At Home Living 072917

Saturday, July 29, 2017 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

home.cjonline.com Home improvement

Open and shut case Replacing windows can bump energy efficiency page 6 n Six demo gardens to check out, page 2 n Tips to make your own mulch, page 4 n Shooting better outdoors photos, page 7

metro creative connections

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6 Topeka demonstration gardens to explore Demonstration gardens come in various shapes, sizes and descriptions, but all have a theme and a purpose to demonstrate and teach various gardening styles and Brenda Jarboe techniques.

K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County has six Master Gardener demonstration gardens, with two more planned.

Here’s some information about the existing gardens: ■■Native Plant Garden, near the entrance of Cedar Crest at the northwest corner of S.W. Fairlawn Road and S.W. Cedar Crest Road.

The informal garden is

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

n Want to become a Master Gardener? The Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave., will be offering classes for future Master Gardeners from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, September through October. Information and an application can be found at shawnee.k-state.edu. Applications are due Aug. 11.

■■The Kansas Forest Service will present an emerald ash borer seminar from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 16 in the Preston Hale Room at the Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site, 124 N.W. Fillmore St. Free, but registration by Aug. 11 is required. Register by calling (785) 5323301, faxing (785) 532-3305 or e-mailing rethmank@ksu.edu. home to about 55 perennial plants that are native to the Kansas landscape.

It’s a purposely minimum care garden — no watering, no fertilizing and minimal ground disturbance — and it’s constantly in bloom.

The garden also is registered as a monarch way station. Many plant labels have Quick Response codes for information

about the plant. The garden includes a geocache for descriptive information.

■■Perennial Garden, across from the Native Plant Garden at Cedar Crest.

A visit to the garden offers numerous examples of perennials to plant in your own yard.

Learn what to plant for a three- or four-season

display. You can get many landscaping ideas with perennials that thrive in Kansas weather and can be woven into interesting garden shapes and landscape accessories, such as boulders, fencing and arbors.

■■Vegetable Garden, S.W. 21st Street and S.W. Topeka Boulevard, south of the Kansas Expocentre parking lot and near the locomotive.

From annuals to perennials and vegetables to herbs, with a few fruits and berries mixed in, Master Gardeners demonstrate how you can grow and harvest a backyard bounty with this garden.

Various garden methods are practiced to demonstrate growing your own food, whether you have a small space or a large

garden plot.

Raised beds, vertical gardening, drip irrigation, mulching and composting are some of the techniques employed in the demonstration vegetable garden. And watch the large Master Gardener storage container bloom to life around Aug. 15, when artist John Sebelius transforms it into Topeka’s newest mural as part of the ArtsConnect Topeka Mural Project.

For more information on the mural project, visit artsconnecttopeka.org/ mural-project.

■■Prairie Star/Prairie Bloom Garden, right of the entrance of the Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. If you want to see plants considered to be the best of the best, visit this

demonstration garden. All plants have been chosen and tested in the Kansas State University bedding plant research trials.

It has been said that if a plant can thrive in the extreme Kansas climate, it can thrive anywhere. Both annuals and perennials are tested over multiple years for their vigor and spectacular blooms. The garden is in full bloom now, so visit it numerous times before winter arrives.

A complete list of Prairie Star/Prairie Bloom plants can be found on the Extension website at shawnee.k-state.edu/lawngarden/what-to-plant. html.

■■Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, left of the Jarboe continues on 5

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Making your own mulch will help save money

By Paul Pogue Angie’s List

Mulch is an effective tool to protect your plants, beautify your yard and add nutrients to your soil. Making it is easier than you might think. DIY mulch saves money and it’s envi-

ronmentally friendly, because you recycle resources like yard waste or food trimmings.

■■Choose your mulch source.

Some materials are easier to find than others. Leaves make a good mulch source, as do pine needles and yard

clippings. Bark is one of the most effective and nutrientrich forms of mulch.

Leaves, yard trimmings and compost make excellent summer mulch, while pine needles, bark and straw are best for winter.

