At Home Living 061017

Saturday, June 10, 2017 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

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Home Decor

Creating a summery feel Decorating experts bring outdoors inside page 6 n Planting an edible landscape, page 2 n Ivan Weichert on revitalizing Topeka, page 4 n Treehouses reflect fantasies, page 5

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

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Edible plants can thrive in flower gardens So you moved and no longer have space for that garden you loved at the old place — and you sure miss the freshly picked garden produce.

Alice Brooks Maybe there is a solution.

I, too, moved from the country to the city and lost my big garden space.

I still wanted to grow my own food without turning my whole backyard into a vegetable garden.

So I decided to embrace the idea of edible landscaping, which means interplanting herbs, vegetables and fruits into my annual and perennial

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

n “Current Horticultural Issues in Kansas” will be presented at 7 p.m. June 15 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. n The Shawnee County Master Gardeners will answer lawn and gardening questions on June 24 at the Downtown Topeka Farmers Market, S.W. 12th and S.W. Harrison. n Shawnee County Master Gardeners will present a worm composting workshop from 1:30 to 3 p.m. July 12 in the upper meeting room at the Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. Participants will assemble and take home a functioning indoor worm composting bin, including the worms. Registration and a $10 materials fee are due July 7 at the Extension Office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. floral landscape.

Edible landscaping plants have the same requirements as flowers: good, well-drained, fertile soil and at least six hours of sunlight every day. Annuals are the easiest to grow, but most perennial herbs can thrive on less sunlight.

When incorporating edible plants into your normal landscape, think about color combinations

and the contrast of leaf size and texture, just as you would in an all-flower area. Only try things you would normally eat. There is no sense in growing food plants you won’t eat.

Many edible plants are very attractive. The easiest to start with are herbs. Parsley makes a beautiful garden border; thyme is a great ground cover; and bronze fern-

leaf fennel is an attractive plant to combine with a broadleaf ornamental, such as cannas.

Bright Lights swiss chard has red and yellow stems that stand out in any landscape. Chives, planted in front of allium, make an interesting combination, because the flowers are so similar.

If you garden in pots, use purple basil or oregano as a filler, lemongrass

as a tall plant instead of a traditional grass, or the Japanese herb shiso for an unusual and colorful herb in the planter.

Peppers are an attractive choice for a large pot or any flower garden. Peppers come in many sizes and range from sweet to hot. Even those labeled “ornamental” have edible fruits.

For a trellis or arch, try cucumbers, pole green beans or small melons.

Raspberries or blackberries look inviting on an arched trellis and will be easier to pick when the thorny canes aren’t blowing in the wind.

Eggplant, especially the small ones, is an attractive plant; and okra is a large background veg-

etable. Bush green beans are a good filler, especially those with burgundy pods that add color to the flower bed.

When choosing shrubs, think creatively and longterm. Blueberries have beautiful, shiny leaves and can be various sizes, but they need acidic soil (a pH of 4.0 to 5.0) to be productive. Most other plants don’t grow well in this soil pH range, so blueberries likely will need a spot of their own.

Elderberries are a larger shrub and have large hand-shaped leaves. Both of these shrubs produce fruit that is good for your health.

Nanking bush cherries BROOKS continues on 8

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Leaky cast-iron sink likely needs replacing

By Ed Del Grande Tribune News Service

Q: Dear Ed: In my kitchen, I have very old tile countertops with an undermount castiron kitchen sink that is leaking. It looks like the best option is to replace the sink and tiles and start new. I’m looking into new sinks, and my question is: What is the difference between undermount cast-iron kitchen sinks and tile-in cast-iron kitchen sinks?

— Pete, Rhode Island A: I receive a lot of questions about older kitchen sinks, and, in many cases, it’s a good idea to start fresh.

Today’s undermount cast-iron sinks have a wide, flat rim and are designed to mount beneath your kitchen countertop.

These sinks are best used with solid surface and stone countertops.

Now, if you’re planning to reinstall tile for your countertop, a tile-in cast-iron sink is a good choice.

A tile-in sink is specially designed to be installed in a tile kitchen countertop.

It has a square rim with a straight, flat edge made to the thickness of most tiles.

Your countertop tiles butt right up to the edge of this rim. Basically, the sink is like a big tile.

Bottom line: If you plan on installing a tile kitchen countertop, a tile-in kitchen sink may be your best-laid plan.

Master contractor/plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book “Ed Del Grande’s House Call,” the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eadelg@cs.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.

