Here is a quick reminder that we have the best Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. These 20 Metro Parks provide endless opportunities for you to connect with nature and have fun in the outdoors. With more than 28,000 acres of land and water to explore and 230 miles of trails to traverse, there’s plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the wonder and majesty of nature in Metro Parks. They are  free and only open every day for your enjoyment.

I have listed the Parks below along with the direct link to let you know all the amenities you can partake in there. Don’t forget your pets, dogs and cats are welcome in your Metro Parks. We do ask that your furry friends are on a leash at all times, unless inside a dog park or on our designated off-leash trail at Rocky Fork Metro Park. Pets are permitted in all public picnic areas and outdoor shelter houses. Make it your goal this summer to visit at least one of them!!

Park Overviews & Directions

• Battelle Darby Creek
• Blacklick Woods
• Blacklick Woods Golf Course
• Blendon Woods
• Chestnut Ridge
• Clear Creek
• Glacier Ridge
• Greenway Trails
• Heritage Trail Park
• Highbanks
• Homestead
• Inniswood Metro Gardens
• Pickerington Ponds
• Prairie Oaks
• Quarry Trails
• Rocky Fork
• Scioto Audubon
• Scioto Grove
• Sharon Woods
• Slate Run
• Slate Run Farm
• Three Creeks
• Walnut Woods

Jamie Vagnier

Central Ohio has a wide variety of Farmers’ Markets where you can  buy the freshest produce (often picked that morning) at a fair price, and help put money back in the local community. Plus, going to the farmers market is just plain fun. 

As you can see below there are farm markets open nearly every day of the week all over the city. Now, who is ready to indulge in a little locally grown goodness?

Bexley:

The Bexley Farmers’ market is held every Thursday from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 pm. beginning May 20, 2021.

Canal Winchester 

The Canal Winchester Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until noon, from May 29 through September 25. In order to give shoppers and vendors plenty of space, the market has moved from its former location at Stradley Place to a larger venue at the Canal Winchester Historical Society Complex, located at 10 W. Oak St.

Clintonville

The Clintonville Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., April 24 through November 20. You can shop onsite at the market or pre-order your goods for pick-up. The market will be held at the Ohio History Connection, 800 E 17th Ave, Columbus, OH 43211

Downtown Pearl Market

The downtown pearl Market is Tuesdays, May 21 – October 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Gay Street and Pearl Alley (31 E. Gay St).  (Also held on Fridays). Plenty of produce, handmade goods, baked goods, and food trucks.

Dublin

The Dublin Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., from May 1 through September 25. The market is held at Bridge Park, offering produce, food, retail vendors, and more.

Westgate

The Westgate Farmers Market takes place the first and third Saturday of each month, June through October. The market will be held at the West Gate Masonic Lodge, 2925 West Broad Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Masks are required to attend.

Gahanna Farmers Market

The Gahanna Farmers Market is Sunday, June 6 – September 26, from 2 – 5 pm. New location! 380 Granville Street Gahanna OH 43230 Free parking behind Clark Hall next to Dairy Queen. No market on July 4th. 

Grove City

Beginning May 15 the Grove City Farmers’ Market will be every Saturday from 8 a.m. until Noon. The market is offering walk thru and a pre-order pick-up option as well.

Hilliard

Starting May 25, the market will be open each Tuesday, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., through September at ​5445 Scioto Darby Rd, Hilliard, Ohio 43026. Some vendors are offering online purchasing and all shoppers are required to wear a mask.

New Albany 

The New Albany Farmers Market will be open every Thursday, beginning June 24 until September 16, from  4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. The market is headed back to Market Square this year, where you can shop for all of your produce and local artisan goods.

Upper Arlington Farmers Market

The Upper Arlington Farmers Market is Wednesdays, May 19 – October 27 from 4-7 p.m., Northwest corner of the Tremont Pool parking lot, 2850 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, 43221. From 4-4:30 pm, the Farmers Market is reserved for vulnerable populations, including seniors and the immunocompromised. 

Westerville 

The Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. behind Westerville City Hall. The market will run from May 22 through October 9 and some vendors will allow you to place a pick-up order in advance.

Worthington

The Worthington Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon starting May 1. In order to keep everyone safe and healthy, the vendors will be spaced out and visitors and vendors will be required to wear masks. 

Is spring lawncare driving you crazy?

Who knew lawn care could be so complicated… when should you fertilize, should you aerate, do you have crab grass, what length should your mower be set at… Do you want me to go on? If this seem like a lot you should call Ray White at Franklin lawn and landscape. Ray has over 15 years of experience in the green industry, I am confident you will love the look of his work. 

Ray White

Founder

Contact Information:

Phone: 614-496-6868

Email: Franklinlawnandlandscape@gmail.com 

Website: https://lawnsbyfranklin.com/ 

Mention the Marsh Home Group for 10% off your service.

Jamie Vagnier

Tackling spring lawn care provides you with a dose of fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. Spring lawn chores aren’t difficult, but they do play a vital role in getting your grass on track for a healthy, productive growing season.

