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Bangalore’s Koramangala residents manage to eat their own produce with …

BANGALORE: In the times of our constant references to the phrase ‘concrete jungle’, Koramangala’s citizens have managed to maintain green spaces in their homes – on their terraces.

Bangalore’s commercial hub, Kormanagala has recently witnessed a sea change in the way its residential spaces are being explored. Homemakers, working women and botany enthusiasts alike have joined hands into making private terraces and balconies greener. Not only are they making it palatable to the eye, but, they are also using the space to source their kitchen requirements.

This trend is analogous to the development of the gardening and landscaping industry in India. Professional players, here in Koramangala, are joining in to provide their services to builders, companies and households.

The future for gardening and landscaping industry looks bright this year. According to India Landscaping Report 2013, the industry remained small and fragmented in India until last year. The small market size ensured global gardening majors overlooking India, which in turn has favoured the indigenous entrepreneurs.

Garden enthusiast Nanda Devi, a high school teacher, has employed half of her first floor-terrace space to keep her childhood hobby alive and spends an hour a day on it. “Terrace gardening is economical and eco friendly,” she explains.

Usha Raghavan a resident of a Koramangala high rise apartment, who developed a keen interest in organic terrace gardening, now, has begun to occasionally provide for her family with healthier, organic vegetables too.

Raghavan is following a Facebook page exclusively dedicated to people interested in organic terrace gardening. The page initiated by a Bangalore-based group of enthusiasts began about two years ago with 200 people and has now grown to over 3,000 members. Inspired members meet once in three months to discuss on subjects like farm yield, organic manure and better seeds. The next meeting called “Oota from your Thota” (meaning food from your garden), is scheduled to start on 24 February 2013.

BUDDING DEMAND

The page following testifies the potential growth the market has and Radha Eashwar is tapping into this. Founder of ArtyPlantz, a garden solution provider, she has helped Koramangala’s citizens to create home gardens and urban farms. An architect by profession, Radha believes that Koramangala’s corporate as well as public spaces are in need of this. ArtyPlantz was started as a tiny horticultural therapy centre in February 2012.

“Better homes are an easy possibility and a terrace, balcony and even a windowsill can be converted into a green space without employing much resources,” she says.

Many citizens from around Koramangala have approached Radha with needs that require customis ation. “While a builder or a campus developer may ask for a private terrace designed especially for a pool area, an individual customer may just be looking for a more compact and low maintenance green space,” Eashwar informed.

CONSTRUCTION ANCILLARY

Some of the players are looking at the construction happening around Koramangala as a possible future demand. Veena Nanda, who owns Sunshine Boutique, a garden store, believes that the builders as well as homeowners’ special attention for including green space during construction has proved fruitful.

“Koramangala is one of those newer localities where more citizens’ are going out of their way to add more eco-friendly value to their homes,” she says. Eashwar’s ArtyPlantz aims to reach out to 25,000 customers by 2016. Since 2012, ArtyPlantz’s customer base has grown five times since then. Today, the setup has received landscape gardening enquiries from medium to large sized builders across Koramangala. “Big names like Sri Ram Properties, developers like Shilpa Builders, Connect Builders, Kaman Holdings and K2 Builders have expressed their interests. If all goes well, we shall set up office in another city in two years from now,” hopes Radha.

This year, the market is slated to grow at Compound Annual Growth Rate of 22 per cent to reach a value of Rs 751.04 crore. The gardening market will be driven by housing demand and demand from residential areas like Koramangala. Nanda agrees, “Our business has rebounded after the 2008 dive, thanks to the stronger economic growth conditions. This was supported by spending by customers especially from smaller households and other residential apartment builders. We hope that our business will get a push from the construction activity in the areas surrounding Koramangala,” she says.

Late summer gardening tips

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Need late summer colour in your garden? Fill up empty spaces in the borders with echinacea, rudbeckia and gaillardia.

Gardening tips

* Dahlias, perennial phlox, gaura, penstemon, agapanthus, watsonia, eucomis and galtonia keep the summer garden colourful. Water deeply, and mulch around their root area with well-rotted manure or compost. A fortnightly foliar feed and regular deadheading will ensure longer flowering.

