The most expensive home listed for sale on AOL’s Real Estate site sits on two acres and was built in 1992.
The four bedroom, five bath home is listed at $655,000. The 4,157 square foot home can be found at 4126 Brookside Drive and has views of Indian Creek according to the listing. It has extensive landscaping, a deck, gardens, ponds and even a water fountain.
As the sustainability movement grows in popularity, gardeners who choose to grow their own food in their front yards are facing objections from communities that regulate landscaping choices.
In Orlando, for example, shrubs must be a minimum of 24 inches in height and spaced not more than 36 inches apart, the New York Times reports. There are 295 approved and banned plant species.
Orlando resident Jason Helvenston ran afoul of that law when he planted his garden last Super Bowl Sunday, opting for the front yard to get better sun exposure. He was cited for a code violation and told to comply by Nov. 7. He refused, joining a number of front-yard gardeners who say city codes are too restrictive.
“Though rooted in something as innocuous as vegetables,” the Times says, “these disputes touch on divisive issues like homeowner rights, property values, sustainability, food integrity and the aesthetics of the traditional American lawn. Ecologists and libertarians alike have gotten into the debate, the latter asserting that the codification of gardens is just one more way the government tells people how to live.”
Helvenston is getting legal advice from the Institute for Justice, a libertarian law firm based in Arlington, Va. “It’s the micromanagement of land that invades your liberty in a thousand small ways,” institute lawyer Jeff Rowes tells the Times.
Orlando is revising its landscape code to promote sustainability and flexibility, and may adopt new standards for front-yard gardens. One idea is to require those with front-yard gardens to install a fence. Helvenston doesn’t like the proposal. “A fence is expensive,” he told the Times. “Now you just ruined my return on investment.”
Move over, lawn gnomes; make way, St. Francis statues. Get ready for the pixies and sprites to arrive because fairy gardening is getting big. As books and websites about the topic abound, some Austin-area nurseries are offering workshops and merchandise to help you create tiny gardens to entice Tinker Bell and her friends.
“Fairy gardens are hot right now,” sales associate Kelly Nalle said at a workshop last month at The Great Outdoors in South Austin.
To make a fairy garden — also called a miniature garden — you set up little, adorable displays outside or in containers to attract these magical creatures. Fairy gardens can have miniature cottages and birdbaths, watering cans and walkways — anything precious and cute that might appeal to the fairies.
And the first rule of fairy gardening is that you have to believe — at least in the joy of being whimsical.
Lana Conly, who attended the workshop, fondly recalled that her grandmother long ago would talk of planting for the fairies in her garden, and Conly has been delighted to hear about fairy gardens again recently.
“They are so beautiful and so enchanting,” said Conly, of Bastrop.
Of course, those who love fairy gardening realize that others might snicker at the idea. Kristi Kitzmiller, a workshop participant, said she can’t talk about these magical beings with just anyone.
“I’m in the right crowd,” said Kitzmiller, a massage therapist who lives in downtown Austin. “I have loved fairies since I was a little girl, and just recently opened that door again.”
For $30, the participants selected among miniature garden furniture, accessories and plants to place into a roughly 1-square-foot container filled with dirt. Kitzmiller chose a small wooden arbor and a metal bistro table with chairs. She laid down tiles for a patio, using sand as grout between the squares. Kitzmiller weaved delicate white flowers around the arbor, and underneath, she set a rustic wooden chair. On it rests a plaque, like a pillow, that reads: “Believe.”
She brought her own crystals to place in her garden “with love and intention,” she said.
Conly tried various configurations in her garden; at one point, she had a tile walkway leading up to a miniature gnome sitting on a swing as a bunny figurine looked on. Her husband, R.J. Balusek, helped her to string up tiny battery powered lights.
Conly said fairy gardening is a soothing pastime.
“I sit all day in front of a computer,” said Conly. “You want to be more connected to Earth and to nature.”
On a store cabinet that contains many brownie-sized items, a sign spells out the borrowed motto of fairy gardening: “Build it and they will come.”
The dollhouse-sized items include trellises, gazing balls, chairs, benches, lanterns and other accessories. Small succulents and other plants, from the point of view of an itty-bitty fairy, can appear to be a giant cactus or shrub.
The store has had a few fairy garden workshops and another workshop day will be Jan. 19. The 10 a.m. class is for people 10 and younger and their parents. The 2 p.m. class is for people 11 years old and older. (For information or to register, check www.gonursery.com.)
