The Garden Zealot - 2012 August by The Garden Zealot

FREE Aug 2012

SPOKANE • POST FALLS • COEUR D’ALENE • HAYDEN LAKE • SANDPOINT

VOL. 1, issUe 4

LANDSCAPING THE INLAND NORTHWEST

So You Want to be a Landscaper - Page 26

FRONT YARD LIVING - PAGE 14

YARD ART CONTEST - PAGE 16

ROBIN’S ROBINS - PAGE 20

AUGUST 2012

Issue Guide

Letter from The Zealot

AuGuST 2012 3 Caption Contest 3 My Pet story

5 dreamscapes A reader’s dream interpreted 7 Zealot Wisdom 7 Ask the Zealot 8 After the dust settled By CJ James 10 Letters to the Zealot 10 Book Review Small-Space Container Gardens 11 Cutest Baby Contest 12 Composting: Let’r Rot By Kelly Erikson 14 Front Yard Living By Barb Safranek 16 Yard Art Contest 18 garden Perfection By Cathi Lamoreux 20 Robin (and Phil’s) Robins By Robin Cunningham 22 Zealot Poetry Corner 23 My Wildflower Garden By Daisy Lynch 24 Recipe of the Month 24 Pet of the Month 25 governing a garden By Clare Marley

Well, we fell behind schedule. My apologies. On the bright side, this is certainly our best issue yet. And, as always, we’re thrilled with the submissions from our readers. The Garden Zealot is putting out a challenge to all landscape professionals to submit their own story. Don’t be shy--we’re looking for stories about your most interesting landscapes, your best maintenance tips, and/or a little landscape humor you may like to pass along. Nearly anything. I hope everyone will enjoy judging “The Yard Art Contest” for themselves. Don’t forget to send your vote to thegardenzealot@ gmail.com. Should be a lot of fun. Finally, congratulations to me! My wife and I have recently been awarded the “Cutest Baby Award” by The Garden Zealot! We were ecstatic--and the new kid is pretty neat too! Nate Lynch The Garden Zealot

26 so You Want to be a Landscaper By CJ James 29 Know Your shovel Illustrated by Casey Lynch 30 Build Your Own Vertical garden

Meet The

31 The Chief garden Thief By Lori Lynch 32 Lesser Known garden Plants Illustrated by Casey Lynch

crew Nate Lynch

Casey Lynch

Kelly Erikson

letter.x design

THE GARDEN ZEALOT EDITOR

C.J. James STAFF WRITER

ThegARdenZeALOT.COM

The garden Zealot is distributed throughout the spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas monthly.

ARTWORK & ILLUSTRATION GRAPHICS & LAYOUT

THEGARDENZEALoT.CoM thegardenzealot@gmail.com

Contributors Patti Jester Barb Safranek Kristy Wittkopf

AUGUST 2012

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509.714.4640

My Pet Story

Caption Contest LAST MoNTH’S WINNER:

Koa When Koa arrived in my life nine years ago, he was an 8 pound puppy. Now, he is all grown up and weighing in at a solid, lean 125. I am frequently asked if he is part Great Dane but no, he’s full Rhodesian Ridgeback. Just a particularly large one.

“Bill, Look what i found at Barry Bonds’ fruit stand!!!” Submitted by Kori Rodgers of Coeur d’ Alene

DIRECTIoNS: send your caption idea for the cartoon below to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. The person with the best idea will be published in next month’s issue of The garden Zealot.

While an impressive and perhaps intimidating figure, he is a very gentle and compassionate soul. He’s my Ferdinand the Bull. In a nutshell, Ferdinand was the biggest bull in the field, but the gentlest, preferring smelling the flowers to butting heads with the other bulls. When the bull fighters came to pick the fiercest bull however, Ferdinand sat on a bee and, well, he freaked out, snorting and jumping around. But when they got him to the arena, he sat down, admired the crowd and refused to fight. The bull fighters took Ferdinand back to the field and he lived happily ever after in the sun, smelling the flowers. That is my giant gentle Koa. In Hawaiian Koa means brave or bold, but I chose the name because he is the same reddishbrown color as Koa wood, a rare wood native to Hawaii. Koa loves walks in the park – some days are fast, some days it’s more of a prolonged sniff. He adores visitors, thinking they are *clearly* stopping by to play with him and guests are often greeted with a hug, sometimes resulting in the recipient getting lifted off the ground. He loves a vigorous good old-fashioned ear rub, and he’s not shy about showing you exactly the right spot where he wants his rump scratched. He knows he’s not allowed on it, but he can’t resist - he adores the sofa. Hey, it’s the only ‘dog bed’ that fits! He may be going a bit gray in the muzzle (someone recently told me he is the “George Clooney” of ridgebacks) but he still does full speed ‘doughnuts’ in the front yard and makes me play “catch me” if he’s not ready to come inside on a nice day. His favorite activity during this hot summer is lying on our new patio or, sigh, right in the dirt. There is nothing better than coming home to a full-body hug from my big boy, and the one thing that is bigger than Koa is just how much I adore him. — Submitted by Amy C. of Spokane

AUGUST 2012

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AUGUST 2012

Dreamscapes The Zealot peels back another layer of the onion… Dear Dreamscaper I can’t dream. I’m beyond exhausted. I’ve bit off more than I can chew--or maybe I’ve chewed more than I can bite. Either way, I’m in over my head, but full. I get hardly any sleep. I spend my days landscaping, and I spend my evenings landscaping. Then, I spend my weekends landscaping. Maybe you already realize this, but I’m a professional landscaper with my own yard that is O-too BIG! I can’t keep up! There’s no end in sight, it’s been 90-degrees for 3-weeks now, and I feel like a bacon strip on the grill. Any advice to ease the pain? Sincerely, Stickaforkinme Imdone

Dear Mr Imdone What, do you think you’re special? There’s no problem here. Apparently you’re busy and have plenty of work-that’s good! You own your own home, that’s good too! My advice: Ride it out. It’s landscaping--this is your peak season. Things will calm down in September, and by then you’ll be bored and anxious. Try to relax. Let the yard go for a week--it will still be there tomorrow. Finally, I’m “The Dreamscaper.” This isn’t a dream, it’s a lack of a dream. If you’re tying to cure the dreamlessness, you need to take a trip to another state. How do I know this? I’ll tell you how: Star Trek, The Next Generation. Season 4, Episode 17. The episode itself was titled “Night Terrors.” Captain Picard found himself and his crew in the very same predicament. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t dream. Were pretty much losing their minds. In their case, they were trapped in a strange vortex called “Tyken’s Rift” that had swallowed their ability to achieve R.E.M. sleep. It was a serious problem--thank God Counselor Deanna Troi was able to figure the issue out and inform the Captain or their fate (and doom) would have been sealed. She seemed a nitwit in most episodes, but occasionally came in pretty handy. The Captain and the crew created an interstellar explosion that pushed them from Tykens Rift and into a new galaxy/ state. Nice, huh? So, in conclusion: take a trip out of state to get away from it all, and understand that all issues of the human existence can be solved via the careful study of Star Trek. Engage, The Dreamscaper

Would you like to have a dream interpreted by The Dreamscaper? Send your question to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive the original depiction of your dream by our talented in-house artist, Casey Lynch. *Only PG-rated queries please.

AUGUST 2012

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BEFORE

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AUGUST 2012

WE DIG YouR SuBMISSIoNS!

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overheard at the Dentist

Wisdom “He who makes the decision to plant the tree is usually not the one who has to dig the hole.” — Kevin Conway, 2012 AD

Patient: “Yeah, the crew and I are re-doing a landscape at a house built in the 80’s” Hygienist: “Are there a lot of junipers?” *Don’t get it? It’s an 80’s thing.

Ask The Dear Garden Zealot,

Thanks for your question Jim. I’ll do my best.

Here’s what I know about black spot—and yes, it is called “black spot.” First, it’s part of the deal. If you have roses, at some point you’ll deal with black spot. Second, there are a few ways to try to stay ahead of it if you can beat it to the punch. Third, you can save your roses, yes.

When choosing a rose, I like to purchase “own root” roses whenever possible—so you did well in that department, Jim. Simply put, they’re more disease resistant, and much better at tolerating the cold winters of our area. When you’re deciding on a place to put your roses, you’ll obviously want full sun, a place where there will be adequate air circulation, and (hopefully) an area that is irrigated by drip irrigation, not overhead watering. Roses perform best when watered at their base. Black spot is a fungus. You’ll first find the fungus on the top leaves of the plant—which will soon become yellow and begin to drop from their stem. You may notice that the edges of the leaves have become black as well, and the rose stems themselves are discolored.

