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Get green gardening tips at workshop

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  • Green thumbs unite at gardening extravaganza plus bonus citrus tips

    Queensland Gardening ExpoGardeners across Australia and New Zealand are once again counting down to one of the country’s most impressive gardening events which will see over 30,000 visitors converge on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for the 29th Queensland Garden Expo from 5-7 July 2013.

    The event, which attracts both the most avid and the most amateur gardeners, offers a jam-packed program including free lectures and demonstrations on a diverse range of gardening topics as well as the wares of over 360 exhibitors and more than 55 nurseries selling over 40,000 plants per day.

    Queensland Garden Expo Event Manager, Marion Beazley believes this year’s event will once again raise the bar offering visitors the latest in gardening tools, accessories, garden art, plant clinic advice and more.

    “Gardening continues be one of the most popular past-times in Australia.  We love to grow things, whether we have an interest in growing our own fruit and vegetables, cultivating a beautiful rose garden or surrounding ourselves with pot plants to create a more natural and beautiful environment,” Ms Beazley said.

    “The Queensland Garden Expo offers some of the country’s most knowledgeable experts as speakers and provides an exceptional range of exhibitors to meet your every need.  Those coming to the Expo tell us the reason our visitor numbers keep growing is because they keep coming back year after year and they keep telling others about what’s on offer – we are proud to offer our visitors something new every year to meet their ever-changing gardening needs.

    The speaker program is offered across eight live stages and includes many high profile gardening experts such as Costa Georgiadis of ABC Gardening Australia fame who is always very popular, ABC Radio Host Annette McFarlane, Garden Guru Phil Dudman,  4BC Gardening Talkback host, Clair Levander and Jerry Colby-Williams also regular Gardening Australia presenter, to name but a few.  The Expo will also welcome a new speaker to this year’s with Angus Stewart from Gardening Australia sharing his vast knowledge of Australian native plants which has become an increasingly popular topic over the years.

    A new addition to the Garden Expo weekend this year is the Gardeners and Gourmets Celebrity Dinner which will be held on the evening of Saturday, July 6 at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort.  The ticketed event will offer guests the opportunity to hear their favourite gardening presenters and to speak to leading gardening experts while enjoying the great local produce on offer as well as entertainment and giveaways.

    “We come from humble beginnings.  When the Expo started in 1984 as a half-day event with only 30 exhibitors, five workshops and a plant clinic it attracted around 300 locals so it’s fantastic that 29 years later we are so highly regarded and placed amongst the top gardening events in the country,” said Marion.

    “Our commitment to offering great products across all areas of gardening as well as a wealth of information from an excellent selection of gardening experts makes the Expo a one-stop shop, whether you’re coming along to get the first look at new release plants being launched by the nurseries or you’re wanting to know how to get started with your first vegie patch. There’s something for everyone and the Expo provides a great day out for the whole family.”

    Other highlights include the Giant Kitchen Garden which is once again expected to prove popular with more people wanting to grow their own food, the Living Backyard feature which demonstrates how you can create a biodiverse environment in your own back yard and the brand new Gardeners and Gourmets stage which will give visitors great tips on growing their own produce and turning it into delicious gourmet meals.  As always, the children’s playground and the multitude of food stalls and entertainers ensure the Expo is a great day out for the whole family.

    The Queensland Garden Expo is held at the Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour.  For more information please visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.

    Getting great advice is a big drawcard at the Expo, here’s some great tips on successfully growing citrus.

