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This photo provided by Noelle Johnson shows Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii), Lady’s Slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus), Variegated Elephants Food (Portularcaria afra) and a blue-gray cactus in Rio Verde, Ariz. (AP photo)
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Get the professional look for your flower planters By ROSE SHILLING Associated Press A flower planter or hanging basket bought ready-made at a nursery: lush with showy, vibrant blooms, providing an instant splash for your porch, stoop or deck. Your DIY flower container: sparse-looking for weeks, with one plant that dies, and scraggly stems, small blooms or yellowing leaves as the season goes on. Still, many gardeners keep trying. “The benefits of doing it yourself would be choosing your own color scheme, choosing plants that are going to work best for your area, and getting to see it grow in,” says Jamie Gulley of Gulley Greenhouse in Fort Collins, Colorado. So how do you get the look of those perfect, professionally designed planters that you've envied at the garden center or on someone else's front steps? Some tips from the experts: STICK YOUR FINGERTIP IN THE SOIL — YES, REALLY Gulley relies on this tried-and-true method of testing the dampness of potting mixture about an inch below the surface. At the height of summer, expect to water containers daily, or even twice a day if it's dry and sunny. Water less frequently when the weather's cooler. Consider buying a self-watering product or a basic drip-irrigation system, used commonly in hot climates where plants might not survive a missed watering. Or try succulents — jade, hens and chicks, agave — that require less water. FERTILIZE RIGHT Fertilizer encourages blooms and prevents leggy shoots. But too much of it can burn up plants. And applying liquid versions or organic options like chicken manure or compost every week or two can be difficult to maintain. Too many people skip fertilizer or don't use enough, says Gulley Greenhouse owner and head grower Jan Gulley, Jamie's mother. “It would be just like being in a prison and somebody just giving you water and no food,” she says. Slow-dissolving pellets that feed plants for several months are a favorite, but poke holes in the soil to reach the roots, she says. Fertilizer that comes in potting-mix bags runs out after a few months — or more quickly in high heat, when frequent watering leaches soil nutrients. Start applying addiSee Planters p. 2D
This photo provided by Noelle Johnson shows Sticks on Fire (Euphorbia tirucalli) with Elephants Food (Portularcaria afra) in Queen Creek, Ariz. (AP photo)
This photo shows Locorotondo, a town in Italy’s Puglia region known for its master stone workers. Stone is a quintessential building material in Europe — and one largely gone by the wayside in the United States. (AP photo)
Ancient stone structures have modern appeal By CAIN BURDEAU Associated Press LOCOROTONDO, Italy — There’s no better place to understand how to build in stone than this hilltop town in Puglia, Italy’s boot heel, where master stonebuilders have been sculpting rocks for centuries. Stone, of course, is a quintessential building material in Europe, and one largely gone by the wayside in the United States, where much of the construction is in wood, cement and brick. I’m interested in what to do with a pile of stones because I’ve got one. A few years ago, my wife, two boys and I bought an abandoned and overgrown farm property in northern Sicily. On it was a big pile of stones from a collapsed circular structure of some kind at the property’s entrance. We wanted the rocks out of the way. So during our first winter a year ago, with nothing better to do on cold rainy days, I moved the pile. I carted them in a wheelbarrow to a field where once a vineyard had grown. The pile of stones was not recorded on the catasto, the land register, and I wondered what they could have been used for. I was told by friends they might have been an animal shelter or a kind of room in which to make charcoal. But what could I do with them? I was eager to learn more about stones during a visit to my father, who has lived for years in Puglia. In Locorotondo, I quickly learned, the locals are blessed with an abundance of limestone, an easy-to-work material. Megalithic temples on Malta and at Mycenae were erected with limestone blocks, as was everything from city halls to country walls in this part of Puglia. My guide into this world of rock building was my friend Amanda Roelle, an American architect studying stone construction.
Above, Angelo Pentassuglia, left, and Andrea Pentassuglia, stone builders and cousins from Locorotondo in Italy’s Puglia region, work on an old trullo — a stone structure built without mortar — being incorporated into a luxury modern home. Below, Andrea Pentassuglia, works on an old trullo. (AP photo)
See Stone p. 2D
This photo shows Daniele Vaduva, a stone mason originally from Romania, working a country wall near Locorotondo in Italy's Puglia region. Locorotondo is known for its master stone workers. Stone is a quintessential building material in Europe — and one largely gone by the wayside in the United States. (AP photo)
2D The Mining Journal
Thursday, March 8, 2018
House to Home Mortgage Index 30-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pts.