Also, don’t overlook shredded newspaper as an effec-

tive mulch additive.

■■Collect your mulch materials.

Once you know what mulch you’re using, gather it up. Rake fallen leaves or those you’ve pruned, and gather them into a pile. The same goes for grass clippings and pine needles. If

your lawnmower has a bag that collects grass, that’s great. Pile up branches, bark or wood trimmings until you have enough for mulch.

If you’re using a compost pile, keep it relatively moist and turn it regularly with a pitchfork or shovel to keep

the materials rotated while they break down.

■■Convert the materials to mulch.

Piles of leaves can be swiftly mulched with a lawnmower. One of those grass-catching bags would Mulch continues on 5

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Mulch: Rake until it’s even Continued from 4

be very useful at this point if you have one. Otherwise, run the mower over the leaf pile a few times and rake it all together.

If you’re using branches, bark or other wood trimmings, the best way to generate mulch is with a small wood chipper. Many hardware stores rent them out.

Don’t forget to wear safety glasses.

A mixture of all these sources can be the most effective mulch, as they all bring different nutrients to the system.

To use compost as mulch, simply maintain your pile until it’s ready for use. Depending on how you care for it and the weather, it should be ready in two weeks to four months.

When it’s crumbly and dark brown with an earthy odor, it’s good to go.

■■Prepare your ground for mulching.

This step is an easy one to miss, but it’s important.

Frank Espich

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to mulch your landscape. Start collecting fallen leaves, grass clippings and other materials now to use for mulch later on.

Remove any old mulch that remains on the ground, so you have a fresh start. If you’re maintaining a compost pile, this remaining mulch can be used there.

Weed the area carefully, because mulch will actually help existing weeds, which is the last thing you want.

■■Spread the mulch.

You’ll want to use differ-

ent levels of mulch depending on your needs and the season, but generally about 2 inches works quite well.

Don’t forget to lay it all out evenly with a rake, or hire a yard professional to do the job perfectly.

Make sure to leave a small “well” of shallower mulch around the base of plants.

Jarboe: ‘Xeriscape’ means dry landscape Continued from 2

entrance of the Shawnee County Extension Office.

“Xeriscape” means dry landscape. The technique uses native plants and other drought-resistant varieties to conserve water.

Once a xeriscape garden is established, it should thrive on normal rainfall.

Xeriscape gardens should be well-drained so periods of heavy rainfall don’t have a negative effect on the landscape.

Visit the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden and see the things you can use to beautify your landscape without increasing your water bill. A registered monarch way station is attached to the

xeriscape garden on the west side of the Extension Office.

■■Woodland Garden, north of the Garden House in Ted Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee, S.E. 37th Street and S.E. West Edge Road.

The garden is lush with shade and woodland plants growing under the canopy of large trees.

Challenging landscaping enhances the appeal and serenity of the garden as it follows the west shoreline of Lake Shawnee. A vibrant butterfly garden, seated arbor and stone bench are a few of the gems found in the largest demonstration garden in Shawnee County.

Two additional demon-

stration gardens are in the planning stages. A Backyard Garden, demonstrating creative possibilities to challenging landscapes, is planned east of the Prairie Star/Prairie Bloom Garden. A Community Garden is planned next to the Vegetable Demonstration Garden.

Video slideshows and an interactive map of the demonstration gardens can be found at shawnee.kstate.edu/lawn-garden/ demonstration-publicgardens.html.

Brenda Jarboe is a nutrition educator, coordinator for the Community Garden Network for the Shawnee County Extension Office and a Shawnee County Master Gardener.

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construction trends

Is it time for new windows?

By Dustin Lemmon

Special to The Capital-Journal

photographs by Metro Creative Connections

Even if your windows are functional, you still might consider replacing them to boost energy efficiency, especially if the windows are singlepane or clear-insulated glass.

It’s not always easy to tell when your windows need to be replaced. There may be damage that you can’t see.

