Homestyle Summer 2011

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HomeStyle

MIDLAND DAILY NEWS SUMMER 2011

MIDLANDERS GET HANDS DIRTY CREATING POND BLACK, COLOR OF SUMMER BLUNDER BUSTERS FERTILIZING ON THE LAKE

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season’s darlings happen to be black. Novelty is just one of the virtues this color offers gardeners.

Patio exclamation point: Black Velvet petunia in a container with Euphorbia.

WHY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL In nature, the color black does not recede into the background.

“Black plants are popular in our area because they give good color and are used by landscape designers for impact,” says Pat Gillette, senior manager, Wheat’s Landscape, Vienna, Va. Yet black is not a show-stealer. An excellent color for contrast, “black can really help another color, like orange or pale pink, pop out in the landscape,” says Amy Stewart, a contributing editor to Fine Gardening and author of “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities” (Algonquin Books, 2009).

Stewart’s book covers deadly botanicals.”

But as I was researching, I did find that people are really interested in black plants, even if the only thing that’s ‘wicked’ about them is the color,” she says.

“These plants do not have to look like the Addams Family garden – not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Stewart adds.

In fact, black looks modern and sophisti-

The new black Black and near-black plants take center stage in outdoor landscapes

BY DAWN KLINGENSMITH CTW Features

H

aving a “black thumb” takes on a whole new meaning this gardening season.

That’s because black and near-black plants are gaining in popularity – so much so that the new Black Velvet petunia, unveiled last spring, has been dubbed the most talked-about plant in 2011.

Ball Horticultural Co. claims its Black Velvet is the first all-black petunia, and has been aggressively promoting the fashionable novelty. “Everybody wants to be the first on their block with a hot new plant,” says Ball’s Bill Calkins. “Like a little black dress or a black leather jacket, black goes with everything,” he enthuses on a YouTube video, talking up the merits of the petunia as “part of a fun, awesome mixed basket.”

A few years ago, chartreuse plants that seemed to glow from within enjoyed their star turn as the must-have color among serious gardeners. This

Drama queen: ‘Ebony Knight’ black mondo grass works well as an accent plant in a border or in a container.

Stand up and shout: the bright contrast of ‘Tropicana Black’ canna blossoms and foliage.

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cated, especially in urban and balcony gardens, Stewart says.

Some dark-as-night flowers – like black pansies, Black Barlow columbines, Black Gamecock irises and Queen of the Night tulips – actually blossom a deep, dark purple or wine color.

Other black beauties include shrubs and trees, like the Black Lace elderberry, which “looks a little bit like a Japanese Maple with its fine, lacy foliage,” Stewart says. “It produces beautiful sprays of pink flowers in spring, and the combination of the pink against the black leaves is really extraordinary.”

Equally striking is the Tropicanna Black canna, an exotic-looking spiked plant that produces bright scarlet or orange flowers.

Black Mondo Grass is “low-growing clump grass used as ground cover, in rock gardens or as a border, or just for added interest because of its unique color,” Gillette says.

Plant it around the edges of containers or beds to frame and accent your other plants, Stewart suggests.

Just because a plant is black does not mean it shuns the sun like a vampire, Stewart warns: “Some of them need full sun in order to really turn black. Be sure to read the plant labels, and give them a spot that will really allow their darkness to come through.”

Black and white: ‘Moonlight’ coral bells make a dramatic statement in a garden border.

Pretty in pink: This is Pinstripe petunia.

Yellow at heart: This is Phantom petunia.

Get in on the season’s hottest new color

By LORI QUALLS Midland Daily News Local gardeners can get in on the hot new color of the spring season.

At least two area nurseries, Vennix Greenhouse in Essexville and Abele Greenhouse and Garden Center in Saginaw, are offering three varieties of black petunias.

Black Velvet petunia is an all-black petunia that (surprise!) looks like velvet, said Diane Vennix, owner of the Essexville nursery. She said the standard-sized petunia looks good in a hanging basket or planted in the ground.