When did you first discover the problem? I’m guessing just a month or two ago. Black spot is activated by warm temperatures—typically 75 degrees or hotter. We had quite the wet spring, and black spot is assisted by warm, humid weather. Roses want to be dry and well ventilated. Obviously, this was not a great spring for many roses. Once you realize there’s a problem, aggressively prune and remove the affected

I have a huge problem in my rose garden. Small black spots are forming on the leaves. The leaves then turn yellow and drop off. Do you have any suggestions on what this is and how to treat it? I’m wondering if it will kill my roses? My roses are mature bushes and were healthy until this spring. I did notice that the “own-root” hardy roses have been less affected. I’m looking forward to your response. Thank you, Jim B. (Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho) growth. You’ll then need to carefully catch the clippings and throw them in the garbage or burn them. Do NOT compost a diseased plant. In addition, the fungus can winter-over in our area. When you put your roses to bed this fall, be sure to clean-up all cuttings and dispose of them completely.

Next spring, think about applying a fungicidal soap and/or a “wettable” sulphur (available at most nurseries). The sulphur product is nontoxic and should be applied repeatedly in the spring prior to 75-degree temperatures. It’s important to continue to re-apply the sulphur because it will be washed off by the rain or the sprinkler system. Basically, you’re trying to keep a film on the plant that will keep the spores from germinating. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Well, you’re the rose gardener… What did you expect? As for now, I recommend a solution of water

and baking soda for your roses. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 quart of water. By adding a bit of liquid soap to this mixture, it will better hold onto the leaves and foliage of the plant. Coat the plant thoroughly. If you’re a bit braver, you can mix a gallon of stale manure with five gallons of water. This is called a “manure tea” (yep, not making this up). Mix the concoction thoroughly, strain out the solids, and apply the mixture to the plant. Scary? Yes. Effective? Yes. In fact, this is a great cure for mildew and rust as well—you know, the ‘whitish’ discoloration you may also see on your roses from time to time. You can beat black spot… How much do you love your roses? Thanks for your question—hope there’s time this summer to stop and smell the roses! The Zealot

Email your question to thegardenzealot@gmail.com

AUGUST 2012

After the Dust Settled A Project Re-Cap Angie Feser, a local Landscape Architect and owner of AFDesign, designed this renovation for a resident of the South Hill of Spokane, Washington this spring. The original landscape design and an extensive outline of the project was featured in last month’s issue of The Garden Zealot. To re-visit that story, check it out at www.thegardenzealot.com. The following is a look back at the project and its resulting construction: Before (OPTIONAL: TRELLIS ON THIS GARDEN BED) R E S I D E N C E RAISED GARDEN BEDS (WOOD/STONE) DRY CREEK BED EXAMPLE

EXT. ASPHALT DRIVEWAY

CRUSHED ROCK MULCH WORK BENCH W/STORAGE

FENCE

PAVERS - BELGARD MEGA LAFITT

DINING FLAGSTONE PATH BRIDGE STONE DRY STREAM BED FOCAL POINT

KITCHEN

FIRE PIT WOODEN TRELLIS RAISED PATIO AREA

BERM 1' CONTOURS

LAWN

PLANTING SCREEN

B/R

2 - CAR GARAGE

FENCE

LANDING AND STEPS

FENCE

LAWN

PLANTS TO REMAIN

PATH (PAVERS) PATIO (PAVERS)

LANDSCAPE BOULDER FLAGSTONE

B/R

OUTDOOR KITCHEN (OPTIONAL TRELLIS)

SHED FENCE

LEGEND EVERGREEN TREE DECIDUOUS TREE EVERGREEN SHRUB DECIDUOUS SHRUB LAWN CRUSHED ROCK/GRAVEL EDGING

TRELLIS EXAMPLE - WOOD OR PAINTED WHITE

LANDSCAPE BOULDER B/R

By C.J. James Staff Writer

The Summary: This job was a renovation of a backyard space for an iconic house on the South Hill in Spokane. The site challenges included noise and traffic impact from an adjacent busy street, drainage issues near the home’s foundation, and a serious lack of privacy due to the close proximity of neighboring homes. The client wished to create a social gathering area for entertaining, to explore the practicality of an outdoor kitchen, solve the drainage issue, and create a space for friends and family to enjoy the outdoors. Angie’s Priorities: 1. Solve the clients’ drainage issues. A flooded basement was often the result of wet weather.

BENCH ROCK

2. Street Screening. Create privacy, reduce road noise, capture dust, and provide textural interest. 3. Gathering Areas. The client asked for a large area for dining by themselves and for entertaining large groups. 4. Incorporating The Home’s Architecture. Create a new outdoor space for this historic Spokane home without overpowering the magnificent, existing architecture. The Construction: The project was completed by Special Additions Landscaping, LLC this July. According to Nate Lynch, the site foreman, there were no real surprises as the work took place. “The demolition revealed three patios were present, not the single patio we anticipated.” An original concrete patio—probably from the

After

40s or 50s—was found at the bottom of a three-tier concrete pour. The past homeowners had simply poured two new patios on top of the first one instead of destroying and removing the old patios first. The crew also unearthed the existing French drain. Surprisingly, it had been placed only a few feet from the foundation of the home and was the collection area for nearly half of the home’s large roof. Several existing plants from the old yard were salvaged and re-installed with the new landscape. The project took approximately four weeks to complete. The Conclusion: Quite a difference. What was a

completely dilapidated back yard has become an inviting and usable space for friends and family (and a very exhausted dog!). The final touch was the large pergola that tied the entire project together upon its completion. The homeowners are already enjoying their new BBQ, and the addition of comfy outdoor furniture by the homeowners makes this space a great place to relax with a good book. Traffic from the street seems less overbearing, and the lush planting scheme creates an interesting backdrop for the patios and pergola. All roof water has been directed to a drywell away from the home’s foundation, and the dry riverbed will collect water

AUGUST 2012

Before

After

that settles near the home’s foundation. The gutters of the home were also cleaned for the first time in… At least four years. This in itself was a much-needed aspect of the watercontrol issue.

Credits: Landscape Design: Angela Feser of AFDesign - www.spokanelandscapedesign.com. Landscape Construction: Special

Additions Landscaping, LLC – www. specialadditionslandscaping.com

Concrete Staircase: Scott w/ Triceratops Construction – (509) 939-1893

Pergola Construction: Darren Corbin of Corbin Construction – (509) 230-7468

Electrical Work: Matt Anderson of North West Electric Solutions – (509) 220-9547

AUGUST 2012

LETTERS TO The

A Lifetime of Quality

Dreamscapes As a fan of Star Trek, I need to point out that your “Dreamscapes” dream interpretation (May 2012) featuring a game of two-on-two between Captain Kirk, a reader, a Romulan, and Ben Finney was ridiculous. Who does the proofing for this magazine? Your reader clearly indicated the game was played against a ROMULAN, not a Klingon. The accompanying cartoon, on the other hand, shows the Captain catching air over a Klingon. I don’t want to be thought of as the “Star Trek Police,” but you need to keep your aliens straight. I really thought it cheapened the whole issue.

I was offended by your article entitled “A Lifetime of Quality” printed in the June issue of The Garden Zealot. Not long ago I was the one on the end of the shovel, and it bothers me that you could write about people like me so callously. I think you fail to realize that the individuals in the field doing the real work are the ones that any company is built upon. They aren’t cattle, they aren’t sheep, and they certainly aren’t to be trivialized by your pompous writer for the sake of a few laughs (which you did not get from me). I’m truly disappointed that you decided to print that article, and I believe it represents a serious lack of judgment by the staff of The Garden Zealot. I suggest you stick to gardening.

- Sam J. of Spokane

Sincerely, Jim H. of Post Falls

From The Zealot’s Desk: “Agreed.”

From The Zealot’s Desk: “Pbbbbbbbttt!”

