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Green Velvet Landscape: 50 years and growing

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PORTSMOUTH — If you’ve ever walked by the back entrance of Piscataqua Savings Bank, chances are you’ve taken the time to stop and smell the fresh flowers.

The outdoor arrangement, which over the years has served as a background for many photographs and constant praise from passersby, consists of everything from rudbeckias, echinaceas, petunias, marigolds and begonias.

As the person responsible for the upkeep of the many perennials and annuals, Jim Piper said that each and every time he watches someone stop and admire the flowers, he is reminded of why he continues to operate his landscaping business, Green Velvet Landscape.

“People stop me and say the gardens are so beautiful,” Piper said. “That says it all.”

Having tended to the downtown gardens for the past 35 years, Piper said it’s not uncommon for between 15 and 20 people to stop him while he works in the flower beds throughout the week.

The admiration, mixed with a love for landscaping, is what Piper said keeps him doing what he’s doing year after year.

Piper was only 14 years old when he started working at Green Velvet Landscape, which was founded in 1963 and run by Gordon Gaskell.

After putting in his time at the landscaping company, Piper went into business with Gaskell in 1970. A decade later, Piper took over the business, and a short time later, sold a burgeoning garden center on Central Road in order to concentrate on the landscaping side of the company.

This year, Piper is celebrating the company’s 50th year in business. Now 63, Piper said he credits the company’s longevity to not only the solid foundation built by Gaskell, but also to the continued attention he pays to the detail and quality of his landscaping.

“You do it because you love to do it,” Piper said.

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Scotland’s most magical walled gardens

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Lindsay’s garden had disappeared beneath 19th-century borders, so Historic
Scotland reconstructed a 17th-century parterre, framed by knee-high hedges
of box. The mottoes of Sir David Lindsay and his wife are spelt out in box
around four wedge-shaped beds planted with roses. Chequerboards of box
reflect the pattern of the walls, while in triangular corner beds, dwarf box
is clipped into two thistles, a rose and a fleur-de-lis to represent the
Union of the Crowns in 1603.

Edzell Castle, Edzell, Angus (01356 648631; historic-scotland.gov.uk).
Open every day, April 1 to September 30, 9.30am-5.30pm.

Kellie Castle in Fife

PIC: ANDREA JONES

The Firth of Forth can be glimpsed from Kellie Castle in Fife, a splash of
blue beyond its stone walls. The Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer spent
his childhood here, his late-19th-century restoration of castle and garden
inspiring his subsequent work at Earlshall, Hill of Tarvit and Formakin. To
a 17th-century framework he added a central walkway, a summer house and
corner gardens, creating a compactly pretty Arts and Crafts garden.

On a central lawn, encircled by a seat, stands an ancient apple tree. From
there paths of grass and gravel lead out, flanked by lichened fruit trees
and vegetable beds interplanted with flowers. Structure is given by box
edging, by yew enclosing a stone bowl carved by Hew Lorimer, by cordons of
pears and fan-trained apples, and by kiwis, figs and peaches on the
south-facing walls.

Kellie Castle, Pittenweem, Fife (0844 493 2184; nts.org.uk).
Garden open all year, 9.30am-6pm (or dusk if earlier).

  • Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute (main pic, top)

On the other side of Scotland, Mount Stuart, ancestral home of the Bute
family, stands on the Isle of Bute, its 18th-century landscape garden and
lime tree avenue sloping down to the Clyde. The kitchen garden was built in
the 1870s, at the same time as the red sandstone Gothic palace that replaced
a Georgian mansion destroyed by fire. Along its south-facing wall are
trained plums and damsons above a border of lavenders and sage. It is
enclosed on the other three sides by beech hedges; these green walls shelter
planting that thrives in the gravelly peat.

