QUESTION:
Mar,
We must get you on TV in Georgia!  Saw you featured in the latest issue of Decorating Magazine and I am ashamed to say I had never heard of you until now.  I recently purchased a new home that I am trying to give more character to and make look more like a cottage... both inside and out!  The article on you and your website have given me some great ideas, but I need more.  Please post more pictures on your site of inside your home so I can get some more great ideas.  What can we do to get your show down south?

Sincerely,
Patrice
Brunswick, Georgia


ANSWER:
Dear Patrice:
Thank you so much for your wonderful email regarding the BH&GD issue.  I'm delighted that you enjoyed the article and that it inspired you.  In the upcoming year you will be seeing more and more of me as I release my new book "Life on Mar's, A Four Season Garden".  The book is a photographic documentary of my home and garden throughout the four seasons here in Connecticut.  You will be motivated by the ideas as captured through my eyes over the last decade, and you will love the photos too!!  This is one book you will be proud to display on your coffee table.  It  will also make a great gift.

As for MAR TV in your area, I have some good news here as well.  We are getting very close to finalizing a national syndication deal that will make MAR a household name.  Here is where you can help. Contact your local stations and demand your MAR TV !!!  With hard work on my part and a little help from my friends, the Mar Jennings Home & Garden Show will soon be across the country.

Thanks again for your email and have a fantastic, fabulous day.
Mar

Mar,
I have been meaning to e-mail you and thank you for calling me recently. It was really thoughtful of you to take time out of what I'm sure is a very busy schedule to make a call to a new fan!! Between both of my children being sick, going to two doctors appointments that day and the pest control man showing up unannounced, your call really was the most exciting thing that has happened to me in my ho-hum little life lately. And to think that I almost didn't answer because the caller ID just said Norwalk, CT and I thought you were a telemarketer.

I will definitely call the cable company and let them know I want my Mar! I have had so much fun looking at ideas on your web site and would love to be able to see you on television. So many of your articles just make me laugh out loud. My mother is also a "poofer" and has raised my sister and I the same way. We were not allowed to sit on beds that were made growing up (because they would not last as long) and if we walked into rooms such as the formal living room with plush carpet, we had to "sweep" our footprints away when we left. I also am a huge fan of the color black and and you painting those Adirondack chairs just made me smile since I just bought a can of black spray paint to paint some wicker that belonged to my grandmother. I am so looking forward to your new book being out and I will be getting a copy for myself and also friends and family of mine tha t appreciate good decorating and gardening.

Thanks again for being so kind to follow up with me. I'm sure in no time you are going to be such a household name around the country, you won't have time to follow up with e-mails, much less phone calls! I'll do all I can to lead the cause in Georgia for MORE MAR!!

Sincerely,

Patrice

QUESTION:
Mar -
I recently found your show on TV and enjoy it very much. I have an outdoor cement goose. She needs to be re-painted and I don't know what type of paint to use or how to remove the old flaking paint. Any help you can offer me would be greatly appreciated. If possible - please respond to or let me know if the answer will be posted on your web site.

Thank you!

Joanne
Norwich, CT


ANSWER:
Dear Joanne,
Thanks for your question on a great springtime project. Here are a few easy steps to get your goose or any other stone or cement garden piece looking "ducky."

First, brush off loose paint with a good, stiff wire brush. What remains will be covered by primer.

Next, apply a coat of high quality primer made specifically for stone/cement. The primer will create a surface for your paint so it won't be absorbed by the stone. Your local paint store should carry a number of options and be sure to tell them about your project to ensure you get the right product. Throughout the whole process, the quality of the products used will determine the quality of the appearance of the piece. This applies to primer, paint and the final seal coating, and always read the instructions on the containers as not all products are the same.

Once the first primer coat is dry to the touch (2+ hours or so), apply a second coat of primer.

When the primer is dry, it's time for the paint. You can use any type of paint - artists' acrylics, interior/exterior house paint, spray paint. It's up to you and how you want the piece to look. Whether you're going for a more detailed, realistic version of your goose, or just a monochromatic one-color look, let the paint fully dry between layers of color (about 24hrs). By the way, with the quality and range of today's paint products there's no need to use oil-based products. Any look can be achieved with water-based options-and it's a excellent choice for the environment.

Once your goose has been painted to your liking, the final step is two coats of clear coat sealer for stone/cement, again found at your local paint store. This will seal the paint and provide a protective coating for your goose so he can weather all kinds of weather. Let each coat of the seal dry between applications. The seal coats come in a range of sheens - multi-sheen, matte and full high-gloss - to create a great lasting look for your garden decoration!

Happy painting,
Mar

Mr. Jennings,
I just couldn't let any more time go by without letting you know how much I enjoy your show, I think I am one of your biggest fans. I watch your show faithfully on WTNH and am so thankful that I live in an area where I can watch it.

I rave about your show to all of my friends and after every episode we get together to discuss your ideas. I especially like your ideas regarding entertaining and have used several of them at recent parties I have hosted.

My dog also says "THANK YOU" for the recipe for the dog biscuits, I made them at Christmas and we gave them as gifts to all of her playmates.