BOOK REVIEW:

Small-Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson By Kelly Erikson editor

In the May issue of The Garden Zealot, I reviewed a book about container gardens. In the June issue, I reviewed a book about gardening in small spaces. Imagine my delight when perusing my local library I stumbled upon Small-Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson! “Aha!”, I thought, “Someone thought it prudent to discuss both ideas! And what better way to direct readers back to past Garden Zealot articles* about container gardening than to review yet another book on the topic?” Actually, the photo on the cover of the book caught my eye and the title of the book made me pause, so here we are. I do realize that many Garden Zealot readers have huge, beautiful gardens, and huge, beautiful yards. You also have

decks, patios, porches, balconies, little side yards, and corners in your gardens or yards that need a little creative pizzazz in the form of pots and perennials. Ms. Richardson has expounded upon the concept of maximizing plant punch in minimal areas in her 2012 book Small-Space Container Gardens: Transform Your Balcony, Porch, or Patio with Fruits, Flowers, Foliage, and Herbs. She lives in southern California, which typically triggers my “uh-oh” reaction, as I do not feel ideas for Inland Northwest gardens are usually well represented in books by authors from regions such as southern California. Ms. Richardson’s book seems to cover the gamut, and planting ideas for our hardiness zone are abundant. She highlights many of her favorite plants, potting ideas, simple projects, and suggestions

for designing and arranging containers in a small space. It is set up for a quick skim, or a reference for various projects of interest related to container gardening. Ms. Richardson also writes a blog entitled lifeonthebalcony.com, discussing strategies and successes in maintaining plants, flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and trees on her own porch and balcony, as she does not have a yard. I checked it out- it’s well organized, has video posts, and she references other books she has used for ideas for her containers. A few things I found of particular interest in Small-Space Container Gardens: There is a chapter dedicated to succulents (many of which thrive in our Inland Northwest climate), which includes instructions for planting containers, how to select plants, and impressive photographs to

inspire plant arrangements. There are various “do it yourself ” pages with simple and inexpensive projects, such as making a fountain in a large ceramic pot or a vertical garden with annuals and a pallet. I especially liked the idea of a “garden under glass,” with low-growing plants in a container covered by a piece of glass supported over the plants to create a side table. This new book is full of photographs and brief plant descriptions. It’s well worth a flipthrough! *Articles from past issues of the The Garden Zealot are available online at thegardenzealot.com.

AUGUST 2012

Congratulations

Adopt a Spotted Dog

The Garden Zealot is pleased to release the results of the “Cutest Baby Contest, 2012” Congratulations to the parents of Everett Lynch on your incredibly-cute offspring! You’re the winner!!! *The Garden Zealot would like to apologize to all of those who would have liked to enter the “Cutest Baby Contest, 2012.” In the perfect world, we realize that releasing entry information concerning the contest and the $10,000 Grand Prize would have inevitably produced more contest entries. Fortunately, we also realize there would have been no beating the photo of Everett Lynch — so why waste everyone’s time?

The Garden Zealot wants your submissions! • • • • • • • •

exceptional stories from landscape professionals Local employee of the month Photos and articles from the do-it-yourself gardener Your garden photo of the month Recipe of the month Ask the Zealot - Your landscape question answered Pet of the month garden poetry

ThegARdenZeALOT.COM

caseylynch.net

AUGUST 2012

Composting: Let’r Rot By Kelly Erikson Editor

The concept of composting organic waste has been around for some time. The Ancient Romans and Greeks, as well as Native American tribes, added animal manure to soil as fertilizer for their crops. In the 1900s the Indore method was introduced, with recommendations of a layered pile containing 3 parts plant debris to 1 part manure. Today, home composting can be as simple or as complex as the homeowner chooses to make it, known as “passive” or “managed” composting. Statistically, per the solid waste website, 16-40% of Spokane County’s solid waste is organic in nature and could be in a compost pile decomposing to a valuable, usable soil amendment. For great resources to get started or modify your current technique, visit the library for compost related literature, or contact the Spokane Master Composters/Recyclers at www.solidwaste.org. The Master Composters offer classes and information, as well as sponsor a Compost Fair every spring. Why start a compost pile? The benefits are numerous: • free fertilizer/soil amendment • improved soil structure (translation for Inland Northwest residents: break up clay) • increased microbial activity in soil (chemical reactions that plants relish) • increased soil nutrients (plant food!) • improved soil chemistry (more neutral pH, which most plants appreciate)

Wasting away...

decompose eventually, whether you throw material in the pile and walk away for a year, or tend to it and turn your pile weekly with a pitchfork. Worried it’s going to stink? If you stick to some basic rules when adding to your compost pile, it won’t smell!

Refer to the table below for the best organic items to add to your pile. The “Passive” Method of Composting: “Passive” composting is quite simple: throw in items from the YES

column and walk away. It will turn into usable compost at some point, whether weeks, months, or years. The “Managed” Method of Composting: The “managed” compost pile has

Should I Compost It? YES!

• moderation of soil temperature

Kitchen waste (eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable waste)

• general improved plant health with fewer insects and less disease

Pine needles (shredded is best)

Still not convinced? Perhaps we should revisit the “passive” versus “managed” composting methods. Organic waste in the compost pile will

Grass (dry grass will reduce smell)

NO Leaves Sod (shredded is best) Woodchips, pinecones (shredded is best) Paper, newspaper (shredded is best)

Vacuum cleaner bag contents Cotton products (shredded) Manure (dried is best) Hay/straw

Kitchen waste (meat products, dairy, oils) Noxious or invasive weeds Grass recently treated with pesticides

Pet litter Diseased plants Treated wood products Magazines (glossy paper) Human waste

AUGUST 2012 many elements the homeowner may choose to control. The most effective, fastest method of composting is to create a balanced ratio of carbon products, nitrogen products, moisture, and air. Ratios: The ideal ratio of carbon to nitrogen products in a compost pile is not 1:1, but 25-30:1 parts by weight. This ratio will decompose to a 15:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen in a mixture that is roughly even in volume. Carbon products include organic materials that are generally dry and brown, including leaves, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen products are generally fresh and green, such as grass, kitchen waste, and manure. Depending on the season, it may be difficult to keep the carbon to nitrogen ratios optimal. Those who love their compost may actually purchase supplemental products to keep their pile cooking, such as straw in the summer or manure in the fall. If you have a lot of grass you mow regularly, place some grass clippings in the compost pile and leave the rest on your lawn to decompose or use as mulch. (Please see The Garden Zealot’s May issue article by Kristy Wittkopf on mulch for more ideas). A managed compost pile can easily be overwhelmed by an abundance of nitrogen products in the form of grass clippings. Moisture: Moisture level in the compost pile is also a factor in optimal organic material decomposition. The Master Composters recommend the pile maintain a “damp sponge” level of 40-60% moisture for fastest organic breakdown. Test this by squeezing a handful of compost pile contents in your hand. Consider the pile’s exposure to sun and wind to help control water content. Air: Finally, exposure to air is an element that is often overlooked when composting. Smaller pieces of organic material allow for more surface area exposed to air resulting in faster breakdown. This is why it is recommended that many of the YES column items like pine needles or woodchips are shredded before they are added to the pile. If shredding pine needles is not your game, you’ll need to be more patient wait-

ing for them to break down. The Compost Heap: Where to start? The least expensive option is to simply start a pile in a corner of your garden, the method many a “passive” composter would embrace. If you chose to build or purchase a compost bin, you may start small and thrifty. There are plastic bins available at hardware and garden stores that are small and manageable. If you wait until April, the Master Composters offer free compost bins at their Compost Fair. You may find the perfect compost bin on Amazon that is ventilated, tumbles materials, and is aesthetically pleasing. Or, build your own bin that is 3x3x3 feet, as this size allows for maximum air flow and the organisms breaking down organic materials can generate enough heat. The maximum recommended size for a compost bin is 5x5x5. What Happens Next: Once you have a bin, start throwing in items from the YES column. This is a “if you build it, they will come” scenario, meaning you do not have to add organisms to your pile because the worms, bacteria, and fungi will find their way to your pile. As decomposition starts, you’ll notice your pile of raw materials breaks down to a pile 25-50% of the original pile. This may take a matter of weeks, months, or over a year depending on pile contents, moisture, air flow, and internal pile temperature. The pH is typically neutral for organic compost, 6.8-7.2, perfect for most plants and lawns. Apply compost 1-inch thick in your garden, in flower beds, around plants and trees, or over your lawn. Your plants will thank you for introducing additional nutrients into the soil! There are entire books, articles, and websites dedicated to the art and science of composting. Easy Composting, a book published by Ortho Books (1992), was used as a reference for the information presented in this article. Please delve deeper into composting information if this article peaks your interest, otherwise use the basics presented here and let ‘r rot!

