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Spring Home Show opening at Ocean Center – Daytona Beach News

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Patenaude, owner of the Bunnell-based landscaping company VerdeGo, is one of 200 exhibitors showcasing their skills and expertise at The News-Journal’s Spring Home Show Friday through Sunday.

“We have created an entire outdoor living space,” Patenaude said. “We are trying to give everyone a feel of spring.”

Home Show visitors can also stop at the Home Show’s Wellness Zone for free blood pressure screenings and fitness tips from local fitness experts. A full lineup of home and garden experts will also host seminars throughout the weekend.

“We have people who come because they want to redo their windows, buy furniture or a new mattress or look for landscaping ideas,” said Jessica Fox, event marketing manager for The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

After a five-year hiatus, the Council of Garden Clubs of the Halifax District, a coalition of seven local gardening clubs, will be bringing back Everybody’s Flower Garden Show to the event. The show features a horticulture competition for 53 classes of plants in six categories.

Fox said the relationship with the Council of Garden Clubs is one that will continue to blossom.

“This is just a sneak peak of what is to come,” Fox said. “Next year the competition will be in full swing. We are excited about bringing this partnership back.”

Amy Nowell, president of the Council of Garden Clubs, said that competition provides an outlet for local gardeners to showcase their botanical creations.

“We are thrilled to be back,” Nowell said. “The competition gives people a feel for what plants we can grow locally.”

The judging takes place at 9 a.m. Friday and the plants will showcase their winning ribbons for the public when the Home Show opens at 10 a.m.

But the annual Spring Home Show, which is free, isn’t just for those with green thumbs.

On Saturday “dash Around the Table” will feature a cooking show and expo with English celebrity chef Jon Ashton. This special event requires a $15 dash admission ticket, or $30 for VIP entry.

If You Go

WHAT: The News-Journal’s Spring Home Show, featuring more than 200 exhibitors, display landscapes, seminars, giveaways, Wellness Zone, Fun Zone for kids, Everybody’s Flower Garden Show, Junior League Thrift Shop, “dash Around the Table” cooking show and expo (Saturday only)

WHERE: Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach

WHEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

ADMISSION: Free; $15, $30 VIP tickets for “dash Around the Table” cooking show and expo

PARKING: $5 in Ocean Center’s lot and garage

INFORMATION: 386-681-2365; for a complete schedule of events visit news-journalevents.com

Spring Home Show opening at Ocean Center – Daytona Beach News

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Patenaude, owner of the Bunnell-based landscaping company VerdeGo, is one of 200 exhibitors showcasing their skills and expertise at The News-Journal’s Spring Home Show Friday through Sunday.

“We have created an entire outdoor living space,” Patenaude said. “We are trying to give everyone a feel of spring.”

Home Show visitors can also stop at the Home Show’s Wellness Zone for free blood pressure screenings and fitness tips from local fitness experts. A full lineup of home and garden experts will also host seminars throughout the weekend.

“We have people who come because they want to redo their windows, buy furniture or a new mattress or look for landscaping ideas,” said Jessica Fox, event marketing manager for The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

After a five-year hiatus, the Council of Garden Clubs of the Halifax District, a coalition of seven local gardening clubs, will be bringing back Everybody’s Flower Garden Show to the event. The show features a horticulture competition for 53 classes of plants in six categories.

Fox said the relationship with the Council of Garden Clubs is one that will continue to blossom.

“This is just a sneak peak of what is to come,” Fox said. “Next year the competition will be in full swing. We are excited about bringing this partnership back.”

Amy Nowell, president of the Council of Garden Clubs, said that competition provides an outlet for local gardeners to showcase their botanical creations.

“We are thrilled to be back,” Nowell said. “The competition gives people a feel for what plants we can grow locally.”

The judging takes place at 9 a.m. Friday and the plants will showcase their winning ribbons for the public when the Home Show opens at 10 a.m.

But the annual Spring Home Show, which is free, isn’t just for those with green thumbs.

On Saturday “dash Around the Table” will feature a cooking show and expo with English celebrity chef Jon Ashton. This special event requires a $15 dash admission ticket, or $30 for VIP entry.

