What is compost?

Organic food and yard waste decomposes over time to become finished compost, a soil rich with organisms and nutrients that are beneficial to plants. What’s amazing about compost is the transition from the table back to the earth. Compost is a combination of dry and wet materials including but not limited to: newspaper; fruit & vegetable scrap like potato and carrot peels, apple cores, banana skins; coffee grounds; yard trimmings; seaweed. Compost should be added to gardens or pots every season to compensate for soil loss and to promote plant health.

Seaweed?

Yes seaweed. Seaweed is an activator in any compost heap that is rich in amino acids and the vital nutrients Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus (most plant fertilizers are measured by their N-P-K ratios). Collecting seaweed is easy for coastal residents- recently I drove to the beach in Little Compton and filled a garbage bag with seaweed to bring home to my compost heap.

So far, my compost is off to a good start. It is amazing how decomposition shrinks organic matter, and I am already starting to see it is turning rich and dark. I will have my first batch of finished compost probably by the end of the summer. As with other aspects of gardening, it is much more rewarding to produce products than it is to purchase them, though I have purchased compost up to this point. I also used organic seaweed enriched mulch for my potted plants and fruit trees.

Although I purchased a compost tumbler, the City of Providence has offered free compost bins in the past, as well as a yearly compost pick-up day available to all city residents. Compost is also available through the Providence Community Growers Network. Compost is one of the most important gifts that you can give your garden.

During World War I, Victory Gardens were built in private front and back yards and in public parks in response to a strained food supply as a result of the war effort. The gardens were considered to be a patriotic and civil commitment to society, and extensive public awareness brought gardening into the daily lives of millions of Americans.

Eleanor Roosevelt championed Victory Gardens during World War II – the Department of Agriculture estimates that 20 million Victory Gardens existed at the time – and recently Michelle Obama planted a Kitchen Garden at the White House to raise awareness for healthy food.

The garden changes quickly and spring is an especially exciting time as the vision in my head materializes. Last Saturday’s first harvest turned into a thorough reorganization of plants to make room for warmer-weather crops.

In the morning, I drove to the garden store intending only to buy basil and mint but I came back with two cherry tomatoes and two mountain tomatoes, dill, purple sage, thyme, lavender and cilantro. My change in plans resulted in a partial early harvest: I thinned several of the lettuce and arugula rows (they were seeded on 3/17/2012) to make space in between for inter-planting with my new herbs. I’ll be able to cut the remaining lettuce until the weather turns hot.

In a recession and a time of war, it is important to draw on the examples from earlier generations about control of our own food supply. Additionally, it reduces reliance on corporate food operations and the fossil fuels required to transport food to the table.

Whether you take part in a local community garden or are a backyard gardener like myself, it is rewarding for me to fill an entire paper shopping bag with radishes and lettuce. I brought a homegrown salad into the office on Tuesday and people didn’t believe that I’d grown produce in my free time outside of work, not to mention in the city!

It only took a few generations to lose Victory Gardening but modern examples show us that self-sustained food production takes minimal time and effort for extraordinary results.

Have a gardening tip? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear it!

Most of these artists are regulars, with a sprinkling of the future greats in the mix.  There is a blog dedicated to the art show and you can see where your favorite artist is located at the fair between Waterman and Hopkins Streets.  The weather should be nice for a stroll this May 5th from 10 am to 4 pm.  There is always something interesting to buy.

In case you are house hunting on the East Side, that portion of Benefit Street will be closed from the early morning on due to the fair. So, plan a side stop before the tour starts to find that perfect artistic piece, and then work hard to find the house into which it fits.

Like most Rhode Islanders, I live in a small house with an even smaller backyard. Being single and twenty-something, it was a priority for my first house to be in a lively urban setting within walking distance to restaurants, shops, arts & culture, etc., and in 2008 I found a great fixer upper in the Fox Point section of the East Side. Although the house needed extensive renovations, I loved its urban charm on a quiet historic lane and its private backyard, then a sandlot, shaded by a giant spruce tree that somebody must have planted after Christmas fifty years ago.