In Cedar Park, about a dozen folks attended a free demonstration about fairy gardening this fall at Hill Country Water Gardens and Nursery. Emily Button, a buyer at the store, showed how to make a fairy garden in a wooden container, using a gourd decorated with glitter as a house. She sprinkled purple sand down to pave a small pathway and anchored tiny toy mushrooms with colorful red tops along the way.
“The main thing … is to create a safe place for them,” said Button, speaking like a true believer. “They do appreciate having that space.”
Fairies are drawn to lavender, honeysuckle, snapdragons and jasmine, said Button, who had plenty of ideas for attracting fairies to the garden.
“It’s definitely good to have a water element,” she said. “Fairies love knickknacks and trinkets. Shiny things.”
Button said the nursery has had several seminars — with mostly adults — and the fairy merchandise has sold quickly. The store stocks fairy-size figurines and miniatures such as garden furniture and more.
“I can’t count how many fairies are in my garden,” said Heather McLean, an Austin landscaper who attended the demonstration and has been interested in fairies for a long time.
Making these tiny garden scenes also has proved popular at Backbone Valley Nursery and Landscaping in the Marble Falls area.
“The trend is definitely growing,” said owner Jessica Robertson. “I have to say it is one of the most addicting things.”
The nursery has had fairy garden workshops periodically for about two years, with another one slated for Jan. 5. (Check www.backbonevalleynursery.com for information.) Initially she had difficulty finding miniature merchandise, especially items that would withstand the weather. But as the popularity continues, more vendors have supplies, keeping her store stocked with such items at a variety of price ranges.
“The fairy houses they are coming out with are precious, starting at $20 up to $200,” she said. “You can go from very inexpensive to very expensive.”
Robertson said she thinks the small scale of the gardens makes it less intimidating to people who might feel ill-prepared to landscape a huge space. Additionally, miniature gardens allow people to let their creativity go wild.
It appeals to all kinds, young and old, male and female, she said. It’s a great way to get kids involved in gardening, too.
“We have little boys who make little dinosaur gardens,” she said.
While some gardeners simply enjoy the relaxation or imagination involved with setting up a miniature world, others are firm believers.
“I have no doubt the fairies are going to come,” said Conly, as she finished up her fairy garden. “This is an invitation.”
Have you ever looked at your landscape and decided the displays of herbaceous perennials should be larger and the borders should contain mass displays of annuals?
Then you looked at the balance in your checkbook, sighed and accepted the status quo. Don’t despair. A little energy, a little patience, a little ingenuity and resources already at hand can make your landscape more like you believe it ought to be. I will leave the quest for patience, energy and ingenuity to you and discuss the sources of plants available.
Annuals from seed
Growing annuals from seed is inexpensive and easy. A packet of seeds costs less than a single potted plant from a nursery or garden center. Once upon a time, packets of seeds cost 25 cents, and the packet contained a generous quantity of seeds. Seed prices have risen, and the quantity in the packet has shrunk. There are good reasons for the increase and decrease. However, seeds are still a bargain.
A single packet of seeds will generally provide all the plants of the chosen variety you will need for your project. The quantities of seed in some packets may seem disappointedly small. The packet of hybrid geraniums I use in containers contains only five seeds and cost approximately a dollar a piece. There are less expensive varieties of geraniums available. A packet of cosmos seeds contained more seeds than I could count and provided plants for three seasons. It cost $1.25. The seed count is usually printed on the seed packet and is part of catalog descriptions. Check them, and you won’t be unpleasantly surprised.
Another plus for propagation from seeds is the large variety of plants available. The number of plant varieties available in a garden center is limited because potted plants take up a lot of space, they require daily maintenance and they are perishable. Varieties available in seed racks and seed catalogs number in the hundreds. One of the catalogs I receive each spring claims it lists approximately 2,000 varieties. I have never counted.
Starting plants from seed can be accomplished with a minimum of equipment. Required are adequate light, potting mix, seed flats and a reasonably warm environment. A south facing window sill provides adequate space for small number of plants. Florescent lights provide light for a larger area. A shop light fixture is adequate for a beginning project. Makeshift flats and pots can be a nuisance. Purchase items made for the purpose. They are inexpensive and make the experience more pleasurable.
Seeds for plants like geraniums, which require a substantial period of growth before they bloom, should be started as early as January. You will find information about growth periods on the seed packet, along with other important instructions. Read the instructions. Seedlings must be hardened off before setting them into the garden. That is garden-speak for gradually moving them outside.