    EXPO EXTRA:  Top Ten Tips for Growing Successful Citrus in the backyard – by Peter Young, Birdwood Nursery

    1. Grow the fruit you want to eat. If you like to eat what you’re growing you’ll look after it better.
    2. Choose a variety that will grow well in our climate. Some citrus varieties that come from colder climates are susceptible to brown spot disease, so make sure you pick something that can survive a Queensland summer such as Imperial or Emperor Mandarins.
    3. Want more than one type of fruit but don’t have space for more trees? Try planting four trees in the one planting hole and they’ll grow as one tree with four separate trunks. Choose types that mature at different times so you can pick fruit all year round!
    4. Fruitscape… or at least don’t plant everything in the one spot. When you concentrate everything in the one spot, all the pests come to that spot as well so spread fruit trees throughout your garden.
    5. Fertilise citrus in June, August and November.   If you fertilise during the rainy months, the nutrients will promptly be washed away.
    6. Fertilise the whole root area. So many people only fertilise the drip line but you need to spread fertiliser from the stem to the outside branches.
    7. Plant when the weather becomes cooler.  From May to September is the best time to plant in Queensland because the Citrus Leaf Miners are dormant.
    8. Select the right root stock. There are seven different root stocks commonly used for citrus and the secret is to get the right one for your plant. Make sure you are buying from a reputable source so you can get good advice and your tree can live for 60 plus years!
    9. Another great alternative for those with limited space is a Dwarf Citrus Tree. Use either Trifoliata or Flying Dragon root stock for these varieties for tubs or in the garden.
    10. Build up, not down! If you plant too deeply, the tree will get Collar Rot. Don’t dig  a big hole and fill it up with better soil and fertiliser, instead mound up on top of the ground and then plant.

    Free Miami Middletown lecture has gardening tips

    Miami University Middletown’s Verity Traditions will host “Square Foot and Pallet Gardening Made Easy” with Alfred Hall from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 11 at Verity Lodge, 4200 N. University Blvd.

    Participants will learn to grow fresh, natural, organic vegetables in a fraction of the space it takes in a row and hoe garden. Square foot and pallet gardening is easy, can be done on a patio, rooftop, or in a small area of a yard with no weeding, hoeing, plowing or tilling.

    Organic and naturally grown herbs and vegetable plants will also be available for purchase at the program.

    The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

    Alfred Hall is the owner/operator of Terrapin Farms and Eden (Urban Gardening Center) and is a board member of Hamilton Urban Garden System Foundation (HUGS).

    For more information, call 513-727-3472 or visit www.regionals.muohio.edu/verity/events.htm.

    Style in a small outdoor space

    Design magazines and home-decorating catalogs tend to feature sprawling backyards with big wooden decks and room for everything from decorative fountains to artificial ponds.

    But few of us have that much outdoor space.

    Still, with a few strategic choices, you can create something truly special out of even the smallest yard or porch, says Los Angeles-based designer Brian Patrick Flynn.

    Here, he and two other design experts — small-space specialist Kyle Schuneman and landscape designer Chris Lambton — offer advice for making the most of a small yard, modest deck or petite patio.

    Go flexible and mobile

    “With a small outdoor space, I really like to think double-duty,” says Schuneman, author of “The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces” (Potter Style, 2012). Look for seating that has hidden storage space inside and tall planters that add privacy.

    And choose items that can easily be moved, such as lightweight flowerpots or planters on wheels, says Lambton, host of the gardening design series “Going Yard” on HGTV. “It’s an easy DIY thing,” he says.

    Furniture choices

    “The easiest way to make small outdoor spaces appear smaller is to fill them with lots of pieces,” says Flynn, founder of the design website decordemon.com.

    “Instead, go big with sectionals, or flank perfectly square or rectangular areas with identical love seats or sofas. This not only maximizes the seating potential, but it also keeps the space from becoming too busy or even chopped up.”

    When arranging furniture, consider the view: If the home’s exterior is more attractive than the outdoor view, Flynn says, consider positioning seats so that you’ll face your home rather than looking away from it.

    Plant wisely

    All three designers say your choice of plants is especially important when space is limited.

    Choose plants with a purpose: “Lavender’s great,” Lambton says, because it’s attractive, easy to grow and deters bugs. Marigolds will also help keep insects away.

    Lambton suggests putting up a trellis as a privacy wall, and planting it with colorful wisteria or climbing hydrangea or tall holly. .

    “Holly will be green all year round,” he says, and can transform an unappealing view.