15-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pt.
High rate
4.625
1
4.125
1
Low rate
4.250
1
3.625
1
Average rate
4.469
1
3.906
1
This graphic represents a Tuesday survey of regional lending institutions. Figures are based on rates at Range Bank, First Bank of Upper Michigan, the Marquette Community Federal Credit Union and mBank.
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tional fertilizer midsummer for spring-potted plants that use these mixtures. DO A LITTLE RESEARCH Impulse buys of gorgeous plants are inevitable, but your arrangements will be stronger if you first find some images that inspire you, says horticulturist Noelle Johnson, who runs AZ Plant Lady landscape consulting in Chandler, Arizona. “When it comes to pots, most people like to do that themselves,” she says. “That's very personal.” A nursery worker can look at the image (probably on your phone) and find those plants or ones with the same look or colors. Some nurseries, including
Ston e
This undated photo provided by Jessica McClendon shows a living room designed by interior designer McClendon. (AP photo)
Going glam without going too far By MELISSA RAYWORTH Associated Press New York interior designer Young Huh has always added touches of glamour to the rooms she designs. Lately, she says, clients are asking for even more of it. “I think it's a backlash from the years of midcentury modern and minimalist leanings,” she says. “People want lush fabrics, over-the-top finishes, and gold and silver touches. Clients are looking for a little fantasy and magic in their homes.” Los Angeles designer Jessica McClendon hears similar requests. Her work has always been infused with “casual glamour,” she says. But now she sees a movement away from simplicity and toward bolder looks inspired by the rich fabrics and intricate embellishments on fashion runways. “The incredible popularity of Gucci and other maximalist looks in fashion showcase how people are ready to let loose and indulge in fun and luxury,” Huh says. With HGTV calling 2018 “the year of glamour,” homeowners may be drawn to this trend but also worry about going too far. We've asked Huh, McClendon and Massachusetts-based interior designer Kristina Crestin for tips on ramping up a room's glamour with a careful and delicate touch.
CHOOSE YOUR APPROACH If you're craving glamorous elements like velvet, silk and jewel tones, the classic approach always works: “You can add glamour to a room with rich colors, dramatic color contrasts, moody tones, and over-the-top flourishes such as overscale mirrors and gold-tone accessories or furniture legs,” Huh says. She advises clients who truly love glamour to embrace it. “You need to take a bold point of view and not be apologetic,” she says. “Imagine what it's like to wear a sexy red-carpet gown. You have to love it and you have to want to
flaunt it a bit.” But there is another way to add a measure of luxury while maintaining an otherwise casual, low-key room. Crestin uses elements traditionally considered “glamorous,” like velvets and metals with a shimmery finish. But she's not aiming for anything sexy or glitzy. She chooses velvet seat cushions in soft, flattering shades for window seats or kitchen island stools to add “a bit of lushness and a plush feel.” The luxury fabric adds an attractive sheen, but it's “still casual and clean,” she says. “With all the hard, sleeker surfaces in a kitchen, the velvet tone and variability in the sheen really add depth and warmth to the room.” Velvet may sound like a surprising choice for kitchen seating, but it's actually a durable and practical fabric, Huh says. “A good-quality cotton or mohair velvet will last you forever and is very childfriendly,” she says. MIXING OPPOSITES McClendon adds just the right amount of glamour by using sharp contrasts: She chose lush velvet upholstery in a bold shade of teal for her living room sofa. But she opted for an angular, modern shape, rather than a sofa with a tufted back and rolled arms. The clean lines keep the Hollywood glam fabric from feeling overpowering. If you're using velvet on one piece of furniture, Huh says, go with leather, chintz or linen on other pieces. “What I wouldn't do
is upholster every single piece of furniture in velvet.” “Installing a richly colored velvet sofa in a room gives instant glamour, and is a great foundation upon which to build a glamorous room,” Huh says. But “make sure that not every single piece in the room is high-octane and sparkly. You need a place for your eye to rest, and you need contrast for interest.” Crestin agrees: The lighting and sink hardware she recently chose for a powder room was done in a satin brass finish. “The satin sparkled and popped against the dark finish” of the room's charcoal-gray trim and shiplap wainscoting, she says. “It didn't have to be glossy or polished to add sheen and sparkle to a space.” REMEMBER RED-CARPET RULES Even for glamour lovers, Huh advises using the same restraint you'd use when dressing for a black tie event. “If you have the sexy dress and blingy necklace, rings, bracelets, big hair, and lots of makeup and a tiara,” she says, “you probably need to take one or two things off or take it down a notch. So keep in mind to add some classic pieces to the mix.” She suggests choosing a traditional wood cabinet or a chair upholstered in a good, simple linen. “Anything clean and classic,” Huh says, “will keep the room looking both real and truly glamorous.”
