At Home Living 041517

Saturday, April 15, 2017 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

lawn and garden

Gardening gurus Have a question? Ask a Master Gardener

page 4 n Jamie Kidd on dividing perennials, page 2 n Acrylics: A clear furniture choice, page 5 n Cultivate imagination with fairy garden, page 6 Metro Creative Connection

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Warmer weather signals time to separate perennials I’m so excited about the arrival of spring that I’m gearing up for cleaning out my gardens. Perennials are just beginning to peek their faces out of the ground. This is a great time — April through early May — to divide those that need it.

Those that need it are the ones that are crowding their neighbors, overstepping their bounds, declining in vigor or looking more like a doughnut than a clump, as well as those that just didn’t flower well last year.

I also divide some plants just because I want more of them, or I want to trade them with my friends to get some of their great plants. Talk about an incentive plan.

JAMIE KIDD

jamiehan@ksu.edu

Most perennials can be divided in the spring or fall. A few only like spring, such as primrose and anemone, or only fall, such as peonies and phlox. Dividing in the spring when there is little foliage makes it easier for the disturbed roots to maintain the plant.

Cool, overcast days are the best time to divide perennials. We’ve had plenty of those this year.

Hot, dry days can stress new transplants and dry

their roots before you can get them in the ground.

Of course, we are all busy people, so a sunny day may be the only time available.

Either way, thoroughly water the root ball the day before. This will make removal easier and help protect the roots. On sunny days or if replanting is delayed, cover the exposed root ball with wet newspaper and place in the shade.

Here is a step-by-step plan for dividing perennials. n Start at the drip line, where rain drips off the farthest outside edge when the plant is in full leaf. The success of transplanting divisions depends on having sufficient roots. Using a

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

n A retirement reception for Shawnee County Extension horticulturist Jamie Kidd will be from 3 to 6 p.m. April 28, with a short presentation at 4:30 p.m., in the Garden House at Ted Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee, 3720 S.W. Yacht Court. Guests are welcome to drop in and speak with Kidd during that time. n The Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale Extravaganza is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Shawnee County Extension Office parking lot, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. n “Herbs: Growing and Using Them” will be presented by Master Gardener Carol Bragdon at 7 p.m. April 27 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. The session will focus on growing herbs outside and indoors. spade, make cuts around the drip line, severing extending roots. Dig down and under the plant. Use the spade as a lever, being careful not to overwork the handle and break it.

Lift the plant out of the hole. n Shake or vigorously hose the soil off the root ball to see what kind of roots you’re dealing with.

There are five basic root types: clumps or offsets; surface roots, called

stolons; underground running roots, called rhizomes; taproots; or woody. How you proceed depends on what root type you have.

Clumps or offsets form small plants that grow at the base of a larger plant, such as with asters, coneflowers, hostas and coreopsis. Snap the connection between any of the sections and obtain a piece with plenty of roots and three or more

growing points, or “eyes.”

Some clumps are so dense they have to be cut apart.

Surface roots run on or just under the soil surface. They pop up and start new plants. Cut the root between plants and you have a new separate plant. Bee balm, blackeyed Susans, creeping sedums and speedwells are surface-rooted plants.

Underground running KIDD continues on 3

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Kidd: Use sharp knife to separate roots Continued from 2

roots can develop suckers just beyond the shade of the mother plant. These can be cut away to form a new plant. Hardy geraniums, Japanese anemones, ostrich fern and plum poppies are examples.

Plants that have taproots, like a carrot, can be divided by using a sharp knife to slice down the length of the root. Every piece that has at least one eye, some of the taproot and a few side roots is a viable division. Taprooted plants are balloon flower, butterfly weed, cushion spurges and oriental poppies.

Woody perennials often form roots when stems rest on the ground or are buried by mulch.

Simply cutting between the rooted stem and the mother plant will create a new plant. Woody-rooted plants include candytufts, euonymus, lavenders and sages. n Separate plants with your hands, spade, fork or knife. Axes or saws may be needed on grasses or woody roots. Always use caution with tools. n Twenty percent to 25 percent of the plant should be replanted in your garden. Perennials multiply exponentially — one stem is likely to

triple or quadruple itself each year. So, if you only cut it in half, it will more than double this season and you’ll have to divide it again next year instead of three to five years from now. Smaller sections grow more vigorously and tend to produce stronger, longer-lasting blooms. Plant divisions at the same depth as the original plant. n Removing root balls will leave holes in your garden. Be prepared to refill them with good organic matter or compost.

