Spring Home & Garden magazine

Spring HOME&GARDEN CREATE YOUR OWN

Garden of Eden

PLUS: Color, Texture, Shine 2013’s latest home decorating trends

Seed lending

Magnolia Spring’s library is lending more than just books

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Spring 2013

Spring Home & Garden

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Library introduces seed-lending n Magnolia Springs Library launches Baldwin County Seed Library

By Cathy Higgins Onlooker Editor onlooker@gulfcoastnewspapers.com

Magnolia Springs Library

has cultivated a new program that enables Baldwin County residents to dig into gardening.

That’s because on Feb. 26, the library launched the Baldwin County Seed Library.

A relatively new concept, the program enables patrons of any public library in Baldwin County to sign out packets of seeds, which are housed in old card-catalog file boxes.

“As long as you have a library card from the county,” Librarian Alida Given said at an interview at the Magnolia Springs facility, you’ll be able to check out seeds.

Those seeds include both vegetables and flowers.

The librarian explained that patrons don’t pay anything for the seeds. They just sign them out.

“People just sign their name, the date and their phone number so we can call you next year,” Given said.

That call enables the program to be free.

“We just ask that you bring back the seeds from the plants you’ve grown,” Given said.

Not only is the new Seed Library free to patrons, it was started with absolutely no funding.

“I wrote to organic seed companies and asked if they would donate seeds,” Given said. “You never know unless you ask.”

In response, the library received almost 300 contributions from Mrs. Ottie Dailey, Martha Seale, Cecil Christenberry of Old Tyme Feed, Botanical Interests Seed Supply, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Peaceful Valley Garden and Farm Supply, Seeds of Change, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, W. Atlee Burpee & Company and Wilsey’s Nursery.

But the prime contributions came from the Jefferson Monticello Foundation, who also re-

PHOTOS BY CATHY HIGGINS / STAFF

Magnolia Springs Library volunteer Donna Skellett painted this sign that sits in front of the library.

sponded to Given’s query by sending 15 types of seeds.

“Having visited there before, I remembered that they had seeds,” the librarian said.

Now, seeds from the third U.S. president’s Virginia home’s heirloom vegetables and ornamentals are ripe for library patrons’ picking.

In addition, volunteers have done their part to bring the program about.

“We have master gardeners who have offered to help with guidance,” Given said, explaining that they would be paired with patrons who need help with plants.

Plus, a regular Magnolia Springs Library volunteer has added a touch of creativity to the Seed Library.

“Donna Skellett painted the sign out in front of the library and the indoor-seed sign,” Given said.

She credits those who gave their time, talents and contributions to make the Seed Library a reality.

“It’s just generosity,” Given said.

Since the Baldwin County Seed Library’s launch, more than 60 patrons have signed out seeds.

The first seed library opened in San FranContinued on next page

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Spring Home & Garden

Spring 2013

Continued from previous page

get started

cisco in the spring of 2011. Since then, the concept has taken root and started to spread across the nation, mostly in the Midwest and East Coast.

“We’re the only one in the South, except in Louisiana,” Given said.

The librarian added that while the new program does spotlight gardening and the importance of growing healthy food, it also offers an additional benefit.

“The thing I’ve found is that fathers have come in for seeds and brought their children with them,” Given said. “They’ve then learned about our other programs.”

So what do patrons think about the new Baldwin County Seed Library?

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Magnolia

WHO: Magnolia Springs Library WHAT: Seed Lending Library; patrons can check out seeds for free to plant in their gardens. They are then asked to bring back the seeds from the plants they grow the following year.

WHEN: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WHERE: 12440 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 600, Magnolia Springs WHY: The seed library was founded to spotlight gardening and the importance of growing healthy food.

Springs mail carrier Janice Feely, who signed out seeds for okra, broccoli, West India Gherkin and Moon Flower. “I garden a lot.”

For more information, call Magnolia Springs Library at 251-965-2305 or visit MagnoliaSpringsLibrary.org.

Magnolia Springs Librarian Alida Given displays the hundreds of seed packets she received after asking for contributions to start the Baldwin County Seed Library.

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contents

GARDEN

home

Seed lending library new program in Magnolia Springs

Home maintenance made easy checklist for spring and fall

Landscaping tips

what local experts have to say

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Create your own Garden of Eden

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How does your garden grow?

