2018 Sumter Home and Decor

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HOME & DECOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THE SUMTER ITEM

SUMTER

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2P repare your lawnmower for winter 3P lan an outdoor living space for fall 4L egacy left at Brunson’s Nursery 5P almetto Gas looks to make mark on Sumter community 6F all lawn care tips 7C reate a perfectly cozy place to read

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2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

Prepare your lawnmower for winter to save hassle come spring

DANNY KELLY / THE SUMTER ITEM

BY DANNY KELLY DANNY@THEITEM.COM

If you happen to need lawn care equipment, DAD’s Small Engines Lawn & Garden Equipment Sales and Service on 1000 Myrtle Beach Hwy probably has it.

“We sell lawnmowers, trailers and storage buildings and sell brands such as Husqvarna, Wesco Utility Trailers and Scag,” owner Don Neiman said.

Neiman, an Ohio native, started the business in his backyard 18 years ago in Sumter after spending 22 years in

the Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base.

“DAD” is in an acronym for David, his son, Amanda, his daughter, and Don, himself.

Having run his own lawn care equipment store for almost two decades, Neiman knows a thing or two about how to get the best use out of your lawnmower.

“Keep the air filter clean,” he said.

“It’s just like you and I, if it’s not clean, it won’t run correctly.”

Neiman also wants customers to

Defining hardscape and how to use it

be aware of certain aspects of the fuel they use.

ple won’t be using their lawn equipment as much.

“Ethanol fuel is not your friend,” he said. “After 72 hours, water will be on the bottom and gas will be on the top (which makes the equipment harder to use).”

“Run your fuel completely out of your equipment, such as blowers, weed eaters, lawnmowers or anything you put gas in (before you stop using it for the winter months),” he said. “Or, put fuel additive in your equipment to preserve it through the winter.”

Neiman also said to not let your fuel sit for two or three weeks because the water will separate from the fuel, which makes it tough on the engine.

Neiman also has tips for the upcoming fall and winter months when peo-

Neiman also recommends that you store your equipment in a storage shed or garage with a cover over it instead of leaving it outside so it isn’t stolen or damaged.

a property helps develop that home’s hardscape. Hardscape and soft elements often work in concert to create inspiring landscape designs.

overall plan of the design, even if all of the work can’t be completed at once. This way the eventual finished project wil be cohesive.

DIY landscape designers can heed certain tips to make the most of hardscape features on their properties.

Think about the purpose.

Choose materials.

As with many landscaping projects, homeowners must first determine what types of additions they would like on their properties. Common hardscape features include patios, decks, walkways of pavers or bricks, and retaining walls. Hardscape elements can be functional or simply decorative features that add whimsy to the yard.

Choose a theme.

FROM METRO

a home.

Curb appeal is beneficial in various ways. Curb appeal can make a home more attractive to prospective buyers and give existing homeowners a place they want to come home to. In its study of the worth of outdoor remodeling projects, the National Association of Realtors found standard lawn care and overall landscape upgrades were most appealing to buyers, as well as the most likely to add value to

Although plants, grass and other items can improve curb appeal, homeowners should not overlook hardscaping.

Hardscaping is an industry term that refers to the non-living features of a landscape. These features can include everything from decks to walkways to ornamental boulders.

Introducing paths or paver walls to

The right style allows hardscaping and softscaping materials to work together. For example, homeowners may want to give their yards an eastern feel, complete with a koi pond and decorative bridge or trellis.

A formal English garden, however, may include manicured paths with stepping stones and ornate topiaries.

Mixing too many styles together can take away from the overall appeal.

The pros suggest looking at the

Hardscaping can look good but also serve key purposes. Pebbles or gravel can mitigate trouble areas that don’t grow grass or plant life well. Retaining walls hold back soil in yards with sharply inclined hills. Mulch can set perimeters around trees and shrubs, as well as planting beds. Fencing, another form of hardscaping, is essential for establishing property boundaries and adding privacy.

Consult a professional.

While many hardscaping additions can be handled by novices, largescale projects, such as patios and decking, can change the grading of the yard. Professionals can map out how to handle drainage issues and meet building codes. In addition, professional installation can ensure hardscaping features last for years to come.

Hardscaping should blend with the nature around it and take its cues from the surrounding environment.

This can help softscaping and hardscaping work as one.

