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Naples Garden worth the drive

I made a trip across the state last week specifically to see the Naples Botanical Garden. It was definitely worth the drive.

What I encountered is just a portion of the garden, which opened in 2008 and will eventually encompass 178 acres. So far, there are Asian, Brazilian, Caribbean, Children’s, Water and Florida gardens, all connected by 2 1/2 miles of walking trails.

My favorites were the Asian Gardens designed by Made Wijaya of Bali and the Brazilian Garden designed by Raymond Jungles of Miami.

The Asian Garden is divided into various botanical zones featuring commercial crops such as rice paddies, along with ornamentals, bamboos, water plants and outdoor “rooms” reflecting cultural diversity. They include: a Northern Thailand riverside scene, an ancient Javanese terraced sanctuary, a Balinese temple water garden, an East Indonesia megalithic court and a New Asian sculpture garden. The design theme of ancient Asia predates the emergence of cultural influences from India and China.

The bold Brazilian Garden pays homage to Raymond Jungles’ inspiration and mentor, Roberto Burle Marx. In his tropical landscapes Marx showcased Brazil’s incredibly diverse ecosystems; all are represented in the lush landscape surrounding the centerpiece — an original Marx ceramic mural. It’s the only one of its kind in the United States.

I also wasimpressed by the Children’s Garden, from the inviting treehouse and water-play fountains to the diminutive kids cottage with its own vegetable patch. I particularly appreciate the fact that the butterfly house contains only native Florida specimens. While some of the South American and Asian butterflies might be more showy, showcasing the plants and species you can install and attract in your own yard makes a lot more sense to me.

A huge welcome center is under construction that will include a large orchid house, store and café when it opens next fall. Having more amenities is a good thing because this is a garden I could easily spend the whole day visiting.

The garden is at 4820 Bayshore Drive. For details about visiting, call (239) 643-7275 or visit NaplesGarden.org.

Lifelong gardener Kaki Holt has written extensively about horticulture for a variety of local and state publications. Additionally, she has spearheaded the founding of school garden clubs throughout Palm Beach County. A certified Master Gardener, she is a member of Garden Writers of America. Email her at kakiholt@mail.com.

Design-Conscious Cat Lady

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Ms. Benjamin, 42, started blogging about her favorite things for cats in 2007, and over time a business began to emerge. Readers posted fan mail. Boutique manufacturers started advertising on her site and sending samples for her to review. And the number of cats in her 1,100-square-foot condominium grew. (At last count, she had 11.)

As her advertising revenue climbed, Ms. Benjamin quit her day job as the marketing director of Boon, a company that sells modern baby products, and opened a design studio where she and her employees could create cat toys and accessories to sell on her website. And last year, she re-branded her Moderncat blog as Hauspanther, an “online magazine for design-conscious cat people.”

Next on the horizon is a consulting business built around the concept of “catification”: tailoring your living space to the needs of your cat without sacrificing aesthetics.

“The idea is to influence the mass cat-product industry to step up their game,” said Ms. Benjamin, who has teamed up with Jackson Galaxy, the cat behaviorist from the television show “My Cat From Hell,” for this effort. “We just want to be the go-to source for anyone who wants to live stylishly with cats.”

As the tattoo on her arm announces, Ms. Benjamin is positioning herself as a cat lady for a new generation. A vegan with Bettie Page bangs, she has upended the old stereotype of the frumpy, middle-aged woman surrounded by cats. And her two-bedroom townhouse here is a showcase of the latest in feline interior design.

The living room is filled with all manner of cat beds, scratchers, hiding spots and perches, including a miniature sun bed attached to sliding glass doors that open to a catio (a patio enclosed for the protection of her cats). The centerpiece on the dining table is not a flower arrangement or a fruit bowl, but a white porcelain cat bed designed to look like a sink. On the coffee table is a thronelike cat lounge that doubles as a scratcher. And a huge basket of cat toys is stationed next to the sofa.

“It is a little bit over the top,” said Ms. Benjamin, who admits to showering in the second bathroom because the master bath has been given over to litter boxes. But that’s all right, she said, because it means the cats “all have lots of options. Rarely is there a fight over places to sit.”

