Author Archives:

Art Center Wins Beautification Award

Leave a reply

The Wayne Art Center was named the First Place winner of the Radnor Township Manager’s Beautification Award, which recognizes citizens, businesses and organizations that have improved their properties.

The Center is sited on nearly three acres of mostly wooded land, with two large parking areas and two prominent street entrances, Maplewood Avenue and Conestoga Road.

The art center describes its gardens in the following text:

Dorrance H. Hamilton Garden                                                                 

The nursery located behind the Wayne Art Center building rents space to several landscaping companies. The area is used for construction vehicles, not at all the tranquil setting we envision for our students to study art. There were no plants or shrubs or a backdrop to yield privacy. The area also required grading and additional pipes and drains to alleviate an ongoing drainage problem and divert the flow of water away from our facility.

We now have 15 varieties of woody plants and 18 varieties of perennials in the Hamilton Garden. We have built a semi-circular boulder wall with seating at the edge of the garden, using boulders given to us by the Township when they built the Radnor Walking Trail adjacent to the Art Center. It is truly an inspiring outdoor space that is visible from the clear storied window wall that was installed in the newly renovated Hamilton Studio.  It also is a wonderful space for students to sit and relax.

Betty Moran Garden                                                                                   

These gardens are located in front of the Wayne Art Center building, adjacent to the parking lot. The plants that were installed there were overgrown and a new design brings freshness and new color to the area.

Steven Laden Meditation Garden                                                              

The installation of this garden served as a kick-off to our Landscape Campaign and was a wonderful way to honor Steve and share his love with the entire community.  It was our dream that the grounds surrounding the Wayne Art Center would serve as inspiration and respite for our students and community. Creating a “Meditation Garden” behind the “link” that connected the Center’s old and new sections and was an ideal starting point for achieving our dream.  This special connecting space is now utilized everyday by all of our students and visitors.  We have achieved the creation of a restful, peaceful place – an oasis of calm in a garden setting that helps students connect with their own creativity and goals in the same way that our studios and exhibitions now already do.

Josephine M. and Calvin W. Schmidt Garden                                   

The Schmidt Garden is a beautiful backdrop for available for works of art displayed in the Davenport Family Gallery. This garden surrounds a rain garden that was installed during our last major renovation project. It has an edible theme: including blackberry, raspberry and blueberry bushes, strawberries in addition to herbs such as rosemary and thyme. These edible plants are being utilized in the culinary classes we offer during the summer and enjoyed by all of our culinary students. Lovely magnolia trees also grace the terrace which is used for gallery receptions and special events. A Rain Garden is located in the center of the Schmidt Garden and will feature rotating sculpture throughout the year.

Ralph J. DiMaio Landscaping of Wayne designed most of the gardens and donated maintain them over the summer months.

                            

Author, television host, professor to speak at Healthy Lake Conference March 5

Leave a reply

Dave Tylka

Dave Tylka

Professor Dave Tylka will be the keynote speaker 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 5 at the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance Healthy Lake Conference in Osage Beach. Tylka is a semi-retired Professor of Biology at St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where he taught full-time for more than 20 years. He still teaches native landscaping, field zoology and Ozark ecology courses. Tylka was the first St. Louis Urban Biologist for the Missouri Conservation Department, a position he held for 14 years. He is also a widely recognized educator, biologist, nature author, and photographer, he brings together a wealth of information on native species and ideas that can inspire any landscaper.


Posted: Monday, February 25, 2013 5:24 pm
|


Updated: 8:17 pm, Mon Feb 25, 2013.


Author, television host, professor to speak at Healthy Lake Conference March 5

Press Release

LakeExpo.com

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. – A free conference and dinner will accompany words of wisdom and practical advice on Lake-friendly landscaping next Tuesday.


The Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance (LOWA) has scheduled a Landscape for a Healthy Lake Conference 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 5. The conference will be held in Building D, Suite G at the Tan-Tar-A Family Resort in Osage Beach.