Some seeds may be planted where they are to grow after the soil warms. Marigolds, cosmos and zinnia are examples of these plants. This information is printed on the packet and is part of the catalog description.
Many annuals will reseed themselves. Most of these volunteers may be easily and successful transplanted. If you grow heirloom or open pollinated varieties you can save seed for planting next year.
Herbaceous perennials from seed
Herbaceous perennials are slightly more difficult to propagate from seed than annuals. To compensate for that, they can be started in midsummer, eliminating the need for plant lights and a heated environment. Herbaceous perennials from seed usually do not bloom the first season.
Herbaceous perennials from divisions
Division of herbaceous perennials is usually done in late summer or early spring. Perennials, like day lilies, are best divided in September so they can develop new roots before the ground freezes. Grasses should be divided in the spring. Divide a perennial by digging up the entire clump. Using two garden forks inserted into the clump back-to-back, pry the plant into sections. Discard weak or dead sections and replant the new divisions.
Masterful Gardening, a weekly
column written by master
gardeners with the Penn State
York County Cooperative
Extension, appears Sundays in
Home Source. Frank Sommer can
be reached at 840-7408 or
yorkmg@psu.edu.
The following letter was sent to the Rehoboth Beach Mayor and Board of Commissioners with a copy submitted to the Cape Gazette for publication.
It is time to stop all the hand-wringing, arguing and unbecoming pot-shots and vote the garden up or down. As an architect, I can assure you that redesigning the garden by committee, as you have been trying to do, cannot and will not work. It never does.
The present design has been reduced in scale and scope in an attempt to satisfy your criticisms. A very sizable chunk of Cranberry Park will remain open for more active public activity such as ball throwing, etc. I must say I have never seen anyone really using the park, as it looks neglected with its unorganized, scatter-shot layout of odd benches.
It is time to vote, not to waste time with further debate. I have visited the Rehoboth Beach Garden in Greve-in-Chianti and I believe that the garden in Cranberry Park, as presently designed, will be a comparatively beautiful place to visit in honor of our sister-cities agreement and will fully satisfy our responsibility in that regard.
By allowing construction of the garden at virtually no cost to Rehoboth Beach taxpayers, we are in no way taking space away from our local citizens.
Rather, we are enhancing an otherwise bleak space in the city. Local citizens and visitors will have an additional beautiful spot in town in which to relax, read, or play.
To turn down this gift to the city would be a huge and embarrassing mistake. I urge you to accept it on the basis of the excellent current garden design, created by a real professional.
Jim Ellison
Rehoboth Beach
So many times we meet folks who just don’t know where to start on their home designs, or even where to put their home on their land. No worries! We are here to help walk you through those steps.
If you are going with a custom builder, they can provide you with the step by step process that fits their operations. If you have not selected a custom builder, but want to start looking at designs, you can do a few things. These things will also help when you do finally select that custom builder.
Look at existing floor plans – no need to reinvent the wheel. You can piece numerous floor plans together. Start with the size of home you want to build. Define the number of rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. Keep the pictures of the plans you like and throw the others out. Go to existing home builders, magazines, and the internet to look for floor plans.
Pick up magazines and cut out anything you might want to incorporate. Start a binder and organize it by rooms or ideas. If you like the bathroom in two different magazines, cut them both out and put them in the folder. Later, the builder can point out the pros and cons of the different pictures with your configurations. If you see decorations, include these too.
Take pictures of anything you might see that you want to include in your design; for example, the mixture of stone and brick on the exterior elevation, landscaping, roofing materials, etc.
If you are a visual person, you can sketch out your ideas on paper and that can be the start of your dream home. The builder can take that and start the full plans.
Establish your budget. Adding a lot of bells and whistles can add up rather quickly. Look at your lot/land to see where to place your home. Slopeage can increase the foundation cost. Your builder can shoot some grades of your location and then you can discuss your options. You might want to have some of your land cleared to find that ideal location. Your builder can explain all the additional cost involved and walk your property and discuss options with you.
Once you are ready to start putting your ideas into a home plan, present as much information as possible to the selected builder. It’s so much fun to see those final results all come together and the client’s excitement about starting to build. Some designs might take longer than others. Patience on both sides is important. The selected builder will sort through the items and discuss the details with you. The builder will then produce a preliminary run on all the items in your Custom Floor Plan. Don’t worry, the floor plan can change. Things don’t always come out on the first run. You might need several passes on the plan for it to be your ideal home. It’s better to get the design down up front than once in construction. Communication is very important between you and your builder. This can be a fun process.
