Page 2, Visions Magazine, April 2014
UT Arboretum Society to Hold 47th Annual Spring Plant Sale For those gardeners looking to replace landscape plants that have shown a poor tolerance for this past winter’s sustained low temperatures and damaging winds, the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s 47th annual Spring Plant Sale will present the best of four local nurseries in one location on Friday April 11 and Saturday, April 12 at the UT Arboretum, 901. S Illinois Avenue (Hwy 62) in Oak Ridge. Hours for the sale on Saturday, April 12 th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Friday, April 11th sale is for “Members Only” from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Memberships may be purchased at that time for this “early bird” shopping opportunity at $15 for students, $30 for individuals and $45 for families. Nurseries featured are Beaver Creek and Riverdale Nurseries from Knoxville, Sunlight Gardens from Andersonville
and East Fork Nursery from Sevierville. Shoppers will find a large and varied selection of shrubs, trees, wildflowers, perennials, annuals and edibles. Checks and credit cards accepted. Dano’s Hot Dogs will be back by popular demand. Retired U.T. horticulture professor Dr. Will Witte will be resuming his role as the plant sale’s “Answer Man” and will be selling books from his personal horticulture library. The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society is a 49 year old, non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the objectives and programs of the University of Tennessee’s 250-acre Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Proceeds from this sale and other Society fund-raising events go toward the operating expenses and endowment fund for the UT Arboretum. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, and the UT Arboretum Endowment Fund, go to www. utarboretumsociety.org
The popular American comic strip “Peanuts” is known as “Radishes” in Denmark.
Annaul Plant & Garden Art Sale of the Norris Religious Fellowship Saturday April 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The annual spring plant sale of the Norris Religious Fellowship, 23 Dogwood Rd in Norris is an extremely popular annual event which many Norris/ Clinton residents look forward to. The annual event was started years ago and was pioneered by Betty Lovell and Alene Ray of Norris, who love to garden and to share their many plants. The annual event was held on the front lawn of the church. This year some new things have been added and the sale will be in the parking lot behind the church. Some of the outdoor plants include bloodroot, columbine, lenten roses, ornamental grasses, fall blooming clematis, and many others. In addition to the many outdoor plants which have been carefully dug from church member’s yards and will be for sale, there will be houseplants, yard art, and a
host of white elephant items for garden and bird lovers. One of the new plants offered this year will be tuberose bulbs which are tropical and have white flowers which release a wonderful smell in the evening. Large sphingid moths come to the flowers at night and pollinate them. Expensive perfume is also made from these plants. This year’s event will have garden art crafted by church members such as fairy gardens which are popular with all ages. At noon, local artist, Diane Cole, will give a free presentation on making your own fairy garden. Small plants and pottery items will be offered for sale for the fairy gardens. Many of the ornaments were made by church members and their children at
a workshop led by local potter, York Havercamp.
There will be hanging bird nesting balls woven by church members from vines and stuffed with llama hair for sale. Birds such as chickadees and tufted titmouse, eagerly hang onto the vines and grab mouthfuls of hair to build their nests. Bags of extra llama hair will also be for sale to replenish the nesting balls or for those wishing to weave their own nesting balls. Llamas owned by Susan Gawarecki of Pathfinder Llama Farm in Andersonville, supplied the hair for the nesting balls as well as the llama manure that will be available for sale for garden fertilizer. There should be something for everyone at this annual event which is not to be missed.
A ball hitting the foul pole at Yankee Stadium in the 1930s was in play, not a homer.
Visions Magazine, March 2014, Page 3
Page 4, Visions Magazine, April 2014
The potato was not known in Europe until the 17th century,...
OR Art Studios Open for Dogwood Arts Fest Dogwood Art DeTour is a twoday event where local artists welcome the public into their studios to experience the working creative process as the artist demonstrates the making of a work of art. It will be Saturday and Sunday, April 12th and 13th from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. This Dogwood Arts event includes 20 studios located in Knoxville, Gatlinburg, and Oak Ridge. The Artists’ Studio & Gal-
lery in Oak Ridge, located at 372 East Tennessee Avenue, across from Elm Grove Park, has participated in this event for the last four years. It features the fine art of award-winning artists Jean Gregory and Elaine Culbert. Both Elaine and Jean have been painting and drawing in a variety of media for 25 years or more. Jean teaches pastel portraiture at the Oak Ridge Arts Center. The Studio/Gallery opened in 2005 in what was the former
Windrock Park Spring Jamboree Windrock Park is hosting the 2014 Windrock Park Spring Jamboree in Oliver Springs Thursday through Saturday, April 24-26!
Jamboree is the Polaris Experience Tour! Come check out Polaris on Vendor Row and take demo rides on the new fleet of Polaris machines. A one-time fee of $10 covers participation in any and all events with the exception of the Poker Run. All proceeds from the Poker Run are donated to local volunteer rescue squads. Competitors/ Participants in all events are required to have a valid Land Use Permit. If you are just coming to watch, we have special spectator pricing.
The Spring Jamboree includes competitions for ATVs and SxSs such as Guided Rides, ATV Rodeo, Poker Run, Drag Race, Mud Drag, Windrock Wide Open Race & Windrock Challenge Obstacle Course. There are also events for participants such as a cornhole tournament, demo rides, shooting range, Dash for Cash, and an array of vendors including Polaris, Arctic Cat, For more information, please Yamaha, and Tactical Advan- go to www.windrockpark.com or call Windrock Park at 865tage Corp! 435-3492. See you soon! Included in this year’s Spring
Elm Grove Barbershop. Their paintings are in private collections around the country and they accept commission work. New to the DeTour is the studio of Eun Sook Kim. Kim has been a potter, painter and print-maker for the past forty-some years. She has exhibited her work throughout the United States, and in Japan and South Korea. Currently, she is a member of the Art Market Gallery, Foothills Craft Guild, Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and TACA. At Kim’s studio visitors can see and participate in pottery making, Chinese brush painting and wood block printmaking. Eun Sook’s studio is located at 109 Windham Road, 900 blocks off of West outer Drive. The creative process can be just as interesting as the final
product, but the completed works of art are beautiful and will be available for purchase.
108 S. Seneca Road Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (865) 227-4560 www.acvisionsmag.com Publisher............... Chris Keever Advertising............ Chris Keever, ........................Susan McGetrick Graphic Design...... Chris Keever ..................... Martin Hennessee
CONTRIBUTORS Bena Mae Seivers, June McCreight, RC Goodman, Heidi Greenhalgh, Jean Keever, Jim Munsey, Jimmie Turner, Nancy Cosgrove, Joanne Gailar, Judy DiGregorio, Marsha Layman, Melissa Bishop, Marcia Walker, Melanie Harless, Nancy Dunlop, Karl Flatau and Jim Dodson.
CIRCULATION
Take some time to enjoy a spring day with the arts. Refreshments will be served. For more details contact the Artists’ Studio at 865-387-0180 or Eun Sook Kim at 865-4834514. Additional information and maps can be found at dogwoodarts.com.
Visions is direct-mailed to 26,600+ homes in Oak Ridge, Claxton, Clinton, Norris and Oliver Springs on the first Saturday of each month. An additional 2,500 copies are distributed through our county-wide network of display racks throughout Anderson County.
29,000+ Total Circulation ADVERTISING Download a Advertising Rate Card from our website at www.acvisionsmag.com or contact an ad representative:
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Advertising Deadline for the May issue of Visions Magazine is Monday, April 21. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:16 - 17
when it was introduced by returning Spanish Conquistadors.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 5
Oak Ridge Earth Day Gears Up for Another Big Year Keep Anderson County Beautiful (KACB) will be hosting the seventh annual Earth Day festival in Oak Ridge on Saturday, April 26th from 11 AM to 4 PM at Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. East Tennesseans are invited to participate in the festival that features free activities and events that promote environmental education, encourage individuals to create and contribute to a
sustainable community, and get children to play outdoors. Sponsored in major part by Leidos, and the City of Oak Ridge, Earth Day 2014 will feature a Fun Run for kids (K-12) at the Oak Ridge High School track (9 AM till 11 AM), exercise games and dancing, exhibits, food vendors, plus a special recycling collection program.
Earth Day Festival
Pat Imperato
children to register will receive a goodie bag and t-shirt when they check in. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. If you wait until race day to sign up, please arrive at 8:30. Race sponsors are still being sought! Please contact Jenna Whitney at jna_whit-
The Earth Day festivities kick off at 9:00 AM with a FUN RUN at the Oak Ridge High School track. Called “The Green Mile”, this free event focuses on giving local children grades K-12 an opportunity to try running in a real “race”. Children are divided into heats based on age, given a racing bib, and are lined up to run a full mile around the track. ORHS Coach Eddie Anderson and some of his track and field all stars are on hand with a starting gun and to provide encouragement to the kids as ney@yahoo.com if you’d like the run their laps. to get involved with this great Registration is now open event. online at www.orearthday. org/green-mile/. The first 100 Starting at 11 AM, free activities will commence at Bissell Park (Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Ave) with scheduled organized fun and games with music for children to mirror the Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to promote healthy communities.
A bike rodeo will be set up to help children learn about bike safety. The Oak Ridge Fire Department will be offering free bike helmets to children while their supply lasts. Exhibitors will bring wildlife critters for children to pet and
learn about outside habitats. There will be exhibits by area students showing off their TRASHFORMATION CREATIONS made from recycled/ reused materials. Food vendors will be available to keep participants fueled for all the fun. In case of inclement weather, all activities will be held inside the Civic Center. (See ‘Earth Day’ on page 8)
Page 6, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Florence Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, was the first divorcee...
Relay for Life Saturday, April 26th Residents of Anderson County are asked to come out and enjoy the community festival at the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event which will be at a new venue this year. The event will be held downtown in the streets around the courthouse which will give it more of a hometown feel and central location. The event will begin on Saturday, April 26th at 5:00 PM and will run through the night until the closing ceremonies on Sunday morning at 5:00 AM. This will be the 14th anniversary of the event in Clinton which has raised more over 1.3 million dollars through the years. “The East Anderson County Relay For Life
in 2013 received the highest per capita fundraising award for the state of Tennessee which is an awesome reflection on our wonderful community members who are touched by this cause”, says American Cancer staff partner, Lauren Hensley. The event will begin with opening ceremonies at 5:00 PM Saturday as area cancer survivors are individually recognized and then as a group take the Victory Lap
while being cheered on by their family, friends and the public. This is followed by the Parade of Teams. This is an opportu- nity for participating teams to strut their stuff with banners, custom made tshirts and costumes which fit with the theme of their team. This year the overall even theme is, “Lights, Camera, Cure”, so teams will have various themes consistent with popular movies or TV shows. Hoskins Drug Store team is “Grease”, Clinton Physical Therapy Team is “Castaway Cancer” and Clinton High School team is “Cure Wars” to name a few. The goal is 30 participating teams which can be from various businesses, churches, school groups and family/friend teams. It is not too late to enter a team of 8 to 15 people. Throughout the evening their will be music groups and entertainment for the kids and adults. There will also be a live auction around 7:00 PM. Kids will have the opportunity to do face painting, inflatables and many other games at the team campsites located in the street around the courthouse. Hoskin’s team will have dance floor and a hula hoop competition at their campsite. There will also be a “Cruise-In For a Cure”, car and antique tractor show hosted by the Clinton Regional Antique Car Club during the evening. The luminaria ceremony will be held at 10:00 PM with hundreds of luminaria bags being lit in the dark as we remember those persons we have lost to cancer and honor our survivors with a special tribute. Hoskin’s Drug Store will have food available until 11:00 PM with proceeds going to the Relay For Life. Other teams
will also be selling pizza, hot Everyone is invited to attend dogs, barbecue, chili/chips/ and enjoy the entertainment, cheese, funnel cakes, cotton food and activities. This is a candy and much great way to show your more. What betsupport for anyone ter way to conwho has survived their tribute to fighting battle with cancer, to cancer than to remember somebring your family one you have lost down for dinner on to cancer and Saturday evening? to Fight Back by helping raisYou do not have to be on a ing money for reteam to participate. The pubsearch so hopefully lic is invited to come through- you or a family member won’t out the evening and night be the next one diagnosed to take a lap or two around with this terrible disease. Our the courthouse in memory or efforts continue to pay off honor of someone they know we celebrate a 20% decline whose life has been touched in cancer death rates since by cancer. There will be vari- 1991. For further information, ous themed laps throughout please call Kelly Lenz, event the night to keep things festive public relations chairperson and entertaining. This will at 457-1649 or email her at include a zombie walk, red cptcklenz@aol.com. You may carpet lap, revenge of the re- also access the event website lay nerds lap, glow lap, rewind at www.relayforlife.org/eastlap and mardi gras lap. andersontn.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 7
to live in the White House as First Lady of the United States.
10th Annual Clinch River Spring Antique Fair; May 3rd The 10th Annual Clinch River and Aaron McCoy who play currently working on their Spring Antique Fair will be banjo and guitar and bass second one, hoping to include held on Saturday May 3rd, player Nick Patterson. These several songs they have writ2014, 9 am – 5 pm, in Historic Downtown Clinton. The Spring Antique Fair will kick-off with a party on Friday evening, May 2nd from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in Hoskins/Lane Park on Market Street with live musical entertainment by The Real McCoys. This trio is comprised of brothers Blake
young men grew up in Lake City, playing in church, and have been a favorite at The Museum of Appalachia’s Fall Homecoming for the past five years. They released their first album in 2010 and are
ten. Their true passion for bluegrass music drives them to make bluegrass appeal to everyone. Their “spin” on the classic, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” has made them a local favorite.
While you are enjoying the music you can also enjoy food from local food vendors that will be offering BBQ, baked goods, hotdogs and burgers. Local favorite lunch spot, Sweet Café will once again be having a special dinner menu on Friday. In addition to food and music there will also be plenty of late night shopping in the antique district with shops remaining open till 9 pm. All events are held rain or shine and there is plenty of free parking. Saturday, May 3rd, is the main event with Market and Cullom Streets closed to traffic as antique dealers’ line the streets for the 10 th Annual Clinch River Spring Antique Fair. Over 100 antique dealers, from Tennessee and surrounding states, will line Market and adjoining side streets to present a fantastic antique show offering a wide range of antiques and collectibles to suit every taste. Plus, don’t forget to also visit the 20+ antique shops in town who will be having their annual spring sales. The antique shops will
also be open on Sunday from 1-5 pm. The day’s events are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Main Street will have a display of antique automobiles (See ‘Antique’ on page 42)
If you are classified as a POSSLQ by the Census Bureau,...
Page 8, Visions Magazine, April 2014 where up to 300 million children have no shoes and over 700 million people contract (Continued from page 5) parasitic diseases annually Many of our readers won’t need an introduction to VacaA special recycling collec- because of a lack of shoes. tion Bible School (VBS); but tion program, ERASE YOUR TRACE will be held at the A special treasure hunt, ECO- for those who do, Vacation ORAU parking lot next to EXPEDITION, on the North Bible School is typically ofBissell Park on Badger Road Ridge Trail and Black Oak fered by churches in the rain or shine. Old electronics Ridge Area will be available summer for a series of (computers, printers, moni- during the month of April. days during the week. VBS centers around a tors, cell phones, and TVs not Clues and details can be single theme, involves in furniture consoles) personal found at the www.earthday. students in games and papers for shredding, books, org website. New clues will crafts, and focuses on blankets and towels (for the be on Facebook and Twitter religious education. animal shelter), fluorescent and will direct people to the light bulbs, rechargeable and website. Adult and Youth vol- Vacation Bible Schools button batteries (not alkaline unteers are always in demand. are usually geared tobatteries) eye glasses, and Information on how you can ward children, but many gently worn shoes will be col- get involved and more details churches include a plan for lected from 11 AM till 4 PM. on the festival on the festival the entire family, from babies can be found on the website to adults. VBS is most often Gently worn shoes are being www.orearthday.org. provided by the generosity of collected from April 1 through the church members and opth April 24 at locations througherates at no cost for students About the author... out Anderson County as well who desire to attend; no one as at the festival. Locations Pat Imperato is the Vice Chair is turned away. and collection details are listed of Keep Anderson County at the festival website at www. Beautiful. She can be con- How did VBS become so poporearthday.org . Shoes will be tacted at 776-9248 or by email ular, and who was the inspirasent to third world countries to psimperato@aol.com tion behind it? Vacation Bible School as we know it today got its start around the late 1890s on New York City’s East Side. Mrs. Walker Aylette Hawes, a doctor’s wife, had a goal to get children off the streets of New York during the heat
Earth Day
From Beer to Bibles to VBS of the summer. Mrs. Hawes rented a beer hall In which to conduct her ‘Everyday Bible School’. She structured her program around worship, music, Bible stories and Scripture memorization, games, crafts, drawing, cooking, etc. The school caught on. In 1900, Mrs. Hawes’ pastor insisted the Bible School move to their church building. After two weeks it became clear that children from the East Side would not attend at the church, so Mrs. Hawes moved the school back to a site near the beer hall. In
the early 20th century, VBS became a growing trend. Now thousands of students each summer attend Vacation Bible School. Vacation Bible School is still much like the school of Mrs. Hawes, only expanded to include the family. One exception is that VBS does not usually run for the entire summer. Find a VBS that fits the need of your family, attend, and enjoy a week of learning, fun, and fellowship. Submitted by Phyllis Woodard Director of Outreach and Promotions - Central Baptist Church Oak Ridge. For info call 483-7495 www.orcbc.org
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 9
you are a “Person of Opposite Sex, Sharing Living Quarters.”
Planning: The Key to Successful Gardening Spring has sprung in East Tennessee and with it comes “Garden Fever”. Every gardener has caught this very contagious bug at least once. I, myself have caught it multiple times. As spring arrives the garden centers begin to fill with all types of plants and flowers. As I gleefully drive to my local garden center with visions of a picture perfect garden in my mind I promise myself that I’ll just look this time, I won’t buy just yet. But my best intentions are waylaid as I step into the nursery section and the flowers seem to be smiling at me and singing “Take me Lisa, take me!” Hydrangeas, and Cosmos, and Lilies! Oh My! Before I know it, I’ve been hit by Garden Fever full force and I find myself driving home with petunias sitting on my lap because every possible nook and cranny of my car is filled with flowers
and I just can’t leave those cute little petunias behind! The best way to avoid catching Garden Fever is to plan your garden before stepping foot in the garden center. Planning can save you work, money and heartbreak. Nothing is more disappointing than planting
that beautiful plant in the spring and by mid-June you find it withered and brown because you planted a shade loving plant in a full sun location.
Special Guest
Lisa Deutsch
yard are. Is the sun morning or afternoon sun? How many hours of sun does it get? These are all considerations when choosing a site. The best soil is deep, fertile, and well drained. Before putting that first plant in the ground do a soil test. Your local Extension Agent has soil test boxes and can explain to you the proper way of taking a soil sample. You’ll mail your sample to the Soil, Plant, Pest Center in Nashville to be analyzed and receive a soil report in the mail. A basic test will tell you the PH of your soil as well as the phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium content of your soil. You’ll also be given recommendations to add to your soil for optimum plant growth.
