Spring 2024

SHOW in Parade of Homes! Timeless custom designed open floor plan on one level! Magnificent Private Master Suite with entry to Music Room. Spacious master bath with designer closet. Sunny and bright in all rooms. Corner lot with huge backyard patio. Wonderful HOA amenities including clubhouse and pool and tennis courts.

Take Back Your Free Time

4 Expert Tips for Reducing Lawn Maintenance

(BPT) - If you love your outdoor space - but aren’t crazy about weeding, watering and mulching - you’ll be glad to know there are simple ways to minimize maintenance of your yard and garden. With a bit of planning and some up-front investment, you can cut down on the time you spend working in your yard, so you have

more time to just relax and enjoy it.

Here are tried-and-true tips for creating an outdoor space that won’t use up all your leisure time.

Reduce Your Lawn

To cut down on the weekly attention a typical lawn demands, consider cutting down on the square footage of grass. By adding more hardscaping - a larger patio, decking, a gazebo or other structure - you may also expand the ways you can enjoy your outdoor space beyond just watching the grass grow.

Another alternative to grass many choose today is artificial turf, especially in areas experiencing water shortages.

Plant - or Replant - more thoughtfully

What you grow in your yard makes a huge difference in terms of maintenance. To reduce your workload, try to:

• Choose perennials that are low-maintenance and don’t require replanting

• Opt for native plants suitable for your region

• Select hardy plants that thrive on benign neglect

• Plant in the best spot for optimal growth

For help choosing the most maintenance-free plantings for your yard, start by doing an online search for native plants in your state, along with looking up the USDA hardiness zone where you live. Nursery or garden store professionals can also offer their expertise, as can your local agricultural extension office.

Rethinking your choices of flowers, plants and shrubs can turn a yard that needs constant tending into one requiring minimal effort.

Use Landscaping Stone to beautify your yard and garden

Another great option for simplifying yardwork is using landscaping stone instead of standard mulch. While requiring a bit more investment up front, options like Pavestone Pea, Pond or River Pebbles are much more cost effective over time, because stones are much longer lasting, making them ideal for gardens, pathways, ponds and many other applications around your yard.

Landscaping stone is a very low-maintenance, highly sustainable and attractive alternative, as most traditional types of mulch only last three months to a year. Mulch may blow or wash away (creating a mess you have to spend time cleaning), and also quickly decays, degrades or decomposes - so you have to replenish it again and again to keep weeds under control. It’s also difficult to keep mulched garden beds free from dead leaves and debris, but with landscaping stone you can easily remove unwanted debris with a leaf blower.

Landscaping stone is also very effective at preventing weeds, while providing an attractive bed to showcase your decorative plants, flowers and shrubs. You also avoid concern about importing termites into your yard as compared to untreated wood-based ground coverings - and in drier climates, rocks are the ideal choice as they’re not flammable.

If your lawn or garden experiences drainage issues, mixing and matching landscaping stones of different sizes like Pavestone’s Pea, Pond or River Pebbles helps control water flow and facilitates

runoff, while helping maintain your landscaping grading. Pavestone’s landscaping rocks are easy to spread wherever you need them, helping to control soil erosion and retain moisture.

While clearly practical, landscaping stone also provides unique beauty for any project. You’ll see a wide variety of earth tones in landscaping stone from Pavestone that add nuanced color to your garden beds. They come in a variety of shades of tan, brown and gray, depending on where they were derived.

Another option to consider is Pavestone’s Premium White Marble Chips. These beautifully shiny white stones provide high color contrast for your garden beds, or they can be used as a top layer on a bed of Pebbles to create your desired look. Whatever colors you choose, Pavestone landscaping stones resist fading, and they’ll beautify and enhance the appearance of your landscaping beds for years to come.

Find Pavestone Pea, Pond and River Pebbles and Marble Chips at your favorite home improvement store, or visit Pavestone to learn more.

Automate Watering

Installing an irrigation system also saves a ton of time - and ensures your plants are getting the water they need to thrive. Automated irrigation is also a more efficient, effective use of water than sporadic manual watering. While there is a cost up front (depending on the system, size of yard, etc.), installing a good lawn irrigation system can also help improve your property’s value.

Using these tips can help save you time and effort, allowing you to make the most of your outdoor space with your friends and family.

Building A Retaining Wall

(BPT) - When you want to enhance your outdoor living space, consider building with retaining wall units. Segmental retaining wall (SRW) units are the basic building blocks of landscaping, and you will save on design and labor costs when you do it yourself. Whether you want to level a slope, build a sitting wall or add a raised patio, it’s essential to get informed before starting your project.

Check local rules

“Call 8-1-1 before you dig” is essential. Do-it-yourselfers also should check with their municipalities and homeowner’s associations for building codes, permits and/or property variance rules. Some municipalities require permits for walls up to four feet tall, although engineering might not be needed for that height with

6 Things To Know Before You Start

most SRW systems. A retaining wall taller than four feet might require geogrid for soil reinforcement and an approved design by a professional engineer. A landscaping supply store will know local permitting and can identify plans that might require an engineer.

Consider where you will buy supplies.

A landscaping supply store is a great place to get educated, purchase landscaping products and rent tools such as a compactor. A dedicated landscaping store can help you choose which wall system is best suited to your project, calculate the materials you will need and offer advice before, during and after installation.

“Do-it-yourself customers are the foundation of who we serve at Patio Town stores,” said David Johnson, who manages one of Patio Town’s three locations in St. Paul/Minneapolis. “We have a team that will listen to what customers are thinking of doing, and then offer solutions and options. Should customers decide a project is more than they want to do, we can refer them to our design-build division, Villa Landscapes.”

Learn about retaining wall systems.

Some systems are easier to install, and some require specialty pieces for corners, curves and steps. The VERSALOK Standard retaining wall system is easy to install, and no special pieces are needed to build features. VERSALOK Standard is a solid unit that is renowned for ease of installation as there are no voids in the unit to fill.

