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Sandy-ravaged Sea Bright unveils its long-term recovery wish list – The Star-Ledger

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SEA BRIGHT – With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy only weeks away, this tiny waterfront borough is still trying to get back on its feet.

On Wednesday night however, plans were unveiled that showed what the end result of Sea Bright’s recovery could be – even if it takes until the year 2020 to happen and even if Sea Bright, in a municipal sense, no longer exists.

From landscaping and bulkheading, to the construction of a parking deck and a year-round beach pavilion, the components of the Sea Bright 2020 long-recovery plan were the result of weeks of collaboration of a handful of separate committees of borough stakeholders working with the assistance of FEMA representatives.

The Sea Bright 2020 project unveiled plans for the long-term recovery of Sea Bright at a public meeting in Rumson on Wednesday night.Rob Spahr/NJ.com 

Frank Lawrence, the chairman of the Sea Bright 2020 steering committee, said he was nervous about what to expect from the process because he did not know how many people would want to be involved.

“But we had about 50 people sign up to be on committees, and most of them came out to every meeting,” he said. “It was a great collaboration.”

Mayor Dina Long said she intentionally stepped back from the planning process, because she wanted the vision for Sea Bright’s future to be the vision of its residents and not just of its elected officials.

“I think this process really brought Sea Bright together. Not that we weren’t close before, but now we have people from the north end and the south end all working together for the betterment of Sea Bright,” Long said. “And I think the result is a really unified plan for a more sustainable Sea Bright.”

Lawrence said the approach of getting the ideas flowing for a more sustainable borough – in terms of being able to better withstand future storm and economic challenges – was simple.

The committee members were simply asked to start tossing out ideas – even if they seemed silly or overly ambitious.

“We got a lot of ideas out there that way and eventually, we started noticing a common theme between many of them that we were able to start grouping together,” Lawrence said. “Not everyone agreed about everything. But unlike the Federal government right now, they were able to work together and get stuff done.”

The ideas for the long-term recovery of Sea Bright were featured on large poster boards stationed around a room inside Holy Cross School on Wednesday night, which again played host to the large crowd of Sea Bright stakeholders concerned about their community’s future.

“These ideas are ambitious, but also very realistic,” Lawrence said.

Sea Bright resident Linda O’Mara just finished elevating her house 12 feet after it was damaged in Hurricane Sandy.

“I had no idea that they were considering a lot of these things and I would like to learn a little more about some of the plans, particularly the one that looks like it includes my property. But overall I think there are some great ideas here,” said O’Mara, adding she has spent most of her life either living in or visiting Sea Bright. “Sea Bright is never going to be the same because of the storm. But I do believe something like this can help make it better for the people who live here and hopefully visit here.”

Full-time borough resident Eric Lynn said the long-term redevelopment plan was “so far, so good.”

“There are some very good ideas, but I’m interested to see how the voting turns out and which of these projects will be prioritized,” said Lynn, of the ballot that borough residents were asked to fill out ranking the 10 projects they felt were the most important.

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“I’ve seen some of the results online already and it’s shocking to see the difference in what people think are important,” said Lynn, adding felt the priority should be fixing the river bulkheading and related flooding issues. “I think that is more important than branding at this point. Let’s fix our town back up and fix the flooding issues, which can be fatiguing even with minor storms, before we start promoting how great we are.”

Lawrence said the final plan, incorporating the voting results, is scheduled for presentation on Nov. 6.

Meanwhile, the borough also has a committee studying the feasibility of dissolving Sea Bright as its own municipality and merging it with another local municipality. The result of that study is due at the end of the year.

Long said the long-term recovery planning was important to undertake even though the consolidation study is ongoing. Because she said regardless of if Sea Bright is its own municipality in another 10 years, “it will always be Sea Bright” and it needs to be rebuilt wisely for its residents, many of whom will still live there regardless of municipal designation.

“I’m not a believer in the concept that bigger is better. Could a large community have accomplished what ours did after Sandy? I don’t think so. And look at what the large Federal government is doing right now, while our small government of volunteers is still hard at work,” Long said. “But this, just like our long-term planning, is important for Sea Brighters have their say in. And whatever they decide, I’ll go fight for.”

