Saint George Court Renovation Progress by Linda Maintanis Phase One Completion - Replacement Soffits, Eaves, Trim Warwick, RI

Another week of hammering, grinding, pounding, sawing, and finally hammering some more.

I lost count on how many times the Harvey man has made deliveries with more material so there 

is no way to guess the amount of Azek used on our home at this point but take a close look.

By Friday of this week the concentration was spent on the front of the master suite. Of course it was.

Noisy beyond imagination, I spent the afternoon huddled in front of Barbie - A Perfect Christmas with two little granddaughters! Even still the blows came so hard that we squealed like Chicken Little.

The deep V in the roof where the left side of the stucco meets the brick has a tiny eave. For the last couple of years several families of tiny birds have moved in and out. This week evacuation was eminent, the birds were being kicked out. Back to the woods they went and I have to confess that I found small comfort on Saturday as I watched some misplaced White-Breasted Nuthatches try to peck the little Japanese maple in front of the balcony. That my friends will be the wonder of Azek.

 

The first week of April will complete this phase and move 

on to the next - roofing. Watch for my next post 

as the roofers begin this monumental project! 

In the meantime read here, Tamko, 

about our roofing materials.

Saint George Court, Governor Francis Farms, Warwick, RI



March 30, 2014

Saint George Court,Warwick,RI Home Exterior Renovation Roofing - Siding - Deck by Linda Maintanis

There are some signs of change on Saint George Court. If the big blue dumpster in our yard wasn't a clue then the long parade of workmen that moves up our driveway at 7:00am should be.

This week workers began replacing all eaves, soffit and fascia boards. This is necessary to complete before the roofers arrive. 

We are also replacing the timbers on the stucco areas of our house at the same time. All material used in these areas is Azek. A man made material, it is only available in white. As you know from prior blogs we are switching up the color palette on our tudor. Watch as the timbers are replaced with white and the background of the house goes darker.

All woodpecker damage will be repaired as these conversions are completed. see right




Work on the rear of the house is like climbing a wall.
The sheer expanse of the house is a challenge. By midweek our crew was up to the peak with staging.  Friday afternoon they had turned the corner and were working on the east exposure, by the pond.
This side had the heaviest damage from the birds
and will be completed on Monday.

March 21, 2014

Saint George Court, Warwick, RI - 25 Year Renovation Project Roofing, Siding, Lighting and Deck by Linda Maintanis

25 years old. When a house reaches this milestone it is time to bring back the builders. Our home, fully remodeled on the inside, has started to show some signs of age on the outside. Mainly, the roof is looking rough, and some woodpeckers have been snacking on the brown timbers which made my tudor a tudor. Renovation is a necessity, so I'll be blogging the dirty details of living with a major project for the next 8 weeks.

Our woodpecker problem made us search for a synthetic board to replace wood, which wouldn't  allow the birds to peck anymore. Azek, a man made material, was perfect to replace the peckered (?) timbers and has a 25 year warranty. The switch-up? Azek is a WHITE product. Our tudor color scheme would now be in reverse. First there were the color choices. This was tricky. As a tudor style home we had the usual brown criss-cross timbers over cream stucco on the front side. The remainder of the house had cedar shingles painted cream to match. 

Siding choices are limitless, but we wanted another product that would give us longevity. We chose Certainteed for their style, durability and color spectrum. The house won't have the traditional brown boards any longer which means darkening the shade of the siding to allow for some contrast. Here we chose the Seagrass; a soft, greyish green cedar looking product.  Cedar Impressions Double 7 inch Straight Edge Perfection Shingles will allow us style and lifetime warranty.

Roofing selection was a choice narrowed down from three possibilities in the Tamko samples. Olde English Pewter was a bit too light. Oxford Grey seemed right, until we checked it in the light; it had too much green, similar to the siding. Virginia Slate was perfect. Enough contrast to the siding, it tied in the pavers and decking and had that English Tudor charm.

Our sidewalks and paved areas are all in great condition so we wanted to keep them and work that color into our palette also. They are classic granite grey stone. We chose grey Trex for the decking material to create flow on the lower and ground levels of home and yard. Fiberon gave us a white deck railing with a flat top for service value. This would tie in with the white Azek on our trim and timbers, and beef up our deck with a commercial grade railing. 

 

The next week brings a large dumpster and a Port-a-potty for the workers. As our construction schedule becomes more detailed I will post again. Keep watching for my next blog? Linda Maintanis

Note: the photo of our home as shown on the top of page is from the original builders home plan book, William G. Chirgotis, 350 Home Plans. When the snow melts off of our roof I will take some more pre-construction photos. I promise.

March 6, 2014

Vertical Gardening on Saint George Court, Warwick, RI Reaches New Heights!

Amazing things are happening in the gardens on Saint George Court. Butternut squash was planted at the base of the grape arbor, as it was last year. The location produced about a hundred pounds of butternut that lasted until the next spring and we knew that we would replant there again. With just one catch...

The squash would go vertical.

Instead of creeping and climbing like an octopus with fifteen foot long arms I would train it to climb up the arbor towards the canopy of grapes overhead. With a bit of garden wire the butternut vines have been lifted and teased into the strong trunks of the grapes.

In this photo to the right you see butternut squash approximately two months in the ground. It has been gradually trained up the trunks of the grape vines forming a weave of squash blossoms.

The baby squash are peeking out of the vines everywhere!

Eggplant Frost Protection Again? How to Prevent Damage Saint George Court Gardens, Linda Maintanis

It seems like we started the year the same way. Back in early May I posted on Saint George Court about the frost warnings and how I protected my eggplant from damage. Sheets of bubble wrap were gently secured around the small plants with a tab of scotch tape.

