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Country Lifehome garden 5 great ways to become efficient whatever can to be as efficient as possible. Just living on this planet qualifies us. We came up with a list of 10 easy ways to be more efficient in the home, and here are five of them (in no particular order): Go tankless. We've gone over this one before in this space, but tankless water heaters deserve another mention. This environ- mentally friendly alternative to a standard tanked water heater is incredibly popular. Because, real- ly, who wouldn't prefer instant hot water instead of waiting for it, while water (and your metaphori- cal money) dribbles down the drain? Whether you own a home or rent, we should all do Kathy Wolan has been har- vesting her Arlington Heights, Ill., garden plot for 23 years and said she's never seen her plants pro- duce tomatoes so enor- mous and plump. "They're bigger than CHICAGO (MCT) — Sean Choose ENERGY STAR-rated lights and appliances. This might seem like a no-brainer, but some households out there haven't "chosen" one of these fel- las. Murphy Project Home percent more efficient than those without. Visit the ENERGY STAR web site for the full story. Use CFL or LED bulbs. Even if your aged lighting By that, I mean that some appliances nowadays come standard with the ENERGY STAR-compliant features— but most don't. And lighting and appliances are easy and ef fecti v e ways of jumping into the energy sav- ing fray, especially since appli- ances with the ENER- GY STAR label can be up to 20 fixture isn't ENERGY STAR-rated it should still accept a compact fluorescent light or light emitting diode bulb. Install attic ventilation. When your roof gets hot, that heat is then transferred into your attic and, ultimately, into the living spaces in your home. While it sure feels nice to crank your air conditioner on a hot day, installing an attic fan can help limit the amount of ener- gy necessary to take your home down a few precious degrees. softballs," Wolan said. "When sliced up, they cover the whole piece of bread in my BLT." It's not just her toma- toes that are thriving. Wolan said her green beans are "doing fabulous" and she has given enough basil to her sister to make batch- es and batches of home- made pesto. & Gardens in drought: Just add water While historically hot, dry weather has withered corn fields and parched lawns, many home garden- ers say they are experienc- ing bumper crops. Ironical- ly, the drought may have helped. Experts say that squash, tomatoes and other heat- loving produce have thrived during this sum- mer's long stretches of sunny days and haven't missed the rain because of consistent watering. "People have become MCT photo Kathy Wolan, of Arlington Heights, harvests tomatoes from her garden plot at Cypress Garden, Aug. 15. weather. Common WaterSense. This is plumbing's answer to ENERGY STAR. From showerheads and toilets to bathroom and kitchen faucets, these products have been certified to conform to WaterSense's strict specifica- tions by an EPA-licensed certifying body. That's the long way of saying that plumbing fixtures with the WaterSense title will save you water (and money) with- out sacrificing reliability and performance. As you can see, it's easy to become efficient. All it takes is some research, planning and the desire to help preserve what we have. Next time you read Project: ECO Home, we'll go over the remaining five ways you can inject a little more efficiency into your home. Until next time, Happy Home Improving! Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. more aware that their plants have needs, so there's less of a casual assumption the rain will take care of it," said Beth Botts, freelance garden writer and consultant. "Some think any amount of rain means they don't have to water, but a side- walk sprinkling doesn't get to plants' roots. This year, there's more of a focus on actually getting out and watering." Western Illinois Univer- sity agriculture professor Joel Gruver said this sum- mer's weather has been comparable to that experi- enced in what's known as the vegetable belt of Cali- fornia. Illinois' consistent- ly hot and dry weather pro- vided a controlled environ- ment for growing, he said. "Predictable weather can mean great productivi- ty," Gruver said. "You add water as needed to com- pensate for the lack of rain. For growing vegetables, it's a lot easier to deal with hot and dry than excessive- ly wet and cloudy." Marengo, Ill.-based Nichols Farm and Orchard sells at the Daley Plaza farmer's market on Thurs- days and has no shortage of colorful, plump produce this year. "We've had more mel- ons than we've ever had off comparable acreage, and our tomatoes and squash did really well," said sec- ond-generation farmer Todd Nichols. "Crops that thrive in hot weather are just great this year." Broccoli, cauliflower, celery and other cool- weather crops aren't look- ing as strong, but recent rains helped a batch of sweet corn make it to the market last week. The success of crops this year has been all about the ability to water, he said. "Irrigation is never crop is wonderful — they've taken over our gar- den. I'd guess some are as big as 3 or 4 pounds," Samuels said. "Our herb plants are also enormous, about three times bigger than normal." Samuels, who is the community garden orga- nizer for local conservation organization Open Lands, said it has been an unusual summer for plants across the board. Some are boom- ing, while others are stunt- ed. Those who prefer to pluck their vegetables from a stall at a farmer's market can still enjoy the harvest, since larger gardens also benefited from the unusual equivalent to rain, but it's a great insurance policy," Nichols said. "We've been able to hedge our losses." Recent rains have pro- vided some relief for Chicago and surrounding