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Michigan House Envy: Farmington Hills colonial was stop on Underground …

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Pre-Civil War railroad ties are built into the basement here, a mute reminder this spot was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Founded by abolitionist Quakers, Farmington was an active player on one route black slaves used to escape to Canada. It ran through Farmington, Birmingham and Troy, then east to the St. Clair River.

The basement dates from this site’s original 1830 farmhouse, which in 1916 was rebuilt by Detroit banker Richard Cudmore. He saved that foundation with all its history and added this sunny, three-story house with its stately entry portico and wrap-around veranda to be his family’s summer home.

For a 97-year-old structure, this house has been lucky in its owners. The second owner in 1937 added fine carpentry and finishing details. That includes the pagoda-like roof around the veranda and opulent interior trim.

Owners since then continued the upgrades, including the family now here for 22 years. They remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms, expanded closets, and added new insulation, heating and cooling systems, a security system and a sound system.

They gutted a carriage house over the three-car garage and rebuilt it as a studio. They renovated and landscaped the pool.

Current owners include award-winning garden designer Cathy Rosenhaus, who created an extensive landscape meant to complement a vintage house — patio and paths, perennial borders, formal gardens, varieties of hydrangeas and hostas with ornamental trees.

“We tried to keep with the style and architecture of the house, but in a modern way,” says Rosenhaus.

The house has hardwood floors throughout, tall ceilings and large, sunny rooms. The living room is 26 by 29 feet, the dining room 23 by 20, the master bedroom 23 by 18. The family room is 21 by 15 feet and on the second floor.

Extensive woodwork includes deep crown and floor moldings, wainscoting, built-in cabinets and display nooks. The living room, dining room and master suite all have fireplaces.

The third floor has two bedrooms and a full bath, formerly used as playrooms for kids.

For Rosenhaus the appeal is the quality of the original 1916 house, plus the years of renovation.

“The interior trim, the original plaster,” she says, “it’s just a solid, beautiful house.”

More Details: Remodeled 3-story

Where: 28062 Danvers Dr., Farmington Hills

Price: $445,000

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 4 full, 3 half

Square feet: 5,672

Key features: Stately three-story house has impressive exterior with covered entrance portico and wrap-around pagoda-style veranda. Interior has large, sunny rooms, hardwood floors, much woodwork detail. Extensive remodeling includes a new kitchen, bathrooms, mechanical systems, a renovated pool and professional landscaping. Also three fireplaces and a three-car garage with a finished studio above.

Contact: Linda Deutsch, Cranbrook Real Living, 248-705-0494.

Trowel & Glove: Marin gardening calendar for the week of Jan. 26, 2013 – Marin Independent

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Click photo to enlarge

Marin

• West Marin Commons offers a weekly harvest exchange at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Livery Stable gardens on the commons in Point Reyes Station. Go to www.west marincommons.org.

• Volunteers are sought to help in Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy nurseries from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays at Tennessee Valley, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at Muir Woods or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays or 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays in the Marin Headlands. Call 561-3077 or go to www.parksconservancy.org/volunteer. $5.

• Dave Phelps of Marin Master Gardeners speaks about “Pruning Fruit Trees” at 10 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Landmarks Art and Garden Center at 841 Tiburon Blvd. in Tiburon. Free. Call 473-4204.

• Growing Excellence in Marin (GEM), a program providing horticultural vocational training for Marin residents with disabilities, has a weekly plant sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays at 2500 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael. Items offered include garden plants, potted plants, cut flowers and microgreens. Call 226-8693 or email michael@connectics.org.

• The SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network) native plant nursery days are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays and weekends. Call 663-8590, ext. 114, or email jonathan@tirn.net

to register and for directions.

• A free Marin Bee Company workshop, “The Basics of Beekeeping,” is at 11 a.m. Feb. 2 at Whole Foods Market at 790 De Long Ave. in Novato. Call 878-0455 or go to www.marinbeecompany.com/work shops.html.