The other varieties are Pinstripe (pink thin stripes on black) and Phantom (yellow stripes on black).

Vennix said people are taken aback when they first see the black flowers.

“They can’t believe they’re a black petunia,” she said, adding she plans to plant them in her garden bed.

“They see the stripe and think that’s so cool.”

Matt Bouvy, manager at Abele, 3500 Wadsworth Road, said the petunias are prime for containers on the porch and recommends planting them with white flowers for contrast.

He said his store has a lot of new plants, including lobularia, and lots

Back in black: Black Velvet petunia looks like a velvet flower. of new colors available within the same plant families they have had in the past.

Mandevilla, considered an annual in northern climes, is new this year at Vennix’s store at 1175 Ridge Road.

The plant comes in yellows, reds, pinks. She said it is especially pretty on trellises, and people buy them for each side of their garages and let them train on over.

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Blund r BUSTERS Mother Nature is forgiving – to a point. Here are 6 tips to avoid common goofs

BY DAWN KLINGENSMITH CTW Features

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landscaping project or renovation turns the yard, or part of the yard, into a blank canvas. Too bad it’s not paint-bynumbers because it’s common to get so caught up in choosing a palette and envisioning the glorious end results we lose patience and perspective. Landscaping basics are ignored, and mistakes are made in our rush to create a masterpiece.

“It’s the hurrying process that causes the most blunders,” from poor planning and misguided plant selection to improper placement and care, says Nicholas Staddon, director of new plants at Monrovia garden plant producers, headquartered in Azusa, Calif.

He and other experts share common gardening gaffes committed by overeager homeowners.

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Assuming every plant has it made in the shade.

“Know how much sun or shade your planting area gets throughout the day.

Trust me, plants care about this,” says Ashburn, Va.-based gardening consultant Starla J. King.

Even if they take the time to figure this out, people still have a tendency to put sun-loving plants in shady areas, or vice versa, and hope for the best.

“They will probably still grow but will be spindly and patheticlooking,” King says. “Likewise, a shade-loving plant will burn to a crisp in a full-sun area.”

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Thinking all soil is created equal. It’s important to know whether the soil is sandy or clay-like, and choose plantings accordingly. A soil test will show whether it’s necessary to amend the dirt to make up for nutrients it lacks.

“New garden beds may need some added topsoil or soil conditioner mixed with the original soil,” King says.

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Setting the scene for growing pains.

“Plants will try to grow to their intended size even if you don’t give them enough space,” King says. “Be kind to them and buy plants whose mature size matches your available space.”

In the beginning, gaps are good.

Yet overcrowding tends to occur because “someone wants to fill in space quickly,” Staddon says.

Knowing, for example, how pretty a bed of petunias looks when the blooms fill out and blanket the ground, they don’t have the patience to wait, he says: “They want to leap in and have the best landscaping on the block. So they plant too close together, and pretty soon it becomes a tangled mass that needs to be thinned out.”

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Letting water run where it may. Homebuilders are supposed to grade the yard so surface water is directed away from the foundation. If homeowners and landscaping companies change the lay of the land, they need to pay attention to water flow and drainage or they may flood the basement or crawl space or weaken the foundation, says Reggie Marston, president, Residential Equity Management Home Inspections, Springfield, Va. “I have inspected houses where vegetable gardens were installed up against the foundation and every time the owner watered the garden, water poured into the basement, he says.

HONEYSUCKLE: This shrub attracts bees, which are important pollinators. If you have someone in your home who is allergic to bee stings, you might avoid this plant or place it at the back of the garden.

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Attracting the wrong element. As pollinators, bees are usually welcome garden guests. But plants that attract bees should not be placed too closely to children’s play areas, Staddon says.

And toxic plants have no place in areas where kids and pets are free to explore.

HOSTA: This plant needs shade and lots of water. If you plant it in the sun or a dry spot, it will suffer .

