Posted // May 7,2014 –

As a promoter of native plants for low-water landscaping, my experiences at the local farmers markets of late indicate that water conservation is not on most people’s minds these days. The recent water issue [Green Guide, April 17, City Weekly] is a timely reminder that water use has consequences beyond the individual. But it is distressing that planners predict the end of agricultural water use in Salt Lake Valley in a few generations as inevitable. Does this mean that the Buy Local movement promoting local food sovereignty is just an empty feel-good slogan rather than something real and substantial?

Rather than accept the end of local food production as inevitable, take a pointer from America’s perennial whipping boys, the late Hugo Chavez and the still very much alive Fidel Castro. Chavez authorized the local people—many of them poor—to take over the Caracas landscaping beds and plant food for themselves. Castro promoted local food production in vacant city lots and rooftops after the demise of the USSR, Cuba’s major source of imported food. Both actions resulted in better health and access to nutritional foods, at little cost to the state.

Why can’t cities along the Wasatch front adopt these ideas for their benefit as well? All it would take is a simple rewriting of extremely stupid landscaping restrictions and some creative architectural approaches for rooftop and vertical gardening, and every city could be a center for food production rather than a dead zone requiring constant importing of basic food needs.

As always, astute water conservation will be a big part of such a shift in landscaping. Another big piece of this would be a radical change in our relationship with the biosphere. In a nutshell, our ideology of continual growth needs replacing with new traditions that nurture and sustain the system that gives us life.

This little ball of water, air and rock—a mere 7,926 miles wide, not even a speck in the infinity of the universe—can only hold so much, and by all indications, it is now reaching its limit. Do we continue with mindless growth for the sake of mindless growth until we poison it all, or do we stop and reinvent a different reality? Do we even have a choice?

Clee P. Ames
Eureka

Millions of North American’s receiving a tax refund this year will be faced with the question “How should I spend the money?”

While some may choose to splurge on a vacation or a fun purchase, a smart option for the extra money is to invest in home improvements.

According to a recent report by USA Today, the average refund could be more than $3,000 which could make a bit difference in your home.

By investing tax refund dollars into home improvements – whether it’s new lighting, new hardware, new flooring or new landscaping – the extra income can provide a little excitement, while also increasing a home’s value for resale.

Carpet One Floor Home encourages customers to invest in creating a beautiful home. They also stress the importance of making smart decisions when you’re are working on any home project.

“We know the importance of being proud of your home. A home should reflect your personality and lifestyle,” said Mary Lucius Hosner of Hosner Carpet One Floor Home. “But, you also want to ensure that your investment will offer you a high return on the value of your home.”

Carpet One Floor Home’s suggestions for the best ways to invest your tax refund in your home are:

• Find the right light. Give a room a bright, fresh new look with updated lighting fixtures. In the bathroom, choose a light that fits both sides of the mirror evenly for a balanced spread of light, rather than a fixture that lights vanity mirrors from above and creates unflattering shadows. Different levels of light can be created by choosing from ceiling lights, lamps and task lighting.

• Choose quality flooring for a solid foundation. Installing new flooring can give a dramatic change to a room. It’s also a great investment in your home. With new products like luxury vinyl tile, engineered stone, and super-soft carpet, there are many options that provide quality, performance and style. Checking the warranty available for a floor provides a good idea of the durability of a product. Carpet One Floor Home provides an easy to understand warranty system to help customers make smart decision.

• Plant an investment and watch it grow. Landscaping isn’t just about good looks–it can increase a home’s value, make it sell more quickly, and even reduce energy bills. Invest in flowering trees and perennials that will give you the gift of color year after year. Fountains, yard art, or attractive benches are also great new additions for outdoor spaces. .

• Build in organization. Maximize both the horizontal and vertical space in a room by adding a built-in shelving unit. Consider a built-in bookshelf on either side of a doorway or along a blank wall to create a wrap-around cozy reading nook.

• Focus on the Outdoors. A beautiful deck can be a natural extension of interior flooring and extend the living space of your home. The design possibilities are endless when it comes to creating this functional yet visually appealing space. Deck designs can range from a simple horizontal surface bordered by railings, to a more detailed design with built-in planters, barbecue station, trellises and even a recessed spa.