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2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THE SUMTER ITEM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

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IVY MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM Those who really enjoy living outside can add grills or complete kitchens to their outdoor living spaces. This kitchen can be seen at Simpson Hardware.

IVY MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM Mums are a colorful addition to the outdoor living space, whether planted in the ground or in containers.

IVY MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM Colorful peppers are an ideal fall addition to enhance outdoor living spaces.

PHOTO PROVIDED Sumter’s Traci Quinn acquired several rusted metal chairs from the 1950s, cleaned and painted them for comfortable, colorful seating in her outdoor living space.

Plan an outdoor living space for fall

BY IVY MOORE SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM

It was a long, hot summer, for many, often too hot for outdoor activities. Fall is off to a very warm start, as well, but at some point it will be comfortable to spend time in our backyards, meteorologists promise.

Sue Timmons at Simpson Hardware thinks colorful plants are essential to creating a pleasant outof-doors experience. Last week, she was maintaining a large selection of flowers and other plants to enhance a natural living space.

“It’s easy to dress up your yard with colorful plants,” Timmons said.

“For the short term, you can add mums, colorful peppers, orange and yellow marigolds, in pots or plant them in the ground; they will make a real pretty fall.”

She also recommended some plants

that “will last though the entire winter – pansies and violas. You can put them in garden containers or hanging baskets. It’s a good idea to plant them early so they’ll get a chance to get some growth on them. You can also pick out special cabbages and kales, which will grow and look good until it gets warm.”

Shrubs are useful for marking the areas you want for your living space.

Timmons recommends fatsia for its “huge, maple leaf shapes. The leaves are shiny and leathery, and they put out flowers in fall” in the U.S. Fatsia, also known as false aralia, can grow very tall. Plant them in partial to full shade. Their berries attract birds.

Other shrubs that work well in fall for this area include tea olive, which blooms often in all seasons, and camellia sasanqua, a prolific fall bloomer. Camellia japonica, on the other hand blooms in the spring. Timmons

said sasanqua “needs to grow under trees.” She also reminded gardeners that “birdbaths and bird feeders are important to keep birds coming to your yard,” but that hummingbird feeders should be taken down soon, so that the tiny birds will not stay around until the weather grows cold.

Other items for a comfortable outdoor space include seating, which can be anything from a simple bench to Adirondack chairs, swings, rockers and gliders. If your trees are not tall enough to provide shade from the sun, she recommends portable or permanent gazebos.

If you really want to spend a lot of time outdoors, Timmons said a wide selection of grills exists, and there are even full outdoor kitchens available all year long. Fire pits can be found widely, as can a variety of lighting options.

The imaginative gardener can often

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find items for the yard in antique and even “junk” stores. Sumter’s Traci Quinn obtained some weathered metal chairs, probably from the 1950s, and painted them with vivid colors that make them look like new.

With plants in containers, the gardener can move them and outdoor furnishings around to find the perfect spot for outdoor reading, visiting with friends and family, cooking and eating.

If you feel you need more help in gardening choices, there are books available locally at the Sumter County Library and Books-A-Million in the Sumter Mall. One of the most popular is “South Carolina Gardener’s Guide”

by Jim Wilson; Southern Living magazine also publishes guides to planting and growing in our area.

Garden centers around the area offer guidance to new gardeners and are happy to help.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THE SUMTER ITEM

KAYLA ROBINS/ THE SUMTER ITEM

Legacy left at Brunson’s Nursery Paula Brunson reflects on her late mother, Barbara, a regional icon in the nursery world

BY KAYLA ROBINS KAYLA@THEITEM.COM

ins and outs of everything she needed to know.

Barbara Brunson was like a rose.

Sweet and beautiful at the core with thorns on the outside if you handled her wrong. Her daughter, Paula, said she was a creative mind with strong will and a savvy for interaction with people and running a business.

Brunson, who opened Brunson’s Nursery in Alcolu with her husband, Doug, in 1962, died on Aug. 4 after a fight with cancer. She was still thinking of ways to change and landscape her yard at 82, her daughter said.

“She meant a lot to a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” Paula Brunson said, who now runs the nursery and gift shop.

When Barbara and Doug Brunson moved to Alcolu and had their house built, Barbara landscaped the property. And never stopped.

