I used to be something of a pack rat, now I'm that guy always getting rid of stuff. Before, I always thought something might be useful later on. My thinking was, "I might need that one day." No more. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but now I get excited to look at the...
Don't Power Wash Outdoor Outlets - Replace A GFCI Outlet
When sparks fly out of it, its time to replace a GFCI outlet. My neighbor had his house power washed, and not sure how, but the power wash wand managed to blast up in to the GFCI outlet. Bad, very bad. I'm sure the power washer operator knew something was wrong when the sparks and...
Love The Instant Pot! - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Review - GF Video
I have used a stovetop pressure cooker for years. Then a friend of mine showed me his Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Then I bought one. Buy Yours Here: Instant Pressure Cooker 6 Quart Watch our review video and read on for more info below the video. [Being up front here, the above link is to...
I Over Did It On Making Maple Syrup This Year
I realized I bit off more than I could chew about one week into this year's maple syrup season. Ever think about a project for months, only after you start you realize, OK what did I get myself into? That's me this year making maple syrup. First I built a new homemade maple syrup evaporator,...
Foraging Guide Books For Your Area - My Suggestions
There are some good foraging guide books for the whole of North America, as well as other continents, but even better are edible plant guides that are local to your area. Here are a some that I like. In the U.S., the northeast and the southwest are very different with regard to native plants, so...
Garlic Mustard Weed, Is It Edible? Yes!
To me, Garlic Mustard Weed isn't a weed, its a salad green, right alongside Mesclun. Maybe because it is so ubiquitous in my area people call it a weed. I call it free food. Garlic mustard weed identification is pretty easy, not many plants look like this. These photos are of a the mustard in...
Quick Swarm Traps To Capture Swarms
Make these quick swarm traps when you have some spare beekeeping parts on the shelf. The parts are just sitting there, so we might as well use them, right? Here's how I build a swarm box using that famous GardenFork mantra: Use What You Got. I had some frames from a dead hive, plus some...
It's OK To Suck At Something - GFR 444
Done is better than perfect is a GF mantra, so it Embrace Failure. This essay by Karen Rinaldi rings true for me. I'm doing a deep dive into 99 Percent Invisible, not just the podcast, but also the articles posted on their site. Neat stuff here: http://99percentinvisible.org/ Can you transplant sugar snap peas? Plant sunflowers...
The Mini Greenhouse Repair Fail
You've probably seen one or three of my mini greenhouse plans videos. The most recent one talks about the complete fail of the plastic cover in the middle of winter. Here are the photos that show my attempt at repair before the complete breakdown of the covering. My big mistake 4 months prior to the...
Don't Buy Smart Appliances
If you want your appliances to last longer, don't buy smart appliances. Here's why: 3 things have stuck in my head recently so I thought if I would write this all down, it would maybe get out of my head. First, I just fixed my sister's portable generator. It was a freebie that hadn't run...
Drip Irrigation FAQ - GFR 442
Last week I got an email from a high school student: My name is Kevin and I am currently a [high school] senior in NJ. I am currently working on my senior project which is installing my own drip irrigation system in my backyard. I have seen your YouTube videos about drip irrigation and I...
How To Apply Frosted Window Film - GF Video
Want to apply frosted window film? Its easy, and I made a video to show you how. This works for either window privacy or decorative window film patterns. Watch the video and read through the how to below. We have some french doors that separate two bedrooms. We love the glass doors, but wanted privacy...
How Do You Frost Glass? With Frosted Glass Spray Paint - GF Video
If you are wondering how do you frost glass, I'm here to show you. Its easy, even I can do it. Watch this how to video, and step through the photos below. How To Frost Glass, Step By Step First, buy some frosted glass spray paint here. The next thing is to either remove the...
Free USGS Topo Maps Printer Ready!
I am a map geek. The last two weekends have hauled out the large USGS topo maps I have of our area, spread them out on the table, and gone over them with friends. But the problem with the USGS topographic maps is: they are huge, big pieces of paper. National Geographic has solved with...
Easy Flower Box You Can Make
Here's an easy flower box you can put together in an afternoon. All you need is some stock lumber and spray paint. I built the planter box for my friend Bill, and he cut out a stencil and decorated it. I made this out of pressure treated pine 1"x6" lumber. Worried about pressure treated lumber,...
When Your Maple Sap Freezes Too Much
This last weekend the temperature was around 5-10 degrees F all night and day. So this played havoc with our maple syrup evaporator operation. The line that feeds raw sap to the evaporator froze as soon as I would defrost it, so I was ladling sap in to the pan by hand. Bigger problems were...
Planning and Failures, & Ricks Hiatus - GF Radio 435
We talk about the planning failure for the maple syrup season and then the enormous failure that Eric made a video about . Watch Here. Color correction comes next, not sure why, but you can color correct your video and photos by using a color card when you are shooting. Podcast we like: Up And...
Homemade Leaf Mulcher Bagger
Check out this homemade leaf mulcher bagger that Greg built! Using a free wood crate and an electric leaf mulcher, Greg made a rig for almost free that would cost big bucks at the store. How cool is that? Here's the how to make the Homemade Leaf Mulcher Bagger From Greg's email: I love...