• Give your stairs a step up. Constant foot traffic on stairs can wreck havoc on carpets, leaving them dull and dingy. For entrance stairways that see a constant flow of feet, a new carpet runner can do wonders for the overall look and make for a more inviting welcome area. When choosing new carpet runner for stairs, darker colors as well as patterns will help mask dust and dirt. Generally shorter pile carpets show less wear and tear over time. Look for carpets with superior warranties, like Relax, it’s…Lees carpets. Consider adding stair rods on the landings of each step, which add a classic accent while keeping the runner secure.

• Cook up a new look. Update your kitchen with a new look. Kitchen trends are looking a little softer in 2014. Warmer metals like brass and copper are being used in the place of stainless steel. And with that, warmer, natural flooring is the perfect compliment. A beautiful hardwood floor can make your kitchen feel cozier. For a natural stone look there is a new product available called engineered stone. Vero Stone, available at Carpet One Floor Home, provides unbelievably realistic stone looks while providing added durability and a softer, warmer feel underfoot.

For more ideas on creating a beautiful home download their free digital home décor magazine.

TAMPA — Some want more play areas for children and picnic areas for adults. Some want better landscaping and an area to launch kayaks. Others want to make sure safety is a priority.

All want a say in what the redone Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park will look like.

About 200 people attended a public information meeting Tuesday evening as city officials prepare to tackle the outdated park, which is off the Hillsborough River and near West Tampa, Tampa Heights and downtown.

“This park will change; it needs to change,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

The city has hired Civitas, a Denver-based planning and design firm that will propose a new concept for the park by September. Tuesday evening’s meeting is part of the process for conceiving and refining that concept.

John Bowden, who was one of around 200 people in attendance, said he’d like to see park features for children and picnic areas to eat. He’s happy to see improvements planned because the park, which was built in 1977, needs work, he said.

“It needs renovation and life brought to it,” said Bowden, 64, who grew up in West Tampa and still owns property in the area. “You bring life to it, you bring life to the community.”

Ricky Peterika said the park’s location is perfect to connect with several nearby communities and to distinguish itself from the existing downtown Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and the Water Works Park scheduled to open this summer just north of downtown. He’d like to see Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park complement the other two parks by offering something the other parks don’t have.

“It’s an opportunity to capture what they can’t provide,” said Peterika, who lives in Tampa Heights. “This could be an opportunity for a park that strikes a balance between people and the environment.”

He proposed removing the sea wall and creating a naturalized river’s edge where people could launch their kayaks, paddle boards and canoes.

“Make it feel like you aren’t in the city anymore for five seconds,” said Peterika, 31.

Mark Johnson, president of Civitas, said some of his company’s employees talked to people in the community before Tuesday night’s meeting and learned that some people didn’t know the property was a park. They thought it was an extension to Tampa Prep or the University of Tampa.

“We thought that was very revealing,” Johnson said.

Civitas has not started to design the park, Johnson said.

Three more meetings with the community are planned: June 10 will be the first round of ideas for the park; Aug. 12th will be a draft plan, and a more final plan will be presented on Sept. 9. All meetings are scheduled to be held at Blake High School.

jpatino@tampatrib.com

(813) 259-7659

Twitter: @jpatinoTBO

An emerging theme for the annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour is how to create a lovely, Florida-friendly garden on a small lot.

The 89-year-old Jones home in the Wares Creek neighborhood is newly restored. Betty Jones worked with Jeff Gilchrist Landscaping to create the Florida-friendly gardens. COURTESY PHOTO

People taking the Manatee River Garden Club’s tour Saturday can also visit their clubhouse grounds for ideas.

Home gardens on the tour are:

– Mary Patterson, 4109 Riverview Blvd., Bradenton: The gardens of 100-year-old Spanish-style house purposefully avoid a manicured look. Patterson removed all grass and installed Florida-friendly plants with the help of the Landscape941 company. Some of the plants include blue agapanthus, Russian sage, ajuga and hydrangea. Also seen are craggy old hot pink bougainvillea on the chimney, a fiddle leaf fig tree thriving along a fence and a Peters honey fig. Antique family items include a little boy fountain and a strawberry jar filled with succulents. When Patterson moved into the house three years ago, she turned a bedroom into her art studio and added a porch.