How To Build a Compost Bin A library or Google search of information on compost bins or how to build compost bins will yield a broad spectrum of options for prefabricated or do-it-yourself compost bins. Depending on how much time and money you would like to invest in your compost heap, you will choose a simple model or a multi-bin system for composting. Do your research and decide which model or combination of features will best suit your yard and composting goals. The Zealot built his based on plans featured in a This Old House magazine.

AUGUST 2012

Front Yard Living By Barb Safranek

MONTHLY CONTRIBUTOR Photos by Jerry Pavia

Here in the north we are basking in the long warm days of August. Summertime—a hair past the solstice and the livin’ is easy! Kids play outside until dark and friends indulge in after dinner strolls. It’s a perfect time for front yard living, whether it’s people-watching in

your Adirondack chair or a glass of wine on the patio to finish the day. Front yard retreats can capture fresh views, foster neighborly interaction, and put to use acres of carefully maintained, largely unused landscapes.

• Get to know your neighbors

Some reasons to rethink your front yard:

• Reclaim an underutilized part of your outdoor space and make it work for you!

• Enjoy the fruits of your mowing, weeding, watering and fertilizing • Take advantage of the best sun on your lot for growing flowers and food • Take advantage of shade or cool breezes in a comfortable place to relax or dine • Capture the sunset or sunrise

• Create a walled garden-retreat

• Enhance your entry with a patio or deck

• Make a children’s garden with “rooms” for imaginations to unfold

Here are three front yard transformations that have provided inviting, useful outdoor living spaces. Barb Safranek is a licensed Washington and Idaho Landscape Architect with 25 years of design experience. She lives with her husband and a couple of garden buddies on the South

Hill where she explores connection with nature through gardens. Learn more about Barb’s work: www.barbarasafranekdesign.com. Barb can be contacted by email: bsafranek@comcast.net or phone: 509.939.8338

Terraced Arrival Garden The Bering-McBride Residence

A long, straight descent to the street dominated this front yard. A ramped concrete walk, treacherous in winter and uninspired in any season, was replaced with series of stone steps and paver terraces that wind through an impressive arboretum-like collection of mature trees. The addition of handsome, custom made steel railings and shade-loving shrubs and perennials embellish the landscape with sculpture and blossoms. Visitors and owners alike now move through the front yard with discovery and delight— lingering to experience the many vistas and resting places on their way to the front door.

AUGUST 2012

Front Door Forest Deck

Front Yard Garden Patio and Seat-Wall

On an 8 x 12’ entry deck, anchored by a stately Ponderosa Pine, the Wilson’s have enjoyed the pleasures of social afternoons in their front yard for several years. Looking for ways to simplify mowing and edging their lawn-dominated yard led to plans for a Front Yard Living woodland retreat with colorful understory trees and shrubs that would envelop the deck with leafy curtains, buffer street views, and screen the neighbor’s driveway. A flagstone path winding through hardy Rozanne geranium, peonies, and a flowering dogwood will provide no-mow access to the sideyard. A new re-circulating fountain made from a ceramic pot off the corner of the deck will add to the retreat atmosphere and provide another level of sound and visual separation from unwanted traﬃc. A smaller, simpler lawn will flank the front path and welcome visitors while keeping views open to the neighborhood. The Wilsons are maximizing the benefits of front yard living with enhanced beauty and comfort—and an emphasis on less mower investment!

A sliver of a backyard dropping to a lovely, but unusable ravine led the Lesters to consider a front yard living/dining patio for their newly remodeled retirement home. The circular paver patio was situated in the ‘L’ of the house and garage for convenience and shelter from the driveway and street. A deep, billowing shrub and perennial border and an 18” concrete block seat wall partially wrap the patio creating friendly boundaries. Old friends love sharing a glass of wine on the new garden patio, and the Lesters have made some new friends with their front yard living room as well.

The LesTeR ResidenCe

The WiLsOn ResidenCe

Leafy screen buffers arterial

Recirculating pot fountain

existing Ponderosa Pine Small Trees frame deck: Fernleaf Maple and Serviceberry

New woodland garden with flagstone path

Wilson Residence

Smaller lawn area welcomes friends and keeps mowing simple

Flagstone path to front entry Garage & driveway

AUGUST 2012

Yard Art

Contest Welcome to the 2012 Garden Zealot Yard Art Contest! A BIG ‘Thank You’ to everyone who submitted a photo last month!

It’s time to vote. Pick your favorite, then email its number to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. The photo receiving the most votes wins dinner on The Zealot! Choose carefully. Remember, there’s a $40 gift-certificate to Red Robin on the line!

AUGUST 2012

Garden Perfection Reflections of a Garden Tour Survivor By Cathi Lamoreux Guest Writer

So, you want to be on a garden tour? Step right up and join the approximately 50 homeowners over the past nine years who have opened their gardens for The Inland Empire Gardeners’ garden tours. When I told her about this year’s tour, my Portland gardening friend asked via email: “Are you brave, crazy, or both?” When I told her we were told to anticipate approximately 1000 visitors, she responded, “Two thousand feet walking through your garden?” Well, that’s one way of putting it! A year prior to the tour, I signed a list at Garden Expo saying I might be interested in being on the 2012 tour. My husband looked at me askew, but just shrugged his shoulders and didn’t say a word. After all, we had done this once before 10 years ago. Months went by before we were contacted in the fall. Were we still interested? Yes, but come and walk through the garden to make sure that you want us on the tour. They came. They saw. We were on the tour. All winter I gazed out at the garden wondering what would I need to do once spring arrived. Our prior tour was in August, so I had most of the summer to get ready. This year, I had to be ready by mid-June. I pondered changes, new plantings, and areas that I was not totally pleased with. I kept telling myself that the garden had already made the cut looking like it did right now. That didn’t really seem to matter as I mentally developed a long list of things to be done. Early spring arrived with warmer than normal temperatures and sunny days. I was excited as I thought I would be able to get into the garden and get a jump on numerous projects. The air may have been warm, but the soil temperature was still too cold for

it to be workable. Nighttime temperatures were dipping to or below freezing, precluding any new activities. My garden was like a cunning temptress reeling me in—only to reveal that nothing could be done once I got outside. April became May and the weather turned into a more seasonably cool spring. By the time May arrived I started counting the weeks until the tour. It felt like so little time with so much to do, thwarted by the cold and rain. Working full-time outside the home added to my increasing stress and frustration, as I couldn’t take advantage of a good gardening day when it fell in the middle of the workweek. The little clock in my head started ticking louder and louder. In addition, rabbits started showing up in the front yard for the first time. They were cute, but I saw

them as voracious munchers who were going to wreck havoc on my garden. At the same time, I started having nightmares in which the deer ate all the hosta down to nibs the night before the tour. My friend Maralee (who was also on the tour) and I started comparing notes about our respective projects. We checked in with each other about progress on our to-do lists, kept track of the countdown to the tour, and provided one another with much needed pep talks. “We can do this!” When I would take time to do other things over the weekend besides gardening, I felt guilty. I’m normally an easy-going person (not prone to being grumpy or having stress-induced outbursts), but I noticed a shorter-than-normal flash point at both work and home. I’m sure my husband and

co-workers noticed as well. I knew the reason, but was perplexed as to why I was feeling so stressed. I noticed I’d devised my annual garden to-do list—which I normally have until October to complete—into an impossibly huge task sheet I needed to finish by June 16! Coming to my senses I cut myself some slack, reserved a few chores to be completed later, and kept reminding myself that I was the only one who was going to see the imperfections. Still, the norm became consecutive 8-hour days in the garden on the weekends, and gardening until dark during the week. As a Master Gardener I get the opportunity to tour local nurseries weekly early in the season. Ostensibly, we are there for “education”, but we’re really there to go on a private, after hours shopping spree! Taking