* Need late summer colour in your garden? Fill up empty spaces in the borders with echinacea, rudbeckia and gaillardia.

* Make the first sowing of pansy, viola, delphinium, larkspur and Primula malacoides seed in trays. Keep lightly shaded and moist, but not wet. For successful germination, delphinium and larkspur seed should be chilled in an airtight container in the refrigerator (not the freezer) before sowing.

* Garden chrysanthemums in gold, pastel and rich colours are the mainstay of many autumn gardens. They can be frilled or quilled, single or double, and can be relied on to put on a good show in the garden and in the vase. Reduce growth by half to encourage side branching, bushier growth and more flowers.

* The cone flower (Echinacea purpurea) is an attractive summer-flowering perennial with dusty-pink petals and a cone-like cinnamon-brown centre. Butterflies are attracted to the pollen in the daisy-like flowers, and birds will eat the seeds out of the cone after the petals have fallen.

* Anisodontea is a free-flowering shrub, 2m to 3m in height, with pink hibiscus-like flowers that attract butterflies and bees. Grow in full sun and good air circulation, and cut back to encourage bushy new growth. Useful for screening, borders, cottage gardens, mass plantings and indigenous gardens. – Saturday Star

“Garden design trends for 2013”

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Mountaintop garden to be explained by noted designer

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The New Canaan Nature Center is hosting Gordon Hayward, a garden designer, writer and lecturer, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, in a program called “Gardening on Granite: Making a New Hampshire Mountaintop Garden over Twenty Years.”

It is the tale of New Canaan residents Teddy and Peter Berg’s journey with Hayward and others in creating their own truly extraordinary landscape. The presentation will be followed by tea, sandwiches and cookies and a book signing.

Starting in 1986, Hayward and dry-stone waller Dan Snow collaborated with Theodora Berg on the development of a five-acre garden on Rice Mountain in southern New Hampshire, registered with the Smithsonian Institution since 2011.The central force driving the design of the garden was to evoke the passage of centuries of time, while acknowledging elements from Old and New England.

The one-hour lecture, which includes 80 pairs of images, traces the evolution of making a garden, including four trips to England looking for inspiration and artifacts.

Hayward wrote for Horticulture Magazine for 25 years and lectured on a nine-city tour across America. He was a contributing editor at Fine Gardening Magazine for six years and a contributing editor at the newly revamped Organic Gardening Magazine. He is the author of 11 books on garden design, two of which have won national awards. Hayward and his wife, Mary, have been developing a 1.5-acre garden around their 240-year-old farmhouse in southern Vermont for the past 29 year,s as well as a garden outside their cottage in the Cotswold Hills of England. They have led 16 tours for garden clubs to southern England.

The cost $10. For information or to register, visit www.newcanaannature.org or call 203-966-9577.

Water, water everywhere?

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Despite the recent rain, the Farmer’s Almanac predicts a drier and warmer summer in Western North Carolina, with an especially dry September and October on the horizon. But don’t let your flowers and veggies wither in the sun when water runs low. The Men’s Garden Club of Asheville will host a program on water-wise landscaping, featuring Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener James C. Wade, on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

With drought in WNC’s not-too-distant memory, Wade reminds us that rainfall is variable and often inadequate. He asserts that “carelessness will create waste” and that the cost of delivering water is increasing. Saving water saves money and helps our environment, reducing runoff from local properties into our streams and lakes. Water-wise landscaping techniques maximize natural rainfall and improve irrigation.

Since Wade has spent much of his life in areas with limited water resources, he has some advice for keeping moisture in WNC’s often troublesome soil. He stresses that advanced planning is essential, so start thinking about water now. As you might imagine, native plants stand up to heat and dry weather better than exotic blooms. Since our soil is relatively soft from this winter’s warm temperatures, now’s a good time to improve your soil to prevent evaporation. Also, try to group plants according to water needs so that when you do water, you only need to focus on a few targeted areas.

