What is a Butler Stick? Click the Play Button to find out.
Go to www.charlesmacpherson.com to find out more about the Charles Macpherson Academy for Butlers and Household Managers. For personal reasons or you want to get into the industry. It’s a great career.
Have a Safe & Happy Weekend
Jenn Valentyne
Facebook – www.facebook.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/jvalentyne
Here we go friends….last week’s 6 pack was tragically destroyed (pls refer to Kevin’s blog for the answer as to why)….but have no fear…we are back and taking it outside!!! Truth be told……the timeline was tight so we had no choice but to spew one out just before an outdoor interview on car maintenance.
Before I leave you to view and enjoy….a couple of quick shout outs…to Jennifer Valentyne who celebrates another birthday this Sunday and somehow looks forever young…to Kristen Frisa who is leaving us for a year (so sad) to have a baby (so sweet) on this her last day (boohoo) her birthday (yeah!)….Kristen, we love you and will miss you and can’t wait to see the babino/bambina….to Michelle Beilhartz who celebrates her birthday on Saturday (but officially parties it up next weekend)….I hope all 3 of you lovely and talented ladies enjoy every minute…. I am proud to call you friends and wish you an incredible day and year….they all deserve the very best…..man….BT is filled with Gemini’s (David Ringer just celebrated his birthday too and made the week by bringing in his party t-shirt today, nothing like a dance off to wrap up the week, it’s been waaaaay too long since we’ve had one!!!)
And to all our fellow Gemini’s out there…..enjoy!
Xo
Have a great weekend,
Di
Today was a ton of Fun!! Friends, Neighbors and Family of the Kelly’s came out for the Big Backyard Reveal. Go to BT Bites to check it out and click the play button on this page to see a behind the scenes look at my reaction early this morning. What a great family! What a great neighborhood! Thanks to Installation Services at The Home Depot…they sure know what they’re doing.
CLICK HERE to enter the Curb Appeal Makeover
Have a Great Day
Jenn Valentyne
So today I said I was going to do a blog profiling the BT staff.
Unfortunately, I had some “camera issues,” so no blog today! I’ll try again tomorrow..
See you in the morning.
Kevin
Twitter — twitter.com/kevinfrankish
Email — kevinf@citytv.com
Time to meet the newest member of the BT family…Kris Reyes.
See you in the morning.
Kevin
Twitter — twitter.com/kevinfrankish
Email — kevinf@citytv.com
If I could get a dollar for every time I’m asked “how do I get rid of dandelions?” I would be a rich man. Ontario’s recent cosmetic pesticide has limited homeowner’s ability to react to dandelions by just spraying or broadcasting a popular herbicide for broadleaf weeds known as 24D.
The reality of this ban today is we really need to be proactive instead of reactive. To be proactive you need to get use to removing dandelions by hand immediately when you see they grow in unwanted locations. When removing dandelions you need to get the entire tap root if not …it will grow back bigger and stronger than every (my favorite dandelion digger is the one made by Fiskars). Your lawn needs to be the bully not the weeds. By improving your lawn via fertilizing, topdressing and reseeding the lawn will dominate and suffocate out weeds by not giving them the space to grow. Cut your lawn a little longer. By raising your mower blades to at least 3 to 3 1/2 inches you will help to shade out weed seeds during especially during the summer thus preventing them from germinating. My other tips include cutting your lawn before Dandelion flowers go to seed (the feathery seed heads / puff balls) and in early spring when the snow melts and plants just start to grow outdoors apply Corn Gluten..not this only prevents seeds for germinating and doesn’t kill existing plants. Dandelions are also good indicators of your soil type ddandelions may signal that the surface soil has become too acid due to calcium loss when grass clippings are removed. This indicates that lime should be dusted on the lawn area or better yet spreading compost on it to replace the calcium. Also be sure you don’t cut the lawn too short leave it about 3 1/2 inches high.
Along the way I will guide you through controlling dandelions and weed wars but the truth is we better get use to them. Truthfully there is no quick fix and at times all lawns will have some weeds…if they don’t they are cheating!!
And now ……IN THE WORLD OF GARDENING NEWS:
Bras, briefs and boxer shorts were donated to this year’s Chelsea Flower Show to be used in display of how to grow your own fruit and vegetables in unwanted underwear.
By Louise Gray
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) asked visitors to Chelsea Flower Show to donate clean unwanted bras, boxer shorts and jockey pants for its summer Grow Your Own campaign.
Dozens handed in old underwear which will now be used, alongside stock contributed by Marks and Spencer, in a ‘good life’ display at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show , from 7 – 12 July 2009.
Georgie Webb of the RHS, said old undies could be used like hanging baskets where people have little space.
“Due to their conical shape, bras are ideal containers for turning into hanging baskets, and if you sew two together, you have what is best described as a ‘hanging bra-sket’. Once filled with compost you can grow salad leaves, herbs, alpine strawberries and even tumbling cherry tomatoes in them; the bigger the bra the more you can grow. But the serious message behind the ‘bra-skets’ is that you do not need a lot of space or even a lot of money to start growing your own food – just a bit of imagination.”
The ‘good life’ display is part of a wider campaign by the RHS to encourage more people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister and civic organization including the National Trust have also called for more people to grow their own food in order to improve healthy eating and tackle climate change by reducing food miles.
