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Page 2 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 3

Prepare your home for winter Local contractors advise: identify your problem areas and address them By ERIK HAND For the Intelligencer

fter facing one of the harshest winters our area has seen in years, local contractors and repairmen have offered up their advice to help you prepare your home and avoid a spring full of headaches.

Randy Leitner, of Randy Leitner Building and Remodeling, said that the most important thing you can do for your home before winter rolls around is to detach your garden hose from the outdoor faucet. Hoses can prevent the water in the faucet from draining properly, causing them to freeze. The freezing causes the ice to expand and bust the pipes that run to the inside of the home. Leitner warned that when these busted pipes thaw out in the spring it can cause interior flooding of basements and some serious money in water damages. Another tip to avoid home damage and costly repairs, Leitner said, is to clean your gutters before winter. Throughout the year and particularly during the fall, gutters become filled with debris that has washed off roofs. If the gutters become too full of leaves and grime going into the winter months, they can't drain water properly. When the water freezes, the weight of the ice can cause damage to the gutters and even pull them off the side of a house. Other than avoiding costly repairs homeowners can also do some quick and inexpensive fixes that will help them to avoid high energy cost this winter. "Doors and windows are the main areas for heat-loss in homes," said Leitner. To avoid this energy loss, homeowners need to walk around the inside of their home, especially on a cool windy day, and feel around windows and doors for heavy drafts. If a drafty spot is found, Leitner suggested caulking around the outside of the door or window frame and then replacing the weather stripping around the inside edges of the opening. Of course these are not the only places homes lose heat Mark Perry, of Mick Construction, recommends that a home's attic have an insulation value of at least R-30. “It usually takes 15 inches of blown insulation or 12 inches of fiberglass batt insulation to achieve R-30,” Perry said. One easy sign to look for when considering how well an attic is insulated is after a heavy snow keep an eye on the roof of your home. If the snow on your roof melts away while your neighbor's house is still covered, it could be due to the fact that too much heat is escaping through your roof and melting the snow. So don’t let spring meet you with a bunch of costly repairs and empty pockets from high energy bills. Prepare your home this winter and save yourself some major headaches and money.

Problem areas

Spend a little time now addressing the problems around your house so you don't have to spend a lot of money later. Pictured are three potential trouble spots. Above, a clogged gutter, which can lead to poor drainage and, ultimately, roof and ceiling damage. Below left, a garden hose, which should be disconnected to reduce the risk of water pipe damage. Below right, a torn window screen, which allows warm air to escape a home and drive heating bills even higher.

Page 4 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 5

FALL | HOME & GARDEN

Seal Your Air Ducts IT’S TIME TO FIX ANY LEAKS BEFORE THEY COST YOU BIG MONEY

ucts are used in houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems to move air to different parts of the house.

STRANGE BUT TRUE:

Despite its name, ordinary duct tape shouldn’t be used to seal air ducts in your home. It can’t stand up to the rigorous high and low temperatures like metal tape can. PHOTO: TIMHESTERPHOTOGRAPHY / YAYMICRO.COM

Unfortunately, studies show that in a typical house with a forced-air system, about 20 percent of the heated or cooled air leaks out through improperly sealed ducts, never reaching a living space and leading to high energy bills. To avoid high heating bills this winter, now is a great time to inspect your ducts to make sure your heating system is as efficient as possible. By making sure ducts are properly sealed, homeowners can save money and keep the house more comfortable at the same time. Ducts are often hidden away in walls and ceilings, so holes, tears, and poor connections may be difficult to detect. Signs that ducts may need work include unusually high utility bills in all seasons and stuffy rooms which never seem to reach a comfortable temperature. Some ducts, in attics, basements, and crawlspaces, are accessible and can be easily inspected and sealed. Tears and holes can be sealed with mastic, aerosol-based sealant, or metal tape. Believe it or not, duct tape is not a good choice for sealing ducts. Tt deteriorates too quickly. Grills where air exits the duct

system should also be inspected. They may be poorly connected to the duct, in which case air may leak out into the ductwork instead of entering living spaces. A heating and cooling professional can help inspect and repair ductwork. Properly sealed ducts provide energy savings and increase household comfort levels. Checking heating and cooling ducts for leaks is a simple step towards an energy-efficient home.

Page 6 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

Generators more important than ever

By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press

Extreme seasonal weather a threat to knock out power

Alex Iwashyna didn’t realize how many of her neighbors in Richmond, Va., had backup generators until her own family bought one in the dark days after Hurricane Irene. As she endured the drone of a combustion engine in her backyard, she noticed the same steady noise from neighbors’ homes. “I mean we joke about preparing for the apocalypse and stuff,” Iwashyna said. “We’ve had an earthquake, a hurricane and a wildfire in Virginia ... it would have never occurred to me to get one until we lost power for that amount of time.” Homeowners around the nation have endured a nasty run of power-disrupting storms, and sales of portable power generators have been brisk, industry officials say. The “big box” stores such as Lowes and Wal-Mart did not release sales information, but according to one manufacturer, Briggs & Stratton Corp., Irene led to a spike in sales. While things have slowed since then, “we are continuing to see an uptick in demand,” said Briggs spokeswoman Laura Timm. In some places, the drone of generators is becoming as common during blackouts as lawnmowers are on summer Saturdays. “I think we’ve gotten into a pattern of more severe weather events, whether it’s snow or ice or rain or wind, you’re just losing power,” said Kris Kiser, who heads the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, a trade group. “And I think people are more comfortable now with, ‘Hey, my neighbor has this generator and maybe I should try it next year.”’

