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Tips for installing a garden path

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As cooler weather arrives, consider “hardscape” projects such as installing a garden path. Here are some tips:

• The path should go to something — preferably something attractive.

• Make the path at least 3 feet wide.

• Materials for the path can include pavers (my favorite), poured cement, stone, loose pebbles or mulch. Just be sure that the surface is easy to walk on and stable.

• When using loose stone or pebbles, be sure to use materials that are angular verses round. Round stones keep moving around, and this is uncomfortable to walk on. It’s like a million marbles!

• For paths with loose materials as a surface, line the path with a metal or stone edge to keep it neat and attractive.

• Landscape lighting along the path is an invitation for an evening stroll.

Here are more tips for your garden this week.

• Continue to remove leaves from the lawn with a rake or mulching mower. When raking, put the leaves in a compost pile.

• Use ornamental kale, mustards and cabbage in containers for added color and interest.

• Stack firewood on a wood pallet to prevent wood decay. When stacking, use a “criss-cross” pattern. All fire wood should be at least 20 feet from the house because of termites.

• Spring bulbs are on sale now for as much as 50 percent off. Daffodils reliably flower year after year in our area. Bulbs can still be planted in beds, so buy a bunch!

Todd Goulding provides residential landscape design and consultations. Contact him at www.fernvalley.com, 478-345-0719 or on Facebook.

Native praying mantis is beneficial to garden

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I found an egg case when pruning my shrub. It has light brown “Styrofoam,” like a praying mantis egg case, but it’s narrow with a cross hatch down the back. Will this hatch caterpillars?

In the spring, your egg mass will hatch cute baby Carolina praying mantises, our native species. (The bulkier egg masses commonly seen are from Chinese or European praying mantises.) The praying mantis is a deft predator whose strategy is to remain perfectly still until its prey — such as stink bugs — comes close and then pounce. You’ll want this beneficial insect patrolling your garden. If you’ve already pruned off the branch with the egg mass, simply tuck that portion into a shrub until it hatches next spring.

I’m getting too old to spray deer repellant constantly. Do I have to give up on my garden?

Try a granular product that you can sprinkle around plants. Success has been reported with Deer Scram, for instance. Remember to rotate products so that deer do not become too accustomed to the scent. Meanwhile, switch to plants that deer usually ignore. There are many excellent choices. Our website has a list of plants by deer resistance under the Wildlife category.

University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information. Call 800-342-2507 or send a question to the website at extension.umd.edu/hgic.

Plant of the Week

Crab apple

Malas species

Crab apple trees can be more than one-season wonders. Besides their fabulous spring flowers, winter trees can be red with crab apples and alive with feasting birds. To attract birds, plant trees that produce small crab apples. Birds also favor crab apples that must freeze and thaw several times before they’re edible. Some are native plants. Good choices to attract birds include Sargent, Sargent Tina, Adirondack, Snowdrift, Profusion, Indian Magic, Harvest Gold, Ormiston Roy and Prairiefire. Avoid varieties with fruit that birds are known to dislike (Adams, Donald Wyman and Red Jewel) and those that do not fruit (Spring Snow or Prairie Rose) or fruit in alternate years (such as Bob White, David and Evelyn). Adaptable crab apple trees do best planted in full sun and moist, well-drained, acid loam soil. —Ellen Nibali

thomas heatherwick discloses new renderings of garden bridge

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Giving garden design a new lease of life …

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THROUGHOUT the history of garden design the latter half of the 20th century brought about a great change in the way that people imagined what a garden should be.

The “Festival of Britain” in 1951 was largely responsible for a renewed interest in gardens during this period. The festival was a nationwide celebration of everything that Britain had contributed to Science and the arts. But the main aims of the event were to encourage exports, promote Britain and to give people a sense of recovery after the Second World War. However, one thing in particular the festival did accomplish was to give garden design a new lease of life.

