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Winthrop legislator proposes edible plants requirement for Capitol Park

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Winthrop legislator proposes edible plants requirement for Capitol Park

‘I want them to see agriculture. People don’t always think of edible plants as landscaping,’ says Rep. Craig Hickman, a farmer and bed-and-breakfast owner

By Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com
State House Bureau

AUGUSTA — When Rep. Craig Hickman stands on the third-floor balcony at the State House and looks out at Capitol Park, he sees potential.

A child runs pulling a kite in October 2011 across Augusta’s Capitol Park. Rep. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, has sponsored a bill to require that edible landscaping be placed in a portion of Capitol Park.

Staff file photo by Joe Phelan

Craig Hickman

Contributed photo

More specifically, he sees the potential to grow blueberries, sage, oregano, sweet potatoes, okra and collard greens. He envisions colorful and edible additions to the historic state land once used as a campsite during the Civil War.

“I want people to see food when they come to the State House,” he said. “I want them to see agriculture. People don’t always think of edible plants as landscaping.”

Hickman, a Winthrop legislator, farmer and bed-and-breakfast owner, is sponsoring L.D. 474, “An Act to Require Edible Landscaping in a Portion of Capitol Park.” Co-sponsors on the bill include Rep. Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta, and Rep. Karen Kusiak, D-Fairfield.

The bill is headed to the State and Local Government Committee, which will hold a hearing on the idea in the coming weeks.

Hickman is seeking to change the look of a carefully planned park that mixes passive and active recreational uses, said State Historian Earle Shettleworth. Shettleworth, who serves as chairman of the Capitol Planning Commission, said he had not spoken to Hickman about his ideas, but that berry bushes and apple trees probably would conform with the current plan for the park.

Capitol Park — described in a legislative handbook as “the earliest-known consciously-designed public ground in Maine” — dates to 1827, which is the year in which the Legislature established Augusta as the state capital. Lawmakers in that year set aside $500 to pay for improvements to the park, including “forest trees.”

Then in 1920, the state hired Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm to plan the landscaping for the park, the State House grounds and the Blaine House. In more recent times, the plan has been updated, and the Legislative Council has provided money to pay for new trees, improved walkways and better benches, said David Boulter, executive director of the Legislative Council.

The council consists of leaders in both major parties and is responsible for paying for park maintenance and monitoring uses of the land, which in recent years have included a long-term encampment by Occupy Maine protesters. Boulter said any changes to the landscaping will need to be consistent with the Olmsted plan, which typically calls for trees and plants that are “muted in terms of colors,” he said.

Another consideration is upkeep.

“Maintenance is an issue,” he said. “It’s a very large park. We don’t have gardeners on site.”

Shettleworth said it’s important to keep the park available for multiple uses.

“One of the basic precepts is you have active space and you have passive space,” he said.

Hickman said anything he proposes would require little work but would showcase the beauty of food-producing plants year-round. His bill calls for the edible landscaping to be added as money is available, and that public and private funds may be used to cover the cost.

He even has some seeds from his farm he’s willing to donate to get the project started. The food produced at the park could be sold in the Cross State Office Building cafeteria or consumed at the Blaine House, he said.

“Whoever designs it, I want it to look seamless and beautiful,” he said. “You can just let the plants live through their full life cycle, and you see how beautiful they are.”

Susan Cover — 621-5643
scover@mainetoday.com

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Thinking spring at home and garden show

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Snow flurries and cold wind swept through Northeast Tennessee Saturday afternoon, but inside Freedom Hall Civic Center, home and garden vendors teased visitors with their displays of warm weather activities and projects.

The Johnson City Area Home Builders Association’s 44th Annual Home and Garden Show was in full swing as participants young and old filtered in and out of the arena and gym areas that were transformed into backyard patios, bathrooms and garden waterfalls.

Lisa Luster, executive director of the JCAHBA, said the show tried to encompass a little bit of everything, with 137 booths and 90 exhibits from vendors specializing in carpeting, roofing, cutlery, landscaping and hardscaping.

“We have everything you can possibly think of regarding indoor and outdoor living. That is our theme this year. We try to have a theme every year,” Luster said. “What we’re finding is so many people are back into the remodeling and looking at building, but they are interested in the remodeling side. They’re interested in … fixing up their front yards, their side yards, their backyards, making their living area expand out into their outdoors. So, they’re really turning their outdoors into another home, basically.”

