FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 1C
Inside -Out Backyards come to life
■
ALAN SLOAN asloan@farragutpress.com
Adding decorative touches to residential landscaping has evolved inside-out: outdoor fireplaces and patio-based living rooms and kitchens are three examples on how to make a backyard come to life. Decorative concrete pavers, meanwhile, are a less expensive way to add outdoor flair to flat surfaces and further highlight a green lawn and beautiful flowers. Tim McManus, co-owner of Hardscapes etc., Inc., 10609 Lexington Drive, Knoxville, has lots of attractive ideas.
“You can go from small to large. You wouldn’t believe the people that we’ve seen putting TVs outside under their sheds, ” said McManus, whose wife, Amanda McManus, is Hardscapes co-owner. “Using pavers with fireplaces. Just open spaces with covers over them.” Some homeowners “basically are putting their living rooms outside with fireplaces, televisions, outdoor kitchens,” McManus added. “We’ve been seeing that coming on pretty strong the past five to eight years. “In custom homes it’s common for that stuff to be put in
An outdoor kitchen accenting a backyard.
there. We’ve seen people do outdoor patios from 500 square feet, and we seen them go up to 5,000 square feet.” What about families looking to improve their patio landscaping with a more moderate budget? “They can come out and dress [their patio], and they can start
to do that just by using pavers,” McManus said. “We’ve seen people come out and they’ve bought a home and it’s only got a 200-square foot concrete pad. … We can extend that pad out and get more creative with it … make it more usable and eye-appealing. … Dressing up with a decorative
concrete paver just on the flat work. Then you can get vertical with some of the walls.” McManus said pavers also are becoming more popular residentially “for the sidewalks, for their driveways. … Putting pavers down is a lot easier, and See INSIDE-OUT on Page 5C
Native plants can be the best option ■
TAMMY CHEEK tcheek@farragutpress.com
Farragut and area do-it-yourself gardeners are finding native plants can be the best option to their landscapes because of their versatility and their willingness to grow, Lisa Stanley, Stanley’s Greenhouse customer service manager, said. “Here [in East Tennessee], we can grow the most diverse kinds of plants of anywhere else in the world,” Stanley said. “The variety that grows here is enormous.” Nancy Schneider, Stanley’s Greenhouse tree and shrub manager, said people are choosing native plants more. “Sometimes they come looking
for them specifically,’ she said. “The trend has really been heading up there in the past three or four years, slowly but steadily. “People are choosing native plants more and more, mainly because of some of the winters we’ve had,” Schneider added. “They know the natives are more apt to hold up better in those climates, and they do choose the natives because they want to incorporate more native species into our landscapes.” Stanley’s Greenhouse, 3029 Davenport Road, South Knoxville, has somewhere between 50 to 70 varieties of native plants, Schneider said. Among the many plants, natives also may include trees,
such as dogwoods, mountain silver bell trees, serviceberries and redbuds. Native shrubs include winterberry holly and witch hazel. Native plants include native phlox, native trillium, bee balm, duckbill iris and swamp milkweed. A native plant is one that has been in a particular area for the past 100 years or longer, Stanley said. “You would probably have to scale back to what was grown before the Civil War,” she added. Tammy Cheek
See NATIVE on Page 5C
Nancy Schneider, tree and shrub manager at Stanley’s Greenhouse, looks over a mountain silverbell tree, one of many plants native to East Tennessee.
From a Large Selection of Dogwoods & Other Blooming Trees, Shrubs & Native Plants to the
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2C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
Simply sustainable Preserve and protect resources in your gardening Sustainability is a concept that can be applied to many facets of life, and gardening is no exception. Sustainable gardening involves preserving and protecting resources, which can benefit us both in the present and in the future. Sustainability is especially applicable to gardening, and the following are a handful of ways green thumbers can embrace sustainability in their gardens.
• Choose to water more effectively. Oscillating sprinklers may harken today’s gardeners back to the carefree days of their childhoods when they would run through the sprinklers in their parents’ yards. But such sprinklers can lose substantial amounts of water to evaporation. When designing an irrigation plan for your lawn and garden, use drip irrigation
or soaker hoses to conserve water. If you must use sprinklers, make sure they are not shooting water too high, as wind can blow the water away from the yard where it belongs, and be sure to position them so no water is landing on sidewalks, the driveway or the street.
• Add mulch to flower and plant beds. Many a gardener has gone to bed with a beautiful garden only to return in the ensuing days and see flower and plant beds littered with weeds. Mulch is perhaps best known for helping flower and plant beds retain moisture, but mulch also prevents the growth of weeds. Preventing weed growth means your water is going to the plants and flowers you intended it for and not to greedy and unsightly weeds. Preventing weed growth also reduces your
use of potentially harmful pesticides to curtail the growth of weeds.