The general public, landscapers, lawn care professionals and rock workers are invited to come to the free conference and dinner and hear renowned experts speak on the newest and smartest landscape techniques that thrive in the rocky and steep Ozark terrain. Learn how to use rain gardens and beautiful, deep-rooted Missouri native plants that require little maintenance or water to slow down rainwater runoff and reduce lake pollutants. Educators will also speak about using landscape techniques and rip rap to stop property and seawall erosion from the constant pounding Lake wave-action.

Real Estate professionals are also urged to come and hear information on steps they can take to protect the Lake – one of the greatest assets in their industry.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Dave Tylka. Tylka is a semi-retired Professor of Biology at St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where he taught full-time for more than 20 years. He still teaches native landscaping, field zoology and Ozark ecology courses.

In 2002, he wrote the Missouri Conservation Department book, “Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People.” Dave has also written several popular pamphlets on backyard landscaping, bird feeding, and butterfly gardening. As a widely recognized educator, biologist, nature author, and photographer, Tylka brings together a wealth of information on native species and ideas that can inspire any landscaper.  

Tylka was the first St. Louis Urban Biologist for the Missouri Conservation Department, a position he held for 14 years. While with the Conservation Department, he also co-produced and hosted “All Outdoors” on Channel 11 in St. Louis.

Conference subjects include:

  • Using native plants and landscaping to beautify property, benefit wildlife and manage stormwater runoff.
  • The Filtrexx Grow Soxx®, a compost sock used to manage storm water, that is considered “gold in a grow sock” by scientists, due to the nutrient-rich dirt inside that helps plants to grow “anywhere,” including a steep, rocky Ozark hillside.
  • The Rain Reserve® catchment devices that are used in capturing water, and why Lake property owners should care about “disconnecting downspouts.”

 

A notable panel of experts will also be available to answer questions on the following subjects:

 

  • Ameren Missouri’s Georganne Bowman on shoreline vegetation
  • Schultz Surveying and Engineering’s Mike DeLong on managing rain water run-off through engineering
  • The University of Missouri Extension Office’s Bob Broz on soil erosion
  • Local landscaping experts on LOWA Low Impact Landscapes (LILs) and rip rap

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about, and register for, LOWA’s Cost Share Landscaping Program, “Green$ for Greenery”, where they can receive:

  • Free soil samples
  • A free evaluation of their property by a Trained Volunteer Evaluator (TVE).
  • Free expert advice on the best landscapes for their individual property by a TVE.
  • Up to $900 off on landscaping and rip rap.
  • A free LOWA Low-Impact-Landscape (LIL) Lake Protector Sign for their yard

The cost share program is available on a first come, first serve basis.

A light dinner will be provided at the conference. The RSVP deadline for dinner is Saturday, March 3. For more information or to register for the free conference, call 573-280-2296, or email mjdoores@onemain.com. To read more about LOWA LILs go to www.soslowa.org. Partner businesses in the cost share program are required to attend this program.

“We are urging our ‘Friends of the Lake’ to bring neighbors, landscapers and employees. This is probably the best learning opportunity we have brought to the Lake since LOWA began,” LOWA Executive Director Donna Swall said. “We are pulling out all the big guns, don’t miss this opportunity.”

© 2013 lakeexpo.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted in
Community news,
Lake news

on

Monday, February 25, 2013 5:24 pm.

Updated: 8:17 pm.

Survey identifies top outdoor living trends for 2013

Leave a reply

Landscape architects see a growing trend in outdoor living, with more American homeowners adding outdoor rooms for entertainment and recreation on their properties.

The results of the “2013 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey” conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects also show an increasing demand for both sustainable and low-maintenance design.

Landscape architects who specialize in residential design across the country were asked to rate the expected popularity of a variety of residential outdoor design elements in 2013. The category of outdoor living spaces, defined as kitchens and entertainment spaces, received a 94.5 percent rating as somewhat or very popular. It all but tied with gardens and landscaped spaces at 94.4 percent.

Across all categories, 97 percent of respondents rated fire pits and fireplaces as somewhat or very in demand for 2013, followed by grills (96.3 percent), seating and dining areas (96.3 percent) and lighting (95.1 percent).