AUGUST 2012 advantage of my privileges… The new Alstromeria bred to be hardy in Zone 5, a beautiful new Japanese Maple to fill a large gap, ‘Southern Comfort’ heuchera, two ‘Garnet Brocade’ sedums, another Rhamnus (Fine Line® Buckthorn), and few other choice plants came home with me. Although I always plant containers and flower boxes, I usually mix perennials and annuals to keep costs down. This year I allowed myself more than a few extra annuals to make sure that there would be early color in the garden, and also purchased a couple of large, already full and blooming containers of geraniums and calibrachoa. June arrived with less than stellar weather. Where was the sun and heat that would persuade the flowers to bloom? I began to think that the people on the tour would be seeing only the potential of lovely blooms rather than the flowers themselves. The weeds seem to be on steroids as they took over the garden. I spent so much time weeding that it seemed like I wouldn’t get anything else done! But, as the days grew longer, the cycle of nature came through with late spring blossoms of iris, penstemon, daisies, lupine, clematis, cranesbill geraniums, poppies, dianthus, persicaria and others. The trees leafed out. The hosta and ferns grew to almost mature size. The weeding became less demanding, giving me time to plant the annuals in the containers. The only victims of one very cold (39 degrees) night were the coleus. The day before the tour was cloudless, warm and sunny for seemingly the first time in weeks. The day of the tour dawned warm, but overcast. As the tour hosts and vendors were setting up, the temperature dropped three degrees in 10 minutes and the smell of rain was in the air. A few sprinkles and the worst was over—the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It was warm and the clouds flittered across the sky, giving us

a break from steady sun. That was in contrast to the weather the prior Saturday—46 degrees and raining—when the homeowners toured each other’s gardens and then ate dinner protected from the wind and rain in a freezing building. We’re a hardy lot! There were just as many different gardens as there were hosts. Each garden was unique and reflective of the gardeners’ personalities. This year there was an Asian-inspired garden with a lovely courtyard, a garden without a blade of grass—completely filled with flowering plants and shrubs, a garden which held the secret of a ravine complete with a beautiful stone bridge and several private seating areas, a garden filled with hardy perennials and lots of vegetables, a garden creatively planted on a steep hillside, and a working nursery with beautiful displays. Definitely

something for everyone! The one nice thing about being on a garden tour is that you know that the people coming to walk through your garden are there because they want to be. There is electricity in the air as people discover a new plant, express awe at the sight of the next view, and the intrigue of trying to figure out where that lovely scent is coming from. The musicians and vendors added to the ambiance. People were smiling, happy, and enjoying themselves. When someone takes the time to tell you “Thank you for sharing”, it really does make it all worthwhile. Would I do it again? Sure, but ask me again in another 10 years! If you don’t mind, I’m going to spend some time the garden relaxing. Pheewww!!!

AUGUST 2012

Robin (and Phil’s) Robins By Robin Cunningham Guest Writer

It was an extremely cold and windy day, mid April 2005. I was getting ready to go to an appointment, but as I was putting on my coat, I glanced out of my kitchen window and saw something out of place under our Linden tree. I walked out and saw that a bird’s nest had fallen out of the tree and was torn to pieces by the wind. I looked down and saw four newly hatched birds. They looked like little blobs of wrinkled mud with bulges for eyes. No movement, so I assumed they were dead. I bent down and picked one up. Even though they were cold as ice, one little leg moved. I looked around in hopes that the mother robin would come dive-bomb me and take care of her brood. No such luck. What to do??? I had an appointment I couldn’t miss, yet my heart told me I couldn’t leave these poor little “birdsicles” out to die. I packed what was left of the nest and the four little creatures and took them into the house. I was already late for my appointment so I put them in a box, warmed up a dishtowel and some cotton balls in the

microwave, covered them up, and left. On my way home, even though I knew they probably wouldn’t survive, I still stopped by Wal-Mart and purchased some worms. Fishing season was just around the corner, so I knew they would have them in stock. I thought that if they didn’t make it, Phil and I could always use them on our next fishing trip. To my amazement, when I got home the little birds were all still alive. Now, how to feed them? I certainly wasn’t going to pull the real momma robin thing and chew up worms and shove them down their throats. I decided to cut the worms up into little pieces and put them near their beaks. Unfortunately, they kept their mouths shut tight. What now? I couldn’t pry their mouths open, could I? I took one out of the box, held him up against my chest and swirled the piece of worm around its beak. It finally opened its mouth and I put the worm inside. It swallowed, and opened up for more. I was ecstatic! However, after three pieces of worm, I realized what goes in, must come out—and it came out all over my shirt and jeans. After

feeding all four, they started peeping, and it was time for round two. Baby birds eat, poop, eat, poop, and sometimes sleep. After they’d all been fed three times, I warmed up more cotton balls and they finally went to sleep. Phil would be home soon, so I started dinner. “Peep, peep, peep…” How in the heck could they be hungry again? Have you ever tried to cook dinner, cut up a handful of worms, and feed four birds at the same time? I was praying that the worms didn’t get mixed up with my spaghetti! Phil came home, saw the birds, shook his head and told me they wouldn’t live. Being a stubborn redhead, (yes I’m a redhead and my name is Robin), I was bound and determined to at least give it a try. However, I’ve never really been good with birds. The only one I ever had was a parakeet that died within a couple of weeks. I’d been around all other types of animals in my life— from horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, dogs, cats, goats and more— but not the feathered variety. As the days went by, my life was consumed with buying worms, cleaning the birds’ little box, and feeding, feeding, feeding! I’d taught them to eat from their box, rather than needing to pick them up, so that was a plus. As the weather begin to warm, I packed them everywhere with me while I tended to my yard and flow-

ers. Due to a jaw injury, I cannot whistle, so I just said “chirp, chirp,” while I talked to them and kept them close. Phil was a real sport. After a few days he also thought they may have a chance to live, so he took on the early morning feeding before he went to work. I would feed them before I went to bed (either they don’t eat at night, or I was too tired to hear their little peeps). Finally, some little fuzz that would soon be feathers started to appear, and little cracks were forming around their eyes. I was concerned about the runt—he never seemed to eat much. Unfortunately, he passed away about three weeks after the rescue. There were still three, and they’d go everywhere with us. Baby birds are not like a dog or cat. You can’t give them some food and water and leave them for 3-4 hours. These little birdies needed to be fed about every hour—sometimes more. Their fuzz turned to feathers, and their eyes opened. Of course the first thing they saw was me! Since I’d been holding and feeding them since they hatched, I guess I was “Mom” (did the red hair help?). Phil and I had planned a camping trip, so off we went with everything packed (including a good stock of worms). They had their first adventure out of the box in the mountains. Phil cut firewood, I fed the birds. One piece of the firewood had a perfect little perch, so I kept it and

AUGUST 2012 put each one on the log for their feeding (I still have that little piece of wood to this day). I’m not sure why, but when we woke up the next morning another one of the robins had died during the night. Maybe it was the mountain air? Who knows. He was given a proper burial, and of course I was sad. On a brighter note, we still had two. As they grew up, they also grew out of their little box. We had an old birdcage, so they went to a bigger home with windows. They loved it—even the swing. At the time we had two dogs: Tippy and Squirt. They soon became used to the birds, and the birds seemed to like them. I had to take an overnight road trip to Curlew Lake. Dogs in the front seat, birds strapped in a seat belt in their cage in the back. The first stop was Chewelah for a doggy-potty break and bird food installation. Next stop Kettle Falls… Feed the birds. Next stop Sherman Pass… Feed the birds. We made it to the resort, and since the birds were growing pretty fast now, I was glad they had worms in the store at the resort. Soon they outgrew the birdcage, so we needed to “up-grade” their condo. For my own sanity, we also needed to figure out something other than worms—not only were they a lot of work, they were costing us a fortune! Phil retrofitted an old mink cage that had been his Dad’s for their new home. He then looked on the internet and found that robins like and can thrive on canned cat food. Now if that isn’t an oxymoron, what is? Cats eat birds, birds eat cat food (what you don’t learn when you raise robins!). They loved the cage. Phil set it up with a big swing. When we would go to bed at night, that was their favorite time to “play” and swing—back and forth—and extremely noisy. By this time they were hopping around outside a few times a day, staying close to their cage and me. I would “chirp,” and they would hop on our brick ledge. I put cat food on the end of a popsicle stick, and they’d take turns gobbling it down.

the other as they became more adventurous so I could tell them apart from the other robins in the yard. Of course, they’d still come in two or three times a day for their cat food.