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Setting off a flower bomb. After the gloom of winter, folks are so eager for spring that they put on a spectacular show of early bloomers. Tulips, daffodils and lilacs come on strong, but make an early exit and leave behind something of a wasteland where nothing is blooming.

Staddon calls this the “summer doldrums,” when everything is unrelentingly green until the leaves start changing color for fall. A well-planned garden has color and something blooming all the time.

With planning and patience, most landscaping blunders could be avoided. Staddon urges folks to let go of the idea of creating a masterpiece and embrace the fact that a landscape is always a work-inprogress. Gardening “is not about the end result,” he says.

“It’s about the journey.”

CHINESE ELM: A fast growing tree that will reach 50 feet and 35 feet wide. Don’t plant it too close to the house or the street.

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BIRD OF PARADISE: This tropical plant cannot stand freezing temperatures. Tropicals are sold in garden centers even in colder climates, but are made to be overwintered indoors. Read the label before you buy.

FLOWER CARPET ROSE: They come in many colors and make beautiful flowering ground cover.

Keep in mind that roses have thorns, so this wouldn’t be a good choice for areas. where children or pets would be playing.

SPOTTED DEAD NETTLE: This popular perennial grows quickly and tolerates tough conditions – code words for invasive tendencies. Be prepared to trim it aggressively.

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Get your hands dirty Midlanders Sue and Paul Hannah create their own backyard beauty PAGE 8

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Sue Hannah wanted a backyard pond after seeing her sister’s pond. So she started digging, and soon her husband Paul stepped in to help. Together they have created a 1,500-gallon pond that brings them joy.

Midlanders create backyard

Beauty S

ue Hannah treasures the mornings when she is able to enjoy a cup of coffee sitting at her backyard pond watching the goldfish and hopefully getting a peek at a few frogs.

What makes the pond so special, she said, is that her husband Paul, with a little help from her, hand dug the 1,500-gallon beauty that is alive with critters and plantings.

“We dug every spade of dirt, moved every stone, hauled every rock ourselves,” she said. “We’re not going to win any awards but it’s ours.”

This spring, they are back digging in the dirt, this time adding a small stream that will flow into the pond.

Back in 1994, when Sue visited her sister’s home in Wisconsin and saw her new pond, she knew that’s what she wanted in her own Midland backyard, The Hannahs filled their pond with feeder fish, a much cheaper option than koi.

Continued on page 12

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Above, ponds can be bought and installed, if that’s your wish. But Sue and Paul Hannah of Midland put on their boots and used their own hard work to make it happen in their back yard.

Left, backyard ponds are perfect places for all the trinkets and garden treasures collected over the years.

Story by Lori Qualls, Midland Daily News Photos by Thomas Simonetti, Midland Daily News

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Continued from page 10 which has plenty of space. She bought a 100-gallon preformed pond and enjoyed it.

But the pond wasn’t deep enough to overwinter the fish and, like most people who put in ponds, by the next summer she wanted something bigger.

So she started digging. And digging. She hit tree stumps and lots of roots and called on her husband to finish it. She said the pond ended up being bigger than she expected.

The pond, with a wide band of fieldstone and rocks and pebbles around it, has a three-foot deep end (which is deep enough for fish to overwinter in Michigan) and a shallow end about 18 inches deep. Sue stocked the pond with feeder goldfish (12 for a dollar at Cohoon’s) and they have grown and multiplied. This spring she counted 76 fish, with 10 of them new babies. One year she had 120 fish.

The pond has attracted a hungry and pesky heron every spring. She’s pretty sure it was back again this year because on one early morning in April the fish were hiding in the deep end and not at the surface anxiously looking for her and her food treats.

To give the fish cover, Sue has planted water lilies (three for $10 at Lowe’s) in a black round plastic planter, which

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sits on a plastic garden stool in the deep end. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They can run down there and hide under the stool,â&#x20AC;? she said of the fish.

In the shallow end, she has a plastic container raised up on a few bricks, under which the fish can hide.