In the category of home landscapes, decorative water elements, including waterfalls, ornamental pools and splash pools, were predicted to be in demand (90.9 percent). Spas (81.5 percent) and pools (75.3 percent) are also expected to be popular. Terraces, patios and decks are high on people’s lists (97.6 percent), as are fencing (89.6 percent) and ornamental water features (84.2 percent).

“In this uncertain economy, homeowners

want to get more enjoyment out of their yards,” says ASLA executive vice president and CEO Nancy Somerville. “They want attractive outdoor spaces that are both easy to take care of and sustainable.”

Carolyn Miller, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, agrees. “These times have changed the way people live. It costs nothing to keep things neat and tidy. People are doing more ‘staycations’ these days. They’ve moved their living during warm weather to their back yards, where they have added outdoor kitchens, quiet areas, ponds and waterfalls, which add to the enjoyment and relaxation gained from a yard.”

The survey notes Americans still prefer practical yet striking design elements for their gardens, such as low-maintenance landscapes (93.9 percent) and native plants (86.6 percent), with organic slightly increasing in popularity (65.3 percent compared to 61.2 percent in 2011).

More people are opting for food and vegetable gardens, including orchards and vineyards (82.7 percent). Other sustainable elements such as native or drought-tolerant plants (83 percent), drip irrigation (82.5 percent), permeable paving (72.8 percent) and reduced lawns (72.6 percent) are making their way into outdoor living spaces across the country.

Landscaping is almost as important as having the interior of a house look welcoming, according to Miller, who is with RE/MAX Real Estate Services in Cupertino. Miller says when an agent prepares a home for sale one of the first things that is discussed is curb appeal, starting at the street and moving to the front of the house.

“There needs to be an attraction to get potential buyers inside the house, and if the front welcomes them with color spots and neat and tidy walkways and mowed lawns, they will move to the front door and enter the home,” explains Miller. “Landscaping carries into the house and out to the back yard. Buyers aren’t just buying the interior; they’re looking for year-round living.”

Improving landscape, particularly in front, not only helps sell a home, but makes your home inviting, so people enjoy the view and may feel inclined to stop by long enough to renew friendships or make new friends, says Miller.

“When spring arrives, you can see neighbors outside talking across the lawns, while taking care to fertilize, prune and trim, and add seasonal color to make their homes look fresh and friendly. Homeownership instills this pride of ownership in many homeowners,” says Miller.

Additional information on residential landscape architecture can be found at asla.org/residen tialinfo.

Information is presented by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at silvar.org. Contact rmeily@silvar.org.

Monthly Home Garden and Landscape Tips from Master Gardeners

Leave a reply

Most vegetable gardeners have seed orders in hand and will soon be starting some plants with an eye toward the brighter days ahead. With that in mind, we’ve included a chart (below in tips) with suggested times for indoor seed starting and transplanting seedlings into the garden.

Although Wayne County remains in the NYS quarantine our ash trees have yet to show Emerald Ash Borer infestation. That’s good news for us as many of us have Ash in our yards, along streets or in woodlots. There are Emerald Ash Borer infestations in Monroe County.

We are currently seeking applicants for our Master Gardener Volunteer program. For more information you can contact Laurie at 331-8415 ext. 107 or e-mail us at mgwayne@cornell.edu There’s also an article about the Master Gardener Program at the end of this e-mail.

Below we have included information about our upcoming events, garden and landscape tips for February, and two articles from our Master Gardeners.

Upcoming events
Gardening Hotline: During the winter months we receive many questions about insect pests inside homes, tree and shrub pruning and questions from people who want advice that will help them avoid problems they’ve had in their gardens and landscapes in the past. If you have a question please leave it on our voicemail 331-8415 ext. 107 or e-mail us at mgwayne@cornell.edu Please leave a daytime phone number where we can reach you with any additional questions we may have.