The remodelling of the Victorian garden by Rosemary Verey in 1990 was
triggered by the 6th Marquess’s purchase of a large glass pavilion from the
1988 Glasgow Garden Festival. She surrounded it with box beds to echo the
pattern of the paths through the adjacent pinetum, with vegetables laid out
within in parallel lines. Above the pavilion are two fruit cages in beech
hedge compartments, while below are an orchard of apples, pears and
cherries, and a simple grass labyrinth.

Tender plants from around the world are grown inside the glass pavilion.

In 2000, James Alexander-Sinclair sensibly softened the garden’s harder edges
by turning several vegetable beds into herbaceous borders for a bravura
August display of chrysanthemums, dahlias, grasses and foliage.

Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute (01700 503877; mountstuart.com).
Open from April to October 31, 10am-6pm.

Cambo Gardens, Fife

PIC: ANDREA JONES

By contrast with Mount Stuart’s strict geometry, the two-and-a-half-acre
walled garden at Cambo in the East Neuk of Fife is a place of mystery, with
winding paths and hidden seats. It is given rare charm by its burn, which
tumbles headlong to the sea, jumping over waterfalls and beneath the
Georgian, rose-clad, wrought-iron bridges that predate the early-1800s
garden. The Erskines have owned the estate since 1668, although the house
was rebuilt after a fire in 1878. House and garden are separated by
woodland, carpeted in February by the snowdrops for which Cambo is famous.

Sir Peter Erskine came to the helm in 1976, and his wife, Catherine, has
developed the snowdrop business and transformed the walled garden. Instead
of serried rows of dahlias, bedding plants, fruit and vegetables, Catherine
and head gardener Elliott Forsyth have created a garden for all seasons,
mastering the art of successive flowering, yet with a climax in August and
September. Relaxed and naturalistic planting combines the best of modern
design with an underlying sense of tradition. A nepeta walk slices through
the garden, with alliums, hardy geraniums and roses scrambling over old
apple trees. The dazzling ornamental potager is laid out in a flowing mix of
vegetables, annuals and perennials.

A new Prairie Garden, with North American species grown at Cambo from seed,
links the walled garden to the Georgian stables, soon to be restored with
Heritage Lottery funding.

Cambo, St Andrews, Fife (01333 450054; camboestate.com).
Open daily, 10am-5pm. Free tours every Tuesday, March to October.

Castle of Mey, Caithness

PIC: ALAMY

This garden, on the tip of the mainland, faces due north over the Pentland
Firth. Salt winds whip in from the sea, yet there is a warm microclimate in
this two-acre garden that would not exist were it not shielded by a 15ft
wall and tucked into the lee of the castle.

When the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother bought Mey in 1952, the garden
was a wilderness, which she reclaimed, paying her last visit only five
months before her death. Her favourite place was a south-facing bench in the
Shell Garden overlooking rose beds and nasturtiums, growing up like a hedge
of colour. She knew the name and place of every plant, and changes were made
at the gardeners’ peril.

Morning and Chilean glory are trained up inside the greenhouse, while outside
a ledge is filled with tubs of trailing lobelia, petunias and helichrysum,
and annuals are planted beneath in summer. Honeysuckle, clematis and
buddleia clamber over arches, and wall-backed beds are a mass of herbaceous
perennials.

Working rather than merely ornamental vegetable beds are rotated on a three to
four-yearly basis, and fruit cages are filled with raspberries,
strawberries, gooseberries and currants. The down-to-earth practicality of
this garden belies its royal ownership.

Castle of Mey, Thurso, Caithness (01847 851473; castleofmey.org.uk).
Open from May 1 to September 30, 10am-5pm.

• Tips
for creating your own walled garden

Become a Master Gardener

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Are you planning on retiring soon and will have extra time on your hands?  Are all the kids gone or in college now and you feel lost?  Have you recently moved to Cheatham County and would like to meet new people and make new friends?  Do you like to garden, but just don’t quite know where to start?  Would you like to learn how to grow your own vegetables?  Interested in learning how to prune your trees?