Sue doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recommend adding rock to the bottom of your pond. They did, and it was a mess. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rocks on the bottom hold sludge and are a pain to clean out.â&#x20AC;? The rocks have since been moved.

Every year she buys one water hyacinth from Cohoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which by summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end will have multiplied into 50 or 60 of the purple-blooming floaters. When the lilies grow and water hyacinth multiply, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to see into the pond,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Sue, who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add chemicals to her pond, credits her filter (a Tetra pressure filter) with keeping it clean and the plants on the water surface for keeping algae at bay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once you have a good balance between plants and sunlight, nature takes care of it then,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Visitors to the pond will meet Doris, a dragon Sue found at a pond store in Sombra, Canada. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(She) was looking very sad â&#x20AC;&#x201D; grey concrete does nothing for the complexion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so I decided to adopt her,â&#x20AC;? Sue said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gave her a quick makeover to brighten her up a bit but this year sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to have the extreme makeover â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a new woman.â&#x20AC;?

The Hannahs also filled a smaller pond that was adjacent to the bigger one with sand, and will landscape that with boulders and some of Sueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shell collection. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will be a place for birds to come and take a bath and for squirrels,â&#x20AC;? she said.

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Want a Pond?

Try your hand at creating your own water feature

V

ibrantly colored flowers, lush grass and stone pathways are wonderful accents for any backyard. But to truly elevate a backyard to the status of “garden,” few features make a bigger splash than a pond.

Ponds can create a focal point, serve as a restful oasis and add the soothing sound of water to an outdoor space. Many homeowners may shy away from building one, thinking it will be too difficult to do themselves and too costly to hire a professional to build. Yet creating a backyard pond doesn’t have to be difficult — if you prepare properly and use pond supplies that are intended to make the job manageable for most do-it-yourselfers.

“The key effort behind building a pond begins before you ever put a shovel to the ground,” says Doug Ward of TotalPond, makers of high-quality pond supplies and water pumps. “Choosing the right spot for your pond, and planning carefully for how it will look, will help you achieve results that you can be proud of.”

Continued on page 16

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‘

’

The size, shape and features of your pond need be limited only by your imagination, available space and budget.

Story by ARA Content

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Want to dig your own pond? Here are some tips Go big For your first effort, you might think you should keep it simple, but playing it safe may not ultimately lead to optimum results. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The No. 1 complaint we hear from homeowners is that, while they love the pond they have, they wish they had built something bigger,â&#x20AC;?

Ward says.

The size, shape and features of your pond need be limited only by your imagination, available space and budget. Your water feature can be a small pool of water with a simple fountain pump or a multi-level extravaganza of pools and waterfalls. Your design can be classic, contemporary, organic or a style thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely new -â&#x20AC;&#x201D; what you end up with will depend on your tastes. In fact, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have to dig a hole if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to create an above-ground pond using pavestones and a liner.

Stay practical Let your imagination run wild within reason. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that your location,

regional climate, community restrictions, the architecture of your home and the purpose of your pond will all affect your pond-building project.

When choosing a spot in your landscape for your pond, keep these factors in mind: â&#x2013; Draw a map of your property so that you have a visual of its overall look â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and how a pond will fit in with the rest of your landscape. â&#x2013; Your pond is a living eco-system.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be adding water plants, most need at least four hours of sun per day, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to choose a spot that gets plenty of sun. â&#x2013; Avoid placing your pond near trees or plants with invasive root systems.

Roots can grow under the pond liner and cause damage. And if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s under trees, falling leaves could block the filter and pump, and decomposing leaves are actually toxic to fish.

Designing, building Now that you know where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll place your pond itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to think about what

it will look like, and to get down to the business of building it. Keep in mind that how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use the pond, where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s located and your lifestyle will all affect the design.

If you plan to have fish in your pond, you need to adjust the depth accordingly; goldfish are usually OK in shallow water but koi will need a deeper pond.

