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Impatient? Tips for a quicker vegetable harvest

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Vegetable gardening is an exercise in patience. Sweet potatoes can take more than 100 days to ripen; some tomato and watermelon varieties require five months.

But there are ways to shorten the wait.

The easiest is choosing plants that taste best when harvested young.

“The one thing you will miss out on with speedy growing is bulk, but what you will get in return is layers of flavor; a sprinkle of hot and peppery micro-green radish here, a sweet and nutty, barely cooked new potato there, a garnish of cucumber-y borage flowers to finish a dish,” writes Mark Diacono in the new “The Speedy Vegetable Garden” (Timber Press). “These are the crops that will mark out your cooking as distinctly and unquestionably homegrown.”

Timing is everything.

“Be slow to harvest and you’ll miss their best moments,” says Diacono, who does his gardening on a 17-acre plot in Devon, England. “These are fresh, lively and zingy flavors, flavors that can either fade or become bitter and overly strong as the plant grows on toward maturity.”

Many plants — notably fruits — are genetically wired for late development.

“Tomatoes, strawberries and apples all want to be left on the plant until they are fully ripe to get the fullest, lushest flavors out of them,” Diacono says. “Vegetables are a little different. Many get woodier, less succulent and lower in sweetness as they grow more mature, so really are at their loveliest picked young.”

That would include new potatoes, radishes, baby carrots, zucchini, miniature cucumbers, spring peas, turnips and beets.

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves can be clipped in as little as 21 days. Sprouted seeds (mung beans, mustard, lentils) can become table fare in just three days.

Check the maturity dates on seed packets as you shop. Heirloom tomatoes take 100 days or more to develop while cherry tomatoes need only about 65 days.

The same goes for squash. Winter squash (acorn, butternut) generally require 110 days before they are kitchen-ready. Summer squash (crookneck, zucchini), by comparison, can be eaten in 55 days or less.

There are many ways to jumpstart the growing season so you can be harvesting a meal while other gardeners are just beginning to turn the ground. Among them:

— Choose the warmest site possible if you’re planting early. “Even a small change in temperature can make a difference during spring and fall frosts,” says Jo Ann Robbins, an extension educator with the University of Idaho.

— Use enclosures. Covering plants moderates temperature, wind and humidity. “Air and soil temperatures are warmer, and the cover will conserve heat radiation from the soil during the night,” Robbins says in a fact sheet.

— Start vegetable plants inside from seed, and transplant them eventually into the garden. “Research shows the older the transplants, the better they will resist cold weather,” Robbins says.

— Warm the soil early. “Throw a piece of black or clear polyethylene over the soil in early spring, pin it down with tent pegs or bricks, and wait,” Diacono says. “The sun will warm it and excessive water will be kept off, leaving it in a fantastically workable state a few weeks later and conducive to quick plant growth.”

Homes & Gardens events in Oregon for Feb. 2-9

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: “Morning in the Garden.” In the weekly calendar we are featuring a photo that was an entry in our 2012 photo contest. The winners ran in the Dec. 22 weekend edition of Homes Gardens of the Northwest.
Karl Kaiser, Northeast Portland


 

Events are free unless noted. Fees usually include materials; call to confirm. All area codes are 503 unless noted.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, FEB. 2

Mary’s Peak Orchid Society Annual Show and Sale: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibits and judging. Receive expert advice, and bring your own orchids to be repotted for a fee. Garland Nursery, 5470 N.E. Highway 20, Corvallis; www.garlandnursery.com or 541-753-6601

Gardener’s Winter Guided Walk: 11 a.m.-noon. Garden curator Courtney Vengarick leads a walk to view blooming plants. Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 S.E. 122nd Ave.; www.leachgarden.org or 823-9503

SUNDAY, FEB. 3

Open House: 1 p.m. Kym Pokorny — garden writer for Homes Gardens of the Northwest — will review the best gardening books for kids and veggie growers as well as books that have given her insight and spurred her imagination as a Northwest gardener. Garden Fever, 3433 N.E. 24th Ave.; www.gardenfever.com or 287-3200

