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In the Garden
Forged with New book explores art, craft of the modern blacksmith
This undated photo shows an aloe plant in New Paltz, N.Y. Aloe is one of a number of houseplants that tolerate a lot of abuse, so are ideal for anyone who wants some household greenery but lacks a green thumb. (AP photo)
Houseplants for the horticulturally impaired
H
ints of impending spring weather might stir a desire to grow plants even in people not usually drawn in that direction. If you are one of them, yet your thumbs lack the slightest hint of green, take heart: There are houseplants even you can grow. You’ll have to forgo color if you require a truly tough houseplant. Flowering takes too much of a plant’s energy, which comes from good (or at least reasonably good) growing conditions, including abundant light. Don’t look for color in leaves either, because plants with colorful leaves have them only when there’s plenty of light so that they can do more with less green. THE WAYS HOUSEPLANTS ARE ABUSED Poor light is not the onLEE REICH ly abuse you might suffer upon a houseplant. Many people forget to water them, or water them too much. Also, as plants grow, they need to be divided and repotted, or shifted to larger pots. A houseplant for the horticulturally impaired should not grow so fast that frequent repotting is necessary. SOME HOUSEPLANTS TOLERATE ABUSE Yes, there are plants that can survive, and even look perky, with little light, neglectful or excessive watering, and little other care. And they’re not all cacti. Take dumbcane and spider plant, for instance. Both are hard to kill, yet keep up appearances with little attention. Spider plant can fill its pot rapidly and send out new “babies” all over the place, but that’s only with good growing conditions. For best results, grow an all-green variety of spider plant, rather than one with white stripes in its leaves. All green spider plants, with more chlorophyll, tolerate low light better. Geraniums also tolerate an amazing amount of abuse. They won’t flower under these conditions, so in that case why not grow scented geraniums? Many have frilly foliage and, depending on the variety, their leaves carry aromas such as chocolate, rose or lemon. If in doubt about whether a geranium is thirsty, don’t water. Cyperus is a houseplant whose especially graceful appearance belies its tough-as-nails constitution. This is a water plant, closely related to papyrus, so it cannot tolerate drying out. But watering cyperus is a no-brainer; just set the pot in a deep saucer that you always keep filled with water.
SUCCULENTS Succulent plants — which include but are not limited to cacti — are obvious houseplant candidates for nongardeners. If you’ve killed them in the past, it was probably because of too much water, a situation easily avoided if, when you first get the plant, you repot it with an equal volume of perlite or sand mixed into the potting soil. The perlite or sand lets water run right through the mix, making it impossible to overwater. Alternatively, repot the plant in potting mix formulated especially for succulents. Succulents present an amazing array of shapes and textures of greenery. In that well-drained potting mix, it would be almost impossible to kill an aloe plant. Its leaves remain soft, fleshy and smooth, just as if you’ve been lavishing it with care. (I water mine about every six months, sometimes even less frequently!) Kalanchoe hardly looks like a desert plant, yet it survives neglect in proper style. The same could be said for burro’s tail, ideal for hanging baskets with its ropy stems swathed in fat See Garden p. 2D
By KATHERINE ROTH Associated Press Asked what it feels like to forge iron, Robert Thomas has to pause for a moment and compose himself before plunging into a description of what, for him, is as much a passion as a livelihood. “Forging has a way of taking hold of you until it becomes a part of who you are,” Thomas says. “It not only links us to the millennia of blacksmiths who came before us, but in this age of Silicon Valley and computers, it’s one thing that machines can’t really do, at least easily anyway.” “The work of a blacksmith is not at all limited to Renaissance fairs,” he continues. “It’s very much alive today.” In his new book, “The Art and Craft of the Blacksmith: Techniques for the Modern Smith” (Quarto Publishing Group USA, 2018), Thomas explains the tools of the trade, offers a history of decorative iron, and discusses techniques for anyone from the novice to the accomplished blacksmith. His love for the ancient craft is palpable as he describes the sensation of hammering heated metal until it can be molded like clay, becoming stronger in the process. “Forging is completely addictive,” says