If the ground in your area of the country freezes in winter, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to make your pond at least 18 inches deep to protect it. If you live in a densely populated area or have small children, you will need to build a fence into your design for safetyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake.

Before you begin digging, check your communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bylaws and find out if any city ordinances govern pond-building.

Also, be sure to contact your local utilities by calling 811 to ensure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t risk hitting any utility lines while digging.

With planning, the right products and a little elbow grease, you can create a water feature in your landscape â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and turn your backyard into a garden that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy for years to come.

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Turf tamer DIYTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ahmed Hassan talks outdoor living and eco-friendly landscapes

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No more fooling

Mother Nature

BY DEBORAH DOUGLAS CTW Features Ahmed Hassan is certainly not afraid to push around Mother Nature.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no big deal to take an ordinary yard and make it into a giant chessboard or introduce a water feature in what he calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;blitz-style makeovers,â&#x20AC;? as he does on the DIY Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Turf Warâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yard Crashers.â&#x20AC;?

Talking organic lawns and gardens, though, takes more restraint, not only in discussion but also in practice.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Typically, when I think of ecofriendly gardening, I tune in with nature, rather than exerting my will,â&#x20AC;? says Ahmed, 37, a certified landscape technician based in the San Francisco Bay area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about minimizing your carbon footprint. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring in a bunch of gasdriven tractors and call that ecofriendly. Rototillers are not ecofriendly.â&#x20AC;?

Increasingly, however, more gardeners have taken their traditional gardens and lawns and gone organic, according to the

National Gardening Association (NGA), eschewing chemicals altogether or using them very reluctantly.

Even traditional gardeners are concerned about the environmental impact of chemicals and tools used to coax their soil. Only 21 percent of those surveyed by NGA gave their lawn maintenance practices a â&#x20AC;&#x153;greenâ&#x20AC;? grade.

Hassan offers some advice for those who want to move in this direction: Start by avoiding walking on wet soil, Hassan says. Mashing down the soil squishes the air out of it and harms natural drainage, making

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it difficult for microorganisms, which are “always eating and pooping” to thrive.

Then consider growing grass from seed instead of laying sod, Hassan says. And of course, organic lawn care requires homeowners to resist the urge to mow their lawns into submission. Just take off a top layer of grass, no shorter than 2 1/2 inches, with a mulching mower and let the cuttings feed the lawn. In summer, opt for a weekly water soak instead of daily watering, organic gardening experts suggest.

Start from scratch: Propagate existing plants by dividing the

mother plant and growing from seed. Use ground cover from the front yard and use these plants in the backyard. The carbon footprint is instantly smaller because potted plants must be trucked across the country, burning gas and using other resources on a grand scale.

Use the classifieds: Pick up rock or other landscaping items someone is getting rid of.

Rethink composting: “Think about building a compost pile using wood that would come off trees and shrubs and use that in your garden,” Hassan says.

Bring soil to life: Use a lowimpact mulching mower in warmer seasons to recycle grass and encourage an environment where microorganisms and earthworms can thrive, which helps the soil hold water and thwart disease.

Reuse nature’s waste: Hassan suggests repurposing wood, such as old furniture, to build structures for a garden. Soft woods are great for decorative trellises, he says. “I did a

twig wall structure,” Hassan says.

“Instead of taking them to the dump, I built a 10-by-12 partial decorative panel that covered a shed.

Hold the electricity: “Don’t use all the power tools,” Hassan says.

“It’s a very different way of doing things.”

Be realistic: Telling a landscaper to turn a traditional lawn into an organic one is a hard sell because the results aren’t guaranteed. An organic lawn, for example, may be kinder to the earth and the animals that nibble at the grass, but it is not entirely weed-free.

Organic land management “takes a little more work, and is great for do-it-yourselfers,” Hassan says.

“Eco-friendly means more work. If you enjoy it, that’s the route you will go through.”

For more information about organic landscaping and gardening, call or visit the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service at 800-346-9140 or http://attra.ncat. org/.