First things first: Tune up your mower. Change the oil, air filter and spark plug. Don’t flip a gas mower over to clean underneath; simply lift one side and brush away dried grass. If dried grass has hardened, loosen with a hand shovel or putty knife. A dull blade makes mowing more work. Sharpen that blade,we take ours to our local hardware store. It’s a good idea to have extra blades on hand so you can swap them out when the other pair needs sharpening. Now fill your mower with gas or charge the battery. 

Next Clean up. Walk around and pick up twigs, branches, and any trash that winter (or the kids) tossed onto your lawn. Then, rake out dead grass.

Next, Mow high. Adjust the mower deck to cut grass at the highest possible setting for your lawn’s type of grass. Tall grass sinks deeper roots which can seek out moisture and crowds out weeds. Most grass types thrive with a 3- to 4-inch blade height, which usually corresponds to a mower’s highest setting. 

Then, Edge beds. The soft soil in early spring makes edging beds a whole lot easier. Use a half-moon edger or a sharp garden spade to cut a 2- to 3-inch deep, V-shaped trench along your beds. This will show your lawn where it stops and your landscape begins.

Finally, Apply mulch. Once the soil has warmed, refresh your mulch. Shredded mulch provides a polished finish to planting beds, but it also helps prevent weed growth by blocking access to the sun. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer around your plants. Don’t put mulch on top of your plants.

Jamie Vagnier

Have you thought about cleaning green, but aren’t sure why it’s so much better than conventional cleaning? Discover how easy it is to make the switch today and rest easy knowing you are protecting your health, your family’s, and that of the planet.

There are many benefits to making your own green cleaners. You may already have most of the ingredients in your cupboards. You’ll save money by not buying an array of expensive products, each targeted to clean only one type of surface in your home. And, in most cases, green cleaners work just as well as their commercial counterparts.

Just ten basic ingredients that are probably already in your home will tackle most cleaning jobs. Your home will sparkle, germs will still run in fear from your sponges and rags, and your indoor air will be better than ever.

The Basic Ten

Stock your cupboards with these ten products, and you can clean just about anything:

1. White vinegar: An antifungal that also kills germs and bacteria.
2. Baking soda: Eliminates odors and works as a gentle scouring powder.
3. Borax: this is the common name for the natural mineral compound sodium borate, eliminates odors, removes dirt, and acts as an antifungal and possible disinfectant. Use with care around children and pets, as it can be toxic if swallowed.
4. Hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration): A great nontoxic bleach and stain remover, as well as a proven disinfectant.
5. Club soda (fresh): A stain remover and polisher.
6. Lemon juice: A pleasant-smelling nontoxic bleach, grease-cutter, and stain remover.
7. Liquid castile soap: An all-purpose cleaner, grease-cutter, and disinfectant. “Castile” means the soap is vegetable-based, not animal-fat-based.
8. Corn meal: Great at absorbing carpet spills.
9. Olive oil: Makes a wonderful furniture polish.
10. Pure essential oils: Adding all-natural, organic essential oils to your cleaning concoctions can add wonderful scents to your housekeeping endeavors. Some—such as lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and tea tree oils

The Basic Ten at Work

Now that you know what products you need, grab a few clean, empty spray bottles; some rags and sponges; and a bucket of water, and you’re ready to clean your house the green way.

• All-purpose cleaners: An all-purpose cleaner is just that—something you can use for just about every surface. Home Enlightenment author Annie B. Bond offers this recipe for an all-purpose spray cleaner: Put ½ tsp. washing soda and a dab of liquid soap (castile soap works) into a spray bottle with 2 cups of very hot tap water. Shake to dissolve. The spray will keep indefinitely. For an even simpler solution, try cleaning with two cups of club soda in a spray bottle.
• Hard floor cleaner: Combine 1/4 liquid castile soap, up to 1/2 cup white vinegar or lemon juice, and 2 gallons of warm water in a large plastic bucket. Use with a mop or sponge.
• Carpet cleaner: To clean and disinfect your carpet, try blending 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup cornmeal. Sprinkle mixture over rug and rub with a cloth. Be sure to sprinkle, rather than dump, the mixture on your carpet. Large clumps of cornmeal could clog your vacuum. Let rest for several hours or overnight, then vacuum. To remove stains from your carpet, Logan advises mixing 1/4 cup liquid castile soap and 1/3 cup water in a blender until foamy. Spread the mixture on the carpet and let sit for a few minutes, then scrub the stain with a brush or clean rag. Also, club soda will remove many acidic stains, like coffee, wine, or juice. To deal with big carpet spills, pour cornmeal on the spill, wait 15 minutes, then vacuum.
• Glass cleaner: To make your windows shine, you can simply use club soda in a spray bottle. Add 1 tsp. of lemon juice to increase your window cleaner’s degreasing power. Logan recommends using a terry-cloth cotton rag for best results.
• Bathroom surface cleaners: You can use the all-purpose cleaners recommended above or, for even simpler bathroom cleaning, use baking soda or borax as a scouring powder. For a softer scrub, Bond says to combine 1/2 cup baking soda with enough liquid soap to achieve a frosting-like consistency. You may want to add 5-10 drops of an essential oil for fragrance. Club soda works wonders on plumbing fixtures.
• Toilet cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda or borax, or pour white vinegar into the toilet, and let sit for a few minutes. Scrub with a good toilet brush.
• Oven cleaner: Cover the oven floor with baking soda, spray with water until very damp, and let set overnight. Spray with water every few hours before you go to bed to keep damp. In the morning, clean out the baking soda, and the stuck-on gunk will be loosened and ready to scrub off.
• Mold remover: Bond recommends combining 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with 1 cup water. Spray on mold and do not rinse. She also recommends treating mold with a spray mixture of 2 tsp. tea tree oil and 2 cups water.
• Wood polish: To polish wood furniture, dab olive oil onto a soft cloth and rub.