Master Gardeners are a great resource for new gardeners and for troubleshooting home garden and landscape problems including weeds, lawn issues, wildlife, insect pests and plant diseases along with control recommendations. Plant and insect samples can be brought to the office for identification or diagnostic work. During non-hotline hours you can leave your sample with our secretary or in the drop box at the end of the building. Please put insects in a sealed plastic container (so they won’t get crushed) and plant samples in sealed plastic bags. Remember to label them with your name and daytime phone number where we can reach you. We also offer soil pH testing (cost is $3 per sample) and can help you with soil test interpretation.

Saturday, May 11: CCE Wayne County Master Gardener’s 24th Annual Plant Sale – more information will be provided as we get closer to this event.

Info for woodlot owners: Free Woodlot Visits: Call 331-8415 ext. 107 to schedule a free woodlot site visit. These free site visits typically last up to 3 hours with our Master Forest Owners providing woodlot management information to Wayne County woodlot owners including best management practices for achieving management goals. During the visit our MFO’s can also provide you with   additional sources for assistance and information.

For information and webinars on forest health visit www.cornellforestconnect.ning.com.

Monthly garden and home grounds tips

Many factors including infectious disease can cause browning of conifer needles but winter browning is a common cause. Evergreen trees continue to produce energy from sunlight throughout the winter, which requires water. If these trees do not have sufficient stores of water from the fall to last through the winter, they may dry out and their needles turn brown. Frequent freeze/thaw cycles, cold temperatures, and rapid temperature changes increase the rate of drying. This browning may appear more pronounced on the sunny (south and west) sides of the tree. Winter browning typically becomes visible in late winter or early spring. Evergreens near roads may also turn brown in the winter due to exposure to road salts.

Houseplant growth is at its slowest during the winter months, so keep fertilization to a minimum until the plants show signs of new growth. Keep plants away from heat sources which will cause excessive drying also keep leaves clean and dust free.

For winter interest, choose plants such as holly, winterberry, and viburnum, which are not only colorful, but also have berries that attract birds. Winter-blooming witch hazels, red twig dogwood, and hellebores are also good choices when adding interest to the winter landscape. For additional color, add some early-blooming bulbs, such as scilla, snowdrops, grape hyacinth, and crocus.

Most deciduous trees can be pruned at any time during the dormant period (Maple and birch are pruned after they leaf out). Delay pruning spring-flowering shrubs such as forsythia and lilac until after they bloom. Summer blooming shrubs are pruned while dormant.

You can test the germination rate of old seeds by placing some in a moist paper towel placed into a plastic bag. Put the bag in a warm location and check for seed germination in a few days.

Some vegetables such as beans, beets, carrots, and radishes are best planted by directly sowing the seeds into the garden. Check seed packages or contact us for recommended planting dates.

Group offers garden design workshop

Leave a reply

CAP: Gardeners Exchange member and floral designer Karen McDonald opened the 2013 Gardeners Exchange season with a “Winter Floral Arranging” workshop in February. Don’t miss the next program, “Shapes and Sizes: Designing for Impact and Interest,” on Saturday, March 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hazen Memorial Public Library, located at 3 Keady Way in Shirley, MA. For more information, contact GE Co-Chair Dina Samfield, 978-448-9311, or Lela Rhodes, 978-425-0027.

SHIRLEY — The Gardeners Exchange invites the public to a presentation on “Shapes and Sizes: Designing for Impact and Interest,” on Saturday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. at the Hazen Memorial Public Library, 3 Keady Way.

Shape and size contribute to the design and overall impact of a garden. With the addition of texture, the savvy garden designer can tap into a tempting trio of design elements for use in spring projects.

In this presentation by garden designer Cheryl Salatino, we will explore the elements of design and composition to provide a different perspective of garden design. The workshop will begin with some design fundamentals and move quickly into how shape, texture and size can be used to achieve powerful combinations.

Salatino is the principal designer and owner of Dancing Shadows Garden Design, a residential landscape design and services firm. She has been designing gardens across Massachusetts and as far away as Maine since 2002.