 

This time, this past fall, I found the plants needed frost protection once again. A warm, sunny September had allowed another heavy crop of around fifteen or more eggplants to set up. 

But by the middle of October I was watching the temperatures each night with keen eyes. The days were still so glorious; strong sunshine that still branded pink cheeks. And this crop was a bit small, they could use every extra day of growth. So I left them on the vine. 

When temperatures dropped below forty degrees I conceived a plan. A cocoon of sorts, like a tent/greenhouse, to protect them from a freeze. My first idea was to drape a tarp around them, that was too heavy, and actually would have trapped condensate inside. So I kept the concept with one modification; cotton sheets. They would breathe and trap ground heat at the same time. Perfect.

The sheets were draped over the stakes at dusk. Tucked under the drooping eggplants, they formed a breatheable cocoon. Able to trap warmth but exchange moisture to avoid condensation.

 
It worked! I was finally forced to harvest this bowl of eggplants on November 1,2013.
They were definitely worth the effort, a very nice Halloween "treat". Try some of these recipes with your own crop, Minto Island.

Saint George Court, Warwick, RI - Butternut Squash Bounty of Governor Francis Farms Gardens

While we've been enjoying the splendor of these last few weeks of summer some mighty big things have been happening on Saint George Court. Butternut squash that was planted by the base of Turtle Pond Wines' grape arbors has been steadily producing a bountiful harvest!

Bird's Nest Fungi on Saint George Court, Warwick, RI Tropical Mushrooms in Governor Francis Farms

While watering tomatoes this week I noticed a cluster of teeny-tiny 

cup shaped mushrooms in the compost. Memory flash to the guide books 

I read last year on identifying local fungi; I had seen this one before. 

Yes indeed, a quick trip to Google gave me the positive ID I needed. 

I had found Bird's Nest Fungi!

Notice the immature fungi; creamy beige, with a raspy exterior. 

They will soon open up to spread their spores.

Read more about the fungi here: Bird's Nest

Governor Francis Farms Gardens Grow Bigger and Better Saint George Court, Warwick, RI

Seriously? I never expected my tomatoes to outgrow this years' innovative new stake system. With about six and a half feet of stake above ground I thought that my tomatoes would never make it to the top. Instead I find myself at the end of the pole, literally.

As you can see here the Costoluto Genovese tomatoes, near the cucumbers at the right rear,  and the Yellow Pear tomatoes, at the forward end, have reached the top of their stakes.

We measured today and have recorded SEVEN feet and four inches! HOLY TOMATO!

Let me give you a few points of reference. The eggplant in the front, left corner is about 34".
And the frame of the raised bed, by the cobblestone pavers is close to a foot, at 10".

Do the deductive reasoning.

The cucumbers at the other end of the beds were planted in boxed cages. There are nine of them total and we have picked about a dozen cukes so far. Check the Food for Thought blog soon for ways to use cucumbers!

Eggplant progress is much better this week. There are five trees and each one has some heavy produce setting up.

Saint George Court Warwick, RI - Governor Francis Farms The Italian Tomatoes Top Six Feet Tall!

We planted nine tomato plants in our raised beds. Additionally there are four more nearby including some Black Cherries. Of the nine there are two San Marzano, two Black Krim, two Costoluto Genovese, one Lemon Boy, one Yellow Pear and one Early Girl. Below you see the baby Yellow Pears forming a string on one of many stems.

This past week the C.Genovese had climbed past the six-foot mark to
six feet and nine inches, and was still growing; to where though? These Italian heirlooms were purchased from Williams-Sonoma with the Black Krim and San Marzano. And while both of those are at a strong five feet tall, they somehow seem dwarfed next to their
leggy cousins.

Elsewhere in the garden there are just about a million cucumbers growing on the nine caged vines. Some are ready to pick today.


by Linda Maintanis

Saint George Court Gardens Bursting With Promise Governor Francis Farms, Warwick, RI

The gardens at Saint George Court are growing faster than Jack's beanstalk. This past week the deluge of rain showers finally cleared and led to a small drying spell to help out the drainage.
                                                                                                

The Farmer D raised garden beds
are making gorgeous homes for our
vegetables. The organic cedar is a
strong and sturdy material for the job
and they look great next to the
cobblestone paved sidewalks.

While the peppers, eggplants and
cucumbers build a sturdy frame
and root system, the tomatoes
seem to be working double-time.
The assortment of Black Krim,
San Marzano, Costoluto Genovese,
Yellow Pear, Lemon Drop and
Early Girl tomatoes all have large fruits
set up for an early harvest in July.

Saint George Court, Warwick RI - Governor Francis Farms Soaking Rains Boost Plant Growth

Wild rain storms have soaked our little Saint George Court 

for the past few weeks. 

Over six inches of rain fell in just ten days in 

Governor Francis Farms, Warwick, RI. 

Take a look at the views of our garden and scroll back to a previous post HERE for a look at them on May 23, 2013, just about two weeks ago...

Governor Francis Fig Trees Promise a Bountiful Harvest! Saint George Court, Warwick, RI

I love figs. Fresh figs, just picked, are out of this world.
Soft, sweet and indescribably delicious!
Sprinkled with sugar and crisped with a blowtorch and they are pure heaven!

So it goes without saying that I would grow my own. Anyone who knows me knows that when I hook onto something I really love I learn how to make it, or in this case grow it, for myself. This behavior led me to Roslindale, Massachusetts last April to the Fig Tree shop.

That was about six weeks ago. A couple of hard frosts and heat waves later I decided to check my trees for progress. They have held up quite well. I was lucky enough to have figs already formed on my trees. However, the shock of the transplant caused this first set of fruit to drop. Sad but completely normal.

Yesterday I noticed that my trees were already making new fruits! Here is what it looks like when the baby figs appear.