She said Saturday’s show featured a lot of exhibitors showcasing some of their unique products not easily found at a store.

Luster said visitors come to the show for many reasons, either to solidify an old plan or to come up with a new one regarding home and garden decor.

“They love it because they can come out and get ideas or take the ideas that they’ve had for a long time and get it down on paper and actually find somebody that can take care of the idea that they’ve had,” she said. “It’s perfect weather to be in here, because you can’t work out there.”

Tim Hicks, JCAHBA president and owner of Hicks Construction Co., said he was having a lot of fun Saturday and wanted to show the community that the construction business is back in bloom.

“As the economy’s picking up, we’re picking up with it. A lot of people (have) helped us through these tough times and we just want to try to give back and let people see what we can do,” he said. “I’m very excited about all the traffic and all of the positive feedback. A lot of people are interested and it looks like they’re going to be doing stuff this year.”

A group of David Crockett High School students in the SkillsUSA club were busy at work helping some of the show’s young visitors construct and paint their very own birdhouses.

“This is our second year doing it,” said Logan Tarlton, a senior at DCHS. “We got the lumber donated to us and we … pre-cut all of the birdhouses out and pre-drilled holes. Some of them would just rather paint them, but then there’s several that want to build them.”

Tarlton said he enjoys working at the show and said he’s happy to “get out in the community, get our name out there.”

Terry Henderson, of Terry Henderson Landscaping, said he’s been in the landscaping business for almost 44 years and said he wanted to show visitors to his exhibit that they could marry landscaping and hardscaping to create a relaxing and fun outdoor area. He said adding custom walkways, patios, retaining walls, fire rings and outdoor fireplaces have been hardscaping ideas that have been trending when remodeling or fixing an outdoor area.

Henderson said he was enjoying his time at the show and said “it’s just great to meet new people and shake hands with old friends.”

Colleen Weems, who had visited the show last year, said she and her husband, Ken, decided to bring their two kids back out to get rid of their “cabin fever” due to the cold weather.

“We came last year and the kids had a great time making their birdhouses and we wanted some more. We had a lot of neat little sign-ups last year and … cool freebies,” she said. “We can’t do anything outside right now, so the kids come, they can run around and get stickers and meet police officers and learn about safety and do fun things with power tools. They have so much fun, so we’re really excited we came out again this year.”

The Home and Garden Show will continue today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and is free for children 12 and under. The first 100 people through the door today will be entered into a drawing for a special prize.

Crowds pack Eastwood home and garden show, which continues Sunday

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NILES

There is a sense that the local economy is improving among exhibitors and visitors at the Mahoning Valley Home and Garden Show in the Eastwood Expo Center at the Eastwood Mall complex this weekend.

The show started Friday and runs through today, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Admission and parking are free.

Everybody who comes through the door — and there have been lots of visitors — seems to be a serious buyer, said Dominic Baragona, president of Mid America Events of Niles, which produced the home show.

Baragona said about 4,000 visitors came through the doors Friday, and by 2 p.m. Saturday more than 5,000 had already been counted, and he estimated Saturday’s total would reach 9,000.

In the past few annual shows, most people have walked around looking but not doing a lot of buying. However, his year many more are stopping to talk to one or more of the 150 vendors at the show, Baragona said.

One of the serious buyers Saturday was John Blue of Girard, who was at the show with his nephew, Damian Blue.

Blue said he is planning quite a few family home improvement projects, such as roofing and siding, and he picked up a lot of brochures, got some ideas, and even arranged to receive some bids.

John Perry of Poland and Matt Karlovic of Hubbard, sales consultants for CVS Creative Vinyl Systems, said more people at this year’s show are looking seriously.

They are not planning to move, they are planning to improve where they live and are looking for top quality products for their projects, said Karlovic. CVS has offices in New Castle, Pa., and Salem.

Enchanted Gardens Landscaping of Canfield had one of several impressive landscaping displays at the show.

Read more about the event in Sunday’s Vindicator or on Vindy.com.