    Think vertically

    If you love plants but have minimal space, add a wall-mounted garden filled with succulent plants to one wall, says Schuneman: “It’s a great way to add life and texture without actually taking any real estate up on your small balcony or patio.”

    He also suggests using narrow planters to create “long, narrow, raised flower beds that go the length of the space.”

    Flynn suggests playing up the height of your space by adding long outdoor curtains or hanging pendant lights.

    Drench with color

    “I usually paint concrete slabs (on the floor) a bold color or an accent color carried out from an adjacent room,” Flynn says. “This helps the patio feel like an extension when you look out to it through a door. On the flip side, when seated out in the patio looking inward, the consistent use of color flowing inside and outside makes the patio itself feel much more open.”

    Flynn also suggests outdoor curtains for a burst of color and to block an unattractive view. “Outdoor draperies are, hands-down, the easiest way to soften an otherwise all-concrete and stucco space, while also being able to control how much or how little neighbors can see.”

    Create your own art

    “Most people don’t think of using art outside, but it can be done, especially in a DIY manner,” Flynn says. “My favorite trick is to use tent canvas and stretch it across a DIY frame made from pressure-treated lumber, and add some gesso to the surface for texture.”

    You can make any outdoor space more beautiful, Lambton says, with just a few hours of effort and a small investment.

    “If you get two or three pots and a couple of bags of planting mix,” he says, “it’s easy to do for a couple hours on a Saturday. … Just a little bit of color and life will really dress up your outdoor space.”

    Berkeley photographer captures unique landscape designs in new book

    BERKELEY — Twenty-two years after Marion Brenner’s 4- by 5-inch camera captured the burned beauty of the apocalyptic Oakland hills fire, the Berkeley photographer has turned her lens to a new subject, with tight, cerebral images in the ORO Editions release “Living Land: The Gardens of Blasen Landscape Architecture.”

    The 187-page book features images with Brenner’s signature command over natural light and living spaces. Applied to the wildly organic vegetation artfully coaxed into 11 sophisticated California topographical designs by Eric and Silvina Blasen of Blasen Landscape Design, the intimate, insider’s glimpse into private spaces is accompanied by writer Hazel White’s detailed, poetic narrative. Chapters begin with captivating descriptions of each project and include the Blasens’ philosophies and motivations.

    Told in convincing, conversational tone, reading the text is like actually strolling through a location’s native grass-filled field or pausing with the husband-and-wife team to contemplate the texture of a boulder left untouched by their less-is-more approach.

    With the addition of an extensive plant list, a landscape design lexicon, and garden design drawings by the Marin County husband-and-wife team, “Living Land” lifts itself well above coffee table eye-candy status to become a resource for architects, scholars, landscape artists, and botanical gardeners.

    Meeting in an Elmwood cafe before a recent book signing, Brenner

    talks about her work and the intersection of land, animals (including humans) and architecture.

    “After the fire,” she says, recalling the devastation that came within two houses of destroying her home,”I became obsessed with taking pictures. Initially, I only did my street because I didn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy. But people wanted me to take pictures. I realized afterwards that (taking) photos of the fire was a way of making order out of a chaotic experience. It helped me deal with the vagaries of life.”

    Brenner grew up around photography; her father owned a camera shop.

    More interested in painting and fine art, she chose art history as her major, but never thought she’d be an artist. After living abroad for several years, she returned to Boston and began taking pictures.

    Eventually, she relocated to California and continued; working with architects, visiting gardens after hours, aiming her Hasselblad into the sun, racing to catch the “magic 10 minutes of good, natural light” at sunrise and sunset, graduating to a 60 megapixel camera that shoots 300 dpi at 22 by 30 inches.

    “I was interested in space, all along,” she says, expressing dissatisfaction with the “garden/landscape photographer” terminology used to define her genre. “I’m interested in how people create space. It’s fascinating and political: gardens are cultural statements.”