And if your windows are quite old, they may not be providing you with the energy efficiency you would experience with newer windows.

All of that said, it’s not always difficult to tell.

Greg Hiebert, an outside salesman with Midway Wholesale, said one of the more obvious signs that a window needs to be replaced is if you see significant rotting around the exterior.

“With certain windows, you can do significant damage in the walls due to rot,” Hiebert said.

Some windows with a clad exterior can fail and you won’t see it, Hiebert noted, explaining the rot will develop underneath.

John Noel, owner of Pella Windows and Doors, which has a location at 2940 S.W. Wanamaker Road in Topeka, said besides rotting you also can tell a window needs to be replaced if it’s foggy or hazy, or if it no longer opens and closes.

“Those would be cases where the window has failed; however, you can and should replace them also to improve the energy efficiency of your home,” Noel said. “If your windows are single-pane or clear-insulated glass, then you should take advantage of the new glass technology that includes Low E coatings and gas-filled, insulated space or triple-pane windows.”

Low E, or low emissivity, coating acts as a reflector for infrared rays from the

sun. Gas-filled windows use gases between double- or triple-pane windows to serve as a buffer from the outside air.

The technology helps provide comfort and energy savings during heating and cooling seasons.

“As long as your windows are functional, the main reason to replace would be for energy efficiency,” Noel added. “Pella has historically accurate windows as approved by the National Parks Service.

Pella wood windows also have a lifetime warranty against wood rot, so you can have the beauty of wood windows.”

Many, many options

When it comes to types of windows from which to choose, there are many options.

“The first choice is whether to go with a double-hung, casement, sliding or awning window,” Noel said.

Here is a quick summary of each: n Double-hung: a window with sashes that slide up and down in the frame. n Casement: Hinged windows that can be opened with a crank. n Sliding: Windows that slide open on a track. n Awning: A hinged window that opens outward.

You also have to decide whether to go with vinyl, wood or fiberglass.

“Pella has six wood window lines, three vinyl window lines and a fiberglass window selection,” Noel explained. “We have wood and vinyl windows with triple-pane glass and blinds between the glass. There are so many options that we can tailor your needs and budget to many different

replacement solutions.”

Hiebert said vinyl is always a good option for the quality and the price.

“We sell a lot of vinyl,” he noted.

“Clad wood looks good, if you want different exterior colors and wood inside.”

In terms of longevity, Hiebert said, a solid vinyl window should last 25 to 30 years on average, but can last longer. Recently, he’s seen windows with aluminum-clad wood exteriors developing issues and needing to be replaced within 12 to 15 years.

Finding the right contractor

Noel stressed that it’s important to make sure new windows are installed properly.

“The energy efficiency of the window must be matched by the quality of the installation,” he said. “Pella has certified, expert installers that ensure your installation is as energy efficient as possible. That installation also comes with an industry-leading 10-year warranty.”

Hiebert said Midway Wholesale has 10 locations in Kansas, including 218 S.E. Banner St. in Topeka. It opened its first store in Topeka in the 1970s. He said homeowners need to do their research before hiring someone to replace their windows.

“Check their references, if you have a contractor do it,” he advised. “If you have a windows guy say ‘Buy now or you’ll lose this deal’ or seems to be charging too much, I would stay away from those kind of deals.

“People make it sound like there is a bunch of magic to windows, and typically they’re just trying to scare you.”

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GARDEN VIEWS

Brenda Tharp via The Associated Press

Composing to place this bright red male cardinal on the left in the rule-of-thirds zone gives room for the bird to look into the frame and creates more impact.

Tips for taking better photos of garden, wildlife

By Melissa Kossler Dutton The Associated Press

So the garden you planted or enjoy each day is flowering. Birds and animals are busy in your yard or neighborhood. And you’d love to capture all this natural beauty in photos.

It’s so easy these days to pull out a smartphone and take pictures of anything anytime, but a little time and thought can produce better garden and wildlife photos.