In this year alone, a snowstorm crippled Washington, D.C.; Joplin, Mo., was devastated by a tornado; record-high water levels created havoc along the lower Mississippi from Missouri to Louisiana; and Texas was ravaged by wildfires. The insurance company Munich Re counted 98 natural disasters in the United States in the first six months of 2011, about double the average of the 1990s. A lot of this extreme weather snaps power lines. Irene knocked out power to more than 9 million customers along the East Coast. A big snowstorm in the bustling Northeast corridor can easily cut power to more than 100,000. The recent wildfires interrupted power to several thousand. And it’s not just storms that cause blackouts; investigators are looking into whether a utility worker doing a minor repair job led to roughly 6 million customers in Arizona, California and Mexico losing power this month. As the U.S. electrical grid ages, the number of power outages affecting more than 50,000 customers more than doubled between 2005 and 2009 when compared to the previous five-year period, according to Massoud Amin, director of the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota. Enter the generator. In Trumbull, Conn., Debi Norton was without power for a day and waiting in line at Home Depot to buy ice when she overheard a town official say that Irene had

hit her neighborhood so hard that electricity would not be restored until that weekend. “I said, ‘Four more days without power?’ And I saw the generators lined up on pallets, and I said, ‘You know what? I can do this.”’ Norton spent around $600 on one of the last portable generators left in the store. That’s a typical price, though portable generators can run to more than $1,000 depending on power and features. Larger “standby” generators that run on propane or natural gas can cost much more. A generator with enough juice can handle a refrigerator, a furnace, lights and more. Norton not only kept her food from spoiling but plugged in her computer to play DVDs for her son. Iwashyna used some of her power to run her trash compactor. Though unsuitable for apartment dwellers because of the exhaust, today’s compact units are more family-friendly than the rumbling machines of yesteryear. Some start with a key rather than a pull cord. Honda claims its quieter generators are “no louder than normal speech.” Of course, many generators are louder than that. “The noise is mind-numbing ... in the whole neighborhood, you can hear them,” Norton said. “It seemed like every third house pretty much had a generator, or got one.” In one extreme case of generator stress

during the Southwest’s recent blackout, a 45-year-old Orange County, Calif., man was arrested after the noise from a neighbor’s generator allegedly prompted him to beat the neighbor with a flashlight. Other neighbors complain of the smell of burning fuel. In Richmond, Iwashyna, a mother of two who blogs at lateenough.com, worried about whether the noise would bug her neighbors. “That was one of my Facebook and Twitter questions to my friends: What is the etiquette?” Iwashyna said. “We’re in the city but we have a yard and we’re pretty close to our neighbors.” She and her husband turned off their generator at night. Norton turned her machine off periodically so she and her neighbors could get a break. Norton also performed one other act of gracious generator etiquette when she allowed her neighbor to run a cord to his refrigerator. Despite the noise, Norton is happy with the generator. It gave her peace of mind caring for her son and she was able to enjoy hot coffee. Some climate scientists say that extreme storms are increasingly likely, partly because of global warming. And forecasters say the Pacific Ocean climate phenomenon La Nina, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of this year, has re-emerged and is expected to gradually strengthen and continue into winter.

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 7

FALL | HOME & GARDEN

Remove ‘Popcorn’

A HIGH-IMPACT FALL PROJECT TO MODERNIZE YOUR HOME

uring the 1970s and ’80s, homebuilders used an application now known as “popcorn” on ceilings. The finish is sprayed on, creating a thickly textured effect that resembles popcorn or cottage cheese.

Cover the openings with plastic sheeting. If you are unable to remove fixtures, wrap them in plastic sheeting to protect them. 4. Wear old clothing and sturdy shoes, protective eyewear such as goggles and a respirator mask. Though the popcorn may not have asbestos, the fine particles in the finish may still cause respiratory discomfort. 5. Start in the far corner of the room. Place a bucket beneath the area to catch as much of the popcorn as possible. Use a spray bottle to thoroughly 1. Remove all furnishings from the wet a small area, approximately 2 room, including window treatments. Cover the floor in a heavy tarp. If several square feet. Saturate the popcorn finish tarps are needed to cover the area, over- with the water. 6. Use a drywall knife to scrape the lap the tarps and tape them together. wet popcorn. Hold the knife at an angle Tape the tarp to the floor moldings as to the ceiling and scrape against the well. 2. Tape plastic sheeting over the win- popcorn in a forward motion using short strokes. Keep the popcorn wet as dows and walls. The popcorn gets sticky during removal and is difficult to you scrape. 7. Continue to spray and scrape as clean off of windows and other surfaces. 3. Turn off the electricity to the room you move across the room. Expect to see some damage to the underlying dryin which you’ll be working. Remove overhead light fixtures and ceiling fans. wall ceiling. Empty the bucket into plasThe material used is a mix of clay, chalk and gypsum. The popcorn ceiling finish may also contain asbestos. Before removing a popcorn ceiling, scrape off a small sample of the popcorn, seal it in a plastic bag and send it to a local laboratory for asbestos testing. If the test is positive, contact a professional contractor specializing in asbestos removal. If the result is negative, you may remove the finish.

tic garbage bags as needed. For areas in which the texture doesn’t scrape off, spray with water and allow the water to soak in for a five minutes. Return to that area and scrape the popcorn from the ceiling. 8. Wipe the ceiling down with a damp cloth after the popcorn finish is completely removed. Turn the electricity back on to the room. Begin cleanup by removing the plastic sheeting from the walls and windows. 9. Remove the tarps from the floor. Start at the far corner from the entrance to the room. Pull the corner of the tarp away from the wall and roll the tarp, folding in the sides as you go, and make your way toward the room’s entrance. 10. Use large garbage bags to contain the sheeting and tarps and dispose of them properly. 11. Repair the ceiling and add a new texture as needed. Add a thin coat of joint compound to the ceiling surface, sand lightly and add a coat of primer before painting. Re-install light fixtures and ceiling fans if necessary.

