Articles by Ellen Bell
Garden Color - Not Just for Flowers Anymore -
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Ellen Bell
When most of us think of a colorful garden, we envision beautiful expanses of flowers blowing in the wind. While flowers do provide a great deal of vibrant color in a landscape, there are many other options for adding color to your outdoor areas. In...
Composting Toilets - Is One Right for Your Family? -
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Ellen Bell
With living expenses on the rise and family incomes falling, more people than ever are now looking for ways to cut costs at home. Pair this frugality with the increased popularity of going green, and it's easy to see why composting toilets are becoming a...
Man Cave Necessities - Top 5 Requirements for Your Manly Retreat -
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Ellen Bell
If you are thinking about creating the perfect spot where you can relax in comfort without the interruptions of your spouse or kids, then we have some tips for you. While each person has different ideas of what they really need in their man cave,...
Gardening Nostalgia from Rural Iowa -
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Ellen Bell
The following article is brief memoir written by my father, Roger Duncan. These are some of his childhood memories of rural Iowa and family gardening: I grew up in the 1950's in an economically depressed area in rural Iowa. We lived on a farm, and...
How to Install a Basement Bathroom -
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Ellen Bell
It's something that many people face: You want to put a bathroom in the lower level of your home, but the contractor who built your house didn't stub the basement in for a bathroom. So what can you do? Just to install a toilet would...
5 Easy Ways to Save Money When Planning Your Outdoor Wedding -
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Ellen Bell
With the summer wedding season fast approaching and many couples looking for ways to cut back on the cost of their nuptials, outdoor weddings are enjoying resurgence in popularity. Not only does an outdoor event drastically reduce the amount spent on church and reception hall...
Composting Toilets - The Ultimate Gadget for Your Eco-Friendly Man Cave -
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Ellen Bell
For literally hundreds of years, men have craved space of their own, a place to get away from their wives, children, and the stresses of everyday life. In centuries past, gentlemen would retire to libraries or smoking rooms to share a brandy and conversation with...
Composting Toilet Do's And Don'ts -
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Ellen Bell
Homeowners with septic systems are accustomed to being cautious about what goes down their toilets. These folks know that you don't want things like sanitary napkins, harsh chemicals, or an excessive amount of toilet paper going into a septic tank. Along those same lines, homeowners...
Tomato Trellis Gardening: Using A Tomato Trellis To Maximize Your Harvest -
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Ellen Bell
Growing tomatoes is such a popular summertime activity that it could possibly be considered the American pastime, perhaps second only to baseball. Every spring, millions of home gardeners find at least some small space in their yard or garden, or even a spot on their...
Pyramid Trellis Designs And Uses -
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Ellen Bell
Pyramid trellises, also sometimes referred to as obelisks, make awesome focal points in a garden or landscape design. Available in a multitude of styles, sizes, and colors, choosing one that's right for your yard can be difficult. In this article, we'll explore today's options in...
Composting Toilets For Families With Children -
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Ellen Bell
As our nation faces water shortages and water crises in heavily populated areas like California, composting toilets continue to gain popularity as a water-saving alternative to traditional toilets. Their growing usage, however, leads many families and homeowners to wonder, are they a good solution for...
Outdoor Design Ideas With Movable Garden Structures -
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Ellen Bell
Designing an outdoor living area can be daunting, particularly when you feel like every decorating decision you make is set in stone. However, it is possible to create an outdoor space that can be changed slightly with movable garden structures. When we think of movable...
Composting Toilets - Do They Meet Building Code? -
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Ellen Bell
When a homeowner is considering purchasing a composting toilet system, one of the first and most important questions they must answer is whether the system will comply with their local building codes and regulations. This can be a tricky topic, because building codes vary widely...
Early Spring Vegetable Planting - How To Get In The Garden Sooner -
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Ellen Bell
Vegetable gardeners are always anxious to get out in their gardens as early as possible in the spring. The sooner the temperatures warm up, the sooner you can plant your seeds and seedlings, and thus the earlier and longer harvest you'll have later in the...
Composting Toilets And The California Water Shortage -
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Ellen Bell
For those who aren't already aware, the state of California is in a water crisis. More than two thirds of the state's water supply comes from the Sacramento Delta, an area poised for catastrophe when the next major earthquake hits. According to scientists, such an...
Coldframe Greenhouse Gardening - How To Stretch Your Planting Season -
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Ellen Bell
A coldframe is essentially a type of low cost, highly efficient miniature greenhouse. To understand what a coldframe is, envision a very shallow box whose sides are made of transparent or translucent glass or plastic, and whose bottom is open. The boxes can be set...
Plastic Greenhouses - How To Know If You're Getting Good Quality -
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Ellen Bell
There are two main types of plastic greenhouses on the market today: polycarbonate panels and polyethylene covers. Each has its own pros and cons, and quality can vary greatly between the two types of materials. In this article, we will discuss the ins and outs...
Garden Arbor Designs - Metal Arbors Vs. Wooden Arbors, Which Is Best? -
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Ellen Bell
Adding an arbor to your garden is a quick and easy way to create a focal point within the space and boost your home's curb appeal. Arbors are highly customizable, with designs ranging from those that rise up over a gate in a fence, to...
Septic System Alternatives - Uncover The Secret To Savings When Your Septic System Fails -
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Ellen Bell
When an old septic system begins to have problems, it can spell big trouble for the homeowner. Signs of a failing septic unit may be as subtle as soggy, wet spots of grass in the yard. At the worst extreme, it may result in backed...
Garden Arbor Plans - 5 Keys To Building The Perfect Arbor -
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Ellen Bell
If you've decided to add an arbor to your garden, you've made a great decision. Arbors lend structure to an overall landscape design, and they're also a great way to create a focal point in your garden, drawing the observer's eye where you want it...