It renews the soil, helps maintain fertility and prevents drainage problems where the soil has settled.

Service Directory

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Sharing their knowledge

trained master gardners pass on tips

By Jan Biles

jan.biles@cjonline.com

Ed Dillingham, Peggy Kaspar, Carolyn Hull and Mary Lou McPhail have something in common: They like to learn about all things lawn RESEARCHING and garden ONLINE and then Jamie Kidd, horticulturist at the share their Shawnee County Extension Office, knowledge said those searching online for with others information about gardening and as members lawn care should Google the topic of Shawwith “ext” added at the end, such nee County as “roses ext.” The search will Extension result in a list of Extension sites, where the information is research- Master Gardeners. based.

DillingKidd recommends the following ham, who websites: had been n Kansas: ksre.ksu.edu n Missouri: extension.missouri.edu g a r d e n ing for den Illinois: web.extension.illinois.edu cades, said n Indiana: extension.purdue.edu he became n Ohio: extension. osu.edu i ntere ste d n Michigan: migarden.msu.edu in Master n Pennsylvania: extension.psu.

Ga rdeners edu/plants/gardening three years ago, after he retired from his job at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“I came to an introductory meeting.

The first question I asked was, ‘Is this a garden club?’” he said. “I was informed it was not a social meeting, but they were here to learn and teach the public scientific-based information on lawns and gardens.”

Kaspar, a seven-year member, said several of her friends are Master Gardeners and encouraged her to check out the program because of her interest in gardening.

Hull, a 10-year member, also joined to be around others who enjoyed gardening.

“I love the Master Gardeners because we all love the same thing,” Kaspar said.

“We share knowledge and talk about garden life.”

McPhail joined Master Gardeners after landscaping the yard at her new home and helping neighbors with theirs.

jan biles/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

From left, Shawnee County Master Gardeners Carolyn Hull, Mary Lou McPhail, Peggy Kaspar and Ed Dillingham enjoy sharing the information they’ve learned through the Master Gardener program with others in the community. Among the organization’s activities are demonstration gardens, a garden response line, sick plant clinic, plant sale, Downtown Topeka Farmers Market booth and assistance with the Kansas Garden Show.

“I did about five homes and realized I needed to figure out what to do beyond barberry bush and spirea,” she said with a laugh. “I needed to expand my knowledge.”

McPhail, a 12-year member, said she has learned about Mason bees, how to trim shrubs and a host of other topics.

“I wouldn’t go seeking this knowledge but it comes to you through this,” she said.

Jamie Kidd, horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County, said the Master Gardeners program was established as homeowners

became more urban and Extension agents were flooded with questions about lawns and gardens.

“Shawnee County Extension gets 700 questions between April and October,” Kidd noted.

Extension services began training volunteers to answer basic horticulture questions. Over the years, the self-funded Master Gardeners program has expanded to include a speaker’s bureau; a response line; demonstration gardens; plant sales; lawn and garden classes; sick plant clinics; Downtown Topeka Farmers Market

booths; special needs and community gardens; assisting the Kansas Garden Show; and providing educational programs for youths.

“There are 180 Master Gardeners on the books (in Shawnee County) and 150 are active,” Kidd said. “They are not a labor force; they are an education source.”

Applications for the Master Gardener training program will be accepted early July through Aug. 11. Application forms will be available at shawnee.k-state.edu.

GARDENERS continues on 5

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Acrylics becoming favorite in furniture market

By Melissa Kossler Dutton The Associated Press

Clear the way for acrylics.

Furniture makers are using the see-through material for everything from couch legs and bed posts to tables and footstools.

It’s a way to add drama to a room without overloading it, said Sheila Schmitz, an editor with Houzz, an online source of interior design photos and decorating ideas. She said acrylics are being used to update many different kinds of furniture and to fit any budget.

“It’s really very versatile,” added Michelle Lamb, editorial director with The Trend Curve, an industry observer in Eden Prairie, Minn. “Because it’s clear, it can become a showpiece or just an accessory.”

The pieces are lighter, stronger and less expensive than glass, said Tara Donovan, style director at Wayfair, an online home goods store. “It’s more malleable and easy to work with, so it can be worked into more shapes,” she said.