MONDAY, FEB. 4

Therapeutic Garden Volunteer Information Sessions: 1-2 p.m. Get information on how you can help with garden maintenance, planting projects, clerical work and other volunteer opportunities in the Legacy Health System Horticultural Therapy Program. Registration required; meeting details given at that time. Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1015 N.W. 22nd Ave.; www.legacyhealth.org/gardens or 413-7012

TUESDAY, FEB. 5

Clark County Master Gardener Foundation: 7 p.m. Mark Hallenbeck on “Bees and the Trees.” CASEE Center, 11104 N.E. 149th St., Brush Prairie, Wash.; http://mgfcc.com

Washington County Master Garden Speaker Series: 7:15 p.m. Penny Durant on the challenges and rewards of growing olive trees in Oregon and pressing olives for oil. First Baptist Church, 5755 S.W. Erickson Ave., Beaverton; www.metromastergardeners.org/washington

THURSDAY, FEB. 7

Fort Vancouver Rose Society: 7 p.m. James Pestillo on old garden roses. Clark County Genealogical Society, 717 Grand Blvd., Vancouver; 360-281-7270

SATURDAY, FEB. 9

African Violet Sale: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sale, display and demonstrations. Sponsored by the Portlandia Violet Club. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; 761-7861

CLASSES + DEMONSTRATIONS

SATURDAY, FEB. 2

Fruit-tree Pruning: 9-11:50 a.m. Demonstrations and practice of pruning methods for a variety of fruit trees. Home Orchard Society Arboretum, 19600 S. Molalla Ave. (north corner of Clackamas Community College campus), Oregon City; $10; http://depts.clackamas.edu/hort or 594-3292

Hidden Habitats: Nesting Birds on Your Land: 9 a.m.-noon. Learn how to take care of your land while avoiding harming birds during critical nesting periods. Sauvie Island Grange Hall, 14443 N.W. Charlton Road; www.wmswcd.org or 238-4775

Gardening for the Birds: 10 a.m. Discover what plants are essential for wild-bird food and shelter at various times of the year and learn how to get your garden certified as a backyard bird habitat. Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Center, 10455 S.W. Butner Road, Beaverton; $5; http://tinyurl.com/cgfqn9u or 297-1058

Small Fruits and Berries: 10 a.m. Al’s Garden Center, 1220 N. Pacific Highway, Woodburn; www.als-gardencenter.com or 981-1245

Starting From Seed With Success: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tips and technique for indoor seed-starting, lighting and fertilizing requirements, hardening off seedlings, amending planting beds and more. Registration required at the website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

What to Do in the Garden in February: 11 a.m. Registration required. Tsugawa Nursery, 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland, Wash.; http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm or 360-225-8750

Four-patch Mosaic Lap Quilt: Noon-3 p.m. Make a 33-by-38-inch quilt that could be used as a wall hanging, lap quilt or baby quilt. This is the first of three classes that complete this quilt. Registration required. Next classes are noon-3 p.m. Feb. 23 and March 2. The Wade Creek House, 664 Wade St., Estacada; $45 series; http://thewadecreekhouse.blogspot.com or 630-7556

Integrating Edibles: 1 p.m. Learn to think beyond the separate raised vegetable bed, and grow edibles throughout your garden. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

Landscape Design Concepts: 1-2:30 p.m. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

SUNDAY, FEB. 3

Planning Your Year of Vegetables: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Learn about cool- versus warm-weather crops, keeping a garden journal, the basics of successive planting and crop rotation, and other tips for a well-planned garden. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Make Your Own Terrarium: 1 p.m. Registration required. Al’s Garden Center, 1220 N. Pacific Highway, Woodburn; $25, includes supplies; www.als-gardencenter.com or 981-1245

Naturescaping Basics: 1-5 p.m. Design a low-maintenance chemical-free landscape that conserves water and minimizes pollution while saving time, money and energy. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required. Tualatin Hills Nature Park, 15655 S.W. Millikan Way, Beaverton; www.emswcd.org or 222-7645

