Pond On Monday. It is amazing the differences in color, form, and size. I have some flowers that stretch over ten inches, and some that are only three inches. 

 

I am splitting this weekend. Last year both fall and spring were too wet and I hate doing splitting in the summer. I live in the Chicago area and I would be glad to share.

 

LindeStar123

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Linde,  Yes, I belonged to Tidewater Daylily Society for many years.  My knee prevents me from doing a lot of the volunteer work for them now, but I still stay in touch with my compadres there.  I always split in the Fall and try to get them to friends who can replant before the first frost.  I traveled a lot with my husband to the daylily gardens in Florida every year - my favorite is Luddy Lambertson's place where he grows nothing but purples.  My head just about exploded the first time I walked into his place.  I did a lot of purchasing from Spacecoast, Ladybug, David Trimmer, and Lambertson, and have traded many.  Two years ago Linda Pinkham hybridized a new daylily to honor my son who passed away in 2015.  We submitted it to the American Hemerocallis Society and it is now on record as "Dreaming of Zachary," a gorgous, BIG, multi-purple that darkens over it's season.  I love these plants and can't wait to see the first bloom - it is always Malachite Prism, a beautifully "engineered" geometric designed purple/lime green.  Best wishes with you garden this summer!

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Wow!! I took on so many projects. I help my neighbors with planting in their gardens, help with adding landscape projects like adding edging and adding mulch. Pulling weeds and cutting grass. I work on my own garden planting new plants etc. I also have small projects like replacing my water hose into the hose carrier. The other one had a big hole. 

Worked on cleaning up and painting my bird baths and fountains. And replacing some landscape lighting. I have a lot on my plate but it will eventually get done.

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Take your used K-pods and cut off the paper top.  Scoop out 1/2 of the used coffee grounds and leave the rest inside.  Add potting soil and plant your garden seeds. Cut off the cover of a styrofoam egg carton and throw away.   Put the K-pods in the bottom of a styrofoam egg carton for support.  The K-pods have a small hole for drainage which is perfect.  Water the seeds and watch them grow.  

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Periodic Contributor

I'm going to try that! 

 

thx.

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Reorganizing files in my little office and shredding unnecessary documents, papers, etc.   Making sure I don't destroy income tax papers which, I believe, are to be kept for 7 years (some say 5 years).  No an exciting or fulfilling job but absolutely necessary.......

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Newbie

I'm constructing a sand and water table for my granddaughter.  It's made of PVC pipe and she loves it!

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We're finally getting the time to redo our bathroom!  We've talked about it for years and even gathered the supplies, but never really had the time to delve into it.  With the stay at home order, we've found that time.  My husband is doing most of the work and I'm on the sidelines cheering him on. Fortunately, we had most of the things we needed on hand, but online ordering and delivery has saved us from having to be at the stores making design decisions. It's a good feeling to see your work come together.  

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Because of isolation I have been reorganizing and decluttering, one closet or drawer at a time. I am finding trash and treasures! It is helpful for me to make a plan for the day. I begin with some exercise ( the AARP videos are great). I have also started working on a large jigsaw puzzle, taking some Spanish lessons online, and spending more time on a couple of hobbies.

 

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I believe I've gone slightly mad with projects.  Lol.  I've got indoor, outdoor and rainy day projects.  
indoor, I am reclaiming each room from the clutter I have amassed over the years.  In itself, a huge undertaking!

Outdoors, I am putting in berry gardens because growing blueberries where I live is going to happen if it's the last thing I ever do!  This means my other happy berries may have to move and all kinds of soil amendments must take place.  I feel like a mad scientist with my tubes  and chemicals!   What fun!

Rainy day, I have redone a mirror in one of my bathrooms.  Now I need to redo it's matching cabinet.  
Now that the weather has broken, I walk each of my three dogs one mile every day as well.  A tired dog is a good dog.  
I hope everyone is well and staying safe and busy.  I have plenty of ideas for projects if you you ever need one...  😉

Cheers!

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I just got my peas in & they r popping up already! The greenhouses just opened up, so I bought 4 flats of flowers & veggie plants. Being in my last 60s now, I plant an 'up' garden in all our old horse water tanks. It makes my gardening tasks SO much easier! And hardly any weeding. I love taking the dogs out in the morning & picking the fresh fruit & produce for the day. I share any extras with my family & friends. 

Sometimes I just sit out there in a garden chair or on an old tree stump & soak up the sun & listen to the birds.... So pleasant.