Show Time for Gardeners – Patriot

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Five shows with blooming gardens are coming up in the next three weeks within day-trip range.
Pennsylvania Garden Expo

It’s nirvana for cabin-fevered plant-lovers
– no fewer than five indoor garden shows coming up in the next three weeks
within day-trip range of Harrisburg.

The blooming string kicks off Feb. 22-24
with the Pennsylvania Garden Expo in Harrisburg and then hands off to the
Pennsylvania Garden Show of York (March 1-3); the Maryland Home and Garden Show
in Timonium, Md. (March 2-3 and March 8-10), and the Pennsylvania Home Show in
Harrisburg and gargantuan Philadelphia International Flower Show (both March
2-10).

HGTV’s John Gidding (of Curb Appeal fame) is headlining this year’s Pennsylvania Garden
Expo at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Check out all of the details on this show and its 13 display gardens, 35 talks and 150 exhibitors on Pennlive.com.

Here’s a rundown on the others:

Pennsylvania
Garden Show of York

* The
Basics: Takes place in the Toyota Arena of York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle
Ave., York.

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Cross Creek Farm’s display garden at the 2012 York show.
George Weigel

The format is similar to the Pennsylvania
Garden Expo with seminars, display gardens built by local landscapers and marketplace
with more than 100 exhibitors.

One additional feature: the Garden Club
Federation’s Floral Rhapsody Flower Show, which moves to the center of the show
floor this year. Garden clubbers display some of their best plant specimens and
arrangements.

* 2013
Highlights: Author Tovah Martin is doing programs March 1 and 2, including
a terrarium workshop March 2(extra fee for that). More than 30 talks in all are
planned (http://pagsy.com/seminars-workshops for the
schedule).

Eleven display gardens are on tap this year, and
a new “Candyland” exhibit has candy growing on trees and Kool Aid flowing over
landscape rocks.

The 2013 show theme is “Nature’s Symphony.”

* What
Else to See and Do: Puppet shows for kids; tea events (extra fee); wine and
cheese samples; live music; working artists and a fairy garden workshop (March
3, extra fee).

* Hours:
March 1 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; March 2 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; March 3 from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Tickets:
At the door, $11 for adults; $9 for ages 62 and up; kids 12 and under free.
Advance tickets $9 ($8 for seniors). See http://pagsy.com/tickets for details.
Free parking.

* More
Information: www.pagsy.com or 717-848-2596.

Maryland Home
and Garden Show

* The
Basics: Held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium,
about a 90-minute drive from Harrisburg.

As the name suggests, it’s partly
home-focused and partly garden-focused – kind of a hybrid of the Pennsylvania
Garden Expo and a builders show.

This one runs 5 days over two consecutive
weekends, cutting out the Monday-Thursday between.

* 2013 Highlights: More than 300
exhibitors (the majority home improvement) will be on hand this year. Sixteen display
gardens are being built by northern Maryland landscapers.

Discovery Channel’s Dr. Lori will appraise
your flea-market finds March 2 and 3 as part of a lineup of nearly two dozen
talks and programs.

The
2013 theme is “Films in Flowers.”

* What Else to See and Do: Maryland Orchid
Society show and sale (March 8-10); bonsai show and sale (March 8-10); more
than 125 craftspeople in a section called the Maryland Spring Craft Show; a
“fan cave” built by Dr. Basement.

* Hours: March 2 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.;
March 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 9 from 10
a.m. to 9 p.m., and March 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Tickets: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors;
$3 for children ages 6-12; under 6 is free. Free parking.

* More Information: www.mdhomeandgarden.com/spring or
410-863-1180.

Pennsylvania
Home Show

* The Basics: Sponsored by
the Homebuilders Association of Metro Harrisburg, this show takes place in the
Exhibition Hall of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex along Cameron Street,
Harrisburg. People still call it the “Builder’s Show.”

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Crowds milling through the Pa. Home Show.
George Weigel

It’s primarily geared to builder and
home-improvements, albeit with a decent outdoor-living presence and several
display gardens.

* 2013 Highlights: For gardeners,
there’s no designated “display garden” area this year, but landscapers such as
Blouch’s Landscaping, Dreamscapes Watergardens, Hemlock Landscaping and Outdoor
Expressions are building gardens in several featured areas. Plus several more
will have smaller gardens at their booths.