Color, texture and shine the latest home decorating trends for 2013

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16

grow vegetables and flowers together

gardening trends for 2013

Take back our waterways help remove invasive hyacinths

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Grow flowers and vegetables together to create your own Garden of Eden

By Cheryl Dooley Berry

Harmonious happenings can be created as you set out planning your early spring garden. With a bit of creative imagination, beans can climb alongside clematis, herbs can happily cohabitate with echinacea and fresh delicious food can thrive right next to flowering ornamentals.

In the past, the family vegetable garden was relegated to an obscure corner of the backyard. Flower gardens were afforded the high profile locations around the homestead. No longer. All manner of plants can be grown together with a bit of visualizing and creativity. This isn't a new idea. For centuries, the French have planted both decorative ornamentals and functional potager (kitchen) gardens side by side. In medieval days, Englishmen mingled herbs and flowers with their kitchen gardens.

Whether your gardening area is an actual garden plot, a patio or a windowsill, you can grow your own delicious, fresh vegetables right alongside complimentary ornamentals. With a bit of imagination, vegetables can not only provide delicious produce for your family, but look striking alongside flowers and produce a tasty harvest, too.

Interplanting flowers and vegetables does more than pretty up the vegetable patch. Integrating flowers into vegetable gardens or growing vegetables in with flower borders can be fun and beneficial. Crops that mature quickly can make decorative displays in pots and look fabulous when combined with flowers, while a potager-style plot brimming with edibles and ornamentals is ideal for the smaller garden. If you use a few basic ideas to inspire yourself, you can enjoy your vegetables before they ever reach the plate!

To keep things pretty when growing flowers and food together, consider some classic landscape rules.

Cluster your plants in groups of three or five and vary heights and textures of the plants you choose.

Climbing vegetables are ideal to plant where space is limited because they produce a big crop in a small patch of soil. A teepee of runner beans can add towering drama to the feathery foliage of carrots — while marigolds, nasturtiums and petunias add pops of welcome spring color.

Planting crops to form decorative patterns is a great way to add interest and charm, and it doesn't require much space. Circular beds of herbs can be followed by concentric rings of salad greens, carrots, onions and marigolds.

Hearty trailing plants such as squash may seem

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too large for a small garden. However, if the plants are trained along the front of an established border or over mature shrubs, their bold yellow flowers, dramatic foliage and bright fruit look commanding as they spill onto a pathway.

Flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects, such as butterflies and bees, crucial for vegetable development. Adding flowers and herbs to your garden repels some pests and confuses some critters. Different smells can camouflage each other, drawing fewer pests into the garden.

Vegetable plants can certainly rival ornamentals in their beauty. Delicate white snap pea blossoms sit atop butterfly-shaped leaves with edible tendrils that are delicious in salads. Exotic varieties of kale, with its tall, ruffled leaves, can be used as a substitute for banana or elephant ear in the landscape. Yet, elephant ear or banana won't work in a stir-fry, and kale is packed with vitamins and minerals. The feathery and delicate foliage of dill or fennel would be beautifully at home in a perennial border.

Summer annuals can create a vibrant, meadowlike effect if they surround a planned bed of purple and green leaved vegetables. Besides adding beauty to your plot, daisy-like flowers such as marigolds will attract beneficial insects to pollinate crops and prey on pests.

There are, of course, some things to consider when adding vegetables to flower gardens. Be sure to add plenty of organic matter to the soil to provide vegetables with sufficient nutrients to grow well.

Consider the presence of rabbits in your neighborhood. Planting vegetables among ornamentals might provide more hiding spaces for hungry rabbits, making it easier to wipe out your harvest. It is also necessary to match the growing requirements of sunlight and soil when growing vegetables and ornamentals together.

With Alabama's long growing season beginning in March, after the frost danger has passed, make 2013 the year you try carrots with your petunias, squash alongside sunny orange nasturtiums and lettuce varieties nestled among spring geraniums. Always remember that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. If growing food is the most important thing to you, express yourself with vegetable plants dominating your landscape. If flowers are your thing, train morning glories to grow up your cornstalks.

Have fun, be creative, look with a new eye and see unlimited possibilities as you plan your own personal vision of your Garden of Eden.