If you prefer over-the-counter products, look for green cleaners made with natural ingredients. It is important that we make a change our earth needs protecting not just on Earth Day but everyday!

– Troy’s Market update for May 2021

What can I say, it’s May 2021 and IT’S A SELLERS MARKET! Last year during the months of March and April the new listings went down substantially due to COVID shutting down a lot of activity.  As you know those months along with May are some of the strongest months of the year for new listings.  This year has proved to be a strong comeback with new listings for April being higher than any month over the last 15 (except July 2020).  
Believe based on our conversations that we are going to see an increase in new listings over the coming months for one main reason, the prices are so good, some people who have been reluctant to sell just can’t pass up the opportunity.  Many of those buyers are going to choose to go the new build route for the assurance of having a place to go and a (relatively) set timeline. 
As I mentioned in my video, the new build process has changed significantly in some ways depending on the builder and the community compared to even 6 months ago.  It’s imperative that you have an experienced agent to help you through the complexities of the new process and also to wade through the layers of charges, including things like lot premiums, ever increasing option prices (due to material costs jumping in some cases 1,000% compared to one year ago) and new builders coming to town with untested products.  All of these things and more make it important for us to connect BEFORE you go and visit the builder to ensure you are able to be represented by someone who has your best interest in mind instead of the builder’s best interest.  
Please reach out if you would like to discuss how the market impacts your current home or a home you are potentially looking at purchasing.  We would love to chat, even if you are just curious.  Thanks again for checking out our newsletter and blog, don’t forget to subscribe to get immediate access to our latest content! 

AS THE WORLD RETURNS TO NORMAL, WE CAN’T GO BACK TO BUSINESS-AS-USUAL.

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So, now that you have cleaned out your closets, drawers and
basements. What do you do with all this STUFF! This is a system I did
not invent but I have come close to perfecting. Some people do
another pile for trash, I throw it away as I go. This makes it easier for
me when I look at the piles to not feel so overwhelmed!
I know It’s not easy to let go of the objects you’ve accumulated over
the years, but there is a way to determine which items should stay and
which items should go. Ask the following questions to see where your
items fall into the three designated piles below:
● Will I Need It? I know: you can’t predict the answer and that’s the
whole point!
● Can I Get It? If you thought you needed it at some point in the
future, but you didn’t have it, would it be easy (and cheap) to get
it again?
● Is It Serving You? If it’s not serving you, it’s clutter.
Now that you have all the items in their designated piles. Let’s talk
about where we can easily consign or donate.

CONSIGN
Consigning or selling online can be very time consuming but getting a
little extra cash can also be worth your time, if done right! I prefer to
just use my local Facebook groups. Snap a picture,sell it and set it out
on the porch. The next thing you know there is money under the mat.
If that is not your jam, you can take it to a consignment shop and they
will sell your items and keep part of the money for doing so. This is a
good option if you have a lot of items, especially clothes. I use Clothes
Mentor. They buy your items out right for cash, or you can choose to
take more money but you take it in a credit for their store. My next
favorite place is Second Chance. They do not pay you until your items
have sold and they keep a percentage of the profit. If your items do
not sell you choose to pick them up or they will donate them.
For furniture and housewares, I use One More Time. They are located
in Grandview and will pick up large pieces of furniture and again will
pay you when the piece sells. One more favorite is Grandview
Mercantile; they specialize in higher priced items and art.

DONATE
Our excess can become a blessing to other people! The items in our
closets, our drawers, and our basement are almost always still usable
or can be used by somebody. I personally use the Goodwill,
Volunteers of America, or The Kidney Foundation of Central Ohio. The
latter will actually come to your house and pick up the items you have
to donate.
Here is the link to schedule the pick up. As well as a list of things they
do and do not take.
https://outofthecloset.org/donate/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrsGCBhD1ARI
sALILBYpp4xdpfK1z175ivurAg8TZ-vUyd_zqyLABE636gPSx3gob
gbo3kBEaAm76EALw_wcB

KEEP
Finally, the keep pile is all the items we have to manage to put
back in the drawers, closets, or basements. We do this by now making
sure we have the best containers or organizers for the space. I talked
about this in my basement organization blog a few weeks ago, go for
clear containers so you can see what you have as well as use a label
maker to organize things even more.