Begin your plan by considering what it is you want to grow. Do you want a vegetable garden? They require a minimum six hours of sun. Do you want a butterfly garden? Flowers that attract butterflies as well as the butterflies themselves need sun. Maybe you want a cool shady spot to sit and relax. What you choose can determine the location of your garden. Look at the trees in your yard. You may have sun in the winter when you Make a sketch of the area first start thinking of you want to plant and do a garden but remember those trees will have leaves in summer. Notice the way the sun travels across your property from east to west. Pay attention to where the sun and shade areas of your
some research on the plants best suited for what you are trying to achieve, keeping in mind plant spacing and light requirements. Choose plants suited for our growing zone which is zone 7. Choose disease resistant vegetables by referring to UT Extension publication SP 277-K Disease Resistance in Recommended Vegetables for Home Gardens. Make a (See ‘Planning’ on page 54)
Page 10, Visions Magazine, April 2014
When entering or departing a Russian home, it is considered very bad form...
The HeART of Our Community As I was pulling away from school the other day I noticed that the swifts were returning to their nest in the bird houses around Jefferson Middle School and the track team was busy training for another season. Both are sure signs that spring is not far away and we will all emerge from our cocoons of blankets to finally enjoy the outdoors away from another random act of nature in the form of a late snow storm. Looking ahead, the season brings with it several new performances and exhibitions in and around our county. If you have an opportunity, take some time to enjoy one of the many events sponsored by the Dogwood Arts Festival www.dogwoodarts. com. These events aren’t just for Knoxvillians but for all of East Tennessee. Many of our Anderson County artisans and
performers take part in this yearly celebration of the arts. Local Arts From concerts to art exhibits to sidewalk chalk paintings there’s something for everyone. Speaking of wonderful Jim festivals, I would also like Dodson for you to put the Secret City Festival, June 14 and 15 and tions for you and your family. Lavender Festival, June 21 on your calendar so you can be The Oak Ridge Art Center presents, “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”, which showcases work by members of the Art Center. As all the pieces focus on the individual interpretations of the theme, it offers fascinating insight into the individuals and their lives. It opened on March 15 and will be on display until May 3. Additionally, a number of art workready to enjoy two well loved shops are scheduled for the traditions. But now back to spring. For more information April, below I have shared on exhibitions, classes and some excellent recommenda- other upcoming Art Center activities, call (865) 482-1441, or visit our Facebook page or website at www.oakridgeartcenter.org. The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will present, “Music for a Lifetime,” a program that promotes mentoring area school bands. This year’s musical partner will be the Anderson County High School band directed by Paul Brown. ORWE/ORCB musicians will provide instrumental lessons to the school band members who will then perform with them on April 13th at 3:30 p.m. The joint concert will be at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. For more information visit the band’s web site at www. orcb.org or call 865-482-3568. “Don’t Be a Writer: Be Writing” is the theme for Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference scheduled for Thursday through Saturday,
April 3-5, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge. Conference workshop presenters will include Crystal Wilkinson, fiction; Joseph Bathanti, poetry; Helen Hemphill, writing for young people; Scott Huler, nonfiction and general session speaker; Kate Larken, editing/ publishing and special session on songwriting. Special sessions will also be conducted by Darnell Arnoult on memoir; Lisa Soland on playwriting; Kory Wells on blogging; and Kathy Womack on marketing self-published books. Keynote speaker at the awards banquet, the concluding event of the conference, will be award winning writer Crystal Wilkinson. Additional informa-
tion and a conference registration form can be found on the Tennessee Mountain Writers’ web site, www.tmwi.org . Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association continues their theme (See ‘Arts’ on page 47)
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 11
to shake hands across the threshold.
Daylilies: “Beauty for a Day” “Consider the lilies of the day”. The blooms typically open in the early morning field, how they grow; then fade and die in they toil not, neither early evening. It’s do they spin, yet Solohardly noticeable bemon in all his glory was cause the typical daylily not arrayed like one of clump has so many buds that these”. Matthew 6:28 masses of flowers cover the clump every day for several Even in the days of weeks. The disadvantage Solomon, the lily was considered something special. A is that flower arrangers are native of Asia, it was originally sometimes unhappy with the grown for food and for medicine. It was considered to be a good tranquilizer and was often given to people in mourning. In addition to food for the table and medicine, it was also enjoyed for its beauty. When the early settlers came to America, they brought very few things that were not necessities. But if they were to have a successful homestead garden, a few plants would have to be brought to the new land. There were three basic ornamental plants that made the trip. They were lilacs, peonies and daylilies. The American Hemerocallis Society was formed in 1950 to promote the daylily. Hemerocallis is a genus in the plant family with over two dozen species that were detailed in 1793. In Greek, hemerocallis means “beauty for a
Special Guest
Karen Newman
Over 20,000 of the registered cultivars are still in commerce. The remainder are either grown in private gardens, were never distributed beyond the hybridizer’s family or have been lost completely over time. The daylily has evolved from the Tawny daylily of our grandmother’s day referred to as the “ditch lily” because it is still often seen along the side of country roads, displaced from the yards and gardens of generations past. Today, there is a wonderful array of eyes, bands, halos, patterns, picotee edgings and braids. With the scientific expertise of today’s hybridizers, who knows what tomorrow will bring—maybe even that short life of their arrangements elusive pure white or blue because a carefully planned daylily. artistic creation may not last through a late-evening dinner Daylilies, often referred to as party. “the perfect perennial”, are easy to grow and are fairly disCurrently there are over ease resistant. They love full 75,000 registered daylilies sun (at least six hours of direct with another few thousand sun each day). Some of the pre-registered names on file. darker colors (reds and deep
purples) benefit from partial shade and some hybridizers feel that afternoon shade is good for setting seeds. Because tree roots and shrubs compete for nutrients and water, it is not wise to plant daylilies close to trees or shrubs. The one exception is in the South where daylilies do well underneath pine trees. They seem to thrive on the dappled shade. I don’t know how scientific it is, but most growers do not recommend that daylilies be planted in the spring until the soil temperature has reached at least 56°F. In our area of Tennessee, that usually equates to late April or early May. Even then, I recommend mulching for added protection since mulch tends to regulate the soil temperature (and keep weeds under control). Also,
(See ‘Daylilies’ on page 46)
Page 12, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Kate “God Bless America” Smith sold more U.S. war bonds...
Everything Grows in a Pot Our mantra at Willow Ridge Garden Center is “ everything grows in a pot”! The beauty of gardening in a pot is that its contents can be changed readily, it fits on a porch or patio, and it can be easily moved. If you’re short on time or brawn, this garden project is a dream. There are few limits to placing your planted creation, thus putting the color precisely where you want it. Spend the money
on the largest pot you can find that will still be in proportion to its surroundings. Big is best because there will be a lot of root competition within a pot that holds a mixed planting. This pot is part of the design, so consider the color of the
glaze and it’s size in relation to the height of the plants. Before you chose your plants, consider where you want to place this pot. The perfect placement is in a location that gets five hours of morning sun and is protected from the heat of the day. Of course we often need to place a container garden in a blazing hot southern exposure. With a large enough pot there are plenty of blooming tropical plants that will thrive there as well. Knowing a plants’ growing requirements is a biggie and we are happy to help you choose the right plants for the right spot. To grow any plant in a pot you need good soil, fertilizer, and drainage. We use Fafard brand (3-B) bagged potting soil to which we thoroughly mix in some fine ground pine bark (soil conditioner) and some Osmocote slow release fertilizer. Water will drain through this porous soil-less mix and out the bottom drain hole. As a rule the pot will need watering once aweek, perhaps twice in the heat of summer. Let common sense be your guide. Whew! With all these technicalities behind us,
Filler, Spiller. A thriller may be a burgundy colored grass or Special shrub such as fountain grass Guest or Lorapetalum. It could be a bold textured tropical palm or Chris Hibiscus. I enjoy using interJohnson esting conifers or the upright Sky Pencil holly for my year let’s have some fun choosing round containers. Upright, deciduous woody plants such as plants. Coral Bark Japanese Maple or Red Twig Dogwood with their brightly colored stems could be a thriller in the winter months. Part shade pots could use a Pieris , azalea, Rhododendron, or Soft Caress Mahonia for early Spring bloom.
silver, caramel peach, red, chartreuse, golden yellow, and obsidian depending on variety. You just have to see them to believe them! There are many annuals that mound and bloom such as begonias, impatiens, torenia, and petunias. Plants with a contrasting bloom color will add pizzazz. Adding a fine textured grass like Carex will kick the wow factor up a kick it up another notch. Try several plants together at the nursery to get a visual before you purchase. Ask us for help if you are still cultivating your artsy side.
The filler in our formula is a mid-sized plant that supports the taller thriller plant and often adds the most color and texture. For a part shade pot, the queen of fillers are the Heucheras. This bold textured evergreen perennial sports scalloped leaves in purple,
The spiller is exactly what is sounds like....a plant that trails over the side of the pot adding one more layer of color and texture. Some favorite spillers are variegated ivy and vinca, sedum and ice plant, or blooming annuals like million (See ‘Grows’ on page 50)
Simple design principles such as color and texture apply. The best plant combinations supply both. Just as you choose furnishings for your home or wardrobe, you “ layer” plants together for a dynamic outcome. Consider the container color, flower color, foliage color , even the architectural form of the plant. Keep in mind the old formula: Thriller,
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 13
than anyone else during World War II. She sold $600 million worth.
Using Good Bugs to Combat Bad Bugs in the Garden A healthy lawn and garden provides its own defenses against pests and diseases. If you’ve noticed flocks of birds, especially robins, descending on your lawn during our cold winter, your surplus of earthworms is a sign of nutritious, well-aerated soil. This isn’t just good for the birds, but good for gardening in general, whether your tastes run to beautiful flowers or vine ripened tomatoes.
from their waste products, consume garden pests and provide food for other desirable critters. Here’s a short list of bugs that benefit your garden.
Special Guest
Jan Lyons
Beetles – Lowly beetles make up about one third of all insects and 40% of all animals on the earth. They burrow into the soil, providing air to plant roots and leaving behind nutrients from their waste. Various beetles also eat slugs, snails, grasshopper eggs and tent caterpillars.
grape root worms, mealy bugs, whiteflies and mites. After their favorite insect foods are depleted, lady bugs require nectar to remain in your yard. Without available food, lady bugs will fly away and not necessarily Bugs – just return when to lump all new pests those tiny hatch or invade creatures Lady Bug your garden. living in Beetle – The your yard most common Wasps – While nobody likes into one convenient beneficial insect. Lady to be stung by an angry wasp, term – are necessary for bugs feed on aphids, chinch wasps help control even growing healthy plants. They bugs, asparagus beetle less desirable pests such as aerate the soil, add nutrients larvae, thrips, alfalfa weevils, flies, moths and black widow spiders. So don’t eliminate all wasp nests, just try to keep the nests away from doors and other locations where the wasps are most likely to be disturbed by humans. Fireflies or Lightning Bugs – Not just a beneficial insect, but a performance artist. Firefly larvae consume snails, slugs, cutworms and mites. Keep the adults from flying
away by providing pollen and nectar from flowering plants. Lightning bugs prefer to live in moist areas near rotting wood or other forest litter so don’t be too quick to pick up every stick and leaf around the yard. Leave a little organic debris in a corner behind a shed o r under some large bushes as a home for fireflies. You’ll be rewarded every evening. Green Lacewings – A cost-effective general pest predator. In the larvae stage, lacewings are voracious eaters of aphids, spider mites, whitefly, leafhoppers, beetle larvae and moth caterpillars. In recent years I have had
problems with whiteflies sucking the life out of hostas and raspberries. Several introductions of whitefly eggs a week or two apart has taken care of the problem by ensuring a continuous population of larvae. The attractive adult lacewings will remain in your garden to reproduce as long as there is a food source of nectar, pollen or aphid honeydew. B e n e f i c i a l Nematodes – Perhaps my favorite beneficial insect, these microscopic nematodes live in the soil and reproduce by using undesirable pests as an expendable reproductive host (think of the movie “Alien”). Beneficial nematodes are an excellent (See ‘Bugs’ on page 42)
Page 14, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Melting ice absorbs almost as much energy in changing to liquid water...
Grow some American Azaleas in your yard for 2014! Almost every home in Ander- the year, and have very little son County has at least one value for wildlife. They have Asian azalea (the common been bred to have large, many petaled flowers, which have made it hard for the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to extract nectar from them. So why not incorporate some of our native American azaleas into your landscape? azalea), in their yard. Yes, they are beautiful when they are in Not only do our native azaflower, are pretty easy to grow, leas provide food and sheland they are evergreen. But ter for birds, hummingbirds, they all pretty much bloom at bees, and butterflies, but their the same time, stay a rounded beauty rivals almost any flowevergreen shrub the rest of ering shrub. The shrubs have
Special Guest Lori McAlister
beautiful mountain shrubs like Mtn. Laurel and large leaved Rhododendron. There are 15 American azalea species in the U.S., all but 2 are located in the Southeast. There are 7 species in Tennessee, and 3 of those that are listed for Anderson County, -Rhododendron canescens, Rhododendron cumberlandense, and Rhododendron periclymenoides. American Azaleas start blooming as early as March and go through the summer into Sept. Most varieties are wonderfully fragrant!
an airy branched form, each one being unique. The flowers come in all shades of white, pink, orange, and red. Some varieties are bright yellow- a color not found in the evergreen varieties. Their fall leaf colors range from yellow to red to plum. In the winter you can observe hundreds of leaf and flower buds that come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Right before spring the buds begin to swell and you can anticipate warm days ahead. I like how you can see caterpillar cocoons and Azaleas grow best in acidic praying mantis nests that are usually hidden away by leaves .Winter is a great opportunity to teach children and ourselves about how nature prepares itself for the next year. American azaleas come from the genus Rhododendron, in the plant family Ericaceous, also known as the heath family. Heather and blueberries are also included in that family. So are many of our
soils from 4.5 to 6.5 with 5.0 to 6.0 being ideal. Most azaleas prefer morning sun and
afternoon shade. .All azaleas are shade tolerant, but flowering will be better with at least a few hours of sun. Purchase fertilizers specially formulated for Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Evergreens. (See ‘Azalea’ on page 37)
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 15
as is needed to heat the water from freezing to boiling.
Backyard Beekeeping Beekeeping as a practice extends back in time some seven thousand years. It was then that the Ancient Egyptians developed pottery and discovered that cylindrical containers of unfired clay proved suitable for meeting the nesting needs of the honeybees indigenous to the Nile River Basin and nearby lands of the Middle East. In time the value of honeybee enhanced crop pollination and the usefulness of the products of the hive – principally honey and beeswax – became increasingly recognized by cultures across the ancient world. The keeping of bees then became an integral part of agriculture and remains so today, accounting
for one third of all food consumed by humans.
Special Guest
This engineering marvel was the 1851 creation of the Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, a Philadelphia minister.
Honeybees are not native to the western hemisphere; they were Fred introduced by European Sloop colonists. In all likelihood, Spaniards introduced hon- Within twenty years of their eybees into their New World North American introduction, I b e possessions in the 1400s, honeybee hives were a com- c a m e
although the oldest surviving record chronicling the arrival of Apis mellifera into the colonies dates to 1622 Virginia.
i n terested in the concept of beekeeping in the mid-1970s after reading a book on beekeeping while working on a research vessel in the North Pacific. It would be twenty-five years, though, before I actually took up the practice. I attended a beekeeping school sponsored by the Anderson County Beekeepers Association (ACBA) that gave me the basic understanding of the practice and the confidence in my ability to take on this avocation.
mon feature throughout the settled regions of the North Atlantic coast. The American beekeeping practice established then continues today with some 2.4 million beehives scattered across the United States, managed by tens of thousands of beekeepers. Twenty-first century American honeybee colonies This season marks my fifare not kept in those ancient unfired clay containers used by the Egyptians; instead beekeepers use woodenware consisting of stackable boxes containing movable frames.
teenth year as a practicing beekeeper while also maintaining an apiary in my backyard in Oak Ridge. Our family has five to seven hives during the spring and summer “honey flows,” which is that period when nectar-producing flowering plants are most prolific. It is from the flower’s nectar that honeybees make honey, first by enzymatically altering the nectar’s sugar structure, followed by the removal of seventy-five percent of its water content. What remains’ is a low moisture, low pH and high sugar containing food that resists spoilage by microbes. As an example of its resilience, four thousand year old honey has been recovered from Egyptian tombs and found to be edible! We typically harvest honey twice each season, the first crop in late May and the second in late July. These honey (See ‘Bees’ on page 45)
The youngest person to take the position of U.S. President...
Page 16, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Oak Ridge Garden Club’s Butterfly Garden The Oak Ridge Garden Club added a new Butterfly larval, better known as caterpillars, section to our gardens in Emma Lee Spray Garden and Park in Historic Jackson Square. Former Club president Trish Jones wanted to
create an area for butterflies to be able to do more then just eat in while visiting our gardens.The new area to be landscaped around our Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs award winning Arlene Ziegler Pergola provided an opportunity to make this happen beginning in 2012. Several Monarch organizations were consulted to see exactly what the club needed to do. We learned about varieties of milkweed that are not only edible by the caterpillars that will become monarchs, but are native to our area and look nice. We learned how to “hide” the eaten plants so the gardens still looks nice for the plant lovers visiting while those chewed on plants grow more leaves to feed the larval stage butterflies . We learned to provide a watering area for the butterflies, bare soil for mineral uptake by the butterflies to supplement their diet, protected areas from wind and predators, and why certain flowers will feed the
butterflies while others will not. The Oak Ridge Garden Club as a member of the National Garden Club and Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs must adhere to their ideals as well while creating this new Butterfly area. All of this butterfly knowledge combined with using native plants where possible went into the selection of plants for the visiting butterflies to lay eggs on, the emerging caterpillars to chew on and the parents to drink nectar We planted several varieties of milkweeds for the monarchs and fennel, parsley, and sage for other butterflies to lay eggs on and lava to munch on as they grow into adult butterflies. We are hoping the new Jackson Square parking lot landscaping will include a few native cherry trees for swallowtail butterflies to use for this purpose as there is no room in the Park for a new cherry tree at this time We added more native Ten-
nessee wildflower nectar and pollen plants to the area surrounding the pergola and lower flowerbed of the garden creating the first Monarch Way-station in Oak Ridge, dedicated in September of 2012. We now have 3 seasons of nectar plants for the butterflies as Oak Ridge is on the migration route of the monarchs,
north in the spring and south in the fall. We were pleased the monarch caterpillars attended the event too munching on our newly planted milkweed. We increased
our larval plant beds in 2013 to accommodate more butterflies as our 2013 improvement for the Park. We are looking for a youth organization that would like to be part of the Monarch Butterfly counting and tagging program to assist us with an ongoing program for saving the monarchs from extinction. For more information on the types of plants to select for a new butterfly area of your yard or if you’d like to learn more about joining the garden club (no experience needed just a love of plants) contact the Oak Ridge Garden Club at oakridgegardenclub@gmail.com and use the subjectl line to tell us what you are asking about butterflies club membership or both.
was Theodore Roosevelt. He was 42 at his inauguration.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 17
Conifers; The Ultimate Four Season Plants After this harsh winter season, I’ve never been so happy to have an obsession with Conifers. Many folks are lamenting the losses their gardens suffered this year, but I’m looking out at a garden full of color ready to greet the spring season. While flowers are fleeting, the foliage and form of the different Conifers is providing color, structure, and texture. In other words, as we like to say in the nursery business, a garden with good bones. If you have ever hiked in a coniferous forest or admired the handsome specimen Pine and Spruce at an Estate such as Biltmore and lamented that you could never have something that large in your smaller lot, I have good news. Now there’s a plant for that! You see, for every large tree such as a White Pine (Pinus strobus) or Norway Spruce (Picea abies), there is a dwarf variety that
will fit nicely into the home garden. So if you are dying to have a stately Spruce, you can try a variety like ‘Hillside Upright’ (Picea abies ‘Hillside Upright’). Maturing to only 8-12’ tall and 5-6’ wide, this one will give you the look of a large spruce without taking up the whole garden. Always loved Colorado Blue Spruce
but don’t have the space? Try a variety like ‘Sester’s Dwarf’ (Picea pungens ‘Sester ’s Dwarf). This variety looks like a full grown Spruce while only maturing to 8-12’ high by 5’ wide. Need something even smaller? You are in luck because the variety of dwarf
Special Guest Duane Ridenour and miniature Conifers available today is seemingly endless, with some varieties only reaching two to three feet high and wide. With size in mind, you also have a plethora of choices as to shape. Choose from slender varieties such as ‘Degroot’s Spire’ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) or ‘Van den Akker’ Alaskan Cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis) to provide height where needed without eating up too much space. For those that need small all the way around, there are Conifers that are naturally tight, round shaped buns like ‘Low Glow’ Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora) or ‘Shadow’s Dwarf’ Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis) that mature
to only 2-3’ tall and 3-4’ wide. For those that need something more ground hugging, ‘Prostrate Beauty’ Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) and the shade loving Prostrate Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) make an undulating groundcover 18-24” tall by 5-6’ wide. While many think of Conifers as boring evergreens, I see a garden full of soft blues, brilliant golden yellows, and shades of green that verge from almost black to bright grassy green. For shades of blue, most are familiar with the many varieties of Colorado Blue Spruce (P. pungens). Others to consider are Arizona Cypress (Cupressus glabra),
an incredibly drought tolerant and fast growing Conifer. Cultivars such as ‘Blue Ice’ and ‘Silver Smoke’ have incredible color and more compact habit. If you need something smaller,
many cultivars of Sawara Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera) such as ‘True Blue’ will fit in the tiniest of gardens. For pure toughness, varieties of our Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) can’t be (See ‘Conifers’ on page 44)
Page 18, Visions Magazine, December 2013
George Washington is the only man whose birthday is a legal holiday in every state of the United States.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 19
The cello’s real name is the violoncello.
