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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2016)
PAGE 6 • HERMISTON HERALD/EAST OREGONIAN SPRING HOME & GARDEN WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016 DIY: To paint or not to paint nthusiastic ¿rst-time homeowners back in the early 1990s, my husband and I decided we wanted to paint our house. I say “we” rather loose- ly — John is a teacher, so he was off for the summer and the bulk of the job was left to him and our friends Dave and Chris Altened- er. We want- ed to put our personal ¿n- gerprint on the house by choosing new Tammy colors. John Malgesini envisioned a INSIDE MY SHOES black house with red trim. Dave suggested black may not be the best color, so we went with gray. The Alteneders, friends we met back in our college days, traveled from Newberg to help us. Dave, who also was an educator, supplemented the family income by painting houses during the summer months, so he had spraying gear and other supplies. We discovered that the tiny paint strips that show the color doesn’t always translate the same once it’s up on the siding or trim. Unfortunately, we learned this too late. Ge- ranium, the trim color, was hot pink rather than a deeper red. I guess we could have re-painted it, but by that time everyone was pretty much spent on the project. Fast forward 15 years later when John thought the house needed to be painted again. He suggested we forgo our regular summer vacation plans and use the time and E WATER: continued from Page C3 ery. “You still have to water stuff, just not as much.” If you really want to “go native,” visit the CTUIR Tribal Native Plant Nurs- ery on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. While much STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST A fresh coat of paint can liven up the inside or outside of your house. But if you do it yourself, and you only paint every 15-plus years, there may be some pitfalls you encounter along the way. money to paint the house. I quickly put the brakes on that silly talk — I look forward to our summer trips together and wasn’t up for painting in the sweltering heat. Because of the way vaca- tion accrued when I started at the East Oregonian in April 2006, I wasn’t eligible to take time off for an entire year. That meant no summer vaca- tion that year — so I revived John’s idea about painting the house that summer. Well, that didn’t happen — instead, John packed up and hit the road without me. As the years went on, it be- came clear the house needed a new coat. In 2013, I became motivated to take action after a crew knocked on the door and asked if we wanted an estimate to have our house painted. I ¿gured we would save money if we just did it our- selves. So, I pitched the idea to John and off to the store we went to get paint. We chose “deep space,” which is pretty close to black, for the main part of the house. In addition, we got gray for the trim and red (NOT pink this time) for the shutters and doors. We started the project in late July and I ¿nished the front door on August 31. Yup, the hottest time of year in Hermiston and we were out there painting. I’m not a morning person, so I truly was painting in the heat of the day. I sported a “Karate Kid” headband that I kept dipping in water. In addition, I ¿nally talked John into a little pool. Those two things probably saved me from heatstroke. Although, John used a sprayer when climbing on scaffolding to get the highest part of the split-level, we used brushes and paint pads for most of the project. In retrospect, I wish I had said yes when the paint crew asked if I wanted an estimate. of the stock they produce goes to restoring native Inland Northwest habitats, they also sell locally col- lected, locally adapted na- tive plants on a limited ba- sis. For more information on plant availability and operating hours, call 541- 278-8525 or email info@ tribalnativeplants.com. But don’t forget the mulch. Xeric species can withstand heat and drought, but even the hardiest plant can use a little help. In hot conditions, drought-toler- ant plants mulched with 4 inches of rock, pea gravel or bark can reduce water consumption by as much as 50 percent over Kentucky bluegrass. Resources abound for information on plants that will thrive in Eastern Or- egon conditions. To get you started, a great list of native plants suited to our region can be found on the Plant Native website, www. plantnative.org. Local nurseries like Westwinds in Hermiston, Schichtel’s in Milton-Freewater and the garden center at D&B Supply in Pendleton have knowledgeable staff that can guide you in plant se- lection for your particular situation. And many com- panies online have search- able catalogs that can be narrowed down by planting zone, water requirements, light requirements, soil type and more. Last, but not least, your local Master Gardeners are a wealth of information. Contact OSU Extension at 541-278-5403 or visit the Master Gardeners online at http://extension.oregon- state.edu/umatilla/mg. ——— Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539.