Tour 5 Open Houses this Weekend in Cockeysville

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Homes listed from $600,000 to more than $1 million in Hunt Valley and Cockeysville are set to open for tours.

This home at Hillsyde Court in Cockeysville is listed at more than $1 million, and will be open for tours from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Credit: MRIS/Zillow.com

Touring homes for sale isn’t just for buyers, it’s also a great way to get ideas for your own home—from decorating tips to landscaping ideas.

Here’s a list of open houses in Hunt Valley and Cockeysville this weekend, from our partners at Zillow.com.

World Power Lawn & Garden Equipment Market

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NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p0701913/World-Power-Lawn–Garden-Equipment-Market.html#utm_source=prnewswireutm_medium=prutm_campaign=DIY_and_Garden_Equipment

World demand to rise over 4% annually through 2017 Worldwide demand for power lawn and garden equipment is forecast to rise more than four percent per year through 2017 to well over $20 billion. Growth in equipment sales will be supported by a recovery in the massive US market that will lead to increased spending on durable consumer goods and landscaping services. Demand will also rebound in Western Europe as the construction of new housing climbs following the Euro zone economic troubles in 2012. In developing areas of the world, particu¬larly the Asia/Pacific region, sales of out-door power equipment will be stimulated by households that will increasingly seek out multifamily residential properties with associated lawns and/or gardens, spurring growth in commercial lawn care equipment.

US, Canada, Western Europe to remain dominant markets While power lawn and garden equipment sales in developing nations will record the largest advances in percentage terms through 2017, the US, Canada and Western Europe will continue to account for the vast majority of world demand. Consumers in these developed nations have high income levels that allow for discretionary purchases like power lawn and garden equipment, and landscaping services that utilize this equipment. Additionally, countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the US have strong residential lawn and garden care cultures, and the lion’s share of golf courses worldwide are located in these three nations.

Turf grounds equipment to be fastest growing Lawnmowers will continue to account for the biggest portion of sales among all product groups, owing primarily to the large number of homeowners that possess and maintain their own lawns in the US, Canada and Western Europe. In these areas, a lawnmower is considered an essential appliance for most homeowners, as these products are the only way to efficiently manicure a larger lawn. Turf and grounds equipment is expected to post the fastest market gains, driven by recoveries in the professional landscaping industries in many developed nations. Furthermore, a continuing trend toward urbanization of developing nations, including those in Asia and South America, will boost the use of public parks and other green spaces, increasing maintenance needs and bolstering demand for related equipment. Sales of aftermarket parts and attachments will rise at a slower rate than demand for new equipment, as economic growth in the US and Western Europe will boost per capita incomes, and prompting many users to discard older units that require repair and maintenance.

Commercial applications to experience fastest gains Residential demand for power lawn and garden equipment will continue to account for the majority of all sales globally through 2017. However, demand for outdoor power equipment for com¬mercial applications will grow at a faster pace going forward, fueled primarily by a recovery in the professional landscaping industries in industrialized nations. As technologies for batteries and electric motors continue to improve and the use of large battery-powered equipment becomes more economically viable, market expansion for electric equipment will outpace that for internal combustion engine-powered machinery. The growing popularity of robotic mowers will also contribute to gains in electric outdoor power equipment.

Study coverage This upcoming Freedonia industry study, World Power Lawn Garden Equip¬ment, is priced at $6300. It presents historical demand data for 2002, 2007, and 2012, plus forecasts for 2017 and 2022 by product, power source, market, world region, and for 21 countries. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles industry players worldwide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION xiii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT 4 General 4 World Economic Outlook 5 Recent Historical Trends 5 Macroeconomic Outlook 7 Personal Income Expenditure Trends 11 World Building Construction Expenditure Trends 13 World Demographic Outlook 15 Population 16 Urbanization Patterns 17 Household Formation Patterns 19 Lawn Garden Equipment Pricing Patterns 21 Legal Regulatory Issues 23 Technology Product Innovation 26

III. WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 29 General 29 Regional Overview 30 Demand 30 Production 36 International Trade 38 Demand by Product 40 Lawnmowers 42 Turf Grounds Equipment 45 Trimmers Edgers 46 Other Equipment 49 Parts Attachments 50 Demand by Market 52 Residential 54 Commercial 56 Demand by Power Source 59 Internal Combustion Engine 60 Electric 61

IV. NORTH AMERICA 64 General 64 Supply Demand 65 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 67 United States 70 Canada 76 Mexico 82

V. WESTERN EUROPE 88 General 88 Supply Demand 89 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 92 Germany 95 France 101 United Kingdom 107 Sweden 113 Belgium 119 Netherlands 124 Italy 129 Spain 135 Other Western Europe 140

VI. ASIA/PACIFIC 147 General 147 Supply Demand 148 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 151 Australia 154 China 159 Japan 165 New Zealand 171 India 177 South Korea 183 Other Asia/Pacific 188

VII. OTHER REGIONS 195 Central South America 195 General 195 Supply Demand 196 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 198 Brazil 200 Other Central South America 206 Eastern Europe 211 General 211 Supply Demand 213 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 215 Russia 218 Poland 224 Other Eastern Europe 229 Africa/Mideast 235 General 235 Supply Demand 237 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 239 South Africa 241 Other Africa/Mideast 247

VIII. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 254 General 254 Industry Composition 255 Market Share 258 Product Development 264 Manufacturing 266 Marketing 269 Distribution 271 Cooperative Agreements 272 Financial Requirements 276 Mergers, Acquisitions, Industry Restructuring 277 Company Profiles 280 Alamo Group Incorporated 281 AL-KO Kober AG 288 Ariens Company 290 Bad Boy Mowers Incorporated 294 Black Decker, see Stanley Black Decker Blount International Incorporated 296 Bomford Turner, see Alamo Group Bosch (Robert) GmbH 299 Briggs Stratton Corporation 301 Bush Hog, see Alamo Group

Bynorm, see Ariens Cifarelli SpA 308 Companhia Caetano Branco, see Briggs Stratton Country Home Products Incorporated 309 CT Farm Country, see Alamo Group Deere Company 312 DR Power Equipment, see Country Home Products Draper Tools Limited 317 Earthmaster, see Alamo Group Eastman Industries 319 ECHO, see Yamabiko Emak Group 321 Excel Industries Incorporated 325 Exmark Manufacturing, see Toro Giant-Vac Manufacturing, see Metalcraft of Mayville Global Garden Products Group 328 Grasshopper, see Moridge Manufacturing Greenman Machinery Company 332 Hayter, see Toro Henke Manufacturing, see Alamo Group Herschel-Adams, see Alamo Group Homelite Consumer Products, see Techtronic Industries Honda Motor Company Limited 333 Husqvarna AB 337 Ingersoll Tractor, see Eastman Industries

Jacobsen, see Textron Jiangsu Linhai Group 343 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited 344 Kubota Corporation 347 Lawn Solutions Commercial Products, see Toro Lawn-Boy, see Toro LEO Group Company Limited 351 Liaocheng Changchi Gardening Horticulture Machinery Company Limited 352 Makita Corporation 353 Marunaka Limited 357 Maruyama Manufacturing Company Incorporated 358 Masport NZ Limited 360 McConnel, see Alamo Group McLane Manufacturing Incorporated 362 Metalcraft of Mayville Incorporated 363 Moridge Manufacturing Incorporated 365 MTD Products Incorporated 367 Neutron Mowers, see Country Home Products Ransomes Jacobsen, see Textron Rhino, see Alamo Group Rousseau, see Alamo Group Scag Power Equipment, see Metalcraft of Mayville Schiller Grounds Care Incorporated 371 Schulte Industries, see Alamo Group Shandong Huasheng Zhongtian Machinery Group Company Limited 374 SMA, see Alamo Group

Spearhead Machinery, see Alamo Group Stanley Black Decker Incorporated 376 Stens, see Ariens STIHL Holding AG Company KG 378 Swisher Mower Machine Company 382 Techtronic Industries Company Limited 384 Tenco, see Alamo Group Textron Incorporated 386 Tiger, see Alamo Group Toro Company 390 Twose of Tiverton, see Alamo Group Valu-Bilt, see Alamo Group Viking, see STIHL Wenling LEO Garden Machinery, see LEO Group Yamabiko Corporation 397 Yangzhou Weibang Garden Machine Company Limited 401 Zama, see STIHL Zhejiang Kangli Industrial Trading Company Limited 402 Zhejiang Leo, see LEO Group Other Companies Mentioned in Study 403

