Newspaper Page Text
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2005
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HIM Charlotte Perkins
Jillinda Falen stayed busy at the Mary Tunison Estate new Perry several months ago.
The sale attracted hundreds of customers.
Smooth sailing at estate sales
Folks have had trouble
tracking me down the past
few weeks with me being
busy preparing three estate
sales. I feel like I am living
in my GMC Sierra, other
wise known as the “garbage
can on wheels”! It is always
full of estate sale signs, tools
of the trade such as folding
tables, polishes, cleaners,
nails and miscellaneous
antiques and collectibles,
boxes, newspapers and vari
ous cd’s strewn about!
Miss Charlotte has asked
me to provide folks with
some tips for going to estate
sales and finally, here they
are:
Dress appropriately for
the weather and wear com
fortable shoes. Most of the
time there is a line on the
first day with numbers
being given out. We try to
get folks in and out as soon
as possible but in small
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ABOVE: If you don’t have your own truck, Falen says, borrow or rent one.
RIGHT: Angela Gillman checks out some backyard decor.
Create your own bonsai from scratch
This is the third and final
week in a series of articles
about bonsai, the art of
dwarfing plants by growing
them in shallow pots or
trays. Previously, we have
looked at some of the history
of bonsai and how to buy
and care for a finished spec
imen. Today we will discover
how to create our own bon
sai from “scratch.”
Choosing the plants is
very important. Plants used
may be evergreen or decidu
ous. The plants that are
selected should have small
leaves so that they appear
more as reduced size models
of larger plants. Plants
selected should also be able
to grow under crowded con
ditions. The following
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Jillinda Falen
Antiques
falen@alltel.net
houses it is just too danger
ous to have a lot of folks
packed in. Also, not all sales
are in ideal spots and you
need to be careful where you
park and where you walk.
One of my good customers
in Kathleen recommends
not falling in the road and
breaking your leg!
Tim Lewis
Gardening
timlewis@addresstsp.com
species are some of the best
choices for bonsai plantings:
Evergreens
Japanese white pine
Bring a box or something
to carry your treasures in.
Bubble wrap or paper is
good too. Most estate sale
providers try to have some
on hand for the customers
but it quickly runs out. Be
prepared to empty all boxes
and bags at checkout.
Unscrupulous folks have
been known to try to steal
things. Another good idea is
to have some labels made up
that say “SOLD” and your
last name on them. If you
see a large piece of furniture
you want, if it isn’t already
taken you slap your
name on it. "Please don’t do
this if you are not planning
to follow through with your
purchase though.
Bring or have someone
lined up to help you if you
are planning to ljuy big
pieces. Not all estate sale
providers have the staff to
help ..move furniture or
(Pinus parviflora)
Japanese larch (Larix
kaempferi)
Hinoki cypress
(Chamaecyparis obtusa)
Azaleas (Kurume and
Satsuki)
Deciduous plants
Japanese maple (Acer
palmatum)
Flowering peach (Prunus
persica)
Japanese flowering apri
cot (Prunus mume)
Japanese flowering quince
(Chaenomeles lagenaria)
Containers for bonsai
should complement the
plant without competing
with it. Subdued, earthy col
ors are best; browns, greens,
LIFESTYLE
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Old dishes can be a great estate sale buy.
appliances. If you don’t
have your own truck, make
arrangements with a friend
or U-Haul to get the hauler
you need and by all means
have some rope, bungees
and blankets and a hand
truck to protect your mer
chandise. So many times
customers will come to pick
up a six foot wardrobe in a
Toyota Camry with no
ropes, blankets and a 3-year
old to help load it!
Have patience and
remember the golden rule!
Treat others as you would
have them treat you. Estate
sale providers are trying to
get the most money they can
and grays are most natural.
Ideally, a bonsai container
should be flat and shallow,
with one or more drainage
holes, and be one-fourth to
one-sixth the height of the
plant placed in it. Ordinary
potting soil, designed to pro
duce rapid growth in potted
plants, is not recommended
for bonsai plants. Prepare
your own from a combina
tion of garden loam, clay
subsoil, sand, and humus.
This means grading it into
strata, just as the earth is
stratified: first a drainage
layer, covered by heavy sub
soil to hold moisture, and
finally a thin layer of rich
topsoil.
Once the plant has been
chosen, remove all of the
for the seller and yet liqui
date the whole estate. They
must provide documenta
tion for all items sold. You
wouldn’t want your estate
handled in a sloppy or hur
ried manner so keep that in
mind when you are waiting
in line to check out.
When entering the estate
sale it is best to avoid the
first room where traffic
bunches up. Head for the
back of the house and work
your way forward. The best
time to buy something is
when you see it! Don’t let
that bargain get away.
Check out the Web site of
the estate liquidator and
unwanted branches. This
must be done very carefully
to ensure that enough
branches remain to form the
desired shape for the entire
plant. The remaining
branches are wired with
copper wire. Branches are
wired to force growth in a
direction other than the
direction in which they nat
urally grow. Copper wire is
good because it does not
rust.
After the top is pruned,
the roots are then pruned.
The center tap root and
many of the side roots must
be cut back so that the new
plant fits in the bonsai con
tainer.
The plant is now ready to
be placed in the container.
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
find out ahead of time the
location of the item you real
ly really want so you know
where to head at the sale.
Smile! Relax and have
fun! Go with a friend, get a
cup of coffee and a biscuit on
the way to the sale! Bring a
folding chair to wait in line
with. (Make sure your name
is on it so no one tries to buy
it! Leave it outside against
the house before you go in.
Happy collecting and estate
saling!
Jillinda Falen is the
owner of Carrie Lynn’s
Antiques in Perry. She has
been collecting and selling
antiques for over 21 years.
The potting medium should
be gently worked through
the roots with a pointed
stick to fill any air pockets.
Water the new plant with a
diluted solution of a com
plete fertilizer made espe
cially for bonsai, or use one
of the water soluble plant
fertilizers used for potted
plants. Apply this about
three times a year, begin
ning when active growth
starts.
Keep the soil moist; the
bonsai plant has a small root
system and must not be
allowed to dry out. Always
add water until the excess
runs through the bottom of
the container.
Bonsai is certainly a
rewarding hobby. Good luck!