• Marin Open Garden Project (MOGP) volunteers are available to help Marin residents glean excess fruit from their trees for donations to local organizations serving people in need and to build raised beds to start vegetable gardens through the Micro-Gardens program. MGOP also offers a garden tool lending library. Go to www.opengarden project.org or email contact@opengardenproject.org.

• Marin Master Gardeners and the Marin Municipal Water District offer free residential Bay-Friendly Garden Walks to MMWD customers. The year-round service helps home-owners identify water-saving opportunities and soil conservation techniques for their landscaping. Call 473-4204 to request a visit to your garden.

San Francisco

• The Conservatory of Flowers, at 100 John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, displays permanent galleries of tropical plant species as well as changing special exhibits from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. $2 to $7. Call 831-2090 or go to www.conservatoryofflowers.org.

• The San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, at Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park, offers several ongoing events. $7; free to San Francisco residents, members and school groups. Call 661-1316 or go to www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. Free docent tours leave from the Strybing Bookstore near the main gate at 1:30 p.m. weekdays, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. weekends; and from the north entrance at 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Groups of 10 or more can call ahead for special-focus tours.

Around the Bay

• Cornerstone Gardens is a permanent, gallery-style garden featuring walk-through installations by international landscape designers on nine acres at 23570 Highway 121 in Sonoma. Free. Call 707-933-3010 or go to www.corner stonegardens.com.

• The California Rare Fruit Growers’ scion exchange is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Veterans Memorial Building at 1351 Maple Ave. in Santa Rosa. $5. Call 707-766-7102 or go to www.crfg.org/chapters/redwood_empire.

The Trowel Glove Calendar appears Saturdays. Send high-resolution jpg photo attachments and details about your event to calendar@marinij.com or mail to Home and Garden Calendar/Lifestyles, Marin Independent Journal, 4000 Civic Center Drive, Suite 301, San Rafael, CA 94903.

Items should be sent two weeks in advance. Photos should be a minimum of 1 megabyte and include caption information. Include a daytime phone number on your release.

Vegetable gardening tips for success – messenger

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Posted: Sunday, January 27, 2013 12:00 am
|


Updated: 2:09 pm, Fri Jan 25, 2013.


Vegetable gardening tips for success

By Annette Meyer Heisdorffer Daviess County Extension Agent for Horticulture

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

|
0 comments

Growing vegetables in your own garden provides fresh produce outside your back door. This makes it easier to incorporate more servings of vegetables as part of a healthy diet. Important tips below address garden location and soil testing that may lead to a more productive season.     


In planning the vegetable garden, select a site that receives direct sunlight for at least eight hours a day for best production. Avoid shading caused by trees and buildings. Vegetables grown in low light become leggy and do not produce very well. If partial shade is the only location available, you can grow lettuce.

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Sunday, January 27, 2013 12:00 am.

Updated: 2:09 pm.

Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, King Hussein: Washington Author, British …

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Jaime Ferris
jferris@ctcentral.com

Rosemary Verey (1918-2001) is often remembered as the doyenne of 20th-century English garden design, a woman of international renown, the “acknowledged apostle of the ‘English style,’” and the adviser to the rich and famous—think Prince Charles, Sir Elton John and King Hussein. Her most famous garden design is at her home at Barnsley House in the Cotswolds of England, where she spent hours transforming the grounds into a place that still enjoys international acclaim for its beauty.

In America, she was a popular lecturer and a natural teacher who encouraged fellow gardeners “to believe that they were fully capable of creating beautiful gardens while validating their quest for a native vernacular.”

“Good bones,” she believed, “are important, so it is wise to go slowly and get your plan right before launching into a vital project.”

Verey was also a prolific writer of 18 garden books, sharing her expertise with the masses. But she embraced gardening much later in life, and wrote her first book at age 62. And though she dug into gardening late in life, she quickly achieved international acclaim, proving that there is, indeed, life after 60.