The crush of cat products is an inevitable consequence of having a blog that serves up a different item every day, along with a dose of attitude you won’t find in the plain-vanilla pages of a magazine like Cat Fancy.

Readers leave comments, some gushing, others critical, as well as suggestions. (The new site gets about 150,000 page views a month, she said, but it is still building traffic; the old site, which she shuttered to avoid a lawsuit with a Canadian magazine that had adopted the Modern Cat name, got around 350,000.) The product manufacturers, which tend to be mom-and-pop shops, use the feedback to refine their wares and develop new items — which, of course, they send to Ms. Benjamin to review.

Some of these companies advertise on her site or have affiliate arrangements with Ms. Benjamin, who gets a flat fee or a percentage of sales when a customer clicks through from her blog and buys something (although she won’t say exactly how much that amounts to over the course of a year). But others pay nothing to be on her site.

“I keep my editorial honest and straightforward, regardless of whether or not I’m receiving any compensation,” she said. “One of my favorite things to do is to help promote a new or small company just because they make great products that my readers need to know about.”

As far as she is concerned, she said, what it comes down to is good design.

“I would like to see every cat in a happy, loving, forever home, and I want to keep them there through design,” said Ms. Benjamin, who studied environmental design and analysis, with an emphasis on interior design, at Cornell and branched out into industrial design and visual communications at Arizona State University. “Because if somebody doesn’t want to buy a scratcher because the scratchers are so ugly, and then the cat scratches on the sofa, the cat’s booted onto the street or taken to the shelter. If a product design can help change that, that’s where I want to see this go.”

The people whose products appear on Hauspanther credit Ms. Benjamin with helping to build the market for designer cat furniture, a small but growing category. Once her blog became a go-to place for furnishings that appealed equally to cats and their owners, these vendors say, more specialty retailers cropped up, widening the product mix, and big chain stores like Walmart and Target began carrying nicer-looking cat products.

Roots and Shoots: Master Gardeners Recommend Gifts for Holidays

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December 19, 2013

By Pamela Doan

Since tilling the soil at this time of year is out of the question, it’s a good time to plan for spring. Give your favorite gardener a gift that will help them create the landscape or vegetable garden of their dreams. Once the holidays are over, a helpful reference book or beautiful design book can be the inspiration and guidance they need. I asked the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, a group with diverse experience and backgrounds, for recommendations to create this gift guide.

Master Gardener Robert Madigan recommended Botany for Gardeners Revised Edition by Brian Capon. He said, “It’s an easy read, has clear concepts and is not overly technical or complicated. I think it would be a good choice for gardeners who might not have ever had any formal gardening or horticulture education. This book plugged a lot of small holes in my knowledge about the topic and also gave me a broader insight about how plants work.”

I’m a fan of this book, as well. It’s been a long time since I took biology in high school and this book took me back into the magical world of how life works.

Weeds of the Northeast was the pick by Elizabeth Apgar Triano. With it, you can begin to identify everything growing in your yard and learn how to tell friend from foe. It’s especially useful in the spring when plants are just coming up and you can’t tell a weed from a desirable plant. It can also help you make friends with weeds. Just because you didn’t plant it there, doesn’t mean it’s a nuisance. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to weeds and though a certain plant may not have value for you, it might be important for something else in the eco-system.

Zshawn Sullivan Smith recommended the New York Gardener’s Guide, by Ralph Snodsmith, who hosted the “The Garden Hotline” radio show for 35 years and died in 2010. This book has something for both the beginner and more experienced gardener alike. Filled with tips and good advice, Snodsmith understands the unique features of gardening in our region and can help anyone overcome the challenges.

Dianne Olsen, the Cornell Cooperative Extension Senior Educator in Putnam County, chose a book about landscape design as her top pick. What Perennial Where by Roy Lancaster has, “categories of plants for specific sites, plus plants for specific purposes, like “architectural leaves, and groundcovers.” The book is filled with photos and all the information a gardener needs to create a perennial landscape, including the height, color, light and water requirements, and hardiness of each plant. Your favorite gardener can design a gorgeous flowerbed with this reference book.

