The Brothers DIY

We sure are acquiring some mad skeels through this project! From painting to sanding – gardening to seeding – stair fixin’ to gutter fixin’, we are trying to do it all.

Brig was out in the sun on Saturday fixing the gaping holes and rotting wood we called the front entrance stairs. Didn’t know you could do that? Good to know.

Later (into the evening) N8 and Brig were found on the roof above the front entrance installing a new gutter. Didn’t know you could do that either. Good to know.

Yes, this is our first time doing many (most) of these projects but we are trying our darnedest to do it ourselves and do it right (as best we can).

I thought this site was particularly funny when it comes to DIY projects, There I fixed it. Scroll
though, there are some doozies, like this, this, or this.

Floral Arrangements

One thing we all have agreed on is that there MUST be floral arrangements in each room when we have access to flowers. I found these arrangements over on Decor8 to be fantastic and interesting and something I could see working so well in our Inn.

Wandering around Lake Runnemede, we have access to beautiful Queen Anne’s Lace, Water Lilies, and of course the Snapdragons we are attempting to nurture in our own gardens. These paired with a vintage vase or something funky picked up at one of the many summer yard sales will be perfect on the bedside table or perched on the exposed brick in Bathroom 3.

Thanks Decor8!

Green Roof Part 2

So we have quotes in from two of the leading providers in the US. The benefits of their systems include pre-grown trays with soil preparations and adjustments already set for your growing zone. Essentially it is like buying “sod” for your roof versus planting from seeds. The cost is the largest hurdle, coming in at over $25 a square foot in most cases. So our little project of 500 square feet was easily coming to over $10,000.

Continued research led us to a very cool company called Geoproducts Corporation. They make an incredible amount of products for construction, irrigation, and general building. Their outdoor section is here. They offer a Geodrein tray that is made from recycled plastic and is ready to install on a properly waterproofed roof. You snap the trays together, add a volcanic or pumice material for drainage, cover that with a geotextile that separates the roots above from the drainage material below, add your soil or growing material, and finally your plugs/plants.
The best news? The trays are $2.08 per square foot plus shipping. We are now looking to price out the other raw materials to see if we can save money with this approach. More to follow.

Wonder Woman

She can paint. She can plant. She can strip floors with hazardous chemicals and proceed to sand them with heavy machinery. What can’t our mom do? –Nothing.

News from the Garden

Some new additions to the gardens today. The pic below shows the color and the black and white…we are experimenting with black and white macro shots from the garden to create prints for the rooms. Enjoy.

(Flower is a Osteospermum variety)