Joining the Cheatham County Master Gardeners Club could  be the answer to all of the above.   The UT Extension Office of Cheatham County is sponsoring a new class for Master Gardeners in Cheatham County beginning in September.   Students will be furnished a Tennessee Master Gardener Handbook containing extensive information on basic botany, soils, water, vegetables, fruit, using pesticides, insect control, disease control, organic gardening, composting, herbs, wildlife, and much more.  This is a 7 week course and students will receive research based information from UT experts and Master Gardeners knowledgeable on these subjects.

After finishing the course, students become interns for one year and work side by side with fellow Master Gardeners on various projects in Cheatham County.  These projects include maintenance of flowers and shrubbery at the Ashland City Library and the Library at Kingston Springs.  A flower bed at Sycamore School is another project cared for by the Cheatham County Master Gardeners and they also care for a wild flower garden on the Turkey Junction Walking Trail.  A new project in 2013 is the building and maintenance of flower beds at both entrances of the Cheatham County Fairgrounds.  The Master Gardeners help every year at the Cheatham County fair logging in produce, enjoying the smiles on the young farmers’ faces as they hope for a blue ribbon.

Life as a Master Gardener is not all work.  Sharing ideas and gardening wisdom at monthly meetings is a must.  Speakers at the meetings on subjects such as growing strawberries, keeping bees and gardening tips from Master Gardeners give insight for future use.  The Master Gardeners Club also schedules many informative outings during the year.  These outings include a visit to a beautiful hosta garden in Nashville and a trip to pick blueberries in Springfield.  A Christmas party including husbands, wives and/or significant others tops off the year for the Master Gardeners.

So, if you would like to learn more about gardening, have spare time on your hands, and/or are looking for something different now that the kids have left home, now is the time to consider becoming a Cheatham County Master Gardener.  Join the class beginning in September.  For more information on the upcoming class contact Sierra Ham at the Cheatham County UT Extension office at 792-4420.  Happy gardening!

Ready For Fall? Here’s 7 Tips For Your Garden

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From repotting to planting, late summer is a great time to get your garden in order. Here are some tips to help.

1. Sow Spinach

It’s a good time to sow spinach for later this fall and early next spring. Sow seeds in the garden; keep the area moist for a couple weeks. You’ll harvest healthy, great tasting spinach in a month or six weeks. This also gives you a head start in the spring. The spinach will over-winter and hit the ground growing in early spring. Sow other salad greens, too. They won’t over-winter but they will produce great autumn salads.

2. Plant Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums provide great fall flower color. Pick plants that are tight and have lots of branches. More branches means more flowers this autumn. Plant mums in a sunny spot. Be sure you know what type of plant you have. Some mums are dainty and small, others can get big.

3. Fertilize House Plants

Use a balanced fertilizer. Take them outside for a shower.  It’s also a good time to transplant pot-bound house plants into a little bigger container. Most house plants don’t like drafts so keep them away from furnace vents.

4. Fall is for Planting or Transplanting

Trees and shrubs planted this time of year do well.  Divide and move any overgrown or large perennials. If you have more than you can use give some away to neighbors and friends. Move plants with the most roots. New plantings will put roots down and hit spring running. Ornamental grasses do not like to be divided in late summer. Divide them in the spring.   

5. Cut herbs for Drying

Herbs in flower hold the most oils, flavor and fragrance. Tie the stems and hang them upside down. They can be kitchen ornaments and essentials throughout the winter.

6. Consider Canning or Freezing

Fall is a great season to have fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables. Even if you don’t grow it yourself, you can buy produce grown a relatively short distance away. To keep up with the flow, we freeze a lot of the harvest. Canning is the only way to save salsa and marinara for the winter. 