Garden designers such as Sylvia Crowe and Brenda Colvin started to gain a higher status as they produced an increasing number of inspiring public landscapes. Their popularity was reinforced by a number of books which they wrote on the subject of landscaping and gardening.

The legendary garden designer John Brookes began his career as an assistant to Crowe Colvin which gave him a firm grounding in landscaping. Brookes was also inspired by the work of Thomas Church, an American landscape architect who developed the “California” garden style. This approach focused on functional, low maintenance designs that were intended to feel relaxed and Church popularised the term “A room outside” to reflect this philosophy.

Following on from the designs and writings of Thomas Church, John Brookes went on to become prolific in the creation of gardens intended to be used by people and not just looked at. In 1969 John’s hugely successful book “Room Outside” communicated his design methods very effectively and he still writes today as well as designing and lecturing across the world.

Beth Chatto is one of the biggest names in 20th Century garden design. Since 1960 she has been developing The Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex. These gardens demonstrate the need to understand plants and the crucial role that positioning plants to suit their native environment plays in the creation of a successful garden. The site posed a range of challenging conditions to Chatto which she solved using a variety of planting styles with emphasis on contrast in texture, form and foliage. Of all of Chatto’s gardens, the dry garden is the most famous, which started life as a car park but was planted with carefully selected drought tolerant plants and only watered when initially planted but has thrived ever since.

In the early 20th century a German garden designer and plant breeder by the name of Karl Foerster was one of the first people to focus on using plants to suit the site. His style was also quite distinctive because of the way he used bold masses of perennials to create a naturalistic look. In more recent years a dutch landscape designer called Piet Oudolf has helped to bring this style back into vogue. Piet’s planting schemes often start with a formal framework of evergreen structural shrubs or clipped hedging. Within this he weaves huge drifts of perennials into each other emphasising contrasting forms and colours. The planting also has a variety of ornamental grasses running throughout to soften and create a unified effect. His use of perennials frequently highlights an array of flower shapes including flat- Echinacea, spherical- Echinops and spiky- Persicaria just to name a few. He now designs public and private gardens throughout Europe which celebrate the beauty of nature.

Drury students offer new design for King Jack Park

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WEBB CITY, Mo. —
Architecture students from Drury University on Tuesday presented the draft version of a final design for King Jack Park at the Webb City 66 Events Center.

About 20 residents, city officials and members of the parks and recreation staff were on hand for the presentation.

The final design was a synthesized version of four individual designs that students presented last month to residents, who in turn shared feedback on elements they approved of, had questions about or didn’t agree with.

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is done filling in Sucker Flats at King Jack Park with mining waste, the Parks and Recreation Department will reclaim about 23 acres of park land. The department wanted community involvement as well as ideas from the students as to what the land’s future use might include.

At 144 total acres, King Jack Park is home to the Praying Hands Monument; the Kneeling Miner Statue; the Webb City Farmers Market; the restored 1920s No. 60 Southwest Missouri Electric Railroad Association trolley and one-mile track; the Mining Days Event Center and Outdoor Amphitheater; baseball, softball and soccer fields; and a system of walking trails.

It also is home to Paradise Lake and the historic bowstring arch truss Georgia City Bridge. Two new lakes were built at the back of the park by the EPA as part of the agreement for filling in Sucker Flats.

On Tuesday, the Drury students again sought feedback on the final design.

The public was receptive to several elements of the plan, including the possibility of a bridge or underpass across Highway 171 for pedestrian traffic, improving the base of the Praying Hands statue, improvements to pavilions, adding a splash pad or water feature, establishing areas with native plants, additional parking for the Webb City Farmers Market, and extending the current trolley system around the entire park.

Parks Director Tom Reeder plans to meet with the students today or Friday in Springfield for further evaluation of the design, and to offer input based on his experience with landscaping.