PHOTO: TELLIOTT / YAYMICRO.COM

Page 8 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

Hide your dirty laundry with style Make the most of your available space By KIM COOK Associated Press When we were young, “laundry hamper” might have referred to the floor under the bed. A little later, it may have m e a n t a m e s h s a c k k e p t b y t h e f ro n t door, with a pouch full of quarters for the laundromat. But we are grownups now. An attractive receptacle for the day’s castoffs is one of the small civilized gifts we give ourselves. It’s generally a modest investment that banishes the chaos, and brings in the calm that is the hallmark of a well-kept home. F o r c o n t e m p o r a r y b a t h o r b e d ro o m suites, consider Bed, Bath & Beyond’s sophisticated black faux leather hamper with removable basket, or West Elm’s sleek white lacquered cylindrical hamper. (www.bedbathandbeyond.com - $79.99; www.westelm.com - $99) If you’ve got a luxe bath, you may want to outfit with the Blomus Slice stainless steel hamper, with a sharp black lid; the Vipp receptacle in black or white enamel; or Zack Quadro’s Drumpolish, a shiny cylinder that could probably double as an end table. (www.everythingmodern. com - Blomus, $193.04; Vipp, $599; Zack Quadro, $241.80) Hampton Bay has a beautiful tilt-door double hamper that’s really a piece of furniture; it would work as a vanity as

well, and comes in white or hazel wood finish. (www.homedecorators.com - $209) A nice willow hamper from Seville has a hinged lid, and comes in white or natural. (www.bedbathandbeyond.com - $39.99) Seville also makes a professionallooking three-bag rack on a sturdy metal frame, complete with telescoping hanging rack and locking wheels. (www. sevilleclassics.com - $59.99) Ikea has the Lillangen tall-boy cabinet with portholes for laundry, perfect for a tight narrow space. The Fyllen basket in fire-engine red turns laundry gathering into a colorful exercise. (www.ikea.com Lillangen, $119-$134; Fyllen, $7.99) For the nursery, Southern California designer Nina Selby has a sweet aquaand-lemon-striped hamper for her Cotton Ta l e l a b e l . ( w w w. j u s t f o r b a b i e s . n e t $54.95) Redmon’s Stars and Moon vinyl hamper in white, pink or blue is charming.(www. everythingmodern.com - $29.99) Tre n d L a b ’ s C h i b i Z o o h a m p e r h a s a cute, friendly, zoo-animal print in a t r e n d y b l u e , g re e n a n d b ro w n c o l o r c o m bo. (www.babybeddingzone.com $40) Jo Jo Designs has several baby-friendly cotton prints for their nursery hamper, i n c l u d i n g a g r a p h i c c i rc l e m o t i f , a n animal print, a brown and pink damask, and a sweet blue-toned argyle. (www. b e d bathstore.com - $44.99) Or choose Jo Jo’S chic black and ivory French toile hamper, suitable for both the baby’s room and the boudoir. (www.babybeddingzone - $37.99)

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This product image courtesy of Ikea shows the Fyllen laundry hamper. The Fyllen hamper is available in red or gray.

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 9

Give your kitchen a quick facelift Small changes don't have to empty your bank account (ARA) - Is your kitchen looking a little worn? Or maybe you’ve grown tired of your decor? No need to call in the remodeling crew. Instead, turn your Saturday into Satur-DIY, and with a few simple updates you can spruce up your kitchen - and spirits - in no time at all. According to a recent Kitchen and Bath Business survey, 22 percent of U.S. homeowners are planning to remodel, but may be holding off for budgetary reasons. Small changes don’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Here are a few ideas that don’t take much time or money for a 24-hour kitchen facelift. Fabulous fixtures As the workhorse of the kitchen, start by upgrading your faucet - especially since an old or broken faucet can age your kitchen by decades. Pulldown faucets have become one of the most popular choices for their convenience and high-arc styling, and the new Benton pulldown kitchen faucet from Moen is a great example. The Benton faucet offers exquisite styling in today’s most popular finishes - but it’s what’s inside that counts. Featuring Moen’s unique Reflex pulldown system, Benton pulldown faucets offer smooth operation, easy movement and secure docking to keep the spray wand in place. Available at The Home Depot from between $199 and $219, you can make a big splash - even with a small price tag - at the kitchen sink. Walls that say “wow” Are your current kitchen walls blah or boring? Spice them up with a bold new hue that will make your kitchen decor pop. Not sure where to get inspiration? Take a cue from the color experts and designers at Pratt & Lambert paints, who just released their 2012 color trends with a palette titled “Echo” that features classic, bold colors.