LIST OF TABLES SECTION I — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Summary Table 3

SECTION II — MARKET ENVIRONMENT 1 World Gross Domestic Product by Region 10 2 World Per Capita Gross Domestic Product by Region 12 3 World Building Construction Expenditures by Region 15 4 World Population by Region 17 5 World Urban Population by Region 19 6 World Households by Region 21

SECTION III — WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 33 2 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Shipments by Region 37 3 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Net Exports by Region 40 4 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Product 41 5 World Lawnmower Demand by Region 44 6 World Turf Grounds Equipment Demand by Region 46 7 World Trimmer Edger Demand by Region 48 8 World Demand for Other Power Lawn Garden Equipment by Region 50 9 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Parts Attachments Demand by Region 52 10 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Market 53 11 World Residential Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 56 12 World Commercial Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 58 13 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Power Source 59 14 World Internal Combustion Engine Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 61 15 World Electric Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 63

SECTION IV — NORTH AMERICA 1 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 67 2 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 69 3 United States: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 74 4 United States: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 76 5 Canada: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 80 6 Canada: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 82 7 Mexico: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 86 8 Mexico: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 87

SECTION V — WESTERN EUROPE 1 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 92 2 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 94 3 Germany: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 99 4 Germany: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 101 5 France: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 105 6 France: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 107 7 United Kingdom: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 111 8 United Kingdom: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 113 9 Sweden: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 117 10 Sweden: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 119 11 Belgium: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 122 12 Belgium: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 124

13 Netherlands: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 127 14 Netherlands: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 129 15 Italy: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 133 16 Italy: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 135 17 Spain: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 138 18 Spain: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 140 19 Other Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 144 20 Other Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 146

SECTION VI — ASIA/PACIFIC 1 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 151 2 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 153 3 Australia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 157 4 Australia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 159 5 China: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 163 6 China: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 165 7 Japan: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 169 8 Japan: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 171 9 New Zealand: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 175 10 New Zealand: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 177 11 India: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 181 12 India: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 183 13 South Korea: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 186 14 South Korea: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 188 15 Other Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 192 16 Other Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden EquipmentDemand by Type, Market, Power Source 194

SECTION VII — OTHER REGIONS 1 Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 198 2 Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 200 3 Brazil: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 204 4 Brazil: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 206 5 Other Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 209 6 Other Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 211 7 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 215 8 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 217 9 Russia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 222 10 Russia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 224 11 Poland: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 227 12 Poland: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type,

Market, Power Source 229 13 Other Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 233 14 Other Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 235 15 Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 239 16 Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 241 17 South Africa: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 245 18 South Africa: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 247 19 Other Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 251 20 Other Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 253

SECTION VIII — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 1 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Sales by Company, 2012 256 2 Selected Cooperative Agreements 274 3 Selected Acquisitions Divestitures 279

LIST OF CHARTS

SECTION II — MARKET ENVIRONMENT 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Pricing Deflators, 2002-2022 23

SECTION III — WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region, 2012 34 2 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand: Projected 2012-2017 Annual Rate of Growth 35 3 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Shipments by Region, 2012 38 4 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Product, 2012 42

SECTION IV — NORTH AMERICA 1 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 70

SECTION V — WESTERN EUROPE 1 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 95

SECTION VI — ASIA/PACIFIC 1 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 154

SECTION VII — OTHER REGIONS 1 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 218

SECTION VIII — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market Share, 2012 260

To order this report: World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p0701913/World-Power-Lawn–Garden-Equipment-Market.html#utm_source=prnewswireutm_medium=prutm_campaign=DIY_and_Garden_Equipment

__________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Volunteers Give Landscaping Makeover To Woman Who Maintains Veterans …

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CREST HILL, Ill. (CBS) – A Crest Hill woman who 25 years ago knocked on doors and gathered names for what would become the town’s veterans’ memorial is receiving a thank you today.