She had no formal education in landscaping or horticulture, but she studiously and intensely learned the

“There weren’t nurseries in the area back then. People would drive to Charleston to buy plants wrapped in burlap and bring them back,” Paula Brunson said.

The Brunsons started growing trees when Doug retired from being a cigarette salesman, making way for the nursery to open. Barbara traveled along I-95 throughout the state landscaping Exxon gas stations as they opened.

Jon opened Brunson Wholesale Nursery in 1981. Paula opened Southern Style Nursery in Santee and ran that for 17 years. Her husband managed Low Falls Wholesale Nursery.

“Our family had four nurseries open at one time, and all four of us did something different, from wholesale to resale to design,” Brunson said.

Brunson found her nursery niche in landscape design. Her parents insisted she go to school for horticulture. She would bring her mother drawings to critique.

Paula and her younger brother, Jon, were brought up in the business “as soon as I was big enough to carry plants.” The Brunsons used to take their two children on rides around town to look at yards.

“There was always a chair in front of her desk right over there,” she said, pointing to a spot in the gift shop to the right of the door, next to where the counter ends. “People would come in and she’d always talk to them, giving advice on plants and design and anything … she loved people as much as she loved plants, I think.”

“You couldn’t stump her,” Brunson said of her mother. “She was really quite amazing that she did all of that and then she taught all of us.”

Paula has expanded the gift shop since taking it over, but her mother would always make sure nothing tacky was being sold. If she didn’t like

“She had a knack for design, and it was all self-taught,” Brunson said.

it herself, she probably wouldn’t sell it, her daughter said.

Bubba, now a family friend who met Barbara when he bought plants and formed a bond with her, said Barbara “kept it tasteful. And she had good taste.”

She knew how to run a business and interact with people, steering them in a direction through “the power of suggestion” instead of letting them design something ugly or impractical.

“She was like a mentor to me,” he said. “I learned a tremendous amount from her.”

One piece of advice she would always give: a garden is never complete.

Paula Brunson said people tell her aspects of her mother got passed down to her.

“They say as long as I’m living, she still is,” she said.

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2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THE SUMTER ITEM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

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Palmetto Gas looks to make mark on Sumter community

BY DANNY KELLY DANNY@THEITEM.COM

appliances to keep warm.

The Palmetto Gas Co. on South Pike Street in Sumter is changing the way Sumterites look at purchasing gas products.

Recently moved from its South Lafayette Drive location, Palmetto Gas has moved to what some call the “utility corridor” of Sumter.

“We relocated the business to a more visible location,” CEO Andy Smith said. “Our building (originally) co-mingled with other businesses. We’re now conveniently located in Sumter’s utility corridor and have been locally owned and operated since 1962.”

Smith has been in the gas business for 30 years and started out building a company called Great Falls Propane from scratch in Lancaster.

Smith, a past president of the SC Propane Gas Association, was hired by the Palmetto Gas board back in December after owner Scott Rump Jr. passed away.

“We have the only live-burn gas appliance showroom in Sumter County featuring a full range of natural gas and propane appliances, so you can see what your fireplace, range or cooktop will look like before you buy,” Smith said. “We also have a competitively priced new propane filling station for RVs and grill cylinders, we offer affordable financing and install what we sell, we have new trucks, we rebuilt our bulk storage facilities and have an automated delivery process to reduce cost.”

We have the only liveburn gas appliance showroom in Sumter County featuring a full range of natural gas and propane appliances, so you can see what your fireplace, range or cooktop will look like before you buy.

“The board wanted to make a commitment to improving the business,” Smith said, “and get a fresh set of eyes on the business to help it improve and reach its potential.”

Palmetto Gas is unique for several different reasons, and with fall weather fast-approaching, it may be worth looking at some of their

Palmetto Gas also has a lot of name-brand products to choose from, such as Majestic and Monessen fireplaces and gas logs, Rinnai on-demand water heaters, GE ranges, cook-tops and washers and dryers, Made In America primo smokers, a full line of cajun cookers and a complete line-up of Mr. Heater products.

Smith said he hopes the company’s new business strategies will equate to longevity.

“We’ve positioned the company,” he said, “to be around another 50-plus years here in Sumter.”

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2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

Fall lawn Autumn is care tips prime time to tend lawns and gardens FROM METRO Autumn is gardening season. That statement may not seem right to those who think of the spring as the peak time to care for lawns and gardens. However, autumn is an ideal time to get into the garden and ensure that flowers, trees and garden beds will over-winter successfully.