ARA photos

Upgrades as simple as a new faucet, above, or table and chairs, below, can change your kitchen's look. Luxurious lighting New lighting can add life to any room - kitchens included. Shed new light on your kitchen by forgoing the fluorescent and replacing with stylish and functional pendant-style fixtures above task areas, such as the kitchen island or countertops. Chandeliers can be an ideal addition above table areas to create a focus point and dress up the entire room’s decor. Add storage and style with shelves Installing shelves in your kitchen is a great way to add more space, as well as create a new look. Install shelves over your sink or around the perimeter of your kitchen to hold items such as small appliances, knick knacks, cookbooks or framed photos to keep countertops clear and uncluttered. Customized cabinets No need to splurge on new cabinets when you can very easily customize your own. With just a few materials and hours, you can refinish or reface your kitchen cabinets. The process is quite simple, just remove the old finish by sanding the fronts of the cabinets and then either stain or repaint them to achieve your desired look. Or, for another option, replace wood panels with glass inserts for custom-looking doors that will show off your favorite dinnerware pieces. Update appliance appearances A stainless steel finish can instantly transform and upgrade the look of your kitchen. If purchasing new kitchen appliances isn’t in the budget, a coat of paint may be just what the doctor ordered. Krylon offers a stainless steel spray paint with real flecks of metal to offer an authentic match for an upscale look. Remember to remove handles from the appliance and place masking tape over areas you do not want painted, and the end result is a new look that tailors to your kitchen’s color scheme. While it may seem like a daunting task at first, these easy, one-day kitchen picker-uppers can provide a refreshing expression that you - and your family - are sure to love.

Page 10 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 11

Use natural light to bathe your home's interior (ARA) - Mother Nature is a master decorator. In summer, she dresses the world in lush greens and vibrant floral hues. And in autumn, natural light is one of her most powerful designer touches. Natural light should play an important role in your home decorating efforts, too. Not only does light from outside affect how certain colors look in your decor, it can influence a home’s mood, style and even the health of the people who live there. Decorating with natural light doesn’t require a designer’s expertise or budget. You can use natural light to create an inviting atmosphere by keeping a few important points in mind: The right direction Light enters our homes from every window and every direction. The directional source of natural light can influence the effect it has on a home’s interior. Sunlight entering from the north is usually colder. A northern exposure will only get direct sun during summer months. By contrast, a southern exposure guarantees a warm, sunfilled interior. Rooms that receive light from the east will have bright mornings, muted middays and cooler evenings. West-facing rooms will experience the most sun in the afternoon and evening. You can also bring light into your home from above, through a skylight. No matter where you put one in your home, a skylight will allow you to admit the full scope of the day’s light into your decor - morning, afternoon and evening. Both venting and fixed skylights will offer the benefit of allowing you to control

the amount of light that enters through it if you add simple accessories like manual or remote-controlled blinds. Tubular skylights, like Velux’s Sun Tunnel brand, can create a different effect by bringing diffused sunlight into spaces where you might not be able to put a traditional skylight, such as a first-floor master suite or a closet. You can learn more about skylights at www.veluxusa.com. You can download a free app on the website for personal devices including iPhones, iPads, iPods and Androids that allow you to see how different skylights will look in your own home. Simply take pictures of your rooms and place skylights in the images until you’ve found the ones that work best for you. Color coding The colors you use in your home decor will react differently under different natural lighting conditions. For example, reds will look vibrant and cheerful in a room that gets sun from a north-facing window. But those same colors might overpower the decor in a westfacing room. Settings with a southern exposure that brings in ample light can withstand a darker color palette that would make a northfacing room feel dark and dreary. You can balance the changing sunlight of an eastern exposure with a mix of colors. And neutral colors will create a soothing effect in a west-facing room that captures the sun’s fading light in the late afternoon and early evening. When choosing colors that will relate well to a room’s natural light, remember that the color will look different in your home than it does on the paint chip or in the home decor store.

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Page 12 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

Local landscapers provide tips for fall What to plant and how to plant it By ERIK HAND For the Intelligencer

all is rarely considered to be the perfect time to start working on major landscaping projects, but local garden and landscape specialists contend that there may be no better time than fall for many projects.

Dave Slemmer, of Slemmer Landscape and Design, said that while spring is usually the time of year when people want to get out and start working on their yards, getting things planted in the fall is actually the best option for healthy plants. Slemmer strongly suggested having the grass in your yard aerated in the fall. Aeration allows the grass to be heavily watered with less water runoff. Plus – with the grass getting the extra oxygen that aeration delivers – it will help strengthen the roots of the grass and give you a much better

Racheal Wilbur/Intelligencer

At top, mums and ornamental grasses, two fall favorites, at the Garden Kingdom. Above, a landscaping project being done by Slemmer Landscape and Design. looking lawn come spring. Since autumn is typically a dryer season it also allows for more overseeding of lawns. Without the heavy rains of spring and early summer to wash away the grass seeds, it's a great time to really pour it on and clean up

those bare spots, or even start a new yard. Of course grass isn't the only way you can work to improve the look of your yard and home this season. "Fall is a fantastic time to plant anything," said Will Young, Garden Kingdom's general manager.