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backyard deck is supposed to be a relaxing retreat.

But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing relaxing about the drudgery of cleaning, sanding and staining a wood deck over the years. A growing number of homeowners are looking beyond wood to higher-priced but lower-maintenance alternatives such as composite (ground-up wood mixed with new or recycled plastic) and all-plastic decks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A wood deck is going to need some annual protection from the elements,â&#x20AC;? says Shawn Miller, president, North American Deck and Railing Association. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A composite deck is only going

to need to be hosed off every now and then.â&#x20AC;?

NEW DECK TECH The first composite decks in the 1980s were more susceptible to mold and fading, and sometimes acquired a bad reputation, says Michael Rudh, deck designer for Decks.com, Alpharetta, Ga. But new composite products introduced during the past few years use different technologies to guard against those problems. The newer products are generally priced higher than earlier-generation composite materials but offer much better protection against the elements, says Miller.

Some newer composites encapsulate the deck material in vinyl for added resistance to stains and scratches.

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Composite products use a mixture of recycled woods and man-made materials that help prevent mold, including bamboo, straw and even rice hulls, which are more water-resistant than wood.

Composite boards come in a range of white, gray and brown shades and realistic wood textures, says Rudh, with railings to match.

“A lot of people are using gray,” he says, “and the light-brown cedar color and the dark brownish redwood color are probably the most popular.”

LET’S GET ‘REAL’ “There are some very realistic-looking materials now; you really have to look at it to tell if it’s composite or not,” Miller says.

All-plastic deck materials made from PVC (vinyl) offer many of the same benefits as composites but tend to be

pricier. They have the added advantage of being impervious to moisture, so mold and decay don’t enter into the picture.

“PVC options are a little lighter in color than composite decking, and they’re a little cooler underfoot [in hot weather] because PVC doesn’t retain heat the way plastic does,” Miller says.

The newest breed of vinyl decks are made of cellular PVC formed into solid planks, with a much wider variety of wood colors and textures than more traditional hollow vinyl decks.

Both composite and vinyl deck materials will likely stand the test of time better than wood, says Miller, president of Classic Designs Inc. in the Denver metro area.

“They protect themselves, and they’re not susceptible to cracking and splintering,” he says.

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Just the

Midland County

Facts, please A comprehensive look at the state of gardening, home improvement and outdoor living

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Percent of homeowners who give their lawn and landscape maintenance practices a passing “green” grade Source: National Gardening Association

4

Percent increase in spending on home improvement last year Source: NPD Group

S

3.5

Percentage growth in home improvement spending expected in 2010-15

84

Percent of Americans who turn off lights and appliances when not in use Source: Harris Poll

1 .

ince man discovered it, fire has been a vital source of warmth and comfort. So if the best it does in the backyard is scorch hot dogs on the grill, it might be time to return to the romance of flame.

“Fire has always been something we gathered around as a community,” says Michael Zimber, the president of the functional sculpture company Stone Forest. “It is a real focal point for gathering, and [watching fire] is something like watching waves — it has an almost trance-like or calming effect on people.” Light a fire in no time with these easy tips for setting up a fire pit.

Keep the P

BURN Survey the options Some fire vessels are sculpted by hand from a single block of granite, which look opulent but can also

PAGE 22

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750,000

The number of cars whose carbon dioxide emissions would be offset if every customer of IKEA replaced one 60-watt bulb with an energy-saving bulb

64

Percent of Americans who will invest in home renovation projects in 2011 Source: American Express

40

Percent of consumers who have a movable grill system on a patio/deck with outdoor furniture and dining space

60

Percent of Americans who use power strips Source: Harris Poll

Compiled by Deborah Douglas CTW Features

Source: HPBA

drive up the price. Stainless steel, cast iron or copper bowls are available at local retailers of all sizes.

Choose between a gas and woodburning vessel.