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Spring 2013

Home maintenance

made easy

By Jessica Jones

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very home experiences daily wear and tear as we walk on floors, open and close doors and use plumbing and appliances. Homeowners can save thousands of dollars in repairs by taking preventative maintenance steps. Here’s a simple checklist of home maintenance suggestions for spring and fall:

Spring:

- Remove storm windows - Install window screens - Check caulking and windows - Inspect porches, steps and patio for concrete cracks - Inspect walls and painted surfaces for cracks, peeling paint and rot - Clean out gutters - Check flashing around chimney, dormers and vents - Inspect roof - Air out basement - Shut off humidifier, clean and drain - Reverse ceiling fan to a counterclockwise direction - Have service person inspect air conditioner systems

Fall:

- Prune branches that touch the house - Clean gutters - Clean and store outdoor furniture - Remove window screens - Put up storm windows - Apply caulk or weather stripping to windows where needed - Inspect roof and chimney - Drain outside faucets and hoses - Put away hoses and turn off faucets - Fill and clean humidifier - Have service person check heating system - Check area around furnace and clear debris - Install clean air filter - Check chimney for blockage - Test fireplace damper With a little elbow grease at key times, your home can function at its peak all year long. Remember to work smarter, not harder and help keep utilities bills low with these tips. • Special thanks to Remax by the Bay.

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Designing an appealing landscape

Tips from city experts

By Onlooker Editor Cathy Higgins and Special Publications Director Jessica Jones Nothing says home like a well-manicured lawn and seasonal foliage. Sometimes homeowners want to step it up and design an extra special landscape. But where does one start? Try taking a cue from Foley City Horticulturist John Graham. He oversees the blooms that blossom along the city’s streets and parks and how they’re placed to catch visitors’ eyes.

The first advice Graham offers is homeowners should consider the size of what they want out of their landscape.

“For instance, do you have children playing in the yard

often to where you will need open spaces?” Graham asked.

“Which plants are tough enough that can withstand potential damage from being played around?”

He also advises homeowners to consider whether or not a plant is poisonous.

“Young children might not know any better than to eat certain berries, leaves, etc.,” Graham said.

But that’s not the end of questions to ask.

“Do you entertain crowds of people or is it just for your enjoyment?” Graham offered.

“How much time and money are you willing to spend in your yard to maintain it properly? Do you prefer a formal, clean look, or a more natural?

DOOLEY BERRY

These yellow tulips represent the city of Fairhope’s spring sidewalk-scape in April 2012.

CATHY HIGGINS / STAFF

Foley City Horticulturist John Graham stands in front of Heritage Park’s water fountain, which he deems a focal point in the city. The water feature stands in front of Azalea bushes and a Swamp White Oak tree.

Do you like fragrant or edible options in the landscape?”

In addition, he explained that blooming seasons of flowers should be considered in a landscaping plan.

“Thought needs to be put into blooming schedules to ensure year round enjoyment,” Graham said.

But that’s not all.

“Watering requirements should also be considered,” Graham said. “Do you have automatic irrigation or are you hand watering?”

Homeowners shouldn’t forget to think how much sun each area of their landscape receives, either.

“Shade and sunlight are also factors that should be considered to ensure plants, trees and grass can co-exist,” Graham Continued on next page

Spring 2013

Continued from previous page

said.

The color of a house can also factor into the curb appeal of the landscape.

“Your home can act as a background to your landscape,” Graham said. “You may want some light green foliage and/or white flowering plants in front of dark red brick.

But you wouldn’t want deep purple or darker colors directly in front of this color home because it could be lost in the background. They would need to be broken up by the lighter background and planted in the foreground.”

Maintenance is also a major consideration.

“You often see a lot of time and money spent to design and install a beautiful landscape but then it is soon an overgrown mess,” Graham said.

“Your time, watering and budget for maintenance should be considered in your planning.”

But native and locally grown plants typically do well with few problems.

“You should consider what is being grown in the local nurseries instead of only what is shipped in as a ‘seasonal’ item,” Graham said. “Seasonal plantings can be a good accent, but should not be used as a foundation or background plant.”

He also said there are some things to avoid.

“When designing, you should try to stay away from many straight lines or angles for bed lines and turf areas,” Graham said. “Instead, using curved, natural-looking lines to accent plantings.”

He advises homeowners to look at the shade lines on the

ground around midday below larger trees.

“This can be a good reference for bed lines below trees for shade — tolerant plants such as azaleas, hydrangeas and camellias,” Graham said.

“Small areas of turf should be avoided, such as acute angles or thin strips of grass. These are difficult to maintain and many times do not have a large enough area to thrive.”