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Building up Topeka from the inside out Heartland Visioning group exploring neighborhood revitalization

By Liz Montano

Special to The Capital-Journal

The CEO of the Topeka Home Builders Association has built his career, in part, through volunteer and philanthropic efforts.

For decades, Ivan Weichert has worked with Topeka’s Habitat for Humanity to help provide homes for those less fortunate. Now, in addition

to his leadership role at THBA, he’s lending his vision of a better capital city, from neighWeichert borhood revitalization to Heartland Visioning. In a recent interview, Weichert shared his desire to improve blighted areas of Topeka

TOPEKA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

Address: 1505 S.W. Fairlawn Road Information about membership or upcoming events: Visit thba.com; email thba@thba.com; or call (785) 273-1260. and how that effort, in the long term, would improve the entire area.

Q: Share, if you will, your involvement with Heartland Visioning and what

you hope to accomplish.

Weichert: Heartland Visioning is comprised of a number of groups. My group is focused on establishing a neighborhood redevelopment or revi-

talization program. It’s in its infancy, not really a program yet, but that’s our goal: to have a not-forprofit program that would accomplish great things but wouldn’t be an expense for the city of Topeka. The Topeka Housing Authority is doing great work, but we need more.

Q: How does it progress from being an idea to tangible results?

Weichert: With help from bankers, such as

the Federal Home Loan Bank, and corporations doing business in Topeka.

That’s an effort underway — sharing our vision with them and explaining how their philanthropy and involvement would lift areas of our city out of blight.

Doing so would improve property values and inspire additional growth by drawing more residents and businesses to TOPEKA continues on 8

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Treehouses: Backyard flights of fancy

By Cedar Burnett

The Associated Press

Many a kid (and grownup) has dreamed of having a magical playhouse. If you’ve got more cash than carpentry skills, there are creative entepreneurs who specialize in bringing those storybook flights of fancy alive with Hobbit holes, treehouses, castles and more.

“We didn’t set out to be a Hobbit hole company,” Melissa Pillsbury said of the J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired playhouses that she and

her husband, Rocy, sell under the company name Wooden-Wonders.

“He had all sorts of designs. But the response to the Hobbit holes told us we had something unique and special.”

The Maine-based home business got the trademark to the Hobbit name and sells around 100 Hobbit holes per year. The company ships or delivers the flat-packed kits around the country.

In addition to kid-size playhouses starting at $1,695, Wooden-Wonders offers a larger, grown-up

version called the Faehaven for just under $4,000, as well as the $7,995 Bag End, a full-size model made to be built into a hillside.

The company also does custom Hobbit holes, which have been used for everything from a maple syrup sugar house to a moss-covered musician’s studio. One client ordered three for a farm.

The most memorable project, Pillsbury says, was with the Make-a-Wish foundation, which connected them with a boy dying of cancer whose

greatest wish was to have a Hobbit hole of his own.

With the help of volunteers, Wooden-Wonders installed a landscaped creation in his suburban backyard.

While many customers are fans of “The Lord of the Rings,” Pillsbury says others simply like the Hobbit holes’ half-moon design. Some have even asked what a Hobbit is.

“People naturally gravitate to things that are round and cave-like,” PillsTREEHOUSES continues on 7

jonathan giffin via ap

Rocy and Melissa Pillsbury and their children sit atop a custom Hobbit House in Santa Fe, Tenn.

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home decor

Give your home summery look Fabric, color choices can refreshen living spaces

By Whitney Carnahan

Special to The Capital-Journal

Outside, warm weather has arrived. Flowers are blooming, and everything is growing again. It’s the best part of June. So, how do you bring that fresh look and feel into your home?

Local decor experts say there are a number of ways to decorate for a late-spring and earlysummer look, without breaking the bank.

The key is confidence, flowers and maybe some paint.

photographs by keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The owners of 4 Girls’ Garage used chalk paint to give a new look to an old cabinet.

Dan Brungardt, owner of Home at Last, 5331 S.W. 22nd Place, says it’s all about clear tones of color.

“Bringing in pillows can change your sofa considerably. Florals, especially at this point in the year, you want to have those inside and out. Cut some flowering branches and put them in a vase.

Even artificials, as good as they are getting, can add that natural effect inside the house.”

Furniture-wise, if you’re considering a major change, such as a new sofa or chairs, go neutral,

Brungardt says. This will allow changes in pillows, throws and other accessories.