    She describes an 18th century English style garden she is photographing in France, where protest against the king’s authority is expressed in the landscape’s meandering, emotional design. And she talks about projects here in California, where land and water use are as much a consideration as Douglas firs, Pacific willows or gardenias.

    Unsurprisingly, the Blasen book project encompasses eight years of work.

    “We’d get to the space four hours before sunset,” she says, “and there can’t be fog, because it does funny things with color. We walk the land, keep our eye on the light, mark a shot while the light is bad. The landscape designer knows the space intimately, so they have to be there with me, but it’s my job to make sense of the space and reveal it in two dimensions.”

    Ironically, the Blasens’ landscape design is as much about hiding their work as it is about amplifying the terrains’ beauty.

    In one location, “Light Touch on the Land,” a home and garden are segmented and sculpted to avoid disrupting a ridgeline. Enormous boulders are integrated into walls and pathways to avoid excavation. Given the designers’ propensity for economical, subtle creations, Brenner’s photos could have resulted in an aloof, push-away portrayal.

    “I’m a natural light photographer,” Brenner says, explaining the resulting magic and perhaps, inadvertently, finding an acceptable label for her profession.

    New book

    “Living Land: The Gardens of Blasen Landscape Architecture” is available on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, at ORO Editions (http://www.oroeditions.com//book/living-land), and at your local neighborhood bookstore.

    New Installment of the Japanese Garden Plants e-Book Series– Japanese Moss …

    San Francisco, CA, June 05, 2013 –(PR.com)– Japanese garden designer Keizo Hayano and San Francisco-based garden designer Jenny Feuerpeil write short picture e-books about Japanese garden culture. Part 2 of their new series about signature plants of the Japanese garden (Japanese bamboo gardens, Japanese moss gardens, Japanese maples) has been released on May 31st 2013.

    The e-book titled “Moss in the Japanese Garden” has 11 pages and 45 quality pictures of famous moss gardens. It introduces 15 different moss varieties with close-up photographs for easy identification and gives advice on how to grow a moss garden.

    German Garden Designer Jenny Feuerpeil says: “Coming from Europe, I know many gardeners around the globe envy Japan’s warm and humid climate that provides the perfect conditions for establishing moss in a garden. In this e-book we give instructions on how to create a beautiful moss garden in climate zones different from Japan. There are also a lot of helpful tips on moss garden maintenance.”

    This time the design duo received support from the gardener and plant lover Anika Riedl, who currently works in a Japanese garden company near Tokyo. She researched the most popular moss varieties in Japanese gardens, wrote the instructions for establishing moss in a Japanese garden corner and identified the moss in the pictures.

    Chief Advisor of Real Japanese Gardens Keizo Hayano adds: “My recommendation for moss fans and Kyoto visitors is to visit Saiho-ji aka Koke-dera, the moss temple in Arashiyama and Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion in Higashiyama. Jenny (Feuerpeil) took the most amazing pictures of Japanese moss in these gardens. We had a hard time to select the best pictures for this e-book.”

    Currently the website www.japanesegardens.jp features basic information, pictures and directions to around 90 gardens in Japan. To date, 12 eBooks about famous, secret and private Japanese gardens have been published. Another 3 eBooks have been released about typical elements of a Japanese garden – traditional fences and gravel patterns. The first e-book in the plant category is an introduction to Japanese bamboo.

    Note to editors:
    Providing reliable information to our readers is Real Japanese Gardens’ highest priority. Before writing an e-book, the team visits the garden and takes photos of the garden and its features. Up to 80% of the research is done using Japanese resources (books, journals and interviews) to stay as close to the Japanese garden tradition as possible.

    Keizo Hayano is the owner and head designer of the Japan garden design studio Niwashyu in Shibuya, Tokyo (www.niwashyu.jp). He studied the fine arts at the Kyoto City College of Arts and loves small intimate gardens that soothe the soul. Member of the Japanese Association of Garden Designers.

    Jenny is a German garden designer who came to Japan after leaving her job at a global IT company. She studied garden design in Chelsea, London and founded the garden design label Dendron Exterior Design (www.dendronexteriordesign.com).