Likewise, Washington resident Barbara Paul Robinson, the first woman partner with Debevoise Plimpton and the first woman president of the New York City Bar, has started her own writing career later in life, as well as developing an interest in gardening. Mrs. Robinson and her husband, artist Charles Raskob Robinson, sought respite and bought a derelict 1750s clapboard farmhouse in Washington in 1971. While renovations were underway on the house, Ms. Robinson tackled the landscape, which, she said, ultimately “succumbed to her growing passion for plants.”

Before she knew it, she was totally immersed, so when the opportunity arrived in 1991 for her to take a five-month sabbatical from the law firm, she seized the opportunity and worked as a gardener for Rosemary Verey at her Cotswolds home.

“Rosemary was my boss—and a tough boss, let me tell you—but we ultimately became good friends,” Ms. Robinson said from her home about their 20-year friendship.

Now, Ms. Robinson, paying tribute to her dear friend, has written her first biography, “Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener” (David R. Godine), sharing with those who knew Verey—and those who did not—the extraordinary woman she was, and the remarkable gardening legacy she left behind.

According to Berkshire Style, the book “… all but channels the great Rosemary Verey herself.” Continued…

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Bass Pro Shops would increase Port St. Lucie revenue, property values …

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PORT ST. LUCIE — If Bass Pro Shops dives into Port St. Lucie’s growing retail sector as expected, it could help the city reel in other large retail chains and boost property values, local officials said.

The national outdoor sports retailer’s quality fishing and hunting merchandise, its reputation as a tourist attraction and a prime location off Interstate 95 at Gatlin Boulevard — in the vacant Kohl’s building — are being cited as key factors that will lure shoppers to Port St. Lucie.

“I think there will be a positive impact and it’s reflective of the continuing development of that intersection,” City Manager Greg Oravec said. “It shows the value of the area. We expect (Bass Pro Shops’) investment in the community will attract additional investment of businesses of a similar quality.”

It’s uncertain how much sales and property tax revenue a Bass Pro Shops would generate for the city, but local officials say the company’s decision to occupy vacant retail space will increase the potential for jobs, real estate and economic activity.

Property values for the parcel and surrounding lots should increase, said Larry Pelton, president of the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council. 2012 property tax figures for the Kohl’s parcel were not available, according to Elaine Camacho, executive secretary at the St. Lucie County Tax Collector’s Office.

The vacant 100,000-square-foot building could’ve sat empty for at least another two years, Pelton said.

Bass Pro Shops has not said whether it would renovate or expand the existing building, said Katie Mitchell, company spokeswoman. Any structural improvements would be recorded and the property value would increase when the parcel is compared to similar-sized lots during the county’s annual appraisal, Pelton said.

“Not only will (Bass Pro Shops) revive interest in users in Port St. Lucie, but it could help raise the value of other retail space in the area,” Pelton said. “I assume that brokers will start getting real imaginative for existing space that’s around. They’ll start trying to figure out what kind of retailers to go after that would complement it.”

The Home Depot and a new Wendy’s restaurant are the only tenants at Gatlin Plaza, but Jonathan Cohen, vice president of Blumenfeld Development Group, which manages and leases plaza space, said there’s room to grow. There’s also been heavy interest from businesses looking to move in, he said, but wouldn’t disclose specifics.

Bass Pro Shops would be the beginning of realizing a vision that not only would enhance local tourism by promoting fishing and hunting, but would generate enough retail interest to one day construct a regional mall in the southwestern end of the city, Mayor JoAnn Faiella said.

“(Recruiting Bass Pro Shops) was one of many ideas on the table for economic development and it’s helping market the city very aggressively,” she said. “We want to attract people to come to Port St. Lucie and live here.”

That marketing tool could be known as the “drive-by factor,” said Dorothy Hudson, a Realtor and commercial manager with Alex MacWilliam Inc. Real Estate.

“It brings people to the area and bringing people to the area makes any particular area where there’s a big national tenant like that more attractive,” Hudson said.