Gardener of My Soul Many of you reading this article have already begun early spring garden preparations. I have learned many things through the years in a garden. In addition to the hard work required for a garden to produce, there are many spiritual lessons and connections to be made while one is getting their hands in the dirt. I want to briefly point out some. No doubt, you could contribute additional perspectives from your own experience. First, the conditions have to be right in order for the seeds and bulbs to grow. For example, if the soil is too damp and too cold, tomato plants will just sit there and their leaves will turn yellow. They need the warm days, and the humid nights to take off and grow. On one oc-
casion Jesus likened the human heart and its receptivity to his divine lessons to conditions of the soil. There was the good soil. There was the rocky soil—giving opportunity for quick growth, but the plants wilted because there was no depth. There was the hardened path that had been walked on—the seed lying on the surface just right for the birds to pick up. And there was the thorny, weedy soil where the plants couldn’t grow because they were choked out. So, the preparation of my heart to hear life-changing messages needs constant attention against shallowness, hard heartedness and carelessness. Second, seeds need to be planted. The colors of flowers and vegetables that will
ing each plant what it needs. fertilizer is properly apSpiritually When plied with right timing, amazSpeaking ing growth occurs. In our own lives we need God’s fertilizer Dr. Curtis for our very souls. I am referMcClane ring here to His Holy Spirit and His Holy Word, Scripture, that eventually come later in the is given for the nourishing of spring, summer and fall are pictured on the package. Whoever puts the picture on the package is sending out the message of hope for a harvest: “If you plant these seeds, this is what it will look like.” In my life, seeds will be planted in two ways: my seedthoughts that affect my life and behavior; and golden-thoughts planted in the hearts and minds of young people. the soul. Without this proper The thoughts and deeds we nourishment and timing, there implant in the hearts of young is no way I can mature and people are offered with an grow in my character, and live incredible belief of hope in the future! Third, have you noticed the difference between a fertilized plant and a non-fertilized plant? Try an experiment this spring and fertilize one and leave the other one next to it untreated. You will be amazed at the difference! Fertilizing and caring for plants means watering, cultivating, and feed-
a soul-ful life full of meaning and purpose that honors God and serves others. Fourth, and this one follows on the heels of fertilizing, there is the ongoing task of weeding. For some reason weeds just grow naturally! Some are so pernicious and plaguing and maddening that the only way to deal with them is to pull them completely up from the deep root systems. Have noticed that bad habits in life are that way? Negative, self-destructive and relationship-denying habits are hard to break. I remember one time letting a particular weed grow to an immeasurable height and depth just because I wanted to see how it would look full (See ‘Soul’ on page 66)
Page 20, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Cicadas have their hearing organs in their stomachs, at the base of the abdomen...
Wildflower Gardening Now is the time to plan your spring gardening projects. Whether you want to add color, lower maintenance, or attract butterflies and birds, there are hundreds of suitable native plants that can help you achieve your goals. Keep in mind that gardening with wildflowers is just like gardening with other perennials. Your plant selection and site preparation are crucial. By understanding the
basic characteristics of your garden such as soil, moisture, and light qualities, you will be able to make wiser choices about which plants are likely to thrive there with the least amount of maintenance later. This applies to a garden, a meadow, a dry plot next to the driveway, a woodland, wherever. No matter how great the plant is, it will not grow well if the site is not appropriate for it. Be sensible.
Special Guest
Andrea Sessions
varieties are October Skies and Raydons Favorite, both of which have lavender purple flowers that last for 6 weeks or more.
Baptisia –in late spring and early summer, dozens of So what are some good plants spikes of usually bluish purple that do well in our area? Fol- pea-like flowers rise above 3 lowing is a list of great plants foot mounds of foliage creatto start with. Sunny, Dry Bluestar – longlived and tougher than nails, bluestar has steel blue, late spring flowers and golden fall foliage; forms 3-4 foot clumps Blazing Stars – summer flower stalks look like lavender, fuzzy, bottle brushes rising out of clumps of grass; perfect for butterflies and cut flowers Black-eyed Susan – a sunny garden staple, they vary by height, flower size and time, and propensity to travel or not; great for butterflies, birds, and cut flowers
clump former with mauve-pink daisy like flowers in early-mid summer Ironweed – really a beautiful tall lavender-purple flower for the back of the border, along a fence, or a damp corner; long bloom time in late summer and fall Wild Ageratum or mistflower – spreading clumps of light purple-blue in late summer and fall, perfect for naturalizing in damp places. Shade, Dry – the most challenging condition – be reasonable, nothing will grow well in total shade and no water
ing a big show; this plant is long lived and does not like Columbine – truly a master to be disturbed, so plant for that thrives in the cracks of cliffs in the wild, columbine will permanence. do fine in dry shade and will Sunny, Moist/Wet naturalize when really happy; Pink Milkweed –rose-pink beautiful orange-yellow penbutterfly weed type flowers dant flowers in late spring on 4-foot plants, adored by Alumroot – another cliff dwellbutterflies. er in the wild, forms clumps of White Star Sedge – grass-like beautiful, evergreen leaves in with drooping, white, daisy all colors, flowers not showy flowers all summer and fall; let it spread in a moist swale Stonecrop – a very small
Aromatic Aster – supreme for handling sun and drought, forming dense 3 to 4 foot mounds, they explode into flower in early fall; two great Barbaras Buttons – low
(See ‘Wildflower’ on page 50)
Crickets have their hearing organs in their knees, or, more precisely, in the oval slit of their forelegs.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 21
Recovering from a Hard Winter Now that the worst of winter is growth is it is then easier to remove leaf litter that acover and our gardens are cumulated under the transitioning into spring, larger leaves over the it’s time to help undo the winter. Your garden effects of our long, cold will not only show off winter. the this year’s blooms, but removing dead leaves gives First up, remove all dead plants and dead problem insects, such as white flies, one less place to growth from plants, shrubs live and breed. and trees in your yard and garden. While trees and shrubs may Even hearty perennials, like not have leafed out enough hellebores ( also called Lenten to show dead branches, it roses), experienced lots of is important to remove dead frostbite this year, with the growth as soon as possible large lower leaves from last to prevent disease and insect year becoming brown and infestations. broken. Remove any dead or partially brown leaves com- Branches that are obviously pletely. If only a few large cracked or broken can be leaves survived the winter, I removed immediately. If a recommend removing those limb is severely damaged, it also to maintain the plant’s is often best to cut it back to rounded shape. the intersecting limb or trunk, but not flush with the trunk. An advantage of trimming Leave a 1/2 inch stub to preLenten roses back to the new vent injuring the trunk or major
the trunk.
Special Guest
Jan Lyons branch where the damaged limb is attached. To test if other shrub and small tree branches are alive or dead, try to gently bend the end of the branch. If the last few inches bends easily, then the branch is still alive. If the tip of the branch is stiff, snip off the dead, inflexible part. If you see green under the outer skin at the cut, the remainder of the branch is still alive. If no green is visible, continue testing by moving further up the branch checking for flexibility and trimming dead growth. To test large, less flexible branches, lightly scratch the branch surface with your fingernail. If green shows, the limb is still alive. If not, continue moving up the branch until green is found. Unless you are only trimming off a small portion of dead growth at the end of a branch, it is often best to remove an entire limb to within 1/2 inch of the next major branch or
growth that can harbor disease and insects, your healthy If you have had to remove plants will make a quick rea lot of dead growth, the covery once spring arrives for shrub or tree may good. no longer look balanced. This often After you have happens when reremoved all moving weather dead plants and related damage leaf litter, apply since one side of a fresh layer of the plant is usually mulch. Natural more exposed to mulches work the elements. best not only to smother weeds Now is the time to and keep roots cut back healthy cool and moist, branches to rebut will slowly shape the plant for decompose future balanced adding nutrients growth. Don’t worry if this to the soil. Cedar mulch is an requires significant trimming. excellent choice, if you can Plants have buds on stand- find it, since cedar is a natural by waiting for an opportunity insect repellant. to grow. By removing dead (See ‘Winter’ on page 52)
Page 22, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Ludwig van Beethoven was totally deaf when he composed his Ninth Symphony.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 23
At birth, a panda is smaller than a mouse and weighs about four ounces.
Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn If growing a green, healthy lawn is proving difficult for you even after seeding, fertilizing, and watering then aerating your lawn could be the answer. Just as you benefit from taking a deep breath, so does your lawn. One of the many benefits of lawn aeration is breaking through the thatch layer and enabling the roots to breathe. The results are improved water and nutrient
penetration. Aerating your lawn annually is the best way to break through t h e t h a t c h l a y e r, enable the roots to breathe , and improve water and nutrient absorption. To determine if your lawn is a good candidate for aeration, think about the areas in your lawn that receive a lot of traffic. They can become compacted allowing no room for movement or air flow. Earth
Special Guest
Ann Bratton worms are beneficial in helping soil move, but when it’s compacted there is no room for the worms to move the soil. If your lawn has a spongy feel then too thick of a layer of thatch may be the culprit. Thatch is made up of dead grass and lawn debris. If it is more than one half of an inch thick, it can harbor insects and lawn diseases that damage your lawn. The best time for aeration is during the growing season. The two main types of aerators are the spike and core. The spike aerator pokes holes into the ground with solid tines. The gas powered core aerator removes plugs of grass and soil from the lawn. The core aerator is the most effective method of lawn aeration. The plugs of soil are usually two to three inches deep and one half to three quarters of an inch in diameter. It is best to aerate your lawn when it is moist. Aerating the day after a rain shower or watering your lawn the day before is the best way to make sure the soil is moist enough, but not saturated. It is important to flag any sprinkler heads or other hidden objects in order to avoid them when operating the aerator. It works best to make two passes in different directions to strive for three to four inch spacing between plugs throughout your lawn. The soil plugs can be left on the ground and allowed to break down naturally. Some people prefer to break them up by running them over with a lawn mower or pounding them with a garden rake after they have dried out. Your lawn mower blade will need to be
sharpened after breaking up the plugs .After aeration is complete, you can continue with basic lawn care p r a c t i c e s . Sowing seed, fertilizing, killing weeds, mowing, and watering are all beneficial practices toward achieving a thick, healthy lawn.
lawn and landscape companies will perform the service for you. Always follow directions provided by the store on operating your aerator. Be sure you are comfortable with the operation of the machine before taking it home to use. A deep breath is good for us and aeration is good for our lawns. Aerating does exBoth core and spike actly what it sounds aerators are available to rent like and is definitely a good from your local hardware thing to do to make way for a store or garden center. Spike more beautiful lawn. models are hand operated About the author... rollers or models that you pull behind a riding mower. The Ann is the co-owner of Downcore aerator is gas powered town Hardware located at and is the most effective type 298 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak of aeration. If doing it yourself Ridge. She can be contacted is not an option, then some for questions at 483-4339.
Page 24, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Deimos, one of the moons of Mars, rises and sets twice a day.
Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden with Native Plants Butterflies, bees, moths, hum- or fertilizing the flowers. This mingbirds, and a host results in many of the fruits, Special of busy insects pervegetables, and seeds form a valuable service that we eat. It also Guest when they flit around our ensures that many of gardens and orchards. our native flowers, vines, Andrea While they drink sugshrubs, and trees will make Sessions ar rich nectar or eat the seeds necessary for protein packed polcontinued survival and spe- animals (birds and insects, len, they inadvertently cies diversity. It is estimated mainly) as are about 75% of
transfer pollen from flower that almost 90% of our na- our crop plants. This is why to flower thereby pollinating tive plants are pollinated by pollinators are so important. However, due to habitat loss and pesticide poisoning, the number of effective pollinators is declining. We can keep pollinators abundant by providing the plants they need. It is easy, fun, and will add beauty to
your garden. find and drink a lot of nectar. Two dozen coneflowers would There are a number of actions you can take to attract pollinators to your garden. If your garden is in full sun and has at least some protection from strong wind, you will have many more options than if your garden is shady. But don’t despair. Even wooded areas can attract pollinators. Most butterflies prefer sunny gardens and shelter from strong winds. They appreciate dry rocks for resting and of course, need water. They like warmth and do not become active here until early to mid April depending on the spring. It is quite possible to plant a succession of flowers to attract butterflies from spring on into the fall. Flowers that attract butterflies are commonly platform shaped (for easy perching), sweetly scented, and in shades of reds, pinks, lavender, and yellows. They must be good nectar producers. Butterflies have poor eyesight so large stands of a particular flower and masses of color make it easy for butterflies to
be more effective than 4 yarrow, 4 coreopsis, 4 butterfly weed, 4 phlox, 4 asters, and 4 blanket flowers. However, butterflies need food from spring until fall so you should plan your garden with a succession of flowers. (See ‘Pollen’ on page 53)
An expert fly fisherman may have as many as 10,000 flies in his collection.
Your Home Magazine, March 2014, Page 25
Page 26, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
Because of the speed at which Earth moves around the Sun,...
Spring Gardening Nothing says soothing like are universally connected and share a natural symbithe color green. And the otic relationship. granddaddies of all things green are cerEmerging research tainly the members of the suggests indoor plant kingdom, the lungs plants are more than just a of our environment. pretty face. They are good for our mind, body, and soul. Perhaps it’s the calmThey make our homes and ing rustle of leafy branchplaces of work healthier. es in the wind or a wavy sea of grass that draws us in. Either way, people and plants The more time we live and work indoors, which is most of the day, the more we need houseplants to improve the quality of our lives. According to the EPA, indoor air typically contains two of five times more pollutants than outdoor air and can be up to 10 times more polluted, especially if you have recently installed carpet or painted. Plants provide humidity to dry rooms and add natural glamour to any space. These are the top picks for their toxin filtering abilities, spathiphyllum (peace lily), dracaena, philodendron, golden pothos, spider plants, palms, ferns, schefflera, anthurium, dieffenbachia, and orchids. Now that we have taken care of our indoor health lets go outside and garden for our souls. Gardening should be fun and it will be if you garden with heart. With so much to plant and tend in April it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the “have to dos” and lose track of your “want to dos”. Don’t let this happen to you. Concentrate on plants and projects that naturally get you excited and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful season. Now we need to concern ourselves with the best plants, the best place to plant them, and the right kind of soil for the plant. Chances are you will be unlikely to find yourself in possession of the perfect medium loam. A basic knowledge of your soil type
Whatever type of plant you selecting a healthy specGardening buy, imen is vital. Plants can be Tips purchased in various forms; a tray, pots, packs, hanging June baskets, etc. Before you buy, McCreight check that the plant is suitable for the spot you have in will mean you are less likely mind. Will it look good with its to make too many expensive neighbors? Does it need sun mistakes by growing plants that are unsuited to your conditions. Flourishing gardens and those easiest to maintain are usually filled with plants that are suited to the soil type. Whether it is clay, loam, or sand, you need to look after it by regularly mulching and adding organic matter. If you regularly feed and water the plants your garden should thrive, even if your soil is not ideal.
or shade? Is it hardy or will it need protection? Will it thrive in your particular soil conditions? How tall and wide will the plant grow? Hopefully, there will be a plant tag with this information. If not, ask your garden professional. (See ‘Spring’ on page 38)
it is impossible for a solar eclipse to last more than 7 minutes and 58 seconds.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 27
Adding Value to Your Home: Keeping it Safe Home sweet home. Our abode. Home is the place where we go to relax and enjoy life. Home is our nest that we most want to be a safe place for our family. Sometimes we go there to simply ‘hide away’ from the world. But you may be giving yourself a false sense of security. According to Harvard home health studies, accidents in the home are one of the leading causes of injury and death in the U.S. By not attending to specific critical
issues of maintenance and upkeep, your home may be a timebomb waiting to go off instead of the safe haven you assume it to be. One of the leading risks to health at home can be fire. Of all preventative measures we should take to insure safety in our homes, two of the easiest and most effective actions are to install and maintain smoke alarms. A working smoke detector doubles a person’s
fire alarms every ten years.