Special consideration should also be given to areas that will be frequently walked on.

“If you have areas of high foot traffic you can consider taking out the grass and replacing with mulch or a stone path,” Graham said.

Once homeowners have settled on what to plant and placement, Graham offered advice to keep it looking healthy.

“To maintain a fresh look with your landscape seasonally, it is important to trim and cut back many of your plants just before new growth begins,” he said. “Note that some plants such as Azaleas should be trimmed after blooming and not again at this time.”

Right before March is a good time to do that, Graham said.

“Late February is a great time to do some ‘spring cleaning’ and get your plants shaped, cut back off of your home, separated from each other and weeds removed,” Graham said. “This can give you a head start on having a beautiful landscape and lets you get a good look at what you might want to add for the new season.”

The city of Fairhope offers another example of a beautifully manicured downtown area with landscape designs and flowerbeds and baskets changing with the seasons.

Gardeners can take a cue

Spring Home & Garden

15

from Jennifer Fidler and her team in the Horticulture and Landscape division of the Public Works department.

The team applies an organic liquid-feed fertilizer while the plants are growing, she divulged. This gives foliage a head start toward a healthy life.

Fidler, an Auburn-educated horticulturalist, explained that an all-inclusive metro-mix of consistent quality soil is used in the planters and beds — the mix contains everything needed to insure plants will thrive.

Fertilizer is an important part of the mix.

She said a slow-release fertilizer, 14-14-14, is applied to facilitate growth in the sandy loam soil.

After starting with healthy plants and soil, maintenance finds its way to the forefront of the gardening to-do list.

Fidler offered a secret tip for making the most of hydrating plants in southern Alabama heat: city workers add a capful of Joy liquid soap to 800 gallons of water sprayed from a truck. The soap helps the water adhere to damp soil and also helps plants resist bugs.

A careful eye goes a long way in keeping up appearances, Fidler explained.

She and the team walk the sidewalks to observe the beds.

They remove old blooms, add fertilizer and spray for weeds when needed.

She explained that all these factors add up to a healthy garden, and therefore, happy onlookers: invest time, money, plan carefully and pay ongoing attention.

With these ideas, a little thought and a little work, homeowners can have beautiful landscapes of their own.

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Spring Home & Garden

Spring 2013

Color, texture and shine, oh my!

By Theresa Corbin

S

pring is officially here. The birds are building their nests, flowers are blooming in their beds and home sweet home is getting its annual cleaning.

As the season changes, so too do our homes.

And homes across the nation are not only being given a spring cleaning, they are also being used as a blank canvas for the newest trends.

Top interior designers, design editors and trend spotters all agree that color, texture and shine are the hottest home décor trends for 2013.

An element of home decor that is in a constant state of change is color. In the 90s, home interiors found themselves dressed up in brown, cream, forest green and other neutral and natural shades. In the beginning of the millennium, home décor was in the midst of a rebirth of color. In the early 2000s, the decor savvy were not afraid to bring ravishing reds, bold blues and gorgeous greens into the home.

Today in 2013, trend setters are still thinking boldly when it comes to color. Elle Décor tells its readers that “Pantone named emerald the color of the year for 2013, but we're seeing all shades of greens and expect more in the future, from bright spring greens to olives, and especially lots of different blue-greens and teal.”

Erika Riggs, blogger and designer for Zillow. com, agrees with the green trend and clues readers in to other color trends in home décor.

Riggs says, “neutral shades such as white and beige will always work in a home, but sometimes a space calls for bolder colors...In fact, couches, walls and even appliances are showing up in hues of orange, emerald green, lavender and peacock blue. Named the ‘it colors’ for spring by Pantone, these shades are surprising-

ly easy to work with and, when used as a base or accent, are nearly a neutral, says designer David Scott.”

High-end residential interior designer, Stephen Shubel, told HouseBeautiful that color trends are reflecting the high-tech visual revolution. Shubel says, “Photoshop, HDTV, and hi-res computer screens have dialed up our sense of vision. Our rooms will be full of brighter, more saturated hues. I just used Life Savers candy colors on a project and plan on using them more.”

Popular trends in color are turning the vivid into the new neutral. And a full range of vibrant oranges, blues, purples, and greens can be found in the trendiest magazines and homes around the country.