Bass Pro Shops, which the company says attracts customers within a 45-mile radius, typically have open shopping floors, boat showrooms, marine equipment and entertainment features such as shooting and archery ranges, giant saltwater aquariums and full-service restaurants.

The company, founded in 1972, never has closed one of its more than 50 stores in the U.S., Mitchell said.

“Every time there is a good, nationally recognized commercial tenant, you’re stepping up a notch in the local economy, and I think Bass Pro Shops is very high-profile,” Hudson said. “They’re certainly well-known, and I think it’s a big plus.”

Faiella announced the company is expected to employ 150 full-time positions. It’s yet to be determined if Bass Pro Shops’ presence would benefit local service industries, like building, maintenance and landscaping, Mitchell said.

Port St. Lucie city officials announced Tuesday that Bass Pro Shops has started the approval process, but negotiations for the Kohl’s site are not complete. City officials and the company are working through the process, which is expected to be finished by March. Faiella said the new store could be open by summer.

Staff writer Eric Pfahler contributed to this report.

Master Gardener: Follow the plan for landscaping bliss

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Q: This is the year we have
decided to make a landscape plan.
Do I need to hire a professional?
– Dave S., Tulsa

A: Although the average
homeowner can certainly experience
some anxiety with
plant selection and artistic
design, there is no one more
qualified to develop your
particular landscape plan
than you.

A landscape is more than
just the plants and trees in
your yard. It encompasses all
living and nonliving elements
of your environment. A welldesigned
landscape increases
home value and creates a
pleasing environment.

A good place to start is with
a site evaluation. You will
want to document everything
in your current landscape.

Include any structures,
driveways, sidewalks, utilities,
existing beds, trees and
shrubs. Note environmental
conditions such as amount of
sun, excessive wind and drainage
issues. Once you have
accurately recorded your site
characteristics, you can begin
to evaluate the positives and
negatives to determine what
you hope to keep and what
parts of your existing landscape
that need to be changed.

At this point it is helpful to
set some landscape goals for
your property. How do you
want to use your landscape?

Are you primarily entertaining,
or do you need privacy?

Do you need space for pets?

Are you planning to grow
vegetables? Are there any
future considerations, like
the addition of a pool? As a
family, make a list of all your
ideas and intended uses for
your space.

Once you have determined
your goals, you can start
putting your ideas on paper.

Hopefully you have been
able to create a fairly accurate
scale drawing of your
space that includes any existing
plants, trees and structures
that you plan to retain.

It is sometimes a good idea
to make several copies of
your plan so you can experiment
with different design
layouts. Some questions
to address before making
final decisions: Do you have
adequate irrigation? Do you
plan to compost? Have you
allowed sufficient space for
trash and recycling carts?

When the time comes to
actually implement your ideas,
it is advantageous to seek a
landscape designer or architect.

Their knowledge and
expertise can be an invaluable
resource. Do your homework
and select someone who values
your opinions and whose
work you admire. This is a
major investment that, if done
properly, can pay significant
dividends for years to come.

For more detailed information,
Oklahoma State Extension
Service has a series
of Landscape Design fact
sheets available at tulsaworld.com/osugardeningfactsheets.

If you have a garden-related question
for the Master Gardeners to answer
in a column, call 918-746-3701.

Original Print Headline: Follow the plan for landscaping bliss

Garden tips

Ornamental perennial grasses such as pampas grass may be cut back to 4-6 inches anytime in winter. However, because of winter attractiveness, most gardeners choose to wait until early spring to cut them back. All of the dead tops of these grasses should be removed by early spring, allowing sun to get to new growth.

Liriope or “monkey grass” – which is not a grass, but in the lily family – stays green year-round; it also benefits from trimming to 2-3 inches before new growth begins in spring. Liriope and all ornamental grasses will benefit from nitrogen fertilizer in spring when pruned.