Thomas, who runs a studio in Charleston, South Carolina, that combines restoration work with more modern, artistic pieces. “The best thing is when I have a friend or craftsman in another discipline who comes to try it. The first time they shape hot metal, you can see it in their face. When you see that steel squish out like PlayDoh, the whole experience is ethereal.” Try being a smith, he says, and “you’ll never look at metal the same way. And you’ll look at bridges differently.” The permanence of the works also part of the attraction, he says. “When we install a beautifully forged gate in front of someone’s home, we know it will last longer than absolutely anything else there.” JoAnn Bentley, an administrator for the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America, says many of the organization’s estimated 4,000 members are young, and include some women. “It’s a thriving craft and is really coming back to life these days,” she says. She partly credits the television
Passion
Above, this May 2017 photo shows white-hot steel as it is fused together in North Charleston, S.C., using an ancient technique known as “forge welding.” This is how Iron was bonded before welding machines. (AP photo)
This undated photo at left shows Robert Thomas standing next to a completed gate commission for a historic property in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP photo)
show “Forged in Fire” on the History Channel. Thomas had tried a career in finance, but wasn’t happy there. “So at 24, I decided I had to do something different. ... I knew I loved working with my hands, and I loved art, and when I tried blacksmithing I was certain it was for me,” he says. He went on to study the craft — long known as “the master trade” because of how essential it was in traditional village life — at what he
calls the “Harvard for blacksmiths,” Hereford College of Arts, in Hereford, England. He became one of a handful of Americans inducted as a certified journeyman in Britain’s Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, a guild that dates to the 1300s. There are places closer to home that a would-be blacksmith can study. The American College of See Blacksmith p. 2D
WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Home decor rethinks its materials By KIM COOK Associated Press The Earth is awash in garbage, and designers of home decor are looking at ways to reuse the waste. Among the many clever ideas emerging are tiles made out of blue jeans, and furniture made out of bottles. Detritus from timber and agriculture is being reborn as building and design materials. Sea algae is being used to create dyes and fabrics. These innovations signal a shift in our relationship with materials, says Caroline Till of the London-based design house Franklin Till. Her firm created “The Future is Urban” pavilion at Frankfurt’s Heimtextil fair last year, which showcased trends in global materials. “All over the world, an emerging generation (is) rethinking raw materials, repurposing waste and presenting radical solutions to
This undated photo provided by IKEA shows vases from IKEA. For the IKEA PS 2017 collection, Iina Vuorivirta designed a vase made of the glass waste from other production. The vase is handmade from pieces of glass that didn't quite make the cut the first time around, but in a second life give each vase a unique pattern. (AP photo) the challenges of designing and making,” Till says. “We’re potentially on the brink of a materials revolution that could help rebalance our relationship with our planet and reshape society for the better. Consumers are looking for brands and companies to operate in a
more responsible and conscious way.” While traditional raw materials can be expensive and in limited supply, household waste and industry scrap are abundant and cheap. Plastic is one of modern life’s most pervasive and polluting materials, Till says.
But its innate durability, malleability and indestructibility can be used to create sound, hard-wearing materials. “The petroleum age’s equivalent of fashioning silk purses from sows’ ears,” she says. Emeco, creator of an iconic 1944 aluminum Navy chair, has partnered with Coca-Cola to make the chair out of 111 plastic bottles. Its production keeps 3 million of them out of landfills annually. IKEA has partnered with Stockholm studio Form Us With Love for the Kungsbacka range of kitchen cabinetry, made of recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed industrial wood. The retailer is also repurposing its own waste stream. Colorful Tanum flat-weave rugs are made from scraps from bedSee Decor p. 2D
2D The Mining Journal
Thursday, March 15, 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
4.413
1
3.875
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.