It was really a sight to see. On our next trip we were off to the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds for a Swap Meet. We had a booth and were there for the long haul. How do you smuggle two birds through the gates? I loaded a large shoebox with cat food, and off we went. Fortunately I made it through without being frisked, but one security guard did ask what was in the box. When I opened it up and told her the story, she let me in without” flipping me the bird,” as it were. Those two robins were the highlight of the Swap Meet. I think we sold more product than anyone else. I’d say it was the glow of my red hair, but I think our display robins may have had more to do with it. During this time they grew from speckled to full sized red-breasted robins. They also became pests. The patio and everything on it was always splattered with bird poop. They chirped, begged for attention, followed us around like dogs, and snuck into the house whenever we opened the back door. We had to duck when they went swooping down the hallway. Somehow they always knew where I was. They’d always fly directly into the computer room and perch on the back of my chair while I worked. They also loved to sit on the back of our patio chairs whenever we lit up the BBQ (didn’t even seem to mind when we were barbequing chicken). I figured it was time to wean them from cat food so they could

survive in the great outdoors. I’d put worms in the grass and let them find them—they got the knack of it pretty quick—but still wanted their cat food everyday. In August, we were registered to go to the Goodguys car show, but the birds and their cage wouldn’t fit in our hot-rod. Mom, (Phil’s mom, my mother-in-law) Peggy Cunningham, lived next door. She always babysat our dogs when we went anywhere for the day. Later that afternoon when we came to pick up the dogs, she was also babysitting the robins. Both were lonesome, and just followed where their buddies Tippy and Squirt had gone. Peggy had a great time with the whole bunch. After that, they occasionally went over for a visit. I don’t know why we never named our robins. But I did dab a little red food coloring on one and green on

One morning in late August Phil didn’t feed them their morning cat food. They were gone all day, and I was worried. Again, no robins that night. The next morning they both came out when Phil brought their food—but were both extremely skittish. One took a couple of bites, the other never came near Phil. We’re not sure if that was their way of telling us they’d finally decided to go out on their own, or if they were just mad because Phil had forgotten to feed them the day before? Anyway, we never saw them again. Of course, maybe they were the ones that followed me on the lawn mower that fall? Or could they have been that first to chirp in the morning? Every spring when the first robins come into our yard, I wonder “is it them?”, or at least their children or grandchildren? We’re happy to know that at the very least we saved them from a certain death and had a “ROCK’N ROBIN” good time while doing it! Writers note: I’m sure we broke all kinds of State, County, and Federal wildlife laws by raising these robins, but it’s been seven years so I’m sure that the statute of limitations has expired. :-) “FLY ROBIN FLY”

AUGUST 2012

AF DESIGN

Tip of the Month

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Cool Plants for Your Yard Clematis

This year we brought in some very cool clematis from Raymond Evision. Our plants were selected from the signature series that is the culmination of over 50 years of breeding to make truly marvelous clematis. Featuring unique colors and blooms, these clematis are hardy for our area and have blooms that will stop you in your tracks. Raymond Evision Clematis have won gold medals for 9 straight years making these plants a must have in your garden. Come in soon for the best selection of these very cool plants.

Poetry Corner Submitted by Robin C.

Akebia

Akebia is a very nice, fast growing vine that is great anywhere you need some climbing color. They have dainty and striking flowers in a variety of colors that hang in clusters. If you plant two different varieties they will produce a tropical tasting fruit that is useful in jams and jellies. Very cold hardy, these vines will be a subtle beauty in your garden. Give them something tall to climb on and let sethem do their thing. We have several a h rc varieties in stock just waiting to be Pu ry l e a f t i f adopted and taken home. t

ec Po t % o Sp 50

Explore our 6 Buildings!

477703 Hwy 95 Ponderay, ID 83852 (208) 255-4200

WWW.PONDERAYGARDEN.COM By: Stacey Lukac

Daisy, for the beautiful poem in the last issue, here is my ‘thank-you’ to you! D A I S Y

Delightful girl with a beautiful smile. Attractive young woman with a whole lot of style. Intelligent, charming, and as good as it gets. Smart and funny, and so glad we met. Young and Sweet with a bright future as a poet!

AUGUST 2012

My Wildflower Garden By Daisy Lynch Guest Writer

First of all I have a great big wildflower garden and I take care of it everyday. I water it, and weed it, and sing to it. In my garden I have a little spot where I put 4 chicken feathers and a written-on board. The names on the board are Baby, Evil Twin, Twin, and Violet. Violet’s name was really Purpleicous but it was too long for the board so I put Violet instead. The reason why

I have the board and the feathers is because I used to have 4 chickens and then cats got them. The garden is in honor of them. That’s why my garden is special. But my story is not over yet. I want to tell you about the flowers I have. I have daisys, lilies, 2 things I don’t know, 1 ground-covering thing, 2 trees, and 5 patches of wildflowers. And now, I am pleased to pronounce that my article is done!

NOTE: Do you have a garden you’d like to write about? Send it to The Zealot at thegardenzealot@gmail.com. We’ll print it up! And don’t forget: send us some photos too!

AUGUST 2012

Recipe of the Month Brian’s Spaghetti Sauce ingRedienTs: • 1 pound ground beef • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce • 2 Tablespoons italian seasoning • Red Pepper to taste • salt to taste • Black pepper to taste • 1 cup red wine • ½ cup Kalamata olives (chopped)

• 1 small onion (chopped) • 2 large celery stalks (chopped) • 2-3 carrots (chopped) • garlic to taste (chopped) • 1 jar artichoke hearts (drained and chopped) • 1 can mushrooms • olive oil • sugar to taste

diReCTiOns: 1. heat meat in a large frying pan until just brown. 2. Remove meat and let drain. Wipe away any oil left in pan. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive to pan. Add diced carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes then add the meat back into the pan. Let cook together for 2 minutes then add 1 cup red wine. Let the wine reduce. 3. Zap diced tomatoes in a food processor, if you don’t want chunks of tomato, then add to pan. Also add salt, black pepper, red pepper, italian spices and tomato sauce into pan.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

stir in olives, mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Cover pan and let sauce simmer for 1 hour. Cook pasta. When pasta is done add ¼ cup spaghetti water to sauce and mix well. 9. Taste sauce and add spices if needed. ZEALOT’S NOTE: This is a terriﬁc sauce we had at home last month. Thick like a sloppy Joe, and very tasty. The vegetables, especially, made it a great topper! Thanks Brian! Great recipe!

The humane society’s Adoptable

Pet of the Month Saphire Star Retriever, Labrador Are you looking for a true gem? An easy dog who just wants to be by your side, take relaxing walks, and snuggle by your side? A dog who won’t pull on the leash, won’t bark all day or chew on your best shoes? Well, that’s me... Saphire Star, I’m just a soft and sweet gal who the volunteers here say is just a pleasure to walk and spend time with. I’m even nice to cats! Yep, my best friend used to be a cat. I don’t need much, just your love, a nice evening stroll, and a movie on Friday nights wouldn’t hurt either, I’m quite the snuggler- sure wouldn’t mind a couch of my own and a person to share it with. So please come on in and meet me, I’d love to be your girl!

AUGUST 2012

Governing a Garden The Bonner County Idaho Native Plant Demonstration Garden By Clare Marley Guest Writer

Rather than just legislate, sometimes government has a chance to “demonstrate.” In this case, we needed a little splash of water, plants, and color. The opportunity to demonstrate by gardening came when Bonner County, Idaho adopted new land use regulations emphasizing the use of native plants to protect soils—as well as reduce watering and the need for fertilizers and/or pesticides. The county added an emphasis on native plants in its new codes which: • Encouraged native plantings in commercial, industrial, multifamily, and public landscaping;

• Required retention or maintenance of native or beneficial (non-native, non-invasive plants) within a 40-foot shore land buffer; • Required use of native plants to reclaim disturbed soils in the steep alpine zoning district.