Special Guest
Anita Vines chance of surviving a fire by warning of heat and smoke in the earliest moments of an impending fire. Make sure your smoke alarm detects both heat and smoke. There should be at least one detector on every floor of your home for minimum coverage. The optimum place is near the bedrooms. As loud as they are, never assume a small child will hear a smoke detector when sleeping. If an alarm goes off, an adult should always check on sleeping children. The best way to detect if your alarm is working properly is to light two or three matches together, holding them so the smoke wafts up toward the unit. (However, I generally use the ‘burn the bacon method’ on Saturday mornings). If the alarm does not go off, change the battery or, if needed, immediately replace the unit. Change the batteries in your detector twice a year. A good way to remember is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors at the same time you adjust our clocks to and from daylight savings time. Replace
Another easy way to increase safety in your home is to invest in a fire extinguisher. Most fires start out small. Most manufacturers recommend having one extinguisher for every 600 square feet of living area. The kitchen, garage and basement are important rooms to store an extinguisher. Keeping an extinguisher in the car is also a good idea. Make sure everyone in the family knows where the extinguishers are stored and teach children how to operate a fire extinguisher. (If they can operate a video game, they can operate a fire extinguisher). Have a family evacuation plan. Conduct practice evacuation drills. Have a ‘safe place’ for everyone in the home to meet outside should a fire ensue. Carbon Monooxide (CO) can also be a leading killer in the home. Typical sources of CO are malfunctioning gas furnaces, gas stoves, water heaters, clothes dryers and improperly vented fireplaces. As with fire alarms, a carbon monoxide detector is an efficient and cost effective tool to prevent disaster. If you have only one unit, place it in the hall outside the bedroom area of your home. Preventative maintenance should include having your heating system, vents,
chimney and flue inspected, and cleaned if necessary, by a qualified technician. Always vent fuel-burning appliances. Open windows whenever possible in order to air out your home periodically. It is important to routinely check for signs that can alert to potential CO problems, including: 1) A noticeable decrease in hot water supply. 2) A furnace that runs constantly (See ‘Value’ on page 39)
Page 28, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
Papua, New Guinea includes the islands of New Britain and New Ireland.
Learning to Fish “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime,” says the old Chinese proverb. If you want to learn how to fish, proverbially speaking, take your pick of the FREE classes being offered at the 3rd annual Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair on May 10th (9 am to 2 pm) at the Clinton Community Center. Each class is designed to teach skills and build self-reliance, from baking homemade bread to CPR/AED certification.
because it can save a life. However, finding the time and money to invest in it can be difficult as classes can run all day long and cost as much as $110! If you’ve always wanted to certify in CPR/ AED, now is your chance. Chris Medley of Knox CPR (KnoxCPR is a Licensed Training Provider of the American Red Cross and an Authorized Provider of the American Heart Association) will offer two almost free CPR courses (a $10 fee/person will be collected at the beginning of each class to cover the cost CPR/AED Certification: of certification cards). CPR certification is the one skill everyone ought to have Class 1. (9:30 am to 11:30
newal is every 2 years.
Provident Living
Heidi Greenhalgh am)–Adult Only CPR/AED This is a 2-hour course which will teach you the basics of CPR/AED. The Heartsaver CPR/AED course covers adult-only CPR and use of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and teaches lay rescuers how to recognize and treat life-threatening emergencies, including cardiac arrest and choking for adults. Students also learn to recognize the warning signs of heart attack and stroke in adults. Recommended renewal is every 2 years.
Both classes will be taught in the Park Room (Room 4) and pre-registration is requested for each class. To pre-register, go to www.acprepfair. org and click on the “2014 Classes” tab. At the bottom of the class schedule will be a pre-registration link. Sign up for just one, or both and save a life!
Homemade Bread Made Simple (Taught at 10 a.m.): There is nothing that matches the aroma of homemade bread. The smell is intoxicating and the taste even more so. Bread baking is a self-reliant skill that everyone should know how to do and the great part about it is…(drumroll…)…it’s not that hard. Now that we have that myth Class 2: (12:00 pm to 2 out of the way, take this class pm)–Child/Infant CPR and and learn the fundamentals Use of an AED This 2-hour course covers child, and infant CPR and use of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and teaches lay rescuers how to recognize and treat lifethreatening emergencies, including cardiac arrest and choking for children and infants. Students also learn to recognize the warning signs for breathing difficulties in children. Recommended re-
of bread baking, including the science of it. Learn breadmaking techniques that go beyond cooking and raise your baking skills to a whole new level, whether you are just starting out or are already a pro. You won’t want to miss out on the tasty samples, recipes and knowledge this class will teach you. (Room 5, Memorial Room).
Preparedness 101 (Taught at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.): Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning, forcing you to evacuate your neighborhood or be confined to your home. Emergencies can be short-term (days to weeks) like a fire, ice storm, tornado or medical emergency or long-term (up to 3 months or longer) such as a pandemic or job loss. This class will teach you two (See ‘Classes’ on page 34)
The famous nineteenth-century bullfighter Lagarijo (born Rafael Molina) killed 4,867 bulls.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014 Page 29
How Will Social Security Fit Into Your Retirement Income Strategy? Have you given much thought to collecting Social Security? The answer probably depends on how old you are — but whatever your age, you’ll want to consider the best way of incorporating Social Security benefits into your retirement income strategy. Of course, if you have several decades to go until you retire, you might be wondering if Social Security will even be there for you at all. The basic issue
is that the Social Security system is experiencing a sharply declining worker-to-beneficiary ratio. In plain English, this means that fewer workers are contributing to Social Security while the huge baby boom generation is retiring and taking money out. Still, Social Security has enough money to pay full retirement benefits to every eligible American until 2038, according to the Congressional Budget Office. After that point, benefits would have to be reduced unless changes are made to the Social Security system.
Financial Advice
George Paynter
about your retirement income, you need to focus on those things that you can control — such as when to start taking Social Security and how you can supplement your Social SeAnd several changes have curity benefits. indeed been proposed. Given that we do have nearly 25 years Depending on when you were until benefit cuts may need to born, your “full” retirement be made, it seems reasonable age, as far as collecting Sothat some type of solution cial Security benefits, is likely could be reached to put Social either 66 or 67. You can start Security back on solid ground. getting your checks as early In any case, when thinking as 62, but if you do, your monthly payments could be reduced by as much as 30% — and this reduction is permanent. Consequently, if you can support your lifestyle from other sources of income — such as earnings from employment and withdrawals from your IRA and 401(k) — you may want to postpone taking Social Security until you reach your full retirement age. In fact, you can get even bigger monthly
checks if you delay taking your benefits beyond your full retirement age, although your payments will “max out” once you reach 70. Keep in mind, though, that other factors, such as your anticipated longevity, should also enter into your calculations in considering when to take Social Security.
Consequently, in the years and decades before you retire, contribute as much as you can possibly afford to these other accounts. Given the advances in medical care and the greater awareness of healthy lifestyles, people are living longer than ever — which means you could spend two, or even three, decades in retirement. To enjoy those years fully, you’ll need adequate income.
As mentioned above, your retirement income may also include withdrawals from retirement accounts, such as an IRA and a 401(k), along with other investments, such as a fixed annuity. And these other accounts are quite important, because Social Security provides, on average, only about 40% of retirement income for the average 65-year-old today.
By planning ahead, you can determine how best to fit Social Security into your retirement income strategy. Every move you make to help “secure” your retirement can pay off for you in the long run.
About the author... George Paynter is a a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Clinton. He can be reached for questions and comments at 457-1051.
Page 30, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
The first hot air balloon to carry passengers was invented by the Montgolfier brothers...
How Much Can You Afford for a Home? When you are shopping for a home, it makes sense to know your price range. Often the first step a real estate agent will take is prequalify you for a loan. This might be a ballpark figure or estimate based on typical loan setups, or you may formally apply for a loan and become preapproved. When you are preapproved, you need to submit various documents that specify your income and expenses. The lender then gives you a letter
specifying the loan amount you qualify for based on your specific financial situation. Sellers prefer preapproved buyers because they know that the buyer will not have problems securing a loan for the home.
Real Estate Matters
Scarlet Kelley
The other figure in the debt to income ratio takes into account your expenses and is calculated like this:
Gross monthly income X .36 (overall debt or backend ratio) = Maximum monthly risk than the other. That’s debt – Your current monthly What to know how much you where your expenses debts = Amount left for can afford? To start, you need monthly house payment come in. to total all of your income. Next, separately total all of Getting prequalified your debt obligations: car vs. preapproved payment, credit card balYou might go a step further ance, and so on. You can to ensure you are looking at then use this information to houses in a range you can get a rough estimate or afford. The simplest way to get a formal preapproval. an idea of your price range is to talk with a lender, provide Getting a ballpark Lend- them with income and debt infigure ers like formation, and get an estimate Roughly, you can afford two to look at to two-and-a-half times your the complete picgross income (your income ture, and they use ratios of before any debts or taxes what you earn, what you can have been deducted). So pay on a house, and what if you earn $70,000 a year, you owe. The most common you can afford a house in the debt to income ratios is 28/36. $140,000 to $175,000 for your These ratios are based on home. But that doesn’t re- monthly amounts. Like the ally paint an accurate picture. ballpark estimate, you can Consider someone who earns figure your maximum monthly $70,000, has paid off her car, housing payment by totaling and doesn’t owe any balance your monthly gross income on her credit cards to some- and multiplying it by .28: one who makes the same amount, but has a car lease of Gross monthly income X $300 a month, a large credit .28 (lender front-end ratio) card debt and a student loan = Maximum monthly house to pay off. You can see that payment one person is a bigger credit
of what you can afford. This is like the do-it-yourself method only you talk to a lender, and they may ask questions and require additional information. Getting prequalified doesn’t require a lot of time or money. That’s the advantage. The disadvantage is that you are not formally approved. To get preapproved, you formally apply for a loan and provide documentation to the lender such as tax forms, monthly pay stubs, a credit check, and other certifiable information on your earnings and debt. The lender then provides you with a formal (See ‘Afford’ on page 36)
. in France in 1783. It flew five miles. The air in a hot air balloon is about 212 degrees.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014 Page 31
For the Love of Songbirds My knowledge of songbirds handful of nestlings in need of comes principally from bird a parent. Of those I receive for watching and years of rehabilitation, about 70 experience in the respercent recover and cue of sick, injured, are returned successand orphaned birds as fully to the wild. I find a licensed songbird rethat songbirds are wonhabber. derful creatures to rehab: they never give up, complain Most of the 180 to or quit, and always put forth 200 songbirds I receive every effort to heal. Maybe each year are brought to that is why I love them so me by area residents who find them in their yards and The peak months for bird neighborhoods, by the road- rescue in Tennessee are April side, or in nearby fields and – September. This is an excitwoods. Often the bird has ing, demanding time of year been attacked by a cat, flown when the need for rehabbers into a window, built its nest in is often greater than the numan unsafe place, such as, an ber available. This is the time outdoor grill or door wreath, when songbirds are most acor, as is often the case, is a tive and spread out in greatest
spring and summer but they do not have to leave with the Special approach of winter. The nourGuest ishment they need is available year-round. . Jo Ann As you read your April issue of Thompson Vision’s Magazine, the baby numbers across the state. But bird season is upon us. of most importance is the real- Millions of migratory ization that this is the season birds are on their way of renewal. It is that special time when the earth blooms, songbirds breed and migratory birds return to North America. home For a moment, think of our to mate Tennessee songbirds as fall- and raise ing into one of two important their young groups. They are either mi- in the very place gratory birds that live primarily or area where they too upon a diet of insects, or they were hatched. The journey are non-migratory, year-round is not without peril, and some birds that exist primarily on of our favorite long-distant seeds, nuts, berries, nectar, flyers - the Wood thrush, Tree tree sap, and insects when swallow, Barn swallow, Scarlet available. Migratory birds ar- tanager, and Chimney swift rive in the warm months of – fall victim to the grueling spring and summer to nest flight from South America to and raise their young while Tennessee. Migration amazes insects are plentiful. They me. I find it miraculous that depart in late summer be- a bird as tiny as the Rubyfore insects are destroyed by the cold. Our non-migratory birds are also busy nesting in
throated hummingbird is able to fly 500 miles non-stop across the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico from Costa Rica to the United States in 20 hours. Perhaps that is why I love them so. Each songbird is unique and brings with it a special beauty, but the familiar presence of our year-round birds has captured the eye of the public. They are our most watchable wildlife: a feeder, a pole, and a sack of sunflower seeds will bring them to your window. The Northern cardinal, Mourning dove, Carolina chickadee, Titmouse and many more will become your own backyard birds. Add a cake of suet in a wire basket and watch the woodpeckers claim their bounty. Do this - All for the love of songbirds!
About the author... Jo Ann Thompson is a licensed bird rehabber living in Oak Ridge. She can be contacted by phone to 482-5660.
Page 32, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
Artist Andy Warhol became famous for his painting of Campbell’s Soup cans. Before that,...
Spring? We Hope it is Here to Stay! Spring - we certainly hope so! After a winter that has been unpredictable, we all hope it is over. East Tennesseans are used to winters with up and down temperatures but this past one certainly has been a bad one. Our daughter lives in Maine and they expect the kind of days we have had and worse, but one week our temperatures were lower than theirs. When our jonquils, crocus and forsythia bloom, that tells her their Spring is still two months away. Now we are looking forward to spring vegetables and it won’t be long until strawberries are getting ripe. I hope today’s
recipes will help you plan your big holiday meal. Let’s This first recipe was always a Cook! favorite when I was growing up. My mother always made it in an iron skillet but I just use a 1 stick butter or margarine 3/4 pkg. light brown sugar 1 can pineapple slices (8-10) 1 pkg. yellow cake mix Maraschino cherries Melt the butter in bottom of 9x13-inch pan. Add light brown sugar. Arrange pineapple slices in attractive pattern, reserving a couple of glass cake pan. slices. (With can sizes being It would make a very good reduced, you may need two Easter dessert. cans of pineapple). Pineapple Reserve the juice from pineUpside-Down Cake apple to add to cake mix in place of water. Prepare cake by package directions. Pour over the pineapple and brown sugar in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Mary Cox
When removing cake from pan, pull a table knife blade around all four sides of pan to loosen and then invert cake to a large serving plate. Top with cherries and 2 remaining pineapple slices. (When I make this cake, I put the cherries in center of pineapple slices before baking).
Coconut Macaroons 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut 1/3 cup sugar 2 TBS. plain flour 1/8 tsp. salt 2 egg whites 1/2 tsp. vanilla In a small bowl, combine first four ingredients; stir in egg whites and vanilla. Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Should make 1-1/2 dozen. Creamy Broccoli-Raisin Salad 1 pound fresh broccoli 1/3 cup raisins
2 TBS. chopped onion 2 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, divided 3-oz. pkg. soft cream cheese 2 TBS. sugar 2 TBS. white vinegar 2 TBS. vegetable oil 1 TBS. prepared mustard 1 garlic clove, minced Remove broccoli leaves and cut off tough ends of stalk; discard. Wash thoroughly and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Combine broccoli, raisins, onion and half of bacon. Set aside.
Combine cream cheese with remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. (See ‘Recipes’ on page 35)
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 33
he made his living painting shoes for advertisements.
“Millennials” Must Plan for Short-and Long-term Goals If you’re one of the “millennials” — the generation that began in the early 1980s — you are still in the early stages of your career. Retirement must seem like a long way off — yet, it’s never too soon to start planning for it. At the same time, though, you may also have shorter-term goals. Can you make progress toward your near-term and long-term objectives at the same time? Yes, you can — but you’ll need to match your short- and long-term goals with the appropriate savings and investment vehicles. For example, one of your most important short-term goals may be purchasing a house, so you’ll need to accumulate a certain amount of money by a certain time — perhaps in three to five years. Therefore, you won’t want to risk your down payment on an investment whose price will fluctuate — and whose value may be down just when you need the money. Consequently, you may want to look for a shorter-term investment whose objective is preservation of
principal. Typically, with these types of vehicles, the shorter the term, the lower the interest rate — but since your goal is basically to have a certain amount of money available at a certain time, you might be less interested in what return you’ll get on this particular investment, as opposed to the return you might hope for from other, longer-term vehicles.
Financial Advice
Karl Flatau
starting to save for retirement now, you have more time to save than you would if you waited another decade or so. Plus, since you have so many years to go until you retire, you In fact, while can afford to put a reasonable percentage of your investment dollars into growth-oriented instruments, such as stocks or stock-based investments. They may carry more risk, including the risk you are of losing principal, saving for but they also offer your down paygreater reward potential than, ment on your home, or say, fixed-income vehicles for other short-term goals, you also need to be thinking such as bonds. And holding long term — that is, you need growth investments for the to save as much as you can long term can help you look for your eventual retirement. beyond short-term volatility. Since you are still in the early stages of your working life, you have an enormous asset going for you: time. By
You can start a long-term investment program by investing in your 401(k) or other retirement plan offered by
your employer. These plans usually offer a variety of investment options, including several growth-oriented accounts. Plus, any earnings are typically tax-deferred, which means your money could grow faster than if it were placed in an investment on which you paid taxes every year. So try to take full advantage of your employer’s plan — at a minimum, contribute enough to earn a match, if one is offered. Then, every time your
salary goes up, boost your contributions. With discipline and perseverance, you can move toward both your distant and imminent goals. And that’s the long and the short of it.
About the author... Karl Flatau is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Oak Ridge. He can be reached for questions and comments at 483-3643.
Page 34, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
Alamanac (Continued from page 35) was when he actually stopped including weather forecasts. He did substitute with temperature and precipitation averages, but the public cried loud enough to force him to reinstated the forecasts in the next year’s edition, but his reputation was already marred.
In 1939 Robb Saagendorph bought The Old Farmer ’s Almanac and became editor. Sagendorph was the owner of Yankee Magazine, and pulled The Almanac out of its slump by reestablishing its original format and editorial style of wit and wisdom. The Almanac passed the four million circulation mark in the early 1990s. Today’s modern-era almanac has a
The first person known to have died of radiation poisoning was scientist Marie Curie... line of products such as cookbooks, music CD’s, and they of course have the almanac (Continued from page 28) online too at www.almanac. com. critical things to prepare your family for an emergency, For a publication to grow up (1) how to develop a Famwith a whole country, it must ily Emergency Plan and, (2) offer something valuable. how to build a Disaster Kit. Thomas predicted not only the In just one hour, instructor, weather forecasts, but what Tom McCombs, the Florida the American People would Emergency Response Comstill want over two centuries munications Coordinator for into the future. the Church of Jesus Christ of
Classes
Latter-day Saints, will equip you with the knowledge you need to reduce fear, anxiety, and build self-reliance. (Room 9, Club Room).
Food Preservation & Canning (11 a.m.): If you’d like to learn the almost lost art of food preservation so you can bottle fresh fruit and vegetables in summer to enjoy during the cold days of winter, this is the class for you! Abbie Cary, UTK-Extension, will teach you how to use steam and pressure canning techniques, so you can make and preserve your own applesauce, pie fillings, jams and soups. Move over fruit roll-ups, with dehydration, you can make anything from fruit leather to yogurt drops. Learn the ins and outs of canning garden vegetables, sweet fruits and savory meats in this info packed class. All information follows the USDA guidelines for home canning. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Canning can be a safe and economical way to preserve quality food at home. Disregarding the value of your labor, canning homegrown food may save you half the cost of buying commercially canned food.” (Room 5, Memorial Room).
About the author... Heidi Greenhalgh is a freelance writer whose work has been published both locally and nationally. She also happens to like being prepared for…whatever. She can be reached for comment at heidigreenhalgh@msn.com.
Puzzle found on page 58.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 35
She and her husband were the discoverers of radium.