Young explained this is because the soil temperature is still warm from the hot summer months allowing the plants to take firm root and establish themselves before winter, without the stress of scorching summer heat, plants are able to flourish in the fall. "A lot of plants actually do better

in the fall than they do if they were planted in spring," Young said. That's why both Young and Slemmer agree that fall is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. Planting trees and shrubs in the spring doesn't allow the plant much time before the harsh summer heat

rolls around and slows the plants growth, but planting in the fall allows them to take firm root in the still warm soil before winter. So when spring comes, the plants are rooted and ready to flourish. This is why Young and Slemmer suggest planting mums, spring bulbs, asters, pansies, kale and ornamental cabbage. Letting the plants get good and established in the fall soil not only allows them to be enjoyed during the fall, but it also means that when spring rolls around the plants have a head start and are ready to blossom and bloom as soon as the weather is right. Of course fall isn't only a good time to plant flowers and trees. Fall and winter are also great times to get some landscape construction out of the way. "As long as the ground isn't frozen we can do brick paving, patios, retaining walls or anything else along those lines," Slemmer said. Slemmer said that if people are not in a big rush they actually save these projects for the fall and winter months when the landscaping business inevitably slows down. "I've got guys here that I'm trying to get work for," Slemmer said. Slemmer recommends doing so not only to keep a steady income for his business, but also so that the customer can take advantage of the less busy season and be able to have more freedom when the project is done. So don't keep your green thumb hidden away until spring. Get to work right away and give your lawn and home the character that only you can give and when spring comes this year, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy it.

Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 13

FALL | HOME & GARDEN

Plant Some Fall Color PANSIES ARE AN EASY WAY TO ADD A POP OF BRIGHTNESS THIS SEASON

s the vibrant blooms of summer begin to fade, it’s time to revitalize the garden with fresh fall color. Cheerful pansies are prized for their beautiful, variegated patterns and their ability to thrive in chilly weather. They add warmth and excitement to any container arrangement, and their petite stature makes them a perfect fit for borders, edges and walkways.

THE GROWTH CYCLE

Pansies are considered an annual in the Midwest and the South, but in more temperate climates they often overwinter, making them a perennial. When planted in September, pansies will usually bloom into November or even longer. Once they are wellestablished, they will bloom all winter in Zones 8-10 and often survive in Zones 4 and 5. Pansies also tend to self-sow, and new plants may crop up the following spring in delightful, unexpected locations.

SELECTING PLANTS

When fall is near, your local garden store will be jam-packed with beautiful pansies in a wide array of solid and variegated colors. Garden experts often suggest shopping for plants on Thursdays or Fridays, before weekend crowds have

a chance to snap up popular varieties such as Karma Blue Butterfly, Inspire Ruby, Matrix Orange and Coronation Gold. To ensure a long-lasting, healthy blooming season, choose dark green, compact plants with plenty of unopened buds. You’ll want to save the best and brightest show for your garden, not the nursery shelf.

GROWING BASICS

Pansies grow easily from seed, but it takes approximately 15 weeks from germination to flower, so bedding plants are best for instant fall color. Pansies prefer well-composted,

moist, garden soil and thrive in full sun. To ensure steady blooms, plants should receive a dose of granular fertilizer (10-10-10) about a week after planting, then every three to four weeks during the growing season. Plants should be spaced approximately six inches apart and set into the ground four to eight weeks before the first frost. To encourage a longlasting blooming period, remove spent flowers continuously.

PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL

Though pansies are considered a

hardy, resilient choice for a fall garden, they can be attractive to spider mites, slugs, aphids or even rabbits — all of which can be controlled, easily, with common garden treatments. If plants receive too much moisture, their foliage may turn yellow or spotted, so it’s best to avoid soaking leaves by watering closer to the root base. Pansies make an excellent companion to fall perennials such as asters, chrysanthemum or late-blooming annuals like snapdragons or bachelor’s buttons. Common pansy colors include brick red, orange, yellow, deep purple, blue, lavender, mahogany and pure white. PHOTO: IVONNEWIERINK / YAYMICRO.COM

Page 14 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

Invite the songbirds into your backyard (ARA) - Shorter days, dropping temperatures and dealing with snow and ice can give many people a serious case of the winter doldrums. Most of us won’t be able to fight winter blues with a tropical getaway or a spa weekend. But there is an easy, convenient way to give yourself an emotional boost during the winter, and do something good for nature at the same time: feed wild birds. More than 65 million Americans have tried bird feeding, according to a recent Census Report. Bird feeding is an easy and enjoyable hobby for people of any age, ability and skill level. Whether you’re new to bird feeding or a seasoned pro, here are some tips to help you enjoy a successful, mutually beneficial relationship with your backyard birds this winter: Figuring out feeders The type of feeder you use is important. To attract the greatest number of species, you’ll need to provide different types of feeders and feed choices. Hopper and platform designs are always popular, but whatever feeders you use during winter should have a few features in common: • A wide cover over feeding ports, perches and dispensing trays will help prevent feed from being buried by snowfall. The cover should extend several inches over the feeder edge

to ensure protection from all but the worst storms. • Place feeders in sheltered locations out of severe winds. Placing feeders close to the house, or using window feeders, both offers the birds more shelter and gets them closer for great viewing. • Bigger is better for winter feeding. Large capacity feeders mean you’ll have to brave winter weather less frequently to refill them. Keep ‘em clean Birds appreciate cleanliness when it comes to their feeders. Because natural food sources are scarce in winter, your feeders will attract hungry birds. It’s important to clean them regularly to keep them free of mold, mildew and other unhealthy conditions that could foster disease. Backyard with benefits Here’s some steps to make your backyard even more beneficial to birds: • Consider adding a heated bird bath. Birds have difficulty finding fresh water in the winter. * Leave bird houses and nesting boxes in place through winter to act as shelter for roosting birds. • Choose bird-friendly landscaping that includes sheltering evergreen plants, and plants that provide fruit for a natural winter food source. Give birds a boost with food high in fat, nutrition and energy