Following the enactment of the new native plant codes, county planners met with members of the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society and local gardeners to plan a “Grow Native” campaign. They developed a list of 70 area nurseries and sent the new native plant regulations and a plant list to each. Initial discussions evolved into the idea of the demonstration garden after the group enlisted nursery owner and

Sandpoint High School horticulture teacher John Hastings. John proposed a plan to cover an existing lawn area with cardboard to act as a weed/grass block and to bring in topsoil and native plants. Work started on Arbor Day weekend in 2009 with help from county employees, the Native Plant Society, high schools students, and various community members. In short order, the grass was soon replaced with Western Hemlock, Quaking Aspen, Serviceberry, Blanket Flowers, Sticky Geranium, Silver Lupine, Columbine, Kinnikinnick, Common Lady Fern, Oceanspray, Mallow Ninebark, Red Osier Dogwood, Nodding Pink Onions, Woods Pussytoes, and other flowers and greenery. The demonstration garden grew from an idea to plant a single native tree on Arbor Day, and ended with an entire native plant demonstration garden of about 150 plants representing more than 20 native plant species. The project transformed a ragged, under-watered, weedy strip of lawn at the County Administration Building into a lush and colorful native plant garden. Idaho’s state flower, Lewis Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii), now graces the western entrance to the building with thousands of fragrant, white blooms in springtime. Bunches of blanket flowers (Gaillardia aristata) blossom throughout the summer, after generously reseed-

ing from the year before. Soft green groupings of ferns, shrubs and trees now shade the area. The launch of the demonstration garden was not without worries about watering, weeding, and expenses. Soon after soil was brought to the site, it was discovered that the underground sprinkler system had been damaged beyond repair. Banking on a promise that the native plants would need little additional watering after the first year, planting proceeded. The first year, garden hoses and sprinklers nursed the new plantings. By the second year, sprinklers provided water through the hottest months of July and August. By the third year, little or no additional watering was needed, as the plants were all well established. Now in the fourth year, no water has been needed. Bark mulch was applied the

first year and again at the start of the fourth year to combat weeds. The garden has drawn community support, including the ongoing care from the Sandpoint High School horticulture classes, who use it as an outdoor classroom. Local Boy Scouts built a bench for garden visitors, and young artists have crafted ceramic plant markers. The Association of Bonner County Employees supplied funds for plants, mulching, and signage. The garden is located adjacent to the southwestern parking lot at the Bonner County Administration Building, 1500 Highway 2, Sandpoint, Idaho, and is open to the public at all times. The native plant and beneficial, nonnative plant list for Bonner County can be viewed on line at: www.co.bonner. id.us/planning.

AUGUST 2012

So You Want To Be A Landscaper? By CJ James Staff Writer

I can feel the terror rising in my throat. “Take a deep breath,” I say to myself as my eye twitches involuntarily. “It will be all right. Relax. Calm down, just calm down… Wait - why should I calm down?!? This is the time to panic! I’m sunk! I can’t make any sense of this job! I have no idea what I’m doing!! It’s all falling apart and I’m going to go down in flames!!” This little scene takes place as I look at the pile of irrigation parts stacked against the building, realizing in that moment that I don’t even know for sure what some of them do—and I’m not exactly sure how to put together the ones that I can identify! That’s not good, because I’m the landscape foreman on this job. It’s a commercial project consisting of two buildings connected by a common area, and I’m responsible for making the outside beautiful. I put my face in my hands. I sure hope the owner has a broad definition of the word ‘beautiful’. Sometimes greatness is thrust upon you, as the old saying goes. But sometimes greatness just zooms on past and mediocrity comes up from behind and tries to kill you with a piece of lead pipe. I’ve been thrown into this position after only a few months of landscape experience because the company I work for is really busy—and really shorthanded. I’m in so far over my head, I’m drowning. I ask myself: Is it possible to drown in topsoil? I pull into the jobsite each morning feeling like I’m arriving at my own execution. My mind races as I tick off the things I’m responsible for and not quite sure how to do: subgrade prepara-

tion, ordering the right amount of fill/topsoil/gravel/sand/bark, setting finish grades, irrigation design, irrigation construction, prepping for the paver walkways, keeping the job on schedule and budget, resisting the urge to curl up in the fetal position, etc, etc. But the hardest part may be pretending to have a grip on the situation when the general contractor comes around. “I noticed your guys haven’t put in the ADS for the building gutters,” he says. In my head: “What the #@%& is ADS?!? What does it have to do with the gutters?!?” Out loud: “Oh yeah, well, we usually put that in last.” “Really?” he says. “That’s unusual. Most times it seems like the landscapers put that in right at the start of the job.” In my head: “What?!? At the start?!? Aarghhh, I’m screwing this all up!! This job is a complete debacle!! I’m going to stab myself in the eye!!” Out loud: “Well, we like to put it in later, since we’ve found it reduces problems down the road.” He looks at me for a few seconds. “Ok. I have no doubt you guys know what you’re doing. If it works for you, it works for me.” He walks inside to check on the electricians and I walk behind a dumpster to have a spasm of dry heaves. I wish I could say that everything fell into place after that and the job went smoothly. I guess I could say that, but it would be a lie. We graded the lawn areas too soon, which then got wrecked by machines, which then had to be graded again. Much of the irrigation was put in wrong and had to be redone. The

irrigation wiring was put in at different times by different guys, so no one could figure out why 3 of the zones wouldn’t work. The pavers were designed by the landscape architect to have a pattern, which we installed backwards. We dug too close to an underground gasoline pipeline (which was spotted by an airplane who’s only job is to look for people digging too close to said underground pipeline. I’m not making this up). This led to our crew being descended upon by a gas company employee in a SWAT-like vehicle who seemed to have the authority to shoot us on the spot with his sidearm. Did I mention the miniexcavator tearing up the electrician’s street lamp wiring? Sigh… It was a rocky start, but in the years since then I’ve gotten to be a reasonably competent foreman. That’s mostly because you learn as you go, and as time passes, you can’t help but get better at those things that gave

you fits at first. I’ve led quite a few jobs since that first one, but I’ll probably never forget the knot in the pit of my stomach that came from being overwhelmed and under-prepared as I looked around the site, wondering what in the heck I was supposed to do next. Difficult situations, however, often result in the acquisition of valuable knowledge. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way that might help a newbie landscaper avoid some unnecessary pain and agony. These aren’t hard and fast rules, just suggestions. They won’t make the process of learning the trade quicker, but they might make it a little easier: Clothes It’s amazing the difference looking sharp makes on a jobsite. Do you want respect? The first step is looking the part. Clients, other tradesmen, and the superintendant/General Contractor will treat you better if you look professional. I’m not say-

AUGUST 2012

As for the cold wet months, a waterproof jacket with a hood is a must. Get a good one – I spent $200 (on sale) for my Marmot jacket, which seemed like a lot at the time. But I’m going on year 4 with it, and believe me, when it’s pouring down rain and I’m dry while the other guys on the crew are soaked to the bone, that $200 seems like a bargain. Get your jacket in black, if you can. It will look better over time than any other color. On the flip side of splurging for a jacket, go cheap on gloves. Leather gloves are nice in dry weather but come apart quickly when they get wet. Nitrile gloves, on the other hand (pardon the pun), breathe well and wear like iron. They can be had for around $3 at specialty shops like Arrow Construction on Trent Avenue. Tools

Good idea

ing it’s fair. I’m just saying it’s true. This doesn’t mean that you need to spend a ton of money on Carhartt jeans and White’s boots. Instead, start with the simple things. Keep your hair and facial growth (if applicable) trimmed and neat. Wear shirts that don’t look like shop rags. Throw away pants with holes in the knees big enough for your foot to pass through. It boils down to this: dress each morning with the phrase “I’m a professional tradesman” in mind. In other words, dress to impress. Of course, the trouble with landscaping is that clothes get pretty hammered pretty fast, so you need to be smart about how you spend your money. It’s best not to drop a week’s pay on attire from Cabela’s. Footwear in particular—especially in the wet spring months—takes a beating. Hit the thrift stores instead of the Red Wing shop for boots. ‘Thrift store’ doesn’t necessarily mean junk – you can usually find a pretty nice pair of work boots for $15 or $20 (and since they’ll be destroyed before the season is over, you won’t feel bad about dropping them in the trash). I like to wear running shoes in hot weather and the thrift store is a great place to find a solid brand in relatively good shape, too (and at 10% of the cost of new ones). Work pants can be harder to find at a thrift shop, but a nice pair of cotton duck Dickies can be had at big retailers for around $20. I suggest cotton duck because in my opinion, it’s more

Terrible idea, just terrible

comfortable in the summer heat than denim, and it usually lasts longer and looks nicer as it ages. Speaking of heat, a straw hat will keep you much cooler in hot weather than a baseball cap. Plus, it makes you look like you know what you’re doing (I don’t know why – it just does).