Old Farmer’s Almanac’s History of Predicting the Future years because not only does it contain valuable informaOn tion, but is also a good Assignment read. As the Almanac’s founder, Robert B. Thomas said, “Our Melissa main endeavor is to be Bishop useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor.” useful, and the features more The premiere issue of The Old entertaining, than its comFarmer’s Almanac was pub- petitors, which is lished in 1792 during George why it has Washington’s first term as outlasted president. The all-American them all. publication is almost as old Based on as The United States itself. his obserAlthough many other alma- v a t i o n s , nacs were being published at T h o m a s that time, Thomas’s became used a coman immediate success. By the plex series second year, circulation had o f n a t u r a l tripled from 3,000 to 9,000. Its The Almanac, based in Dub- success was due to the pre- cycles to delin, New Hampshire, has re- dictions in the almanac being vise a secret mained so popular all these so accurate, the advice more weather forecasting formula, which brought results that were and still are 80 percent accurate. Even today, his formula is kept safely tucked away in a black tin box at the Almanac offices in Dublin, New Hampshire. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a journal with a story of its own. It is America’s oldest continuously published periodical. Since 1792, it has been the gospel of how to predict and plan our lives. It is the reference tool for agriculturists or anyone else who’s life is affected by the weather, seasons, tides, and the rise and setting of the sun. Over the years, many editors in charge of the publication added something to its character, but some features have remained timeless as qualities such as wit and wisdom, which are the core attributes of The Almanac.
Thomas’s last edition, in 1846, was not much different from his first, over 50 years earlier.
However, in that time he established The Old Farmer’s Almanac as America’s leading periodical by outselling and outlasting the competition. He died in 1846 at the age of 80, supposedly reading page proofs for the 1847 edition. It was the second editor, John H. Jenks that gave the almanac its eternal look. He featured a four-seasons drawing on the cover by artist Henry Nichols. This drawing has been on the cover of every edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac ever since. It was the next editor Horace Ware, who took over as the editor in 1900, that began to orient the book toward a more general audience by replacing the scientific agriculture articles with general features on nature and modern life. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has had some unsuccessful
years, mostly under the editor Roger Scaife, appointed in 1936. The 1938 edition had a circulation of only 88,000, compared with 225,000 in 1863. Scaife’s biggest mistake (See ‘Almanac’ on page 34)
Houdini was the first man to fly an airplane solo in Australia.
Page 36, Your Home Magazine, April 2014
Recipes (Continued from page 32) Pour over broccoli mixture; stir well. Chill 3 hours. Sprinkle with remaining bacon. Makes 6-8 servings. This mountain spring salad is a little different than what I make but good just the same. I leave out the sugar and vinegar. We have always called it “killed lettuce”. Smothered Spring Lettuce Select fresh Spring lettuce. Chop or tear enough to fill a medium bowl. Add 3 young green onions and tops, chopped fine. Add tsp. sugar and salt to taste. Pour over 2 TBS. vinegar. Fry 5 slices of cured country bacon crisply and place crumbled bacon on lettuce. Pour hot bacon
grease over all and serve immediately. Family Potato Salad 6 cups cubed, cooked potatoes 1/2 cup diced celery 3/4 cup chopped pickles 1/2 cup chopped pimento 2 TBS. minced onion 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. mustard 1 TBS. vinegar or lemon juice 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup chipped bell pepper Place all ingredients in large mixing bowl, except mayonnaise. Stir in well with a wooden spoon. Add more pepper if desired. Add mayonnaise. Pour into dish and sprinkle with paprika. If you want a really special salad make your own mayo with this recipe. Happy Easter!
you don’t have to worry about getting approved for a loan. As mentioned, sellers like buyers (Continued from page 30) that are preapproved because commitment for a specific date they know you can get financrange (the next 60 days, for ing for the home. instance). Checking your credit score You’ll find pluses and minuses As part of the loan process, for both methods. You don’t you will need to get a credit need to spend a lot of time or check. This lists all the debt money with prequalifying. On you owe as well as credit availthe downside, it’s not guar- able to you. If you have always anteed that you can actually paid your bills on time, you get the loan. For preapproval, shouldn’t have much to worry you have to provide all the about. If you are routinely late documentation and perhaps or owe huge amounts on your pay a loan application fee, but credit cards, you may have
Afford
a problem. It’s best to know beforehand what your credit check will reveal. You can then clean up any problems — pay off credit debt or clear up any misunderstandings or mistakes on your report — before the lender looks at the credit check. You can get free credit checks from any of several credit check services such as Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. You can also use these sites to get information about how your credit rating affects your available credit.
In the U.S., 25,300,500 out of more than 40 million dogs can perform at least one trick.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 37
The REAL ESTATE Office
As Winter turns to Spring, East Tennessee is bursting forth to come alive. Trees and flowers are blooming and businesses are starting and growing everywhere. Briarcliff Realty Services, LLC is certainly one of the growing businesses to watch this Spring and the coming year.
cated at 1298 Oak Ridge Turnpike across from Walgreen’s in Oak Ridge, in the front of Citizen’s First Bank building.
The REAL ESTATE Office was established in February 2014 by owner Richard Bell. Its first location opened in Franklin Square in West Knoxville. The goal of The REAL ESTATE Office is to build trust and relationships with the community to better understand individual needs in the Real Estate industry. This “boutique” office offers the same level of service as a franchised real estate company, with full office staff and 1st page internet search recognition. This real estate company is set apart by award winning agents with forward thinking ideas, community involvement, superior service, and services 100% of the real estate market.
Briarcliff Realty Services, LLC was founded in 2007 and is located conveniently in Briarcliff Square Shopping Center. The current owner, Richard Bell and the agents have cultivated the growth of the company to 18 agents. The company has made a commitment to the community through continued support of schools, non profits, and community activities. As the growth of the community spurs on, Briarcliff Realty Services, LLC is also taking its turn to grow with the community. Briarcliff Realty Services, LLC will take on a new identity as As our new identities take shape The REAL ESTATE Office as of Briarcliff Realty Services, LLC March 31, 2014 and will be lo-
Spring (Continued from page 38) preservative to clean vase. 4. Take flowers and make a new cut at the bottom of all stems. 5. Put flowers into clean vase with fresh water and enjoy!
The REAL ESTATE Office looks forward to serving the community with continued superior real estate service. They look forward to this successful transition and encourage the community they love and support to stop in their new location on the turnpike in the near future. As agents, they believe that every person from every walk of life deserves to have their little corner of the world. They understand the instability and frustrations of today’s real estate market and are available to assist buyer’s and seller’s with their real estate needs. are other varieties that grow naturally in higher elevations, and for those you would need (Continued from page 14) to put them in a cooler, shadier Fertilize a newly planted Aza- spot. Once you’ve tried one lea little if any the first year. variety you will get hooked and After new growth appears in will want to try others. the spring of the 2nd year, add fertilizer as stated on the Pictured is the Rhododendron bag being careful to scatter it periclymenoides, ‘Pinxterboom evenly around the drip line of azalea’ and the Rhododendron the plant. Once established, austrinium, ‘Florida Flame’ a yearly addition of organic mulch is the best fertilizer. About the author...
Azalea
6. Repeat these steps every Some of the varieties that I think are the easiest to grow 3 to 5 days. in our area are the canescens Come in and see our new ,pinxterbloom,atlanticum,arbor Spring silk arrangements and escens,calendulaceum,viscos wreaths. No matter what the um, and the austrinium. There weather is doing outside, it’s Springtime at Ridge Greenhouse and Florist now.
About the author... June McCreight is the owner of Ridge Greenhouse and Florist located at 148 Louisiana Avenue in Oak Ridge. Your questions and comments are welcome: 4821465.
will not be going away. It will transition to a real estate referral company focusing on relocation, broker to broker referrals, and marketing. The REAL ESTATE Office will continue the task of offering full service real estate options in East Tennessee with big company perks and small town friendliness.
Lori is the owner of Tennessee Naturescapes located ar 2131 Oliver Springs Hwy., Clinton just outside of Oak Ridge. Call her with questions at 730-6125.
The caterpillar has more than 2,000 muscles.
Page 38, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Spring
Annuals are also non-woody plants that germinate, flower, (Continued from page 26) set seed and die within the Perennials are usually avail- space of one year. Hardy anable all year long but the wid- nuals tolerate frost but will not est, best selection is found in survive hard winters. the spring. This is the time of year to buy the best since Biannuals are also nonfoliage and roots can be eas- woody plants that produce ily examined. Perennials are leafy growth the first year and non-woody, mostly herba- then flower, set, seed, and ceous plants that die down die in their second season. at the end of the year, lie dor- They often establish themmant in winter and produce selves in the garden through new growth in the spring. reseeding. Some tender perennials are grown as annuals. Seeds, when buying, check
that the packets are displayed in a fairly cool but dry environment since the seeds may deteriorate if exposed to baking sun. The packet should give an outline of conditions needed for germination and a brief description of cultural requirements. Always check the “sell by” date to make sure you are not buying old stock at the full price. Seasonal pots & containers Small containers are ideal for special plants, experimenting with new specimens and adding an instant splash of color.
They are easily moved from one place to another and can be taken inside if weather becomes a problem. Large containers are usually show stoppers. Use a tall plant in center and surround it with either shade or sun plants – making sure their watering needs are the same. No matter where you live, you can have plants by using containers. Flowering, herbs or vegetables are great in container. Try planting a shrub in a large container, such as Alberta spruce, hol-
ly or my favorite, hemlock. These can be under planted with seasonal plants such as late spring and summer bright colored annuals, and fall plants such as asters, mums, and perennial salvias, ivy, etc. Wintertime when nothing is available for planting, use cut holly, magnolia, pine or spruce and just stick it right into your soil, making for nice eye – candy. If you haven’t already, hang out a pretty spring wreath and put a pretty planted pot by your front door. Here is just a little trivia for you. If you or your church have lily bulbs left over from Easter – plant them – next year you will have some beautiful flowers to cut. They will not bloom at Easter but will bloom later in spring. My daughter “Kelley” has a beautiful bouquet for our birthday celebration each year out of the bulbs she takes from the greenhouse. I just learned exactly what marigolds do for the garden they are to keep cut worms away. Fresh cut flower news from the florist. On Wednesday March 19th , I spoke with a lady who had received a fresh flower bouquet from us on Thursday March 6th. She was very excited and amazed by the fact that the fresh flower arrangement she had received on the 6th was still beautiful and fresh 13 days later. With the right care the fresh flowers that come from a “florist” can last a week or longer. Just follow these simple steps: 1. Keep your arrangement out of strong sunlight and heat. 2. Take flowers out of vase then wash and rinse vase thoroughly. 3. Add fresh water and flower (See ‘Spring’ on page 37)
You can tell the sex of a horse by its teeth. Most males have 40, females have 36.
Your Home Magazine, April 2014, Page 39
Historic Fourth and Gill Presents the 2014 Tour of Homes The Historic Fourth and Gill neighborhood celebrates the 2014 Tour of Homes on Sunday, April 27 from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 per person (children under 12 are admitted free) and may be purchased at Three Rivers Market, 1100 N. Central Street, three weeks prior to the tour and on the Fourth and Gill website at www.fourthandgill. org. Tickets purchased the day of the event are $12 at the Central United Methodist Church, 201 3rd Avenue, during event hours until 5:00 p.m. the day of the tour.
guests to stroll through one of Knoxville’s premier historic districts and to step inside twelve gracious homes and churches from another era.
The tour, a Featured Event of the Dogwood Arts Festival, includes century-old homes as well as the Brownlow Lofts, a lovely old school that has been renovated into The Tour of Homes invites condos, and a pottery and art we harbor in our homes? It is an alarming topic, but a valid one to discuss here. (Continued from page 27) Mothballs, pesticides, formalbut does not heat your home. dehyde in faux and pressed 3) Soot collecting on, under wood and carpet glue, lead and around any appliance. paint, air fresheners and 4) Damaged, discolorated cleaning solutions, flame rebrick or a loose fitting tardants, and cosmetics pipe in your chimney. If are all leading culprits you have concerns, call of possible poisoning of your local gas comyour home. Poisoning pany. can not only consist of ingesting toxins, but Electrical safety is almany of these items ways important to can release toxins into consider in your home. our air. Children can be Watch for habitually the most susceptible. flickering lights, a breakMy best advice is to eder that repeatedly pops ucate yourself on the or fuses that repeatedtopic, rid your home ly burn out. Overloaded of as many chemicals circuits or loose wires as possible and air out can ultimately cause a your home consistently. house fire. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) For all of the positive values were developed to insure peo- our home offers us, what ple do not get shocked. They good is our home if it is not should be installed within 4 safe? The U.S. Centers of feet of a sink, at all exterior Disease Control and Prevenand garage receptacles and tion, the Consumer Prodat all electric fixtures over uct Safety Commission and showers and tubs. Unless you the American Association of are qualified, I recommend Poison Control Centers are leaving electrical work for the good places to start for all professionals. of the topics of safety I have mentioned here. Professional Have you ever stopped to home inspectors are trained consider all of the chemicals to look for problems that may
Value
studio in a converted Tudor church. The tour begins at the stately Central United Methodist Church, a beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture. For those desiring a more leisurely tour, a red trolley bus, hosted by a tour guide, will be driving the tour route. The Fourth and Gill neighborhood also hosts one of the Dogwood Arts Festival’s urban walking trails. Maps detailing the neighborhood’s notable trees and gardens as well as historical points of interest are available for the selfguided tour on the 1300 block of Luttrell Street. Maps present safety issues. If you have an older home that may not have had the upkeep it has needed in the past, a professional home inspection could be a very good investment. A qualified home inspector can also conduct a radon inspection for you for just a few hundred dollars. If you would like further information or more sources, you are always welcome to contact me.
About the author...
Anita Vines is a Realtor with Crye-Leike Realtors. She can be reached at 482-5050 or anita.vines@crye-leike.com. Anitavinesrelocation.cryeleike.com
are located in a special Gill neighborhood web site at event mailbox on the west www.fourthandgill.org. side of the street adjacent to Fourth and Gill Neighborhood Brownlow Lofts. Organization – it is a 501(c)(3) Located less than two miles non-profit organization whose from downtown Knoxville, purpose is to build & sustain the Historic Fourth and Gill a vital urban community by neighborhood features over protecting and preserving 280 residential structures, the historic architecture of including single family the area and by promoting a homes, duplexes, and strong sense of community. apartment buildings. For For info contact Brett Burdick, more info, visit the Fourth and at 406-3828.
Page 40, Visions Magazine, March 2014
Adult electric eels 5ft to 7ft long produce enough electricity -- 600 volts -- to stun a horse.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 41
Proper Tree and Shrub Mulching It looks like spring has finally come to town for good this year. That means I want to be out in the yard dealing with the winter’s impacts on my plants and doing things to improve their health and overall appearance. I know that properly mulching my trees and shrubs will both improve their long term health and the looks of the yard. What is mulch and mulching? How do you do it? Why is good for my plants? Mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. It can be organic (made from plant material) or inorganic (made from rock, rubber, plastic, etc). Almost any plant material can be used as a mulch, com-
mon materials include leaves, grass clippings, peat moss, Special ground wood as chips and shreds, ground and shredGuest ded bark, pine needles, straw Jeff (do not use hay, it will sprout and grow), and cardboard or Holt newspaper. Proper mulching has been shown to improve coloring agents, natural orroot health, help plants resist ganic mulches are a healthier drought, and protect the plant long term plant care choice. Natural wood mulch can range in texture from very fine to very coarse ground wood in the form of larger chips. Composted materials make better mulch than freshly ground, as freshly ground mulch will borrow nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes, from being damaged during making it unavailable to the lawn maintenance activities. plants being mulched for a Although mulching is often year or two. done with aesthetics in mind and can include dyes or other Mulching trees and shrubs serves several purposes at the same time, plant health being the most important for many people. Leaving aesthetics aside, here is why you would want to apply mulch to your trees and shrubs. Using mulch will reduce surface evaporation from the soil and discourages weed growth.
Both of these reasons help to enable the mulched plants to have more of the water that is provided and to not have to share water and nutrients with weeds. Over time, mulch will also improve water penetration and air movement in the soil. It will moderate soil moisture and temperature fluctuations and improve soil structure and nutrient availability as it decomposes. Research has demonstrated that proper mulching will actually improve the soil it overlays and make it easier for the plant to use it. Getting ready to mulch an area of your yard involves several simple preparatory steps. The first of these is to figure out what area you plan to mulch. Remember that mulch areas reduce the amount of
yard you have to mow. The next step is to clear the area to be mulched of weeds, leaves, and grass. Trust me it will look better. Some recommend putting down landscaping cloth or even a few layers of newspaper on top of the soil. From there, you are ready to mulch and there are only three simple rules to be used for applying mulch. The first is that mulch should be no thicker than 2-4 inches. A handy rule is that the coarser the mulch the thicker it may be applied. The reason for this is that finer grain mulch will often mat together and form a barrier for the exchange of air between the atmosphere and the soil. Most plant need oxygen in their root zones as much as (See ‘Mulch’ on page 51)
Page 42, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Bugs (Continued from page 13) way to control fleas, fire ants, termites, Japanese beetle grubs, cutworms and potato beetles. Adults need warm weather and soil moisture to survive. During an especially hot, dry summer it may be
necessary to apply beneficial nematodes in late spring and again in early fall for continuous growing season coverage. As described above, beneficial bugs must have
good living conditions and available food sources to remain in your garden and provide on-going p e s t control. This means not using insecticides or other chemicals on your plants t h a t will prevent y o u r beneficial bugs from enjoying a meal of pests, nectar or pollen.
Monaco is so small, it covers about 350 acres... a plant that provides nectar o r pollen for your good bugs, the food now has p o i s o n on it, and consuming poison m a y either kill your good bugs outright or send them in search of a new home. Adding beneficial insects to your garden is not a miracle cure. It takes time to eat a thousand whiteflies or a million fleas. But generally results can be seen within a week, and the cure is self sustaining. With beneficial bugs, there is no need to reapply the cure after a rain as long as the good bugs have food and good living conditions.
If your garden has a specific problem, like fungus, treat only that problem with as simple a remedy as possible. Avoid the temptation to use a “3-in-1 product” that contains insecticides or herbicides along with the fungus treatment. Chemicals can’t tell the difference between a good bug, a pest or a necessary food source. All the good bugs described Even if a herbicide doesn’t kill above will either wander into your yard on their own, as long as you’re not spreading or spraying chemicals, or may be purchased through organic gardening suppliers on the internet. If you buy beneficial insects, be sure to follow the instructions for placing them in your yard. These are living creatures that require careful handling until they are safely settled in their new home.
Antique (Continued from page 7) by the Clinton Region of the AACA. Local food vendors will again be set up in Hoskins/ Lane Park to help keep up your energy for a full day of exploring and shopping. The Clinch River Spring Antique Fair has grown in popularity every year for both antiques dealers and shoppers alike. These antique shows consistently bring thousands of visitors to Clinton’s Historic Downtown District. Rain or shine, everyone always has a great time and most go home with wonderful treasures. The fair is sponsored by the Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton in conjunction with the City of Clinton and Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. For additional information please call (865) 457-5250 or (865) 463-8699.
Fifty-five Monacos could fit inside the city of Paris.