Splitting the unit allows you to create curves, corners, columns, multi-angled corners, freestanding walls and steps.

Mark off, measure and photograph the project area.

In addition to giving details about your project to your landscaping supplier, you might need advice to determine soil conditions or stormwater requirements. For example, clay soil retains water so it may need amendment, or the wall might require drainage pipes based on soil and other factors. You can discuss the content of your soil with landscaping store staff, who can offer ideas on remediation if needed.

It is all about the base.

The base is the most important course. Retaining wall manufacturers and landscape suppliers can offer product-specific details on how to excavate and prep the base. After excavating a trench for the base, the subsoil should be compacted before a few inches of gravel is added and compacted. Make sure the area is level before starting the base course, which should be embedded half of the block’s height at a minimum. With solid units such as VERSA-LOK, there is no need for concrete footings as the base course serves as the foundation.

Finishing touches to consider.

After each unit is placed and leveled, fill and compact the

Another important point to consider is the weather! Bad weather can hinder your installation. With a little planning, knowhow and a trusted landscaping store that shares advice throughout your project, you can build successfully with retaining wall units.

gravel placed behind the wall. Finish off your wall with capstone units that can be secured with adhesive; be sure your adhesive has elastic properties as modular walls are flexible so they can withstand freeze-thaw cycles.

Outdoor Living: The Secret Garden

Exploring Lisa Manning’s personal haven and national treasure

Lisa Manning’s love of gardening began as a seed planted by her grandfather, when she was a young child. “My grandfather had a huge working garden,” she says, wistfully. “I remember sitting under a tree with him and eating pomegranate fresh and getting red all over my clothes, and it didn’t matter. And I just thought, ‘I love this.’ ”

That love blossomed into a full-blown passion that has preoccupied Lisa for her adult life. The lush garden at Meldhaven Home and Gardens, the 2.5-acre residence in West Nashville that she shares with her husband of 36 years, David, is not only a personal refuge, it’s also a nationally recognized treasure. The garden was recently chosen by the Smithsonian Institution to be included in the Archives of American Gardens because of its diversity of plant material, plant collections and aesthetic beauty. The always-changing garden is currently home to 900 species of plants; roughly 1,100 have resided on the property at one point or another. Lisa is an organic gardener — meaning no chemicals of any kind are used — and she looks for foliage, color and texture when choosing what to plant next. Both beautiful and practical, the property includes a wide variety of unique plants, many of

which Lisa has manipulated herself, and a mix of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

And while a garden of this magnitude seems like it must have been masterminded by a brilliant landscape architect, in reality, it’s been a trial-and-error labor of love by Lisa and David. “I know it can be a big, planned, organized garden designed by some famous [landscape architect], but it’s not,” she says. “You can tell. But it just brings us joy, and if something doesn’t work, we rip it out and do something else. It’s just all about the fun.”

Lisa’s only formal training is a Master Gardener program that she completed in the 1980s. “It’s an intensive course to teach you everything,” she says. “You learn about soil. You learn about plant material. You learn about growing habits. You learn about propagation. You learn about chemicals, good and bad of all of that. It’s your basic but intensive 101 with tests and everything, and it’s wonderful.”

Although Lisa doesn’t still practice within the program, she’s active in The Garden Club of America, teaches gardening classes and volunteers to build community gardens in low-income areas and for survivors of domestic abuse. She also works to protect and preserve the 400 endangered plant species in the state of Tennessee. It’s a way for her to share her love of nature and help pass on the beauty of it to others.

“Nature speaks to me,” says Lisa. “I just love it. This can make me have tears in my eyes, but it’s been so lovely.”

Master of Manipulation

One thing that Lisa is known for is her manipulation and experimentation with plants. “It’s so much fun to grow plants, but why not grow them and try to do different things with them,” she says. Case in point: the weeping bald cypress that Lisa added a trunk to. The plant, a Taxodium distichum, is only supposed to stand 3 to 4 feet tall and roam across the ground, but Lisa had the idea to create a trunk to help support it. “She’s 20 years old, but we made this beautiful trunk,” she says. “And we made this beautiful drape, and we made it have an umbrella look.”

Positively Stumped

A stumpery is an artistic, atmospheric and structural garden feature where upturned stumps and logs mingle with plants, popularized in Victorian England. After seeing the stumpery at Highgrove Royal Gardens, the private gardens of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, Lisa was inspired to create one of her own. She lost a 100-foot Japanese maple and decided to build the stumpery in its place. “Most of these stumps came from Amy Grant’s farm,” she says. “She was very generous, letting us take away things that were up in her woods.”

A Long Journey

Many of the plants in Lisa’s garden are growing a long way from home, like this unusual African agave that was a gift on one of Lisa’s vacations. The plant takes 10 to 15 years to grow, blooms once and then dies. Lisa’s specimen grew to be 17 feet tall with a massive purple bloom and smaller yellow blooms on every edge. She was so amazed by it that she invited friends over to

view it while it was in bloom. When it died, she collected seeds and planted them. “So I’ll get to have it happen again,” she says. “Isn’t that fun? Why grow something ordinary when you can do something fun like that?”

Hard at Work

An entire section of the property is dedicated to Lisa’s working and cutting gardens, where she grows organic produce and flowers for arranging. A raised bed houses lettuce, green leafy vegetables and herbs. And because of the glass doors, she can use it year-round. “In the summer, I leave it open, but in the winter, I close this totally. And it’s like a little greenhouse in here,” she says. She also grows strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, figs, artichokes, garlic and onions. She has a gorgeous lemon tree that she brought back from the Amalfi Coast and three beehives that produce between five and 15 gallons of honey per year.

New Again

Fans of the Antiques & Garden Show may recognize the woven willow that is used throughout the garden as a decorative accent. It came from iconic garden designer Ryan Gainey’s entry garden at the 20th anniversary show in 2010. Lisa repurposed the panels of woven willow to make an archway, trellises and flower boxes.

