The feng-shui chimes have been around for years, but Kvistad said they’ve lately gotten popular. “The West is starting to pick up the aesthetics of feng shui,” he said. The series are all made of tubes (preferable to rods, since the hollow form allows for the flow of energy) in groups of five or seven, a particularly pleasing proportion. Kvistad said some of the tunings are based on the Golden Ratio, a harmonic proportion found in nature and in ancient art that can “be easily translated into a musical context.”
It was Kvistad’s interest in ancient scales, while he was teaching in the Midwest 45 years ago, that led to his interest in chimes and ultimately the founding of his company. Fascinated with an ancient scale that couldn’t be played on a piano, one day he cut up a pile of discarded lawn chairs he found in a pile and played the truncated tubes as if they were a xylophone. His favorite chime is still the first one he produced, the Chimes of Olympos, which was based on a scale played by a flute player in the seventh century BC. (The Chimes of Lun has even older roots: it’s tuned to a scale played in ancient China in 27th century BC.)
Kvistad said he loves the sound of many chimes. The hundreds of chiming tones he has hung on the grounds of his home have inspired “Garry’s Sonic Mixes,” in which he suggests different combination of soundscapes to his customers. Shokan-based Woodstock Chimes sells 600 different products, falling into 150 types (including bells, gongs, and instruments for kids). The smallest is the three-tube Piccolo Chimes, which is just a few inches high and sells for $6. The largest is the Windsinger-King David Chimes, which is 88 inches long, has extra-thick tubes, rings for a very long time, and sells for $650. Check them out at www.chimes.com.
Is there an organic method of keeping the deer out of my garden that actually works? I’ll try almost anything (and would like to avoid putting up a six-foot fence).
Deer are sensitive to scent and they avoid predators. Spraying various brands of deer repellent which contains wolf, coyote or fox urine around the perimeter of your property is a way to deter them. Deer also don’t like dogs, so if you have a pooch — particularly a big one — get in the habit of walking it around the edge of the yard and make sure it leaves its scent mark. Or use your own: human urine, particularly that of guys, which contains testosterone, scares them away (unless you’re a vegan). Some people who do this just go to the spot and pee, or they pee into a coffee can and then sprinkle it around, or they pee on a sock filled with hair that’s then suspended from a tree. Re-apply after it rains.
Collecting a bundle of hair to spread around in your garden is also effective. The deer are convinced there’s a crowd of humans present. Pet hair, dryer lint, soap chips and scented soap on a piece of string hung from a post also signal humans in the vicinity.
Spraying hot pepper on plants you don’t want eaten by deer helps dissuade them from nibbling. Other disgusting substances that reportedly repel deer are rotting fishheads, blood and bone meal, and powdered milk (perhaps deer are more like humans than we think).
Planting flowers, herbs, and shrubs that deer don’t like are another way to deter them from your garden. Species include foxgloves, iris, onions, garlic, strongly scented herbs, such as thyme, catnip, and rosemary, and ornamental grasses. The opposite strategy is to avoid putting in plants the deer like, although that means forgoing roses, tulips, hostas, dogwood, azaleas, and many vegetables — a kind of penance. If you’re going to go that far, why not invite the deer in for a cup of tea?
Mothballs stuffed in onion sacks hung on low branches at deer height are another deterrent, although not exactly organic. Deer don’t like noise or bright lights, so installing a sensor light is a way to scare them off (though an annoying source of light pollution for neighbors). Hanging shiny reflective lights such as old CDs and metallic sheets discourage them from getting closer, as do suspended flags wafting in the breeze, which they associate with raised tails — a signal of fright. Tying colorful carrier bags to stakes and plants has the same effect. The problem with setting of firecrackers, blowing loud whistles, or playing the radio loudly outside is that these methods are also distressful to humans, so probably should be avoided.
I don’t want to use plastic or composite wood in my new deck. Is there a safe treated-wood product that works just as well?
Pressurized wood stopped being manufactured in 2003, when the wood treatment industry agreed under pressure from the EPA to stop treating lumber with arsenic and chromium. The replacement method, wood treated with micronized copper particles, has alarmed some environmentalists, who are concerned about the possible adverse health impacts from the release of the nano-sized copper particles. Now a new product has come on the market that may do the trick with no toxic byproducts.
Three months ago, a new, non-toxic wood for outside decks was unveiled by the Eastman Chemical Company. Branded Perennial Wood, it consists of real wood altered at the molecular level through pressure, heat and the application of a substance called acetyl, which is derived from acetic acid (the main ingredient in vinegar). The cellular walls of the wood are expanded and stabilized, thus preventing contraction and swelling of the wood from moisture. The manufacturer’s website, www.perennialwood.com, claims the product is three times more stable than untreated wood, and yet in every way resembles normal wood — it is wood, unlike plastic or composite imitation-wood products.
Available at Loew’s, perennial wood is also very expensive: a single four-by-six-by-twelve board sells for $41, compared to $7.97 for plain pressurized wood. Loew’s also sells Perennial Wood railings, balusters, posts, and other deck components. The product has a 25-year limited guarantee.
Interestingly, a similar modified wood, branded Accoya and manufactured in the Netherlands, was introduced three years ago in England. Acetylation of wood first occurred in the 1920s, according to Wikipedia, but supposedly the technology was tricky. It’s not until now that commercial applications for decks and other outdoor residential uses have become available.
What’s the most effective way of boosting my home’s curb appeal?
Paint the exterior. Analogous to getting a haircut, painting a house provides an instant makeover, turning dowdy Sally into sexy Sue. It can increase the current market value of your home by 200 percent, according to one expert. With the real-estate market in the doldrums, sellers need to do all they can to attract buyers without breaking the bank. Gone are the days of installing $20,000 kitchens; for half that, or even less, depending on the house, you can paint your house and make it stand out.
A freshly painted exterior in a neutral or muted color will not only lure a potential buyer through the front door but also immediately establish desirability. Don’t forget the door itself, which is probably the most important accent note of the house. Actually, neutrals are out: according to Pantone Fashion Color Report, the new colors are tangerine tango, solar power, bellflower and cabaret — collectively, a combination of bright hues reminiscent of the 1960s and the quiet, muted hues of the conformist 1950s. The effect on a Victorian house would definitely be Painted Lady — with a complex.
Colors can transform the interior of your house as well, enlivening the space and updating a tired palette. Even if you have no plans to sell, consider energizing the interior by repainting the walls of the kitchen or living room with one of the new colors (though I’m still partial to airy neutrals, having recently repainted my interior stone white, heavy goose, and nimbus cloud–already dated, I’m afraid). Actually, maybe it’s best to start with a bookcase or stool. Adding pillows, a rug, or new covers for the patio furniture in one of those snazzy shades is another way to freshen your house — and maybe your life.