A number of things make autumn a prime gardening season. The cooler days of fall enable gardeners to spend ample time outdoors without the threat of blazing heat. In addition, soil harbors a lot of residual warmth in autumn. Also, the colder temperatures haven’t yet arrived in autumn, nor have the leaves completely fallen, making fall a prime time to assess what’s already in the landscape, what needs pruning back and where to address planting for next year.

Gardening enthusiasts can focus their attention on these areas this fall.

Pamper perennials. As annuals and perennials start to fall back, mark the spots where perennials are located so they can be easily identified later on. This way, when planning spots for spring bulbs or other spring layouts for next year, perennials won’t be overlooked or covered over.

Prune shrubs. Look at shrubs and trees and cut out dead or diseased wood.

Clean up borders. Weed and tidy up borders and lawn edging.

Install pavers or rock wall. Embrace the cooler temperatures to work on labor-intensive projects, such as putting in a garden bed, retaining wall or walkway.

Remove spent summer veggies. Take out

vegetable garden plants that have already bloomed and borne fruit. Tidy up vegetable gardens and start to sow cooler weather plants, such as onions, garlic, beans, and sweet peas.

Rake and compost. Rake the leaves and gather grass clippings to add to the compost pile.

Plant spring bulbs. Get tulips and other spring bulbs ready for planting so they’ll burst with color next year.

Dig up herbs. Relocate herbs like parsley or basil to indoor gardens. Otherwise, strip all leaves and freeze for storage during winter.

Consider mums. Chrysanthemum plants are perennials. While they look beautiful in pots, if planted, maintained and winterized, they can bloom every fall.

Fertilize the lawn. Fertilizing in autumn helps ensure grass will stay healthy throughout the winter.

Add mulch and compost to the garden.

Replenish spent soil with mulch and compost so garden beds will be revitalized for spring planting.

Prune hedges. Tidy up hedges, as they won’t be growing much more this year.

Clean and store equipment. Clean, sharpen and oil all equipment, storing lawn and garden tools properly so they are ready for spring and not lying out all winter.

Autumn may not seem like gardening season, but there are plenty of lawn and garden tasks to tend to during this time of year.

FROM METRO Spring and summer may be the seasons most often associated with landscaping and lawn care, but tending to lawns and gardens is a year-round job. If lawn and garden responsibilities dip considerably in winter, then fall is the last significant chance before the new year that homeowners will have to address the landscaping around their homes.

Fall lawn care differs from spring and summer lawn care, even if the warm temperatures of summer linger into autumn. Homeowners who want their lawns to thrive year-round can take advantage of the welcoming weather of fall to address any existing or potential issues.

• Keep mowing, but adjust how you mow. It’s important that homeowners continue to mow their lawns so long as grass is growing. But as fall transitions into winter, lower the blades so the grass is cut shorter while remaining mindful that no blade of grass should ever be trimmed by more than onethird. Lowering the blades will allow more sunlight to reach the grass in the months ahead.

• Remove leaves as they fall. Much like apple-picking and foliage, raking leaves is synonymous with fall. Some homeowners may wait to pick up a rake until all of the trees on their properties are bare. However, allowing fallen leaves to sit on the ground for extended periods of time can have an adverse effect on grass. Leaves left to sit on the lawn may ultimately suffocate the grass by forming an impenetrable wall that deprives the lawn of sunlight

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and oxygen. The result is dead grass and possibly even fungal disease. Leaves may not need to be raked every day, but homeowners should periodically rake and remove leaves from their grass, even if there are plenty left to fall still hanging on the trees.

• Repair bald spots. Summer exacts a toll on lawns in various ways, and even homeowners with green thumbs may end up with a lawn filled with bald spots come September. Autumn is a great time to repair these bald spots. Lawn repair mixes like Scotts® PatchMaster contain mulch, seed and fertilizer to repair bald spots, which can begin to recover in as little as seven days. Before applying such products, remove dead grass and loosen the top few inches of soil. Follow any additional manufacturer instructions as well.