There’s also landscaping around the Showcase
Home and Log Home Exhibit.

In addition, this is a good place to talk
ideas and get estimates on hardscape and other outdoor-living projects from
specialists in sunrooms, paver patios, fencing, pools, outdoor kitchens, lawn
care and landscape edging.

Seminars will include energy savings, birds
of prey, work-saving tips in the landscape and geothermal heating. The schedule
is at http://pahomeshow.com/Calendar-Of-Events.asp.

Special events include Senior Day on March 4
($5 admission); “A Night to Wine” wine tasting on March 8 from 4 to 8 p.m.;
Free Parking Day on March 8, and Kids Day on March 9 (clowns, pitching booth
and a hands-on workshop sponsored by Home Depot).

* What Else to See and Do: Builders Lane
and Remodelers Row is loaded with home contractors of all sorts.

Canstruction pits four teams of designers
against one another in building structures out of canned goods.

Five student teams compete to design and
build an outdoor storage unit for less than $2,000 in the Design It-Build It
School Challenge.

New for 2013 is an Art Walk on March 9 and
10 that displays glasswork, watercolors, oil paintings, photography and other
focal-point art for home interiors.

* Hours: Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8
p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 4-7 (Monday-Thursday) from noon to
6 p.m.; Friday, March 8, from noon to 8 p.m.

* Tickets: $6 for adults. Kids 12 and under
are free. Parking is $8.

* More Information: www.pahomeshow.com or 717-232-5595.

Philadelphia
International Flower Show

* The Basics: This one is the
world’s biggest, oldest indoor flower show (184 years old) and attracts 270,000
visitors from all over the world. It’s held over 10 sprawling acres inside the
Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12^th and Arch streets, Philadelphia.

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The display gardens at the Philadelphia International Flower Show are among the most elaborate anywhere.
George Weigel

The 40 display gardens are as elaborate as
any you’ll find anywhere, especially the handful of lead ones right inside the
main entrance.

The Marketplace is huge and popular with 180
vendors at the opposite side of the show floor from the gardens. In the middle
is a judged horticulture competition with awesome specimen potted plants grown
by amateurs.

* 2013 Highlights: The 2013 theme
is “Brilliant!” focused on British gardening. The main entrance will feel like
London with palace gates, English roses, a birch allee and even a sculptural
replica of Big Ben. Other gardens will tip a hat to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party,
rolling British hillsides, foggy London gardens and a manicured cricket club.

The show adds an extra day in 2013… now
running two full weekends for a total of 9 days. Also new for 2013 are pre-show
sneak peek packages to see the show being set up and “The Backyard,” a room
devoted to decks, patios, grills, fire pits and garden tools.

* What Else to See and Do: Large (and
free) wine-tasting by dozens of wineries, plus an in-show wine and spirits
shop; scores of talks both in seminar rooms and on the show floor; “British
Village” offering goods from British vendors; new plant introductions; “make
and take” workshops to craft your own British fare to take home; cooking
demonstrations; a Kids Zone to give kids a play break; garden teas (extra fee);
TV-style floral-arranging contests, and pressed-flower and miniatures displays.
Philly’s Reading Terminal Market is next door.

* Hours:
March
2 from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; March 3 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; March 4-8 from
10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; March 9 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and March 10 from 8
a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Tickets: $32 for adults and
$22 for students (ages 17-24) at the door. $28 and $21 in advance on the www.theflowershow.com web site.
Children ages 2-16 are $17 at the door and $16 in advance. Parking can run
$15-$20 in surrounding lots.

Or go
on one of four bus tours led by Pennlive garden writer George Weigel that drop
off at the door and include tickets… see www.georgeweigel.net/georges-talks-and-trips for details.

* More Information: www.theflowershow.com or call
215-988-8800 or email phs-info@pennhort.org.

Tank will collect rainwater for coming educational garden

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SAN ANGELO, Texas —
The first of several rainwater harvesting tanks was installed at the Southside Recreation Center on Feb. 1, by Chuck Hartgrove, owner of Angelo Seamless Gutters. It will be used to capture rainwater for the educational garden being built by The People/Plant Connection, a local nonprofit organization. Funding for the rain tank was provided by a grant from the San Angelo Area Foundation. The tank holds 3,000 gallons of rainwater.