A good first step for someone who is just beginning to explore water efficiency is to reduce turf and lawns and much as possible, as they often require additional water to keep green. Try a victory garden in the front yard or create an area just for drought-tolerant native plants. A rain garden is also a fun way to increase the water level on your property.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. A full explanation of water-wise landscaping, and advice for experienced and novice gardeners alike, will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, begins at 12:40 p.m. For info, call: 329-8577.

Future Men’s Garden Club of Asheville meetings, which are held on the first Tuesday of the month, will feature a variety of topics this season:

March: Growing herbs with Fairman Jayne of Sandy Mush Nursery
April: Vegetable gardening with club member Alan Wood
May: TBD
June: Creating a Native Woodland Garden with Lisa Wagner, Education Director SC Botanical Gardens
July:Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont with Tim Spira of Clemson University.
Aug: Club picnic
Sept.: Jerry Merrill, co-owner Breezy Acres Nursery
Oct: Ornamental Grasses with Amanda Stone, Coop Ext.
Nov: Tour of Van Wingerden Greenhouse with co-owner Bert Kemkes.
Dec: Club awards luncheon

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Boulder’s Civic Area plan may call for band shell relocation

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The guiding principles for the Civic Area Master Plan call for preserving central Boulder’s historic character while creating a vision for the future of the area between Ninth and 17th Streets along Boulder Creek.

But several of the plans for the area submitted to the city as part of an ideas competition omit one historical structure, the band shell in Central Park. Some of the plans move it to a new site within the proposed civic area boundaries, while others don’t show it at all.

City planners are in the process of taking ideas from those concept plans and turning them into three or four alternatives to present to the community and the City Council.

The omission of the band shell has caught the eye of members of the city’s Landmarks Board, some of whom want to see it stay where it is, between 13th and 14th streets on Canyon Boulevard, and all of whom don’t want to see it disappear.

“Moving the building has implications,” said Landmarks Board member Mark Gerwing, who said the site was carefully chosen and is part of the historic aspect. “Once you move a building, it’s no longer eligible for the national registry, and that speaks to funding for renovations.”

Gerwing noted that the community has organized repeatedly to save the band shell, including the push that resulted in its landmark status in 1995.

“The community has spoken, though it was a long time ago,” he said.

The Glen Huntington Band Shell, named for the well known Boulder architect who designed it, was built in 1938 and dedicated to the city by the Lions Club. Denver-based city planner and landscape architect Saco DeBoer worked on the placement of the band shell and the amphitheater seating.

The band shell is a rare example of Art Deco architecture in the city and one of only a few park band shells in the state.

The band shell received landmark status from the city in 1995, partly in response to discussion about moving the band shell to make way for the historic (and peripatetic) train depot that now sits near 30th and Pearl streets.

To change anything about a landmarked structure requires getting a landmark alteration certificate and is subject to review by the Landmarks Board.

Boulder Comprehensive Plan Manager Lesli Ellis, who is co-managing the Civic Area Master Plan process, said city officials are aware of the significance of the band shell for many people in the community. The participants in the ideas competition were encouraged to think outside the box, and the final plan won’t look like any one of the submissions.

“What’s probably not on the table is any proposal to demolish the band shell,” Ellis said. “There isn’t a lot of support for that in the community. But we do see some support for moving the band shell to another location where it would be more conducive to performances and have better access.”

The site near Canyon Boulevard has a lot of traffic noise that competes with the music when concerts are held there.

Ellis said at least one of the alternatives put together by staff will show a new location for the band shell, but other ideas include improving the landscaping and adding other amenities to Central Park.

City Councilman Tim Plass, a former Landmarks Board member, said he would support moving the band shell and would like to keep it in central Boulder. He believes demolishing it would violate the spirit of historic preservation behind the landmarks ordinance and set a bad example for the private sector.

“I’m not sure it can still serve its purpose where it is on the corner of Broadway and Canyon,” Plass said. “I don’t want to see it demolished. I don’t want to see it go away. I think it might be moved so that it can better serve its purpose. It’s also a prime corner for maybe doing something else.”

Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum said he’s never cared for the band shell, and the way it backs up to Canyon detracts from the pedestrian experience of the street, which the city would like to turn into a tree-lined boulevard.

“We have a lot of opportunity to really re-imagine the space, and to do that, I think you have to be willing to talk about moving the band shell,” he said.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Erica Meltzer at 303-473-1355 or meltzere@dailycamera.com.

2013 Phila. Home Show brings a taste of Spring

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PHILADELPHIA – February 2, 2013 (WPVI) —
The 2013 Philadelphia Home Show is here and the new exhibit gives a peek at the latest building, design and landscaping trends.

Ruth Hawthorne, who says she likes antiques and creative recycling, was in search of ideas for her kitchen.

“I heard there were different countertops using recycled glass and metals, so I’m interested in that,” she said.

Robin Horne brought family to get ideas they can bring back to their Birdsboro, Berks County home.

“A lot of things you wish you could have but can’t but you can always dream,” said Horne.

There’s certainly plenty to see from massage chairs, to flags to innovative home workout equipment.

After the workout, you might want a new shower or if you’re looking for a snack you can check out a ceramic grater.

Among the most alluring displays are those featuring landscaping ideas and flowers. It’s all a reminder that it won’t be winter forever.

Mike Pasquarello says the big trend for Spring is making yards a real part of the home.

“They’re trying to create outdoor living spaces – spaces where you have these rooftop structures and fireplaces to bring the feeling of the indoors out,” said Pasquarello.

Even if you didn’t make it Saturday, the show runs to Feb 10.

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At Gardens Corner, something special is sprouting at the intersection of past …

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The people of Gardens Corner want their sense of place and history back.

It was lost when the state Department of Transportation improved the deadly intersection of U.S. 17 and U.S. 21 in northern Beaufort County, a junction that for centuries has been the gateway to Beaufort.

The new intersection, with its overpass and traffic circle, was dedicated two years ago.

It added safety so joyfully accepted that the B.J. Scott Choir from the Huspah Baptist Church next door sang, “Walking Up The King’s Highway” at the ceremony.

But the construction all but stripped bare a place that once burst with personality and Lowcountry beauty.

Its story includes Native American trading posts, the botanist for whom the gardenia is named, and the first command of Francis Marion — the “Swamp Fox” — a hero of the Revolutionary War.

It includes the family-like hostelries of the days before bland interstates — places with names like the Magnolia Inn and the Gardenia Restaurant.

“The chain of history was kind of broken,” said Woody Collins of Sheldon. “Everything that represented the history was gone, except for six oak trees on one side and seven on the other. To this point, they alone are its history.”

Over the past year, he has pushed for a remedy. A major step was formation of the nonprofit Friends of Gardens Corner.

What happens next may be less a history lesson than a primer on how future citizens can make lasting improvements to Beaufort County.

MANY HANDS

Beautification and historical markers became the goal after a small group gathered in Beaufort to discuss Gardens Corner in late 2011.

Collins said it included Ian Hill, historical preservationist for Beaufort County; Rob McFee, the county’s director of engineering and infrastructure; and interested citizen DeDe Passeggio of Brays Island.

From that has come a lot of study on the area’s history, meetings with the state highway department, formation of a 501(c)(3) Friends group, support from Beaufort County, support from the Beaufort Council of Garden Clubs, and dreams of what Gardens Corner may look like in a few years.

Landscape designer Frances Parker worked with the steering committee and got SCDOT involved; Bill Thompson of Buds Blooms Landscaping in Beaufort created an early conceptual plan to show at the first community meeting; Brad Hill of Beaufort Planning Group landscape architects and contractors in Beaufort is drafting a formal beautification plan to be submitted to SCDOT for approval. Collins said Lee Edwards of The Greenery has volunteered to cost out the plan.

All of this is pro-bono work.

The goal is not only new plantings, but ongoing maintenance. Collins said the planning has been well received by the highway department.

Friends of Gardens Corner, meanwhile, is working on adopting a 2-mile stretch of U.S. 17 for regular litter removal.