Winter Garden Design Ideas: 1 p.m. Get ideas for designing or redesigning your yard with a mix of conifers and evergreens. Registration required. Farmington Gardens, 21815 S.W. Farmington Road, Aloha; www.farmingtongardens.com or 649-4568

Winter Pruning: 1 p.m. Brent Ward explains many of the things that should (and should not) be pruned around this time, and how they should be pruned to improve structure and health. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6

Urban Pest Management: 8 a.m.-4:50 p.m. Workshop covers pest control on ornamental plants. Registration required. In Gregory Forum. Clackamas Community College, 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City; $75-$85; 541-737-3541

FRIDAY, FEB. 8

Rain Gardens: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Workshop on designing and engineering rain gardens in Clark County. Offered through the Watershed Stewards program of WSU Clark County Extension and Clark County Environmental Services Clean Water program. Registration required. Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Vancouver; $15; 360-397-6060, ext. 5705

SATURDAY, FEB. 9

Naturescaping Basics: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Design a low-maintenance, chemical-free landscape that conserves water and minimizes pollution while saving time, money and energy. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required. Greater Gresham Baptist Church, 3848 N.E. Division St., Gresham; www.emswcd.org or 222-7645

All About Sunflowers: 10-11 a.m. Kids ages 5-10 get a tour of the Robinwood Garden kids bed, learn how sunflowers are grown and get samples of foods containing sunflower seeds. Robinwood Station, 3706 Cedaroak Drive, West Linn; $5; robinwoodgarden@gmail.com

Inviting Mason Bees to Your Garden: 11 a.m. Registration required. Tsugawa Nursery, 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland, Wash.; http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm or 360-225-8750

Nuts and Bolts of Landscape Design: 1-2:30 p.m. Class covers design layout, hardscaping, material selection and how to create a finished garden plan. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Working With Water: 1 p.m. Learn what it takes to integrate stormwater into your landscape with dry creekbeds and drywells, swales and other techniques. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

Click for public gardens.

Calendar items run on a space-available basis. Please submit notices at least one month before the event to Homes Gardens Listings Desk, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; or by email (send as a plain text file, with Homes Gardens in the subject line) to listings@oregonian.com. Except for cancellations and corrections, notices cannot be accepted by phone.

Gorgeous Gardens and Inspiring Design at annual Home & Garden Show

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Hollytree display

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Hollytree display

One of the many landscaping displays at the 2012 Home and Garden Show in Grove.


Posted: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 10:36 am
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Updated: 7:13 pm, Wed Jan 30, 2013.


Gorgeous Gardens and Inspiring Design at annual Home Garden Show

Staff Reports

Grove Sun – Delaware County Journal

Don’t miss your opportunity to turn your home and garden dreams into reality at the 15th Annual Home Garden Show.


Each year hundreds gather at the show to see ways to refresh and renew their homes and the Home and Garden Show is ready to deliver with expert solutions.

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Thank you for reading 20 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 20 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription at this time and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at Grove Sun 918-786-2228 Delaware Co. Journal 918-253-4322.

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Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden Show: Enter designer room challenge to win $2500 …

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Channel the inner designer in you and enter the “Dreaming of Design” Matchmaker Round as part of the Mid-Atlantic Home Garden Show March 1-3 in Virginia Beach.

To participate in the design room challenge, you design your dream 10-by-14-foot room online, using a $2,500 budget for Value City Furniture. The winner actually receives a $2,500 shopping spree at Value City Furniture.

 Once submitted, the four contestants with the most votes will then create their design rooms and tweak them with the help of an interior designer at the show. The winner receives a $2,500 shopping spree to Value City Furniture.