The students will use the public’s feedback and Reeder’s input to tweak the final design, then present it to the city on Dec. 12 at the Route 66 Events Center. Reeder said the plan could serve as a guide for what happens in the park for the next 15 to 30 years.

“Overall, I think they came up with some really unique and good ideas,” Reeder said. “Some we’d discussed before and some we hadn’t, and that’s what we were hoping for.

“They came in with a fresh viewpoint — didn’t have a mindset as to what they were going to see, and they hadn’t been looking at it for several years like me to where they already had preconceived notions. It’s definitely something we can build on.”

Met Council paves way to review options for Southwest Corridor

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    The Cedar Lake Trail runs alongside a freight train track that has been a proposed site for the Southwest Corridor light rail line in St. Louis Park.

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    Plans for the Southwest Corridor light-rail line are passing back over old ground as officials try to re-examine all possible options for the controversial freight and light-rail tracks.

    It comes after metro officials hit the reset button in what would be the metro area’s largest transit project going from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie costing $1.55 billion. Even though most of the potential railroad plans unveiled Wednesday to more than 50 residents and leaders from Hennepin County and west metro cities weren’t new ideas, an independent consultant will be hired this month. They will reanalyze all options because it’s important to “try to get the lay of the land,” Metropolitan Council chairwoman Susan Haigh said.

    However, residents like Jami LaPray, the co-chair of the St. Louis Park advocacy group Safety in the Park, were skeptical the reassessment will dig up anything new.

    “It’s a waste of time to look at these options that have already been looked at and looked at,” she said, adding that any plan that reroutes freight trains to St. Louis Park to make room for light-rail lines in Minneapolis won’t be an acceptable option. “That’s what’s frustrating; they keep going over the same ground over and over again.”

    Some of the plans are ones that city and county officials say are likely going to reach the same conclusion as in the past — not doable — such as the option to put the light-rail line along the Midtown Greenway bike path in Minneapolis.

    “We’re not going to pursue all these options,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said.

    It will cost the Met Council less than $1 million to hire an outside consultant for the freight reroute study. The company will be selected this month and will present draft reports by January followed by public input meetings.

    If freight and light-rail trains are positioned next to each other, which LaPray’s group supports, light-rail tracks would run through two shallow tunnels in the Kenilworth Corridor. The Met Council is also hiring outside consultants to conduct two studies to assess the effect on water resources in south Minneapolis and what kind of landscaping will be needed there. Officials said it isn’t clear yet what it will cost for the other studies.

    “The timeline to complete the three studies is very ambitious,” Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison said.

    Rybak and St. Louis Park officials gave informal consent to the preliminary scope of the three studies Wednesday.

    “Minneapolis is being asked to make drastic changes,” Rybak said. “This is not going to be easy, but I think it’s important we are working together.”

     

    Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141 • Twitter: @kellystrib

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    Secret Garden Landscaping’s Jerry White provides some ideas for a garden for …

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    We often embark upon garden projects that need to take account of the needs of the whole family, especially children. And as well as domestic gardens, we have also designed and built gardens in schools and day nurseries, creating interesting outdoor environments to both entertain and stimulate children.

    There are many different and imaginative ways to create a garden that people of all ages can use and enjoy. Ideally, there should be separate areas for children to play and where adults can sit, relax and socialise.

    In one Bristol garden, there was already a large pond, but it needed to be made safe, to prevent anyone falling in. To solve this problem, we decided upon a timber deck that was both a seating area and a jetty.

    The deck appears to “float” on top of the water, which flows beneath, and a section was made “safe” with the addition of a small picket fence and a gate allowing access to the jetty. In turn, the jetty allowed kids to get close to the pond and explore the wildlife in it with their nets.

    In winter, a muddy or wet garden can limit its use, but installing a weather-proof surface is an easy solution – and means children can play outside all year round. Among the options is artificial grass, pictured, which has all the benefits of a natural lawn, but it’s also maintenance free, as it doesn’t need cutting or weeding.

