There are so many aspects to owning a home that it is hard to think through all of them when you are in the market to buy another one. My husband and I spent twelve years remodeling a five bedroom rambler on 20 acres. First we had water problems in the crawl space under the house. We raised the house and put in several more courses of blocks to make a complete basement.  This opened up many additional possibilities regarding what we could do with this additional space.

Initially we thought that we would just leave the space unfinished. We decided that we did need to have some source of heat in the area due to our harsh winters. We had a wood stove and electric base board heat on the main level. It was very expensive to heat the entire house with electricity and quite inconvenient to try to heat continually with wood. We decided that we would install an energy efficient gas furnace. As the man was installing the furnace he mentioned that he would include vents in the duct work that would accommodate central air conditioning, if we would decide to install this at a later date. He went on to tell us that we would save money having them both installed at the same time because we would not have to have them come back out and pay the labor cost. We had talked about having central air conditioning. We live in Minnesota, so we do not have that many days when we need the central air conditioning, but it is helpful to have it going to help remove the moisture from the air. We do get quite humid weather in the summer months.

Within six months of having our home exactly as we wanted it we found a lake house that was very appealing to both of us. We stumbled upon it be mistake. The house was over a hundred years old and needed some cosmetic work done to it. The couple had it listed with the understanding that they were going to replace the furnace because the existing one was not working properly. We offered them less money than they were asking for because we would buy our own furnace. We wanted to install central air conditioning at the same time. They accepted the lower offer. We placed our home up for sale and sold it within 72 hours. Everything fell into place so well.

We are glad that we had the central air conditioning installed at the lake.  Cool breezes do come off the lake, but the humidity by the water will warp the wood moldings. The air conditioned air is much more comfortable to be in. We are glad we had it installed and we are glad that we are now living on the lake.

I have always loved plants, but they have never loved me. Some people have a green thumb, but I am just the opposite. My very touch can kill most plants. The only ones that I’m good with are ones that require almost no care. Cacti have always survived my withering touch and succulence do alright as well. Nonetheless, I despaired of ever having my own garden until one of my friends suggested a solution, a cactus garden.

I had never heard of cactus gardening, but my friend assured me that it was quite common. Although not very many people have a cactus garden around here, where she comes from they all over the place. Cactus gardens are extremely popular in the bay area around San Francisco. Between the sunlight and the moderate rain, anything will grow there, including cacti. I am pretty impulsive and as soon as I decided on cactus gardening, I was ready to go out and make some purchases. But my friends stopped me. She told me that I should go to a botanical cactus garden before I decided what I wanted.

There was more to growing cacti than I had realized before. There are many different kinds of cactus and each of them requires slightly different conditions. When I first heard about cactus gardening, I thought that I would have to renounce traditional gardening values. I figured that I would not be able to see any flowers – just plain, green cacti. To my surprise many cacti flower regularly. Cactus gardening is actually every bit as dynamic as any other form of gardening. The cacti grow, bloom and hibernate, at least to some degree. Although the cacti never whither for the season and drop their spikes, they do have slow periods where they are resting, like other perennial flowering plants.

I started cactus growing yesterday. My friend told me that before I started the cactus garden, I needed to make sure all of my cacti had matured to some degree in their pots. Now I have several pots to tend to each day and everything is going excellently well. Soon I’ll have a flawlessly working cactus garden, the only one on the block. I know that some of the neighbors will resent it, they resent anything that looks different on this black. Other ones will probably think it is pretty cool. Personally, I always love a new look. Thank God for cactus gardening!

I love to people watch. I have a degree in social work and criminal justice and have worked in the human services filed for over twenty years. Even though there are times when I feel exhausted in dealing with human emotions, I still love to observe people in public.

People generally like to be kept comfortable. They have small range of temperature fluctuation that they can tolerate before they begin to complain. This is very interesting to me since I reside in the state of Minnesota. Temperature fluctuation is something that is a recurring theme to our extreme weather conditions. We can go from 30 degrees below zero to 30 degrees above zero within a week. This 60 degree difference still has people complaining about how cold it is. People want a constant 68 to 72 degrees within their homes. The same people that use multiple space heaters in the winter to deal with the cold will put air conditioner units in every room of their home in the summer to deal with the heat. Most people will choose their air conditioner units over their space heaters if they are told that they can only have one or the other.