7. Watch Out for Bugs

Tomato horn worms can eat a lot in a day. They are what they eat and tend to be the same color of the vine they are on. Check tomatoes and potatoes carefully.  Hand pick the bugs off of the plant. Potato beetles can also be handpicked. Or just knock them off the plants into some soapy water.

tom@throgmortonplantmanagement.com                     

Garden Design Series this fall

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Posted: Friday, August 9, 2013 12:07 am


Garden Design Series this fall


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As a gardener, there is nothing more exciting than to see a garden design that started on paper develop into a living expression of color, texture and space. It’s incredible to think about the expanse of knowledge we are exercising when gardening: from the arts to the sciences, to research and physical activity. Gardening is truly all inclusive.


As we enter the fall of the year, we often reflect on our garden – what we did right, and what didn’t go so well. For me, August is usually the month that I start to figure out what changes I can make when I can plant again, in September and October. I don’t know of a gardener that doesn’t tweak their work to make it better, more beautiful, more maintenance free, or whatever the goal. Plants come and go. If we make the right decisions in advance by planning before implementing, our plant selections will thrive longer, and we will enjoy our gardens longer with less frustrations.

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Home Seller Tip: Design a rustic country garden to achieve a high-end price tag

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A charming country garden can be a great addition to any home. Beautiful, quaint and part of a long British tradition, these types of garden can be enjoyed all throughout the year.

There is so much that can be done with a country garden, and it’s the perfect way to really put a stamp on your property to garner interest from prospective buyers. Waltons has some handy tips just for you to get started , so it’s time to unleash your creativity and design that fourth bedroom which will leave viewers fighting over the highest bid!

Perfect plants

No country garden is complete without a bed of wildflowers. But remember that these plants are used to wild, natural environments: give them free reign with a free-flowing style.

Creating a rugged look mimics the countryside, so bringing together hardy perennials and shrubs with the less conventional can really nail that rustic style.

Traditional wildflowers such as wood sorrel with its pale blue petals and heart shaped leaves can make you believe you’ve stepped out into the unknown. Try honeysuckle and long-stemmed buttercups to reproduce your very own pasture.

Herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage provide joy all year round as they give gorgeous scents in the summer, as well as being useful for the kitchen! Use the aroma to draw people into the garden escape to really attract the top offers on your home.

If you’re looking to add wildlife to the mix, go for lavender, angelica and bergamot which will bring those busy bees your way. Encourage frogs with metal pails of water and plenty of hidey-holes.

Log cabins

A log cabin can spark your country paradise into life. Walton has a top selection of bespoke buildings that will really bring your garden together.

Log cabins can be used for sitting out late into the evening in a beautiful setting, or even as a summer office. If furnished, it’ll give you the chance to present an extra room for multiple uses.

Make sure you have a winding path to guide you to the door after those evening walks among the mint and jasmine. Line it with locally sourced stone or wood to give it that natural feel. Who knows, maybe there’ll be more at the bottom of the garden than meets the eye?

If you aiming for a family-home-sale, a wildflower garden can seem like a fairytale for young children. With so many places to hide and discover, they’ll feel like they’ve fallen into wonderland if you leave wild patches to explore.

A log cabin could also be used as a den for the long summer holidays. Children will love having their very own space where they can play, imagine and create in their countryside space.

Natural accessories

By making your very own features from reclaimed wood, you’ll be helping out nature as well as injecting some original creativity into the garden.

Wooden beds or a weathered bench made from bleached timber can add that extra charm to your space. Use an old watering can or wheelbarrow to fill to the brim with your favourite wildflowers, as if they sprung up overnight!

When it comes to gardens, they tend to be one of the last places a new family will fix-up after they’ve moved in. By providing a space which is fit for their casual needs, or even for their youngsters, you’ll be providing potential buyers with a room that is already perfect. Meaning that when it comes to asking for top dollar, it’ll be hard to be refused!

Mural captures Elkin’s past

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The Standard St. mural in downtown Elkin is taking shape and near complete.

“The Main Street Advisory Board decided to include mural grant projects this year along with façade grants for businesses in the downtown area,” said Laura Gaylord, the community manager for the Town of Elkin.