“There’s a big difference between that for-the-record shot that preserves a memory and getting a really nice image,” said Brenda Tharp, author of the new book “Expressive Nature Photography” (The Monacelli Press).

Pause before pressing the shutter, she says, and consider: Is the light right?

Can you give your photo a unique point of view by shooting from different angles and levels, moving to the side, crouching or standing on something?

Some tips from Tharp and other nature photographers:

n The rule of thirds.

Resist the temptation to center the subject, suggests Rob Simpson, an instructor in nature photography at Lord Fairfax College in Middletown, Va. Think of your photo as a tic-tac-toe board, and place the subject in one of the off-center thirds of the space.

“It’s going to make the photo more pleasing to the eye,” he said. “It gives it balance.” n Texture is terrific.

One of the most exciting things about photographing flowers and leaves is capturing something that passersby won’t see — their textures up-close, says Patty Hankins, a floral photographer in Bethesda, Md., who sells her work and offers photography tips at beautifulflowerpictures.com.

A camera’s “macro” setting lets you take an extreme close-up and keep it in focus. n Staying still.

When using the macro setting, keep the camera as still as possible, Hankins says.

“If you’re taking a picture of the Grand Canyon and your hand shakes a little, people aren’t likely to notice,” she said. “But if you’re taking a photo of the center of a sunflower, they’re much more likely to see it.”

A tripod can help. Look for one that is lightweight and can lower to the ground, she says. If you don’t own a tripod, find somewhere solid to place the camera or set it on a bean bag or bag of rice on the ground, and use the timer to take the photo. Many cameras also have settings designed to reduce vibrations. n Practice perimeter patrol.

Before you shoot, scan the edges of your picture for buildings, outdoor furniture or other things that could distract from your subject. n Light matters.

Often, outdoor photos come out better on cloudy days or when the sun isn’t directly overhead, Simpson says. The soft light that comes through on an overcast day won’t cast harsh shadows, and may result in a more even exposure and better details.

PATTY HANKINS/PATTY HANKINS BEAUTIFULFLOWERPICTURES.COM

A close-up photograph of a Sunset Miami tulip taken at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Md., shows the pattern and texture details.

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Soap dispenser upgrades kitchen Design optimal home offices Chicago Tribune

Telecommuting is becoming a bigger part of life. About 20 percent to 25 percent of workers telecommute, according to 2016 data from GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.

For the best work-fromhome experience, concentrate on three areas: workstation, lighting and movement.

By Ed Del Grande Tribune News Service

Q: Dear Ed: I enjoyed your recent column about installing an air-freshener toilet seat for a quick bathroom upgrade. But what about the kitchen?

I think we would all enjoy your advice for a quick kitchen upgrade as well.

— Beth, Michigan A: Plumbing accessories for the bathroom and kitchen are a hot topic, so there’s no shortage of ideas when it comes to quick plumbing upgrades.

A new kitchen plumbing accessory that’s really caught my eye is a batteryoperated, countertop touchless soap dispenser. With a countertop unit, all you need to do is fill it up with liquid or foaming soap and place it next to the kitchen sink.

With the no-touch feature, there’s no touching the soap dispenser with unwashed hands, and this can help promote better hygiene in the kitchen. Just hold your hand(s) under the spout to dispense the soap.

Other features can include no-drip operation and variable soap dispensing amounts.

Also, stainless steel finishes are available to give your new touchless soap dispenser a really clean look.

Master contractor/plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of “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.

that says “ergonomic” because it might not fit right, she said.

By Debbie Carlson

No-touch units minimize spread of harmful germs

Workstation

KOHLER

With the no-touch feature, this batteryoperated soap dispenser helps stop the spread of germs. Other features to the countertop accessory are no-drip operation and variable soap dispensing amounts.

A lot goes into a workstation — desks, keyboards, monitors, phones, chairs.

But working at home may mean getting down to basics. Many people commandeer the kitchen table or sit on the couch — not ideal.