A misconception is we don’t get enough rain to collect rainwater. According to the weather station at Mathis Field, since September 2012, we have received about 9.01 inches of rain. Since September 2012, with the size of the roof, the rain tank would have collected more than 14,000 gallons of rainwater.

Water conservation is one of the main subjects of The People/Plant Connection. Their educational garden will be built to inform people in the Concho Valley about how to garden in drought situations, taking care of the environment and how to raise vegetables for themselves and their families. The garden will be on about three acres of land in front of and around the Southside Recreation Center on Ben Ficklin Road.

This unique garden will have four smaller gardens inside the perimeter. There will be a children’s adventure garden, an accessible garden for people with disabilities, a community garden where gardeners rent a small space for their own garden and a serenity rose garden where people can sit and relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the garden. The main gardens will be connected with sever smaller pocket gardens for demonstration of how to have beautiful plants that don’t need a lot of water.

The People/Plant Connection has been in operation since July 2009 when they started a horticulture program at the Concho Valley Community Women’s Correctional Facility and the Roy K. Robb Community Men’s Correctional Facility. Since 2010, they have sponsored two monthly gardening seminars. One is a Lunch ‘n’ Learn class taught by Allison Watkins, Texas AM AgriLife Extension horticulturist. They meet at the Edd B. Keys Building, 113 W. Beauregard Ave., on the second floor, in the commissioner’s court. The class is from noon to 1 p.m. and cost $5. Watkins covers different subjects about gardening in West Texas to help homeowners and business owners get the most of their gardening efforts.

The Saturday Gardening Seminars are held at the Water Education Center, 417 S. Oakes St.,from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Speakers are professionals from the community speaking about different aspects of gardening. Rainwater harvesting, gardening with Texas native plants, drip irrigation and more. These classes are $10 each. All proceeds from their classes go toward the programs and building the garden.

Gardening and art classes will also be held in conjunction with the summer camp programs at the Southside Recreation Center and the Carl Ray Johnson Recreation Center beginning in June. These classes are for children registered at the City Recreation Program Summer Camp. Children’s gardening classes will also be offered at the Goodfellow AFB Youth Center. Special student memberships are $15 per month with an additional $5 for each additional child. Parents get discounts from our seven industry sponsors with the student memberships.

If you would like to become a PPC volunteer and be part of this unique project, call 325-656-3104. Volunteers will help start the garden by landscaping the front of the Southside Recreation Center and the side garden around the outdoor classroom. As a PPC volunteer, you will get gardening information, discounts at the monthly gardening seminars, an appreciation dinner at the end of the year to recognize your hours and contribution to The People/Plant Connection.

If you would like to become a member of The People/Plant Connection, call 325-656-3104 to receive an application. The cost is $25 per year and members receive discounts from seven industry sponsors from the community. The industry sponsors are All-Tex Irrigation Supply, Brannan Nursery Landscape, Britton’s Garden Landscape, Concho Natives, Native Ornamentals-Mertzon, Olive’s Nursery and Scherz Landscape Co. Other benefits include a quarterly e-newsletter with information about what is going on with our garden project, class schedules and articles by Watkins and master gardeners about gardening in West Texas.

We also accept donations of cash or gift cards. The People/Plant Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization making your donations tax deductible. Send your donations to: The People/Plant Connection, P.O. Box 62841, San Angelo, TX 76906.

For information about The People/Plant Connection and their programs call Susan Stanfield at 325-656-3104.