    It looks realistic and is a great to play on, too.

    Recycled rubber chips are an alternative for a clean and safe play area. The chips come in different colours, so they can appear natural and blend into the garden for a grown-up space, or else choose more vibrant colours for a fun play area.

    In some gardens we have also built mounds with turf on top. One mound was built with the surplus soil dug out from a pond. The mound was shaped and a seat cut into it on one side, while meadow flowers were planted into the turf. On a summer’s day, it provides a lovely place to sit and relax, surrounded by flowers and overlooking the pond.

    In another garden, we built some mounds with tunnels going through the middle, pictured, inset, so that kids could crawl through, or use the tunnels as fun hiding places. The mounds were covered with turf so little ones could roly-poly down them safely, too.

    Sheds and other outdoor structures are other great places to play in, built dens, or indulge in make-believe games. It just takes a bit of imagination.

    For garden design ideas, visit secretgarden web.co.uk, or for a free design consultation, email info@ secretgarden web.co.uk.

    Do Knoxville: Order dogwood trees now for springtimes to come

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    ADAM BRIMER/NEWS SENTINELFor the fifth year, Dogwood Arts is asking East Tennesseeans to plant dogwood trees as part of a community-wide tree-planting on Saturday, Dec. 7.

    Photo by Adam Brimer // Buy this photo

    ADAM BRIMER/NEWS SENTINEL
    For the fifth year, Dogwood Arts is asking East Tennesseeans to plant dogwood trees as part of a community-wide tree-planting on Saturday, Dec. 7.

    BAZILLION BLOOMS

    For the fifth year, Dogwood Arts is asking East Tennesseeans to plant dogwood trees as part of a community-wide tree-planting on Saturday, Dec. 7.

    Over the years, local dogwood tree populations have dwindled due to age, disease, construction and development, and neglect. The Dogwood Arts’ Bazillion Blooms project aims to reverse that trend.

    Bare-root, disease-resistant Appalachian Snow and Cherokee Brave dogwood trees are available for purchase until mid-November on dogwoodarts.com. To purchase your trees, visit dogwoodarts.com and click on “Bazillion Blooms.” Trees ordered from Dogwood Arts must be picked up on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at UT Gardens parking lot off Neyland Drive.

    Ball-and-burlap trees, for which prices vary, are available at area nurseries including these Bazillion Blooms garden centers: Ellenburg Landscaping Nursery, 722 Vanosdale Road; Mayo Garden Centers at 4718 Kingston Pike, and 7629 Kingston Pike; Stanley’s Greenhouses Plant Farm, 3029 Davenport Road.

    Info: dogwoodarts.com or 865-637-4561.

    NEW AT IJAMS

    Coming up on the Ijams Nature Center calendar:

    Ropes Course Community Open House: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Instructors from the New Horizons Center for Experiential Learning will be on hand to supervise an open house climbing day. Participants will have the chance to try some of the high ropes course elements and learn more about New Horizons’ programs for building teams, developing leaders and strengthening organizations. Free. Participants must wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing for climbing.

    Enchanted Day at Ijams: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. 1 – 3 p.m.: Free animal programs, scavenger hunts, family crafts; 2 p.m. Grand Opening of Alice’s Greenhouse; 3 p.m. Enchanted Trail. Visitors must purchase tickets for the guided tours. $5 for Ijams members and $8 for non-members. Children 2 and under are free. Trail tours leave every 20 minutes, call 865-577-4717, ext. 130 to register for a start time.

    Science Café at Ijams: Energy Sustainability: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12. (Ages 12 and up) Join Dr. Madhu S. Madhukar, Associate Professor with University of Tennessee’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Science Department, for a discussion about alternative energy sources. Short video presentation followed by an informal Q A and refreshments. Free; pre-registration required. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 110.

    Garden Workday: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13: Help to start seedlings, tend the garden beds, and plant fruits and vegetables in our organic garden. Free, but pre-registration is required. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 114.