With insects and fruit harder to find naturally during winter months, most birds will thrive on seeds. Suet, solid fat rendered from beef, venison or vegetables, is also good for birds, and provides much needed concentrated energy. Serving suet used to be a messy affair, but bird feed producers like Cole’s Wild Bird Products have made the task much easier for the server and even more beneficial for birds. Cole’s offers several mess-free ways to serve suet: • Suet Kibbles are high potency and offer birds the berry flavors they love. Cole’s formulation also incorporates dried insects for increased stamina. Serve it in a sunflower feeder or mix with your favorite seed to attract warblers, woodpeckers, bluebirds and nuthatches. • Suet Pearls feature sunflower meats buried within energy-packed suet. You can serve them separately or mix with seed. Your seed choices should be highquality and tailored to provide birds with the biggest energy bonanza possible. Sunflower is a great seed option for winter because it’s rich in oil, which attracts birds and provides them with plenty of energy. Cole’s Oil Sunflower is the highest-grade black oil sunflower seed, it’s over 99 percent pure and cleaned four times to ensure you get more seed and fewer sticks.

ARA photo

Bird feeders add enjoyment to winter.

Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 15

FALL | HOME & GARDEN

Head Start for Landscape REDOING YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE FOR THE SPRING? START PLANNING NOW

y the end of summer, after a whole season of tending plants, landscaping may be the last thing on most people’s minds.

Even so, it is important to use the off season to prepare for a great landscape when spring rolls around. Professional landscapers and landscape designers are already aware of this fact, and they spend their days helping homeowners and business owners solve common landscape problems, no matter what the season or the temperature outside.

MAKE PLANS

The off season is indeed a great time to start planning for that new landscape. If you have always wanted to change the exterior look of your home or business, the fall and winter months can be a great time to start the planning process. Landscape designers will be less busy during the off season, and you will have plenty of time to plan, and budget, for the springtime transformation of your exterior.

EXTRA TIME

Planning early will also give you plenty of time to interview potential landscape companies — or do shopping yourself at garden centers — in order to choose the most qualified company and products. It can be difficult to make such an important decision when you are pressed for time, but by starting the search early you will be able to thor-

oughly review the certifications, training and qualifications or any landscaper or landscape design firm you are considering. If the changes will involve major work, the winter months can be great for preparing planting beds, lawns and gardens for their revamped look when the growing season begins.

BUDGET

As you go forward with your planning, it is important to consider your budget as well. As you begin gathering estimates of the cost of your new landscape, it is important to provide the firms with plenty of information in order to ensure an accurate quote. Having a number of quotes and estimates in front of you will make it much easier for you to compare firms, and knowing how much the project will cost will give you the time you need to gather the funds needed before the project begins in earnest. It is important as well to consider the look you are aiming for with your new landscape. Some homeowners will prefer a more casual approach, while others will opt for a formal garden and landscape. It is important to consider a number of factors when making this decision, including the need for ongoing maintenance and the costs involved. PHOTO: MONKEYBUSINESS / YAYMICRO.COM

Page 16 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

There's no limit to what you can do in your yard Glass and metal create some unique vistas

By JENNIFER FORKER Associated Press It would be an unusual backyard anywhere — especially, perhaps, among the cornfields and tall grasses of Nebraska. When Michele Semin wanted to replace an aging swimming pool behind her rural-suburban home, she gave her high school friend Chris Murphy, a designer for nearly 30 years, permission to go wild. Be inventive. And so he did. Bands of brightly colored glass now flow like an undulating stream from Semin’s forest-green house toward the wooded back expanse of her three-acre yard. The colored bands cover about 3,000 square feet and are broken up by islands of white river rocks — some meticulously laid — on which lounge furniture, potted flowers and even a bright red metal sculpture perch. It’s Semin’s idea of heaven. The Lincoln, Neb., radiologist works long days, often in a dark, windowless room. When she returns home, she’s greeted by her three dogs and, out back, a riot of color. “I come outside and the vibrant colors and the dogs are around me,” she muses. “It’s like meditation. It’s peaceful.” “It’s gorgeous when the glass is slightly damp,” Semin adds. “It shimmers like sugar on a cookie.” Murphy, of Christopher Murphy Designs in Tulsa, Okla., says Semin likes vibrant, abstract and symbolic artwork, and he wanted to incorporate those elements into her garden. The swirls of colored glass, he says, evoke the work of Emilio Pucci, the 20th century Italian designer whose fashionable prints swirled with bold, geometrical patterns. But why colored glass? Murphy says the garden plan came to him in a dream. “I have always dreamed in 3-D,” he says. The garden’s colorful curves symbolize ocean waves, but also waves of energy and even the “waves of grain”