Gardener: A tightwad’s tips for equipping a garden

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Until recently, Ive never really considered how much of what you need to start and maintain a garden can be acquired for free or nearly free. But a few years back I challenged myself to see if I could create an organic garden from scratch on a total budget of $25 or less. The premise was that I was acting as a brand-new gardener, with absolutely no gardening-related equipment in my possession. I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how far you can stretch that almighty dollar when you put your mind to it.
Take starting seeds, for example. Rather than buying expensive commercial products, I learned to improvise using common household items, like reusing pizza boxes as seed-starting trays. So in celebration of another fast-approaching season of playing in the dirt, here is a partial list of ideas to get you started and keep you on track to your most frugal garden yet.
Repurpose or recycle: When you start thinking creatively, youll be amazed at the amount of things you discover that can be used in place of store-bought items. For example, I just returned from two grocery stores. Both donated large clear plastic cake domes with a base. These make perfect mini-greenhouses (to fit over those pizza-box seed-starting trays), and theyll last for years. If I purchased the real thing, Id spend about $5 each.
Social media: Facebook and, especially, Twitter have been a gold mine for me in sourcing goods for my $25 garden. Ive tapped into a vast network of talented, giving people who want to help you succeed (or seed, in my case). Ive had an outpouring of offers from seeds to supplies. One new Twitter friend even provided free hand-painted plant markers! I treasure them still.
Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org: These are the coolest online ways to find exactly what you need. Craigslist is like a giant virtual garage sale where you can find just about anything you need, right near where you live. Some things are free but most are for sale at good prices. Freecycle, on the other hand, is all free. Its all based on the idea of keeping things out of the landfill. You post online to give things away and look there for what you need that others are giving away. I have friends who have equipped their entire garden via Freecycle, from hoses and soil to bricks, seeds and plants.
Garage sales: Just in case youre not a fan of the online world, consider neighborhood garage sales. As much as you need a grow light or nice shovel, someone in your neighborhood is ready to make a deal.
Local government: Many city, county or other municipalities offer free compost for the taking. Some offer rain barrels and helpful seminars on gardening. These services are almost always free or well within even a cheapskates budget.
Organize your own swap: Local events provide the ideal opportunity to swap seeds, tools, plants and supplies. Schools, churches and civic groups are great places to organize these events. Not only are you able to trade for free, youll meet some wonderful people and recycle many of those items youre ready to part with.
Online seed swaps: There are many organizations and groups across the country that facilitate seed-swapping. The National Gardening Association (garden.org) has a free online service for this, and hyperlocavore.com is a worthy grass-roots effort that exemplifies the spirit of giving and sharing as it continues to build a network of members. Search online for seed swaps for more options.
Agricultural bulletins and classifieds by state: Many regions or states have an online and/or printed version of their agricultural news. It includes a classified section that lists people willing to mail you seeds, merely for the price of a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). The offerings are amazing. Search online using the term agricultural bulletins by state.
So little space, but so many more ideas to share. What are ways you save money in the garden? Please email me at email@joegardener.com and let me know. We can continue this conversation soon.
Joe Lampl, host of Growing a Greener World on PBS, is a master gardener and author. For more information visit www.joegardener.com. For more stories, visit shns.com.

Tips to get your garden up and running

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Want to take the plunge into starting seeds? Here are tips from experts Gail Pothour, Bill Bird and Jenn Hammer:

Selecting seeds

Choose seeds for things you and your family like to eat. No point growing radishes if no one’s going to eat the final product.

Favorite seed companies cited include Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds. com); Renee’s Garden Seeds (www. reneesgarden.com and in some area garden shops); Lockhart Seeds in Stockton; Botanical Interests (www.botanicalinterests.com); BBB Seed (www.bbbseed. com); Solano County’s Wild Boar Farms (www. wildboarfarms.com), which specializes in tomatoes, and Oregon’s Territorial Seed Co. (www.territorialseed. com).

Make sure seeds you buy are for the current season check the date on the envelope. If it’s not dated, write the year on the package for future reference. Leftover seeds usually are good for two or three years.

If a seed package does not have a photo of the particular vegetable or flower some companies put the same picture on all packages cut one from the catalog or print it off the Internet and attach that to the package. You’ll be glad you did.

Gathering equipment

Use the right medium. Avoid potting soil at this point it’s too chunky and won’t produce optimum germination. Seed-starting mix can be purchased ready-made at nurseries and home stores or, as Hammer does, you can make it yourself. (She uses one part perlite, one part vermiculite and one part sphagnum moss.) Jiffy pellets, which expand in water, are widely available.

Containers can be commercial products or recycled items, but they should be clean and a minimum of 2 inches deep (3 to 4 inches is better) with drainage holes. Pothour warns not to use egg cartons or eggshells they’re too shallow. Or make your own pots from newspaper (see box on Page 5). A tray or plastic container will catch drips.