Since garden books can also be lovely to look at, I’d add a couple of coffee table books to the list. After visiting Innis free Garden in Millbrook for the first time last summer, I’ve got the photography book Innisfree: An American Garden by Lester Collins, the landscape architect who largely created it, on my wish list. Graceful, peaceful, natural landscaping shaped the nearly 200 acres around a lake into a series of rolling vistas. This is the book to use as a muse for inspiration.

The recently published Private Gardens of the Hudson Valley by Jane Garmey with photographs by John Hall, would make an excellent gift, too. The book documents 26 private gardens in our area, certainly enough to stoke ideas and give any gardener something to aspire to. Since it only covers private gardens, most people won’t have a chance to experience these gardens firsthand and the photos will have to suffice. It’s a rare peek into an off-limits world with the setting our own area with its waterways and mountains. Maybe you’ll want one copy to keep for yourself.

Teachers, public servants share ideas for Christmas thank-you gifts

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ColaDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Columbia and the Midlands.

They bring your mail each day, teach your child long division and protect your neighborhood. If these people are on your Christmas shopping list but you aren’t sure what to buy, several have offered ideas and hints.

Giving gifts to public servants like police officers, town or city employees and others do come with some regulations. Ethics laws state there must be a $20 limit on gifts, and not all agencies accept monetary presents.

There are still several ways you can say “thank you” to those people who make daily life run smoothly.

Harry Spratlin, South Carolina spokesperson with the U.S. Postal Service, said giving gifts to postal workers is welcome but said the $20 limit should be observed. He discouraged cash gifts and instead suggested baked goods or a small gift card.

“A box of cookies or something of that nature is best,” he said.

Since mail deliverers are used to just retrieving outgoing mail, Spratlin said many miss that an envelope or package is addressed to them. He encouraged people to meet their postal carrier at the mailbox to hand deliver a gift or leave a large note on top of their stack of mail to make the person aware.

“And put your return address on it in case it’s missed,” Spratlin added.

People are also more than welcome to bring a Christmas gift to their local police department, fire station or town hall. Officials suggest something for people to snack on during their shift.

“We accept cookies, cakes any type of food items,” said Lexington Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Matt Davis. “No money, gift cards or presents are allowed.”

West Columbia City Clerk and Public Information Officer Mardi Valentino said people can make a larger contribution to West Columbia police by way of the West Columbia Police Officers Foundation. Established in 2008, the nonprofit raises funds for departmental needs such as new body armor that the budget cannot provide along with assisting officers who are injured, have a long-term illness or lose possessions in a fire.

The Lexington Police Department has a similar program, Adopt-a-Cop. Cayce citizens can help enhance their community by donating to the Cayce Beautification Foundation, which gathers funds to improve signage, landscaping and other green space projects.

Valentino said a simpler show of appreciation is also a good idea this time of year.

“Even sending a card is great. Let the employees know that you acknowledge what they do is important,” she said.

Many parents also are buying gifts to show their appreciation for those who spend hours with their children each week at school. Teachers agreed they’d enjoy something just for themselves but that they also like to shop for items for their classroom and students.

“We like gift cards to places like Educational Wonderland, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Chick-fil-A, Office Depot and any school supply donations,” said Stephanie Walker, theater teacher at Saluda River Academy for the Arts.

“Gift cards are great because they’re dispensable and can be spent on anything,” said Andrea Baker, instructor with Seven Oaks Elementary’s Media Magnet program.

Mary Wyatt, Seven Oaks Elementary instructional assistant and public information officer, also suggested iTunes cards and massage certificate to help teachers relax over Christmas break.

“We also like anything hand made by students,” Walker added.

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Posted by Rachel Ham
on December 19, 2013. Filed under Hometown.
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More From the Widder Curry on the “Hippie House” of Sunset Cliffs

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The “Hippie House” on Sunset Cliffs Blvd at Adair. (Photos by Judi Curry)

Scott Stephens, the owner of the “Hippie House” on Sunset Cliffs and Adair told me today that he has had over 100 people stop and talk to him about the beautiful designs on his wall.

