Thanks for the link!

http://www.diynetwork.com/plumbing/tips-on-maintaining-a-water-heater/index.html

Thank you Karen for always teaching me something new. I love your blog!!

- Candyce

See you Saturday!

Yes, this list is almost complete at my house and my investment property and I am glad. It always make me sad to take all my beautiful plants and decor in for the winter.

Another thing I do is set up a “makeshift” greenhouse for my wonderful summer plants. I took the back wall in the garage, built a bench from end to end about 12′L x 2′W and covered it with heavy duty plastic wrap (you can buy it by the roll at any hardware store – cheap). I then built a box with scrap 2″ x 6″ lumber and lined it with heavy plastic. It is about half the length of the bench and the same width. I filled the box almost to the top with Miracle Grow soil and replanted the geraniums, asparagus ferns, impatients, etc. in the box. On each side of the box, I bought large plastic storage boxes so I could “sit” the larger plants in their containers in the storage box without replanting. This helps keep the water where it needs to be also. I have grow lights in the florescent light fixtures above and additional grow lights (for warmth)hanging across the back focused down on each of the areas. These are plugged into a timer which is on about 12 hours a day. I stapled heavy duty clear plastic wrap from the back wall across the top and let the plastic hang down, tucking it under the boxes. Luckily, I have a water source close by and I hook my Miracle Grow feeder to the water hose and hose everything once every 2 weeks. This way, I have blooming geraniums in January when it is cold, dark and grey outside. I love it as I can also “dig in the dirt” even when the dirt outside is frozen.

Almost all the plants make it, and I do not have to replace them when I am ready to take them back outside in April or May. It may not save money with the additional electrical costs, but it saves my sanity in the winter.