• Develop a compost pile. Compost is made up of decayed organic material, and it can be used as a fertilizer. Gardeners can make their own compost piles at home, providing valuable minerals and nutrients for their lawns, without having to rely on store-bought amendments that need to be produced, packaged and transported before they can make it onto the shelves in your local lawn and garden center.
• Choose native plants. A garden filled with exotic plants and flowers may be stunning, but unless those plants are native to where you live, that beauty is coming at a steep price. When choosing plants for your garden, choose native plants that are fully capable of
thriving in your local climate. Non-native plants are likely to need excessive watering and other less sustainable attention that native plants do not need.
• Plant with a plan. When planting trees around your property, plant them in locations that can reduce your reliance on air conditioning in the warmer months. Plant a tree in a place where it will help to shade common areas inside your home so such rooms are comfortable without the air conditioner cranking all day long. You can go one step further, and plant deciduous trees that will shed their leaves when the weather gets cold, ensuring that sunlight you want to keep out in the summer can get in and warm up the house in the winter, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat your home.
Profile: Hardscapes Etc., Inc. From concept to design, Hardscapes Etc., Inc. should be your first stop It’s spring and time to start those plans you’ve been imagining all winter whether for new driveways, sidewalks, patios, retaining walls, a new home build or remolding. Hardscapes Etc., Inc. of Knoxville has the highest quality products and product knowledge you need to bring your imagination to life. “We have a variety of styles and colors to make your dreams a reality,” said owner, Tim McManus. “From planning concept to design, we should be your first stop when shopping for hardscapes
supplies. With almost 15 years in business, we are the only specialty hardscapes product distributor in East Tennessee specializing in concrete pavers and residential and commercial segmental retaining wall systems.” For more information, visit the 4000 square foot award winning showroom at 10609 Lexington Drive off of Lovell Road, Monday-Friday 8-5; Saturday from 9-1. Call 865-671-3152 or visit www. www.hardscapesetc.com.
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SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
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4C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
Veggie garden Enjoy fresh food for many months to come Planting a vegetable garden can be a worthwhile endeavor for anyone who has an available patch of land. Gardens need not take up much space, and even apartment dwellers without yards can plant small gardens in containers they place on terraces or window boxes. Although establishing a garden is easy enough, beginners may make a few mistakes along the way. Those who already have paved the garden way before can offer novice gardeners some worthwhile tips. One of the first decisions novice gar-
deners must make is which crops to grow. This will help determine how much land you will need and which supplies or soil amendments will be necessary. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a common error for beginners is planting too much and more than anyone could ever consume, so it’s best to start small and be proud of that small garden. Plants such as peppers, squash and tomatoes produce throughout the season, so you may not need many plants to provide for your needs. Less prolific plants may require a greater investment to pro-
duce a similar yield. Locate your garden in an area that gets adequate sun. Many vegetables need between six and eight hours of sunlight per day. Without enough light, they will not bear as much and could be susceptible to insect infestation. Vegetables and fruit also need plenty of water because they’re not very drought-tolerant, so keep gardens close to a water source. Another good tip is to locate the garden near the house or barbecue grill. This way you can easily harvest fresh produce and use it when cooking.
Soil preparation is also key. Till the soil and remove debris like rocks, sticks and hard clumps of dirt. Work with organic material, such as manure or compost. Apply mulch after planting to help maintain moisture levels in the soil. Plant the tallest crops at the rear of your garden bed. Work forward with shorter crops. Try to leave a foot or more between planting rows. It’s easy to get a garden started and enjoy fresh food for many months to come.
Benefits of hiring a professional The flowers are blooming, and the grass has begun to grow anew, making spring a great time for homeowners to once again turn their attention to landscaping. Those who aren’t looking forward to dusting off their lawnmowers and rethreading their string trimmers may want to hire professional landscapers to tend to their lawns and gardens. A recent joint study by the National Gardening Association, Residential Lawn and Landscape Services and the Value of Landscaping found that homeowners spend roughly $45 billion per year on professional lawn and landscape services, as nearly 30 percent of all households across the United States use at least one type of lawn or landscape service. While the impact professional landscapers can have on a property’s aesthetic appeal is consid-
erable, homeowners also benefit from working with professional landscapers in various other ways.