Visions Magazine, March 2014, Page 43
Organic Gardening – What’s Stopping You? Perhaps you’ve thought about FAST. Organic solutions took care of plant diseases and “going organic” in your kept weeds at bay. own yard. But then you wonder – how much will Despite years of poiit cost, is it going to take a soning, earthworms lot of extra effort, and is and butterflies quickly reit really worth it? turned, grass and flowers flourished, I could nibble on It is definitely worth it! fruit and vegetables right from I became an organic garthe garden without worrying dener about 10 years ago in a about what they had been desperate attempt to quit being sprayed with. eaten alive by bugs every time I stepped into my own back- The main commitment you yard. I was using poisons to must make to have success try to keep the situation under with organic methods is to reccontrol, but it wasn’t working. ognize that you can’t be just a So I figured things couldn’t get little bit organic. When you apany worse following an organic ply poisons just to kill that one approach. pest, the poison doesn’t know a flea from an earthworm, it The turnaround was nothing kills them all, the good with short of miraculous! Sim- the bad. When you apply synple solutions like feeding the thetic, high nitrogen fertilizers, good bugs so they’ll eat the you’re feeding your landscape bad bugs, really worked, and an unbalanced diet. Sure it
Special Guest
Jan Lyons might give the lawn a burst of energy to turn really green, but it’s like only eating candy bars to keep your own energy levels up. You may get a nice short term boost, but an all-candy diet will eventually kill you. There are several keys to having a healthy, organic yard: 1. Stop using all synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals that harm living organisms. 2. Build soil health with natural organic products and techniques. 3. Grow native and well-adapted plants that don’t require artificial changes to the growing environment. So what does it take to do this? Start by using an organic fertilizer. It costs the same as the artificial stuff. The only differences I’ve noticed is you have to ask where they hide it at some of the garden cen-
ters. It smells a little different, not bad, just different. And it doesn’t come with warnings about watering it in thoroughly before allowing children or pets back in the yard.
not swimming pool DE) next to your foundation. Any ant that crosses the line will die from a thousand tiny cuts. Have fleas in your carpet? Diatomaceous earth sprinkled prior to vacuuming will not only kill the fleas Feed the good creatures in in the carpet, but also the ones your lawn, like earthworms, in the vacuum bag. with granular molasses (the kind you get from the feed Now before you start thinking store). Earthworms aerate about using diatomaceous and fertilize the soil, allowing earth to kill fleas in the yard, remoisture to be retained and member, it isn’t smart enough promoting healthy to know whether it is slicing up plant growth. fleas or killing all your earthworms. A n added For whole yard flea control, bene f i t o f use good bugs to combat bad adding m o l a s s e s bugs. Beneficial nematodes, to your lawn is that it keeps available from organic gardenants, especially fire ants, from ing suppliers, love snacking on taking up residence in your fleas, fire ants and the grubs yard. Yes, ants are attracted that turn into June bugs. The to sugar, but as a food source, only downside is that once all they don’t want to sleep in it. their favorite foods are gone, they starve, so they have to be Want to keep ants out of your reapplied every spring. Costhome now that you’ve chased wise, beneficial nematodes are them out of your yard? Sprin- no more expensive than all the kle diatomaceous earth (but (See ‘Organic’ on page 52)
Page 44, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Conifers (Continued from page 17) beat. Shrubby forms such as ‘Grey Owl’ and ‘Royo’ are low
and spreading while ‘Glauca Compacta’ forms an upright, teardrop shape that makes an excellent small specimen. For contrast and a punch of color, the many golden forms add more than a little sunshine into the garden. The larger growing ‘Golden Ghost’ Japanese Red Pine is a show stopper with its variegated needles of dark green and bright gold that seems to glow from a
distance. The dwarf varieties ‘Weedom’ Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) is a sunny exclamation point while ‘Roger’s Aurea Sport’ Western Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) is a feathery ball of gold. These golden forms make a great contrast to blue and green Conifers, as well as complimenting flowering plants of red or orange. The shades of green are unlimited in Conifers. The blackish greens of some Japanese Cedars (Cryptomeria japonica) such as ‘Black Dragon’ or ‘Komodo Dragon’ can add a somber tone while the bright greens of ‘Elegans Nana’ can lend a lighter, welcoming tone. The bluish-green hue on the contorted, twisty needles of ‘Mini Twists’ White Pine (P. strobus) give an air of whimsy. Green is most importantly the ultimate neutral for the garden. Green allows contrasting colors to stand out. It also forms an anchor for
Actor Keanu Reeve’s first name means “cool breeze over the... soft pastel colored companion plants that could wash out from a distance. Conifers are also great for adding an extra dimension to the garden that few other plants can offer– touch. With so many different textures, many seem to be begging to be touched. Without fail, visitors to the garden seem to pet many of the Conifers. The beautiful Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadoptys verticillata) is a very popular plant for this. Many think that the thick, wide needles are fake and just have to see how they feel. The fuzzy forms of Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) are given a rub and the sharp needles on Japanese torreya (Torreya nucifera) have to be tested, even though everyone is warned ahead of time that they are quite painful. Funnily enough, I’ve never had anyone want to touch my Azaleas or Geraniums.
The greatest benefit of a garden full of Conifers though has to be reward versus effort. There is no such thing as no-maintenance plants but the Conifer garden may be certainly classified as low maintenance. Asking very little in the way of trimming, fertilizing, and watering (once established), Conifers add so much to the garden year after year without major effort. With a garden full of these stalwarts taking center stage, I’m able to add companion plants such as bulbs, perennials, and flowering shrubs without making gardening a time consuming chore instead of a labor of love. For more information, the American Conifer Society has a fantastic website (conifersociety.org) that is a wealth of information. The ACS also has established a program called the Conifer Reference Garden. This program offers
those interested a list of public gardens where visitors can see a wide variety of Conifers out in the wild, so to speak. Luckily for those in this area, the UT Gardens on the Ag Campus is such a garden and is free to the public. So visit the Gardens and check out the website, but be warned. You may just fall under the spell of the other ACS: Addicted Conifer Syndrome. Pictured is a Golden Ghost Japanese Red Pine. Second is Prostrate Japanese Plum Yew, and above is a Blue Ice Arizona Cypress trained as a topiary.
About the author... Duane lives and gardens in Jacksboro. He is a past board member and Southeastern Region President of the American Conifer Society and is the Manager of Beaver Creek Nursery in Knoxville.
mountains” in the Hawaiian language.
Bees (Continued from page 15) crops are markedly different, one from the other, since the floral sources are constantly changing over the growing season. Interestingly, honey crops also differ – in both color and taste – from one year to the next. Subtle differences in temperatures and rainfall have effects on bloom period and the quantity and quality of flowers on one plant versus another. This can affect the floral selection process of the
field bees, which can, and normally does, vary considerably from one growing season to the next. The taste and color of honey is determined by the mixture of nectar sources in its composition, so there is an infinite variability in honeys harvested from the same location – from one year to the next, and even between adjacent hives. A beekeeper develops a keen awareness of the floral bloom succession over the course of the growing season. By simply observing the activity of
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 45 field bees from his hives, the beekeeper can note the presence of pollens being carried into the nest in the pollen baskets on the rear legs of foragers. The harvesting of pollen by worker bees indicates the presence of a bloom, although some flowers – like those of the winterblooming Silver Maple – are quite understated. We’ve seen our honeybees bringing in this nickel-colored pollen on warm days in early January. Pollens vary in general appearance – since each plant’s pollen has both unique color and structure in accordance with its species. With a little study, the types of blossoms being worked by your honeybees can be identified simply by watching the pollen bounty being carried into your hives by the colonies’ foraging field force. The presence of this early season pollen source is quite fortuitous
since honeybee colonies in and wondrous colony-dwellEast Tennessee are known to ing super-organisms. Learning a craft that has been in practice for seven thousand years can impart a sense of great satisfaction, as well as a connection to fellow beekeepers and to those who came before you – all the way back to the time of the Pharaohs.
start raising new brood (larval honeybees) around the time of the Winter Solstice. Beginning modestly, a colony will raise a hundred or so new larval bees at a given time during the winter months. However, by late March, a healthy queen will be laying 1500 to 2000 eggs per day – resulting in colony increases of 10,000 to 14,000 new bees per week. Taking up the gentle art of beekeeping can be immensely satisfying. Maintaining a hive or two in your backyard will increase the yield of many garden vegetable and fruit crops, make possible the production and harvesting of your own honey, make available a source of beeswax that can be used in dozens of applications, while also giving you personal insight into one of the world’s most complex
For more information on gentle art of beekeeping and how you can get started, please go to the ACBA website at www. acbeekeepers.org.
About the author... Fred Sloop is currently in his fifteenth season of keeping bees in Oak Ridge. He’s a member of the Anderson County Beekeepers Association, a support and educational organization of more than 125 members that meets at 7-9 PM on the third Monday of every month in the Clinton Community Center. Websites of interest: TN Beekeepers Association: http://www.tnbeekeepers.org/ Tennessee Apiarist: http:// www.tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/apiary.shtml University of Tennessee, Bees and Beekeeping: http://bees. tennessee.edu/
Page 46, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Daylilies (Continued from page 11) adding a handful of alfalfa pellets to the hole at planting time in early spring tends to heat up the cold soil a bit, giving them a better start. However,
I do not recommend adding alfalfa pellets once the soil has heated up, for obvious reasons. Once the soil warms, daylilies can be planted throughout the spring, summer and fall. Since daylilies come in early
Dr. Seuss wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” after his editor... bloomers, mid-season bloom- the daylily can vary a bit from sity of the sun’s rays and even ers and late bloomers, many garden to garden depending the amount of sun or water the people space their plantings plant receives. throughout the spring and summer so they will have exThe peak planting time for tended bloom in their garden. our area is during the month Your last plantings should be of June. Our walk-in customin the ground at least four ers start arriving in late May weeks before the first killing and continue through early frost. This allows your plants July (peak bloom is around time to get their roots estabmid-June). Since our plants lished for the winter months. are lined-out the previous year for sale this year, it is a Most people like to purchase simple matter of selecting the and plant daylilies while they particular plants, digging and are in bloom so they can see sending our customers on the color first-hand as well as their way to plant. Just dig a evaluate the foliage habits. A hole, fill it with water, drop the picture may be worth a thouclump in the hole and let the sand words, but it can never water absorb. Then pull the compare to seeing the live dirt back around the newlyplant in a garden setting in on several factors such as the planted daylily, covering it up your local area. The color of chemicals in the soil, the inten- to the crown. Be sure to tamp down the soil to remove any air pockets. Water it in well then leave it alone for at least a week to allow the roots to go out in search of water. Then, throughout the season, give it about an inch of water each week. Most of the time, the plants get the needed water through frequent rain showers. Daylilies will grow in anything from heavy clay to sand and are not fussy about pH. However, if you want your plants to do their best amend the soil with compost, sand and/or peat moss and keep the pH around 6.5. Also daylilies do not like to have wet feet, so drainage is important. In the 25+ years I’ve been growing daylilies, I’ve used a minimum of ten different forms of fertilizer. All did reasonably well, so there’s plenty of room for you to decide what works best for you. Presently, I use AthenaGro (the local utility company’s version of Milorganite) and Hooker’s Formula. Hooker’s Formula was developed many years ago by George W. Hooker, a retired chemist living in New Brighton, PA. The original formula called for measurements of liquid iron, fish emulsion, Miracle Grow and Epsom Salt in (See ‘Daylilies’ on page 49)
dared him to write a book using fewer than 50 different words.
Arts (Continued from page 10) of “ORCBA Celebrates Tchaikovsky”. The spring 2014 production will feature “Sleeping Beauty” and Act II of “Swan Lake”. Composed in 1889, the Ballet will celebrate the 125th birthday of Tchaikovsky’s version of “Sleeping Beauty”. This performance will take place on Saturday, April 5th, 2014, at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Sleeping Beauty performances for school students will be Friday, April 4th at 10:00 am. All performances are in the Performing Arts Center of Oak Ridge High School. Tickets
are $20 adults, $15 seniors, and $10 students (Children under 5 are free). Please contact Wendie Aurin, ORCBA President, at waurin@orcba. org, with any questions. More info can be found at www. orcba.org Music Arts School continues to offer opportunities for those individuals interested in learning to play an instrument or for any current musician wanting to learn a few new skills. Visit their website at www.musicartsschool.org. The Oak Ridge Playhouse presents “Huck Finn’s Story” March 29-30. Alive with color-
Visions Magazine,April 2014, Page 47 ful characters and action-filled scenes, this play for young audiences reveals Huck as a clever, lovable boy who is baffled by the greed, hypocrisy and absurdity of society. His conscience troubles him about what is wrong and what is right, and on a long journey down the Mississippi, he embarks on an adventurous tale of excitement and suspense that is delightfully sprinkled with Mark Twain’s home-spun humor. Times of performances are: March 29 at 1:00pm and 4:00pm and March 30 at 2:00pm. Following this terrific production by the Junior Playhouse comes “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, April 25 - May 11
at the Oak Ridge Playhouse – 227 Broadway Avenue, Oak Ridge. This Mainstage production evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of honky tonk dives, rent parties, and stride piano players in 1930’s Harlem. The rollicking, swinging music of the inimitable “Fats” Waller gets the joint a-jumpin’ as the cast struts, strums and sing songs made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. For more info or to order tickets for either show, visit www.orplayhouse.com or call 482-9999. The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association presents a “Double Feature”. The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra Concert will perform on April 12 at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center – 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge. The concert will begin at 7:30pm. Select music from the movies, spanning many favorites from the silver screen, such as: “Gone With The Wind” by Max Steiner; “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Schindler’s List” by John
William; and a Medley from James Bond movie scores will be performed. For more info call the ORCMA office at 483-5569 or to buy tickets visit www.orcma.org. The Oak Ridge Community Orchestra’s last concert was a great success. The group performed Ravel’s “Bolero”, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnole”, and Chabrier’s “Espana” plus a few short pieces. The orchestra has immediate openings for string players – cello, viola and violin. For more info, visit the website: www.oakridgecommunityorchestra.com For further info about any of these exciting events, contact the Arts Council Office at 482-4432 or visit the ACOR website at www.artscouncilofoakridge.org. If you have a smartphone or tablet download our free app to keep updated. Search Oak Ridge Arts Council to find the new app.
About the author...
Jim Dodson is the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Oak Ridge and can be reached at 482-4432 or via his email: jdodsonart@aol.com.
Page 48, Visions Magazine, March 2014
During the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was offered command of the Union Army...
Zip code 12345 is assigned to General Electric in Schenectady, New York.
Daylilies (Continued from page 46) coffee cans and orange juice cans. All the ingredients plus some water were mixed together to make a stock which Dr. Hooker poured around each clump of his daylilies. In a large garden, this would be a back-breaking chore, so I choose to mix the ingredients in a 15-gallon tank sprayer. I spray twice each season— one time when the plants are just emerging from the ground in early spring and the
second time in late fall (since the foliage die after frost and nobody—even plants—wants leave it on through the winter to go to bed hungry). when the plants are mostly dormant. It is the plant’s The intense summer heat in natural cold-insulator (along our area causes the foliage with mulch). to appear ragged by early fall. It is perfectly acceptable Daylilies grow at different to trim the foliage back after rates. In order to grow at their bloom season to 2 to 3 inches best, on average, daylilies will above the crown. You can do need to be divided every 3 it with a weed-eater, high-set to 5 years. Entire books are lawnmower or clippers. I’ve written on proper techniques found that a serrated knife for dividing. I’ve tried several works best for me. Trimming ways, but the one that seems promotes the growth of new to work best for me is to dig up foliage and keeps the plant the entire clump, wash off all looking good until frost. Let the dirt with a water hose and divide the clump down to a minimum of two fans per new clump. Going down to a single fan takes too long for the new clump to get started. Breaking down the original clump can be as easy as pulling the fans apart, using a knife and a twist of the wrist to divide the fans—or a shovel (if all else fails). In the process of dividing a clump, it is not unusual to lose a few fans because
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 49 roots and tops get separated. for a wonderful day trip. And Expect it to happen. Deal don’t forget to take along your
with it and move on! You’ll be able to tell when your daylily clump needs to be divided because the blooms will become smaller and less vibrant in color simply because the roots are so entwined that nutrients and water cannot penetrate the root mass and get taken up by the plant. So, whether you’re new to daylilies or are already a seasoned daylily collector, don’t allow this bloom season to pass without visiting a daylily garden near you. It makes
camera! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
About the author... Karen and Steve Newman’s garden, Delano Daylilies, is located in McMinn Co. just off Hwy 411 between Etowah & Benton, TN. It is open to the public during bloom season. Their local market is the $5 daylily—& plants are dug while you wait. Read more about their garden at www.delanodaylilies.com, or contact them at sknewman02@comcast.net or (423) 263-9323.
Page 50, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Wildflowers
A bird’s eye takes up about 50 percent of its head our eyes take up about 5 percent of our head...
in mid-spring; can naturalize and form breath-taking large patches
(Continued from page 20) succulent with showy white Meehania – a non-invasive springtime flowers, will spread creeping mint with large lavbetween rocks or pavers ender, spring flowers, perfect for wandering beneath taller Hardy Geranium – tougher plants than nails, clumper with bright purple-magenta spring flow- Gardening with native plants ers, tolerates dry shade but has become very popular for thrives with more moisture many reasons. There are plenty of very attractive and Yellowroot – woody peren- useful garden plants that hapnial, forms 2 foot tall spread- pen to be native and adding ing open ground-cover with natives helps the environment, fern-like leaves and delicate increases biodiversity, and purple flowers, very tough attracts wildlife. But whatever once established your particular motivation may be, be sure that you obtain Shade, Moist your plants from reputable Trillium – beautiful three- sources that do not deal in leaved spring wildflowers so wild collected plants. Wild typical of our moist woods with collecting is responsible for white, yellow, or deep maroon the decimation of many wild flowers mostly; ONLY plant populations and many unnursery propagated plants! happy customers who find Jack in the Pulpit – curi- that their plants die or do not ous brown, white, and green perform well. Buy from nursstriped flowers with 3 parted eries like Sunlight Gardens leaves will grow larger over who has been growing their the years; all children love to own natives for over 25 years see these and who has decades of experience using them in landBleeding Hearts – rose pink scapes. These experts can hearts dangle over blue-green help you create the beautiful fern like foliage, will flower gardens you want. spring, summer, and fall if kept About the author... deadheaded Andrea Sessions is owner Shooting Stars – clusters of Sunlight Gardens here in of pure white flowers each Anderson County. Visit Sunresembling shooting stars, light Gardens online at www. rise from lettuce like clumps sunlightgardens.com
Grows (Continued from page 12) bells and fan flower. Beware
of garden thugs that will outgrown the pot and compete for precious root space by midsummer. Matching containers flanking an entrance create a symmetrical/ formal type of design. A grouping of three pots of varying size on one side is more informal. Both design styles accentuate your home’s
entrance and give guests their first taste of welcome .If you like an eclectic feel consider using some out-of -the-ordinary containers such as vintage grills, leaky watering cans, poultry feeders, or even the husband’s old boots. An old Weber grill painted lime green or orange and planted with herbs could easily make each and every cookout memorable , especially as you pick and use the herbs while cooking! A chair seat or old wrought iron table planted with sedums is a delightful discovery among the traditional patio furniture. A planted watering can ( holes drilled in bottom) could drip with flowering annuals.
Are you ready to plant your Party In A Pot? Let’s put a pot where we need a dash of color, a handy herb supply, a visual screen for privacy. Container gardening works for people of all ages too. Children delight in growing picking strawberries from their own little pot. Busy parents enjoy this less time consuming form of gardening. Retirees will appreciate the less physical demands of planting a pot. Start this Spring with your new pot of joy!
About the author... Chris has been in the horticultural industry since her first job at a garden center at age sixteen. She received her degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape design from UT and has been on staff at Willow Ridge Garden Center in Oak Ridge for the past twenty years she will be a certified garden geek till she dies!