Prepare to get your butt kicked

There’s not much to say here, as most companies will provide their employees with tools. I do have a couple tips, though. A Leatherman or similar multi-tool comes in handy more times than you would think, making it well worth the $40 or so you’ll pay for it. Carry a few pairs of earplugs in your vehicle in case the boss forgets to bring them. Knee pads will save you a lot of agony on days when you’re doing pavers or irrigation, so keep them handy. And this may sound like a nobrainer, but respect the tools you use—especially the ones that aren’t yours. Few things will make guys angrier quicker than someone trashing their tools. As the old saying goes, ‘Treat borrowed tools with respect or have their owner ring your neck’. True indeed. LANDSCAPER cont. on page 28

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LANDSCAPER cont. from page 27 on The Jobsite One of the great things about working on a jobsite is the myriad of personalities on other crews you get to meet and work with. Because these personalities aren’t as buttoned-down and filtered as in a white-collar environment, they’re often far more entertaining and amusing than they would be in an office or storefront. But, as you can imagine, this means that some of those personalities will be far more obnoxious and vulgar. Even worse, conflicts can be much more explosive. Here’s my advice: when conflicts occur—and they will—keep your side of it civil. Each trade seems to have its natural adversary— i.e. another trade that is always in the way and creating logistical problems. For the landscaper, that trade is masonry (and, to be fair, for masons it’s landscapers). Because we’re on the job at the same time (toward the end of the project), and because we’re usually working in the same spaces, each crew is going to get in the other’s way. The

result is usually someone losing their temper. Just remember what The Good Book says: “No situation was ever improved by cussing someone out.” I think that passage is found in Deuteronomy. Certainly don’t let other tradesmen walk on you, but don’t escalate a situation, either. Usually there is some kind of middle ground, and the general contractor will be grateful for your diplomacy. He typically doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with guys fighting and often won’t tolerate it. It’s easy for him to call another landscape company to come finish the job. It’s not so easy for you to explain to your boss why he had to do that. on The Crew Here’s the thing (and I’m resisting the urge to use all caps): get on the working end of a shovel. Is there a trench to dig? Volunteer to dig it. Is there a pile of dirt that needs to be moved by hand? Volunteer to move it. Everyone—and especially

Try to be like this...

Out of those 30, 3 come immediately to mind as the best I had because they were willing to do the hard, dirty work. And you know what? I appreciated that, and I went out of my way to see that the owner of the company knew those guys were doing a good job and that they deserved a raise. The guys who would only run the Bobcat? Not so much. Dime a dozen, and really easy to replace. Guys who are willing to jump in and work hard at a hard job, on the other hand, are incredibly difficult to find and really valuable. I am going to use caps for this tip: LEAVE YOUR PHONE IN YOUR CAR. You can reply to your buddy’s text about how great last night’s episode of “So You Think You Can Dance” was on your lunch break. The last tip for working on the crew: be nice. Be nice to the homeowner even if he is an indecisive nitpicker. Be nice to the guy you’re working with even if he drives you crazy with his laziness. Be nice to the general contractor when he blames you for something you didn’t do. Be nice to the dump truck driver who runs over your valve box. The reason? No one likes a jerk. You’ll have a lot more friends (and a much better time) on the job if you treat people with respect, even those that may not deserve it. Plus, when you screw up, maybe you’ll get some grace you don’t deserve. Well, there you have it, Landscaping 101: A Brief History. (Coming soon: Landscaping 201: What To Do When Spring Mud Sucks Your Boot Off ) Remember that there’s never just one way to do any one thing, so don’t be afraid to improvise and figure out your own method. And if you ever find yourself in doubt of what to do next (like I did at the beginning of this story), may I suggest following Dory’s lead from the Disney movie Finding Nemo: “Just keep digging… Just keep digging....”

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Learn to love it, brother

...and less like this.

new guys—want to be in the bobcat or miniexcavator, but the truth is this: those pieces of equipment aren’t that hard to operate. Sure, it’s hard to get really, really good at using them, but it’s not that hard to be competent. It’s way harder to find a guy (or gal) willing to dig a hole or push a wheelbarrow. Thinking over all the crews I’ve had through the years, I can count about 30 different guys who have worked with me on a job.

AUGUST 2012

Do It Yourself

Build Your Own Vertical Garden Materials

• A pallet (I found mine for free at a local garden store — mine measured 25 x 38 inches)

• Roll of weed fabric (this can be quite expensive, but you don’t need as much as comes in a typical landscaping roll, so you might be able to find someone’s excess on Craigslist or at a local garden shop)

Instructions 1. Sand down any rough spots on your pallet. If the back of your pallet doesn’t have much support (mine was basically open on the back), find some scrap wood, roughly 3 to 4 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick (or the thickness of the rest of your supports) and cut it down to the width of your pallet. Using two nails on each side, add supports so they are roughly even down the back of your pallet.

4. Begin planting, starting at the bottom of the pallet and ending at the top. Make sure soil is firmly packed in each layer as you move up. Add more soil as needed so that plants are tightly packed at the end.

2. Double or triple up your landscaping fabric and begin the stapling fun. Staple fabric along the back, bottom and sides of the pallet, taking care at the corners to fold in the fabric so no soil will spill out.

• Sandpaper

• Staple gun and staples • Hammer and nails

• Potting soil (I used 2.5 cubic feet for the 25 x 38 pallet) • Adorable succulents or other plants of choice

5. Water your wall garden thoroughly and let it remain horizontal for 1 to 2 weeks to allow plants to take root. After 1 to 2 weeks, you can set it upright.

3. Lay the pallet flat and pour potting soil through slats, pressing soil down firmly. Leave enough room to begin planting your succulents.

This idea was originally brought to us by the staff of Northland Nursery of Post Falls, Idaho. With a little research, we found a very good step-by-step instruction manual at Design Sponge (www.designsponge.com). It’s a fun, easy project that you can enjoy with your friends and family for years to come—and it didn’t loot the pocketbook, either!

AUGUST 2012

The Chief Garden Thief

Try these trapping techniques to reduce garden loss from pocket gophers By Lori Lynch

Guest Writer Originally published in Backcountry - THE MAGAZINE FOR HUNTERS, ANGLERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS IN NORTH IDAHO

If you live in north Idaho, chances are you’ve got pocket gophers for neighbors; all those fresh mounds of dirt on your property are a telltale sign! You won’t see pocket gophers running around above ground and you won’t likely see their hole. A royal nuisance in a nice landscaped yard; a call to war in the garden! They can mow through a row of carrots in no time and unless there’s a fresh mound of dirt close by, you won’t likely realize it until you go to the garden to pull up fresh carrots, only to find the tops are all that are left. Trapping is a simple, effective, inexpensive, and toxic-free way to save your garden or yard from hungry pocket gophers. This is what you will need:

have outsmarted you and plugged the tunnel with dirt. If he’s plugged the run, dig out your traps and try again, probing to find a place further out (from the mound) in the run. If nothing happens within 48 hours, try a different mound. When you catch one, discard or bury the dead gopher and reset your traps in the same tunnel until there are no more catches in a 48-hour period. I have caught as many as four gophers in the same run. Be persistent. You’ll be glad you were when you are sitting around the table in late summer, enjoying the fruits of your labor! Garden Question: How do I get my pumpkins, which have a maturity date of 90-110 days, to ripen before a killing frost? You can do a couple things to get your pumpkins ready for carving. Sometimes

your plants start flowering when it is still pretty cool, making it hard for them to get pollinated and set on fruit. Go online and find out how to hand pollinate your plants. This will get your pumpkins setting on faster. Once you have several pumpkins growing, around the end of July, take a shovel or pruner and cut off the vines a little beyond your pumpkins. Now your plants can focus on making those pumpkins grow big and orange! Garden Question: How can I make my tomatoes ripen faster? Beginning of August, snip off the tops of your plants and any blooms to prevent further plant growth and flowering, break off several branches without tomatoes (to allow more sun in), and cut back on watering. This all helps to stress the plant enough to focus on ripening the tomatoes.

• 2 metal gopher traps from your local hardware or garden store (Priest River Ace Hardware sells a Victor Easy Set gopher trap for $8.99) • probing stick, like a scrap of rebar, to help find tunnels • carrot (optional “bait”) • hand shovel

Diagrams from www.extension.usu.edu

• gloves (gophers have a great sense of smell)

• stake and twine or wire to secure traps in place • wood plank, cardboard, or plastic to help cover the hole

When you find a fresh mound of dirt, take your probing stick and probe in a circle around the mound (several inches out) until your probe “drops” into the horizontal run (tunnel) the gopher uses. This tunnel is usually less than a foot underground. With your hand shovel, dig a small hole straight down into the run. Reach into the tunnel and clean out any dirt that has caved in. Scrape a fresh carrot all over each trap for bait, then set the traps and place one in each direction of the run, as far into the run as you can reach and still see some of the trap. Stake some twine or wire to each trap for easier retrieval. Drop the carrot in the hole between the traps. Lay a piece of cardboard or wood plank over the hole; then cover the edges with dirt so that no light gets in. Check your traps twice a day. Within 24 hours, you will have either caught your gopher or he will

One down!

Photo by Lori Lynch

AUGUST 2012

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