    NOVEMBER HIKES

    The Smoky Mountain Hiking Club will hold the following outings in November. For more information, visit www.smhclub.org

    Saturday, Nov. 16: Full Moon Hike Around Cades Cove. Distance: 8 miles, rated moderate. Meet at Alcoa Food City, 121 N Hall Rd, at 4:30 p.m. or Cades Cove entrance at 5:30 p.m. Leader: Penny Lukin, plukin@comast.net

    Wednesday, Nov. 20: Gregory Bald via Gregory Ridge Trail. Distance: 11 miles, rated difficult. Meet 8 a.m. at Alcoa Food City, 121 N Hall Rd. Leader: Elfie Beall, elfiebeall@comcast.net

    Saturday, Nov. 23: Cow Flats In Greenbrier. Distance: 4 miles, rated easy. Meet at 8 a.m. at Comcast, 5720 Asheville Hwy, or 9 a.m. at Greenbrier Ranger Station. Leader: Ray Payne, rpayne10@bellsouth.net

    Sunday, Nov. 24: South Knoxville River Bluff – Armstrong’s Hill. Distance: 3.5 miles, rated easy. Meet at 9 a.m. at Disk Exchange parking lot on Chapman Hwy. Leader: Ed Fleming, edwrdflm@aol.com

    Saturday, Nov. 30: Historic Cemeteries in Central Knoxville. Distance: 8 miles, rated moderately easy. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Union Avenue side of Market Square. Leader: Claudia Dean, claudiadean0@gmail.com

    TAKE A HIKE

    Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club will host these outings in November:

    Nov. 10 Canoe/Kayak Float, French Broad River. 15 miles from just below Douglas Dam to Seven Islands. (Participants must provide their own boats.) Pre-register with Ron Shrieves at ronaldshrieves@comcast.net.

    Nov. 16 Day Hike, Honey Creek, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Moderate to difficult 5.6 mile loop trail with outstanding scenery. Preregister with BJ and Bob Perlack: perlack@aol.com; 229-5027.

    FIELD SCHOOL

    Smoky Mountain Field School wraps up the 2013 season with one course this month. To register go to www.smfs.utk.edu or call 865-974-0150.

    Winter Hiking Camping Made Easier: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, $49. Learn about safe winter travel and camping, essential cold-weather gear, where to find it, how to pack it and places to hike with overnighters at the higher elevations.

    GARDEN WORKSHOPS

    Knoxville Botanical Garden Arboretum will hold two garden workshops in November.

    “Planting, Propagating And Caring For Your Bulbs’ will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Director of Horticulture Brian Campbell will discuss the differences between bulbs, corms and rhizomes, propagation methods, fertilizers, how to plant and much more. There will be a planting demonstration following the lecture. Cost: members $7 / non-members $12; pre-registration required. Call 865-862-8717 or email info@knoxgarden.org.

    “The Artful Science Of Espalier And Pollarding” will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Join grounds manager and aesthetic pruner Mathew McMillan to learn how to create practically and fantastically pruned trees and shrubs for your garden. Learn the history of how and why these radical pruning practices were started and the usefulness these practices serve today. The one-hour classroom lecture will be followed by an optional tour of the Gardens. Preregistration is required: 865-862-8717 or email info@knoxgarden.org. Meet at the Garden Club Room. Cost: $5 members, $10 non-members.

    MASTER GARDENER CLASSES

    The Knox County area Master Gardener program is enrolling for its 2014 training. The program is open to all gardening enthusiasts, beginner or professional.

    Residents of Knox and surrounding counties are invited to participate from 9 a.m.-noon on Thursdays, Jan. 9 through April 10. Topics include Basic Botany, Disease Management, Soils, Rain Gardening, Organic Gardening and more. Participants will return 40 hours of service to the community following the training. Training will be held at the new Eastern Region Extension office in West Hills.