Everyone that has stopped has been enthralled with the designs, the layout, and the landscaping being done. After all, the house has been a rental for years and not in very good condition.

He, along with his significant other Layla, talked over the designs they wanted for their landscaping – native garden; peace poles; murals, etc., and worked with artist Adelaide Marcus in putting their ideas in motion.

Needless to say the final mural is spectacular and reflects the life style of Scott, Layla and his band Liquid Blue.

The landscaping, which is also unusual but beautiful was done by John Noble of Coastal Sage and Clayton Tschudy Eco Designs did the design. All of the plants are strictly California native plants. This corner lot may bring on a lot of discussion, but it was thoughtfully planned out and is eco-friendly.

Scott Stephens.

But, you ask, who are these people? They move into a beautiful neighborhood – purchase an expensive “fixer-upper” and break the stoic mold of south Ocean Beach. (Actually, the area is called the “Peninsula” area of Sunset Cliffs.)

Scott is the founder, activist, vocalist, hype man of Liquid Blue, a party band based in San Diego, California.

Numerous awards include “Entertainer of the Year” (recently bestowed on the band by both Event Solutions and Biz Bash magazines), “Best Cover Band” at the San Diego Music Awards, “Pop Album of the Year” at the Los Angeles Music Awards and “America’s Best Independent Artist”.

The band has performed sold-out shows all over the world. The 9-minute short film “2010 Promotional Video” features the band live-in-concert on six continents. Scott and his band have performed in over 117 countries. They are well traveled and offer a world perspective in many different areas.

Layla is a disc jockey, currently performing on a Princess Cruise where she can see the same things that Scott can see from his Sunset Cliff windows.

The following is taken from their own website and gives a broader look at their beliefs:

Liquid Blue was officially designated a “Green Business” by the County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health, Community Health Division on May 22nd, 2009. The band also received a 2nd green certification in 2012 when Grent Point Rating (Build It Green) issued Liquid Blue an Elements Rating.

Through the power of music, Liquid Blue strives to increase public awareness on issues such as a clean environment, world peace and human rights. We talk about the issues; sing about them and most of all strive to live our lives according to these principles. The band has received recognition from various “socially conscious” organizations.

The wall may not be to the liking of everyone in the neighborhood but it certainly reflects the individualism of the new owners. Let’s welcome them with smiles and acceptance. It isn’t often that we get to know people that are so aware of the world problems today and have a plan to help fix it.

And if you really want to show your support – the band will be playing at Viejas on the first Friday and Saturday in January beginning at 9:30pm – let’s go hear them!

Pipeline collapse: How local residents can help conserve water

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While the Washington County Water Conservancy District seeks
to repair a pipeline collapse in the district’s main line, a request for local
residents to help conserve water remains in force.

Delivery of water to the district’s municipal partners will
continue due to storage in reservoirs, but the pipeline collapse will prevent
the district from collecting water to replenish the reservoirs until needed
repairs are made.

While most water is consumed by agriculture and for
municipal and industrial uses, there are still things local citizens can do to
conserve water:

• It is winter, there is no need to
water lawns or gardens right now.

• If doing winter gardening or
landscaping choose water wise plants, use less turf or xeriscape and use water
efficient, timed, drip irrigation.

• Make sure to run full loads of
laundry and adjust your washer to the right load size.

• Do not using running hot water to
defrost food, stick it in the microwave.

• Showers use less water than
baths, so if you have the choice, shower.

• Dishwashers actually use less
water than hand washing, so make sure the dishwasher is full and use it if you
have one.

• Scrape food into the trash rather
than rinsing dishes off in the sink.

• Check for and repair any water
leaks on faucets, showerheads, toilets and pipes.

• If you have a swimming pool, use
a cover to reduce evaporation.

• Store drinking water in the
refrigerator to keep it cool rather than letting the faucet run until the water
gets cold.

• Don’t leave water running.

“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen
if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do
something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment
in the history of our planet.” – Carl Sagan

Written by Greta Hyland

Cami Cox contributed to this article

Pipeline collapse: How local residents can help conserve water

Leave a reply

While the Washington County Water Conservancy District seeks
to repair a pipeline collapse in the district’s main line, a request for local
residents to help conserve water remains in force.

