The fam and I are moving in two weeks, and will have two weeks of living in a small rental between closings. Because of this delay, we are going to use PODs for the move, but aren't sure what size we need, and hoping someone can help. [more inside]
posted by um_maverick at 1:25 PM - 2 answers

Someone in a neighborhood near mine is growing Castor Bean plants in their front yard. I had always thought of Castor Beans as a waste plant that grew up, unwanted, in disturbed areas. Owing to its toxic nature I thought it a strange choice for a carefully planted yard. Are castor beans more common in landscaping than I thought? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 7:50 PM - 20 answers

A friend of mine recently brought back a bag of crushed red pepper from her home city in China. I had the idea of trying to plant some of the seeds in my plot at a local community garden and seeing if they'd grow. My concern is whether this would be safe and legal to do. [more inside]
posted by serathen at 3:37 PM - 9 answers

Hi everyone I'm relocating for the first time ever out of the family home. Should I start should start house hunting now *for a rental) while I'm away, or wait till I get there (I'm very happy to hostel it for a bit, as I don't know of anyone in the area and I'm a bit funny about couchsurfing). Thanks!
posted by glache at 1:51 AM - 15 answers

New York City dwellers: Do you use Green Mountain Energy for your household power? Why or why not? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 12:00 PM - 2 answers

This very pretty flowering plant lives in a cultivated desert garden in south-western Arizona; I don't think it is a native plant (although I could be wrong!) but it was purchased in a garden center for planting in the area. Unfortunately, the tag on the plant was lost - can anyone tell me what plant it is? Thanks for any help!
posted by faineant at 7:24 PM - 13 answers

I have long lusted after a Channel Island Bush Poppy (dendromecon harfordii) but can never find the plant at any of our local native plant nurseries here in Los Angeles. I ordered seeds and have found conflicting information about how to start it from seed. I received a packet of seeds and a pink slip of paper that contained the same chemicals released in brush fire conditions. The instructions said to soak the paper with the seeds for 24 hours and then sow. No more information than that. [more inside]
posted by dottiechang at 3:07 PM - 6 answers

The shims that let our our table slide open for leaves are broken, so the table is split in half. If I could just get these little wooden pieces replaced, our table would be like new! So how do I get them replaced? [more inside]
posted by Tehhund at 9:43 AM - 10 answers

We have a very awesome landlord whose house we're moving out of. We'd like to get her something to show our appreciation. [more inside]
posted by pised at 1:41 PM - 9 answers

We have a very full set of PVC outdoor furniture we bought 13 years ago and has held up pretty well.Most of the 20x36 inch cushions that go in the 6 chairs surrounding the large dining table are pretty shot (seams ripped, stuffing peeking out). the cushions are a tight weave vinyl which has held up well being outdoors all summer in chicago (stored indoors all winter). Before I replace the cushions (expensive! and not all of them need replacement yet) I would love to try to find a slipcover that would serve this purpose and work outdoors. The only outdoor cushion slipcover I have found so far is at Pottery Barn and expensive enough (about $38 each) that I might as well replace the cushions . Does anyone know of anything like this that is available and cost effective?
posted by Lylo at 10:44 AM - 2 answers

How do I deal with scratches in "polyurethane-coated leather"? [more inside]
posted by Sublimity at 9:32 AM - 2 answers

I'm 40, likely to be moving to NYC from London with my partner and 11 year old daughter, and am fortunate enough to have an apartment to rent out in London which gives me a budget of 5,000 dollars a month. Where would MeFi people recommend to live in Manhattan when looking for a 2 bedroom place with that budget? I have no clue, have never been there but it seems like the greatest place on Earth!
posted by colie at 11:38 AM - 23 answers

We share a 10' tall palm tree with a neighbor. The tree needs to be trimmed (dead fronts, some rotting areas, etc.). At least one, and probably a whole family, of squirrels has made its home somewhere in that tree. I don't want to see them get injured, but I don't know how to get them out before the tree-trimming service people come and start whacking at it. [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 3:50 AM - 5 answers

I am thinking of purchasing a bee house for orchard mason bees. What recommendations do you have? What do I need to know?
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:58 PM - 4 answers

I have two large, satin-covered, heart-shaped candy boxes that I've saved for storage. The question is, what can I store in them? [more inside]
posted by tel3path at 3:19 PM - 19 answers

As seen in this picture. They're English silver plate, retailed my Abercrombie & Fitch probably sometime between the 30s and 60s. But what are they for? Some kind of cocktail thing? Each is about 4 1/2" in length - on the small side.
posted by YoungAmerican at 11:38 AM - 20 answers

I would like to buy unconverted industrial/office/non-residential space in London, like a warehouse or a school hall, to transform it into live-and-work artist studios over a few years. The state of dereliction does not matter too much, nor does the location, but how can I actually find some for sale? I doubt most of these things make it to mainstream websites, as Zoopla/Rightmove hardly have two handfuls of commercial properties for sale at a given time. Any clue?
posted by Spanner Nic at 7:56 AM - 3 answers

Can you suggest where to live--or where to avoid living--in Blacksburg, Virginia, and its environs? [more inside]
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 6:52 AM - 5 answers

How can neighbors encourage the sale of unoccupied homes? [more inside]
posted by eelgrassman at 7:54 PM - 19 answers

I ( a small 50ish woman, with modest mechanical skills) bought myself a Mantis mini tiller, with the 2 stroke engine. I assembled it last night, using the instructional dvd included, and it all went just fine. I put the proper gas/oil mixture in, and following the instructions, started it up and tilled a bit just to say I could! Tonight, I attempted the same amazing feat, and flooded the engine. This wasn't terribly surprising, in my experience with lawn care equipment, but I was disappointed. Anyone have any cool tricks or suggestions for me to be able to start this beast consistently and easily. I did spring for the fast start model, which makes this even more ironic. I will note that I have NOT gotten it to start YET this evening. I plan to just leave it be until maybe tomorrow, to let the gas evaporate and try it again. (It was too hot to till anyway, damn it.)
posted by LaBellaStella at 3:38 PM - 10 answers