Garde n
leaves. Jade plants respond to good conditions by growing rapidly and flowering, but they look almost the same when grown in utter neglect. Grow this succulent as a bush or a small tree. When the plant grows too large for your likes or its pot, it’ll get along fine for a long time with its
De cor
In this Sunday photo provided by Mrs. G Inc., Debbie Schaeffer, owner of Mrs. G, an appliance retailer in Lawrence Township, N.J., poses for a photo at the GE Cafe Keurig Refrigerator display. A slowdown in home sales is creating opportunities for small businesses like home renovators and appliance dealers. “People are confident and spending money and reinvesting in their homes,” Schaeffer said. (AP photo)
Home sales dip gives renovators, appliance sellers a boost
By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG AP Business Writer NEW YORK — A slowdown in home sales is creating opportunities for small businesses like home renovators and appliance dealers. Business is up at Brad Beldon's home exterior renovation company, which does roofing, windows, siding and other work in 15 markets across the country. Many of Beldon's customers are homeowners who aren't selling because they can't find other houses they like and can afford. “People are more willing to do a significant investment in their current homes, knowing they plan to be there for a while,” says Beldon, whose eponymous company is based in San Antonio. Beldon's revenue was up about 7 percent in 2017, and he expects a similar gain this year. Beldon's company handles projects that can range from $5,000 gutter replacements to $80,000 window installations. Some owners are also putting additions on their homes. Business is so good that some projects, particularly windows, can be delayed several months while manufacturers catch up with orders, and Beldon, who has about 500 employees, hopes to hire 100 more this year. Home sales have slowed in recent months as the number of available houses dwindled. Sales of occupied homes fell 3.2 percent in January and 3.6 percent in December, and the number of sales contracts signed in January dropped nearly 5 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. Among the reasons: Prices are high and mortgage rates are rising, which means many owners who'd like to sell and get another home can't afford to. And so they don't put their houses on the market. Beldon knows firsthand the frustration of people who can't move — he and his wife want a smaller house because most of their children are grown, but so far their search has been futile. “Our home is double the size we need, but it's hard to find one that would meet what we want,” he says. Meanwhile, many houses
bought at bargain prices during the Great Recession went to investors who use them for rental income. And some owners can't sell their homes because they're still “underwater” after the recession — 2.5 million people owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, according to CoreLogic, a company that researches the real estate market. Beneficiaries of the slowdown include companies like Beldon's and contractors who handle interior work, renovating kitchens and bathrooms, finishing basements and building additions. Decorators, appliance dealers and painters all stand to pick up more business. Rentalutions, an app that helps people find and screen tenants for homes they can't sell, has doubled the number of its users over the past year, co-founder Ryan Coon says. Many users are people who relocate for work but can't afford to sell at a loss or lower price. They end up becoming landlords until they're able to find a buyer who can meet their asking price. U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in 2017, the fastest 12-month pace in more than three years, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index. Meanwhile, mortgage rates are at a four-year high; 30year fixed mortgages averaged 4.46 percent last week. Although appliance dealers have lost sales they might have made to new homeowners, they're picking up business from people who are staying put and want new refrigerators, washers and dryers, says Debbie Schaeffer, owner of Mrs. G, an appliance retailer in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Homeowners who bought appliances from 2002 to 2005 during the
housing boom are now replacing machines that are wearing out. Mrs. G's revenue rose 7 percent last year and the company is hoping for a more than 10 percent increase in 2018. “People are confident and spending money and reinvesting in their homes,” Schaeffer says. Revenue at Patrick Kennedy's custom woodworking company has been up between 10 percent and 15 percent the past few months as homeowners who aren't moving decide to dress up their homes. Kennedy's Doylestown, Pennsylvania-based business, Superior Woodcraft, creates cabinets, shelving and other wood built-ins. Some of his customers decided to renovate because they were looking for a specific feature in a new home and couldn't find it. So he's been building libraries and bars as well as new kitchens and bathrooms. And with more people working from home, he's also creating home offices. Because homeowners aren't going to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a house, they're willing to sink tens of thousands of dollars into their current homes. Still, Kennedy doesn't see freewheeling spending. “They're setting forth budgets and really want to stick with them,” Kennedy says. “They don't mind spending as long as they see the value in what they're receiving.” But business owners in the real estate business, including brokers, are having a tougher time as sales slow. While they can garner larger commissions because of higher prices, they're making fewer sales. And because many people turned to real estate sales for jobs when the housing market began recovering in 2012, there's a lot of competition for those fewer deals.