    In 2010, she decided to go to Japan to learn the Japanese garden tradition first hand as an apprentice in a garden maintenance company near Tokyo. She loves the rough texture of natural materials, the boldness of stone arrangements and dry landscape gardens.

    Lakeridge Contracting: the best beards in the landscaping business

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    DURHAM — Mike Pennington never wants to be mistaken for a TV personality on a home improvement show.

    With long curly locks falling to his shoulders and a scraggly beard that covers most of his face, it’s unlikely he would and that suits him just fine.

    “Don’t confuse us with something on HGTV,” says Mr. Pennington, referring to the quick-fix, whirlwind repair world of the shows on the Home and Garden TV channel.

    There are no muscleman pretty boys working on the Lakeridge Contracting Inc. crews, says Mr. Pennington, who believes such shows skew the public’s view of the landscape profession.

    “We want to appeal to people by being a down-to-earth company,” said Mr. Pennington, a veteran landscaper for nearly a quarter-century, as he adjusted the sunglasses holding his hair back out of his face.

    “We’re looking for the people who want the service we provide, who want a good job done. Not the people who judge us by our hair or our beards.”

    Lakeridge Contracting was created in 1999 by Dean Maahs and now employs up to a dozen people during its busiest months. Mr. Pennington serves as the company’s residential division supervisor — essentially Mr. Maahs’ right-hand man and the face of Lakeridge Contracting’s home improvement side.

    The company started out mainly working large industrial, commercial and institutional jobs, but over the last three years or so have put an emphasis on the residential side.

    That allows Lakeridge Contracting to utilize its skill set from larger projects and apply it to smaller-scale residential requests, explained Mr. Pennington.

    “All of our experience and equipment and training and insurance, we bring that all along to your house. We’re not just a guy with a pickup truck,” he said.

    The company is a proud Techo-Pro contractor and has a long list of certifications and partnerships that helps meet clients’ requests of all sizes.

    Essentially, Lakeridge Contracting is a one-stop-shop for residential home improvements.

    “A homeowner doesn’t want to hire a fencing company and a pool company and a landscaper and co-ordinate all of that. We take care of it all,” said Mr. Pennington.

    Lakeridge Contracting offers a wide variety of services, from interlocking driveways, walkways and tree-planting to creating backyard patios, pergolas, fencing and pool renovations, and has a designer on staff to ensure clients’ wishes are met.

    Landscaping is not for the lazy. There’s lots of hard work and plenty of long hours — a job for professionals who like to mix business with beards, laughed Mr. Pennington.

    “We don’t require beards, but we don’t discourage them,” said Mr. Pennington of the facial hair trend among his employees that has started to become a trademark of the company.

    Piggy-backing off the popularity of the Duck Dynasty show, which follows the lives of a family who runs a duck call fabrication business, Mr. Pennington proudly sports a hairy face for marketing purposes.

    “I’m not a shaving, hair-cut kind of guy. I’m not an office guy,” said Mr. Pennington, who started growing his hair out about two years ago because his young daughter likes to brush it.

    His hirsute campaign seems to be paying off.

    On a recent sunny Thursday morning, Mr. Pennington started his day at 6 a.m. and planned to meet with clients nearly every hour until 7:30 p.m. — listening to potential clients’ dreams, offering quotes and ideas and overseeing the work of his crews.

    Mr. Pennington has also helped lead Lakeridge Contracting into the vast new world of social media. The company is easy to find online, offering insight into its various jobs through Facebook, YouTube and photo-sharing sites.

    But, Mr. Pennington’s admittedly got a soft spot for Twitter, which provides a sneak peek into his world.

    “We want people to know it’s a challenging job,” said Mr. Pennington of his venture into the Twitterverse, which he initially entered to keep in touch with suppliers and other landscaping companies.

    “It gives us a chance to see what other people are doing and a chance to brag about what we do, but it also lets us talk about our guys and how proud of them we are and the jobs they do,” said Mr. Pennington.