    Cost is $125 before the early registration deadline of Nov. 1 or $150 before the Dec. 1 registration deadline. Fee includes all training materials and is due after your application has been approved. The course will be limited to the first 35 people who register and pay.

    To apply or for information, contact Emily Gonzalez, 865-215-2340.

    ERIN’S MEADOW PROGRAMS

    Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm is hosting events and herbal education classes.

    On Saturday Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., an “Herbal Open House” invites the public to visit the farm and enjoy herbal refreshments, door prizes, and hands-on herbal activities. Each activity gives participants the opportunity to craft an all natural herbal project to take home. The fee for each herbal activity is $10. Visitors may tour the greenhouses, herb shop and gardens. Reservations are helpful but not necessary.

    Herb enthusiast may choose from 3 activities, “Make a Lavender Comfort Pillow”, “Make a Peppermint Sugar Scrub” and “Make a Citrus and Herb Liquid Soap.” Box lunches are available by reservation for $8. Reserve by Nov. 2.

    On Nov. 16, 3-6 p.m., join Chef Ben Willis-Becker for “An Autumn Heritage Pig Roast”. This locally sourced farm-to-table dining experience will be an occasion to “Celebrate, Feast, and Give Thanks” for our local farms and abundance. The menu features roasted pig; apple cider-braised garden greens; herb roasted root vegetables; whipped sweet potatoes with candied pecans; buttermilk cornbread; warm apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream; hot mulled cider and minty hot chocolate. This is a BYOB event. Diners are invited to dress in colonial and Native American attire.

    A bonfire, live music and colonial herbal craft making (optional) will be offered during the event. Craft making projects are suitable for all ages and will cost $10 each. These include: “Make a Colonial Herb Wreath”, “Make a Simmering Stove Top Potpourri” and “Make a Cinnamon Clove Pomander”.

    The cost for dinner is $49, children 6-12 $15, and children under 6 are free. The event will be held outdoors rain (under cover) or shine. Registration and payment required for meal and activities by Nov. 9 (nonrefundable.) Call Erin’s Meadow, 865-435-1452, to register. Bring canned food items to donate to local food pantries.

    Chef Ben is offering an opportunity to “Shadow the Chef” and learn step by step how to roast a heritage pig, including how to choose a hog, set up for roasting, dry brining techniques, take down and handling, and preparing the meat. This culinary class will be held Nov. 12 4:30-6 p.m. at the herb farm. The class fee is $45. Pre-registration and payment requested. Space is limited. Registered diners will receive a $10 discount on the class.

    TRAIL HELP

    The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club is looking for volunteers to help maintain the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountins National Park.

    The club oversees 72 miles of the A.T. through the Smokies and 30 miles south of the park in the Nantahala National Forest for a total of 102 miles. The club is looking for experienced hikers who don’t mind trimming brush, clearing water bars — imbedded logs dug into the trail that divert water off the trail — and removing small blowdowns. Club members will be on hand to demonstrate.

    Those interested can email recruiting@smhclub or call 865-483-9758.

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    Ecological landscaping program in Chatham

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    A free program entitled “Protecting Our Water Resources: An Ecological Approach to Land Care and Design” will be held at the Chatham Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with check in at 8:15.

    The featured speaker will be author, horticulturist and consultant Rick Darke. Mr. Darke is a leading authority in regional planning, landscape design, and conservation, with an emphasis on the design and stewardship of livable landscapes that blend art, ecology and cultural geography. The title of his talk is “Putting Back the Layers: Working with Organic Architecture.”

    Other presenters include Rich Claytor of Horsley Witten, who will speak about stormwater and low impact development techniques. Rain gardens will be the featured topic of Clarissa Rowe of Brown, Richardson Rowe Landscape Architectural Design Planning. Kate Venturini, Interim Director Extension Educator from the University of Rhode Island will expound on regenerating our coastal landscapes by taking design cues from nature.