This story was first published by our sister publication NFocus.

Get Your Yard Ready

It’s Spring!

As the weather begins to warm and days get longer, it’s important to begin preparing your yard for a healthy growing season. While factors like climate, soil type and grass type can all impact how your yard grows, there are a few steps you can take during the spring months to help your lawn thrive.

From dethatching and aerating to fertilizing and mowing, tackling these simple chores can help ensure your yard looks its best and is prepared to fight off seasonal weeds, disease and drought.

Tune Your Mower

Before it’s time for the first mowing of the season, inspect your mower and perform any routine maintenance necessary. That goes beyond sharpening, or replacing, the blade, and includes changing the oil, spark plugs and filter as well as filling with a fresh tank of gas.

Loosen the Thatch Layer

While it’s important to avoid working on your lawn until after the final freeze to avoid damaging the grass, raking your yard with a spring tine rake to loosen thatch - the layer of leaves, roots and dead grass that builds up between live grass and soil - before the first mow is equally important. Be sure to rake when the soil is dry; if it’s too soft or muddy, you may pull up healthy grass crowns.

Combat Compacted Soil

If your soil has become compacted - likely the effect of heavy foot traffic - and is too dense for water, air and other nutrients to reach the roots of your grass, aerating can help break it up and reduce thatch. A core, or plug, aerator can introduce tiny holes into your soil by removing plugs of grass and soil, which lets

nutrients more easily reach the roots. An added bonus, the plugs can decompose on top of your grass, supplying more nutrients.

Fill in Bare Spots

If your lawn is looking sparse, overseeding, which involves spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, can help fill in bare spots. Be sure to choose the right type of seed for your climate and soil type to ensure proper growth. Applying a slowrelease nitrogen fertilizer at the same time can provide additional nutrients that are important for promoting healthy growth.

Start Seasonal Mowing

When the ground is dry enough and your grass is long enough to require cutting, begin seasonal mowing. Be sure to use proper techniques, including varying your mowing direction each time to avoid creating patterns or ruts, and avoid cutting grass too low, which can make the lawn more susceptible to weeds and drought stress. In general, never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at a time.

Find more tips to help get your yard ready for warm weather at eLivingtoday.com.

Choosing Gardening Essentials

Whether you’re a new homeowner ready to tackle the landscaping for the first time or a seasoned gardener looking to do some updating, when it comes to gardening, you simply need the right tools to do the job well.

Consider these tips when purchasing essentials for your tool shed.

Shovel:

A shovel with a pointed blade is a good all-around choice for digging, mixing and moving soil. Conversely, a flat-bladed shovel should be used for “cutting” tasks such as straight-side trenches and edging. After narrowing down which style of shovel best meets your needs, check the metal to ensure it’s well-constructed and won’t bend or break easily. Check fittings such as bolts and screws to ensure the blade and handle are strongly connected and can withstand reasonable pressure. Finally, spend a few minutes testing out the tool to ensure it fits well in your hand.

Rake:

With numerous materials and shapes to choose from, finding the right rake can be intimidating. A basic fan-shaped rake with metal fingers is a universally accepted, long-lasting option. Select a model with plenty of give in the fingers if you’ll be raking large areas and don’t want to damage the ground below. A rake made of firmer metal allows you to work and smooth soil. Purchasing the broadest width you can comfortably handle allows you to cover more ground, which means less work.

Depending on the space you’ll be tending, you may also consider purchasing a garden fork, which has fewer tines than a traditional rake and is ideal for aerating, weeding and turning small sections of soil.

Hoe:

Whether flat or pointed, a hoe is essential for a weed-free garden. Flat versions can also be useful for breaking up clumps and hard spots on the surface while pointed hoes make quick work of rows and mounds to protect and irrigate your plantings.

Shears:

A variety of shears are available to accomplish a wide range of garden tasks. Larger shears are ideal for big jobs such as shaping hedges, while smaller pruning shears are meant for snips and sprucing. Quality metal and sharp blades are important features. Be sure to choose a model with a safety latch to lock blades when not in use.

Gloves:

Even if you eagerly embrace the chance to get your hands dirty, no tool shed is complete without a sturdy pair of gloves. Choose a material tough enough to protect from thorns but pliable enough to allow for free movement. Proper fit is key to avoiding blisters.

Find more gardening tips and advice at eLivingtoday.com.

Grow Like a Pro

11 Award-Winning Plants and Products for Foolproof Gardens

(BPT) - A new year means a new garden! It’s time to start thinking of what you’ll cultivate indoors and outdoors in 2024. Whether large or small, in sun or shade, there are many choices of plants to fill your indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as the tools that make things easier.

Hydrangea First Editions Eclipse

The Eclipse® Hydrangea is a new variety of dark-leaf mophead hydrangea that offers season-long beauty! The shrub’s intense, dark purple leaves hold their color, even in sunny, warm climates. The striking foliage and gorgeous dark purple or cranberrycolored blooms will pair perfectly with anything in your garden, adding dramatic impact. Maturing at 3-5 feet tall and wide, Eclipse® will stand out as a focal point in the garden or decorative containers. Hardy in zones 5-9.

Looking for inspiration? Check out The National Garden Bureau’s 2024 Green Thumb Award winners. These plants and products are perfect for both beginner and experienced gardeners and will make your garden a success this year and beyond!

Catmint Chartreuse on the Loose

Chartreuse on the Loose is a perennial perfect for lining the front border. The foliage allows for a full three seasons of interest with bright chartreuse yellow leaves. Clusters of lavender blue flowers bloom just above the foliage and appear all summer long. Unlike most catmint, ‘Chartreuse on the Loose’ doesn’t need to be cut back to produce flowers. Hardy in zones 3-8.

Begonia Stonehedge Rose Bronze Leaf

Stonehedge begonias are as iconic as their namesake! These annual begonias have extreme vigor, excellent heat tolerance and a well-branched mounded shape that grows up to 48 inches (120 centimeters) tall! You can even plant them in large containers. Eye-catching bronze foliage shows off rich rose blooms. Best of all, there’s no need to deadhead these low-maintenance begonias.