If You Go

WHAT: The News-Journal’s Spring Home Show, featuring more than 200 exhibitors, display landscapes, seminars, giveaways, Wellness Zone, Fun Zone for kids, Everybody’s Flower Garden Show, Junior League Thrift Shop, “dash Around the Table” cooking show and expo (Saturday only)

WHERE: Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach

WHEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

ADMISSION: Free; $15, $30 VIP tickets for “dash Around the Table” cooking show and expo

PARKING: $5 in Ocean Center’s lot and garage

INFORMATION: 386-681-2365; for a complete schedule of events visit news-journalevents.com

Helendale CSD to host ‘water smart’ landscaping workshop

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HELENDALE• The Helendale Community Services District in conjunction with the Mojave Water Agency will host a free workshop about landscaping techniques for High Desert homeowners, according to a Mojave Water Agency news release.

The class will teach residents about how to improve and design their landscape with water-smart ideas and which plants do well in the area.

Attendees will also hear an update about the Helendale CSD and water in their service area.

Refreshments will be served and attendees must RSVP by March 25.

The Helendale CSD is located at 26540 Vista Rd., Suite C in Helendale.

To register to attend call Gloria Golike at (760) 946-7001, or email at ggolike@mojavewater.org.

Brooke Self can be reached at BSelf@DesertDispatch.com or 760-256-4123.

Helendale CSD to host ‘water smart’ landscaping workshop

Leave a reply

HELENDALE• The Helendale Community Services District in conjunction with the Mojave Water Agency will host a free workshop about landscaping techniques for High Desert homeowners, according to a Mojave Water Agency news release.

The class will teach residents about how to improve and design their landscape with water-smart ideas and which plants do well in the area.

Attendees will also hear an update about the Helendale CSD and water in their service area.

Refreshments will be served and attendees must RSVP by March 25.

The Helendale CSD is located at 26540 Vista Rd., Suite C in Helendale.

To register to attend call Gloria Golike at (760) 946-7001, or email at ggolike@mojavewater.org.

Brooke Self can be reached at BSelf@DesertDispatch.com or 760-256-4123.

Chilliwack show will offer ideas and inspiration

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Garden show

Garden show

Ideas and inspiration for gardens and outdoor living will be offered this weekend at the 11th annual Fraser Valley Yard, Garden Renovation Show at Chilliwack Heritage Park, located at 44140 Luckakuck Way in Chilliwack.
Organized by Gary Moran, owner of Chilliwack-based Fantasy Farms, the three-day show starts today and will feature 113 exhibitors, including 18 garden-related displays. There will also be a barbecue competition.
 “The show brings together the best in gardening, outdoor decor, lighting and furniture, landscaping, patio design, fencing and much more,” says Moran.
 Brian Minter, of Minter Country Gardens, will take part, offering advice about the best new edible plants and promoting many new flowering shrubs, perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses.
The Red Barn Burner barbecue competition on Sunday will involve 28 teams, including some from the U.S. The event is considered the first of its kind of the barbecue competition season.
Show times are as follows: today from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission includes access to the show and barbecue competition.
Admission is $7 for adults, $12 for a weekend pass; $2 for youth five to 18 years old and free for children four and under.
For more information visit outdoordecorshow.com or call 604 792-3407.

Green gardening tools and techniques that really work

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Americans have embraced recycling and are enthusiastic about cleaner energy sources. Yet when it comes to caring for their outdoor environment, many people still use less earth-friendly tools and techniques. So what’s standing in the way of Americans going green in their gardens and landscapes?


One answer may be the common misconception that eco-friendly products and practices don’t work as well as less environmentally conscious ones – such as chemicals that repel common garden pests, but can also cause groundwater contamination.

“Advances in environmentally responsible products have made it possible for homeowners to effectively care for their gardens and landscaping, while protecting the environment at the same time,” says Elizabeth Summa, president of Repellex, which makes eco-friendly lawn and garden products.