“Fabric choices are a big deal — I always suggest people go as basic as they can, so they can change the fabrics with the season. That’s definitely a way to make a shift in the look of a room,” he said.

Also, think about reusing or redoing the furniture you already have.

Carol Ingenthron, coowner of 4 Girls’ Garage, 837 N. Kansas Ave., says SUMMERY continues on 7

Bring cut flowers from your garden into the home to give it a summery feel. Dan Brungardt, owner of Home at Last, says even artificial flowers can “add that natural effect inside the house.”

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Summery: Bring in touches of color and change each season Continued from 6

she and the other owners create painted furniture pieces using chalk paint.

“We use chalk paint on metal, glass and wood.

With chalk paint, you don’t have to sand the surface. We sell a brand that’s just wonderful to use, made by a company in Wisconsin. It’s such an easy way to do it,” Ingenthron said.

“We do a lot of unexpected things, such as upcycling pieces including antiques and outdoor furniture. In the spring, we use a lot of floral, such as centerpieces. Green is big this year, especially the brighter greens. We use it with just small touches of ivory and yellow.”

Brungardt suggests changing out area rugs.

“Woven cottons and woven sisal rugs, you can get those pretty inexpensively. Roll up the wool and bring in that lighter shade and lighter fabric into the home,” he said.

Don’t forget about the walls, either.

“Painting an accent wall is a really easy thing to do, and something people don’t think about,” he said. “It doesn’t even have to be a major wall, it could be in the powder room. It could be painting the door. That’s another thing — think about that door from the garage into the house.”

Catherine Gates, owner of Once More Décor, 3009 S.W. Topeka Blvd., agrees on walls being an important area for change.

“I always suggest that people change out their artwork. That changes your whole room. After they have it on the wall for a couple months, they don’t even see it any-

denise caster via ap

Two custom playhouses built by Daniels Wood Land sit in Denise and Brian Caster’s yard in San Diego, Calif.

Treehouses: ‘Beyond my expectations’ Continued from 5

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

An umbrella at 4 Girls’ Garage serves as a flower holder. more,” she said. “Change dark colors to lighter colors, such as a floral or landscape, maybe a destination you’d like to visit.”

In the off-season, make sure to wrap artwork before storing to protect it from dust and light.

Above all, bring in those little touches of color and change each season, Brungardt says.

“There is a belief that if you’re constantly doing something, your room never gets old,” he said.

“It could be a lamp this year, and next year, pillows. What you’ll find is that your room is constantly in a state of evolution, and so it never feels

dated. From a seasonal perspective, I just think it’s important that people are evolving.”

Ingenthron agrees and says it’s important to change up items on a regular basis.

“Once a month, we totally redo the displays, just to show people you can use the same pieces in many different ways,” she said. “The hard part is people don’t have the confidence. If you like it, that’s really who you’re decorating for. We have people come in here and say, ‘I love it’ — those are the things you need in your house. And they don’t all have to match.”

bury said.

Chris Axling, owner of Magical Playhouses in Port Townsend, Wash., agrees, saying curves are the secret to any magical design.

His custom creations have wavy rooflines and rounded windows for a look straight out of a storybook.

Axling, who once worked with treehouse guru Pete Nelson, of the Animal Planet TV show “Treehouse Masters,” is known for his dragon playhouse, a 12-foot wonder with stained glass windows, custom cabinetry and a 4½-foot-tall dragon head erupting from the roof. Starting with a chainsaw, Axling carved the 60-pound dragon out of two huge chunks of cedar, and added steer horns from a taxidermy shop in Texas.

While fantasy drives the bulk of his business, Axling’s work was born from not-so-charming beginnings; he lost his job in high-end residential construction. Taking on the role of stay-at-home parent, he devised a carpenter-dad way of entertaining his 2-year-old: He built

her a schoolhouse. Since then, he’s been making whimsical backyard structures alongside both of his two young children.

“My daughter is out there with me pounding nails,” Axling said. “She wants to be a carpenter when she grows up.”

Spending time with kids was exactly what sent San Diego grandfather Brian Caster on the hunt for a treehouse. He grew up with the playhouse bug, having “more fun than should be allowed” in his own childhood tree fort and reading stories like “The Jungle Book.”

“I thought, someday I’m going to build my own ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ tree fort,” Caster said.

It only took his first grandchild to convince him that day had come.

Unable to build the tree fort himself, he found Daniels Wood Land, a California-based builder of treehouses that come with their own recycled tree. Perched atop massive, 200-year-old stumps, their playhouses push the outer limits of the word “house” and can run up to $30,000.