– Betty Jones, 927 22nd St. W., Bradenton: At the newly restored

A close-up view of a portion of the privacy garden at the LaPolla garden in a condominium courtyard. COURTESY PHOTO

89-year-old home in the historic Wares Creek neighborhood, Jones worked with Jeff Gilchrist Landscaping to plant tropical, Florida-friendly gardens that reflect her carefree lifestyle.  Color abounds in the house exterior, decorative accents  and the plants. The design in front is unique as it gives me the necessary privacy on a busy street, while having great curb appeal. Along a washed-shell path, markers identify black bamboo, baby sunrose groundcover with delicate pink flowers, orchids in the pygmy palm, and various croton, bromeliad and ti plants. Trees include the reclinata palm tree clusters with their gracefully curved slender brown trunks, powder puff trees, Hong Kong orchid tree and the gardenia bush. A recent addition is the garden surrounding the back deck along Wares Creek. Jones’ goal is to have plantings that will require minimal maintenance once established and will provide a sense of rest and relaxation.

– Anna Harper and Charlie Bender, 5107 Fifth Ave. Drive N.W., Bradenton: All plants except for two live oaks and one carrotwood tree have been planted within the last year. The owners describe their gardens as “contemporary tropical” and chose plants with interesting architectural structure.  Around the new front patio are tropical plants, such as yucca and Australasian tree ferns, which gives them a private outdoor venue for entertaining. Other plants include the pitch apple, various protea banksia from South Africa and Australia with their fruiting cones, the new gray-toned European olive tree, potted dwarf mulberry, and the “Slender Weaver” bamboo used for screening.

– Tom and June Sweeney, Vizcaya Condo Association, 6101 34th St. W., No. 12B, Bradenton: The Sweeneys have lived in the condo for about eight years, with Tom managing the gardens at first and planting mostly cacti. She began planting annuals and perennials.  Among the fragrant offerings in the colorful courtyard are night blooming jasmine. In the tranquil, private garden, a frog hops among the bromeliads. Other plants include a clivia plant with its scarlet-colored bloom that they brought as an indoor plant from the north, a citronella-scented geranium, a volunteer snow bush and colorful coleus. He volunteers at Palma Sola Gardens and she volunteers at Selby Botanical Gardens.

– John LaPolla, Vizcaya Condo Association, 6101 34th St. W., No. 14E, Bradenton: A retired published decorator, he now designs and cares for two small gardens as his creative outlet. Both the courtyard entry and the “privacy garden” have areas of sun and shade. As a member of the Sarasota Butterfly Club, his newest interest is choosing host and nectar plants for butterflies. Highlights include the red shrimp plant, deep pink ground orchid, the sound of water flowing, birds chirping, fish swimming in the ponds and geckos climbing over the Oriental accessories. LaPolla uses the peaceful space more than any other room in his house.

The event is the club’s major fundraiser.  The nonprofit club, established in 1929, is a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. Its mission is to promote and encourage a community of nature enthusiasts who share the love of gardening, horticulture, floral design, environmental concerns and other related endeavors.

— Submitted by Judy Boehm

IF YOU GO

What: Manatee River Garden Club’s Mother’s Day Garden Tour.

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Clubhouse, 3120 First Ave. W., and five private gardens.

Cost: For tour, $15 in advance at Crowder’s in Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch and $20 at the door; $8 for lunch at clubhouse, where there also will be a plant sale and vendors.

Information: Call 870-2259 or visit www.manateerivergardenclub.com.

The outdoor plant specialists at Tinga Nursery, located between Castle Hayne and Wilmington on Hwy. 133 have the answers to all your landscaping questions. With over 100 years in business, the staff at Tinga has a unique understanding of what it takes to plan, plant and maintain the kind of garden this area is famous for.

Owner Eelco Tinga, Jr. and his son Eelco Tinga, III are the third and fourth generations to operate this family run nursery and are proud to carry on the legacy of Eelco I. Tinga, who started the business in 1913. Still located on the same piece of land and making use of some of the original buildings, Tinga Nursery carries on the tradition of excellence by offering customers the kind of service and knowledge more common in days gone by.