If telecommuters are thinking of making an investment, make it a comfortable chair. Valentina Sendin,

Lighting

STEELCASE

Office chairs don’t have to look drab to be functional. ergonomic program manager at Kaiser Permanente, said the most comfortable chair is an adjustable one.

Seats in office chairs should be movable, she said.

Look at where the lumbar support is. Is the back height comfortable? Can the person sit upright in it? Those are all factors to test. Don’t just purchase a chair online

Poor lighting can lead to eye strain, and overhead fluorescent lights can be harsh on the eyes, Sendin said.

Telecommuters should consider a good lamp with softer yellow tones, which is easier on the eyes.

Sendin said to keep in mind that the laptop also emits light, so you can use a dimmer bulb in the lamp — something in the range of 20-30 watts.

Movement

Ergonomics research suggests moving throughout the day. Even “micro breaks” — when a person is moving for about two minutes — are important to prevent strain.

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Service Directory

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COLORS FOR LIFE

Blue and white stole my heart

By Mary Carol Garrity Tribune News Service

Some color crushes come and go. Others develop into true love that lasts forever. That’s how I feel about the color blue, especially when it’s paired with white. Blue and white is a cornerstone of my personal design style, and you’ll find it all over my home.

Everyone falls in love for a reason. For me with blue and white, there are a lot of things that make my heart hammer hard.

It’s fresh and clean and feels new every time you use it. It’s timeless and classic, never out of style. It adds sophistication to a space.

It’s easy to design with: so approachable and forgiving. It can add a jolt of energy or whisper calm. It pairs well with just about every other color, from brown to green to red to pink to yellow.

Need I go on?

When I had my historic home in Atchison, we held open houses several times a year, inviting people to make the day trip to this quaint river town, visit our flagship store, and tour my home, dressed for the season, to get ideas and inspiration.

It was always so fun for me and the team to come up with new ways to style my home for each passing season: spring, fall and the holidays.

I wanted to show how you can add a touch of the season to your year-round decor, so my home was the perfect lab.

One of my favorite looks in my dining room featured a fresh take on blue and white. The look was launched with some amazing paper lanterns.

We loved the playful touch they added, so we suspended them from bamboo rods, using blue ribbons, then anchored them in two large white vases. It was a magical effect.

People still ask if we sell these

MARY CAROL GARRITY

Place settings can be super simple yet effective in creating a mood. Here, white plates are topped with a sweet blue-and-white salad plate. lanterns and, sadly, the answer is no. I haven’t been able to find a supplier.

But, if you are a DIY person, you could use white lanterns and paint on a blue design.

We had a square tablecloth custom-made out of a chipper blue-and-white fabric, then turned it on the diagonal at the center of the table.

That’s one of my favorite ways to use tablecloths, because it allows you to add the color and texture of textiles, yet still let the beauty of the tabletop shine through.

The place settings were super

simple: Everyday white plates topped with a sweet blueand-white salad plate. When I entertain, I like to put a surprise at each guest’s place, like a little gift wrapped in a coordinating paper.

I have collected blue-andwhite serving pieces through the years, so we added them to our table.

A mix of patterns makes the setting more interesting. I got some of the old platters for a song, because they had a chip or crack. I’m OK with signs of age. I think it adds to their character.

We carried the blue-and-white

love out onto my screened porch, one of my favorite spots in my Atchison home.

I filled an old wooden plant stand with blue-and-white cachepots filled with live plants.

Blue-and-white containers come in every price point, from inexpensive to investment pieces, so no matter what your budget, you’ll find pieces you’ll love.

This column was adapted from the blog of Mary Carol Garrity at nellhills.com.

She can be reached at marycarol@ nellhills.com.

Tip of the Week

How many times have you broken or chipped your fingernails trying to get a key on a key ring? Here’s a way to save them: Wedge a staple remover’s teeth between the coils of the key ring, then clamp down to separate them. Slide the key on easily.

Source: heloise via goodhousekeeping.com

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