While most water is consumed by agriculture and for
municipal and industrial uses, there are still things local citizens can do to
conserve water:

• It is winter, there is no need to
water lawns or gardens right now.

• If doing winter gardening or
landscaping choose water wise plants, use less turf or xeriscape and use water
efficient, timed, drip irrigation.

• Make sure to run full loads of
laundry and adjust your washer to the right load size.

• Do not using running hot water to
defrost food, stick it in the microwave.

• Showers use less water than
baths, so if you have the choice, shower.

• Dishwashers actually use less
water than hand washing, so make sure the dishwasher is full and use it if you
have one.

• Scrape food into the trash rather
than rinsing dishes off in the sink.

• Check for and repair any water
leaks on faucets, showerheads, toilets and pipes.

• If you have a swimming pool, use
a cover to reduce evaporation.

• Store drinking water in the
refrigerator to keep it cool rather than letting the faucet run until the water
gets cold.

• Don’t leave water running.

Written by Greta Hyland

Cami Cox contributed to this article

Lawns, gardens need attention in winter

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TAHLEQUAH —
Curb appeal for a home includes a trim lawn and landscaping to enhance the overall appearance. But there is much more to lawn care than just mowing, even in the winter.

Leaves get bagged, roses pruned, and elephant ears and bulbs may need to be dug up and stored in a garage or greenhouse until spring. Plants may appear dormant above the ground, but roots grow and spread out at a slow pace, even in winter.

It’s a good idea to rake leaves and clean out the gutters before winter, so they won’t clog up the gutter drain, said Jack Garrett, who has provided lawn care for 20 years.

“The best thing is to cut and trim brush, shrubs and tall grass the first week of October, to give plants time to seal and heal the cut before the first cold front,” Garrett said. “If it is last minute or the day before a cold front or snow, leave the plant alone until sprig, around March, to make sure there are no more cold fronts.”

In March, make sure it’s at least 55 degrees before cutting plants, Garrett said.

Mulch is important to protect flowerbeds, he added.

“Mulching leaves, pine needles or cedar in small amounts – not big chunks – will protect the roots from cold weather,” Garrett said. “Add the mulch in October.”

Fall and winter lawn care includes pruning crepe myrtles, ornamental grasses, and spirea, mulching flower beds and picking up leaves, said Trey Scarsdale, owner of Pro Lawn and Landscape.

“We recommend a good coat of mulch in all flowerbeds,” Scarsdale said. “Day lilies and hostas all need to be pruned back to the ground.”

Leaf removal can be used for mulch, but don’t leave too much leaves or it will choke out the grass, he said. He recommends picking up most of the leaves.

“Thatch build up will happen if you mulch and dry leaves and leave too many. Clippings develop thatch sitting on top of soil, because it doesn’t breathe,” he said. “And it can causes diseases, dollar spot and broom patch.”

Piles of leaves will stay wet and cause winter kill, leaving bare spots.

“We blow off all hard surfaces, starting on the roof top and valleys when removing leaves,” he said. “We clear the gutters and down the spouts, then the driveways and sidewalks.”

They suck up the leaves with lawn mowers, to use as mulch and compost, about three years later.

And when they trim branches, they cut at an angle, said Jimmy Washington, with Pro Lawn.

“An angle cut keeps the moisture from getting in and freezing or splitting the branch,” said Washington. “Trimming the top off this crepe myrtle will make it bushier in the spring.”

When cutting a spirea, Washington takes at least half of it off. He trims holly bushes when they need it.

“When it has lot of new growth, it looks like it needs a hair cut,” Washington said.

January and February is the time to spray pre-emergent herbicide on the turf to control weeds, Scarsdale said.

“Now is the time to fertilize fescue lawns,” he said.

When it comes to herbicides, follow the directions on the label.

“The label will include MSDS information, do what it says,” Scarsdale advises. “And follow the 24-hour REI, re-entry interval, so all animals and humans should stay off for 24 hours.”