According to Gaylord, the MSAB uses funds from the MSD (Municipal Service District) to pay for projects to enhance downtown such as beautification, landscaping, upgraded benches and trash receptacles, signs and banners, and funding requests for events from non-profits that occur downtown.

“This year the mural grants were especially exciting because Michael Brown, who is an exceptional North Carolina artist, was able to fit us in this summer to paint murals, after making a few visits to Elkin earlier in the year. He was very enthusiastic and inspired by our downtown and he helped the MSAB, and the businesses owners who wanted to participate in the mural grant program, work through ideas about what was important to portray in our community.”

“Its a panoramic view. It’s going to turn out great when done,” said Brown who was seen bouncing in between vehicles that would often pause along Bridge and Standard St. to take a glimpse. “I’ll tell you. There’s a ton of interest in the art piece.”

Gaylord said that Elkin Antiques and Collectibles Mall asked their patrons what they’d most like to see on their wall that runs along side of the building.

After working through many ideas, the group settled on the old Elkin bridge, and they decided to include another building missing in Elkin since the mid-80’s; the Elkin Train Depot.

“Combining the two images into one mural honors the past, and helps us feel connected again to things that we can no longer experience,” said Gaylord. “There is something comforting about seeing the Hugh Chatham Memorial Bridge standing strong again along the wall on Standard Street. The view is close enough in its location, that you almost feel the bridge is still there for a moment.”

Spectators will now see sepia tones incorporated by Brown. The tones give the appearance that you are looking at a historic photograph.

“The artist in me pushed really hard to incorporate the sepia tones,” said Brown. “This mural is magnificent.”

According to the Town of Elkin, business owners pay for the cost of the mural and are reimbursed by the MSAB mural funds, which are a 50/50 matching grant up to $1500.

“The painting project quality on the wall could likely result in being one of the most highly desirable photo op locations for Elkin,” said a tourist who’s in town for a wine festival.

Reach Anthony Gonzalez at 835-1513 or email at agonzalez@civitasmedia.com

Area churches clean-up for Moline’s first day of school – WQAD.com

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Instead of their usual Sunday services, five area churches spent the morning cleaning-up Moline in preparation for students returning to school.

On Sunday, August 11, 2013 five Quad City churches worked on clean-up and landscaping in Moline as part of the Converge Serve project.

Bethany Baptist in Moline, Bluegrass Community Fellowship Church in Bluegrass, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Eldridge, Grandview Church in Davenport, and Pleasant View Baptist in Bettendorf all took part in the day of service.

Volunteers worked at all 12 elementary schools in the Moline School District and helped to clear a storage room at The Project in Moline.  School principals helped give the churches ideas on what work was needed in preparation for the start of the school year, according to Bethany Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, Jerry Schrick.

Crews were also working at John Deere Middle School, the Blackhawk Area Education Center, and Moline High School.

“We want to share God’s love with no strings attached, the way Christ shows his love to us.” said Schrick.

The Name Factor

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The Name Factor

Developers are becoming savvy about brands. In a bid to boost the value of their properties, they are tying up with brands such as Disney, Swarovski and Armani. But the question is, are such co-branded properties a good investment option?

THE RISE

In this time of slowing economy and stagnant sales, developers are trying to attract buyers by offering exclusivity, latest designs and international experience. This is especially true in the high-end segment. Over the past couple of years, there has been a visible increase in the number of projects with brand-tieups as their unique selling proposition, even beyond the metros.

“During 2007 to 2011, only seven branded projects were launched, and that too in Pune and Mumbai. The next year, there were 11 such launches, in Pune, Mumbai, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Bangalore,” says Shveta Jain, executive director (residential services), Cushman Wakefield India, a property advisory

“This year, at least three such projects have been launched. There have been announcements for many more. Pune leads the list with 11, followed by Mumbai (8) and the NCR (6),” says Jain.

AN EDGE

Association with big brands helps builders stand out. It also adds goodwill and credibility to projects, besides helping builders acquire expertise in certain areas.