Centaurea The Bride

Centaurea The Bride is a large annual featuring pure white flowers with a gorgeous feathery texture scented with sweet vanilla. The bushy plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall and works well in containers or beds, a must-have for any pollinator garden.

Echeveria Coral Reef Red

Winner of both the Professional’s Choice and People’s Choice awards in the houseplant category, Echeveria Coral Reef Red lives up to its name with strongly pronounced ruffled foliage, perfect for adding intense indoor and outdoor colors! Elegant stems produce bell flowers throughout most of the year. This drought-tolerant beauty grows to just under 12 inches tall in full sun or shade.

Cucumber Quick Snack

Winner of both the Professional’s Choice and People’s Choice awards in the edible category, the Quick Snack Cucumber produces deliciously crisp and sweet cucumbers in a matter of weeks. In just a month or so, you can eat handfuls of cocktail-sized cucumbers fresh off the plant or add to a vegetable platter or salad. You can enjoy cucumbers indoors and out with Quick Snack because the blooms do not require pollinators to produce fruit. An excellent way to enjoy homegrown vegetables all year long without an outdoor garden space.

Laura’s Edition 3” x 36”

Auger

Laura’s Edition Auger is an incredibly useful garden product. Using the extended-length bulb auger, you can effortlessly plant bulbs and 3- to 5-inch potted plants without kneeling or bending over. You’ll be planting trees and shrubs and digging post holes faster than you ever could before with a 3-inch auger drill bit. Power Planter bulb augers are also a great choice for installing beach volleyball poles and umbrellas or boring holes under sidewalks for electrical or irrigation lines.

Petunia AMAZONAS Plum Cockatoo

AMAZONAS™ Plum Cockatoo petunia will certainly attract attention in your garden! These petunias bring a bit of the rainforest to gardens everywhere. Lush green hues pair with vivid, tropical purples to create a truly unique petunia. The variety creates a calming backdrop of natural color that pairs well with foliage plants. Large blooms grow on plants 12 to 18 inches tall.

Better Boxwood Skylight™

Be a more successful gardener with this new boxwood! Better Boxwood® is the first collection of blight-resistant boxwood resulting from two decades of revolutionary breeding and plant trialing. Skylight™ is one of four varieties, including Babylon Beauty™, Heritage™ and Renaissance™. Skylight™ is the faster growing of the collection with medium green leaves, suitable for pruning into shapes, in mass plantings and medium hedges. Hardy to zone 5.

Agapanthus Blackjack™

Blackjack agapanthus offers superior performance and exceptional blooms, near-black, purple flower clusters soaring atop tall stems. This resilient agapanthus combines a compact semidwarf growth habit with abundant blooms, offering an extended flowering season surpassing conventional varieties. Hardy in zone 8-11 and can be grown as an annual in all other zones. Named the Royal Horticultural Society 2023 Plant of the Year.

Sunshine® Black Bear™ Potting Mix

Garden more sustainably with this new product! Black Bear™ is pure carbon captured and stored as a beneficial growing media formulated for growing in containers, hanging baskets, window boxes and fabric pots. The potting mix is produced by wood waste that would otherwise be burned or sent to landfills, releasing carbon into our atmosphere. The innovative potting mix provides exceptional aeration and drainage for both indoor and outdoor plants.

Try these exciting new plants and products to make your gardening life easier this year, making you more successful than ever! To learn more, visit NBG.org.

Start Growing Produce

At Home

Growing your own produce is an all-around smart practice, from the money you’ll save at the grocery store to the contributions you can make toward a cleaner planet.

Maintaining a garden takes some effort, but it’s a project even a beginner can tackle with ease. Consider these tips to start growing your at-home garden:

Select a Perfect Spot

You’ll want to place your garden in an area where you see it often so you’re reminded to weed and care for it regularly. Find a flat area you can access easily, where erosion and other pitfalls (including hungry wildlife) won’t be a problem.

Choose Between Ground and Containers

There are pros and cons to gardening in containers vs. the ground, and there’s no universal right choice. Rather, the best garden depends on your goals and preferences. A ground garden usually offers more space and may provide a better growth environment for roots. However, a container garden is often easier to maintain and may be all you need if you wish to grow just a few plants.

Understand the Importance of Quality Soil

You may think any dirt will do, but keep in mind the soil you plant in will be the primary source of nutrients for your produce. Not only that, but quality soil provides stability so plants can root firmly and grow healthy and sturdy to support their bounty. Quality soil also allows for ample drainage. Organic matter like compost, leaf mold or aged manure all help improve soil quality.

Keep Water Close

Lugging water can quickly eliminate the pleasure of tending your garden, so be sure you’re situated near a hose. You’ll know it’s time to water when the soil is dry about an inch below the surface.

Plan for Plenty of Sun

A bright, sunny spot is a must, since most vegetables, herbs and fruits depend on six or more hours of sun every day. Remember the sun’s path changes throughout the year, and as trees and foliage grow, they may produce more shade with each growing season.

Consider What You’ll Grow

Starting with veggies you know you like is a smart starting point since you’ll be pouring sweat equity into making them grow. Over time, you might add new varieties, but early on, keep your focus on foods you know you like so you can see a meaningful return and avoid waste. You’ll also need to consider what you can grow to maturity within your area’s growing season. If necessary, you might want to start transplants you can nurture indoors before moving them outside when the temperatures allow.

Plant According to a Calendar.

Knowing how long it takes different foods to mature will help you create a planting calendar. You don’t want to harvest everything at once, and if you stagger planting and replant what you can, you’ll have a garden that produces food for your family for a longer period of time.

Find more helpful tips for managing your home and garden at eLivingtoday.com.

Start by looking for the CRS symbol shown above. It’s your assurance that your real estate agent is one of the most experienced and highly trained in the business. If you’re buying or selling a home, call one of the CRS agents on these two pages. One phone call and you’ve made the right choice!