A team of volunteers from the Home Depot in Homer Glen descended on her home, and started work on a landscaping makeover — removing bushes, building a garden wall, spreading mulch, planting flowers, and erecting a fountain.

Phyllis Powell and her late husband, Joe, were a driving force behind the memorial’s creation, and she still tends the gardens there today, and plants flags on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and Flag Day. She stood in her yard with tears in her eyes watching the volunteers work.

She said she was overwhelmed.

Home Depot manager Beth Armour said the project is part of the company’s plan to spend $80 million in five years to better the lives of veterans, and those who support them.

She said she reached out to State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) when looking for a project in the area, and learned about Powell’s work on the memorial from the mayor of Crest Hill.

Powell said she couldn’t thank them enough.

Cranbourne’s Garden Wins Landscape of the Year Award

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The Australian Garden, designed by landscape studio Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Paul Thompson, won the prestigious award during World Architecture Week.

The Australian Garden is Victoria’s newest botanic garden and is located in Cranbourne, Victoria, a division of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

“Like a botanic garden, it is a collection of difference, but with a strong unifying set of journeys through the various landscapes,” said the award’s judging panel.

Australian landscapes

The journey of water through Australian landscapes

From the desert to the rugged coast, the landscaped garden encapsulates everything landscape architecture should including ecology, architecture, horticulture, and art. Over 170,000 plants from 1,700 species grow on the 15-hectare former sand quarry site. The gardens send visitors on a metaphorical journey of water through the various landscapes that comprise Australia.

“This garden brilliantly summarises the great variety of Australian flora as well as the large part of the country which is arid desert,” the jury said.

The re-creation of the Australian landscape is used for educational, scientific and conservation purposes, and is enjoyed by visitors and scientists alike. The botanic garden is one of many gardens worldwide now refocusing efforts on portraying a message of landscape conservation and meaningful engagement for visitors. The primary goal is to teach about the importance of sustainability and biodiversity.

While most of Australia’s gardens are based on European designs, the Australian Garden uses the nation’s landscape as inspiration, celebrating its diversity and contrasting elements.

Cranbourne's Australian Gardens

Cranbourne’s Australian Gardens

The garden’s east side includes exhibition gardens, research plots, display landscapes and a plethora of forestry areas with formal designs whereas the west side features gardens with natural cycles and irregular form.

“This landscape stood out with its originality and strong evocation of Australian identity without having to use any signs or words – just the beautiful flora of Australia’s countryside,” the jury said.

Instead of importing new soil into the former sand quarry which was lacking any substantial amount of rich soil, the design team selected specific native plants that could adapt to the challenging site conditions including drought tolerance and low water needs.

A guide for personal landscaping and promoter of native Australian flora, the Australian Garden protects integral ecosystems and defends Australia’s biological heritage.

Kristen Avis

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Images Credit: Taylor Cullity Lethlean

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Insulate your greenhouse and other gardening tips

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Pruning, planting and blanching – here are this week’s top tips for a bloomin’ marvellous garden.
 

  • Plant new climbers, shrubs and trees while the soil is still warm.
  • Clear out summer containers, taking cuttings or saving tender plants if you have space to overwinter them.
  • Check the greenhouse heating and insulate to save heat.
  • Stop feeding and reduce watering for plants in the greenhouse.
  • Make sure bowls of bulbs being forced for indoor flowering do not dry out.
  • Finish pruning out all shoots from rambler and climbing roses that carried flowers as soon as they have faded.
  • Continue blanching leeks, covering plants with tubes of cardboard or drainpipe.
  • Pick crops at their best including marrows, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, beetroot and salads.
  • Plant blocks of Dutch iris in sunny positions, to flower in early summer.
  • Propagate new gooseberry bushes by taking hardwood cuttings from healthy plants before their leaves drop.
  • Where grass growth is thin, over-seed now with a suitable grass seed mixture.
  • Cut down marginal plants around pools that are dying back.
  • Plant out hardy primulas raised from seed or divisions.

 

Best of the Bunch – Stipa gigantea

Flowers may be fading, but many ornamental grasses are still going strong, providing structure, movement and colour to borders and pots.