    Call: 905-686-1640

    Visit: www.lakeridgecontracting.ca

    Twitter: @Lakeridgecon

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/LakeridgeContracting

    Instagram: instagram.com/lakeridgecon

    Pinterest: pinterest.com/lakeridgecon

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LakeridgeContracting


    — Durham Trade and Commerce, May 2013 edition




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    Preview: Parade of Homes house in Portage

    KALAMAZOO, MI — Houses from $150,000 to more than $900,000 with unique features like theater rooms, wine rooms, an even an indoor workout pool are expected to provide something for almost every homeowner or prospective home buyer to see at the 23rd Annual Spring Parade of Homes in Kalamazoo.

    Parade homes of all styles and price ranges can be seen throughout Kalamazoo County,” said Scott DeLoof, president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo, which sponsors the annual event. “This year we are taking on the theme of energy efficiency. Many of the homes will be highlighting energy efficient features.”

    Home Builders logo.jpg

    He said Consumers Energy is the event’s Luminary Sponsor and is working with the Home Builders Association “to educate as many people as possible about how they can save money by having an energy-efficient home.”

    The nine-day Parade, which starts Friday (June 7) and continues through June 15, will feature 21 homes, including 18 newly built residences and three remodeled homes. Other sponsors include WKZO and WVFM radio, MLive Media Group, Integrated Smart Technologies and Lake Michigan Credit Union.

    “This year we have a lot of unique builders and styles,” said Amanda Kuchnicki, director of marketing and social media for the HBA. She said the homes include four condominiums and three lake houses. “We are featuring the latest trends and styles for interior design, energy efficiency and technology within the home.”

    Parade logo.jpg

    She said people enjoy the Parade of Homes not only to see what the area has to offer in new housing opportunities (construction, architecture, landscaping and technology) but to find ideas and inspiration for their own home improvements.

    Click here for a look at the homes to be showcased.

    Among the homes is a custom-built house at 6199 McGillicuddy Lane in Portage designed by area home designer Phil Bonnine for the young family of his son and daughter-in-law. It is a 2,444-square-foot, single-family residence with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

    “It’s modern living,” said Jack Gesmundo of American Village Builders, which began construction of the house about 5.5 months ago in its Homestead community. “It’s casual living. It’s not a formal home.”

    He said the house in functional, without a formal dining room or segregated rooms.

    “The kitchen in this home is a command center,” Gesmundo said. “It’s open to the living room and the dining area.”

    Its cabinetry and walls feature unique colors and finishes. And the house backs up to the Portage trail system.

    Some details:

    WHEN – June 7 through June 15.

    WHERE
    Various homes from Greater Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County. Location maps are provided with tickets.

    HOURS –  6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 to 9 p.m. on Fridays; 1 – 9
    p.m. Saturdays; and some homes are open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
    Remodeled homes area to be open from June 13 to 15 only.

    COST – Admission to all of the properties is $12 per
    person. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased in
    advance for $10 at any Lake Michigan Credit Union location or Harding’s Marketplaces in Kalamazoo.

    SPECIALS
    Tickets include dining deals from various local restaurants including: Asiago’s Bakery Deli, Epic Bistro, Fieldstone Grill,
    Martell’s, The Union and Central City Tap House.

    More information about the Parade of Homes is available by contacting the Home Builders Association at
    269-375-4225 or via KalamazooHomePage.com.

    Business writer Al Jones may be contacted at ajones5@mlive.com
    and 269-365-7187. Follow me on Twitter at
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    Tellgren’s Terrace garden opens behind Springville Elementary School

    SPRINGVILLE — Tellgren’s Terrace is now officially open, behind Springville Elementary School. The garden and outdoor classroom features a collection of benches, picnic tables, a brick patio and a sculpture of butterflies in flight, all instated for the school and community, in honor of former SES Principal Scott Tellgren.