Why Use A CRS Realtor?

Today, home buying and selling is faster, more complex, and more competitive in every way. Our goal is to make the process a little easier for you. The first step is to choose one of the CRS Realtors on these two pages.

Experience

To earn the Certified Specialist (CRS) Designation, every realtor must have significant experience and volume of real estate transactions.

jerrijo@comcast.net

Technology Expertise:

The training available to CRS realtors includes a strong focus on technology and its applications in the real estate business.

A Focus on Home Buying and Selling:

To help make the home buying and selling process more rewarding, every CRS realtor must have a proven track record in the business, as well as advanced education in related area like finance, technology and marketing.

www.RichardFBryan.com

Ethics

Every CRS realtor is required to maintain membership in the National Association of Realtors and to abide by its strict code of ethics.

Dianne.Rucker@gmail.com

Donnel@TheMilamGroup.com

Outdoor Design

Trends

(BPT) In this new year you may be thinking ahead about home improvements you want to make. Especially if you’d like to maximize your outdoor space, planning ahead is crucial. Imagining exactly how you want to use the area outside your home can help you make decisions for expanding your living space beyond its four wallscomfortably and beautifully.

To start your planning process, these 2024 design trends may influence your decision-making, along with tips and tools to help turn your outdoor living dreams into reality.

Unique Usage of Space

Due to higher interest rates and other factors, today’s homeowners are staying in their homes longer. As a result, homeowners are getting more creative around using their existing outdoor spaces, and are heavily investing in this part of their property. Instead of just an outdoor barbecue area where friends and family can hang out, outdoor spaces are fulfilling functions traditionally seen only indoors.

Beyond building entire outdoor kitchens, homeowners are creating outdoor office areas for remote work in the fresh air, studios for creative endeavors and areas suitable for meditation, yoga or other forms of exercise. The sky is the limit when it comes to your outdoor space. How about a gaming area or a movie theater? Imagine how you most want to spend your time outdoors, then see how you can make it happen.

A Backyard Retreat

Another result of today’s economic climate is that multigenerational homes are becoming more popular. And with more family members sharing a home, many may be seeking ways to create more private spaces for family to enjoy a little “me time.”

Outdoor spaces present a huge opportunity to create more breathing room and expand beyond the four walls of your home. Separating parts of your outdoor area by adding screen panels or shade structures can help invite solitude for individuals needing a little escape. You can even find ways to mask intrusive noise such as a water feature or wind chimes, which can make a world of difference for developing a peaceful outdoor oasis.

Eco-Friendly Attitudes

Although this is not a new trend, 2024 will see further expansion of environmentally friendly projects like pollinator gardens, stormwater captures, native planting, zero-scaping and using permeable pavers in outdoor spaces.

For example, Belgard’s permeable pavers, also known as permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICP), are installed with layers of varying-sized stone or aggregate underneath that filter and direct stormwater to underground aquifers, mimicking the way natural land absorbs water. With permeable concrete pavers and permeable grass pavers, any rain falling on your patio, walkway or driveway seeps back into the ground, reducing the burden on storm drains.

The primary goal for all these approaches is to develop a more ecofriendly outdoor space requiring fewer resources - making it easier and more natural to maintain.

Natural Tones and Materials

The emphasis on the environment and incorporating nature into your outdoor space also inspires design choices based on colors found in nature, and materials with the look and feel of organic elements.

Staying within this aesthetic, you can find hardscaping options ranging from retaining wall systems, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and pavers for patios, walkways and driveways from Belgard offering a color palette ranging from neutrals to cool and warm tones - but always appearing natural and pleasing to the eye.

Gardens Galore

One of the biggest shifts across the country is a renewed interest in gardening

and growing your own food. From those who want to live more healthful, balanced lives to foodies who seek to use the freshest produce in their culinary creations, gardening is the answer - and a fun, easy way to spend time outside. This trend also brings generations together, from those who’ve been gardening for decades to enthusiastic new gardeners of Gen Z.

Another great thing about gardening is that you don’t need much square footage to get started. Container gardens, raised beds and vertical gardening are all ways to explore growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Ready to get inspired?

Learn about all the possibilities for your outdoor space at Belgard.com.

For additional help envisioning your outdoor space, Belgard Rooms Planner gives contractors and homeowners a templated outdoor design plan that can be further customized to meet every homeowner’s needs. Even better, Belgard Rooms provides an augmented reality (AR) feature, letting you select AR plans and drop them into your outdoor space to view, walk through and scale templated outdoor rooms, bringing them to life in your own backyard. AR Rooms makes it easy for you to test a variety of rooms, features and styles in your outdoor space, also making it easier to communicate your vision with your contractor. Currently, 38 AR Rooms can be viewed on any device that will help you design your dream space in 2024.

Bring Vitality to Shade Gardens Impatiens

(BPT) - Ready to fill your garden with striking colors this spring? Look to Beacon® Impatiens from PanAmerican Seed®, the gardener’s favorite versatile plant for partial to deep shade gardens.

With their vibrant, cheerful flowers, Beacon® Impatiens bloom throughout several seasons and thrive in shaded areas with low maintenance. Now available in two new colors - Lipstick and Pearl Island Mix - these exciting additions to the Beacon® Impatiens lineup promise to invigorate your garden with even more charm. Beacon® Impatiens is a fantastic option for any outdoor space, offering advantages for both beginner and seasoned gardeners.