In Minnesota the numbers of extremely hot days are limited, but the high humidity is a constant problem in the summer months. 82 degrees can feel stifling when there is a high level of humidity with it. It is amazing to see the puddles of water that accumulate under air conditioner units. We have had days when we cannot see out our bay windows because of the condensation on the windows. I do not mind the warm temperatures, but the humidity can cause a great deal of problems with creating mold and mildew as well as warping the wood in the home.

When we moved to our present home it was in the middle of July. We had several inches of rain the day before we moved and then the temperatures went over 90 degrees. Our china hutch and a curio cabinet warped due to the dampness. Once we had them in a room with air conditioner units we were able to get the doors closed. There was permanent damage to the wood.  After I experienced the warping of furniture I decided that it was not for comfort alone that we needed air conditioning units, but for the longevity of our belongings.

It is amazing to me how much weather can affect some people. I live in Minnesota. Our weather is a topic of conversation daily. In the winter we have severe snow storms and sub-zero temperatures. The road conditions and bitter cold is life threatening. Often times the weather portion of the news, is the news for a particular day. In the summer the high temperatures along with the humidity creates heat indexes in the triple digits. Most people are used to our extremes and realize that no matter what you plan or when you plan it you had better have a back up in case of bad weather.

This winter I started a job working with disabled individuals in an apartment complex. The week I started the temperatures reached a day time high of 20 degrees below zero. I went to meet several of the residents that day. When one woman told me to come in I felt like I had just walked back outside. She had two air conditioner units running on high speed. She told me she had been having hot flashes, so she borrowed her neighbor’s air conditioner units out of storage. She said the landlord took hers because she turned it up too high in the fall. The heat was pouring out of the registers because she kept the thermostat set at 80. She said the higher heat made the air conditioner units run more.

We discussed her hot flashes and some natural and herbal remedies that she could try. I explained that her utility bill would be extremely high if she kept running the heat and the air conditioner units on high. She agreed to return the units to storage and to turn the thermostat down.  The next week I went to see her and again it was freezing in the apartment. She had followed through in getting rid of the air conditioner units, but this time she had the windows opened wide to the sub zero temperatures. She was sitting wrapped in a blanket and in her underwear. She said when she got hot she threw off the blanket. She shared that she has always enjoyed wrapping up in a blanket and the only way she could do this is if it was freezing cold in the room.

I have a feeling that I am going to have a very interesting summer with this client. I cannot imagine how she is going to handle the heat and humidity of July and August. She would be a great person to send to the North Pole to do research.

In order to grow plants in a successful manner a temperature that is right for the plants must be maintained throughout the life of them. Specific plants require different temperatures. There are three main types of greenhouse heaters to choose from that can maintain temperatures, especially during winter months.

The best source of artificial heat for the plants and the least harmful to people and the environment can be found through the use of greenhouse heaters that are fueled by electricity. Electric heaters can be the most efficient way of maintaining temperatures that are specific for the plants temperature needs. The heat given to the plants through these is controlled by a thermostat. By using a thermostat it, makes sure that heat is not wasted even if the temperature outside the greenhouse changes.

Using the electric types of greenhouse heaters, fumes are not produced which can be harmful to the plants grown and the environment as well. Therefore by using this type of heaters there is no need for ventilation of the greenhouse. The use of fans for electric greenhouse heaters spreads the heat around the greenhouse. One thing that must be followed is do not use an eclectic extension from a source such as a home or another outbuilding.

Gas heaters are another type you may consider. They are not as productive as electric heaters and there is the production of fumes, in the form of combustion that is released into the atmosphere. A couple of ways in which gas greenhouse heaters differ than electric ones are that the thermostat control is less precise and ventilation is needed in the greenhouse. Also because gas is used it must be monitored and put in a safe place.

A third type to consider which is much less popular than the others is a paraffin heater. One drawback of these greenhouse heaters is the constant maintenance that comes with trimming the wick and the need to refill them constantly. Ventilation is needed in paraffin heaters as they produce fumes and release water vapors into the greenhouse. One main advantage of paraffin greenhouse heaters is that frost damage to the plants is reduced for greenhouses that are smaller. They can also be used as backups to other types of greenhouse heaters. It can also help if the electricity is off or the gas is shut off for whatever reason. This can be important cause damage to the plants can result in the loss of them without heat.

If you are unsure about which type is right for you consider talking to a professional at a gardening store. They have all the knowledge that you will need to make an informed decision that will keep your greenhouse in bloom.