Some greener gardening tools are time-honored, like rotary lawn mowers. Others are leading-edge, such as pest-control products that are eco-friendly. Here are a handful of environmentally safe, effective ways to keep your landscape and garden green this spring and summer:

Responsible repellent – Deer, rabbits, squirrels and gophers – animals munch on landscaping and garden plants because they’re hungry and the vegetation tastes good to them. Eco-friendly repellents, like those made by Repellex, use taste aversion and natural ingredients like pepper, dried bloodmeal and egg to make non-edible plants less appealing to foragers. Repellex Systemic Tablets deliver a dose of pepper to the roots of plants – just place in soil, water and walk away. The flavor gets absorbed through the roots into non-edible plants, making them taste unappealing to garden pests. For edible plants, Repellex Fruit Vegetable uses a combination of putrescent eggs and plant extracts to keep animals and insects away from fruits and vegetables all season long. Log on to www.repellex.com to learn more.

Friendlier mowing – Long before combustion engines made it possible to mow your lawn quickly and easily, people relied on rotary mowers – also known as reel mowers. Environmentally responsible gardeners have rediscovered these people-powered mowing machines. Reel mowers have many positive attributes: they are pollution-free, quiet and very economical to operate. Modern reel mowers are lighter, smaller and with fewer working parts that require maintenance and repair. They’re also a great way to exercise; walking behind a rotary mower burns more calories than pushing a self-propelled mower.

Organic fertilizing – Chemical fertilizers are a well-known source of groundwater contamination, yet some form of additional nutrients is almost always necessary for successful gardens and lawns. The EPA says composting can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and results in higher crop yields. You can compost food waste from your own kitchen, as well as grass clippings and other yard waste. Composting your own organic waste at home not only reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, it can provide you with an effective, eco-friendly and essentially free way to fertilize gardens and flower beds. For lawns, you can find a variety of organic fertilizers – based on natural ingredients rather than chemicals – at most hardware, big box stores and garden centers.

Kinder weed control – Weed killers are also well-known contaminants, and can be hazardous when used around small children or household pets. Before you bring out the spray bottle, consider weed-elimination alternatives that are kinder to the environment. Some very effective options include using a mixture of vinegar and water, boiling water and even pulling weeds by hand. Removing weeds by hand also adds a health benefit for you – you’ll burn more calories pulling weeds than simply spraying them.

Bug-free without bugging the environment – Chemical insecticides can be harsh on the environment – not to mention skin if you use a chemical repellent to ward off mosquitoes and other biting bugs. Instead of chemical insecticides, consider natural alternatives. Repellex’s Mosquito Tick product keeps mosquitoes, ticks and other insects off you by keeping them out of your lawn and garden. The all-natural repellent sprays on your lawn, garden, patio, deck and home exterior to ward off these disease-carrying insects.

Choosing to go green with your lawn and garden care doesn’t mean you have to give up effectiveness. With the right tools, it’s possible to accomplish your lawn and gardening goals while protecting the environment at the same time.

Top Ten Planting Tips for Springtime

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Another Spring flower

With springtime right around the corner, it’s time to dust off those gardening tools and get ready to hit the nursery.  The soil temperature is just about at the perfect spot for planting new bulbs for a gorgeous spring bloom, so starting your planting preparation now will put you in the best position to kick back and enjoy the beauty later.

Top Ten Spring Planting Tips to Beautify Your Garden

To help you get the most out of your garden this year, we’ve compiled the best planting tips from the top home and garden experts in the industry.  Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to having the best garden in the neighborhood in no time at all.  So order up your bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs for spring planting and let’s get ready to garden!

#Tip 1. Assess the Land— The first thing you want to do is take a survey of how kind or harsh winter was to your yard, making note of tree limbs that need to be removed and other maintenance issues.  Check the fence, stairs and other paths for damage caused by the constant freeze and thaw of winter.  Get rid of last year’s perennial foliage and feed it to the compost pile.  Rake your mulch from the flower beds and churn that soil up for proper refreshing aeration.

#Tip 2. Ready Your Engines— Next, be sure you tune up your mower, tools and other equipment.  Make notes of what’s broken, what needs fixing, what that pesky neighbor never returned and then tend to that list!  Sharpen your mower’s blades, change the oil, replace the spark plugs, lube up moving parts, sending out for service if necessary.  Get the leaf blower serviced as well and sharpen up your sheering tools.  Start to clear areas that need reseeding, then mow that lawn!