Cecile Dorr, president of Beaufort’s seven-club council of garden clubs, said, “We think they are doing a terrific job. They are trying to involve the whole community, trying to involve history and trying to make it special. We hope to work with them down the road on fund-raisers.”

PAST, FUTURE

Beaufort County administrator Gary Kubic immediately endorsed the project. The county has agreed to pay for the fabrication and installation of two historical markers, a total of $4,110.

Wording for the signs is being drafted for approval by the S.C. Department of Archives and History.

And the Friends of Gardens Corner has begun a series of lectures that will explore the rich history of the area from the Combahee to the Coosawhatchie rivers.

The organization will hold a meeting Feb. 16, with election of new officers. Initial officers are Collins, a retired shrimper and oysterman who owns property in the area, president; Deborah Johnson of Beaufort, who coordinated the Beaufort Three-Century Project, vice president; Sidney Peeples, whose father operated a store in Gardens Corner for 45 years, treasurer; and Sally Hodges, secretary.

The lecture series is designed to increase membership, and public interest.

William McIntosh III of Charleston will lecture on his book, “Indians’ Revenge — Including a History of the Yemassee Indian War, 1715-1728.”

“This project epitomizes the idea of grassroots community support being the catalyst to make something good come to fruition,” said Johnson.

“Woody Collins’ vision and tenacity has moved this forward and I think we will look back in a few years at this project as the poster child for bringing individuals, businesses, nonprofits and governmental entities together to do something amazing and something that we can all be proud of in our county.”

Follow columnist David Lauderdale at twitter.com/ThatsLauderdale.

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Great Big Home and Garden Show Now At I-X Center

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The Great Big Home and Garden Show will return to the I-X Center Feb. 2-10 with more than 650 exhibitors.

New Features and Attractions:

• A fully-constructed, 4,000-square-foot Idea Home sponsored by Sherwin-Williams and Cleveland Magazine and built by Perrino Builders will inspire visitors with ways to plan and create their dream house.

• The fully constructed, 2,000-square-foot Dream Basement built by Chagrin Falls-based Custom Remodeling and Design.

• Fine dining at the Cambria Bistro, a full-service, white-tablecloth restaurant.

• “The Good Life” is the theme of the daily cooking sessions presented by local chefs and instructors of the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking. (www.lpscinc.com).

Returning Favorites from 2012:

• The Garden Showcase, sponsored by WKYC, WDOK and WQAL, and located in the South Hall.

• On Feb. 2 at 2 p.m., Architectural Justice will host a fashion show on The Main Stage that combines Haute Couture with interior design.

• The Celebrity Designer Rooms will be custom-designed by a Northeast Ohio design business or exhibitor with the help of a local radio or television personality.

• Belgard Hardscapes, Inc. will feature outdoor living spaces created by two of the area’s premier landscapers – Rock Bottom Lawn Landscaping and Friberg Landscaping Construction, LLC.

• At The Petitti Gardening Stage, daily gardening seminars on landscape design, flora and furnishing outdoor rooms will be held by Northeast Ohio landscape experts.

• The Plant Sale begins after the show closes on Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. Get great deals on the products and plant material on display in the gardens just in time for spring.

• Kids can have fun in Playground World’s KidsZone, which features slides, swings, basketball hoops and the world’s safest, fully-enclosed SpringfreeTM Trampoline.

Home Improvement and Culinary Celebrities:

• Known as the de-cluttering and organization guy, Peter Walsh from the hit TLC show Clean Sweep will appear Feb. 2.

• The show will also feature Ohio native Chris Crary, a season nine participant and fan favorite from Bravo’s popular television series Top Chef, on Feb. 9.

• Matt Fish, owner and chef of Melt Bar and Grilled will also present on The Main Stage Feb. 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10.

• Returning as this year’s Main Stage emcee, Matt Fox will offer home improvement knowledge and special educational presentations on Feb. 2, 3 and 5.

Adult admission is $14 at the box office, but discount tickets are available online, at Home Depot and AAA locations. Seniors 65 and old are $10; kids 6-12 are $5, and kids 5 and under are admitted free.

Check the Great Big Home and Garden Show’s website for more information.