Among the best in autumn is Stipa gigantea, or golden oats, originally from Spain and Portugal, which forms neat hummocks of narrow mid-green leaves to 70cm (28in) long, carrying clouds of green flowers on erect stems to 1.5m (5ft) in early summer.

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In autumn the flowers turn a deep golden brown as they age and persist well into winter. Wait until early spring to cut them down, along with any dead leaves.

Grow S. gigantea as a specimen or as a gauzy screen at the back of a border. It does best in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil.

 

 

 

 

 

Insects, not squirrels, are culprits behind falling twigs

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Our yard is absolutely covered with the tips of tree branches. The tree (don’t know what kind) isn’t dropping fall leaves yet, so what’s going on? Squirrels?

Two native insects will snip off the tips of tree branches in August and September. The twig girdler makes a cut like a beaver does. You’ll see a pointed end at the cut. The twig pruner makes a concave cut. Both insects overwinter as larvae inside the cut twigs littering your lawn and will emerge as beetles next year. To prevent a repeat next year, gather up the twigs and bag up and dispose of them. These insects are a minor pest, though they distort a young tree’s shape. There is no insecticide labeled to control them but, like many other pest insects, they are attracted to lights, so be sure to turn off unnecessary night lighting.

Isn’t purple loosestrife banned in Maryland? It’s horribly invasive, especially in wetlands.

Purple loosestrife has taken over 50,000 acres in Minnesota alone and is now in all states except Florida. It has been designated as invasive in Maryland, but is not officially on the state’s noxious weed list, which details banned plants and is geared to agricultural weeds. In Maryland, the commercial horticulture industry self-regulates invasive plants by not selling most of them. Residents need to educate themselves about which plants are invasive, so they do not inadvertently order, for example, purple loosestrife, from out of state or accept a plant from a misguided friend, thinking it is an innocent purple-flowered perennial. Marylanders can report a patch of the plant at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/PurpleLoosestrife

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

Arugula or Rocket Salad

Eruca sativa

Arugula has rocketed to popularity in recent years. An excellent late-season crop for home gardeners, the peppery flavor of arugula leaves add a zesty punch when used raw in salads or cooked — maybe that’s why ancient Egyptians and Romans considered arugala seed oil to be an aphrodisiac. Plant seeds every few weeks in either early spring or fall. Thin seedlings to 6 to 9 inches apart. Harvest the green, deeply cut, compound leaves when plants reach 8 to 10 inches, about six weeks after planting. To encourage more leaf production, continuously harvest young leaves. — Jane Talarico

Tips on growing strawberries in the home garden

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Strawberries can be grown in home gardens throughout the state.  Temperatures between 50 to 80° F (10 and 27°C) and day lengths 14 hours or fewer are required for the development of flowers and fruit on most strawberry varieties.  In the U.S. these conditions occur only for a short period in late summer or fall, and again briefly in spring.  In our area, however, this combination of day length and temperature exists for much of the fall, winter and spring.  Single-crown (stem) strawberry plants are planted in Florida during the fall, from late September to early November.  Flowering and fruit production generally beings in November and continues into April or May.  Fruit production over this period is not constant, but occurs in two or three cycles, and can be interrupted by freezing weather.  Because the highest quality fruit are produced on relatively young plants with not more than four or five branched crowns, plants are usually tilled under at the end of the fruiting season, and new plants are planted the following fall.

Currently, we suggest three varieties for the Florida home garden:  Camarosa, Sweet Charlie, and Festival, all three varieties produce attractive, flavorful berries suitable for eating fresh or for freezing.  Camarosa has been the most productive variety in North Florida, while Festival has been the most productive variety in Central Florida.  These varieties are capable of producing 1 to 2 pints of fruit per plant over the season.  Strawberries grow best in a location receiving at least 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.  If a full sun location is not available, try to choose a spot that is sunny during the morning and early afternoon.  The soil should be well drained and slightly acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.5).

IFAS specialist recommends planting strawberries on raised bed which are two feet wide and spaced two feet apart.  The beds should be mounded so they’re six inches high along the edges and about eight inches high in the middle. 