Garden Calendar: today and coming events

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Special events

Today

• “Audacious Aussies and Curious Kiwis,” featuring the plants from Australia and New Zealand during a tour of the UC Davis Arboretum. 1 p.m. Wyatt Deck, Arboretum Drive, UC Davis. Free. (530) 752-4880.

Sunday

• Fusion Artisan Expo with handmade jewelry, feng shui intuitives, creative foods, and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fusion International Arts Center, 501 Arden Way, Sacramento. $5. Register at http://fusioniac.com. (916) 538-4008.

• Natomas Rose Garden is hosting a winter pruning event. Bring pruners and gloves and work with experts. 1-3 p.m. Natomas Rose Garden, 2921 Truxel Road, Sacramento. (916) 359-7411.

Next Saturday-Feb. 3

• The Sacramento International Depression Glass Club presents the 42nd Anniversary Glass, China and Pottery show and sale. Some proceeds will benefit the Sacramento Alzheimer’s Association and the Sacramento Public Libraries. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 2; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 3. Scottish Rite Temple, 6151 H St., Sacramento. $6. (916) 456-2280.

Feb. 7

• The Sierra Foothills Rose Society is sponsoring a rose auction. Varieties auctioned are not available in retail markets. 7 p.m. Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville. (916) 961-5286.

Feb. 8-10

• Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild 28th annual show features over 200 quilts, fiber art and wearable art. The show will include a vendor mall and a daily fashion show at 2:30 p.m. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 8-9; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 10. Folsom Community Center, 52 Natoma St., Folsom. $7 general, free for children ages 12 and younger. (916) 355-7299.

Feb. 9

• Sacramento Weavers Spinners Guild presents an open house. Spinning and weaving demonstrations, item exhibits and item sale. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Shepard Garden Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento. Free. (916) 264-8800.

• Natomas Rose Garden Benefit Dance, raffle, dance performances and music. American Legion Post 447, 720 Santiago Ave., Sacramento. $15 general; $5 children; $200 sponsorships (includes 4 tickets). (916) 359-7411.

Feb. 16

• “Stitching From the Soul,” presentations by hand quilter Alice Calhoun, 1-2 p.m; and textile designer and quilter Jan Hollins, 3 p.m. The Brickhouse Art Gallery, 2837 36th St., Sacramento. Free. (916) 457-2502.

Feb. 21

• Learn about bee behavior and the ways they harvest nectar. Sponsored by the Sacramento Public Library. 3:30 p.m. North Natomas Branch, 4660 Via Ingoglia, Sacramento. Free. (916) 264-2920.

Feb. 23

• Open Garden. Talk with master gardeners as they complete winter pruning tasks. Learn the basics of summer-vegetable seed starting. Wander the garden, ask questions. 9 a.m.-noon. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Free. (916) 875-6913.

Meetings

Monday

• Roseville Green Thumb Garden Club, members of the California Garden Clubs Inc., host a meeting about blueberries with speakers Julie Zuagliardo and Ann Beinhorn. 6:30 p.m. Raley’s Event Center, 1915 Douglas Blvd., Roseville. Free. (916) 723-2508.

Friday

• The Sacramento Public Library hosts a gardening club on the first Friday of each month. Learn what to do with your garden each season. Share tips with other gardeners. Occasional guest speakers. Rancho Cordova branch, 9845 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento. Free. (916) 264-2920.

Next Saturday

• Carmichael Cactus and Succulent Society host a slide show by Nicki Larson, “Springtime in South Africa.” 10 a.m. Carmichael Park Clubhouse, 5750 Grant Ave., Carmichael. Free. (916) 729-3475.

Feb. 11

• The Embroiderers’ Guild of America, Camellia Chapter meeting; program is a small bargello shamrock pin on gold perforated paper. 7 p.m. SMUD, 6301 S St., Sacramento. Free. (916) 223-2751.

Feb. 18

• The Gloves and Shovels Garden Club meeting. 10 a.m. Telefunken Semiconductors, 7501 Foothills Blvd., Roseville. Free. (916) 434-6666.