For instance, Pune-based Panchshil Realty has associated with US-based realtor Trump Organization for Trump Towers. This has given the Indian developer access to Trump’s designs.

“Unique branding ideas with theme-based exteriors, international-level sports amenities and resortlike facilities add to the sense of ownership and pride in buyers,” says Jain of CW.

In the high-end segment, endorsements by big brands add to the recall value and, of course, premium.

“For developers, the clear edge is in product differentiation. By doing this, they are able to command a premium. The tieup also h e l p s them create a buzz about their projects,” says Aditya Verma, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Makaan.com, a property classifieds website.

For builders, these tie-ups are an attempt to capitalise on the growing aspirations of prospective buyers who want enhanced luxury experience and unique lifestyle.

“If a developer can identify his audience and its aspirations and is able to fulfill them through a tie-up with a big brand, he will command a premium for his product,” says Verma.

CELEBRITY BUZZ

Brand tie-ups in the realty sector primarily revolve around design, exclusive facilities and marketing.

Developers bring in reputed architects (often with international acclaim) for designing and landscaping their building. Sometimes, the project is designed in collaboration with big designer brands.

World-renowned designer Giorgio Armani’s Armani-Kasa interior design studio has designed Mumbai-based Lodha Group’s The World Towers project in Mumbai.

The Armani company has also designed New Delhi-based Supertech’s Supernova, a mixed-use project in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi. Pune-based Panchshil Realty has partnered with French designer Phillipe Starck for YooPune, a project under the brand name ‘Yoo’. The famous Disney cartoon characters have been used for branding of a Sunteck Realty project in Goregaon, Mumbai (2012), as well as Supertech’s Fable Castle project at Yamuna Expressway, Greater Noida (2013).

Swarovski Crystal has tied up with Pune-based City Corporation. Under the deal, it will do interior designing for Gateway Towers, a luxury housing project in the city.

Apart from famous designers and brands, developers are also collaborating with celebrities for interior designing. For instance, former Bollywood actress Twinkle Khanna has designed interiors of the ORB project in Supertech’s Cape Town Township in Noida. She has also designed Panchshil Realty’s One North project in Pune.

Many national and international celebrities are also endorsing realty companies and projects. For instance, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone are brand ambassadors for Amit Enterprises and SKYi Group (both from Pune), respectively.


EXCLUSIVE FACILITIES

Such tie-ups are not limited to design. Builders are also tying up with international organisations to provide certified amenities.

Sports is high on the list of exclusive facilities. Nirmal, a Mumbai-based developer, has launched a sports city in its Thane project. The city has sports facilities approved by reputed sports organisations such as the US Open for tennis courts and FINA (Federation Internationale De Natation, the international body that governs swimming and related sports) for swimming pools.

In Pune, Lodha Group’s luxury residential project Belmondo has a golf course designed by world renowned golfer Greg Norman.

“Providing sports facilities of international standards attracts people who are conscious about fitness and leisure activities and want a differentiated product,” says Jain of Cushman Wakefield.

Some such deals involve management of apartments and concierge services. Then there are technology tie-ups for offering a world-class living experience.

PREMIUM FACTOR

Prospective customers find projects with big brands attached to them attractive. But exclusivity comes at a price. These projects are pricier than the non-branded ones.

“While the premium differs from project to project, there is a price difference of 5-25% between branded and other projects in the same location, depending upon the brand and location,” says Jain of CW.

Verma of Makaan.com puts the premium even higher. “The premium ranges from 20% to 100% depending upon the width and depth of the tie-up and the value of the associated product,” he says.

Paying a premium for such projects might not be a bad idea. If the project has been executed well, association with a brand will help investors sell the property in the resale market quite easily and at a premium, say experts. “The premium positioning of branded projects with unique amenities can be leveraged during resale,” says Jain.

“This (brand tie-ups) is a new phenomenon in the Indian market. So there is excitement (right now). However, if this spreads and many more such projects come up, the only differentiator in the long run will be execution,” says Verma.