General guidelines

  • Contestants must be at least 18 years old
  • Contestants must not have received any professional training or instruction in residential interior design or have worked in the design industry
  • Designs must be submitted on a “Look Board” as a .jpg file Jan. 18 through 5 p.m. Feb. 8.
  • Public voting is Feb. 9 through midnight Feb. 17- utilize your social networking skills to get as many votes as possible
  • Four finalists will be announced Feb. 18 – based on voting and opinion of the judges
  • Finalists must agree to be interviewed and photographed to publicize the event
  • March 1 at 10 am the four finalists will have 8 hours to create their designs during the Mid-Atlantic Home and Garden Show at the Virginia Beach Convention Center
  • Value City will provide the furniture and Valspar/Lowe’s will give each finalist a $250 allowance for paint and supplies
  • Judging will take place on Saturday, March 2, and winners will be announced at 1 p.m. on the main stage.

To participate, visit www.midatlantichomeshow.com where you will see how to enter and helpful tips for creating your room.

 

Posted by Kathy Van Mullekom; kvanmullekom@aol.com

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Community ‘Incubator’ Science Lab Coming to Carlsbad

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The City Council approved a proposal on Tuesday, Jan. 29, to lease the former Farmers Insurance auto claims building at 2351 Faraday Avenue to Bio, Tech and Beyond, which will manage a start-up incubator and science education center. 

The city will lease the 6,000-square-foot building for $1 a year for five years. The city will repair the building’s aging heating and ventilation system and cover the costs of gas and electricity for one year. It will also continue to pay for trash removal and landscaping for the five-year term of the lease. The incubator’s managers will pay for all tenant improvements and furnish the lab with experimental equipment and instruments valued at $250,000. They will donate their time to run the lab and counsel start-up companies for two years, after which they expect to hire staff.  The total valuation of labor and expenses over the five years is estimated at $877,000. 

The goals of the incubator project are to:

  • Create new life sciences companies and new jobs in Carlsbad
  • Become a national leader in the citizen science movement, strengthening the city’s life sciences cluster
  • Add to Carlsbad’s core technology base, resulting in new products and new patents
  • Serve as a base for regional science education outreach efforts

“Having an incubator and community lab in Carlsbad improves the entrepreneurial environment for life sciences,” said Kathy Dodson, economic development manager for the City of Carlsbad.

Carlsbad is home to a number of life sciences companies, including Life Technologies, Isis Pharmaceuticals and Genoptix.  

The proposal has strong support of life sciences organizations, including the Salk Institution’s educational outreach arm, Oxbridge Biotechnology Roundtable, the San Diego Biotechnology Network and Assay Depot, a San Diego life sciences company that has pledged a $10,000 citizen science competition at the facility. 

    The effort is being led by Joseph Jackson, founder of BioCurious, one of the country’s first community laboratories, and Kevin Lustig, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Assay Depot, a San Diego-based company whose cloud-based software products enable scientists to easily access research services and experts. Many citizen scientists have worked for months as part of an all-volunteer team behind the community lab. Lustig said the diminishing cost of equipment and technology has made a community laboratory possible, and noted that people who have ideas but need access to equipment and technology will be able to rent space in the community lab where they can run experiments and test out those ideas.

    “The incubator is about enabling citizen scientists to translate their ideas into experiments, and then to translate their experimental results into companies,” Lustig said. He said Bio, Tech and Beyond particularly will focus on serving as a resource hub for anyone interested in researching rare or orphan diseases. “Because each rare disease strikes such a small number of people, there’s little profit incentive for pharmaceutical companies to do research,” Lustig said. “In a community lab like ours, patient advocacy groups, family members and citizen scientists can actually work with the patients themselves on research that may one day lead to a cure.” 

    Jackson said Carlsbad’s position as a home to life sciences companies makes it a logical choice for a community lab. “This will be a first in Southern California,” said Jackson, who organized the BioCurious community lab in Sunnyvale. “It will offer community access to lab facilities and bring world-class members of the life sciences community into contact with members of the public.” 

    The lab will be Biosafety Level One, meaning that it won’t handle disease-causing organisms.

    The incubator plans on becoming self-sufficient by raising money through membership fees, corporate sponsorships, science challenges, crowd funding, event and course fees, and grants.

    The incubator team has a goal of launching at least eight start-up companies in the first two years, enrolling 50 paying members, and offering at least four sciences courses per year.