familiar to this Midwestern environment. “We took a pool out that could have waves in it, in theory, and replaced it with a hard wave,” Murphy says. Semin, 45, says her dogs can run across the glass garden, and she can walk on it barefoot. The recycled glass has been tumbled, so there are no rough edges. “It doesn’t cut; it’s all smooth; it’s just a little prickly,” says Semin. “It’s not any different from walking on pebbles.” Of course, this garden is not for everyone. For starters, although Semin didn’t want to share how much her garden cost, everyone involved says it was a costly undertaking. Twenty-eight-thousand pounds of tumbled glass — in 50-pound bags — doesn’t come cheap, nor does almost 10,000 pounds of white river rocks, or the labor costs associated with installing them. “At one point, I had so many bags of rocks and glass stacked up around my house,” Semin says. “My neighbors must have thought I was crazy; they probably still do.” Plants were brought in to soften the look, and a porch that overlooks the garden was rebuilt. A large fountain and the red sculpture break up the lines, and add interest and vertical forms. The project took six months and was finished last October. LuAnn Finke of Finke Gardens and Nursery in Lincoln, Neb., says the ground needed to be filled in and leveled, then heavy-duty landscaping fabric was installed — not only to deter weeds but to keep the glass and rocks from sinking into the soil. Metal landscaping edging subtly separates the glass colors and helps make the design “pop.” “In some ways, the edging underscores (the garden) like a child’s drawing edged in black,” says Finke. A landscape designer, Finke is more accustomed to

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working with plants, and her team installed plenty of perennials: ornamental grasses, cascading white roses and spring-blooming bulbs, in particular. Moneywort covers the ground nearest the glass garden. In its first year, Semin says, the garden has required little maintenance. She puts pieces of errant glass back where they belong and pulls an occasional weed. Rains soak through the glass, and strong winds have, so far, blown leaves and debris off it. Murphy says his friend may have to “fluff” the glass garden with a straw broom on occasion, but “it’s very soothing to go back and smooth it, rake it, like a Japanese rock garden,” he says. Homeowners wary of a project this size might incorporate tumbled, colored glass in their landscaping on a smaller scale — anywhere one would install rocks or mulch, says Murphy. Corbin Layton, sales manager for American Specialty Glass in Salt Lake City, which provided the glass for this project, suggests livening up a flower bed with glass or adding it to a water feature. “It has a lot of appeal to people wanting to make a small change to their yards,” he says. “It makes a huge difference.” Semin says her garden shines in every season. After a snowfall, the glass heats up before surrounding terrain does, melting snow at staggered rates: The dark glass absorbs more light, so melts through first. It gives the winter landscape a burst of color. “When all the rest of the world around you is gray and dark, this color starts to break through,” says Semin. The garden is lighted at night, too. “It’s so dark in the country,” says Murphy. “To have this light makes this (garden) come alive at night. (The glass) sparkles like stars.”

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall HOme & Garden – Page 17

Vegetable season doesn't end with summer (ara) - If you think the end of summer means your vegetable gardening days are done, you’ll need to reconsider. The weeks when summer fades into fall are actually an opportune time to plant coolweather crops. Fall is a great time of year for planting vegetables. Some of nature’s most nutritious greens and veggies thrive in cooler temperatures. Planting them now, at summer’s end, can ensure a bountiful fall harvest. Plus you’ll save a bundle by avoiding the produce aisle in your grocery store for a few more months. The sunny, cooler weather of autumn is perfect for many vegetables. With increased rainfall and temperatures ranging between 60 and 80 degrees in the day and higher than 40 at night, your plants suffer less, increasing your likelihood of good harvest. You can even cope with frost; some hardy vegetables can thrive without frost protection, and covering less resistant plants when frost threatens can keep them thriving. The secrets of successful fall planting don’t differ much from the techniques you’ve used during high season. Cool crops will need at least six hours of sun daily, ample water and a steady supply of much-needed nutrients. You can get a jump-start by planting transplants. Seed germination of cool crops during late summer requires much attention

ARA photo

There's plenty to keep gardeners busy in the fall. to detail. Transplants are a quicker, easier route to ensure success. Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of vegetables and herbs in north america, offers some quick tips for picking the right plants for your fall garden: • Choose fast-growing, leafy cool crops like broccoli, Swiss chard, let-

tuce, kale, spinach, collards and arugula. leafy vegetables are actually harder to grow in the summer, when the heat can cause them to “bolt,” forming flowers and seeds. Bolting leaves edible portions tasting bitter. You could choose to plant two rounds of these vegetables, in spring and again in late summer.

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• don’t delay. The ideal time to plant your fall crops is before the end of august, although if you missed that window, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a successful fall harvest. It just might take more time and ingenuity. • Pick a place. Your existing garden is the perfect place to plant cool weather crops. remember, frost flows downhill like water, so spots at the top of a slope or in south-facing locations will remain warmest. • You can also plant your fall crops in raised beds, which are easy to cover when frost threatens, or in pots that can be brought inside when temperatures dip too low. • Know how they grow. Pay close attention to “days to maturity” information listed on plant tags. You’ll want to give plants enough time to produce before killing frost arrives. • Good gardening practices will get your fall garden growing. loosen soil before you plant and mix in some all-natural fertilizer, like Bonnie Plants Herb and Vegetable Plant Food. made from soybean oilseed extract, this food contains 150,000 nutritional and vital organic compounds including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, enzymes, plant hormones and carbohydrates, it’s an excellent source of nutrition in home gardens. Consider these popular plants