#Tip 3. Prune Trees and Shrubs— Get rid of the dead branches from trees and plants as well as any that seem damaged or diseased.  Spring is a time for rebirth so start fresh and sever all ties.  Trim down your summer bloomer like hydrangea and roses and prune anything that looks like the cold hit it hard during the winter.  Any trees and shrubs that bloom (especially early in spring), prune them down after they flower.

#Tip 4. Test your Soil— Go out and buy a home kit for soil testing and take samples from all over your yard.  Remember, it’s not always about where you planted last year, but also where the best place to plant is right now.  Sometimes pH changes and what was barren last year could be great soil for planting this year (especially if you left eggshells there to enrich the soil).  Enrich any parts of the yard you must plant in for aesthetic looks—use dolomitic lime to raise pH and elemental sulfur to lower it.  Get your new beds ready with four inches of compost or rotted manure and cultivate it with your spading fork ten to twelve inches down.

#Tip 5. Get to Planting— Perennials, bare rooted trees and shrubs need to get in the ground early in the season.  Plant your garden on cloudy days that are cooler rather than hotter, sowing cool season flowers into the Earth such as poppies, calendula and sweet peas as well as lettuce, spinach and parsley.

#Tip 6. Position is Key— Position the bulbs at their exact recommended depth for longevity.  As a general rule, the bottom of the bulb should rest at 2.5 times depth compared to the bulb’s diameter.  If the soil is dry or sandy, go one or two inches deeper to keep the rodents from snacking on your garden.

#Tip 7. Garden in Spades— Your flowers will look better in groups so use a spade, not a bulb planter.  Spades make it easy to plant in groups digging wide, curving trenches and placing the bulbs at the bottom.

#Tip 8. Work in Pairs— You can put different bulb types in the same hole for companion bloomings or even to create successions of bloomings.  A great combination that uses this strategy is putting Dutch hyacinths in a six inch hole, covering them lightly with soil and then placing grape hyacinths at the five inch depth.  Come springtime, the two flowers will bloom together for a gorgeous “skirting” effect as the grape hyacinths soften the huge Dutches.  Then, as autumn rolls around, the leaves of the grape bulbs appear and stick with you all winter, giving you a perfect marker for dormant Dutch bulbs so you don’t accidentally dig them up next season.

#Tip 9. Fertile grounds— Use fish emulsion, balanced fertilizer (6-6-6 to 8-8-8) and other soil amendments that complement your soil kit results anytime new growth appears.  As soon as you see perennials growing, start fertilizing.  Use fertilizers that are high in acid in conjunction with pine needle mulch around your azaleas and camellias to give them the acid rich environment they love so much.

#Tip 10. Compose a Compost— If you don’t already have one, now is the best time to start a compost pile to help you clean up your garden and fertilize it later.  Plant debris and leaves go in first followed by grass clippings, weeds and water in layers.  Be sure to use compost bioactivators and make your brown, carbon rich compost material equal to the amount of green, nitrogen rich compound material for a balanced compost for next spring.  This also eliminates dragging heavy bags to the curb and provides you with low-cost sustainability.

This article is written by Ant Langston from GardenToolBox Shop, UK offering a wide range of gardening products such as gardening tools, lawn mowers, garden plant pots etc. If you’re on the lookout for petrol mowers for your lawn, do get in touch with him today to get the best deal. Photo by Alejandro Mallea

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New eBook from Garden Media Reveals Insider Public Relations Tips

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“Growing Your Business with Public Relations”

Public relations is a powerful tool more businesses should be using to grow their bottom line.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 21, 2013

Garden Media Group, the top PR firm in the lawn and garden industry, has released a guide for mastering public relations strategies called “Growing Your Business with Public Relations”.

“Public relations is a powerful tool more businesses should be using to grow their bottom line,” explains Susan McCoy, president of Garden Media. “With public relations, you can fast track a product, build a credible reputation and drive demand. Our new eBook covers PR 101: how to get started.”

“Growing Your Business with Public Relations” explains the differences between advertising and PR, offers tips on creating public relations media plans and how to write a mission statement. It also includes a guide on writing a modern day press release.

“We broke down the things we do on a daily basis and chose what were the most important to include in the eBook,” says Katie Dubow, creative director for Garden Media. “Our insider tips will help businesses understand how to incorporate PR into daily marketing operations.”