    –City of Carlsbad

Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value

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Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value

Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value


Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:00 am
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Updated: 3:32 am, Wed Jan 30, 2013.


Green home improvements that can make a real difference in home value

(BPT) – What your home is worth to you is one thing; what it’s worth to someone else may be totally different. If you want to boost the value of your home for yourself and in the eyes of others, one of the best ways to do that in today’s real estate market is to make green home improvements.


Going green can mean a lot of things, and it’s easy to start with small changes like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and unplugging appliances when they’re not in use. Not only will you be doing good for the environment, you might end up saving on utility bills and, ultimately, increasing your home’s value when the time comes to sell. 

Green projects aren’t all necessarily in the do-it-yourself category, and making an investment to have the bigger jobs done right will pay off in the long run.

“It’s important for homeowners to consider cost-saving efficiency projects as part of their overall home renovation plans,” says RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly. “And a trained real estate agent will be able to identify the projects that cut current expenses and pay potential dividends when you’re ready to sell.”

Getting started now – even if that just means planning – is a good idea, particularly if you’re thinking about selling in a few months’ time. Talk to a real estate agent about what improvements are popular among potential homebuyers, and consider these ideas:

* Insulation: Regulating the hot air your home lets in during the summer and lets out in the winter can have a short-term impact on your heating and cooling bills. To find out whether you need additional insulation in your attic or walls, order an energy audit. Perhaps you could benefit from adding blown-in insulation to your walls. If your attic is unfinished, it’s particularly important to make sure that it’s appropriately insulated to avoid wasting energy.

 * Windows: Caulking and putting up energy-saving window film is a great start, but a more dramatic change might make a world of difference if you want to make a sale. Replacing your existing windows with high-efficiency versions can be an expensive proposition, but the return on your investment can be dramatic, particularly if you’re hoping to attract buyers.

* Landscaping: While planting isn’t always possible in the coldest months of the year, putting together a plan for energy-conscious plantings is a great idea. Consider adding trees that will bring shade to the sunniest spots, like the west side of your home, to cut summertime electric bills. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall will let light in during the winter, as opposed to evergreens which will block it throughout the year.

* Water: Take the first step by turning down the temperature setting on your water heater. For more savings, consider replacing older heaters with energy-efficient models or even solar water heaters. Adding insulation to your pipes can also make a difference in how much energy is used to heat water.

Most homeowners put a lot of effort into making their homes attractive, welcoming spaces. With green updates, you can make your home not only more comfortable and more energy-efficient, but also more appealing to buyers. Add the potential energy savings and the possible boost in home value and you have even more reasons to bring your home into the green age.

For recommendations about making your home green, talk to a knowledgeable real estate agent. Green agents at RE/MAX have a commitment to sustainability and specialized knowledge that you can tap into when making improvements. To learn more or to find an agent in your area, visit www.remax.com.

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Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:00 am.

Updated: 3:32 am.

Avery, Watauga County Farms Among WNC Grant Recipients To Diversify Farms …

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Jan. 30, 2013. Western North Carolina farmers received $148,500 in WNC Agricultural Options grants to diversify their farm businesses in the 2013 growing season. (See list of farms below.)

The 28 grant recipients celebrated Tuesday at an event at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. The goal of the farms’ projects is to enhance profitability.

The WNC AgOptions grant program has been funded exclusively by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission since 2003.

“The Commission is very pleased to fund and support the WNC AgOptions program for another year,” said Bill Teague, Chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. “We expect to see some unique projects, because mountain farmers have shown they are resourceful, innovative and committed to making their farms successful.”

Six farm businesses received $3,000, one received $4,500, and 21 received $6,000. Many of the farmers are undertaking projects that are unique to their counties, and some are leading the way in innovative agriculture nationwide.