from Bonnie: • Packman Broccoli - This hardy vegetable develops best during the cool season. It matures in 45 to 55 days and has large, bright green, mildly flavored domed heads. Plant transplants 18 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart. • Top Bunch Collards - This hybrid is heavy yielding, early maturing, and more uniform than traditional varieties. The leaves are upright, broad, and a beautiful, waxy, deep green. These collards grow best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. like all collards, they are rich in vitamins and sweetened by frost. Space transplants 36 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. • Spinach - a cool-weather vegetable related to beets and Swiss chard, Bonnie’s Spinach is a fast-growing plant. It yields many leaves in a short time in fall. although it prefers full sun, spinach is one of the few vegetables that produce a respectable harvest in partial shade. With some advanced planning, active attention, and the right choice of plants, you can continue to enjoy your garden and fresh, flavorful produce, long after the dog days of summer are done. To learn more about cool season varieties and helpful hints on getting your garden growing, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

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Page 18 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19

Fall is the key season for your lawn (ARA) - The approach of fall means different things in different parts of the country. While leaves begin turning from emerald to crimson in Maine, gardeners in Arizona may be just plotting out the vegetable garden. For nearly everywhere in the United States, however, the cooler temperatures and increased precipitation make for an ideal climate in which to give the grass some attention. Taking a few simple measures will kick-off fall on the right foot. Seed: Whether your Bermuda grass lawn in the south has turned brown and gone dormant for the season, or your Kentucky blue grass lawn has suffered due to the extreme heat of summer in the north, make repair work easy by choosing the correct grass seed for the job. For the South: In most southern climates, fall is the perfect time to be outdoors entertaining friends, but a brown lawn is not friendly enough for frolicking. Some of the neighbors may have scalped their lawns of turfgrass, planted ryegrass or mulched and fertilized with manure - accompanied by a very foul odor - in an attempt to grow a new lawn for winter. But who needs all that work? Everything you need to get a great winter lawn is combined into one bag, with Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed Ultimate Winter Lawn Mix. Getting a soft, green carpet of grass is quick and easy with the Winter Lawn Mix. It contains an expandable mulch, selected seed mix, and fertilizer. Establishing a lawn has never been easier nor more successful. In the North: Even if your lawn is in great shape overall, fall is a great time to repair those smaller, bare spots along the driveway or under the swing. Additionally, reseeding a lawn that suffers from thinning will give it a more lush, uniform appearance and help prevent weeds from establishing

Where to start? For smaller areas, use Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed to quickly and easily establish beautiful grass in bare spots. For all-over thickening or “overseeding,” try Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade Mix featuring WaterSmart coating technology. Both products contain high-quality grass seed that will aggressively spread to fill in bare spots. Both options yield early seeding success with less water. Mow: For an established lawn, set the mower at the highest recommended setting for your grass type and leave clippings on the lawn. Doing so keeps the soil cooler, and encourages deeper root growth. Leaving the clippings on your lawn adds organic material back into the grass, enriching the soil. Don’t rake those leaves: Leaves that have been left on the lawn and chopped up into dime sized pieces by the mower provide a natural layer of organic matter that will break down and help nourish the lawn. Once the leaf bits settle in, microbes and worms get to work recycling them. Any kind of rotary-action mower will do the job chopping up any kind of leaf. With several passes of your mower, you can mulch up to 18 inches of leaf clutter. Adding a nice layer of lawn food afterwards will help break down the mulched leaves even faster. When grass is fed after mulching leaves, it will grow better and microbes will work harder. Feed: Grass needs nutrients just like you do. With the proper feeding, grass will grow stronger, deeper roots that can endure harsh conditions and crowd out weeds. Use a starter fertilizer, like Scotts Turf Builder Starter Fertilizer, when planting new grass to promote root growth and seedling development. Follow these easy tips to care for and repair your grass this fall. It will thank you by being thicker, greener and more weed-free come spring.

ARA photo

Unless you plan on seeding your lawn, leave the rake in the shed. The leaves, when mulched by a mower, are the perfect food for any yard.

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Wednesday, October 19 – theintelligencer.com – Fall Home & Garden – Page 19

FALL | HOME & GARDEN

Backyard Family Fun FIVE IDEAS FOR EXPLORING NATURE WITH YOUR CHILDREN

utumn is a great season for outdoor exploration with children, and you don’t have to go far to have fun. Take your children on one of these outdoor adventures that you can tailor to their age and interests.

Collect leaves together. Help toddlers categorize them based on color, shape, or size. Model for children how to arrange their leaves in the shapes of animals or people. Place their leaf creations between two pieces of clear contact paper. Children can then use them for further imaginary play.

Make a bird feeder. Gather pinecones and cover them with peanut butter and birdseed. Hang them outside and watch the birds discover this treat.

Navigate an obstacle course. Set up outdoor chairs, planks of scrap wood, hula hoops, or rocks in a design that is appropriate for your child’s age and physical ability. Give them a specific sequence of instructions, such as hop over three rocks, walk backwards to the hula hoop, and crawl under the chair. Or, allow them to freely explore.

Play with chalk. Scribble. Trace each other’s bodies. Draw a map of your house. Track the sun’s movement throughout the day by marking lines where it shines on the ground and noting the time.

Examine bugs using a magnifying glass. Draw observations. Talk about the different kinds of bugs that show up at different times of year. PHOTO: MONKEYBUSINESS / YAYMICRO.COM

Page 20 - Fall Home & Garden - theintelligencer.com - Wednesday, October 19