Acrylic is ideal for small rooms because it doesn’t

Photographs from Bernhardt Furniture Company and Wayfair/THE associated press

Left: A gold and acrylic bed by Bernhardt Furniture Company features a plated brass frame, fine acrylic posts and is shown upholstered in an ivory plain cloth. Right: The Ralston Slipper Chair by Wayfair’s exclusive brand Mercer41 features acrylic legs. make the space look or feel crowded, Schmitz said: “It can be a functional piece that doesn’t add visual clutter.”

Clear furniture also can make small spaces feel more open and inviting, said Karen Mills, an interior designer with Interiors by Design Inc. in Lenexa.

“It’s lighter and brighter,” she said. “It bounces that light around, whereas darker pieces soak up all your sunlight.”

Even something as simple as an acrylic chair can make a statement in a room, as designer Philippe Starck proved more than a decade ago when he introduced his

Ghost Chair — a clear replica of the classic Louis XV armchair, Mills said. The chair helped launch the resurgence in acrylic furniture.

Now, you can find clear chairs to fit any room.

“There’s probably an acrylic chair for just about any taste,” Schmitz said.

Add a vibrant cushion, and clear chairs — along with benches and footstools — can become the centerpiece of the room.

“When you put fabric on it, it just looks like it’s floating. It adds a touch of fantasy,” Mills said. “It’s fantastic.”

Acrylic really shines

when accessorized with pops of color and texture, agreed Emily Arnow, editor at AllModern.com, an online furniture store.

“It’s there, but not really there, so it’s a great complement to bolder pieces that are also there to make a style statement,” she said.

“The key to decorating with clear acrylic is playing with perception and contrast.”

Clear legs on couches, chairs and cabinets can “create a look of suspended animation,” Lamb said.

“It may take you a second or two to realize what’s going on,” she said. “Once you figure it out, you can’t stop looking at it.”

Or if you prefer, the pieces can take a backseat to other furnishings in the room.

“You’re getting the function without taking up much visual space,” Donovan said.

Designers often use acrylic when they want to highlight another exceptional element in the room, she said. Clear tables are a way to accentuate beautiful carpets. Clear chairs won’t detract from an ornate desk or a special dining table.

Gardeners: Activities range from demo gardens to free classes Continued from 4

Cost is $110, which covers fees of expert instructors and provides participants with instruction materials, a name badge and Master Gardener shirt.

“We’re looking for people with a desire and affinity to learn and who are willing to teach someone else and share their knowledge,” Kidd said.

Those accepted into the training program meet one day a week for eight weeks in September and October.

Topics range from soil to

insects to perennials and shrubs.

“The class size is usually around 20,” McPhail said.

During their first year in the program — from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 — Master Gardeners must complete 40 hours of volunteer work, attend four of its 12 business meetings, gain an additional six units of advance training and participate in a fundraiser. In subsequent years, Master Gardeners must complete 25 hours of volunteer work, as well as the other

first-year requirements.

Members, who pay no yearly dues, meet the first Tuesday of the month to listen to speakers and socialize.

“You can get as involved as you want, as long as you get the minimum (requirements) in,” Hull said.

For more information about Shawnee County Master Gardeners, call the Shawnee County Extension Office at (785) 2320062 or visit shawnee.kstate.edu and click on “Extension Master Gardeners.”

GARDENING HELP

The Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners offers several services and classes throughout the year. Here are a few upcoming activities: n Response Line (Master Gardeners and Extension staff answer lawn and garden questions): 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, April through October. Call (785) 232-0062, ext. 105 or 106. n Master Gardener Plant Sale: 9 a.m. to noon May 6 at Shawnee County Extension Office parking lot, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. n Sick Plant Clinic: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 15 at Fairlawn Plaza Mall, 2114 S.W. Chelsea Drive. n Free classes at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave., including: April 13: “Planting for Curb Appeal,” 7 p.m., by Diane Green, Shawnee County Master Gardener.

April 27: “Herbs­—Growing and Using,” 7 p.m., by Carol Bragdon, Shawnee County Master Gardener.

May 4: “Vegetable Gardens,” 7 p.m., by Terry Cobb, Shawnee County Master Gardener.

May 18: “Gardens of the Master Gardeners,” 7 p.m., by Kathy Wade, Shawnee County Master Gardener.

June 1: “Exciting New Plants, Roses and Shrubs for 2017,” 7 p.m. Presenter to be announced.