Have a source of warmth first, for germination, then a source of light for growth. This can be as easy as the top of your refrigerator, a sunny window sill or, after germination, under-cabinet fluorescent lights in the kitchen.

To keep warmth and moisture in, use plastic wrap, lids or domes. Lettuce mix containers (the deep ones with flat tops) are ideal mini- greenhouses, as are clean containers from rotisserie chicken.

Get planting

Read the seed label to check the timing. Tomatoes can be started about eight weeks before planting date. Pothour puts her tomatoes in the ground on Sacramento’s unofficial tomato planting day, April 28, which also is “Farmer Fred” Hoffman’s birthday. So she’ll have her tomato seedlings started by the end of February.

Certain vegetables, including corn and beans, should not be started indoors sow them outside when the weather warms up. Root vegetables such as carrots also should be direct-sown, to avoid disturbing the root.

Beets and hard-shell seeds often benefit from a couple of hours soaking in water before sowing.

Make the labels first. That way you can label as you go and won’t have to try to guess which pellet or plug is which.

Put two or three seeds in each pot or cell. And start a few more plants than you’ll think you need, to allow for a less-than-optimal germination rate.

Have a small dowel, chopstick or wooden skewer handy to poke holes in the medium and to push down seeds. Pothour marks one with 1/4-inch increments so she can get the right depth.

Use painter’s tape to re-close a seed envelope. It won’t rip the package when you want to reopen it later.

Germination and beyond

Keep the soil moist but not too wet, to avoid growth of mold or a fungal condition known as “damping off” that can kill a seedling. A small misting bottle is useful for moistening soil without overwatering.

Be sure to remove or loosen the plastic covering to give the plants air.

Use a small fan to gently blow on seedlings. That will strengthen them in advance of planting outdoors.

Thin seedlings by snipping with scissors or fine clippers at soil level so you don’t harm the roots of the plants you wish to keep.

Shop lights are just as effective as fancy “grow lights” and cost much less. If you can’t adjust the height of the light, put seedling flats or trays on piles of cardboard boxes to keep them close to it.

Keep a journal or use a calendar to record what you planted when and how. This will be invaluable next year.

Have questions?

The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center will hold Open Garden Day 9 a.m. to noon next Saturday. Master gardeners including Gail Pothour will be on hand to talk to visitors. 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks.

Kathy Morrison

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Renowned Garden Designer Jon Carloftis Coming To Chattanooga

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The Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center (CANC) at Reflection Riding announces that nationally-renowned garden designer Jon Carloftis will appear in Chattanooga in April. Mr. Carloftis will present a talk at Chattanooga State in the Humanities Auditorium on April 3, at 7 p.m.

“Putting Style into Your Garden,” will outline steps to create gardens with various theme and intentions. Hardscape materials, plant material, furniture, lighting, decorations, water features, outbuildings, garden decorations – all must complement – not overpower, to achieve a unique style that evokes the personality of the garden and the gardener. Mr. Carloftis will suggest sustainable, earth-friendly garden products dedicated to beautiful and functional outdoor living.

The Arboretum and Nature Center board has selected Mr. Carloftis – a Kentucky native with strong ties to the land and the dedication to protect it – to design the first Grandmothers Garden in the Southeastern United States to be constructed at Reflection Riding.

“I believe that by assisting the Arboretum to highlight the extraordinary beauty of Reflection Riding, I will advance the establishment of educational venues of lasting importance to Chattanooga, and the greater horticultural community at large,” Mr. Carloftis said. “I want the Arboretum to succeed in its mission because it coincides with my own.”

Mr. Carloftis is a regular contributor to national garden and lifestyle publications, with more than 200 feature stories to his credit. His garden designs and editorials have been featured repeatedly in Architectural Digest, Better Homes Gardens, Country Home, Country Living, Garden Gun, Garden Rooms, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Metropolitan Home, Oprah at Home, Outdoor Rooms, Renovation Style, Rodale Organic Gardening, Southern Living and Town Country.

His career includes appearances on The Style Channel; The Home and Garden (HGTV) Channel (The Secret Gardens of New York); ABC’s Good Morning, America; and Martha Stewart. He has served on HGTV’s Trend Advisory Board. He has written a wide variety of garden books: First a Garden (2005); Beyond the Windowsill (2007); and Beautiful Gardens of Kentucky (2010).