Read on to learn how Beacon® Impatiens can fill your outdoors with bright, long-lasting colors this summer by standing up to garden diseases, while also enhancing your well-being through the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

Wellness Through Gardening

Embrace the joys of spring gardening with Beacon® Impatiens and experience the remarkable wellness benefits of spending time outdoors and connecting with nature. Engaging in gardening activities provides not only physical exercise but also mental rejuvenation, offering a therapeutic escape from the stresses of daily life. Whether you’re planting, nurturing or simply admiring the beauty of your blossoming garden, the experience of tending to your Beacon® Impatiens offers a holistic sense of fulfillment and well-being, promoting a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Vivid Variety

Add a burst of color to your hanging baskets, window boxes and shaded landscapes with Beacon® Impatiens. Available in eight distinct colors and seven mix variations, Beacon® Impatiens are easy to customize to complement your garden’s aesthetic. This year, the brand has introduced two new impatiens colors guaranteed to delight gardeners. Impatiens Beacon® Lipstick boasts a bold, sassy red that makes a statement in any garden. Additionally, the brand unveiled the new Impatiens Beacon® Pearl Island Mixture, which includes an exclusive preview of the forthcoming “Blue Pearl” variety, not yet available on the market,

blended with coral and white blossoms. The Beacon® mixes are named after renowned lighthouses worldwide, particularly in areas where the disease impatiens downy mildew has posed significant challenges - a problem now solved by Beacon®! They have high resistance to disease and will thrive all season. Regardless of the color (or colors!) you select from Beacon® Impatiens, your garden will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.

Disease-fighting Flowers

When growing impatiens, gardeners must be on guard against impatiens downy mildew (IDM), which is caused by a host-specific water spore.

The disease can spread rapidly, and if even one flower becomes infected, it must be removed and discarded to prevent further spread.

Fortunately, the team at PanAmerican Seed® has diligently searched for impatiens varieties resistant to this disease. After extensive plant trials and testing, the company discovered a selection of impatiens demonstrating high resistance to IDM, leading to the creation of Beacon® Impatiens. By planting Beacon® Impatiens, you can rest assured that they’ll have a strong defense against IDM infestations, providing peace of mind for your garden.

Blooms That Give Back

PanAmerican Seed® strives to bring happiness to gardens everywhere, and not just with their flowers. Each year, the company allocates a portion of its global sales from Beacon® Impatiens to shine the light on and support charitable organizations.

For the 2024 gardening season, PanAmerican Seed® and its popular brand of Beacon® Impatiens will partner with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support their fundraising efforts and help fight a disease that affects 2.8 million persons worldwide. Now in its fifth year, the disease-resistant Beacon® series continues to donate to various organizations through annual charitable donations from a percentage of global seed sales, raising awareness and supporting community initiatives.

If you’re ready to beautify your outdoor spaces with colorful, resilient and long-lasting flowers that give back to the community, visit BeaconImpatiens.com to learn more.

The Mini but Mighty Shamrock-Shaped Solution for Lawn Renovation

Miniclover

is drought-tolerant, simple, stunning and sustainable with low-to-no maintenance

By Joan Casanova

That lush, green lawn most strive for is struggling to survive as our climate experiences “weather whiplash,” meaning abrupt swings in weather conditions from one extreme to another. Last season, drought conditions were so dire in California billboards shouted, “Brown is the New Green.” This season, despite early, extreme flooding in California, evidence suggests the length and depth of droughts will increase in upcoming years, becoming more frequent and severe.

Outdoor water usage is still astronomical, synthetic chemical use is ever-present and fuel-guzzling lawn blowers and mowers sing all summer. Traditional lawn maintenance is expensive, unnatural, untenable and increases greenhouse gasses, wastes water, pollutes ecosystems and reduces biodiversity.

Average American families use 320 gallons of water daily, about 30% outdoors, with more than half devoted to watering lawns and

gardens, according to the EPA. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated at almost one-third of all residential water usage, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons daily.

Gas-powered lawn mowers spew pollutants that can cause planet-warming gases, contributing to climate crisis and drought. According to the EPA, gas-powered lawn equipment releases more than 22 million tons of CO2 emissions and estimates over 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled refueling lawn equipment; that’s more than all oil spilled by Exxon Valdez.

There are many issues causing harm to environmental health, from the ridiculous, like billionaires taking 17-minute flights in private jets, producing 2 tons of CO2 emissions, to everyday lawn care wasting staggering amounts of water for aesthetics while polluting the environment through run-off and toxic emissions.

Cash rebates, up to $5,000, are being offered to some for the

removal of grass lawns. To get the rebate, other water-efficient options must be put in place. It’s time to take a page from the past; sowing clover seed can create a great-looking, water-efficient, sustainable lawn. Decades ago, clover was standard in lawn seed mixes. Then agricultural chemical companies created herbicides to rid lawns of broadleaf plants, killing everything but grass, clovers included, branding them weeds.

“Today, clover is making a comeback,” said Troy Hake, president and owner of Outsidepride.com, offering drought-tolerant grasses, clovers, wildflower seeds and more. “Tik Tok’s #cloverlawn has over 65 million views, evidencing it’s time for sustainable options, like adding ‘miniclover’ or replacing lawns with it. Miniclover (trifolium repens), is one-third to half the size of white Dutch clover, only grows 4-6 inches and produces a thick, carpet-like look that blends well with turf. Less expensive than grass seed, it’s a natural solution for self-sustaining, low-maintenance lawns that look beautiful and help eliminate the need for fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and weekly mowing. It’s healthier for people, pets, soil and waterways. You can’t go wrong with it.”

There’s nothing you can do about those 17-minute private jet flights. However, anyone with a lawn can add-in miniclover and redefine what sustainable lawns and responsible lawn care looks like. Sales of miniclover rose dramatically last season, surely an indicator that this lawn renovation trend was well-received and continues to grow.

For other drought-tolerant options, visit Outsidepride.com.

Benefits:

• Nitrogen Fixer

Miniclover takes nitrogen from the air and “fixes” it in soil eliminating the need to apply nitrogen, keeping lawns green while adding natural nitrogen to surrounding soil.

• Drought Tolerant

Miniclover is drought-tolerant and can stay green all summer with minimal watering.

• Stands up to Soil and Subsoil Compaction

• Deters Bugs

Grubs that feed on grass roots will not eat miniclover, and adult beetles and bugs are deterred from laying eggs in it.