The Gardeners Exchange

is a community garden club with members from all around North Central Massachusetts. It meets monthly on weekends between February and October to visit members’ gardens, take field trips to other gardens and nurseries, participate in workshops, and gain expertise on a wide variety of horticultural topics.

The garden club acquired its name from its members’ exchanges of ideas, as well as plants. Its March 16 meeting will begin with its annual houseplant swap.

First-time attendees to meetings are not required to join, but membership is encouraged. Annual membership dues are $20 per individual or $30 per couple. Membership benefits include all events, spring and fall perennials, and discounts at many area nurseries and garden centers.

For information, visit gardeners-exchange.org or contact GE Co-Chair Dina Samfield at 978-448-9311, or Lela Rhodes at 978-425-0027.

Comments on Draft Ferry Road Master Plan needed by 28 Feb

Leave a reply

25 February 2013

Comments on Draft Ferry Road Master
Plan needed by Thursday 28 February

Residents and
businesses have until 28 February to tell the Christchurch
City Council their views on the vision, goals and actions
proposed in the Draft Ferry Road Master Plan (Phase One).
The Council-led Plan has been prepared to support commercial
centres along Ferry Road in response to the damage caused by
the earthquakes.

The final date for public submissions is
5pm on Thursday 28 February 2013.

The Plan is available to
view in any of the Council’s open service centres and
libraries. It is also available online at www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay

City
Planning Unit Manager Brigitte de Ronde says more than 50
submissions on the Plan have come in.

“There is strong
support for a shared pathway network along the
Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River and through public open spaces.
People also responded positively to the theme for Woolston
Village: reconnecting people, the river and heritage.
Comments support the use of materials and designs for
buildings, street furniture and landscaping that reflect and
celebrate the area’s built, social and natural history.”

Mayor Bob Parker says the Draft Master Plan sets a
long-term vision for the area that recognises the vital role
of the corridor as an important transportation route for the
city, while also developing actions that support a good
quality of life for the people who live, work and visit this
area.

“I am heartened by the level of detail people have
put into their submissions to the Plan. Amongst the many
initiatives that people are keen to see in the Ferrymead
area is an increase in safety for pedestrians and the
beautification of the area through additional landscaping
and street furniture. The Plan reflects these ideas by
proposing a much more pedestrian-friendly environment and
greatly improved public access to the recreational value of
the natural environment.

“I urge people to get their
comments on the Plan in before submissions close on 28
February. These comments enable any modifications to be made
to the Plan to make sure it truly reflects people’s
aspirations and hopes for the future of this important
area,” he says.

Comments can be made:
• online at
www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay

• emailed to FerryRoadMP@ccc.govt.nz
• posted
to
o Freepost 178
Draft Ferry Road Master
Plan
Strategy and Planning Group
Christchurch City
Council
PO Box 73012
Christchurch 8154
or
•
hand-delivered to Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street.

For
more information visit www.ccc.govt.nz/suburbancentres

Background
The
Draft Ferry Road Master Plan is Phase One of a master
planning project for the area. Due to the corridor’s size
and the number of suburban centres along its length three
distinct programmes of work have been identified, all of
which will contribute to the final, overarching Plan for the
area: the Ferry Road / Main Road Master Plan.

Phase One
deals with the area between the city (Fitzgerald Avenue)
along Ferry Road and Main Road to the Ferrymead Bridge only.
Phase Two includes the portion of the corridor from
Ferrymead Bridge to Sumner. The initial project scoping work
for Phase Two has begun. A Council-led corridor study is
also planned for Ferry Road that will help determine
transport priorities for the road corridor. The Corridor
Study is planned to start in early 2013 and will take
several months to complete.

Phase One is a comprehensive,
stand-alone Plan, however, as the other two associated
programmes of work are progressed, adjustments to the Draft
Ferry Road Master Plan (Phase One) may be
required.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Outdoor expo an ‘idea book in 3-D’

Leave a reply


CHAMBERSBURG – The former Pab Roof Truss building was transformed into an outdoor-living “idea book in 3-D” this weekend for the Backyard Living Expo.