June 15: “Master Gardeners History/K-State History/Your Biggest Garden Problems,” 7 p.m., by Jamie Kidd, horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

For more information, contact the Shawnee County Extension Office at (785) 232-0062 or visit shawnee.k-state. edu.

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Fairy gardens captivate imaginations Cabinets often

overlooked during remodel

By Tracee M. Herbaugh

The Associated Press

A set of little wings. Ceramic fountains. Tiny versions of ornate cottages and brick walkways fit for the English countryside. These are just some of the whimsical decorations that adorn fairy gardens.

When such miniature decorations are paired with similarly diminutive plants, these gardens — aimed at luring fairies — can captivate the imaginations of children and adults alike.

“I think it is in our DNA,” said Brenda Williams, a master gardener at Pesche’s Greenhouse, Floral and Gifts in Lake Geneva, Wisc.

For the last four years, Williams has been teaching classes to 4-H students and through the University of Wisconsin’s continuing education program on how to create fairy gardens.

We have the itch to garden, she believes, to satisfy some lingering part of our hunter-gatherer past.

“That gene is still very present in modern people who no longer need to garden,” Williams said, adding designing a little fairy abode turns a garden into “a living artwork.”

Fairy gardens’ appeal is similar, perhaps, to that of Japanese bonsai, the ancient practice of grooming small trees inside containers. In 1893, fairy gardens surged in popularity in the United States because of the Japanese Pavilion at the Chicago World’s Fair.

No two fairy gardens are the same.

Some people use creative containers, especially antiques — a wash tub,

By Ed Del Grande Tribune News Service

victoria hannley/THE associated press

Victoria Hannley, of Tuscon, Ariz., who writes the DIY blog “Dazzled While Frazzled,” created a fairy garden with objects left over from her daughter’s birthday party and an empty tin soup can. bird cages or pickle bottles.

“I tell people to imagine something in your head and try to recreate it in a pot, or whatever,” Williams said.

The gardens can be designed underwater or with silk plants if the creator is more of a “set and forget” type of plant person, Williams said.

Often, fairy gardens are a creative bridge between adults and children.

Jayme Tortorelli Benko, a 37-yearold mom from Denver, saw photos of fairy gardens online and wanted to make one for her young daughter, Alora. In a large pot, Benko put a ceramic flower with a resting fairy (named Nata), some rocks and an assortment of potted plants. Creating the garden was about spending time together, Benko said, adding, “Kids love magic.”

Fairy gardens are also part of a larg-

er DIY movement. Victoria Hannley, a 39-year-old mother of three who runs the DIY blog “Dazzled While Frazzled,” made her first fairy garden with items left over after her daughter’s birthday party and some empty soup cans from the kitchen.

“It makes me think back to the days when I had a dollhouse,” Hannley said. “You’re able to take everyday stuff you have and make something with it.”

Yet, fairy gardens also can take on more solemn meanings. The 15-footwide fairy garden on the side of Michelle Peebles’ home commemorates her daughter Amanda, who died at age 12 from complications from a rare form of cancer. Peebles, 46, of Broomfield, Colo., planted the garden two years ago with Amanda and her other children.

Q: Dear Ed: We are planning to do a bathroom remodel job this spring and wanted to ask you what you feel is the most overlooked item when planning a new bathroom. — Peter, Idaho A: Lots of effort usually goes into choosing fixtures like toilets, faucets and tubs when planning a new bathroom. But there is another fixture to think about that I feel is just as important and often overlooked: the medicine cabinet, especially nowadays when a lot of new features are available.

When planning your medicine cabinet, start

with the basics. Decide if you want a recessed unit or a surface-mounted wallhung cabinet. Also decide if a right-hand or left-hand door-swing would be more convenient.

Finally, look for quality construction with some cool features built into your medicine cabinet. Hot items include frameless mirrored doors with internal LED lighting, anti-slam hinges, customized shelving, internal charging stations and water-resistant finishes and trim.

Bottom line: A good medicine cabinet can be just what the doctor ordered to create the perfect bathroom.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Smoothie prep Instead of measuring out all of the ingredients each time you make a smoothie, prep the fruits ahead of time and store as individual servings in the freezer. When you’re ready to make the smoothie, just retrieve a packet of fruit to add to the drink.

Source: goodhousekeeping.com

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