HOME & GARDEN

Making the most of life on Staten Island

Reclaimed lumber: Green alternative

by James Dulley / Sensible Home

Wednesday October 01, 2008, 3:39 PM

Photo Courtesy of Big TimberworksThe entire exterior and interior lumber in this house is made form reclaimed old lumber.

Q. We are planning an addition to our house which we want to be efficient and "green." I heard using reclaimed lumber makes sense. Is this more efficient and as strong as new lumber and what are its sources?

A. Reclaimed (recycled) lumber is popular today for many reasons. Most of the reclaimed lumber salvaged from old buildings was made from old-growth trees. This wood is typically very strong as compared to fresh lumber produced today. The grains are straighter and it is more dense.

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Composting and mulching are good garden practices

by Mary Lou Nelles / Get Growing

Wednesday October 01, 2008, 4:04 PM

Staten Island Advance Photos/Irving SilversteinShredded paper is put into a pile of leaves for composting.

I moved to Staten Island two years ago after living in Connecticut for 46 years. When asked what I miss most, what comes to mind first is that I don't miss the house -- I miss the garden.

All those years ago we started out by clearing part of our wooded three acres to build the house. The soil was beautifully textured loam, the product of many years of decaying leaves, mostly oak. It also was very acid, and somewhat poor in nutrients. The acidity made it ideal for acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, and evergreens, as well as many spring-blooming wildflowers.

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Take a safari close to Staten Island

by Andrea Boyarsky / Staten Island Advance

Wednesday October 01, 2008, 6:22 PM

Photos courtesy of openhousenewyorkAmong sites in the five boroughs on this weekend's openhousenewyork event are the former Fresh Kills Landfill.

Moravian Cemetery, with its winding pathways, lakes and bridges, is the final resting place for some of Staten Island's most notable residents.

The Alice Austen House Museum, a Victorian Gothic cottage on the waterfront in Rosebank, was home to a female photographer who chronicled Staten Island society in the Victorian age.

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Cuckoo clock chimes to a profitable tune

by Anne McCollam / Antique or Junque?

Wednesday October 01, 2008, 2:42 PM

Associated PressAn antique cuckoo clock, created by the American Cuckoo Clock Co., would probably be worth $695 to $895.

Q. I purchased the pictured antique cuckoo clock at an estate sale in the Toledo, Ohio, area in 1966. On the back of the clock is a large label with the words "How to Hang a Cuckoo Clock -- American Cuckoo Clock Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- 1859."

The clock has been used daily since that time. I believe it is made of black walnut, and it strikes on the hour and half-hour. In 1985, it had to be cleaned, lubricated, and the bellows were replaced. At my request, the repairman detached the spring gong mechanism, since the sound was so unpleasant.

I would appreciate hearing your comments as well as an estimate of the clock's value.

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