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Periodic Contributor

We planted an asparagus trench 15 feet long and 8 inches deep.  We planted 10 asparagus plants.

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That brings back a fond memory for me when I was a child. We picked them at the top of our lane by a ditch.
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The gentleman who owns the lot next to us has been in a nursing home for a couple of years, so we have been taking care of the property.  The property has a small orchard on it.  This year we used our quarantine time to trim back the muscadine vines.  It was a great way to get some exercise and also get some sunshine.  We try to get outside for at least an hour or so a day to make sure we are getting our "Good Mood Vitamin", Vitamin D.

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Newbie

pulling weeds, planting flowers and garden 

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Periodic Contributor

I spent the past few days pulling weeds. Now it's time to plant some rose bushes. 

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Newbie

I crochet all kinds of projects. It's very soothing.  Very therapeutic. 

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I have some plants as tomatoes, bell pepper, mint strawberries on my balcony and I'm using a mix of garlic and spicy red pepper as insecticide with excellent  results.

1 clove of garlic

1 spicy red pepper 

8 oz. of water 

1 Spray bottle

Mix the garlic and red pepper, blend and slightly spray over the plants. Spray Every time you see insects around.

I used one time, it works, it's safe for plants.

Use gloves and googles when spraying.

Keep out from children.

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Will this work for slugs?

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I am an avid photographer and able to get out with my camera for some beautiful pictures of the spring landscape. I get fresh air, a bit of exercise, and stimulation for my brain.  I also appreciate the solitude. I care for my husband who had a stroke 15 years ago.

I am in a photo club and enter some of my shots into our monthly contests.

Keeping all those pictures organized is quite a job. I've been deleting the stinkers and duplicates. Also trying to put scenes in appropriate folders to facilitate finding them later.  I've also just begun to sell greeting cards I've made from some of my pictures. No web site, mostly just selling to family and folks at church. Of course, that part's on hold for now.

Bonnie D

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Periodic Contributor

i would like to see some of your pictures.  I admire you for takinhg carre of your husband and having a hobby to keep you engaged and stimuiated.

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I am planting my annuals.  I add coffee grounds to the soil.  I have found this enriches the soil.

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I used to do coffee grounds but we don't drink coffee. I guess I can ask at the Starbucks drive thru.
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April and May are perfect times to assess your garden. 

Sneaky weeds seem to pop up everywhere.  Make sure you grab them now before they multiply.

Check roses and fruit trees for insect infestation.  Spray!  Neem oil is good and safe.

Check the health of your flowering plants.  I have many azaleas and noticed they had a fungus--a plant-damaging crisis.  I sprayed as quickly as I could--probably 5 gallons of a fungicide. Now I see fresh growth.  I am so glad I checked!

My patio has a lot of pots and I have been putting in seasonal flowers.  It now looks inviting and we try to go outside every evening to just enjoy it.

Gardening is a full-time job but it is great stress relief.  I think being able to be outdoors will preserve my sanity.

Enjoy your projects.

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I have a half acre yard with 250 daylilies, 50 different lilies, 80 different hosta, and a variety of other things. With the early snow, our yard service never did a fall cleanup. So we have been busy raking 60 bags of leaves, weeds, and daylily sticks. Now we are working on a computerized map of where all of these items are located because some of the markers came out or are missing. We wish we could work more outside but too many days of rain and or wind. 

 

Everything has been weeded once. Need to start the process over again. The plant sale has been delayed so hope to be ready for that. And we were to have mulch installed by a youth group but that has been cancelled due to COVID 19. We used to be able to get 15 yards installed in 2 hours with 21 youth workers. Now my husband and I have to do the labor ourselves.

 

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I had all but given up trying to grow a garden when the squirrels had taken over everything I have tried to plant for the last several years. This year I saw a post about someone gardening in buckets. Hmm. I have buckets, I have compost. I planted some potatoes in an old lid from a BBQ and they are doing fantastic. Ok, here goes! Pulled out my seeds and the buckets are ready! Wish me luck!!!!!

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When I have left over aluminum foil, I cut off clean long ribbons, shiny strips of foil are then attached to my garden trellises. The shimmering glare scares off birds and squirrels, so my herbs, tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants are not nibbled upon.

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Periodic Contributor

Vegtable garden scaping. Mounding my vegtables in a tier. Start by mound dirt and packing as I go upwards leaving the edges for vegtable plants. Using a dirt pounding machine to finish off pathways to help keep weeds at bay. Planting rows heeping with dirt with sticks on long ends to attach string for my string beans.

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