Classes and workshops

Through March 21

• A 10-week Green Gardening at Home series will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Utility Exploration Center, 1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville. $55-$65. (916) 746-1550 to register.

Today

• Tree pruning clinics will teach you how to help your trees develop good structure and form. Various pruning tools will be presented and there will be walkabouts on library grounds to look at tree structure. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive, Sacramento. Free (register at www.sactree.com/events). (916) 974-4333.

• El Dorado County Master Gardeners will host an edible landscaping workshop. Learn the basics of planning and design, planting and maintenance, and harvesting, storing, and food safety. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. El Dorado Hills Fire Department, 1050 Wilson Blvd., El Dorado Hills. $15 (register online at http://ucanr.edu/edmg-reg). (530) 621-5512.

Thursday

• The UC Cooperative Extension Central Sierra will host a workshop for homeowners, farmers, ranchers and land managers on how to control and prevent yellow star thistle. 1-3 p.m. El Dorado County Administrative Building A, Board of Supervisors Chambers, 330 Fair Lane, Placerville. $5 (registration encouraged). (530) 621-5503

Next Saturday

• Learn how to prune fruit trees, citrus and table grapes and how to take care of them throughout the year. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Elk Grove Community Garden, 10025 Hampton Oak Drive, Elk Grove. Free (registration required). (916) 479-3825.

• Learn about growing and re-blooming orchids with Kifumi Keppler. Noon-1:30 p.m. Exotic Plants, 1833 Howe Ave., Suite 165, Sacramento. Free. (916) 922-4769.

• The El Dorado County Master Gardeners will offer a class about critical climate factors that affect gardens. Microclimates and frost dates will be discussed. 9 a.m.- noon. Veterans’ Memorial Hall, 130 Placerville Drive, Placerville. Free. (530) 621-5502.

Feb. 9

• The Sacramento County UC Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers present a class on food preservation freezing tips. 10 a.m.-noon. Sacramento Cooperative Extension Office, 4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento. Free. (916) 875-6913.

• Roseville Utility Exploration Center hosts workshops on container and indoor gardening. These three workshops will teach you how to use vermicomposting inside or outside, create indoor or outdoor container gardens, and how to provide the proper balance of light, moisture and nutrients to indoor plants. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Utility Exploration Center, 1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville. $6-$8 per workshop (registration required). (916) 746-1550.

• El Dorado Master Gardeners discuss how, when and under what conditions seeds should be germinated, perennials divided and cuttings taken. 9 a.m.-noon. Veterans’ Memorial Hall, 130 Placerville. Free. (530) 621-5502.

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Seminars spread information, advice for agricultural community

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A host of seminars across the region in the coming months will benefit not only local farmers and agribusiness but home consumers as well.

“Those programs that are geared toward farmers and agribusinesses indirectly benefit consumers by ensuring that they are using the best methods for producing safe, abundant and affordable food and fiber,” said Paul Pugliese, Bartow County Extension Office coordinator. “Our society takes for granted the modern conveniences of grocery stores and restaurants. Extension provides the research and education necessary to keep our farmers feeding a growing world population of over 7 billion people.”

Kicking off Monday in Rome with the 2013 Georgia Ag Forecast, the list of events includes a Bartow County Extension Office open house and a state conference as well as a series for the do-it-yourselfers from the Master Gardeners.

“Consumers that have an interest in home vegetable gardening and do-it-yourself landscaping can benefit by learning from certified Master Gardener Extension volunteers about the many services that we provide through the Bartow County Extension Office,” Pugliese said. “We provide research-based information from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences specific to growing fruits, vegetables, lawns and landscape plants in Northwest Georgia. The information we provide is not biased toward trying to sell or endorse any products, which makes us a unique, local and reliable source.”

For Pugliese, who took over the office in January 2012, said the home lawn and garden series tops his list of seminar picks.

