At Home Living: 081515

homes.cjonline.com

REALTOR

®

Saturday, August 8, 2015 An Advertising Feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

Jaime Hancock Garden Column – Off to college – Detect, destroy mold for better health – A yard with a difference –

2 3 6 8

Trish Williams/Special to The Capital-Journal

2 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

Which grass is right for your yard?

A Note From Jamie Hancock

jamiehan@ksu.edu Rain in July and August in Kansas!

Wow! Who knew we would stay so green so deep into the summer. I am grateful and I am sure many of you are. I also know that many of you are experiencing the “joy” of weeds. They like rain too! Weeds, fungi and turf death due to saturated soils may have given you the need to repair your lawn. You are in luck. I have some great information for you today and over the next two issues.

Make plans now but wait to overseed until about the first of September and be done overseeding by about October 15.

For now, assess your yard and measure the square footage in the damaged areas.

Next, consider the following when choos-

The Gardener

ing grass seed.

Use - The front lawn is usually ornamental, meant to be attractive and inviting to guests. It makes a statement and can add value to your home. First impressions are important especially if you plan to put your home on the market. It is not normally subject to wear and tear or foot traffic. Kentucky Bluegrasses and tall fescues work well here.

Back yards typically receive a lot more wear and foot traffic. Tougher tall fescues do better than Kentucky bluegrasses espe-

cially in hot dry summers or where irrigation and fertilizing are not used to help maintain the turf.

Light – Turf grasses need at least 4 hours of direct sun or bright light each day.

No turf grass grows well in deep shade.

It suffers enormous stress and requires constant attention. Pruning trees can aid in allowing more light to hit the ground.

But, if the tree is large and dense, pruning may be a losing battle. The best idea for deep shade areas is to grow another type of groundcover such as pachysandra, ivy,

vinca, and liriope or mondo grass.

Full Sun – is a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun or dappled sunlight (as through tree leaves) almost daily. This is the ideal condition for turf grasses to thrive.

Part Shade – is a site that receives at least 4 hours but less than 6 hours of direct or dappled sunlight over the course of the day.

Full Shade – is a sited that receives less

HANCOCK continues on 4A

Off to college

By Shanna Sloyer Special to The Capital-Journal

College is an important step in a young adult’s road toward independence, but leaving home for the first time comes with its own set of challenges. Dorm life allows a secure transition from the safety of living at home to living alone or with roommates. However, sharing a bathroom with 50 other residents, learning to stick to a budget, and navigating the college social scene can be daunting new experiences that leave mom and dad wondering whether their child is really prepared for life on their own. Parents can help guide their students through this process and ease the transition.

The following have been identified by university student life organizations as areas in which college students most commonly have concerns or difficulty.

Packing Most universities provide incoming freshmen a list of helpful items to pack for college, as well as those that are prohibited in the dorms. Check over the list carefully and consider the amount of space your student will have available. Leave bulky furniture items at home, and if the student lives reasonably close to their chosen campus, consider keeping offseason clothing at home. She can always switch out her wardrobe when she’s back

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 3

for Thanksgiving. Pets, candles, firearms, and space heaters commonly make the list of items prohibited in dorm rooms. Check out eCampusTours.com, collegeprep101. com, or hercampuslife.com for detailed packing lists.

Time Management For students unaccustomed to longterm planning, receiving a syllabus for an entire semester with all of a course’s assignments, papers, projects, tests and due dates can be overwhelming. Add a parttime job, a course load of class times, and a couple of campus club meetings to the mix, and it will be essential that students be able to organize and plan their time.

Encourage students to develop a calendar and planner system that works for them to track their academic and social obligations. Starting in high school, help students learn to break projects into smaller chunks and set mini-deadlines for themselves when working on long-term assignments or studying for tests. This will help avoid the stress of last-minute projects or cramming the night before an exam.

Health Be sure your student is up-to-date on all vaccination boosters before heading off to college. Meningitis is a threat for college freshmen living in dorms due to the close, shared living conditions. If a booster was

COLLEGE continues on 5A

Stock art/Metro creative connection

4 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

Hancock: Low maintenance versus high maintenance Continued from 2A than 4 hours of bright light each day. Areas under dense tree cover can be in deep shade. Pachysandra or ivy are green, very low maintenance and promote tree health.

They, or mulching, would be a better choice than turf.

Maintenance is somewhat related to how you want your turf to look.

Low maintenance turf means different things to different people. To some it means NO maintenance (no water, no fertilizer, no/infrequent mowing, no/little pest control), much like roadside turf. Buffalograss is best in this category. But its drawbacks are: it becomes straw-colored with the first hard frost and doesn’t green

up until mid- to late May, will not tolerate heavy, constant traffic, prone to weed invasion if over-fertilized or over-watered, and may invade flower beds. It doesn’t like to be mowed and therefore can look unkempt.

Kentucky 31 or K-31 can be a low maintenance grass. It is very drought tolerant, but tends to be light green and has a variety of weedy looking grasses in the blend.

Thinking it should look better, people over fertilize causing more mowing and they use more weed killers.

