When painting the outside of your house, fold newspaper over the tops of doors and then close them. You won't paint the doors shut. Combine a one pound package of baking soda with a half gallon of water. Over three or four hours, they'll assume a permanent gray color. The undersides of leaves hold moisture long after a rain, and prolonged moisture causes paint to blister and peel.
Old sheets work great to cover plants and shrubs since they allow the plants to continue to breath.
Don't use a sander with a revolving disc to remove paint from wood siding, as it will gouge the surface. If paint is blistering on hollow porch posts or columns, trapped moisture could be the problem. Cure it by boring small ventilating holes at the top and bottom of each post or column. The quickest way to paint a wire or chain link fence is with a sponge. Protect your hands with rubber gloves.