Also like most Rhode Islanders, I am a weekend or evening gardener because my work schedule is very demanding. It took me a few years of tinkering around the yard part-time to understand what it takes to be an urban gardener. My first flower garden in pots was a success and improved curb appeal, and it led the following year to an attempted vegetable garden in containers.

City gardens often have more shade than sun, so I placed my vegetables in a cluster on the southwest side of the house, in my driveway, for unobstructed light. As a novice, I provided enough sun for my plants but too little water, so most of my vegetables shriveled or didn’t produce at all.

The next spring working outside, I befriended a new neighbor who constructed raised garden beds for himself and taught me how to build my own (you can also buy kits ready to assemble). It was encouraging to have a neighbor with a mutual interest, so my second attempt at vegetables in raised beds worked better than in my feeble containers. Although I’d have benefited from more planning – I purchased a bunch of veggies, threw them in the ground and hoped for the best - I had mostly positive results: beautiful tomatoes, sickly cucumbers and squash, abundant herbs, and sad-looking beans that never made it to the table.

Winter is the best time to trim healthy trees, and this year, I started thinking about my garden in February. In addition to my towering spruce, there is a shaggy silver maple tree in my neighbor’s patio-garden at my southern property line that is my primary obstacle to backyard light, and after a few attempts to trim the tree on my own, my neighbors and I recently split the cost for an arborist to respectfully remove broken and sucker branches for increased sunlight.

This year’s garden planning involved reading and online research (there are some wonderful user-friendly books on gardening out there), mapping how sunlight moves across the yard, and I ordered seeds that can tolerate partial shade from a reputable online retailer. I moved my six 3x5x3 foot raised beds to the area of best light, and mixed new organic soil with compost for fertile crops.

On March 17, I direct-seeded my first cold crops of 2012, planting carrots, arugula, turnips, mustard greens, lots of radishes, black & red lettuce, and kale. I chose the plants that I like to eat, and I drew a map of my rows to remember where each sprout was planted. As the garden matured, I filled in the empty areas with pansies and marigolds, both to add color and to deter some pests. I also candied some of the pansy flowers, and on April 21, my first harvest of radishes and arugula was a rewarding side salad to grilled burgers.

I am still learning what it takes to be a gardener, but here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Community (talk about gardening with others; in Providence, join the Community Growers Network)
• Adequate sun & water, soil health (adding compost to your soil provides essential nutrients including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus)
• Patience
• Limited time investment.

Gardening can provide a healthy, sustainable food system in a very small space that will support & supplement any diet no matter where you live. A small initial monetary investment will yield exponential return as you harvest Fuji apples from your potted dwarf tree or cut new lettuce growth every week through the spring and fall.

I have expanded it as I get more comfortable and knowledgeable and I am lucky to be able to live, eat, and grow what I want. Gardens also add interest and curb appeal to a home as our modern world moves toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle. This garden series is a look into my gardening world during this growing season.

Making the decision to purchase a home, whether it a single family, a condominium or a multi-unit property, is a very personal decision. Figuring the right time includes a number of variables, including affordability and financing. The economics of home ownership is now at levels comparable to almost ten years ago, making it a great time to buy.

So check out our website for open houses. You can narrow the search criteria to give you a manageable number of properties to see in your location of choice. Then come by and see if you find your dream home!

We had such an overwhelming response last winter when we turned the photo contest voting over to our Facebook friends that we decided to do it again. A HUGE thank you to all of our friends who helped choose the winning photo!

We had so many wonderful photographs submitted this year that we will be adding 8 photos to our home page slide show. The top 3 photos were uploaded to Facebook for judging. Without further ado, this spring’s winning photograph, chosen by our Facebook friends, is “Succotash Marsh – Potter Pond” located in East Matunuck, Rhode Island. William McIntosh in our Narragansett office snapped the photograph and received 41 “Likes”. Not only did William submit the winning photograph, he submitted 2 others that will be included on the home page slide show as well – Congratulations William!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, at Residential Properties we have some of the most creative and talented sales associates in the business. Thank you to all who participated and submitted photos to this year’s spring photo contest.