Situated on over 30 acres of land just minutes from downtown Wilmington, Tinga Nursery makes good use of its space by growing nearly all plants on site. Tinga III noted a number of advantages to growing their own plants from seed or cuttings, most importantly, locally grown plants are acclimated to our climate. Another benefit is the year round availability of plants. In many garden centers a plant will only be available for a few short weeks during the year. Tinga is able to keep all of their products in stock year round.

Many family run companies benefit from the accumulated knowledge of years in the business and Tinga is no exception. The staff at Tinga are all North Carolina Certified Plant Professionals, ensuring they are well prepared to answer any customer’s questions. By taking the time to talk with customers, the staff learns about the sun, soil and moisture present in a customers yard ensuring “they can help find the right plant for the right place,” in Tinga Jr.’s words.

Finding the right plant couldn’t be easier at Tinga. The superb selections of plants are arranged in easy to navigate rows clearly labeled with the plants name, potential size and advice on the best growing conditions for the plant. This kind of organization is vital when dealing with the variety available at Tinga. From flowering shrubs like azaleas, hydrangeas and knock out roses, to edible plants like grapes, figs and blueberries. Tinga also carries a wide range of ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials and palms.

Armed with all of the information and plants needed for any project, but don’t forget to pick up pine straw, fertilizer and mulch to keep your new plants healthy and looking great. With delivery service available for large orders, Tinga is a one-stop shop for landscaping projects large and small.

Tinga Nursery is less than 10 minutes from downtown Wilmington, just 3 miles north on Hwy. 133, and is easily accessible from both Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy. and I-140. For more information or any questions call 910-762-1975, email info@tinganursery.com or visit Tinga’s web site, www.tinganursery.com.

As the weather warms, you might wonder what type of landscaping additions or upgrades fit your budget. 
Angie’s List asked highly rated landscapers about the most popular projects they offer in various price ranges.

Content:

Whether it’s cleaning up the yard and adding some pretty flowers or going all out with a total redesign, a well-cared for lawn can add up to 14 percent of your home’s value. Your landscaping project doesn’t have to be big or cost an arm and a leg to add value.

Angie’s List, the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews, asked highly rated landscapers about projects for every budget.

What can you get for $50? At this price range you might be looking at more DIY-type projects, such as buying and spreading your own bags of mulch. But there are a few tasks you can hire a pro to tackle.
A flat of seasonal spring flowers, such as begonias, planted and mulched by a highly rated landscaper.
Programming a sprinkler’s timer and an operational once-over.
One application of fly repellent for an average-sized lawn.

What can you get for $500?
A 3-D rendition of a new landscape design.
Several applications of a fertilization and weed control program.
Lawn mowed and trimmed and edged weekly for four months, for the average half-acre lot.

What can you get for $5,000?
A wide variety of finished projects such as patios and retaining walls.
Revamping a home’s front foundation landscape. This involves removing most, if not all, of the debris and plants already in the beds.
Complete irrigation system in both the front and back yards.

Before you dig too deeply into hiring a landscaping contractor, take time to do two things:
1. Be clear about what you want to achieve. If you only want yard work, check out companies that specialize in residential lawn services. If you want design or installation services, you’ll need a full service landscaper.
2. Gather your ideas. Offer as much detail about your preferences as possible. For inspiration, print, copy or tear out images from landscaping websites, magazines and books.

When shopping around to get the most landscaping bang for your buck, always verify a company’s insurance and applicable licensing information. What they’re selling may sound like a bargain, but you might end up with a raw deal if they’re not following the rules.

Here are 5 questions to ask prospective landscapers.
1. Can I see your plan? A drawing is the best way to be sure you can envision what a landscaper proposes. Ask each bidder to provide a design sketch. They may charge a fee if you want to keep it, but they should at least be able to let you see it. In addition, ask for photos of projects they’ve done that are similar to what you want.
2. What’s your process? Ask about basic work practices and what materials and equipment would be used. For example, would they dig your patio out by hand or use machinery?
3. What’s your experience? Does the contractor have the experience, manpower and skill to handle your project? How long has the company been in business? Find out what kind of training the contractor and his or her staff have undergone. Do they belong to local, state or national landscaping associations?
4. What’s your guarantee? Reputable landscaping contractors should be willing to guarantee their work for at least two years, preferably five. Ask about separate warranties for plants.
5. How well do you communicate? Ask each bidder for the best way to communicate so you’re likely to get a timely response.