The senses play a big role in the latest decorating trends, and the visual element of color is not the end of the line. According to The Boston Globe, texture is the new wave in wall coverings.

“Different textures is really the thing, says Charles Spada, principal designer of Charles Spada Interiors pointing out that vinyl, faux alligator, patent leathers and shagreen (sharkskin) can be quite sensational as wall coverings.”

Elle Décor agrees that the texture trend is hot. Their trend spotters say, “We expect this trend, already strong, to continue at full strength. The options now are limitless, from simple grass cloths to hand-painted papers to coverings embellished with glass beads and crystals.”

Other textured options hot this year in the halls of

We expect this {texture} trend, already strong, to continue at full home décor include faux strength. The options now are limitless, from simple grass cloths to handleather, embroidered silk, painted papers to coverings embellished with glass beads and crystals. embossed wall paper and

— Elle Décor

Continued on next page

Spring 2013

Spring Home & Garden

17

Continued from previous page

even metal. Better Homes and Gardens recommends its readers use the textured wall coverings in non-traditional places like picture frames, storage boxes or on a wooden cornice to add interest to any room.

And how can we talk about home dĂŠcor color and texture without mentioning shine?

HouseBeautiful quotes interior designer and author, Jeffrey Bilhuber, as extoling his passion for shine. “Gloss! High gloss! Shine! Polish! Lacquer!�

Bilhuber exclaims, saying they are the next big thing in home fashion. While Elle DĂŠcor recommend the brilliance of brass for its shiny trend. “With its rich gleam and sculptural weight, this metal is experiencing a resurgence. With so many designers looking to the '70s, it's inevitable that brass and bronze will show up more,â€? Elle’s design editor explains.

The experts agree. More saturated color; textures on walls and widgets alike; and a fine shine are the trimmings for 2013’s most stylish interiors. Keep these trends in minds as the springtime birds and blooms remind you to feather your nest.

Green, a Pantone “it� color for 2013, can be used as a neutral base to tie a whole room together. The olive green furniture and walls in this room complement the yellows, whites and browns.

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700 Whispering Pines Road Daphne, AL 36526

251-626-5000

Serving South Baldwin County Since 1916

www.rivierautilities.com

Spring 2013

‘Garden’ continued from page 12

tion (in their) mid 20s to early 30s grows up, they are coming full circle and embracing the roots of their post-hippie generation parents.

They are returning to the homestead concept, but with a decidedly urban flair of their own.

Many are digging into the urban homesteading and farming movement with the intent to become food self-sufficient and ecologically sustainable.”

Better Homes and Gardens spotted the trend and said, “homesteading has different meanings for different people, but the bottom line: People are still strongly interested in being more self-sufficient and growing more in less space while trying to use less water.”

For those who don’t have the time or energy to plant and tend to a garden by themselves, the next best thing is getting involved in a community garden. The community garden, like its homesteading cousin, is growing in popularity.

In these gardens, the community can take any shape and size, much like the gardens they grow. But two things remain the same — the community shares the responsibility of sowing and tending, and the community benefits in more ways than their garden’s fruition.

Better Homes and Gardens says, “the abundant craving for people to grow their own food, whether they have the space or not, has prompted several community gardens to develop and flourish. Mentoring role models are also flourishing in these spaces where, regardless of age, people are learning from each other, building relationships and strengthening their communities.”

The next list topping trend in gardening is the grassless lawn. In arid climates, the grassless lawn is a necessity. Many inhabitants of Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada are used to filling their lawns with stones and concrete pathways. While these residents must have a rock garden for want of excess water, many people living in other climates have taken this idea, made a few adjustments and turned it into a new gardening trend.

Better Homes and Gardens says, “several

Spring Home & Garden

21

Growing a community garden or homestead in Alabama?

Try fresh produce that thrives in our climate: • tomatoes

• peaches

• eggplants

• peppers

• strawberries

• sweet potatoes

For a grassless lawn, try this list of foliage: • Atamasco Lily

• Blazing Star

• White Fawn Lily

• Butterfly Weed

• Scarlett Sage

• Slender False Foxglove

Growing by color in your neighborhood? Try these bright flowers: • Transvaal Daisies • Physostegia

• Iris

• Phlox

• Sunflower

• Stokes aster

folks are turning over their grass patches for drought-tolerant flowers in an attempt to minimize water and eliminate fertilizing. Oh! – and, of course, to create a gorgeous, neighbor-envying garden, too!” Since we don’t have a lot of problems with droughts living in lower Alabama, we can create a flourishing flower filled lawn, with no mowing required.