Medium maintenance turf can be allowed to go dormant (it will look brown most of the summer) with no water necessary for 5 to 8 weeks in the summer heat, then, to prevent severe stress, water about ¼ inch

every 2 weeks. Fertilizing should happen once or twice a year along with broadleaf weed control. Tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass are good choices here. Fescues will probably require a fungicide to help prevent brown patch (usually the turf will recover in the fall).

High maintenance turf will look good and green and finished, but will require regular irrigation to remain good color all summer. Fertilizing should take place 2 to 3 times each year, May, September, and November. Broadleaf weed and grassy weed control will be necessary. Fungicides for brown patch will be needed. A blend of tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass (90/10 or 85/15) creates an attractive lawn.

Kansas State Research and Extension

has trialed numerous varieties of turf grasses. They have determined which varieties grow best in Kansas and have a recommended list available at http://www. hfrr.ksu.edu/doc1853.ashx. Local retailers consult this list and create blends of three or more grasses. The cost may be slightly higher than the commercial brands but, you will save on maintenance expenses.

NOTE: Gardens to Attract Bees and Butterflies will be presented at the Topeka/Shawnee County Public Library at 7:00 pm on August 27th. Learn some simple and interesting ways to make your garden a haven for pollinators.

Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 5

College: Create a student budget Continued from 3A given prior to age 16, your student will need another one.

Stress, social pressures, and feelings of being homesick have led to increasing rates of depression and anxiety in college students. Talk with your student about what to do if they are experiencing feelings of sadness while they are away at college. Most campuses have counselors available specifically for this purpose.

It’s no secret that even students who were physically active in high school can struggle with weight gain when they reach their college years. A change in routine, being away from home, less-than-healthy cafeteria options and too many late night pizzas can contribute to unwanted pounds.

Encourage your student to choose healthy food options and stay active by utilizing the university’s student fitness facility or going for an evening walk with friends.

If students become ill at college, make sure they know where to go for help. University health centers offer low-cost care to students without leaving campus. Also,

teach your child how their medical insurance card works in case they need to use it.

Finances Help your student create a budget that lists how much money he has to spend on a monthly basis. After subtracting essential expenses, such as room and board costs, tuition, and textbooks, create categories for a food allowance, a clothing allowance, personal toiletries, and entertainment.

Knowing how much can be spent ahead of time will prevent unexpected shortages and emergency fund calls to mom and dad.

Safety Talk with your student about potential safety risks that are unique to college life.

Having frank discussions about topics such as date rape or alcohol poisoning can help students think ahead about how they would deal with difficult situations if they find themselves faced with one. Encourage students to walk during the daytime when possible, and to walk in groups at night. Purchasing a small can of mace or pepper spray may be helpful if the student

is properly trained to use it. Or, consider buying a personal alarm, which can’t be used against its owner and brings attention to the person holding it.

Social Life Other than college, there are few times in our lives when we have the chance to experience living with and socializing freely with our peers. The pressure to fit in or be liked can be just an intense for young adults as it is for adolescents. Unfortunately, that can lead some college students into patterns of excessive drinking, drug use or risky sexual behavior. Encourage students to think about what they value in a friend group, and urge them to join some clubs or organizations whose members have similar interests. From Greek organizations, to athletics, to academic clubs, and beyond, most campuses offer extracurricular opportunities for a wide array of interests.

Stock photo/Metro creative connection

6 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

Detect, destroy mold for better health Family Features

Mold in your home is a serious matter that can cause not only substantial property damage, but also significant harm to your health. Any mold infestation requires immediate attention and cleanup, but it could be growing in a place you cannot see and still affect your health.

How mold affects health According to the Centers for Disease Control, mold exposure can affect people in a range of ways, from nasal stuffiness and eye irritation to wheezing and skin irritation. For those who are especially sensitive or who have a mold allergy, the reactions can be more severe. Mold can also pose a higher health concern for those with asthma and other illnesses or

compromised immune systems. Some research, including a 2004 study by the Institute of Medicine, also suggests that mold can cause respiratory illnesses in otherwise healthy people.

Identifying a mold problem If you or your family members are exhibiting symptoms consistent with mold exposure that cannot be attributed to another illness, you may find a mold problem in your home is to blame. Mold can vary in appearance but often you can readily recognize its white to greenish or black spotty appearance. You may also notice a damp, musty odor in areas where mold is growing. When mold is visible to the eye, it’s easier to connect your health concerns with the mold growth.

MOLD continues on 13A

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 7

Find out more about your favorite listings at homes.cjonline.com

8 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

A yard with a difference

By Dianne Lawson Special to The Capital-Journal

Carole and Orion Jordan have created a unique yard in their Kenwood neighborhood. Instead of lots of grass to mow, they have filled their front and back yards with flowers, vegetables and herbs, along with unusual and unexpected touches. For the Jordans, their yard is a way to express their creativity, be close to nature and feel connected with their neighborhood.

Their yard has beautiful flowers mixed in with vegetables and herbs. “The iris came from Carol’s Mom’s home place,” said Orion. Not many homes have tomatoes growing in the front yard next to the sidewalk, but the Jordan home does–tomatoes not surrounded by ugly chicken-wire, but in specially designed wooden cages made to mirror the wood on their front door.