• Time savings: One of the biggest benefits of leaving lawn care to the professionals is the amount of time it will save for the average homeowner. Lawns generally need to be mowed once per week during the spring and summer seasons and, depending on the size of the property, that can take an hour or more. Add the time it takes to clean up clippings, mulch landscaping beds and edge the property, and homeowners can expect to devote a significant chunk of their weekends to caring for their lawns. Lawn services employ a few workers who make fast work of the job, leaving See PROFESSIONAL on Page 6C
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FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 5C
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
A fireplace at the center of things within an outdoor living room, making the most of your backyard patio space.
Inside-Out From page 1C
also it’s not a permanent fixture. It’s basically a gravel and a sand base, but it gives them the structural stability of concrete. “And it gives them a very decorative
look. And it’s not too hard to put down.” Though pavers “are a little more expensive to put down than concrete,” McManus said pavers “allow the system to move and you don’t have the cracks. If you pour concrete you will eventually get a crack in it. There is a lot
less maintenance.” Landscaping improvements such as those incorporating pavers and stone/brick walls pay off in value. “When they sell their home they usually add 10 to 12 percent to the value of their home just because the hardscaping they did in
the back of their yard,” McManus said. McManus estimated roughly “85 percent of the jobs that I’ve got going on, they are backyard projects.” For more information, call Hardscapes at 865-671-3152 or www.hardscapesetc. com
Tammy Cheek
Planting bee balm in a garden can help with the bee population.
Native From page 1C
“A lot of things have been brought in. “People have taken plants from homestead to homestead,” she said. For homeowners wanting to incorporate native plants into their landscapes, Stanley recommended to first look at the site, whether it is wet, dry, sunny or shady. People will want to reach for a plant that grows in their environment, she said, adding there are native plants for any type of environment. “I’ve noticed there are plants that fit all those,” she said. “That’s why people like native plants.” “People need to consider where they are planning on putting it, how big it’s going to get and what kind of conditions it likes in the wild,” Schneider said. “Those three things make [growing natives] successful.” Stanley suggested when planting, do not plant any lower than the pot is. “Surface it where it is in the pot,” she said. “Always water it and recognize with a lot of plants, an umbrella effect [with the foliage] causes the water not to hit where it needs to be.” “Be sure and shoot your water under the foliage and get to the roots those first couple weeks after setting because that’s crucial,” Stanley said, adding people need to be consistent with their watering. While there are some plants people can dig up from the wild, Schneider warned about the need to be careful. “Some plants build their own microclimate, their own micro-ecosystem, around them and sometimes transplanting them is not easy,” she said. “Trillium is one of those.” Schneider recommends going to a nursery that sells native plants because they will get something without insects, clean and tended. Also, some plants from the wild can get “leggy,” or long and skinny. ”There are more and more [nurseries that sell the plants] all the time,” she said. “One benefit [of using native plants], I think, is that natives would add value because they would be more apt to be more sturdy in an environment,” Nancy said. “Plus, they are natives, and it makes you feel good to plant a native.” For the environment, she said most native plants offer shelter and food for animals and birds and pollen to help with the bee populations. Native plants are not usually any more expensive than other plants, she added.
1
Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. 0% APR for 36 months. Prior purchases not eligible. Up to 10% down payment may be required. Available at participating dealers. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available. 2To be eligible for the offer, purchaser must be or become a GreenFleet member and meet qualifying purchase levels. Amounts shown above are based on level 3 savings. Qualifying levels and savings will vary depending on the quantity and combination of equipment purchased. See compete membership information and discount details at JohnDeere.com/GreenFleet or a participating John Deere dealer. See your dealer for details and other financing options. 3 Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Fixed Rate for 0% for 60 months. $500 OFF implement bonus is in addition to Low Rate financing and requires the purchase of 2 or more qualifying John Deere or Frontier implements. * The engine horsepower and torque information are provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower and torque will be less. Refer to the engine manufacturer's web site for additional information. tManufacturer's estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC.
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6C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
Professional From page 4C
homeowners time to enjoy their weekends however they see fit.
• Reduced risk for injury: Maintaining a landscape is hard work, and those unaccustomed to this type of activity may find themselves winded or at risk of injury. Improper use of lawn equipment also is a safety hazard. Leaving the work to professionals can help homeowners avoid strained backs, lacerations, pulled muscles, sunburns, and any other dangers that can result when tackling landscaping projects.
• Financial savings: On the surface, hiring a landscaping service may seem like a costly venture. However, after crunching some numbers, many homeowners realize that doing the work themselves may cost more in the long run than hiring a professional landscaping service. Homeowners who decide to go it alone must purchase expensive equipment, and those lawn tools will require routine maintenance, which costs additional money. Inexperienced homeowners may incur extra fees to “fix” mistakes that occur during the learning process. Each
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
year, new seed, fertilizer, mulch, pesticides, and other supplies also must be purchased. But professional lawn care services typically charge a set fee per month, and that fee covers the maintenance of both your property and the equipment needed to keep that property looking great.