• Aerate the turf. Aerating reduces soil compacting, facilitating the delivery of fertilizer and water to a lawn’s roots. While many homeowners, and particularly those who take pride in tending to their own lawns, can successfully aerate their own turf, it’s best to first have soil tested so you know which amendments to add after the ground has been aerated. Gardening centers and home improvement stores sell soil testing kits that measure the pH of soil, but homeowners who want to test for nutrients or heavy metals in their soil may need to send their samples to a lab for further testing.

Fall lawn care provides a great reason to spend some time in the yard before the arrival of winter.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

section of a living room, sunroom or master bedroom as a dedicated reading area, says designer Pamela Harvey.

Harvey, who splits her time between design projects in Florida and in the northern Virginia/Washington, D.C., area, says that where you put a reading space depends on your habits.

Are you seeking a spot that’s private and silent, or would you rather have an open, airy reading space to share with family members?

Here, she and two other interior designers — Kansas City-based Jaclyn Joslin, founder of Coveted Home, and Bethesda, Maryland-based Kelley Proxmire — suggest ways to create a perfectly luxurious space, even on a budget.

CREATIVE LOCATIONS Joslin has helped two clients turn unused formal dining rooms into multi-use spaces. Although the rooms are used by the whole family, she says, “in both homes we added nice comfy chairs for the adults to sit in and read.”

Proxmire added a reading space to a home office for a woman who wanted her kids to cuddle up and read while she worked.

She has also creatively repurposed spare closets, a trick that’s especially useful in children’s bedrooms. For one client, she removed closet doors, added a padded bench seat across the width of the closet, and then added a wall-mounted light fixture. Builtin drawers underneath the seat and shelf space above mean the closet still offers storage.

Add pillows to the padded seat and a curtain for privacy, Proxmire says, and you’ve got the perfect place for a child to curl up and get lost in books.

Create a perfectly cozy place to read

BY MELISSA RAYWORTH ASSOCIATED PRESS

reading can be the perfect finishing touch.

We decorate our homes in order to enjoy them. For book lovers, adding a cozy and well-lit space dedicated to

Most homes, of course, don’t have a spare room for use as a library. But interior designers often carve out one

And if your reading space must be in a common area, you can still have a measure of privacy. Try adding a decorative screen or strategically placed bookcase that functions as a room divider. That’s “a great way to carve out a little space in a corner of a room for a retreat-like feeling,” Joslin says.

LAYERED LIGHTING Build in “the flexibility to have different levels of light” in your reading space, Harvey says.

She suggests a mix of table lamps, floor lamps and small reading lamps.

“Task lamps work really well,” she says.

Joslin agrees: “I love floor lamps that are sleek and minimal that can be

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tucked under or right next to the chair to provide direct light for reading,” she says. “Swing arm wall sconces are also a great option for a reading nook.”

Along with plenty of spots to plug in all this lighting, don’t forget to have enough outlets for chargers if you’ll be reading on a digital device, Harvey says.

ALL THE RIGHT ELEMENTS Reading chairs don’t have to be expensive. But they must be comfortable.

“A chair large enough to curl your legs up into is the ultimate comfy zone for reading,” Joslin says, “so choosing chairs with arms and styles that don’t skimp on seat space is key.”

And no matter how comfortable and large your reading chair may be, all three designers suggest including an ottoman or footstool so that your legs can be stretched out and elevated.

“Drink tables next to the chairs are also a priority item, along with a few cozy throw blankets strewn about,” Joslin says.

Keep these items within arm’s reach so you won’t have to get up once you’ve settled in to read. You’ll also want to keep reading material easily at hand.

“If you’re tight on floor space,” Joslin says, “try some wall-mounted shelving to display books or a very utilitarian yet still stylish vertical bookcase.”

Consider adding a small rolling bar cart or even a wet bar if your budget and space permit, Harvey says.

“Maybe you’ll want a glass of scotch or maybe it’s a coffee bar,” she says.

Whatever your preference, having these items in your reading space adds to the sense of luxury.

LIBRARY STYLE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE DARK AND MASCULINE If you have enough space and love a traditional “library” look, Joslin says, then “go full tilt with a sliding ladder, wing chairs in either leather or some tweed/wool type fabric and a chaise lounger if there is room.”

But Proxmire says you don’t have to be limited to dark paneling and leather upholstery. Have fun with soft or bold colors and cheerful prints if they’ll bring you joy.

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2018 SUMTER HOME & DECOR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

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