In preparing the beds you begin with fertilization.  For a ten-by-ten foot strawberry patch, broadcast about two-and-a-half pounds of 8-8-8 fertilizer and till it into the soil.  Then from the beds and apply another two-and-a-half pounds of fertilizer this time in a narrow band about six inches deep down the middle of the beds.  If you’re just starting to grow strawberries you should also include a complete mixture of minor elements in the first season fertilizer application.

When the bed is properly formed, fertilized and moistened, cover with a sheet of landscaping mesh fabric which will block weeds and allow water to penetrate.  The, cut slits in the fabric where the plants will be inserted.  Plants should be set in double rows, one row on each side of the bed about six inches from the edge.  Plants should be spaced 12 inches apart in the row.  Be sure that no plants are set directly over the fertilizer band down the middle of the bed because this can lead to salt burn.

Be sure to use certified, disease-free plants.  Keep them moist before planting and plant in moist soil.  Spread the roots in a fan shape, set the plant at the correct depth in the soil, and pack the soil firmly around the roots.

For more information on growing strawberries contact the Gulf County Extension Service @ 639-3200 or visit our website:  http://gulf.ifas.ufl.edu  or www.http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu  and see Circular HS 1154

Don’t prune roses in fall, and other tips for preparing rose gardens for winter

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PATTI_JACKO_15275689.JPGView full sizeRose expert Patti Jacko gets spectacular blooms in summer by properly preparing her rose garden for winter. Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Whenever someone complains that they can’t grow roses, Patti Jacko asks if the gardener pruned in the fall. If the answer is yes, the mystery is solved.

“Pruning in fall will kill them,” said Jacko, a rose expert who grows 158 varieties at her home in Hinckley. Pruned roses lose food stored in the branches that will keep roots healthy over winter. “They need that extra nutrition,” said Jacko, a member of the American Rose and the Western Reserve Rose societies.

Fall pruning also signals roses that it’s time to grow, but the new growth will die in when cold temperatures arrive, said Peter Schneider, a rose enthusiast who raises more than 1,200 varieties at his Freedom Gardens in Portage Co. “It starts at a disadvantage in spring,” he said. “It’s much better for the rose if you resist pruning until spring.”

OK, message received – no pruning. Stop deadheading and fertilizing too, say rose experts, to signal to the plants that it’s time to go dormant.

There are steps rose growers can take to be sure their gardens get off to a good start next spring.

Make sure that the graft point on grafted or hybridized roses is completely covered under soil. Otherwise, the thaw-freeze cycle in winter will kill the plant, Jacko said.

You can tell if your rose was grafted – a propagation method in which the roots of one variety are attached to stems from another variety – if all of the branches are coming out of a golf-ball-sized root. That ball must be well protected from winter weather, she said.

Growers who hybridize roses are collecting the rose hips, or seed pods, to save them for spring, Schneider said. Some roses have colorful rose hips that add winter interest to gardens. “Birds will be feasting on those (rose hips) in winter,” he said.

Many rose growers believe roses must be covered during the winter. “No, you don’t have to do that in this zone,” Jacko said. She stopped putting burlap over her roses about five years ago, mainly because the bags were a pain to put on and take off. She ties up climbers if they might suffer wind damage.

It used to be popular to put Styrofoam cones over roses for winter, but that made it necessary to cut the plants low to fit in the cone, Schneider said. That meant the plant was starting from almost zero come spring, so the cones have largely fallen out of favor, he said.

He does put burlap bags filled with straw over his tree roses, which are varieties that grow straight up and bloom high off the ground. The bag protects against winter damage and the lack of light keeps the plant dormant. Any new plant growth that takes place during mild spells will die when temperatures turn cold again, he said.

Cucumber bugs and Japanese beetles have mostly left the garden by now, but diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew are still factors. Clean out dead leaves and debris that could carry black spot from around rose bushes, Jacko said. You can also spray for black spot, but be sure to choose a product that doesn’t include fertilizer.

She sprinkles lime sulfur on her roses to kill dormant black spot spores lurking in the soil.

“That’s the last thing you will do before you walk way and say, ‘OK, guys, you’re on your own’,” Jacko said.

THURSDAY: The Rose Garden at Cleveland Botanical Garden (video).

FRIDAY: Tips for your putting your rose garden to bed.