“These seminars will help educate consumers on how to save time and money and be better equipped to make informed decisions about their lawns, gardens or landscapes. We want consumers to take advantage of the vast amount of information and resources that we have available through our office,” he said. “Every day we see clients making common mistakes such as planting the wrong varieties or spraying the wrong chemicals, which can end up being very costly, frustrating or damaging to the environment. These mistakes could have been easily avoided just by contacting our office or referencing the many free publications and fact sheets we have available on these topics.

“There are so many misleading sources of information today from the Internet to junk mail, and ads on television that can confuse consumers. Knowing where to find the answer is half the battle. Knowing how to interpret and apply that information is the next step.”

While the Master Gardener series is useful, trained volunteers are available to assist residents every Monday and Wednesday at the county Extension Office, 320 W. Cherokee Ave. in Cartersville.

“We have some extremely dedicated and passionate volunteers that want to grow the program and reach out to the local community through more educational programs such as the upcoming lawn and garden seminar series and local ‘Ask a Master Gardener’ clinics,” Pugliese said.

Those interested in learning more about the program or becoming a Master Gardener Extension volunteer are encouraged to attend upcoming seminars and clinics.

“We also have a variety of diagnostic services that benefit farmers, agribusinesses and backyard gardeners such as soil testing, water testing, insect, weed and plant disease identification. We help clients make smart, environmentally friendly choices for their farms, lawns and gardens,” Pugliese added.

In March, the Upper Ocmulgee River RCD Council Inc. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services will hold the first of three Georgia Multicultural Sustainable Agriculture conferences at the Clarence Brown Conference Center.

The theme of these conferences is “myConservationPad,” playing on the popular concept of gathering information through the use of apps on a computer tablet, according to a press release.

“Georgia has experienced a significant increase in ethnically and culturally diverse populations,” said Jerome Brown, District Conservation, USDANatural Resources Conservation Service in Lawrenceville. “At our first Multicultural Sustainable Agriculture Conference in July, the participants received an introduction to local, state and federal resources available to them. The goal of these conferences is to go a step further and provide tangible tools and resources that multicultural producers can begin utilizing immediately. We feel that the theme ‘myConservationPad’ and calling the training sessions ‘apps’ is a clever way of connecting the changing faces of farmers with changing practices in sustainable agriculture.”

According to the release, Cartersville’s conference will highlight poultry management, agri-tourism, how to start a farm, organic fruits and vegetables farming, and micro irrigation. Conference participants may attend sessions on how to become eligible and apply for USDA Farm Bill programs, developing a farm business plan, soil and plant resources, developing a successful conservation plan, risk management, best management practices, engineering design for your farm and how to grow international and ethnic foods.

Pugliese said the fact that Cartersville will host one of the three conferences highlights northwest Georgia’s thriving agriculture industry.

“The combined production value of agriculture in Bartow County is over $84 million dollars per year. This conference is a great opportunity for new, beginning and prospective farmers to network and learn more about current trends toward community supported agriculture and locally grown foods,” he said. “We have a tremendous potential to expand the number of small farm cooperatives, agri-tourism operations and farmer’s markets in northwest Georgia. This will give local entrepreneurs the foundation and tools to move forward in these ventures.”

Following in April, the Extension Office will host its first open house to provide information on services and opportunities through the agency.

“We want participants to see the full range of programs and services that we provide in the areas of 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture Natural Resources, and Family Consumer Sciences. We invite local youth, families, farmers and agribusinesses to explore what we do — there’s something for everyone, both young and old,” Pugliese said. As spring approaches, Pugliese said residents should take the time to learn something new.

“Take the time to learn something new every chance you get. If something didn’t work last year for your farm or garden, then find out why. Try a different approach this year with a new plant variety or a new technique,” he said. “Farming and gardening is a science that is constantly evolving and improving with new and better innovations.”

Seeds: Food garden best started in small bites

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One gardening trend has yet to wither: People want to grow what they eat.