Donations are appreciated and will go into the Grandmothers Garden Fund

Garden Design – Top Trends For 2013

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Garden design in 2013 looks set to go along with the prevailing trend of placing a greater emphasis on those things which are local, sustainable and comforting.

(PRWEB UK) 15 February 2013

Garden design in 2013 looks set to go along with the prevailing trend of placing a greater emphasis on those things which are local, sustainable and comforting. With budgets still tight, and with the influence of the slow food movement and an increasing general consciousness of ecological issues, all that is natural, native and down to earth looks set to prevail in the coming year. Here are a few key areas that are likely to feature large in the world of garden design in 2013.

Back to reality

As beautifully demonstrated by Cleve West’s Best in Show garden design at the 2012 Chelsea Flower Show, there is a growing fondness for gardens which look back to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. West’s understated design used topiary and native plants to create a garden that was both reminiscent of a bygone age and accessible to a modern sensibility. West’s garden, and others like it, will likely have a large influence on garden designers this year.

Along with nostalgia, another important area for gardens is touch. Grasses, reeds and perennials are all likely to feature prominently, as designers seek out those plants that can make a garden more tactile and engaging. The sense that a garden is something to be touched, and not just looked at, is a growing trend that looks set to continue in 2013.

Do it yourself garden design

Perennials and grasses can give a garden a very natural look and feel, and the suggestion of meadows and grasslands they provide is a very popular one in the present climate. Last year’s ‘Olympic Meadows’ by Nigel Dunnet at the Olympic Park in Stratford was a big influence in this regard, but so too is the current mood for things which ‘feel’ natural and homely, and suggest authenticity.

As the trend for gardening itself continues to grow, so will the numbers of people who want to try their hand at designing their own gardens. While this might not be good news for small-scale professional garden designers, it does mean that there is likely to be an increasing awareness of garden design principles and planting.

Another trend which is likely to flourish in 2013 is for home grown herbs. More and more people use herbs in cooking, and this means many will prefer to grow their own, rather than relying on supermarkets.

Bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out

The ‘room outside’ concept of the garden being an extension of the home, first written about by John Brookes forty years ago, has continued to have a tremendous influence on small-scale garden design that has spread to our choices of garden furniture. The idea that having tables and chairs in your garden that might look just as good in your conservatory, or even living room has raised the stakes for furniture designers in recent years, and greatly improved the design standards applied to modern garden furniture.

An increase in the popularity of innovative and attractive garden furniture sets is certain to continue. Thanks to the usability and attractiveness of the rattan weave, as well as the fact that it can be easily and neatly stored away, rattan cube garden furniture has become very popular, and looks set to be a big trend for the coming year.

So gardens in 2013 are likely to be soothing and homely, and made up of comparatively muted colours and tones, filled with native plants that can be touched and enjoyed, with innovative and appealing garden furniture sets.

In terms of garden design, there is plenty to look forward to in the coming year.

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37th Annual Home and Garden Show At CSI Expo Center

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Twin Falls, Idaho ( KMVT-TV / KTWT-TV ) Townsquare Media has been bringing the home and garden show to the College of Southern Idaho Expo Center for 37 years now. With the wide variety of goods and services on display, there’s sure to be something to catch your eye.

Janice Degner, General Manager of Townsquare Media, says, “Each year it’s completely based around everything having to do with the home. How to update your siding, your windows, your doors, maybe get some new landscaping ideas.”

Degner says there are 15 more vendors this year, which is another sign that our local economy continues to recover slowly. The Home and Garden Show is a chance for vendors to see old friends as well as connect with some potential customers.

Ron Reese, owner of Ree-Construction, says, “Typically this show brings in about 15,000 people a year. I think those number have been pretty steady. So we get a chance to shake a lot of hands.”

The 37-th annual Home and Garden Show continues from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Saturday, February 16th, and from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 17th. Admission is $3for adults age 12 and up, while kids under 12 get in for free.

Kathryn Miller, Event Sales for Vertical Gardens, says, “Absolutely! We hope to see lots of people out here at the Home and Garden Show. There are a lot of different products, and we just hope that everybody enjoys the show.”

Feb. 15, 2013.