Mingled throughout the flowers are okra, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.

A strawberry bed has cedar four-by-fours attractively containing the plants.

Carole’s herb garden, including dill, basil, rosemary, chives and thyme, is also growing right by the front sidewalk.

Two beds of annuals and vegetables are on the other side of the sidewalk, on either side of a bed of rounded beach rocks.

The bricks of the sidewalk to the front door and in the patio in the back of the house came from the old Buchanan School. The Jordans, as work volunteers, were given the bricks.

Out-of-the-ordinary touches in the yard include a monolith, a “Kansas Prayer Wheel” and an old ore car. The monolith is a large rock standing on its end. “It took seven of us to get it up there,” Orion said.

YARD continues on 9A

Trish Williams/Special to The Capital-Journal

Both photos show the front of the Jordan house with the unique garden with annuals and vegetables.

Yard: Different yard art

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 9

Trish Williams/Special to The Capital-Journal

Photos left to right: Table made from a circular saw. Stone wall designed and made by Orion. Stone wall and bird patio with monolith in background.

Continued from 8A The “Kansas Prayer Wheel”, modeled after a Tibetan prayer wheel, is a flywheel off of an antique tractor. “We pray it will start,” Orion said.

In the back of the house, by the alley, sits an old ore car sitting on some of its tracks. Orion and his father found these many years ago from an old mine on the side of a mountain in Colorado.

Other features include an old water pump, a grindstone for sharpening tools and a circular saw that is made into a table. “It’s Orion’s yard art,” Carole said.

The curved wooden fence was created when Orion designed it and he and a friend, Reg Wagner, cut the boards, shaped them with a wallpaper steamer and then put them up together. Orion called Reg “The Fence Whisperer” because of Reg’s skill and, as Orion said, “He is amenable

to odd ideas.” The round gate, that Orion also designed, fits the appearance of the curved fence.

Orion built the limestone wall and cut each stone by hand. Carole and Orion used two-by-fours, window weights and pry bars to roll heavy old red curbstones to the top of the wall.

The Jordans used stones throughout their yard, creating paths and making garden benches.

Since the couple likes wildlife, they have a brick patio for birds, complete with bird feeders, suet and large water dishes outside their kitchen window. They also see other wildlife, including rabbits, and one day they looked out the window and saw four deer. Carole recently started her butterfly garden, filled with plants especially chosen to attract butterflies.

YARD continues on 10A

10 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

Yard: Meeting the neighbors

Bird patio and monolith by stone garden path.

Continued from 9A The Jordans see their yard as a part of their neighborhood. Like the Jordans, “Several people in the neighborhood are creating courtyards instead of ridingmower yards,” Orion said. “A courtyard creates an urban retreat.”

All this work outside in the yard has introduced the Jordans to their neighbors.

“We trade vegetables with the neighbors,” Orion said, “We’ve told them ‘If you see

Trish Williams/Special to The Capital-Journal

something ripe, pick it.’”

Carole retired from serving as the state director of Rural Development, Department of Commerce and is now an adjunct at Washburn University teaching public speaking. Orion retired from the state of Kansas Department of Administration, having held several different jobs. Being retired gives them more time to be creative, watch nature and connect with their neighbors.

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 11

Service Directory

Service Directory

Boost your brand, product or service with an ad in the service directory! At Home Living is read by home owners, buyers and sellers across the Topeka and surrounding area. To place your ad contact your MultiMedia Sales Consultant or 785.295.1125.

12 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 13

Mold: Take steps to prevent reoccurrence Continued from 6A However, if you’re not aware of any mold in your home, you can do some additional investigating yourself. A simple DIY kit such as the Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test Kit can detect mold spores accumulating in household dust, including the types most associated with water damage and health issues. The leading mold test sold on Amazon.com, this test can be conducted on-site and provides results in as little as in five minutes, bypassing delays for lab testing associated with many at-home kits. The test has been

validated in an Environmental Protection Agency-licensed lab as the most sensitive and accurate rapid test available.

A dose of prevention Depending on the degree and type of mold you discover, you may be able to clean it up and eradicate the problem yourself. If the growth is extensive, you will require the assistance of trained professionals to locate, eradicate and prevent further spread of the mold contamination.

Once the mold has been safely removed, you can take some steps to prevent chances of a reoccurrence:  To help trap airborne mold spores and

other allergens, be sure the filter you are using is correctly rated for your HVAC system. A filter that is too restrictive for your air blower may overstress and burn out the motor.  A humidity level more than 65 percent invites mold growth. An inexpensive electronic humidity meter can monitor your rooms and identify areas that need better ventilation or dehumidification.  If your attic or crawl space has high humidity, have it checked by a professional for possible solutions before mold takes over.  Vent appliances properly and install

exhaust fans in rooms that see high levels of moisture, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens.  Identify any sources of moisture or leaks throughout the home, including faucets and around windows and doors, and take steps to correct them.

For more information about protecting your home and health from mold, visit www.myhealthfulhome.com or look for tools such as the Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test Kit at your local hardware and Home Improvement stores.

14 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | 15

16 | Saturday, August 15, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home