That’s likely to be evident this weekend at Cal Expo during the annual Northern California Home Landscape Expo. More than 30,000 people are expected to turn out for this huge show, produced by Gary Brown Enterprises. Among the nearly 600 vendors and exhibits are several dedicated to home food production.

From seeds to harvest to preservation, this backyard bonanza is a popular home show topic and one gardening category that continues to mature. New products keep cropping up to meet increased demand, often from gardening novices.

The possibility of producing home-grown vegetables and fruit has created millions of new gardeners.

But will they keep gardening? Often, they get frustrated because their early harvests don’t meet their dreams or investments.

Maybe they don’t want to be full-out backyard farmers, but they’d like to squeeze in a Meyer lemon or a kumquat next to the patio.

This year’s expo is putting added emphasis on edible landscaping and vegetable gardening with new exhibits and workshops loaded with practical advice.

Jenn Hammer, a “vegetable gardening coach,” provides inspiration with her edible display garden at the expo. She repurposed a wide assortment of castoffs – from plastic bottles to an antique washtub – for a creative container garden. For folks with no room, vertical gardens get plants off the ground and onto walls.

Her display focuses on vegetables with something for gardeners of all ages. Much to the delight of youngsters, worms in the vermicompost bin demonstrate how they wiggle waste into fertilizer.

“I let people play in the dirt and give them some different ideas,” Hammer said.

At her Antelope home, Hammer gradually converted her garden to vegetable production.

“First I took out the back lawn, then the front lawn went,” she said. “All I’ve got left is a small space for the dog.”

Hammer, concerned about her family’s health, decided to grow as much food as possible. She uses what she’s learned to help others and puts out information on her blog at jennsgardeningspot.blogspot.com.

For beginning gardeners, Hammer’s advice: Start small.

Many beginners fail because they try to do too much their first season.

“A lot of people tend to start to grow big instead of starting small,” she said. “People don’t realize how much work a garden can be. They start planting too many things and get overwhelmed. Your first year: Get one tomato, two peppers and one squash (all as transplants). Then, see how you like it.”

Vegetable gardens demand attention for success. They need some coddling – and definitely weeding.

“If you’ve never grown anything before, start with herbs,” Hammer said. “They’re small. They’re easy. Then, add the tomato and the squash. Don’t start out trying to do everything at once. Build your experience.”

Hammer uses herself as an example.

“It took me 10 years to take over the whole backyard and front yard. I now can everything we grow.”

In the “start small” category, edible landscaping is a logical bridge.

Edible ornamental expert Geoffrey Wood will present ideas to squeeze beautiful food-makers into almost any landscape. His talk is set for 2 p.m. Sunday in Cal Expo’s Pavilion building.

Wood, a Sacramento County master gardener, sees many spaces for edible plants among ornamentals. Citrus can do double duty as privacy screens or hedges. Lavender and rosemary fit into low-water landscapes. Strawberries form an attractive border or ground cover. Blueberries make a pretty shrub. Chard and kale look interesting as a backdrop for marigolds, which are tasty, too.

“Edible landscaping is definitely an up-and-coming trend,” he said. “There’s so much more awareness about local food, slow food, organic farming. Edible landscaping is part of that groundswell.”

That represents a major shift, he added, and a return to roots.

“We’ve seen a change of mind-set,” Wood said. “After World War II, victory gardens were actually outlawed in a lot of communities. Just a few years ago, edibles were allowed in the front yard again.”

Wood recommends three plants to add color, form and food to sunny spots – that same beginner’s assortment: Tomato, pepper and squash. Ripening tomatoes are eye-catching, peppers come in a rainbow of colors and squash have impressive big leaves and a plentiful harvest.

“Edible landscaping combines form and function,” he explained. “In particular, I really love Thai peppers. They’re so colorful – purple, yellow, red. They fit in anywhere.”

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HOME AND LANDSCAPE EXPO

Where: Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today and Sunday

Admission: $7; children age 12 and under admitted free

Details: www.homeandlandscapeexpo.com

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