Thinking of tackling some spring projects? Let The Project Garage be your 'go to', to keep things on track.
Oh the plans you have this spring season.
The perfect lawn
That shed you have been dreaming about
The garden that yields all your fresh produce for the summer
And the deck.....yup. That deck you have been dreaming about.
In your mind, you are sitting in a lounger, looking over all of the wonderful things you have created with your sweat equity, and quietly smiling with pride.
But what's the reality?
Lack of time
Not enough money
A skills gap
Let's face it, there's lots of information out there, but taking the time to do all your research, executing, and adjusting to complications can be challenging. And those little things that derail you can result in days, even weeks of delays.
But guess what.
There's a better way!
What if I told you that The Project Garage could change the way you approach your summer projects, saving you time, money and your sanity.
Let's check it out.
1) Planning
Let's face it. There's no end to the generic advice you can get win the internet. Go ahead and google a plan to grow lettuce, and you will be inundated with hundreds of articles.
But do they apply to your region?
Do they account for the fact that you live near salt water, or that your area has high PH levels in the soil?
Even reference books can be confusing when it comes to the sheer volume of information they contain.
And that's where the pros at The Project Garage can help. Do your research, fill in the broad strokes, and access the pro of your choice from anywhere in Canada to help you with specific issues.
Stacey Lewington who runs the Humble Beaver landscaping company out of Hamilton, Ontario, is a red seal horticulturist and an expert in the care and maintenance of interior and exterior plants. How amazing would she be as a resource during the planning of your garden and during the growing season? The ability access pros like Stacey virtually, from anywhere in Canada, is a game changer for other pros and DIYers alike. Speaking to her the other day, I asked her to give me an idea of the different kinds of information she could provide to budding gardeners and she offered this:
Seeds:
Some seeds you can be starting indoors right now (middle of March- April) - Tomato, Pepper, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Basil, Parsley.
Outdoors planting - Onion, Asparagus, Potatoes, Rhubarb.
Tips - I use a heat pad and grow lights to get my seeds started but all you really need is a bright window. I also have a fan going in the room to circulate air and to help build stronger stems. You also want to avoid soil with fertilizer mixed in. I was having trouble getting my seeds to germinate and my research/trial and error concluded that I was 'burning' the seeds with too much nutrients in the soil. I bought a bag of soil for seedlings and BAM no issues. You can 'over love' your plants sometimes, killing them with kindness. Keep the soil moist but not soaked and try to avoid letting it dry out completely.
Pollinator plants to add to your gardens this year:
Herbs - Lavender, Sage, Cilantro, Thyme Chives (keep chives in separate container, they can over take a garden quickly), Rosemary, Dill
Annuals - Calendula, Sweet Asylum, Sunflower, Zinnia, Cosmos, Cleome, Heliotrope, Marigolds (doubles in organic pest control - brings in predatory insects that will eat aphids and keeps whitefly and other pests away with its scent)
Spring Bulbs - Crocus, Snow drops, Mascari
Perennials - Buttercup (can get invasive if not careful), Aster, Hollyhocks, Anemone, Geranium, Poppy, Cone flower, Coreopsis, Columbine
Shrubs - Butterfly Bush, Hydrangea, Lilac, Viburnum, Weigela, Mock Orange, Dogwood
Information like this, delivered to you personally for your specific circumstances is incredibly valuable.
2) Executing
Have you ever gotten into a project and hit a roadblock? I run into issues on every single project. Building and renovations are 100% problem solving, all the time.
So in the past, maybe you have meticulously created your plans and done your research, but forgot to account for the grade of your land, or some other trivial thing that totally threw you off.
So when you working on that deck, pergola, or roofing project, now you have the resources with The Project Garage to work through whatever problem comes your way, and get that project done in a timely fashion.
Need to talk to a red seal carpenter about the flashing between your deck and the house? Stuck trying to figure out your railings? Is the math for your stairs driving you nuts? We have so many amazing carpenters on the site, they can help you work through those issues in either the design or execution stage, or both!
Why not chat with Andrew from Theriault Quality Carpentry about your outdoor building project? Or Corinna Mueller who has specialties in sustainable building and tiny houses? Or what about Kirstene Reyes from Intentionally Tiny Custom Homes, who is a red seal carpenter, and knows how to build killer cabinetry too.
No matter what you are tackling, there's a pro on the site who can get you back on track.
3) Out of the Box
Maybe your project is not so generic? Sure there are youtube videos about changing out a faucet, but what if you have questions about welding or metal work? Solar installations? Maybe you want to use Schluter for a specific project but want to know if Wedi is better, or you want to know how to plan a herringbone tile installation. No matter what your project is, The Project Garage is amassing pros for that.
And besides the information alone, we hope to connect you with pros who make you feel comfortable and connect with you in other ways. Many of our pros have other language profiles including: French, Tagalog, Punjabi, and Urdu to name a few. The site is a safe space for people to get the advice they need without any 'splaining (womansplaining, mansplaining or peoplesplaining prohibited), and the site is inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community.
Basically:
Everyone is welcome
No Jerks allowed
And we want to be the best resource on the planet for diyers and pros
Nuff said.
So this spring, be bold, be brave and try your hand at projects that intimidate you. The pros at The Project Garage will be available for you to access if and when you need help. What's the worst that can happen? You might just create something that truly defies your own expectations.
© The Project Garage 2024