• Crowds Out Weeds

Miniclover is evenly dispersed via stolons (stems grow horizontally along the ground), crowding out weeds, preventing new weeds and controlling erosion.

• Thrives in Sun to Partial Shade

Miniclover does well in partial shade that receives some direct sunshine daily.

• Low-to-no Maintenance

You can mow miniclover - the more it’s cut, the smaller the leaf size - or let it grow. Miniclover only blooms once in summer, providing bees with nectar, or mowing will prevent blooming.

• Immune to “Dog Patches.”

Dog urine discolors lawns, but miniclover stays green and lush.

• Feels Soft and Springy on bare feet and looks like ordered whimsy.

So...what’s not to like?

The Ultimate In-and-Out List for Your Backyard This

Spring

(BPT) - As the weather begins to warm up, it’s time to breathe life into your backyard sanctuary and embrace the vibrant spirit of spring. Professional landscaper, author, and TV host of “I Hate My Yard” Sara Bendrick shares her In/Out list for spring, taking a look at today’s gardening trends, as well as her best tips for revitalizing your outdoor space this year.

What’s Out?

You can say goodbye to these common substances and practices that aren’t great for your yard, your family, or the environment.

OUT: Harmful Chemicals

People are more aware than ever of how harmful chemicals like pesticides and herbicides negatively impact the soil, your food, and your health. Reduce or exclude these toxic chemicals from your garden experience by planting insect-deterring herbs or by incorporating organic compost and mulch to add essential nutrients to your soil.

“If you’re starting a new garden and want to till in organic matter, the STIHL KombiSystem with the mini-cultivator attachment is a great multi-task tool,” said Bendrick.

OUT: Colored or Rubber Mulch

Because it’s sold everywhere and is often on sale, most people use bagged, dyed mulch to freshen up their flower beds. But the truth is, these dyed wood chips contain chemicals that can leach into your soil.

You may also fall for the convenience of rubber mulch, but that’s made of recycled car tires, which are toxic and can transfer chemicals by touch and into the soil as they wear down.

“Instead of colored or rubber mulch, opt for natural wood chips,” recommended Bendrick. “You can use wood bark, pine needles, or other natural materials that break down and add organic material back into the soil.”

OUT: Artificial Turf

As water restrictions have become increasingly widespread, so has artificial turf, but that kind of turf can’t be recycled when it’s old. Eventually, you will see weeds popping up again if your artificial turf is not maintained.

“Most importantly, it’s hot and inorganic, increasing the ‘heat island effect’ that warms up the surrounding environment,” said Bendrick. “Homeowners should consider other lawn alternatives like tall native grasses or drought-tolerant ground covers.” Using local, native, and climate-appropriate plant selections can transform a high-maintenance yard into a beautiful oasis - while saving on water and scaling maintenance to quarterly rather than weekly or monthly.

What’s in?

Ready to hear about practical, easy-to-follow tips that can improve the look as well as the health of your yard? Bendrick recommends embracing the following trends.

IN: Bugs

Insects are essential for pollinating food sources, and they are also great at cleaning up undesirables in your garden, like feces, dead animals and plants, recycling their nutrients back into the soil.

“Our relationship with creepy crawlies has not always been friendly,” noted Bendrick. “However, there is a resurgence of respect for the insect world and their integral work in balancing the ecosystem in our gardens.”

IN: Battery-powered outdoor power equipment

When it comes to maintaining your yard, there are many options to choose from, but battery-powered tools are in high demand because they provide a low-noise, zero-exhaust emissions, lightweight option that offers power and performance comparable to gas.

For example, Bendrick recommends the STIHL lineup of batterypowered homeowner tools that offer an interchangeable battery compatible with 15 different tools to tackle all your lawn care jobs.

IN: Collecting or harvesting rainwater

Rain barrels are great, but they’re limited by their smaller size, leaving lots of water uncollected for use. Passive infiltration and collection pits are great additional catchment methods or alternatives to rain barrels.

“These systems are becoming increasingly popular as they can help recharge groundwater and hold moisture onsite longer, benefiting your lawn and garden in many ways!” Bendrick added.

Color is Back!

IN: Smart landscapes

Tech has moved to the garden! Thanks to the latest technology, you can even go beyond irrigation systems that turn off when it’s raining or lighting apps that allow you to customize your backyard mood from your phone.

“Today, you can even use autonomous lawnmowers like the STIHL iMOW® for smart landscapes that reduce your maintenance tasks,” said Bendrick, “and offer quite the conversation piece as well.”

Technically, color never went away, but grey tones have, until recently, dominated rooms and spaces indoors and out.

“Now we’re seeing a warming trend moving in, with a focus on earth tones like soft tans and natural greens, with pops of accent colors, like Peach Fuzz, Pantone’s color of the year, to create a warm yet vibrant and personalized space,” said Bendrick.

Knowing the latest trends in yard and garden design, care andmaintenance can help you create a more eco-friendly, livable outdoor space for you and your family to enjoy. Visit STIHLUSA.com for more tips from Sara to help your lawn and garden thrive.

Beautiful and Inviting

With all the beauty Mother Nature has to offer, a few pops of color or other simple embellishments can help make your yard look superb from the curb.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your front yard, backyard, porch or patio space, consider these easy and affordable ways to spruce up your outdoor oasis:

Add Mirrors

Just as they do indoors, mirrors can open up small patio spaces and make areas feel larger. Use mirrors made with resin or other waterproof materials so they won’t be compromised when exposed to the elements.

Make Bold Statements

Plant your favorite flowers in a giant, bright red or yellow pot or hang a bright colored swing from a tree. Just a little dab of color can make a statement and brighten the whole space.

Hang It Up

Place hanging baskets around the porch to bring punches of color to your outdoor sanctuary. With the freedom to pick and choose your favorite plants and flowers, these baskets have the added benefit of easy maintenance.