Shortly after the 10 a.m. opening Saturday, the expo’s second day, dozens of people meandered

through the showcase of patios, outdoor living rooms, sheds, gazebos, fence displays, hot tubs, children’s play sets, water features, lawn furniture, lawn mowers, grills, outdoor flooring materials and other projects available from the 40-plus vendors.

The layout emulated the looks homeowners can achieve on their own properties. Robb Fox, owner of Chambersburg’s Fox Landscaping, was part of the group that developed the strategic design; displaying, for example, plants and hardscape materials together like they would be in a front yard promotes vision to turn an idea into a project under construction.

“(The expo) is an idea book in 3-D,” Fox said.

Scott Rosenbaum, owner of Chambersburg’s Rosenbaum’s Landscaping and lead organizer of the expo, said the event fills a need that he saw for the outdoor-living industry in the area. Only businesses serving outdoor-specific needs were brought in.

The expo’s strict focus meant that more people serious about starting a project attended.

“Here’s the neat thing, because we’re so focused on what we’re doing, we’re finding out the people who are coming, if they have a need they know if they come here they’ll be able to find the answer,” Rosenbaum said.

Jenn and Chris Wenger, Shippensburg, were two of those people looking for answers. They have caught spring fever, Chris Wenger said, and were getting a head start on potentially building a deck.

“We’re here to get ideas to make some improvements down the road,” Jenn Wenger said.

Also thinking spring were Dave and Gina Lapole, St. Thomas. Looking to replace a shed, they went out to see what is new this year.

“We want to have ideas in mind for when the winter breaks,” they said.

Another attendee had just learned about the expo from a friend and came to find awning possibilities for his business, Cleaning Connection Inc. Glenn Lininger had checked out Incredible Awning to find out what options are available.

The focused crowd helped many vendors obtain solid leads, Rosenbaum said. Robin Musser, a representative for Kelsey Springs Landscaping, Chambersburg, said she had set up six cost-estimation appointments by the first hour of day two of the expo.

Most people were interested in patios and other hardscaping, and water features, Musser said. said. Similar trends were seen by Eldorado Stone, Chambersburg. Representative Dan Elders said outdoor kitchens and outdoor fireplaces attracted much attention.

For Flohr Pools, the expo came during the prime season for buying pools and hot tubs. Representative Kim Heck said she has not seen specific trends, and that interest among above ground pools, underground pools and hot tubs seems about equal.

Although it provides various projects for the home, Byers Home Improvements, Chambersburg, showcased outdoor rooms at the expo. Owner James Byers said rooms come in different varieties to work in some or all of the seasons. He said winter is a popular time because it allows people to feel like they are outside, but in a space much warmer than the outdoor temperatures.

Rosenbaum planned the expo for February because many vendors said March is extremely busy.

For some vendors, it was also a good start to a year when they hope to continue climbing out of the down economy. A number of vendor representatives said the economy seems to be having less and less effect on people’s decisions to start home improvement projects.

Breaking projects down and completing them in segments was a trend seen by Kelsey Springs Landscaping, Musser said. Also, homeowners who may have put improvements off are now making them a priority. They are skipping vacations and forgoing other luxuries in order to make home a more comfortable place.

Things are looking up for Flohr Pools, Heck said. Now is the time to get started on plans to have a pool by summer, and the year is off to a good start.

Sales have been rising at Eldorado Stone, Chambersburg, as the recession has gotten older.

“We had our biggest year last year,” said representative Dan Enders.

Not all industries have had much of an economic sting to come back from though. Nick Ehrhart, president of A Plus Fencing, Chambersburg, said children and pets create a consistent need for his industry.

Rosenbaum said plans are already in the works for a second annual expo. A number of this year’s vendors have signed up to be part of a committee that will provide input to improve the event.

“We see what we have now, were gonna take it up another notch,” Rosenbaum said. “We’re gonna blow the socks off, from this year to next year.”
The Backyard Living Expo continues 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today2.24 at the former Pab Roof Truss Building, 5274 Sunset Pike, Chambersburg. Admission is $3; free for children age 12 and younger.

———-

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com and 262-4771.