To be comparable to a bird’s eyes, our eyes would have to be the size of baseballs.
Mulch (Continued from page 41)
see borer holes, cracked diseased bark, and above ground roots. All of these issues act to shorten the life of trees and shrubs. The third rule of mulching is to spread mulch out away from the plant as far out as you can stand it. If the tree could talk, it would say the more the better. Grass around a tree requires a lot of nutrients and fertilizer to do well. Mulching around the tree provides the tree’s roots more water, nutrients, and oxygen that help it to thrive. Also, mulching around trees helps make maintenance easier and reduce the likelihood of damage from weed whackers and prevents injury to the lower part of trees known as lawnmower blight.
they need water. Thicker, matted mulch restricts the flow of air and can stifle roots. The second rule is to keep mulch an inch or two away from the stem of the plant. This will keep insects, diseases such as fungus, and even rodents from having a place to hide against the trunk. Many trees are seen around Anderson County with 10 and 12 inch tall mulch “volcanos” around their trunks. Although widely done that way in this area, it is contrary to the International Society of Arboriculture’s Proper Mulching Techniques. Indeed, if you we’re to dig the mulch out from around one of these mulch volcanos you might You can get mulch from a
number of sources in our area. Several companies sell mulch they make from grinding plant material and composting it. This kind is very good and costs as little as $25 to 35 dollars a pickup load if you can haul it yourself, more if you need someone to deliver it. Many landscaping companies will also provide the mulch
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 51 and spread it for you. Other mulch sources include local sawmills. You can also ask your tree removal company to dump ground wood from their daily work. Be careful to use these uncomposted wood chips away from shrubs and trees. However these chips make a good cover for trails not directly under the trees and shrubs. Whether you haul the mulch yourself or have it delivered, you will want to have a wheelbarrow, pitchfork or shovel, and rake to move the mulch around and spread it out.
2. Mulch should be no deeper than 2 to 4 inches; and 3. The greater the area you mulch away from the tree trunk, the better the plant will like it. Remember that mulching around trees helps reduce lawn maintenance and improve the looks of your property.
About the author...
Jeff’s Holt is a Consulting Forester in Oak Ridge. He is a Forestry graduate of the University of Tennessee and So remember the three sim- has an MBA from California ple rules of mulching: State University, Fresno. Jeff 1. Mulch no closer than two- has practiced forestry and fingers distance to the trunk or natural resource management stem of the plant; for almost 40 years in both Tennessee and California.
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Winter (Continued from page 21) Be careful not to mound mulch at the base of trees and shrubs. Keep mulch several inches away from trunks since moisture and lack of air circulation can cause trunks to become diseased. While it is always disappointing to lose plants to weather damage, it is also an opportunity to update your landscape and try something new. You may want to experiment with an edible landscape - use strawberries as a groundcover or a blueberry bush as a shrub. Or if you’re tired of the deer
snacking on your yard, try some of the deer-resistant plant varieties. You can also work towards a low maintenance landscape by choosing perennial plants that have low water needs, or by replacing grass with mulch, decorative rock or ground cover.
About the author... Jan Lyons became an organic gardener out of necessity when chemicals failed to control the pests that kept chewing on her and her plants. Her yard is now an edible landscape safe for people and wildlife. Jan has taught organic gardening for ORICL and blogs at gardengal-ediblelandscapes. blogspot.com
Organic (Continued from page 43) chemicals you would be using otherwise to control these pests. It’s thanks to beneficial nematodes that I can enjoy being in my yard without being eaten alive.
Olive trees can attain a great age. Some in the... and providing a home for the focus on building a healthy, good bugs, like fire flies and balanced environment and lady bugs, that eat pests. creating a comfortable outdoor space for all to enjoy. When mowing, leave the grass several inches high. This helps shade the roots and organisms living in the soil. Leave the mowed grass and leaves on the lawn to return nutrients to the soil without totally burying the living plants. If you must remove clippings, then start a compost pile or spread the clippings where soil is lacking. Using mulched leaves collected from neighbors, I managed to build enough soil in my badly eroded back yard to be able to grow grass by the next spring.
Regarding cost savings, many organic remedies can be prepared from common household ingredients. Baking soda dissolved in water with a few drops of soap is effective against powdery mildew. Homemade garlic-pepper spray will keep deer and other critters from snacking on your A landscape is a collection of vegetables. living things, each dependent Growing plants compatible on the other and part of a with your soil, available water balanced living environment. and sunlight creates a health- Without healthy soils, plants ier landscape since you won’t don’t thrive. Without the right have to use artificial means food and shelter, ladybugs and to keep plants alive. Balance butterflies will go elsewhere. is the key – replacing the Rather than looking at yard nutrients plants consume with maintenance as a list of bad nutritious, natural ingredients, stuff that needs to be killed,
eastern Mediterranean are estimated to be over 2,000 years old.
Pollen (Continued from page 24) In order to have butterflies you also need to provide food for the immature stage or caterpillar. Without caterpillars, you
will not have butterflies! Most butterflies will visit many kinds of flowers but the caterpillars tend to be specific to one or two kinds of plants. These food plants are called host plants. For instance, monarch butterflies visit flowers of milk-
weeds, coneflowers, asters, goldenrods, blazing stars, etc, but their caterpillars ONLY eat milkweed or butterfly weed. Likewise, the gulf fritillary will drink nectar from many flowers, but the caterpillars feed exclusively on species of
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 53 passion flower. Specific host plants may be necessary for other pollinators as well. Pawpaws are pollinated by flies and beetles but the larvae of the zebra swallowtail butterfly feeds exclusively on young pawpaw leaves. Be prepared to see your host plants get devoured but know that they will recoup, and beautiful butterflies are on the way. Bees are the most numerous group of pollinators. They gather protein rich pollen which they then feed to young larvae in the hive. Worker bees drink nectar and then share it with others in the hive. It also fuels their flights. Bumble bees can fly in cooler temperatures and lower light so they are important early season pollinators. Blueberries, serviceberry, chokeberry, and wild bleeding hearts are all pollinated by spring bees. Bees like sunny, dry conditions. They see ultraviolet colors and complex landing patterns on flowers. They tend to prefer blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow, often very complex flowers or clusters of flowers, and fragrance. Hummingbirds are also effective pollinators for many of our native plants. Like other pollinators, hummingbirds prefer plants in full sun that are sheltered from strong winds. Good hummingbird flowers tend to be red, orange, or blue, have long, tubular flowers, and have plenty of nectar. Our sole native species, the ruby throated hummingbird, over winters in Mexico and Central America.
Its spring migration northward coincides with the flowering of dwarf red buckeye and colum-
bine which will be flowering here in about a month. Who can deny the beauty of fluttering butterflies or darting hummingbirds? Or the intensity of bees, wasps, and other insects foraging over autumn goldenrods? These pollinators fill our hearts with pleasure while performing critical tasks. The study of pollination ecology is intriguing. Our native flora has evolved with our native fauna into a beautiful and fascinating system.
About the author... Andrea Sessions is owner of Sunlight Gardens here in Anderson County. Visit Sunlight Gardens online at www. sunlightgardens.com
Page 54, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Planning (Continued from page 9) list of the plants you want and take that list to the garden center. This is where will power comes in. Follow that list and resist the urge to take home every pretty plant that you see. Check the plants for obvious signs of disease and pest such as leaf spots or insects. It’s acceptable to pull the plant out of its pot to check the roots but check with store staff first to avoid an unnecessary scene. Gently
give the plant a tug. If it pulls out of the soil easily and the soil falls away the roots aren’t established. This plant needs to grow in its pot a few more weeks. If the plant doesn’t come out easily when you pull gently remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. The roots should be a whitish color and holding the soil together. If the roots are brown or soft this indicates an unhealthy plant and it probably won’t survive. If you find a mass of roots circling the plant with very little soil left in the pot, the plant is
The only dog to ever appear in a Shakespearean play was... root bound and may be past its prime. Root bound plants can sometimes survive if repotted or planted in the garden after some proper care which includes gently unwinding the roots that are circling the plant and cutting the bottom third of the roots off. But if you aren’t comfortable with taking the chance, pass up root bound plants. Start with healthy plants for the best success. By following some simple planning you can have the garden of your dreams this summer. The Master Gardeners of Roane County will be hosting our spring plant sale and garden show April 26 from 9:00 to 3:00 at Roane County Park. We will have plants of
all kinds for sale, vendors, We will be launching our Ask music, food, Kidz Zone, a Master Garden feature on our website in April. Submit your garden questions at mgroanecounty. org Also visit and like our facebook page to get garden tips and keep up with our activities. A link to the facebook page is on our website. Resource: UT E x t e n s i o n publication gardening demonstrations through -out the day and an Ask A Master Gardener/ Diagnostics booth. Feel free to bring sample(s) of diseased plants to be diagnosed. Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm will be a vendor and will be giving away three herb garden demonstration certificates which are valued at $30 each.
SP291-M
About the author... Lisa Deutsch is a Certified Master Gardener with Master Gardeners of Roane County. A native of East Tennessee, her garden style is free spirited cottage/butterfly gardening. She also grows vegetables in raised beds and is an avid composter.
Crab in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 55
Grandparents, Talk to Your Grandchildren Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation. Louise Wyse. Being a grandparent is one of the most wonderful experiences one can have, as most grandparents will tell you. I don’t remember much about my own grandparents, they died before I got a chance to know them well. But word from my mother and aunts told me that my maternal grandmother was an angel.
I only have one grandchild, a boy, who has been the joy of my life We are very close. I try to instill within him a sense of family heritage, where he came from, his forbearers-warts and all. I want him to know that the world didn’t start on the day he was born. It will be important to him in his older years in giving him a sense of family continuity and history. I want him to know that his great grandfathers on both sides were honorable, hardworking men with a work ethic
Senior Living Bena Mae
Seivers that followed them throughout their lives. I want him to know that his paternal great grandfather seined the Clinch River for mussel shells he sold to button factories in order to pay the electric bill (2.98) each month, never late. Paying his debts on time was very important to him. That he farmed several acres of land and held down a full-time job in a knitting factory, He was a kind gentle man, honest to the core, always willing to help a neighbor in distress. He never drank or abused his family, his only discretion being a swig of moonshine he drank first thing in the morning, he said to get him started . He called it his “starter” and that was the extent of his drinking. He was what you call a “good man.” I want my grandson to know that my own father was or-
phaned at an early age and raised by a sister. That he went to work at the age of ten, working on the tunnell between Cumberland Gap and Middlesboro. That he was mostly self-educated, taking correspondence courses by lamplight after a hard days work where he learned his trade of building roads and bridges across parts of Kentucky His reputation for truth and honesty was widely known, and he died with a good name that he prized all his life. I want to be sure to instill a measure of belonging in my grandson. I want him to feel
the security of the past, that the world didn’t just start the day he was born. So grandparents, start early with your most beloved grandchildren. Tell them their history. Teach them from whence they came. They will feel the rewards later in life.
About the author... Ms. Seivers’ articles appear in several newspapers in Kentucky where she has been a columnist for 14 years. She has written a book, Simple Pleasures, which is a collection of stories that focus on family, small town virtues and closeknit neighborhoods in Appalachia during the 30’s and 40’s.
Page 56, Visions Magazine, April 2014
Community Calendar The Community Calendar listings are free for musical events, theaters, art galleries, museums, community groups, public events, and non-profit groups. To submit your Community Calendar event please email us at: chris@acvisionsmag.com. In your email subject line include the words” “Community Calendar Listing.” Please be sure to
Paul Gaugin, the French painter, was a laborer on the Panama Canal...
include the organization name, old by June 1, 2014), 6th gradevent discription, time, dates, ers and 7th graders. Two oneplace, cost, contact name and week sessions are offered - June phonenumber with any submit- 9-13 and June 16-20 from 8:00 ted listing. Please note that we am - 3:30 pm (Monday - Friday) at are unable to receive calendar historic Freels Bend Cabin in Oak listings by US Mail, Fax or phone Ridge. Campers will do field excalls. Deadline to submit entries plorations and hands-on activities for consideration is the 20th day related to land and water habitats, life sciences, geology, weather, of each month. flight, forensic science and electricity. The week includes a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and special presentations by ORNL researchers. Cost is $150 Thru May 1 Registration Open for AMSE’s for AMSE members, and $175 for Science Explorer Camp for ris- non-members. AMSE’s Science ing 5th graders (must be 10 years Explorer Camp is sponsored by the AMSE Foundation. Find more camp info and Camp Registration form online at http://amse.org/ visitors/summer-camps/ Thru - April 20 Atomic Energy is a LIFE magazine exhibition prepared in 1948 in consultation with the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The vintage 24 photographic panel exhibition portrays the constructive uses of atomic energy and the need for international control. Artifacts displayed are the exhibit’s shipping crate, an exhibition pamphlet stamped American Museum of Atomic Energy and several books mentioned in the pamphlet. The exhibit was donated to AMSE in 2013 by the Samuel P. Hayes Research Library at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. AMSE Lobby Monday, April 7 Penny4Arts Performances at AMSE for Knox Co. students and their families. The first Sunday of each month, AMSE admission specifically for Knox County students (ages 5 - 15) is one penny each, when accompanied by a paying adults (18 and older) admission. Limit is 3 children per paying adult. Must have proof of Knox County residency (driver’s license) required for each adult accompanying the children. On Sunday AMSE is open from 1:00 5:00 pm and some restrictions apply. For more information www. penny4arts.com Friday, April 11 Homeschool Friday Program “Fossils” for grades K-2 and grades 3-6. Students learn about fossils and historical geology, identifying fossils in limestone hand specimens and making a
AMSE
fossil mold. In addition to these activities, the 2-hour program includes wet sifting of fossil-laden clay from a local site. Cost for one-hour program at 10:30 am for K-2 is $7.00 non-member and $5.00 for AMSE member, while cost for two-hour program at 12:30 pm for grades 3-6 is $12.00 for non-members and $9.00 for AMSE member. Registration forms are at www.amse.org or get at AMSE. Friday, April 25 Homeschool Friday Program “My Body & Me” for grades K-2 and grades 3-6. Students will learn about the different body systems and how to take care of them. Hands-on activities include a life-size intestine, X-ray photos, listening to body sounds using a stethoscope, and an anatomy puzzle. Cost for one-hour program at 10:30 am for K-2 is $7.00 non-member and $5.00 for AMSE member, while cost for two-hour program at 12:30 pm for grades 3-6 is $12.00 for non-member and $9.00 for AMSE member. Registration format at www.amse. org or get at AMSE.
located at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, is open Monday - Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm and Sunday from 1 - 5 pm. Admission is Adults $5.00, Seniors (65+) $4.00, Students (6 17) $3.00 and Children ( 5 and under) no charge. Group rates are available with advance reservations. AMSE memberships are Family $40, Grandparents $35, Individuals $25 and Family & Friends $75. AMSE members receive unlimited AMSE visits and free admission to 250 museums that participated in the ASTC Passport Program. AMSE members receive discounts on Discovery Shop merchandise, discounts on camps, classes, workshops and birthday parties. For more information on AMSE memberships, exhibits, programs and events, go to www.amse.org To schedule a museum group visit, call AMSE at (865) 576-3200.
Children’s Museum
Saturday, April 12 Please note: The American Connect to the Earth on the Museum of Science and Energy, North Ridge Trail, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., ages 9-12. Learn how plant and animal worlds depend upon and relate to each other. See animals while hiking the trail. Learn to identify harmful plants, how to be safe in the woods, and much more. Bring a sack lunch and drink. Register by March 29. Fee is $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Two adults are needed to help with hike. Class limit is 20. Saturdays May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 Kids Go Green! Family Gardeners’ Club – “My First Garden,” 9-11:45 a.m., for third graders and up. Learn the science of a garden and how to care for plants. Plant the plants you love the most, and then eat the garden’s bounty! Befriend the wildlife in the garden while becoming a steward of the animals’ home. Register by April 21. Fee is $12 per person per week, or $55 per person for the six-week program in advance. Class limit is 8. The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 W. Outer Dr., is offering fall pottery classes
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About 25,000 workers died during its construction. (Continued from Page 56) with professional clay artist Sherrie Carris. She has a BFA from the University of Texas, an MFA from the University of Iowa and a teaching certification from the University of Tennessee. To register, stop by or call the museum at 4821074 or see www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.
Museum of Appalachia The Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate and a not-for-profit organization, is located 16 miles north of Knoxville, one mile east of I-75, exit 122. For more information, call 865-494-7680, or visit the web site at www.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 57 museumofappalachia.org.
UT Arboretum Saturday, April 12 UT Arboretum Society Spring Plant Sale, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. UT Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Ave.; Oak Ridge. “Members Only”
th
Sale: Friday, April 11 , 5-7 p.m. The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society is a 48 year old, non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the objectives and programs of the University of Tennessee’s 250acre Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Proceeds from fund-raising events go toward the operating expenses and endowment fund for the UT Arboretum. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, and the UT Arboretum Endowment Fund, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org. For more information on the plant sale, call 865-482-6656.
Classes/ Workshops Saturday, May 3 “Working with Angels” workshop hosted by Angel Therapy Practitioner R Shana Elaine Brewer. 2-5pm. Pre-registration required $50. Shana will teach you methods for receiving messages from your angels, including special help from specific
Achangels. Workshop will be held at Images Studio, 109 Towne Rd., Oak Ridge, in Jackson Square. For directions or more info call 438-9115 Appalachian Arts Featured TN Artist Workshop Series! Sat. & Sun, April 5 & 6 Nuno Felting for Weavers, with Geri Forkner, , 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 6, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The fabulous textures that can be created by laminating wool fibers to cloth – AKA nuno felt-are all the rage these days. Now you can combine weaving and felting in a great new process. We will begin by loom weaving a loose web of cloth, carefully remove it from the loom, add luxurious merino wool fibers and wet felt everything together. Registration deadline: Call Center for information. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by March 17and the cost is $85 for Craft Center members, $95 for nonmembers. After March 17, Cost: $95/$105.
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A “zeedonk” is the offspring of a zebra and a donkey..
Page 58, Visions Magazine, April 2014 (Continued from Page 57) Supply fee for both days: $25 or less for fleece weighed per student and students bring their own warp yarns. This class is in the Featured Tennessee Artist Workshop Series and is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts
Commission. Geri Forkner creates felted and woven works of art from her studio in Tennessee. Geri teaches fiber arts classes regionally, nationally, and internationally to both children and adults, and is the recipient of an Artists-In-The-Schools grant. A member of the Southern High-
land Craft Guild, she cherishes the old traditions and skills while using fibers in innovative ways to push the boundaries of weaving. After graduating with a BS degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, Geri continued her education with weaving and surface design
classes at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Tuesday, April 22 First Line-First Page-First Chapter, with Kathleen Fearing, Tuesday, April 22, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Are you interested in getting started with a writing project, but don’t know how to begin? Have you dabbled in writing but would like a little expertise to spur you on? Would you like a published author to give you some input on your writing? This workshop is for you. Published writer and poet Kathleen Fearing will talk about writing techniques and tricks of the trade to get you motivated and to improve your writing. This will be an interactive class between the teacher and the students. Students are welcome to bring a piece of writing, but this is not necessary. Kathleen Fearing is a teacher and the author of several children’s books and books of poetry. Beginner. Registration deadline: April 15. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by April 8 and the cost
is $20 for Craft Center Members, $25 for nonmembers. After April 8 Cost: $25/$30. Featured TN Artist Workshop Series! Saturday, April 26 Introduction to Wet Felting, with Tone Haugen-Cogburn, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In this workshop you will be introduced to the ancient art of wet felting, while using some “modern” tools. With the help of soap, water and your hands wool rowing will become a very tough textile which can be used for many practical purposes, as well as decorative ones. Several techniques and types of wool will be tested. You will be able to make a mug rug, some wooly flowers, a glass case (or small pouch), and if time permits start a needle case. The instructor will bring wool rowing in many colors for you to use. This class is in the Featured Tennessee Artist Workshops Series and is funded in
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Puzzle solution can be found on page 34.