For all Your Real Estate and Building needs or questions, call Debbie at 830-833-4249 or 713-818-6658.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — If you’re left wondering what to do to create a difference and colorful landscape, we have some novel ideas that will appeal to your taste buds too.
How about a little planting that leads to a little produce?
Have you ever thought about having fruit trees in your landscape? I always called that an edible landscapes. I know right in my garden I have some rhubarb plants.
You could have apple trees in your landscape and enjoy apples all summer long. Let me say that there are a lot of different varieties of apple trees that will start producing apples around July the first and you could have apples, depending on the variety, all the way up to November the first. Not only do you have a variety of harvesting but you have a different size of apple trees.
Believe it or not, a semi dwarf apple tree will get you apples in about four or five years.
Not only do you have apple trees, you can have peach trees and cherry trees without a lot of care.
The only thing you need to watch out for is a lot of insect and disease.
Of course they make a backyard orchard spray which is excellent to use.
Now, besides fruit trees, if you’re thinking about having blackberries or raspberry’s or blueberries, there are some choices out at your lawn and garden center that can be put in your landscape. Here is a good example, blackberries, the best one to plant as far as I’m concerned is the very friendly thornless varieties of blackberries.
Two of the best varieties out there is chester and of course the one I like the best is called triple crown. Both of those varieties are going to give you gallons and gallons of delicious blackberries for every plant that you’ve got.
Then there are the blueberry’s out there. They’re great in this area and two things. Number one, you have to have an acid soil and also for blueberry’s you really need two different varieties to have that cross pollination.
Before I leave you today, I’ve got to say, don’t forget the rhubarb. Rhubarb is a great addition to your landscape and really fits right in with your flowers that you have in your landscape. Not only is it beautiful with the leaf structure and stems but it also make quality rhubarb pie.
Until next time. Keep your green thumb growing.
LandscapingNetwork.com publishes new design ideas on San Diego landscaping. The site offers consumers updated design ideas and pictures of completed landscaping projects throughout the San Diego area.
Calimesa, CA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
New landscape design ideas from LandscapingNetwork.com, help consumers find the perfect landscaping style for San Diego area homes. A new collection of design articles and photos feature updated San Diego landscaping designs and ideas for coastal properties.
With a number of tourist attractions, like Sea World, the San Diego Wild Animal Park and others, San Diego has long been one of the country’s premier destinations not just for visiting, but for living. This coastal Southern California area provides the perfect climate for dream homes, along with optimal landscaping opportunities.
San Diego landscapes are as unique as the attractions one will find in the area. Landscape styles range from sleek and modern designs to old-world Mediterranean looks. The Landscaping Network offers an extensive photo gallery featuring San Diego landscapes that include popular Spanish designs, Mediterranean, tropical, modern styles, and many more.
Also, the site offers an updated collection of articles detailing landscaping ideas and designs perfect for San Diego properties, including front yards and backyards. Get details on popular San Diego design styles, planting design, and local climate information.
For this information, and more on San Diego landscaping, and to find local San Diego landscapers, visit LandscapingNetwork.com.
Photos courtesy of Promised Path Landscape Inc in Chula Vista, CA.
About LandscapingNetwork.com
LandscapingNetwork.com works with a team of professional landscape designers and writers to bring together the very best landscaping resources and information available. Homeowners, landscape designers and architects, builders and more can also stay up-to-date through the site’s extensive collection of articles, landscaping photos and videos on landscape design ideas, products and more.
For consumers ready to turn their landscaping design dreams into reality, the site offers an easy-to-use Find a Contractor directory to find local landscape contractors and designers throughout the United States and Canada.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebsandiego/landscaping/prweb10209289.htm
FacebookEvery spring since 2008, interior designers and landscape designers from the Washington area help raise money for Children’s National Medical Center by participating in the DC Design House project founded by Skip and Debbie Singleton, owners of DC Living Real Estate.
A number of designers participate in other community activities during the holiday season and throughout the year, bringing their expertise and enthusiasm to support a variety of causes.
Jeffrey Jones, owner of Classic Stonescaping and Gardens in Falls Church, started Decorate-A-Vet in 2010 to help military veterans beautify their homes for the holiday season. Since then, the project has grown and Mr. Jones has partnered with the Angie’s List Wishmakers program and other highly rated Angie’s List service contractors in the area to provide services to multiple recipients.
“This year, we had about 500 volunteers help us,” Mr. Jones said. “The volunteers are friends and family members and acquaintances and people we reach through social media. When I started this, I just wanted to help people out who have given a lot to our country. I have a number of veterans in my family and wanted to give back to that community.”