2. Take control For something quick, easy and permanent, take the do-it-yourself approach. Head over to a hardware store to get landscaping blocks and a steel ring.

e Pit-Fires

NING

This DIY method doesn’t use mortar or expensive bricks, and it might be the simplest fire pit to make. Simply dig a trench, place the brick circle, fill the inside with pea stone and put some flat stones on top.

3. Think safety first Don’t build or place a fire pit too close to a house or too close to the flower garden, and chose a spot away from these high traffic areas. Scott Cohen, of the Yucaipa, Calif.-based Concrete Network, suggests building at the edge of a property for people to admire.

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5/4/11 12:46:22 PM

24

Little Giants

Why modest mosses, sedum, thymes and creepers are working their way into more gardens. The lowdown on groundcover

BY DAWN KLINGENSMITH CTW Features Ground-softening creepers, some no taller than indoor carpeting, are gaining in popularity among gardeners who prize their beauty and toughness.

While pachysandra, hosta and ivy grow a foot tall or higher, other types of groundcovers grow no more than an inch.

These low-growing plants generally are classified as perennials and succulents. Some varieties withstand a reasonable amount of foot traffic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the most popular are the various types of thyme â&#x20AC;&#x201C; woolly thyme, elfin thyme. Most have tiny little leaves that lend themselves to creeping along in little crevices,â&#x20AC;? says Ginger Jennings, perennials department supervisor, Tagawa Gardens, Centennial, Colo.

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Hence, they are frequently planted between stone pavers for visual appeal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a flagstone patio or pathway, if you plant them in between the stones, they soften the edges and provide for a more organic look â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something green growing and creeping between the stones,â&#x20AC;? Jennings says.

Low-growing groundcovers are also used instead of mulch or soil around trees and shrubs, and in some cases instead of lawn.

As mulch replacement, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It adds an additional layer and some depth, and some texture and richness, beneath your shrubs. By definition, groundcover forms a community and grows into a solid mass, so it creates a sense of continuity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everything looks more unified and tied together,â&#x20AC;? says Bob Hursthouse, president, Hursthouse Landscape Architects & Contractors, Bolingbrook, Ill.

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Perhaps its most useful characteristic is weed suppression. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you get a really thick mat of groundcover, the weeds canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow through it,â&#x20AC;? says Kevin McGowen, education specialist, Midwest Groundcovers, St. Charles, Ill. The company recently expanded its line of creeping thyme from two to seven varieties due to its popularity, he adds.

Other popular varieties are blue star creeper, sedums, veronicas and mosses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Groundcovers have really come to the forefront in consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes as problem-solving plants. A homeowner can use them to keep weeds out and moisture in, reducing their need for fertilizers and weed killers,â&#x20AC;? says Frances Hopkins, founder and CEO, Under a Foot Plant Company, Salem, Ore. Hopkins created a line of groundcovers called Stepables that are robust enough to function as a surface for walking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consider these to be your Berber carpeting for the outdoors,â&#x20AC;? she says.

The plants are designed to withstand light, moderate or heavy foot traffic.

Stepping on them â&#x20AC;&#x153;induces lateral growth and keeps plants tight to the

ground,â&#x20AC;? Hopkins says.

While Jennings agrees that this groundcover brand and others like it are â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtually unbotheredâ&#x20AC;? by foot traffic, McGowen says the plants are sensitive to trauma. Midwest Groundcovers carries the brand Jeepers Creepers, which can handle some foot traffic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the truth is, no plant really likes to be stepped on,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Certain types of low-growing groundcover suffer more than others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some sedums have more succulent leaves, and if you step on them you kind of crush them,â&#x20AC;? Jennings says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better to plant those off to the side.â&#x20AC;?

Choose groundcover that is appropriate for your regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate and soil conditions, and for the amount of available sunlight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you plant a full-sun plant in a shady area, you will get a very thin, spindly plant,â&#x20AC;? Hopkins says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you plant a shady plant in full sun, it will burn down to nothing.â&#x20AC;?