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She drove me to meet Angelo Pentassuglia, a 33year-old stone-smith carrying on a generations-old building enterprise. Pentassuglia knows how to build a trullo, which is a dry-stone construction — a technique using no wood. This involves constructing self-supporting conicalshaped stone roofs. A trullo's wall consists of two separate rows of stacked blocks with smaller stones in between them — and it all stands firm without the use of mortar. In the past two decades, the market in trulli — long considered unsuitable as homes due to their dampness and lack of light — has skyrocketed. Trulli vary in size. Often, several structures are attached to one another to form many cones, and thus many rooms. Pentassuglia, a limber and muscle-taut thin man, is a wizard with stones. His work site was an old trullo that he and his cousin were taking apart to incorporate the stones into a luxury modern home. Moss grew on the trullo’s walls. The work site was dazzlingly complex and yet rather simple. There were only a few tools, and little noise other than the sound of a hammer chipping and striking stone. “To make a trullo, all you needed was a pail, a hammer, a pickax and a string,” Pentassuglia said. He picked up a pickax to demonstrate how to make a block from an irregular chunk of rock. “You start by making a flat surface,” he said, and began striking. Within a minute he had a nice block. He placed it on a growing pile of similar blocks, to be used to build new parts of the house. He stopped at a pile of oblong, stone roof tiles, preserved from the original cone roof. They are the chianche, flat limestone plates. Laid on top of each other in concentric circles, they constitute an impermeable roof. Pentassuglia said the chi-
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Gulley, offer guides on winning plant combinations by hue or growing condition. Simply pick up the suggested plants and pot them according to the diagrams. Jan Gulley suggests limiting colors and plant varieties to two or three. If the planter's too busy, the eye doesn't know where to focus: “We call them circus pots,” she says. PICK A PLANTING STRATEGY One strategy is to pack the pot for a full look right away, removing plants later to avoid overcrowding, or pruning hard around the Fourth of July. For example, an inexpensive six-pack of pansies could supplement featured plants early in the season and be removed later. “We want a planter to be beautiful immediately,” says Richard Hentschel, a
anche are highly valued because their quarries are depleted. Mounting them takes a masterful touch. If it’s not done right, water enters. “It’s risky,” he said. He added: “I’ve never had a problem.” He walked up the trullo’s steps, through its archways, over its floors. “There’s a lot of labor with rocks,” he said, stopping to admire the workmanship of the stone, worn smooth with time. Why did people make trulli? “What did you have? The earth and stone. So, they used them to make a life for themselves,” he said. “It’s what you have under your feet.” He put his foot on a stone at the trullo’s entrance. It weighed about 330 pounds. Chip, chip, chip went the
BIG C REALTY (906) 387-3074 321 E. Munising Ave., Munising www.bigcrealty.com office@bigcrealty.com
1098746 Walking distance to schools and downtown. This completely remodeled home includes updates to electrical, insulation, plumbing, drywall, all new vinyl windows, kitchen and bath. $79,900 1100893 Cute home nestled close to schools and walking distance to downtown. Great neighborhood with spacious backyard, garage and basement. Option for Bedroom 4 to be converted back into more living space if not needed. $109,000 1102029 Nestled up on the hill in the woods in the City of Munising, enjoy this stunning view of Munising Bay from each level of this 3 BR 2 Bath home. $189,000 1102401 If you are looking for the perfect get away, here is the house to buy on Perch Lake with 11 acres, 272’ frontage tucked away on this beautiful private lake. Awesome fishing, swimming, kayaking and boating. $280,000 1105578 Beautiful Nevins Lake a 275+ acres all sports lake offers TWO PLATTED LAKE FRONT LOTS plus nicely wooded corner lot across the street. This is a great opportunity to build your home or cabin on any of the three lots - take your pick!!! There is a driveway in and a small 12x14 building on Lot 18. $78,000
horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension in St. Charles. If you space plants with room to fill in, the arrangement “just looks weak. It doesn't look like the store-bought version.” Or you could be patient, planting with expansion space. Decorative rocks or attractive mulch can cover temporarily exposed dirt patches. You might mimic the gardening industry's planting strategy of using “thrillers, fillers and spillers,” Hentschel says. Use a tall plant, often a grass or other spikey shape, in the middle as a thriller. Softer, midheight fillers surround it, and a trailing plant or vine spills out for drama. For any strategy, pinch off or trim unsightly, dead flowers (“deadheading”). That encourages further blooming.