    Tellgren’s Terrace has been in the works since May 2011, when Parent-Teacher Association representative Julie Moriarty applied for the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant, which was awarded, in the amount of $5,000. Members of the PTA, students and staff worked, side-by-side, to construct the brick patio, benches, picnic tables and gardens, stocked with perennials that will bloom, year after year.

    “We had teachers and students lined up, side-by-side, passing bricks from one to the other, to make this patio,” Moriarty said, gesturing to the terrace. “A lot of people put in a lot of hours, to make it all come together.”

    The garden and outdoor classroom, including a sculpture by Ashford Hollow artists in residence, was officially unveiled, during a ceremony at the garden, on May 20.

    Springville Elementary School Principal Marcole Feuz thanked Lowe’s Toolbox for Education for the grant, the Ashford Hollow Foundation for creating the sculpture, Gernatt gravel pit and Dave Miller for donating the gravel and mulch, David and Claire Brown of DH Landscaping for helping design the garden, the Dziak family for donating time and talents and the Springville-Griffith Institute grounds crew for its “tremendous support” in helping volunteers to construct the landscape.

    “It never would have been possible, without the many volunteers, who donated their time and talents,” she said.

    Feuz also thanked Moriarty for securing the grant and helping the project come to fruition.

    “You really embraced the project and made it a reality. We’ve seen people eating dinner at the picnic tables, enjoying the garden and really making it their own. We owe you a debt of gratitude,” she said, to Moriarty.

    Feuz also spoke to Tellgren, for whom the garden is named.

    “Thank you, for sharing yourself with the SES community, for so many years. You are a tremendous inspiration, for your dedication to education, to perseverance and to never giving up,” Feuz said. “Scott is a true family man, a community member and my mentor. He’s why I’m here. This project is to give back and honor him, for students to utilize and enjoy now and for many years to come. This garden will continue to give, just like Mr. Tellgren has done.”

    Feuz enumerated some of Tellgren’s accomplishments, during his time with the S-GI District and in the community, including instating video announcements at SES, coaching for Springville Youth Inc., taking thousands of photographs of events, around the district and encouraging advances in technology and the arts.

    “I would not be where I am today, if I did not have Scott as my mentor, my lifelong friend and my confidant,” Feuz said. “He’s always been willing to listen and offer advice.”

    Art teacher Rebecca Szpaicher explained that the fifth grade class worked with the Ashford Hollow artists in residence, to decide whether to work in aluminum casting, bronze casting or metal sculptures, this year. The class decided on metal sculptures and worked together, to design the large-scale design that now sits in Tellgren’s Terrace.

    “The students designed the [sculpture] out of paper and the artists took it back to their studio, welded it and painted it,” she explained, adding that the figure weighs approximately 500 pounds. “We thank the district for supporting the arts in education. This sculpture depicts butterflies in flight. Mr. Tellgren always did his own artwork, while he was here. At first, we couldn’t get him into the arts. After a while, we couldn’t get him to leave. Mr. Tellgren, this is for you.”

    Tellgren’s wife Betsy spoke, on behalf of her husband.

    “Thank you all, for the bottom of our hearts,” she said. “Scott loved his time here and was very happy to say that this was his home. Thank you all.”

    S-GI Board of Education Member Joan Kelly also spoke to those assembled, about Scott Tellgren and his impact on the school and the community.

    “As we all walk down the road of life, there are three types of people we meet. We meet those who love to leave footprints on our heads. We meet those who love to leave their footprints on our gluteus maximuses, but it’s those who leave their footprints on our hearts that we will always remember and love. Those people leave their footprints on the world, on both children and adults, including me.

    “Congratulations on a job well done,” she said. “Thank you, Mr. Tellgren, for your service to this school and to this community.”

    Feuz closed the ceremony, by recalling what she called her favorite photograph of Tellgren, in which he is shown reading a book to students, while wearing a “Cat in the Hat” top hat.

    “One of my favorite quotes from that book is, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened,’” she said, to Tellgren, adding, “Scott, you have a lot to smile about.”