Here are the top 8 photographs:

Winning Photo: William McIntosh – Succotash Marsh – Potter Pond, East Matunuck

2nd Place Photo: Chris Whirlow – Providence Skyline

3rd Place Photo: Heidi Farmer Piccerelli – Blackstone Boulevard – Providence, Rhode Island

4th Place Photo: Ian Barnacle – Tockwotton Home – Providence, Rhode Island

5th Place Photo: Chris Whirlow – Providence Nightlife

6th Place Photo: Tom Flanagan – Dance of Peace – Narragansett, Rhode Island

7th Place Photo: William McIntosh – Sunset – Southern, Rhode Island

8th Place Photo: William McIntosh – Spring Meadow – Rhode Island

We’d love your feedback – Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of this spring’s winning photos!

This weekend Residential Properties LTD will be taking part in NAR’s  Nationwide Open House Weekend. While technology has revolutionized the way people look for homes, there is still no better way to get feedback and to create interest for a listing than an open house.

According to the latest NAR “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” survey, while the majority of homebuyers are using the internet to obtain information about properties,  direct agent referrals, yard signs and open houses are still  the next most popular sources of information. In fact, agents who participated in our Condo Open House event last month saw increased activity and several sales have resulted already!

Today’s successful agent has to be  tech-savvy and be able to provide  high-touch service,  with market knowledge and the negotiation skills needed to complete deals today.  The basic premise of open houses hasn’t changed, but  today we promote our open houses on the internet and through print ads that drive people to our website.  The open house list is updated about noon every Thursday , then you can enter your  search criteria into  our open house  page,  select the properties you want to see and even print a map to create your own personal house tour!

For sellers opening their houses this week, think staging and curb appeal. It is crucial for your home to stand out from the many others on your prospective buyer’s list this weekend.

For buyers just getting into the market, it is often eye opening to see what you really like and need as opposed to what you think you need in a home.

This Weeks Real Estate Insight

If you are a seller,  this a great time to tour some of the similar properties  open in your neighborhood this weekend, then honestly compare your house’s  location, condition and price, so you know how you face up.  If your house hasn’t sold yet, now you might know why.

This Week’s Podcast:

Listen to Mike Bush from Homestar Mortgage and I discuss  spring market strategies here: 

Listen to this week’s show here:

This Week’s Real Estate Insight: 

The last time we had Nellie on, we talked about how the 2006 $50million affordable housing bond generated $800 million in total economic activity and sparked more than half of all the new construction between 2007-2010. Today, Building Homes Rhode Island is helping revitalize blighted neighborhoods, $19 million bond dollars were used to create over 530 long-term affordable rentals and 40 ownership homes out of foreclosed units. We still need to develop consistent funding policy for long-term affordable homes to ensure the full-continuum of need is met (from permanent supportive housing to workforce housing) lawmakers must consider another $50 million housing bond.

Article 24 of the Governor’s FY 2013 Budget Bill would:

• Impose a 13% tax on tenants (6% hotel tax and 7% sales tax).
• Require home owners to collect taxes from tenants on short-term rentals
• Apply to any home or condo this is rented for a total of 15 days or more per calendar year.
• Tax the first 30 days of each rental to a different tenant.
• Apply to month to month rentals, short-term military rentals, seasonal rentals, student rentals, and other rentals throughout the state.
• Exempt only rentals with a written lease for one year or more.
• Impose further hardships of those who are having difficulty selling their homes and have chosen to rent their home and move in to more affordable living arrangements.
• Burden renters at a time when rental housing is in short supply due to foreclosures and short sales, Rhode Island has lost nearly 7,000 rental units to foreclosure since the crisis started
• Drive tourists to Massachusetts and Connecticut, which do not tax private home rentals.
• Discourage investment in an already sluggish second home market.
• Take effect on July 1, 2012 in the middle of the summer rental season with uncertain impact on prepaid rentals.

This Week’s Real Estate Insight

Neither Connecticut nor Massachusetts charge hotel or sales taxes on individual homes and condominiums. If passed, this legislation would hurt RI property owners already crippled by the economy by putting RI vacation destinations at a competitive disadvantage to neighboring states. Less business will mean more distressed properties on the market. Contact your state legislators today to express your disapproval on this matter.  

So whatever your needs, come see the best condos Rhode Island has to offer!

Click here to view the Open House schedule.

Stay tuned for more springtime real estate events.