Caster liked their pirate ship treehouse and worked with Daniels Wood Land to customize it.

“It was great seeing what they came up with,” he said. “My only limitations were how much I wanted to spend.”

His 27-foot “Deluxe Scallywag Sloop” playhouse arrived on a semi-truck.

It features an entrance through the tree, and has a back deck and a twisty slide. But the magic lies in the details, from the skeleton figurehead and nesting seagulls to the cannon and pirate flag.

“It was way beyond my expectations,” Caster said.

A few years and five grandchildren later, Caster realized something was missing. He ordered a second, custom treehouse from Daniels Wood Land — the “Swiss Family Robinson” house he’d always wanted. Now the two treehouses sit side-byside, connected by a rope bridge.

“It brings back so many childhood memories for me,” he said. “That’s what this is all about — making kids feel welcome and creating memories.”

8 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Topeka: No timeline established yet Brooks: Use pesticides Continued from 4

our city. It would improve Topeka as a whole.

This is not an effort that would immediately benefit THBA members, since they’re focused on building new single-family homes.

However, as John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” When you improve an area of a city, more people will move to the area, thereby creating a domino effect of growth.

For years now, Topeka has had a 1-percent growth rate. That’s not a stellar rate of growth. What we want to do would improve the growth rate, which enhances the local economy and, again, a domino effect. NOTO is an example of what can happen

‘‘

A rising tide lifts all boats.”

some merit.

president john f. kennedy

Q: Is there a timeline at this point for making all this happen?

Weichert: No timeline yet.

Our push right now is the framework of the program and getting the bankers to back us. What I can tell you is that it’s time to take all these great ideas and put them into action. Nothing can happen until you actually put forth the effort and the work to make it happen.

For more information about Heartland Visioning, visit heartlandvisioning.com.

as quoted by Topeka Home Builders Association CEO Ivan Weichert

when a community shows interest and people work together to build momentum.

Q: What, specifically, would you do to improve blighted areas?

Weichert: One thing we’re looking at is a large piece of property in North Topeka just south of Kaw Valley Bank.

There’s about a half-block of ground vacant that would be an ideal location for a large apartment complex or a community of townhomes.

After all, a home is second on the list of musthaves. Food first, then shelter.

The hope is that one project would lead to another then another, replicating the momentum of what’s gone on in NOTO. And, we want to take the good work that’s going on in North Topeka and extend it to East Topeka.

Recently, someone spoke with me about the lack of retirement communities in East Topeka.

They have lived in the Shawnee Heights area their entire lives and want to stay in Shawnee Heights, but they have no local retirement communities available to them in that area.

The idea of a retirement community may have

Liz Montano is a freelance writer from Topeka. She can be reached at (785) 230-3907 or newsbizliz@ gmail.com.

judiciously or not at all

Continued from 2

make a good hedge and produce an abundance of sour cherries. Gooseberries can replace barberry bushes in an area where you want a prickly shrub to deter people and pets.

If you’re choosing a small tree, pass on the redbud or ornamental crabapple. Think of a dwarf plum or sour cherry. You will still have beautiful spring flowers and the added benefit of fruit later in the season.

Another good choice is a serviceberry, which can be a shrub or a tree depending on the variety.

The tree is a beautiful shape but larger than a dwarf fruit tree at matu-

rity. The bush is a fairly large shrub.

There are a few cautions to think about when integrating edibles with flowers. Pesticides must be used judiciously or not at all to keep the food edible.

Be sure any product you spray can be used on vegetables. Read and follow all directions on the pesticide label including the “sprayto-harvest” times.

As with flowers, to prevent mildew and other fungal diseases, don’t crowd the plants. Most of all, have fun with this creative way to enjoy your garden again.

Alice Brooks is a Shawnee County Master Gardener emeritus.

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | 9C

Tip of the week: Dust-free knife blocks When was the last time you cleaned your knife block? They may be clean when you stow your knives away, but dust and other debris can accumulate in the block’s slots.

These tips might help with its cleaning: n Try sucking out any crumbs or dirt using the crevice tool on a vacuum cleaner, or aiming a hair dryer at the slots, on the highest-speed setting, to blow out any crud. n Another suggestion: Get a 12-inch pipe cleaner and work gently to insert it into each slot; swirl it around to collect dust and grime.

Source: Heloise via goodhousekeeping.com

Service Directory

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