Today the Live Eye went to North Oshawa to visit Birchwind Organic Dairy Farm. What a treat! I met 6 year old Taylor and she showed me how to feed the Calves. CLICK HERE to check it out on BT Bites….what a sweetie! Her Grandpa Ron showed me how to Milk a Cow. I’m not getting a job there anytime soon. Click the Play Button to see my attempt.
I took Friday off and went to Niagara Falls with my daughter Georgia, her friend Sierra and Sierra’s Mom Jennifer. The kids were in a Dance Competition on the weekend and they were great. We stayed at Sheraton on the Falls and hung out on our down time at the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. We had a blast! Georgia can’t wait to go back. Jackson came up on Saturday too.
Have a Great Day
Jenn Valentyne
This weekend is the 10th Anniversary of Doors Open Toronto. The Old Don Jail is one of Toronto’s greatest hidden treasures. Built before Confederation, it was the largest prison of its kind built in North America – a jail that attempted to reform its inmates rather than simply incarcerated them.
Click the play button to get a mini tour.
For more information go to www.toronto.ca/doorsopen or go to www.thedonjail.com
Yesterday I went to the Danier Media Preview. They have some amazing stuff for August…Check it out. I also went for Lunch at The Hazelton Hotel. They had a Hoover demonstration. Love their new cordless vacuum.
I’m taking a day off tomorrow…so is Dina…it’s her Birthday. Happy Birthday Dina!!
Have a Safe & Happy Weekend Everyone!!
Jenn Valentyne
NOTE FRANKIE FLOWERS ONLINE MOVED TO FRIDAY 12:30pm to 1pm..
So I spent sometime yesterday travelling around the GTA looking at various Garden Centres and to be truthful many made me feel uninspired!! Some mass merchants / chain stores are doing an excellent job a promoting gardening and providing gardeners with awesome selections of quality plants at a great price. Others are just in the garden centre business because they are looking to dip into some extra foot traffic and sales at this time of year. My problem with is it’s not good for the overall gardening industry. I’m not going to say any times but one retailer’s garden centre was a mess. Filled with just stuff everywhere!! No flow, no excitement, no vision and no passion. Worst off plant quality was horrible some annuals had frost burn, some perennials were bone dry, roses had signs of black spot and herb plants looked beat up. The prices were great however if a novice gardener purchases an unhealthy plant they already on a path to failure. Weak unhealthy plants require more attention, more energy and sometimes don’t even make it. The key to successful gardening is to purchase the right plants for the right locations and insure they are healthy!! Healthy plants root in well and perform. If selected for the right location taking care of a healthy plant is easy…..just plant…water and fertilize on occasion and enjoy!!! So my rant for the day is retailers who are not passionate about gardening please stay away ….Frankie Flowers wants gardeners to enjoy their gardening days not take care of your junk!!!
Now from the world of gardening:
Gardener digs up 3,500-year-old Bronze Age axehead
May 14 2009 by Ponty Copy 2, Pontypridd Observer
RETIRED gardener Alan Jenkins thought he’d hit the Mother Lode when he found a Roman spatula in the shape of the goddess Minerva – until he unearthed a 3,500 year old Bronze Age axehead made before the birth of Christ.
History buff Alan, 61, from Ffordd Yr Ywen in Tonteg, found the ancient cooking tool two years ago near Llanharry but made his oldest find recently while metal detecting and unearthed an axehead dating back before the birth of Christ.
Retired landscape gardener Alan, 61, was checking out a field before the farmer ploughed it up and discovered the 3,500- year-old Bronze Palstave Axehead.
He said: “I didn’t have the grandsons one week so it left me time one Friday afternoon to go and have a look at a local ploughed field that was soon to be seeded. After a half-hour of only finding a couple of copper Georgian coins in grotty condition, the tractor came in to harrow it. As I walked towards the corner I noticed something familiar sticking out from the soil.
“It was the end of a Bronze Palstave Axehead. I cleared a bit of soil away from it and then took a picture. I dug it out and took another picture and took another picture showing the single rib.
“It was in lovely condition. It’s from the Middle Bronze Age and is around 3,500 years old – that’s 1,500 years BC.”
The National Museum of Wales’ (Cardiff) finds liaison officer Mark Lodwick said: “Mr Jenkins’ find is not a particularly common one. There aren’t a great deal of these axeheads recovered, so it’s certainly very interesting.”
l Full details of the relic and others like it will be listed on the Museum’s www.finds.org public database.
On twitter (frankferragine) I asked what have you dug up gardening responses are:
From Marina
Yesterday, my friend and I dug up a dead bird. It was just bones… yuck! (I didn’t even
know what it was)…
From Near_North
A little crystal bottle and brakes-lots of brakes.
From Daveemilo
Ancient authentic arrowhead (at the cottage – Sundridge ON) – many years ago. Where it is now I wonder.
From Pepampa
I found an original Star Wars toy, and a He-man Masters of the universe monster truck! haha Not gold….
From SellToronto_com
My neighbour in Wasaga Beach dug up a skeleton. It was from the war of 1812.
From HeatherRivlin
When toronto French school excavated last fall they found an old swimming pool from the 1920’s owner.
If you find anything interesting when you dig around gardening please email me a picture at frankieflowers@citytv.com. I would love to show some on my Thursday Online show 12:30pm to 1pm on CityTV.
For some great gardening tips from Miracle-Gro, click here!
Friday May 29 is a BT Night On The Town. You have a chance for a great deal to see a great production and be a part of a great production. Here’s how.
Visit our contest page for full details!
See you in the morning.
Kevin
Twitter — @KevinFrankish
Email — kevinf@citytv.com