Bold and beautiful flowers can be used to replace a grass-filled lawn because richly colored petals are another hot gardening favorite for 2013. We all look to the newest color of the season when it comes to our makeup, clothes, and interior décor. So it should not be surprising to hear that the same color trends apply to gardening.

With the many bright flowers, green grasses and pale foliage, it can be confusing to discern which color palette is on the top of the trending list. According to gardenmediagroup.com, trendy colors in the garden “mimic nature and evoke positive emotions. Pantone’s palette for 2013 forecasts a wide range of bright cheerful colors. They are happy yellow, bright blue, positive pink and healthy green. Bright metallic, like gold and silver, coupled with neutral browns and grays lend an upbeat, hip look in garden accessories.”

Armed with gardening hats, trowels and knee pads, gardeners can go to work with spring in the air and the latest trends in mind.

We hope to see the green thumb and novice alike growing sustainable, bold and beautiful gardens, lawns and neighborhoods this season.

22 Spring Home & Garden

Spring 2013

Take back our waterways Protect ponds and other bodies from invasive hyacinths

By Jessica Jones

The enemy

Invasive plants are ones that grow and thrive in a foreign place, or an area to which they’re not native. While exotic flowers and trees might not seem like a threat, the problem lies in the plant’s thriving and choking out natural species. As animals rely on native foliage for food and shelter, invasive species often upset an area’s ecosystem.

Getting personal

“Hyacinths have the ability to thrive in the environments that they have invaded and spread at a very high rate; they often compete with the area’s native species,” according to Alexander Peeples, a student at the Alabama School of Math and Science and team leader of an environmental project to remove invasive water hyacinths. “In the Mobile Bay area and in other warm areas near freshwater, water hyacinths have been and still are causing many problems. They have established populations in 13 states, as well as 53 countries.

They grow in large, thick mats that can cover entire bodies of water.”

Anna Word, a fellow team member, explained some of the negative effects this can cause.

“The mats prevent sunlight from reaching underwater plants, reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water by blocking the air-water interface and clog water ways, preventing vessels from traveling through them, which reduces the water's recreational value,” she revealed. “The reduced oxygen levels negatively affect fish populations. Hyacinths are also capable of physically crushing native plant species. This can affect the animal populations that feed on the plants.”

Peebles said impacts on ecosystems and recreation lead to economic issues.

“It contributes to the $138 billion per year of environmental damages and losses in the U.S. caused by invasive species,” he divulged. “Removing the hyacinths would help to reduce the effect of these problems and if continued, eventually eradicate them completely from the area.”

You can help

Peebles explained on an individual level, one of two methods can be used.

“Pull on long rubber gloves and waders or hip boots — water hyacinths can irritate your skin and this is a messy activity,” he began. “Wade into the pond where the plants are floating if you can't access them from the bank.

Grab a handful of the floating water hyacinth plant at the water's surface, and pull it straight upward. The selected plants will break away easily, bringing a large wad of root system with them.”

A less hands-on approach may also be used.

“Alternately, plunge a pitchfork into the water just beneath the plants and scoop them up if you'd rather not harvest them by hand,” he suggested.

“Deposit them in five-gallon pails for easy transport. Toss thinned or unwanted water hyacinths onto your compost heap. They degrade rapidly and are excellent for adding nutrients. The plants are commonly used in manufacturing commercial fertilizers. Don't dump them into unconfined bodies of water, or any body of water not situated on your own property.”

For a more widespread invasion, other methods might be more useful.

“On a large scale, harvesting and chopping machines are used to remove the plants; the harvesters remove the plants from the water and transport them to the shore for disposal,” he offered. “The chopping machines grind the hyacinths into tiny bits and spray the bits across the water. A form of biocontrol using the hyacinths' natural predator (two species of Neochetina weevils) is also used.”

Learn more

Peebles and others are working to spread knowledge of this invasion and to educate the public on dangers and eradication.

“We hope that our efforts will help to inspire other areas with similar ecological problems to work towards improving their own environments,” he said.

For more information, visit www.gardenguides.com/78455-cut-water-hyacinth-plant. html#ixzz2MX1ohvnc.

Spring 2013

Prudential

Spring Home & Garden

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23

24 Spring Home & Garden

Spring 2013

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