• Know-how: Many professional landscapers know how to address lawn care issues that may arise throughout the year. They will know how to deal with dry patches of lawn or poorly draining areas, and they also can make recommendations on plants that will thrive under certain conditions.
• Consistent maintenance: Homeowners who frequently travel or spend much of their summers away from home often find that lawn care companies are a wise investment. Established weekly schedules ensure the landscape always will look its best whether homeowners are home or out of town. Spring is a great time for homeowners to decide if hiring professional landscaping services is in their best interests. The time and money saved, as well as impact professional landscapers can have on a property, makes landscaping services a great investment for many homeowners.
Profile: Junk Bee Gone Celebrating ten years serving the community When you’ve finished sorting through attics, garages, offices, businesses, storage units, warehouses or anywhere else you’ve accumulated junk, what do you do with it? Call Junk Bee Gone, your junk removal specialist! Junk Bee Gone offers free estimates for full service removal with a two-man uniformed team, driveway dumpsters, Hippa compliant and secure certified document shredding/destruction and demolition. “Some think Junk Bee Gone is a franchise, but actually my wife and I started
the company ten years ago right here in Farragut at our kitchen table,” explains owner Mike Such. “My wife picked the name, my daughters picked the "friendly" bee and off we went! We started with one truck, and now have six plus 40 dumpsters and we travel up to 50 miles to service our customers.” Call 865-675-5865 or visit www.junkbeegone.biz for more information regarding all the services offered. Flexible appointments available Monday-Saturday.
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FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 7C
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
THE LOOK YOU WANT IS HERE. There is something about a home that speaks to you. You can sense its class and style from the very first look, and nothing gives you that sense of style better than a beautiful hardscape from Hardscapes Etc. Come in and see for yourself.
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8C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
Watering Tips Right watering strategies can ensure lawns look lush Summer is a season for landscaping, and homeowners who live in regions that get especially hot in the summertime often worry that their lawns won’t make it through the dog days of summer looking lush. But lawns don’t have to succumb to the sizzling summer sun. Oftentimes, the right watering strategies can help homeowners nurse their lawns through the hottest months of the year, ensuring the lawns make it to autumn looking as green as they did back at the height of spring. • Reconsider when you’re watering. Come summertime, homeowners may want a glass of water at high noon, when temperatures seem to be at their hottest. But you and your lawn are different, so the best time to satiate your thirst is not necessarily the best time to water your lawn. Watering in the middle of the day is often ineffective, as water tends to evaporate quickly in the afternoons when temperatures are peaking. Nighttime watering can contribute to the growth of fungus, which can create an entirely new set of headaches for homeowners. Morning watering sessions tend to be most effective
during the summertime, as temperatures tend to be cooler in the morning, leading to less evaporation. Less evaporation means all that watering isn’t going to waste. • Reconsider your sprinkler. If you can’t afford an in-ground irrigation system, which many landscaping professionals feel is the most effective and efficient way to water a lawn, then you likely will rely on a sprinkler to keep your lawn looking lush through the summer months. When choosing a sprinkler, look for one that shoots water out horizontally as opposed to vertically. A vertical sprinkler system is more vulnerable to wind and evaporation than one that shoots water out horizontally, so make sure your sprinkler system is sending water into your lawn and not into summer breezes. • Avoid overwatering. How much water your lawn needs in the summertime depends on a host of factors, including where you live and how often rain falls in that region. Overwatering can promote the growth of fungus and adversely affect your lawn’s root system, making it difficult for roots to grow deep. Speak with a local landscaping profes-
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sional to determine how often you should water your lawn each week. • Strategically position your sprinklers. When choosing where to put down your sprinklers, hook them up to your hose, turn them on and then watch to see where the water is going. Areas that exposed to sun are most in need of water, so make sure the bulk of your water isn’t going to shaded areas beneath trees. In addition, make sure you aren’t wasting water on sidewalks, patios and driveways. Sprinklers should be positioned so none of the water they’re shooting out is landing on surfaces that don’t need water. It sounds simple, but too often homeowners drop their sprinklers down, turn them on and then walk away without waiting to see where the water is landing. Position sprinklers or adjust sprinkler heads so all the water is landing on your lawn. Keeping a lawn lush and green at the height of summer requires homeowners to adopt effective strategies. Such a strategies can make the difference between a lush landscape and one that succumbs to summer heat.