from 1D
stems just trimmed back to whatever size you want, rather than needing to be repotted. You would think that plants called living stones would be tough houseplants — and they are. They do look like stones, however, so they might not satisfy the seasonal urge for lush greenery. Then again, if you just need some kind of garden
experience this time of year, you don’t need greenery. Get a decorative tray and emulate in miniature the famous Zen landscape at Ryoan-ji in Kyoto, Japan; it consists of a rectangular plot of neatly raked quartz sand surrounding artistically clustered groups of rocks. Online: http://www.leereich.com/ blog
from 1D
linen production. The Tomat spray bottle is made of plastic left over from packing material. A swirly vase designed by Iina Vuorivirta started life as glass waste from other production. IKEA spokesman Malin Nordin says that finding new and smarter ways to use materials is a company goal. The challenge is to develop materials that are safe, high-quality and easy to work with. “We need to stop thinking outside of the box and start thinking in circles. Being circular means eliminating waste at every step of the way,” she says. “Unavoidable waste needs to be turned into resources, and IKEA needs to generate its own renewable energy. The goal of producing as much renewable energy as IKEA consumes has been set for 2020.” In London, designer Micaella Pedros is experimenting with melted plastic bottles as a replacement for bolts and screws for furniture repair. Weaver Green, in Devonshire, England, has created yarn from recycled bottles that has the look and feel of wool. It’s used to make durable rugs, cushions, footstools and blankets. Designer WooJai Lee is experimenting with a brick made out of pulped newspaper that can be used to craft benches and tables. And a Danish firm, NewspaperWood BV, has developed a product that can be cut like wood, with grain and texture. Peugeot worked with it on a concept car; the material was used for door panels and dashboards. Berlin-based material designer Sophie Rowley regards waste streams as “a future quarry, a starting point rather
Black sm ith
from 1D
Building Arts, in Charleston, where Thomas is based, has a program, he says, as do several other institutions across the country. But they are rare. His studio, Robert Thomas Iron Design, includes five other blacksmiths, plus a part-time engineer and designer. It’s one of only about 30 studios like it in the United States, he says. “It’s great to work side by
This undated photo provided by IKEA shows the TANUM carpet. It is made entirely from leftover materials from bed linen production. (AP photo) than an end point.” She re-engineers Styrofoam, glass, paper and textiles into items like side tables, with the waste materials transformed into beautiful flow patterns and textures. Nissan is considering a material she makes out of scrap denim for possible dashboards. The clothing industry is providing a large supply of material — notably leather, denim and cottons. Danish startup Really worked with textile giant Kvadrat on reusing an enormous store of worn-out sheets, towels and uniforms from hospitality and hospitals. The results: a sturdy textile slab that can sub for wood or composite, as well as an acoustic felt with excellent sound-absorbing qualities. Spanish designer Jorge Penades transforms scrap leather into lamps clad in a
colorful “structural skin.” The timber industry generates thousands of tons of waste pine needles annually. In Latvia, Tamara Orjola crushes, soaks, steams, binds and presses the needles into a material she calls Forest Wool, which she forms into stools, benches and carpet. While working as a consultant to the Philippine leather goods industry, Spanish designer and entrepreneur Carmen Hijosa developed a method of processing pineapple leaves into supple, textural faux leather she calls Pinatex . Farmers now benefit from two revenue streams. “By using intelligent, sensitive, appealing design,” says Caroline Till, “these waste pioneers are developing exciting and innovative ways to turn what’s previously been unwanted into objects of desire.”
side with other blacksmiths. That amazing camaraderie of blacksmiths around the world is one of the truly great things about this field,” he says. Thomas hopes his book conveys a sense of that community. “It’s also meant as a primer for craftspeople who may have had a taste of basic blacksmithing and want to take it to the next level,” he says. “The goal is to present blacksmithing in a modern, professional context and offer some perspective on how
to contribute to the world of design using blacksmithing techniques to create large and small pieces of functional art,” he says. Projects detailed in the book include bookends, a trivet, a door handle and a fireplace tool set. In addition to historical restoration work, his studio makes furniture and a range of shelf brackets, which he says is their most popular item.
1900 Presque Isle Ave.
228-7255
FEATURED PROPERTY
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6343 F Road, Bark River
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266 Acres, Bengston Lake, Republic
Locally crafted and constructed Hiawatha Log Home set on a beautiful 3 acre parcel in Delta County. $499,000 MLS#: 1106010
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935 Patriot Street, Ishpeming
400 Acres, 12th Road, Bark River
N2025 Co Rd 510, Marquette
Two bedroom/two bathroom attached home. $64,900 MLS#: 1106652
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14250 Co Rd CG, Ishpeming
2012 E. Pierce, Wakefield
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18489 M35, Little Lake
E195 Sand Lake Road, Deerton
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