sound of his cousin’s hammer. Pentassuglia smiled. “You can be there chipping for a month.” “It’s difficult to explain what we are doing here,” he said. “It looks like everything will fall and you can’t understand a thing.” But it was all going to be put back into place, he said. Afterward, Roelle explained that the type of stone found in the area was fundamental to understanding why stone buildings have been so successful in Puglia. “It’s workable stone, and that is what vernacular architecture is all about,” she said. “It can only be experienced in this place.”
1900 Presque Isle Ave.
228-7255
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1530 N Second St, Ish Commercial building, presently occupied by The Clipper, Bridal Boutique and an apartment. Other rental space with the 2 garages with 1622 Sq. Ft! (1104470) $159,500 1 Marquette Dr, Mqt Executive 4 bedroom 4 bath home on 4.25 acres with huge floor to ceiling windows for panoramic views of Lake Superior. Dream kitchen, custom wood beams, walnut floors, rec room, guest suite, tennis court and more! (1103171) $849,500 605 Co Rd 492, Mqt Nice wooded 7.76 acre lot in a great location close to town off of Co Rd 492. There is a bonus 1,248 sq. ft. camp/cottage on the property being sold as is; needs a lot of work. (1104477) $90,000 103 E Johnson Rd, Skandia Country living just outside of Marquette sits this 2 bedroom, 2 bath open concept home. TLC needed. Storage space with one car detached heated garage and 25x22 workshop. (1104206) $74,900 645 E Division St, Ish This nice and spacious Duplex has an updated electrical, carpeting, boiler and more! Also, included is a cute one bedroom house! (1100538) $99,000
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Thursday, March 8, 2018
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4D The Mining Journal
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Northern
FEATURED BUILDING LOTS & PROPERTIES
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196 E Johnson Lake Road, Gwinn
Great building site on Blue Lake $49,900 MLS#: 1103939 Contact Brian Olson Associate Broker Cell: 906-869-6446 Office: 225-LAND (5263)
brianolsonrealtor@yahoo.com
TBD Silver Creek Rd, Marquette
Lot D, Eagles Nest Road, Marquette
New residential 2.5 acre lot with almost 450 feet frontage on Silver Creek. MLS #: 1106565 $70,000 NATHAN BRABON
Premier Superior building site between Munising & Big Bay MLS #: 1093339 $365,000 BRIAN OLSON
344 Shot Point Drive, Marquette
38 Acres, Maas Street, Negaunee
Beautifully wooded acreage in the city of Negaunee. Build your own private paradise! MLS #: 1101302 $135,000 BOB SULLIVAN
Lake Superior building lot in eastern Marquette County with year round access on Shot Point. MLS #: 1105779 $125,000 ROB SULLIVAN
TBD M94/Townline Road, Skandia
73 Acres, Co Road 480, Marquette
Outstanding property with a beautiful building site overlooking the ponds on the Skandia/West Branch border MLS #: 1085940 $69,000 BRIAN OLSON
Large acreage parcel with excellent road frontage on both sides of CR 480. MLS #: 1101308 $185,000 BOB SULLIVAN
VISIT US AT OUR BOOTH THIS WEEKEND AT THE BUILDER’S SHOW
Lots 1-5 Golf View Drive, Manistique
N2025 Co Rd 510, Marquette
64 Acres, M-95, Republic
Five lots available individually or together located on the south side of the 14th Fairway of the Indian Lake Golf Course. $9,700 MLS#: 1097818
113 Acres with frontage on Lost Creek. $158,500 MLS#: 1106073
Nice building sites for a potential year-round dwelling or seasonal cabin. $45,000 MLS#: 1090446
NATHAN BRABON
NATHAN BRABON
BOB SULLIVAN
80 Acres, Kirkpatrick Lane, Gwinn
39 Acres, Co Road 565, Gwinn
80 Acres, W Wolf Lake Road, Ishpeming
80 acres within minutes of Gwinn with frontage on Duck Lake. $110,000 MLS#: 1104222
39 acres of beautiful building or hunting land in Forsyth Township on a year-round county road. $42,000 MLS#: 1105119
High country acreage off Wolf Lake Road less than a half an hour drive from Marquette. $48,900 MLS#: 1091243
BOB SULLIVAN
ROB SULLIVAN
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Rob Sullivan
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