Tester Dairy Farm in Watauga County is creating a hydroponic fodder system, which grows barley, rye and wheat from seed to sprouts in eight days so that the farmers can feed their cattle high-protein grasses daily. The fresh palatable feed is proven to enhance animals’ milk production, improve fertility and decrease respiratory issues. Thomas and Margaret Tester said they are renovating the farm so that their granddaughter Jessica Lawrence can take it over without the worries of weather, lease agreements and costs associated with row crops.

South Valley Nursery and Landscaping in Avery County is building a micropropagation lab so that grant recipient Tyler Buchanan can mass produce unique plants such as native orchids that are expensive to propagate using traditional techniques. Tissue culture requires a significant upfront investment, specialized training and a sterile environment to be able to produce new plants in vitro (in a test tube), but payoff can be significant since the demand for these rare native plants is high.

Joe Ward in Jackson County is establishing a no-till planting system in an area where few farmers use this method. In no-till fields, soil erosion and runoff decrease as a network of fibrous and tap roots grow throughout the soil profile, providing pathways for air and moisture. This method also creates a good environment for earthworms and beneficial bacteria, fungi and enzymes, all crucial for healthy crops.

The WNC AgOptions grants help sustain several significant farms, such as a 65-acre Old Fort property that the ancestors of grant recipient Alvin Lytle first acquired in the 1850′s, as well as a Bethel Valley farm that has been in the family of grant recipient Joseph Cathey for more than 200 years. As profits increase, Reems Creek Nursery and Landscaping will be able to boost employment beyond its current 25 employees while also continuing to preserve the rural quality of Reems Creek Valley. With the help of the grant, Addison Vineyard, a part of a fourth generation cattle farm in Leicester, will be on track to reaching their goal of profitability by the eighth year of wine grape production in 2016.

The grant projects help many of the grant recipients’ achieve their dreams of passing their farming operations to their children or grandchildren. Rick Walker, who is building a poultry processing facility in Cherokee County, named his farm after his four sons, Ricky, Joseph, Daniel and Joshua, who are ages six and under. “4 Sons Farm is the name I chose not only because I have four sons, but because it is for my sons,” Walker said. “I began farming to provide wholesome food for our children, to teach them an ancient and respected way of life, and to create a business legacy to hand down to them.”

N.C. Cooperative Extension implements the WNC AgOptions program and works directly with farmers as they complete their projects. “As we begin our ninth grant cycle, it is very rewarding to look back at all the successful farm operations and creative enterprises that have grown from the initial investments,” said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. “The farmers in western North Carolina are the most vital component of the program. It is their ideas and their dedication to the success of those ideas that make it all work.”

In partnership with N.C. Cooperative Extension, the non-profit organization WNC Communities administers WNC AgOptions grants. WNC Communities is dedicated to providing a unique forum for leaders in western North Carolina to carry out innovative programs to improve the quality of life for rural communities and to enhance the agriculture economy.

“WNC Communities is delighted to serve as fiscal agent in bringing these funds to creative and innovative farmers throughout western North Carolina,” said L.T. Ward, Vice President of WNC Communities. “We are extremely appreciative to N. C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission for their long standing and continuing commitment to WNC AgOptions and the farmers of this region.”

Members of the WNC AgOptions steering committee include: representatives from N.C. Cooperative Extension, WNC Communities, N.C. Department of Agriculture Consumer Services–Marketing Division, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and other leaders in agriculture. For more information, see the following: WNC Agricultural Options: www.wncagoptions.org; N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org; WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org.

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Volunteers sought to restore historic garden to former glory

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Press release issued 30 January 2013

Volunteers are being sought to help restore the garden of one of Clifton’s most distinguished mansions back to its former glory.

Clifton Hill House, steeped in history since it was completed in 1750, has been owned by the University of Bristol for more than 100 years.

Its restoration won a national award in 2004 and the University now wants the garden of the Palladian-style mansion to reflect its heritage and important place in the history of Clifton.

The resplendent house is one of the most important surviving examples of work by the architect Isaac Ware who designed it for Paul Fisher, a highly successful linen draper, merchant, and ship-owner in Bristol.