“Growing Your Business with Public Relations” offers a range of information that benefits businesses new to PR as well as those with established marketing departments. The tips can be used as a tool for orchestrating an entire PR campaign for small businesses or simply provide checks and balances for those looking to jump start their reputation.

“PR is more than writing a press release,” says Dubow. “Creating lasting relationships, knowing how to find the golden nugget and having impeccable timing are all big components of PR. But, when you get it and implement it into your companies marketing strategy, you will gain wider exposure and produce better results.”

“Growing Your Business with Public Relations” is available for download today.

Garden Media has 25 years’ experience building brands in the home and garden, horticulture, outdoor living, lawn and landscape industries. Other services include new product launches, innovative PR campaigns, social marketing, media relations, and content marketing. For more information visit: http://www.gardenmediagroup.com

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Thrifty garden tips to save money

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Experts share their top ideas for budget-conscious green thumbs.

PLANT YOUR SCRAPS

“Using kitchen scraps for new plants and using them in worm farms and compost bins ensures that all the money spent on top-quality produce is not wasted,” Habitat garden columnist Trevor Cochrane said.

The key was to get them off to a good start, usually in a pot or tray.

“Starting potatoes off from peel or sweet potatoes from off-cuts or eyes can be done easily using matchsticks, cotton wool and a glass of water,” he said.

“The matchsticks run through the vegetable acting like a plank (across the top of the glass), holding the vegie atop cotton wool so water is only in contact with the bottom.

“The same principles apply for plants like celery tops and carrot tops, although pineapple heads can go straight into potting mix.”

SAVE THOSE SEEDS

Just like our parents and grandparents knew, Masters green life buyer Ann McKeon said one of the best thrifty tips was to collect seeds and sow them at the appropriate season.

Mr Cochrane agreed, adding that seeds from pumpkin, watermelon and rockmelon could be collected now and sown in October for best results.

“A great one to plant now is avocado seeds,” he said. “The seedlings often take much longer to fruit than a grafted plant but … it’s top-quality fruit you will enjoy.”

Nurseryman and sustainable gardening advocate Steve Wood said heirloom varieties were a good seed-saving option because they were open-pollinated, meaning the seed could easily be collected and sown each season.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Another tried and tested way to get plants free was by propagating, said Mr Wood.

The secret to successful cuttings was to keep them small (under 5cm), watered daily and kept in a shaded location.

“The best medium to strike the cuttings in is pure coco peat, also known as coir, and a root system will start to develop in seven to 10 days and at 21-28 days, the cutting is ready to plant out.”

HOMEMADE WONDERS

Beyond Gardens’ Garry Heady said there’s no better – or cheaper – garden tonic than home-grown worm castings, liquid fertiliser and compost.

“My first bin was a 44-gallon drum with a lid. I would fill it with kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, shredded newspaper and whatever I could find, moisten it with the hose and with the lid firmly on, roll it out onto the lawn and back again every day for two weeks and so had my very own homemade version of what later in the 1970s became known as a compost tumbler but mine was free.”

Ms McKeon said mulch was particularly easy to make yourself. “You can create great fine-leaf mulch using a lawnmower over deciduous trees leaves, while a shredder will make light work of small branches after pruning.”

DIY PEST CONTROL

“By far the most reliable and probably the most environmentally friendly form of pest control is exclusion netting or some other form of barrier,” Mr Heady said.

Kitchen scraps placed in strategic locations could also help.

“Many bugs are eating seedlings because they are hungry, so give them food away from the seedling and many will be diverted.”

Helen Martin-Beck, of the WA Horticultural Council, said home-made pest solutions could be just as effective as store-bought products.

Try making an all-round insecticide from four onions, two cloves of garlic and four chillies, all chopped.

“Mix together and cover with warm, soapy water and leave it to stand overnight,” she said. “Strain off that liquid and add it to five litres of water.”

SWAP, SALVAGE AND SCOUR

Another way to get plants on the cheap is to scour markets or verge pick-ups, said Jo Taylor, of Taylor Landscaping.

Mr Heady warned it was also important to ensure plants or seeds were from a reliable source to avoid importing diseases into your garden.