Did You Know? Damage to a lawn may be indicative of various problems. Everything from insects to rodents to the family pet may be responsible for causing burnt patches, holes and other eyesores. Getting to the bottom of the problem is the first step in remediation. Burning and discoloration of the lawn is often a result of high concentrations of dog urine pooling in one area. Diluting the urine by hosing down areas of the lawn can clear up many problems. Birds, raccoons, skunks, moles, and other rodents may feed on grubs that reside just under the thatch of the lawn, and animals may tear up lawns in search of this delicacy. Treating the grub problem usually alleviates damage caused by animals.
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FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 9C
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
For the
Birds
Maintaining bird feeders and bird baths essential to avian health Bird watching is a pastime enjoyed by people of all ages. While many people trek into the woods to see their favorite birds, homeowners can take steps to entice these fascinating and feathered friends right to their backyards. Homeowners who want to attract birds to their properties can do so by providing the birds food, shelter and places to wash up or cool off. Installing a bird feeder and a bird bath in your yard is one way to attract a bevy of winged creatures that can provide hours of enjoyment. Establishing a bird-friendly environment may seem as simple as hanging a feeder on a pole or tree and erecting a bird bath nearby. But a certain level of maintenance is needed to keep birds healthy and happy. According to the experts at the Bird Watcher’s Digest, recent research indicates feeders can sometimes be a source of disease for the birds visiting them. The Audubon Society echoes that warning, saying that bird feeders and baths can serve as transmission stations for diseases such as aspergillosis, avian pox and salmonellosis. Recently, scientists noted that the spread of trichomonad protozoan parasites is on the rise, especially among mourning dove and band-tailed pigeon populations. Such warnings are not meant to deter
budding birding hobbyists. Organizations like the Audobon Society hope that such warnings send the message that disinfection and maintenance is necessary to maintain sanitary environments for birds. Doing so is relatively easy and well worth the time for birding enthusiasts. • The Humane Society of the United States advises cleaning hanging feeders once every two weeks or more often if they’re heavily used. Ground-feeding designs should be cleaned every two days. Feeders can be immersed in a very-diluted solution of bleach to water (nine parts water to one part bleach). Let soak for a few minutes, and then scrub the feeder with a stiff brush or scouring pad before rinsing. Allow the feeder to dry completely before refilling it with seed. • Bird baths should be emptied of water each day. Brush or wipe the bath clean, then rinse and refill with fresh water. Do not leave standing water overnight; otherwise bird baths can easily become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other parasites. • Frequently collect discarded seed hulls and clean bird droppings from beneath feeders. If the area around the feeder has become especially soiled, relocate the feeder elsewhere and clean its initial location.
• Follow proper instructions with regard to seed and other bird food. For example, reduce the amount of suet offered in hot weather. Heat can cause suet to spoil, and sticky suet can become stuck in birds’ feathers and make it hard for them to keep clean. • Try to provide more than one feeder and bird bath to prevent overcrowding. Crowding can contribute to the spread of disease. • Do not situate feeders and bird baths under perches where they can be soiled by droppings. • If you notice birds look sick or are not acting strangely, halt feeding and bathing to prevent healthy birds from becoming ill. Wait a week before resuming feeding and
notify wildlife officials if you find dead or sick birds around your property. • Locate feeders and baths at least 30 feet away from windows so birds do not get confused by reflections and collide with the glass. • Store seed in a dry container with a tight-fitting lid to prevent mold from forming and moisture from getting in. Creating a thriving habitat for bird watching is easier than one might think. But once birds begin visiting a yard, homeowners must diligently maintain clean feeders and bird baths to ensure the birds stay as healthy as possible. Any questions about wild-bird care can be directed to a local Audubon Society chapter or by visiting a pet store or bird hobby center.
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Call us today and we can rid your yard of your nuisances. Mosquito Terminators offers two easy solutions... Barrier Spray Programs Approximately every 21 days, Mossquito Terminators will mist your property to control mosquitoes and other annoying pests. This service provides coverage for approximately 21 days.
Event Spray Let us treat your grounds for special occasions: weddings, pool parties, July 4th, etc. Pricing starts at $129.00 for a one time visit.
865-223-6700 $ Visit us on-line at:
mosquitocontrolknoxville.com Bird & Company Franchising, inc Charter 4748
SPECIAL OFFER First Barrier Spray Treatment
29
95
Up to 1/2 Acre. Mention “farragutpress” when you call. *For 1st time customers only*
like us on Facebook email us: fallharvestfarms@gmail.com
10C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
SPRING LAWN & GARDEN
FUD