For the next century and a half, the gardens were enjoyed and altered by a series of eminent owners, until the property was donated to the University of Bristol in 1909 and Clifton Hill House opened as the first hall of residence for women in the South West.

Over 200 students now reside within the main house and in the more recent extensions, but the University wants to open up the gardens for all to see with guided tours taking place throughout the restoration project. It also hopes to unearth some interesting artefacts relating to the building’s history.

Plans for the garden’s design have been based on the 1746 ‘Survey of the Manor of Clifton’ – the first pictorial representation of Clifton drawn up by Jacob de Wilstar for the Society of Merchant Venturers. Building of Clifton Hill House began at this time.

At this point in history, Clifton was essentially a farming community but three wealthy merchant families – the Goldneys, Champions and Farrs – had moved to the cleaner air of Clifton-on-the-Hill following the growing idea of the time that the suburbs were preferable to, and more salubrious than, the bustling city.

The garden currently incorporates a number of the original trees, including tulip tress (Liriodendron tulipifera) and copper beeches (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’) along with beds of beautiful heritage roses, a large collection of magnolias and interesting herbaceous plantings.

Also present are two old stone banqueting houses, one of which stands as a ruin. These predate the house itself. Serving as a reminder of the estate’s more recent history, there remains a WWII air-raid bunker, built into a sloping bank near the house.

Alan Stealey, External Estates Manager at the University of Bristol, said: “Clifton Hill House is a wonderful building, rich with character and heritage, so we aim to create a garden to compliment this and reflect its fascinating history. We hope to attract plenty of volunteers over the winter, ready to start work on this exciting project in March. There will be a variety of opportunities, ranging from horticulture and landscaping, to administration and working to promote our project to the local community.

“The project will initially focus on the horticultural aspects of the garden design, but there may be opportunities to work with stonemasons and restoration experts as we renovate the historic outbuildings. We’re intrigued to see what artefacts are uncovered when we begin to dig, so would welcome help from those interested in archaeology or local history.”

The University is looking for volunteers with different levels of experience, who will be guided by an experienced team to work on a wide variety of tasks.

Further information is available from www.universityheritagevolunteering.org.uk. If you are interested in volunteering or finding out more, please contact Louise.Hopkins@bristol.ac.uk.

The University Heritage Volunteering project has been part-funded from various sources, including the hall, but on-going fundraising activities will need to be investigated and, if successful, there are plans to roll the project out to include other historic gardens owned by the University.

Flower power: Fort Lauderdale Garden Club’s ‘Secret Garden Tour’ funds youth … – Sun

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The Fort Lauderdale Garden Club Inc. (FLGC) will present its annual “Secret Garden Tour of Fort Lauderdale” on Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Guests are invited to tour themed gardens and peek into homes in exclusive Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods. Gardens include lovely entryways, rare citrus, vegetables, roses and vistas. One stop on the tour includes the largest waterfront property in Broward County and other homes with inspiring fountains and sculptures. The flower garden at one of the properties will feature the FLGC’s “Garden Shoppe” with a variety of vendors displaying plants and gifts.

FLGC was founded in 1927 shortly after the 1926 Miami hurricane that plowed through South Florida, including the Fort Lauderdale area. Since then, the club has participated in projects to benefit the city, such as planting the Royal Palms along Las Olas Boulevard, which they began in the early years after the club was formed. Another project includes the club’s Youth Gardening Program, one of their most successful programs, which will feature a youth flower show, “Incredible Edibles” on March 12 and 13. Through these events students are awarded camperships, which provides an opportunity to attend Camp Wekiva, a week-long ecological/nature-based camp near Orlando. FLGC also provides scholarships for students to attend SEEK (Save the Earth’s Environment through Knowledge), a conference for students entering high school grades. The 2013 Youth Gardening Program is ongoing in 11 public and private Broward County schools, from pre-school to high school.

The club will also present their annual free and public Standard Flower Show, “Dancing in the Garden,” on April 5 and 6 at the garden center. Also, in time for Valentine’s Day the club will host “Fun with Flowers” on Feb. 9. Monthly meetings take place at the Glenn F. Bates Garden Center of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of every month.