suburbs, but 80 percent of the state is categorized as being in "extreme drought" according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Oak Park, Ill., resident Julie Samuels said her gar- den has seen some giants this summer. Her peppers and potatoes are thriving — and her grape vine is sprawling up her neigh- bor's fence. "The butternut squash ATES LOOK OF HAMMERED METAL Metal paint; kids' garden book; polishing silver plate WHAT'S NEW: PAINT CRE- Benjamin Moore's new Molten Metallics paints let you give sur- faces the look of hammered metal. Molten Metallics are high-gloss alkyd paints that produce the tex- ture and appearance of metal. They're suitable for use indoors or out and inhibit rust on exterior sur- faces. Moore's Studio Finishes line. They come in six ready-mixed colors: gold, copper, bronze, gun smoke, silver and charcoal. nonprofit that offers farm- and gar- den-based programs. They're experts at getting kids engaged in gardening, and they've compiled their ideas into "The Book of Gar- dening Projects for Kids: 101 Ways to Get Kids Outside, Dirty, and Having Fun." The paints are part of Benjamin Suggested retail prices are $15.95 for a pint and $22.95 for a quart. The product is available at some Benjamin Moore retailers. You can find nearby stores at www.benjam- inmoore.com, but call first to make sure they carry Molten Metallics. The paint can also be ordered online at http://store.benjamin- moore.com/storefront. Look in the "Primers & Specialty" section. ON THE SHELF: BOOK make their gardens places where kids feel free to play and explore as well as work. They offer ideas designed to be affordable and achievable for busy parents, from such simple activities as making mud pies to more involved under- takings like building an owl house. They also offer pointers for designing family-friendly gardens, involving kids in the work of grow- ing and encouraging them to eat the fruits of their labors. Cohen and Fisher urge parents to "The Book of Gardening Pro- jects for Kids" is published by Tim- ber Press and sells for $19.95 in softcover. AIMS TO GET KIDS INTO THE GARDEN Whitney Cohen and John Fisher look at gardens as playgrounds with a purpose. The two are garden education directors at Life Lab, a California PLATE Q: I would like your advice on a metal polish I saw advertised in the paper, which I'm considering using on my silver plate. I have tried other products that were highly touted in advertising, only to be disappointed in their performance. This one claims it will clean and restore my silverware, metal sink, pots and Q&A: POLISHING SILVER pans, and keep them shining! A: Jeffrey Herman, executive director of the Society of American Silversmiths, advises against using any product to clean or polish silver that has "metal polish" in its name. Products that are too harsh or abrasive can damage silver and especially silver plate, which is just a thin coating of silver over anoth- er metal. Particularly harsh are sil- ver dips and electrochemical meth- ods, including home remedies using aluminum foil and baking soda. provides silver-care advice on his website, www.hermansilver.com. Probably your best bet is to pol- ish your silver-plated items using the mildest product that will work and then store them with anti-tar- nish strips or packets of silica gel. Herman rates silver polishes and Get more home for your money with a Clayton Home! Under New Management Trade-Ins welcome any age, any condition. In house financing, ——— Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com . Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address. even for challenged credit. Any new purchase in the month of August (2012) will receive a 32" flatscreen T.V. (Application with deposit required: TV delivered with home at end of sale) 26 Sale Lane, Red Bluff (530) 529-2191 www.Claytonredbluff.com A warm March kick- started the growing season, leaving plants to survive the ups and downs of spring temperatures, she said. If the plants made it through the strange spring and were consistently watered throughout sum- mer, she said, they're like- ly bigger than ever. Jenny Jocks Stelzer, also of Oak Park, said her tomatoes and peppers are 'coming in like crazy.' While she planned to sup- plement her watering from a backyard rain barrel, it was often bone dry — so she had to resort to the gar- den hose. "I've got probably 30 jalapeno peppers on three plants right now," she said. "My vegetables that do well in the heat are really looking great this year." With all that watering, however, some gardeners have paid for their verdant harvests with big water bills. Wolan said her latest bill was "sky high" — about $100 more than nor- mal. Jocks Stelzer also said her water bill went up this summer. To keep plants alive and healthy, the family tacked on an extra $50 to its regular water bill. Ron Wolford, horticul- ture educator for the Uni- versity of Illinois Exten- sion, helps maintain a gar- den at the Museum of Sci- ence and Industry's "Smart Home" exhibit. One of the biggest differences he has seen in this year's crop is a decrease in diseases among the vegetables, which could be a reason many have done so well this year. "The lack of disease goes to the dry weather," Wolford said. "Every time it rains, plant diseases spread. Since we haven't seen as much rain, there's hardly any Leaf Spot Dis- ease, which usually harms our tomatoes." Saturday, August 25, 2012 – Daily News 3B After nearly two decades of gardening, Wolan said she's learned plenty about growing veg- etables — but none more important than proper watering tactics. Now that she has built her garden on a mesa-like platform, the water does not run off as quickly as before. "We couldn't control the sunlight or heat this year, but we could control the water," Wolan said. "As long as they've got water, they'll grow."