    Joseph R. Sable, innovative greenhouse leader, 1944-2013

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    During two decades as the head of the greenhouse at Cantigny Park, Joseph R. Sable created a healthy volunteer program and helped establish a colorful and eclectic Idea Garden, an acre tract aimed at inspiring amateur gardeners.

    Mr. Sable also oversaw the mechanization of Cantigny’s greenhouse, and helped put in place educational programs at the museum. But the Idea Garden was among his proudest accomplishments, said Liz Omura, curator of the Idea Garden.

    “That was his baby,” she said. “And the public loves the Idea Garden to this day. I think he thought that it was a great addition to the main, formal gardens here.”

    • Maps

    • 1s151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60189, USA

    Mr. Sable, 69, died of complications from esophageal cancer Saturday, Oct. 5, at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield , said his wife, Lana. He had lived in West Chicago since 1967.

    Born in Westmoreland, Kan., Mr. Sable received a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Kansas State University. He was recruited to work for the Ball Seed Co. in West Chicago. After a hitch in the Navy, he returned to Ball for several years.

    He worked briefly for the West Chicago Park District, then ran a lawn maintenance and landscaping business for 17 years.

    In 1987, a greenhouse was built at Cantigny, which is near Wheaton. Shortly afterward, Mr. Sable applied for the job as production director, running the greenhouse. He joined Cantigny in 1989.

    Under Mr. Sable’s leadership, the greenhouse was computerized with humidity and temperature controls in the early 1990s. Around that same time, a nursery was added behind Cantigny’s greenhouse.

    In 1990, Mr. Sable’s managers asked him to create a different kind of a garden, based on a similar concept at the Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia. The result was the Idea Garden, with a variety of concepts and designs aimed at the amateur gardener. Among other things, the Idea Garden was aimed at demonstrating how to develop a vegetable garden in a suburban environment.

    “The Idea Garden was meant as something the homeowner could achieve in their own yard,” Omura said.

    In 1990, Sable told the Tribune the Idea Garden was “kind of an imaginary giant backyard.”

    “We’ve tried to think of as many things as possible to include,” he said. “On a really nice Sunday, we’ll have 1,000 people out here. You see people taking notes. You see them taking pictures.”

    Mr. Sable told the Tribune in 2004 that the Idea Garden “has a whimsical quality to it. Our ideas come from visiting other gardens, from magazines and from our volunteers.”

    Mr. Sable also helped start a volunteer program in the gardens, increasing the number from about 10 volunteers at the start to some 250, Omura said.

    “He loved talking to our volunteers,” Omura said. “He had a very good rapport with them and also with staff in our department and other departments.”

    Lou Marsico, vice president of operations for the Cantigny Foundation and the foundation’s onetime director of finance, praised Mr. Sable’s integrity.

    “He led by example and I know that’s cliche, but he truly did,” Marisco said. “He was always soft-spoken, but when Joe had something to say, everybody listened because it was always spot-on.”

    In the 1990s, Mr. Sable and Jim Schuster, a now-retired University of Illinois Extension Service horticulture and plant pathology educator, appeared regularly on CLTV to discuss gardening.

    “Joe would talk about growing, and I would talk about the problems that plants would run into, since I’m a plant pathologist,” Schuster said. “Joe was very outgoing and pleasant to work with. He was always an upbeat guy.”

    Mr. Sable retired from Cantigny in 2009. He took some time off before returning as a volunteer, operating its tram and sharing his knowledge of Cantigny with visitors, his wife said.

    “He always felt Cantigny had been very good to him and to us, and he felt like he’d like to do something (as a volunteer) because he loved Cantigny,” she said.

    In addition to his wife, Mr. Sable is survived by three daughters, Heather Frerichs, Dawn and Peggie Bicking; two brothers, Francis and Louis; a sister, Mary Delpup; and three grandchildren.

    Services have been held.