Outdoor Spaces

Consider Time When Planting

If you wish to add color to your landscape, consider the time of day you normally spend in your outdoor space. Early risers may appreciate vibrantly colored foliage that perks with the morning sun. Those who spend time outdoors in the evening hours can incorporate white or lightly colored plants that take on a silvery sheen in the moonlight.

Tie Up a Hammock

Make a relaxing retreat in the comfort of your own yard by hanging a hammock from trees or between posts on your deck.

Add a Birdbath

These garden favorites come in a variety of styles and colors to fit your unique tastes and budget. Birds of all kinds can find an oasis in their new bath and provide you with a beautiful view.

Throw Some Pillows

Outdoor pillows are often available in the same fun designs of their indoor counterparts. Add some throw pillows to your outdoor furniture for a chic yet comfortable update.

These subtle changes can help beautify your outdoor spaces and cause onlookers to do a double-take - for the right reasons. Find more ideas at eLivingtoday.com.

Spice Up Your Garden!

8 Easy-to-Grow Unusual Vegetables

(BPT) - Ditch the boring broccoli and say hello to a purple powerhouse! Want to spice up your salads beyond the usual suspects? Then buckle up, veggie adventurer, because we’re about to embark on a journey to the unexplored territories of your taste buds! Grow your own rainbow of rare veggies right in your backyard (or even on your balcony or fire escape). It’s easier than a bunny hopping over a carrot patch, and before you know it, you’ll be harvesting culinary wonders you never thought possible. So, ditch the same old, same old and get ready to spice up your dinner plate with these unusual edible gems from National Garden Bureau.

Avalanche Beets

Do you have a non-beet-lover in your household? This may be the beet to win them over. The Avalanche has a mild, sweet flavor with no reddish color and no bitter taste. It’s even delicious raw! This mild beet is easy to grow, and will be ready to eat in just 50 days or so. Providing vitamins B and C and fiber, this tasty beet deserves a try!

Prism Peppers

Perfect for deck or container gardeners, these clever peppers produce multi-color sweet peppers on one plant. They are sized between a mini and standard bell pepper, and full of vitamin C and potassium. Prism peppers are a beautiful addition to your garden and your dinner plate.

Peas ‘N’ Pod Bernard Pea

These unique petite shelling peas have afila tendrils, which means the vines stick together, keeping the pods off the ground. Ideal for containers or small gardens, it produces beautiful white flowers when it blooms. Pop these peas into salads or side dishes. They’re a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

Sweet Jade Kabocha Squash

This small, single-serving squash is green on the outside, deep orange on the inside. It’s packed with vitamins A and C, potassium and fiber, and has a sweet, dry and earthy taste. It’s delicious baked, roasted or pureed. It’s so cute, why not use it for an edible soup bowl?

Purple Magic Broccoli

Called a “showstopper,” this beautiful deep purple vegetable is easy to grow, sweeter and more tender than traditional broccoli, and can be eaten raw, stir-fried, roasted, lightly blanched or steamed. It’s full of vitamin C, potassium and fiber, too.

Red Impact Peppers

The Lamuyo variety of peppers are difficult to grow until now - enter the game-changing Red Impact. This pepper is packed with vitamin C and potassium, is sweeter than other varieties and is very easy to grow, even for the novice gardener.

Shiso Ohba

Versatile and citrus-y, shiso ohba has a bright flavor with a hint of anise and is often used in Asian cooking. But it’s also great added to salads and soups, much like you’d use basil. High in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C, shiso ohba can even be used to make tea!

Black Falcon Sorghum

The cone-shaped heads are adorned with beautiful glossy black blooms and will “wow” any garden. A great source of protein, use sorghum like quinoa or rice. For a fun treat, make “popcorn,” just like you would with regular popcorn on the stove or in a brown paper bag in the microwave.

So, what are you waiting for? This year, ditch the supermarket sameness and cultivate your own rainbow of deliciousness! Every bite will be an adventure for your taste buds, and you’ll be the proud plant parent of a veggie masterpiece. Shop online for seeds through one of the National Garden Bureau’s members, or visit your favorite local garden retailer. For more information about these and other great veggies to grow at home this year, visit the National Garden Bureau website.

Urban Gardening 101

Urban living and lush gardens aren’t as mutually exclusive as one might assume. In fact, it’s possible to cultivate thriving gardens in even the smallest spaces.

The first step toward creating a successful small garden space is planning. Sketching out your garden area with a clear understanding of the actual dimensions is important. This allows you to allocate adequate growing space for the vegetation you choose and prevent overcrowding.

Part of your planning should also take climate into account. If the sun reaches your garden area, knowing what time the sun typically hits matters. Some plants are poorly equipped to handle the strength of direct afternoon rays.

Other matters to consider are the soil quality and whether it is adequate to nourish vegetation. If not, you may need to excavate and refill your planting areas with nutrient-rich gardening soil. Access to water is also a concern; if you’ll be forced to water by can, avoid choosing plants that would better benefit from a thorough hose soaking.

As you begin planning the actual contents of your garden, don’t hesitate to blend edibles with beauty. Many herbs offer attractive textures and colors that can add variety to a colorful selection of flowering plants. Edible plants such as strawberries offer color from blooms (and later brightly hued fruit), as well as trailing greenery that looks pretty along the edges of potted containers.

If your goal is color, give consideration to the blooming season for your selected plants. Unless you plan to enjoy your garden for just a short season, choose a variety of plants and flowers that bloom throughout your region’s entire growing season.

Especially in the smallest garden spaces, it’s smart to make the most of vertical space. Use a trellis or other structure to encourage vining vegetation to grow upward rather than outward. Hanging baskets or buckets are ideal for inverted growth of plants such as tomatoes or peppers, and shelving or tiered plant stands are handy for creating more plant real estate in smaller garden spaces.

Beautiful gardens need not be limited to those with expansive lawns in rural communities. Though smaller in scale, urban gardens can deliver equal beauty and a surprising volume of edible bounty with proper preparation and design. Find more tips at eLivingtoday.com.

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