Thank you again, I look forward to an opportunity to meet you some day I often shop in Westport and hope to run into you.

Barbara

Dear Mr. Jennings,
Thank you for your phone call on Sunday. I enjoyed our conversation and hope to be able to implement all that we talked about. I want to tell you that I am impressed that you call people that email you.

In my business, I deal with business people all the time, most cannot be bothered to follow thru or they have their people get back to the person. The owners that do follow thru and accept responsibility for their businesses are the ones that I go above and beyond for. This is a great quality that you have, as is your artistic gift. Good Luck with all you do.

Thank you again.
Amy

QUESTION:
Dear Mar,
I consulted Google on "etiquette for overnight guests" and got the MarJennings web site. There was a segment under the In The Home section titled "The Care and Pampering of Overnight Guests."

I loved the article and found it very informative, but I was still left with my original question unanswered. We recently had a couple up to spend the weekend with us at our vacation home in California's Gold Country. We'd had a great day. In the evening we were all sitting around the living room having a wonderful conversation after eating our dessert. It was getting to be around 10:00 and pretty soon I started to yawn, then the other couple started to yawn too. Luckily we were all comfortable enough with each other and started to laugh. I then brought up the question, who's responsibility is it to turn in first? Does the hostess say, okay, well, we're heading to bed now. Or does she sit tight and wait till her guests want to retire? I was hoping whoever wrote the article on your website could shed some light on this subject for me.

Thanks so much!
- Angela

ANSWER:
Dear Angela,
I've been there too many times to mention. Over the years, I have perfected the art of saying "goodnight" to those overnight guests that often continue the conversation and/or party way past my bedtime. Because I take great pride in providing the best accommodations for my houseguests, I simply close the evening by saying the following:

"What a fantastic day/evening I have had with you. I'm off to bed now, but before I go, I wanted to make sure that you have everything you might need to be comfortable. Is there anything else I can get you before I retire for the night?" At that time if you feel that your guest would prefer to stay up, simply close the evening by saying, "Please feel free to enjoy my home as if it was yours. I'm delighted your here. I'm going to ask you that you please excuse me as I retire for the night."

Keep in mind, any house guest will completely understand and respect when you're ready to go to bed. Let's face it, we're not 20 anymore and staying up all night, and/or drinking may not be an option for many of us. As a host or hostess, one should take the lead and call it a night first. But, oh how wonderful if your guest chooses to retire first.

Here are some tips to get your guest to retire to their room sooner rather than later:

• Have the latest copy of the New York Times
• Purchase a best selling novel as a gift and place in their room
• Have a television with a remote handy
• Provide privacy
• An inviting bed with lots of soft pillows to relax in
• Think about a spa experience and incorporate some of those elements right into your home for your guest to enjoy privately.

And there you have it.

QUESTION: We had guest for 3 days at our house - this morning at breakfast time - the lady asked what are you supposed to do with the bed when over night guest leave?? I looked at several sites on the computer but could not come up with answer - Was wondering if you have one?
Thanks for you time - looking forward to a return email - Thanks
Marlene Robins - Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

ANSWER: Dear Marlene: Excellent question! I prefer to have my guests leave the bed unmade. Once they are gone, I will strip and remake the bed myself. Personally, I would never ask a guest (ok-maybe my family) to take the sheets off the bed. I like my guests to feel as if they were in a fine hotel. That said, how nice that your guest even offered. It is proper and acceptable for a guest to ask the host if they would like the bed stripped. It is your option to accept or decline. Simply say to them, "please don't worry about the bed. I/we will take care of it". Your home represents you and your hospitality should extend to this detail as well.
And there you have it.

QUESTION: Most my life I have heard that to put your garden in prior to the last full moon in May was a waste of time. This year we do not have another full moon until June 11. Should we plant this weekend or wait until June? The May full moon was very early this year I believe. Frost in some sections?
Thank you, Ben - Mystic, CT

ANSWER: Dear Ben: The full moon concept helps us to know when the chances of frost are over. Waiting for the right time to plant annuals can sometimes be difficult here in the Northeast. I have found Mother's Day weekend to be the best time to plant. However, I must be honest, I've been known to take my chances and jump start my garden (as early as April) knowing that Mother Nature may destroy my aggressive attempt to get it started. To play it safe however, I always recommend Mother's Day as the starting point. The chances of having frost anytime after that is slim to none.
I hope this answers your question.
Happy planting!

QUESTION: Love your website, saw you on Victory Garden in Canada not long ago!!! Wondering if you would share your wonderful paint colors of the exterior of your home with us!!! The trim and door colors as well, your home is beautiful. I keep checking back for the Fall Tour of your home .
Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you. Carol

ANSWER: Hi Carol: Thank you for the e-mail regarding my website. I'm so glad you enjoyed the segment on the Victory Garden. Regarding the paint colors on the house, I created the color of the house and like to call it 'cafe au lait'. Because it was a custom color, it would not be available to the public. However, Benjamin Moore's color Manchester Tan is the closest I have found. The trim is easy, once again Benjamin Moore Navajo White. The shutters, front and garage doors are high gloss black.

Please e-mail me your home and garden questions to: mar@marjennings.com