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 59
Page 60, Visions Magazine, April 2014 (Continued from Page 58) part by the Tennessee Arts Commission. Registration deadline: April 19. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by April 12 and the cost is $40 for Craft Center Members, $50 for nonmembers. After April 12, Cost: $50/ $60. Materials fee: $12 to be paid to instructor on 4/26. Also, bring your lunch and 2 small towels to be used during class. Beginner. HaugenCogburn was born and raised in Norway, but has lived in Tennessee since 1987. She has 20 years of experience in traditional and contemporary quilt design and teaches experimental techniques nationally and internationally. Pictorial and architectural elements are her favorites. Tone has exhibited all over the world and finds lots of inspiration from her travels. Sunday, April 27 Learn to Sew, Part 2, with Janet Donaldson, , 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. OR Monday, April 28, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Improve your sewing machine skills. Learn to cut out a pattern and complete a barbeque apron. Bring your ma-
chine (loaner machines available if needed). Materials to bring to class: Pattern # 2233 and 1 3/8 yards of material, thread, 11/2” pins, large and small sewing scissors. Registration deadline: April 20. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by April 13 and the cost is $25 for Craft Center Members, $35 for nonmembers. After April 13: Cost: $35/$45. Saturday, May 3, 10 & 17 Intermediate Photography, with Bob Stephenson, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. After a brief review of basic photography, we will cover more advanced optics including focal length, depth of field, and perspective. We will cover intermediate camera technique for several common situations, including close up photography. We will study intermediate color theory, the characteristics of light, color temperature, lighting techniques, and composition. By the end of the course, the student should be fluent in the use of photoshop, be able to correct common problems, and make excellent prints. Registra-
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Summer oysters are less tasty because the oysters may be spawning. (Continued from Page 60) tion deadline: April 26. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by April 20 and the cost is $50 for Craft Center Members, $60 for nonmembers. After April 20 Cost: $60 / $70. Intermediate. Sunday, May 4 Playing With Fire!, with Renee Mathies, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Learn how to melt glass rods to make beautiful one-of-a-kind glass beads! It’s fun and you get to play with fire! Covers glass and fuel theory, hands on glass beadmaking and safety. All materials included. Beginner Lampwork. Earlybird Cost: Register and pay by April 22 and the cost is $55 for Craft Center Members, $65 for nonmembers. After April 22: Cost: $65/$75. Registration deadline: April 27.
Center is a nonprofit center promoting traditional artists and crafts. The shop and class facility are located at 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris, Tenn., one mile east of I-75 north at Exit 122. You must pre-register and pay for all classes in advance. Call the center at 865-494-9854 to register. www.appalachianarts.net.
Erin’s Meadow Herb Garden Saturday, April 5 Learn to Grow Your Own Shiitake Mushrooms, 1:00, Herbal Workshop with Brewers Mushrooms $50 (includes a Shiitake log) The secret is out. Shiitake mushrooms are simple to grow in the backyard! Shiitake mushrooms are highly prized for their flavor and medicinal value, but can be quite pricey in the grocery The Appalachian Arts Craft store. Don’t miss out some great
eating, grow your own! Even beginner mushroom growers can experience the finest quality and flavor of fresh, home-grown mushrooms, because Shiitakes grow well in East Tennessee’s climate without a lot of work. All you need is shady spot in your yard. Learn step by step instructions from local experts. Every student will take home a Shiitake growing log! Brewers Mushrooms is located in beautiful Dandridge, Tennessee near The Great Smokey Mountains. They are growers of gourmet & medicinal fungi. Visit online brewersmushrooms.com Saturday, April 12 3rd Annual Beekeeper’s Field Day, 10:00-3:00, Presented by the Anderson County Beekeepers Association Free! Knowledgeable beekeepers will demonstrate the art of beekeeping with handson activities. Come, bring friends,
Visions Magazine, April 2014, Page 61 family, and youth to learn the gentle art of beekeeping. Lunch provided. Pre-registration would be helpful, but not required. Contact Scott:acbabees@comcast. net. Visit online www.acbeekeepers.org Saturday, April 19 Patio Vegetable & Herb Gardens, 1:00, Demo/Class $30 Kathy Burke Mihalczo. No garden? No worries! You don’t need a yard or garden to grow fresh vegetables and herbs for your family. Patio or container gardens can produce plenty of fresh, nutritious food for summer meals and save you money too! In order to succeed, you’ll need important information on choosing the right plants, plant combinations, selecting the right size and type of growing containers, the best soils for patio gardening, organic methods to feed and protect your plants from pests. For patio gardeners the rewards are many! Get your plants off to great start and grow a patio garden the whole family will enjoy. Kathy E. Burke Mihalczo is the owner of Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm. Kathy has presented herbal programs and classes for many organization in East Tennessee, and in Memphis for the Memphis Botanic Gardens. She is a regular contributor on WTNZ-TV “Mornings with Fox 43. Tune in to watch her segments every Monday morning. Saturday, April 26 Spring Weed Walk, 10:30, Herbal Health Class with Rachel Milford $30. Spring is an excellent season to forage for delicious and healing wild plants. Join Rachel on a “weed walk” around the herb farm forest and fields to see firsthand the vast selection of spring weeds that are edible, nutritious, and very cleansing to our body. Students will learn to identify and harvest these green
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gifts of nature, and sample a justpicked wild plant recipe. Knoxville herbalist Rachel Milford teaches about herbal medicine and healing with food. She specializes in digestive health and autoimmunity. Rachel has been studying and using herbal medicine for over eight years, including a yearlong apprenticeship with North Carolina Community Herbalist Suki Roth. Through her business Reclaiming Your Roots, Rachel offers clients individual consultations to help heal a wide array of health issues. Visit Rachel online www.reclaimingyourroots.com Erin’s Meadow is located at 132 England Dr, Clinton (Marlow Community) Phone is 4351452, www.erinsmeadowherbfarm.com. Business hours are April - June ; Tues - Sat. 10-5 Sun. 12-5 CLOSED Mondays and July 1 - Dec. 20 Wed - Sat. 10-5
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Page 62, Visions Magazine, April 2014 (Continued from Page 61) Clinch River Yarn Co. The Clinch River Yarn Company holds classes many days each month. Please go online to www. clinchriveryarns.com for a complete listing of times and dates for the classes above. Clinich River Yarn company is located at 725 N. Charles G. Seivers Boulevard in Clinton. Phone: 269-4528. Business Counseling Thursday, April 16 Business Counseling, The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) advises
and assists future and existing business owners. Jutta Bangs, Sr. Business Specialist, is available for free and confidential counseling sessions on Thursday, April 16, 9 – 11 am at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, 245 N. Main Street, Ste. 200, Clinton. To make an appointment for this, or another day, please call 865-457-2559 or email accc@andersoncountychamber.org. To learn more about the TSBDC visit www. tsbdc.org.
Events Friday, April 11
In the early days, Picasso kept warm by burning some of his drawings. Country and the King Show TCB Shows and R&M Tribute Entertainment present Country and the King Show featuring Elvis Presley/Johnny Cash/Merle Haggard/Waylon Jennings/George Strait/Jerry Lee/Willie Nelson/ Conway Twitty. The entertainment will be held at High Places Community Church – The Grove Theater located at 123 Randolph Street, Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, April 11, 2014 at 7:00 PM. Admission is $15.00 per person. A portion of the show proceeds will be given to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. To reserve advanced seats contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082/tribute. entertainment.com or Carole Polk at (205) 567-2556/ carole@ tcbshows.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at 6:00 PM. The show will feature Terry Turner as Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson & Conway Twitty. Ronnie Miller will perform as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and George Strait. In addition, Terry Turner will perform a ’70 era stage style tribute to the King of Rock n Roll-“Elvis Presley and Ronnie Miller will perform an Elvis gospel tribute.” Loca-
tion for the event is High Places Community Church – The Grove Theater, 123 Randolph Street, Oak Ridge. High Places Community Church allows The Grove Theater to be open to the entire community. Contributions of all kinds are welcome from those who wish to share in the theater’s expanding service and vision from scheduled work days to expertise in light & sound, to making financial donations to assist with keeping the lights on and the doors open. Terry Turner is from Lincoln, AL and Ronnie Miller is from Maryville, TN. Terry Turner is the Alabama Ambassador for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. Both Ronnie and Terry are multi-national award winning tribute artists, entertainers, and vocalists. A portion of the proceeds from this show will go to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Performers will be available to take photos at the conclusion of the show. For more information or to reserve seats contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082/tribute. entertainment@yahoo.com or Carole Polk at (205) 567-2556 / carole@tcbshows.com.
Saturday, April 12 Kern United Methodist Church Pancake Breakfast, Plant & Rummage Sale, Silent Auction, Kern United Methodist Church, 451 E. Tennessee Ave., Oak Ridge, will hold their annual Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 am until noon. Tickets for the breakfast will be available at the church office ahead of time or at the door on April 12 for a cost of $5 for adults, $3 for children 3-12 years, and free under 3 years. In conjunction with the breakfast, a Plant & Rummage Sale and Silent Auction will also be held, with bidding for the Auction ending at 11:15 am. Proceeds of the April 12 activities will benefit projects at the church. For additional information, please call the church office at (865) 483-5273. Saturday, April 26 Annual Wildflower & Plant Sale from the Oak Ridge Garden Club in Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. The sale will begin at 8am and will go until sell out. The sale will feature the pplant of the year; Echinacea (Coneflower)
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A “funambulist� is a tight-rope walker.
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Page 64, Visions Magazine, April 2014 (Continued from Page 63) Sunday, May 4 James Rogers at the Historic Grove Theater, A chance opening in a busy schedule will bring James Rogers to Oak Ridge on Sunday, May 4th to support Clinch River Home Health. Rogers is well know locally with performances at Dollywood and the Grand Old Opry, as well as nationally with tours throughout the United States. According to Dolly Parton, “He’s the best one man show in America”. He is a multi talented entertainer whose shows are filled with music and humor that appeal to audiences of all ages. His songwriting credentials include the theme song for the Air and Army National Guard, and the Bicentennial song for Tennessee. He is coming to Oak Ridge to support Clinch River Home Health, an agency that has provided skilled care for the homebound in Anderson County for over 40 years. Services include nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, as well as home health aides. Tickets for the James Rogers performance are $20 for
Adults, $10 for Children under 15, and are available in advance at the Ferrell Shop in Oak Ridge and Hoskin’s Drug in Clinton. They may also be ordered online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Event #609646. At the door, tickets will be $25 & $15.
Health Tuesday, April 15 PK Hope Is Alive, Parkinson Support Group of East TN will meet in Oak Ridge at Kern United Methodist Church at 11:30. Welcome Members and Visitors with Parkinson’s to our Meeting!! The topic will be “Pharmaceuticals and the Parkinson patient.” It will be presented by Justin Kullgren Pharmacist at South College. A light luncheon will be provided by E.T. Personal Care Service. We welcome and need you to be part of our Self-Help Group! Family care support partners of those that have Parkinson’s are very welcome. This meeting will be held the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 11:30 – 1:30pm. The meetings are held at Kern United Methodist Church in the Family Life Center. at 451 East Tenn. Ave., Oak Ridge. Our goal is to improve your lifestyle through greater understanding. Education, information, networking and guest speakers will assist on various topics. Please come join us and we’ll learn together! For questions contact Karen Sampsell @ 482-4867.
Sports Saturday Tennis Every Saturday of the year, there is an informal drop-in doubles
tennis match at the Jackson Square tennis courts on Broadway Avenue in Oak Ridge. They meet at 1:30pm in the winter and 9am in the summer. Ask for the Coordinator when you arrive and you will be matched up with players of similar playing ability. If cancelled due to bad weather, a make-up match occurs on Sunday at 1:30pm. Questions? Call Rangan at 474-0519.
Theater /Arts April 25-May 10, 2014 Ain’t Misbehavin’ - Mainstage Musical, This Tony-winner evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of 1930’s Harlem honky tonk dives, rent parties, and stride piano players. The rollicking, swinging music of the inimitable “Fats” Waller, will get the joint a-jumpin’ as the cast struts, strums and sings the songs made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The Oak Ridge Playhouse is located at 227 Broadway in Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. Call 482999 for tickets and show times.
VBS Mon, June 9 - Fri, June 13 Kern United Methodist Church Invites Children to Kingdom Rock: Where Kids Stand Strong for God. A summer kids’ event called Kingdom Rock will be hosted. At Kingdom Rock, kids
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In Japan, the dragonfly symbolizes good luck, courage and manliness. (Continued from Page 64) will participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamworkbuilding games, and prepare and dig into yummy treats. They’ll experience epic Bible adventures and test out Sciency-Fun Gizmos that they can take home and play with all summer long. Plus, kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. Each day concludes with Fanfare Finale – a celebration that gets everyone involved in living what they’ve learned. The fun will conclude with an epic medieval theme party for the whole family on the evening of Thursday, June 13 with a bounce castle, game booths and prizes. Kids at Kingdom Rock will be learning about and raising money for the No More Malaria project to end deaths due to malaria. Kingdom Rock is for kids from four years to sixth grade and will run from a 5:30 pm snack supper to 8:30 each day. The program begins each night at 6:00 pm. For more info, call 865-483-5273 or visit www.kernchurch.org.
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Children’s Museum Features Marionette, Crafts, Activities for Celebration of the Young Child April 11 Wood and Strings Theatre will bring the rich folklore and toetapping tunes of the Appalachian Mountains to life with a puppet performance of “Backwoods Ramblin’” on Friday, April 11, for the Celebration of the Young Child at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The celebration, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., will be a tribute to Selma Shapiro, who led the museum for 32 years before her retirement at age 80 in 2004. She expanded the museum from a group of small exhibits established by Girl Scouts into a nationally recognized regional center of learning and play, and continued to volunteer at the museum until her death in 2011. Wood and Strings Theatre’s marionettes play fiddles, smoke corn cob pipes, dance jigs and sing mountain tunes as they take the audience to the front porch
of storyteller Grandpa Will’s of pinwheels, a symbol of child cabin. He spins tall tales based abuse prevention, will be created by young participants in the muon “Jack Tales,” authentic seum’s Environmental LearnAppalachian folk ing Center and Gardens. tales compiled by Richard Chase. Storyteller Adele Roberts will Grandpa Will’s lead more storytelling and family, friends puppet fun. Roberts has writa n d ten a series of children’s books, starting with The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk. Her stories focus on teaching character values based on circumstances in which the animals find themselves. hound dog all join in the lively entertain- Puppets will be part of the Pilot ment. The puppet performance will be at 10 a.m. at the museum, 461 West Outer Dr., Oak Ridge. Before and after the puppet show, children may create “make and take” crafts with the Florence Crittenton Agency, plant sunflowers in the garden, be “Kids in Motion” with the National Fitness Center, learn about fire safety from the Oak Ridge Fire Department, and experience healthy living as they taste healthy snacks presented by the Anderson County Health Department and Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. New to the event this year will be Child Abuse Prevention and Healthy Start programs. A garden
Club of Oak Ridge presentation of BrainMinders, a children’s safety program featuring puppets presenting stories about safety issues. The World of Trains, the Puppet Room, TVA Waterworks, Rainforest, Dollhouse and other exhibits will be open. Wood and Strings Theatre, a professional puppet troupe that is part of the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Touring Arts Program, travels throughout the southeast and beyond to present a variety of productions. Clarissa Lega handcrafts the marionettes in fine
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If you enjoy reading this trivia each month send us an email to chris@acvisionsmag.com and let us know.
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Spoleto Festival, and The Nashville Theatre. detail, and Leon Fuller designs As part of a special Week of the sets with stage, scenery, sound Young Child celebrated in April and lights that can be delivered across the country, the Children’s to almost any location. Museum is honoring young children and all those who make a The marionette theater has per- difference in children’s lives with formed at National Geographic its special celebration. The Week Live! Family Series in Washing- of the Young Child, sponsored by ton, DC, as well as the Piccolo the National Association for the
Education of Young Children, is April 6-12.
tomato plants in May and expect big, round, red tomatoes ready to be sliced for my BLT sandwich. Patience for the harvest is a non-negotiable. I have to wait for the flowers to bud, blossom, and produce fruit. It is hard to wait. That is counter-cultural right now. We want everything instantly: communication, our lunch sandwiches and our travel destination. But a garden teaches patience. We have to fight the deer off of tender shoots, we have keep the bugs away, we have to wait for the spring and summer rains, we have to endure the dry heat, we cannot force fruit and blossoms and ripe vegetables before their time. I have to be very patient with myself and with others when I look for the fruits of maturity and growth. A harvest of character takes the patience of a lifetime. And, we are all at different stages of our growth. As the Christian classic writer Hannah Whitall Smith reminds
us, we cannot go to the apple tree in the spring and expect a ripe apple. The farmer’s seasonal patience becomes a model for patience in character maturation. Several years ago, I came across a prayer by Richard Foster in his book entitled “Prayers from the Heart.” This is where I first heard of the metaphor of “Gardner of My Soul.” I want to close this month’s article with the following prayer with that same title. Listen now to Foster’s insightful prayer taken from garden metaphors:
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Soul (Continued from page 19) grown. Needless to say, I had to use a pick axe and a shovel to dig it up and remove the root system. Long gone was the day for that plant when I could just reach down and quickly pluck it up. If I let bad habits, even wrong moral decisions, go too long, long-gone will be the day when I can just reach down in my heart and easily get rid of them. When I see a weed in my heart sprouting, I have to deal with it now! Otherwise it becomes a monstrous, negative growth that is almost impossible to root out. And finally, patience for the final harvest is necessary. I cannot go to my pepper plants in March and expect full grown jalepenos. I cannot go to my cabbage plants in April and expect full grown heads of cabbage. I cannot go to my
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Admission is $5 per person, and scholarships are available upon request. For more information call Carroll Welch at the Children’s Museum, (865) 482-1074, extension 105. Also, see the Children’s Museum web site, www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.
“Spirit of the Living God, be the Gardener of my soul. For so long I have been waiting, silent and still — experiencing a winter of the soul. But now, in the strong name of Jesus Christ, I dare to ask: Clear away the dead growth of the past, Break up the hard clods of custom and routine, Stir in the rich compost of vision and challenge, Bury deep in my soul the implanted Word, Cultivate and water and tend my heart, Until new life buds and opens and flowers. Amen.”
About the author... Dr. Curtis D. McClane is in his 10th year as the Minister of Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge. He has recently published a book on Christian hospitality, The Habitat of Hospitality: Being Jesus for a World in Need, that can be ordered at www. ketchpublishing.com/Hospitality.htm