If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have automatic sprinklers, choose a plant thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not particularly thirsty. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of us who water by hand forget a lot or get busy and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always get out there on really hot days,â&#x20AC;?

Hopkins says.

However, you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t water too frequently, either. Over watering and poor drainage are the most common groundcover killers, Hopkins says.

Stepables should not be covered for any length of time under leaves or debris, she adds, or they will turn yellow.

Low-growing groundcover is not a suitable option for certain applications.

Taller varieties are preferable for a large area that is difficult to maintain, such as a slope or hillside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Planting a super-steep hillside with ivy makes a lot more sense than wooly thyme,â&#x20AC;? Hopkins says.

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Keeping a low profile â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buying a plant because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work,â&#x20AC;? Hopkins says. Before considering the following aesthetic or fun characteristics, make sure a groundcover is suited to your region and yard.

Visual interest: It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win any beauty contests, but Leptinella Plattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black is arresting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a creepy creeper, looking rather like a bunch of millipedes. For people who want something really interesting, this is that plant,â&#x20AC;? says Starla King, co-owner, Signature Gardenscapes, Ashburn, Va. Happy habitats: Thymes and sedums will attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Step-and-sniff: The creeping thyme Doone Valley â&#x20AC;&#x153;has foliage that, when crushed, smells like pink lemonade,â&#x20AC;? McGowen says.

Old softies: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leptinella varieties feel the most scrumptious underfoot. They are like soft little ferns that creep and roam to make a very sweet carpet,â&#x20AC;? Hopkins says.

Speedy spreader: Moneywort, or Creeping

Keep it low: Want to add visual interest without much height?

Try a groundcover.

Jenny, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a beautiful, bright, golden-green trailing plant, but it quickly will take over your garden floor, the path and anything near it,â&#x20AC;? King warns. Plant it at your own peril.

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Living on the water & fertilizing

BY ELLEN PEDON Sanford Lake Association My husband and I had the privilege of listening to a speaker from the MSU extension program from Oakland County as she presented a program regarding healthy landscaping and yard management for lakefront owners at the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association conference on April 14. She made some very important points to help reduce the weeds and algae growth, promote fish populations and preserve our shorelines.

Having a lawn that stretches down to the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge or the edge of your lake barrier has a negative effect on the lake. Grass (especially grass that is cut regularly) has very short roots and does not help to retain excess nutrients like phosphorus or nitrates from entering the water. MSU and Michigan Lakes and Streams Association promote a buffer zone that is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;no mow and no fertilizationâ&#x20AC;? zone of at least 4-8 feet from the waters edge. Allowing natural plants to grow in that zone promotes a

natural habitat for birds and wildlife and helps to filter the water to prevent excess nutrients in â&#x20AC;&#x153;run-offâ&#x20AC;? to enter the water. This helps to prevent algae growth explosions, which are dangerous to the fish and the lake. It also promotes healthy native plant life which supports birds and butterfl y habitats on the shore.

Another important point made in her presentation was when she asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where does storm water go?â&#x20AC;? The answer is directly into the lake. Any fertilizer or grass clippings left on the road is washed directly into the lake.

Sweeping and tidying up after mowing and fertilizing prevents unwanted nutrients from finding their way into our lake.

Should you fertilize as a lake front owner? This is totally up to you and can be done with minimal negative lake impact if you follow these guidelines. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use fertilizers with phosphorous unless your lawn is in need (soil test to find out) this area is very high in phosphorous so unless you are starting a new lawn, the rule of thumb is donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use it. Use nitrogen that is slow release it will tell you on the bag â&#x20AC;&#x153;WINâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; water-soluble nitrogen is listed on that preferred fertilizer. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fertilize before May, the plants/grass are not ready to receive the nutrients because they are either too saturated with water or not thawed enough to absorb the nutrients and they just run off. Above all, remember the importance of the buffer zone. Keep these things in mind and fertilizing your lawn can be safe for the lake. http://sanfordlakeassociation.org

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