Members of the club maintain the rose garden at the Stranahan House, the sensory garden at the Lighthouse for the Blind and a blue star memorial marker on seventeenth street honoring veterans; they also participate in Habitat for Humanity landscaping, prison therapy and World Gardening.

Sponsors of this year’s “Secret Garden Tour” include: UBS, Meiners Foss Catania Group; Sentry Industries; and State Farm, Ted Hess Agency.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of the tour, if available, and can be purchased online or by sending a check to FLGC, PO Box, 4114, Fort Lauderdale, 33338. Tour entry packets can be picked up the day of the event by bringing a receipt or ticket to the reception area in the parking lot of Church by the Sea at 2700 Mayan Drive. The last entry to the garden is 2:30 p.m. and packets need to be picked up before 12:30 p.m.

Guests are responsible for their own transportation, and carpooling is encouraged. There will be trolley access to one of the gardens and because it is a walking tour, comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended and not all areas will be accessible to wheelchairs. Club members will greet guests at the entries, serving cookies and lemonade, ready to discuss plants and garden design.

Funds raised from ticket sales support the programs for children and adults, in an effort to inspire participation in nature.

For more information about the club and their events, visit http://www.flgc.org. •

Ways to bring out hidden curb appeal

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Realtors know that a great first impression can mean the difference between a quick sale and a house languishing on the market for months. That’s why improving curb appeal — that all-important first glance at a home — is crucial in a competitive housing market.

Most homeowners will take care of the basics, like mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and clearing junk from the yard. But if you really want to wow potential buyers, here are some often-overlooked aspects of curb appeal that can make or break a sale.

A New Front Door

For potential buyers, the first stop on the tour of your home is waiting to be let in at the front door. In order to make a great first impression, replace an aging door with an affordable new steel door. A recent study found that you can recoup up to 102 percent of the cost of a new steel door, which means that this home improvement will likely pay for itself. In addition to looking better, a new, solid door conveys a sense of security, a huge selling point for most buyers.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Replacing chipped and faded exterior paint with a fresh coat is pretty standard for sellers looking to move their homes in a competitive market. However, the mistake many make is choosing the wrong colors. Those bright, playful hues that catch your eye might turn off some buyers. This isn’t the time to showcase your personality. Selling a home should be all about the buyer. By choosing more muted tones, potential buyers can better imagine themselves settling in and making it their own.

This isn’t the time to showcase your personality. Selling a home should be all about the buyer.

– Adam Verwymeren

If you’ve got siding rather than paint, you can still beautify your home with a good scrubbing. Rent a power washer to strip off years of grime, which can send a signal of neglect to potential buyers.  

Low-Maintenance Landscaping  

Weeding and replacing dead plants in the garden should be one of your first steps to improve curb appeal. However, while dressing up a garden can make it look good, you can also go too far. Ornate, high-maintenance gardens can frighten away those looking for low-key landscaping. A yard crowded with flowers can also turn off homeowners who would rather use the space for entertaining friends or playing with their kids. So keep the flower beds contained, trim back the rose bushes, and make the yard look spacious.  

Your Messy Neighbors

It’s an unfortunate truth, but messy neighbors could be scaring away potential purchasers. No one wants to live next to slobs, so if the houses around you look pretty rough, it can cause buyers to steer clear of your place. While it can be a little tricky to get your neighbors to clean up their acts, a little diplomacy, and perhaps a modest bribe of freshly baked cookies, could get them to help you out. Explain your situation and offer to lend a hand. An afternoon helping your neighbor pick up trash and mow the lawn could make all the difference for you.

Brighten Things Up

Many potential buyers might come by in the evening hours, and a home with poor exterior lighting can really turn people off. To start, make sure you’ve replaced any burnt-out bulbs. To take things a step further, add new fixtures along walkways and by the front door to make the walk up seem more inviting. Finally, replace harsh flood lights with softer lighting options. While you want to give people a good look at your home, you don’t want your yard to feel like a prison yard.