Mr. Jones estimated that about $35,000 worth of repairs will be done this year. While the initial idea was to decorate veterans’ homes for Christmas and spruce up the yards by raking leaves and providing a little bit of landscaping, the projects sometimes involve pressure washing, cleaning or repairing gutters and extensive landscaping.
Several interior designers participate each year in the Georgetown Jingle, which since 2006 has raised more than $1.5 million for the pediatric oncology programs directed by Dr. Aziz Shad at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hosted Sunday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, this year’s Jingle included 17 trees and vignettes designed by some of the area’s top designers, which were auctioned to raise money for the cause.
Each designer was paired with a Georgetown patient ambassador who has undergone or is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Among the 2012 designers is Allie Mann, senior designer at Case Design/Remodeling Inc., whose patient ambassador, Sophie, has been treated for neuroblastoma, which is in remission. Ms. Mann said Sophie, who loves Dr. Seuss, helped her make the ornaments on the “Seuss-tacular” tree she created.
Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice, director of creative services with Christopher Patrick Interiors in the District, said she and Mr. Patrick have designed a tree for the Georgetown Jingle.
“This year we created a tree out of wood and Swarovksi crystal ornaments, Ms. Andrews-Rice said. “The Georgetown Jingle is not only a great cause, but also a great excuse for us to think outside the box about decorating a Christmas tree. We’ve just had a great deal of fun working on our tree and getting to know the children who receive or have received treatment at Georgetown.”
In addition to their involvement with the Georgetown Jingle, employees at Case Design/Remodeling participate in a number of charitable and community activities year-round.
“It’s about what touches us deeper on the soul and a way of expressing how thankful we are for our community,” said Bruce Case, president of Case Design/Remodeling. “We participate in the DC Design House and the Georgetown Jingle because of our concern for children. We recently remodeled five kitchens for Home Stretch, an organization in Falls Church that provides transitional housing for families with young children.”
Case Design/Remodeling, in partnership with other contractors and organizations, helps build and remodel Homes for Our Troops for wounded veterans. They remodeled the exterior of a veteran’s home in Virginia in 2011.
Organizations that support children and families also are a big draw for many local designers.
Kelley Proxmire, principal at Kelley Interior Design in Bethesda, is involved with the Center for Family Development in Bethesda, a retreat that focuses on family programs such as leadership training for boys and marriage programs for engaged and married couples.
“Many years ago, I decorated their lobby, and just recently I updated some upholstered pieces of furniture there,” Ms. Proxmire said.
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December 20, 2012
The Green Box is a new raised garden bed created with concrete post, capstone and panel system that can be used in more imaginative ways around the home or property. The Company is proud to roll out the solution for homes and gardens.
Mount Vernon, WA – The Green Box is the innovative new creation from Creative Concrete Products, LLC that uses Duraskirt patented panels for manufactured and mobile homes. The Company invented the technology several years ago and had many customers requesting their use in raised garden planters and beds. The Green Box is being marketed to landscaping suppliers and home improvement suppliers.
Creative Concrete Products, LLC began manufacturing The Green Box, this past summer and only have a few in the ground. The attractive and useful idea is improving the look of terraces and making a home’s landscaping more contemporary in keeping up with current trends toward conservation efforts.
The Green Box finished concrete post, capstone and panel system can be used in a multitude of ways. It is a long term solution that will never need repairs and will look good for decades.
Raised garden beds have many benefits. Perhaps the most important advantage is reduced soil compaction. Plant roots do best when they are able to receive air. When a garden is being tended, it is nearly impossible not to step on the soil and with a raised bed, it is easier to reach the soil and plants and not have to step on the soil and compact it. A properly designed raised bed garden allows for gardening from the garden path. Plants can also be spaced nearer to each other in a raised bed because it is not necessary to step. This increases productivity per square foot of bed and reduces weeding as the plants begin to mature.
Other benefits of a raised bed include, that they tend to drain away excess moisture better than ordinary garden beds. In areas that have saturated soil like Florida and many areas of the South, raised beds may be the only way to grow certain types of plants. Soil conditions and types may be controlled more efficiently in a raised bed and they can be varied easily from bed to bed. When topsoil is thin, raised beds are the answer. Water, fertilizer, compost, mulch, etc. can be applied more carefully because they only need to be applied to the garden beds. Various studies have shown that raised garden beds produce 1.4 to 2 times as much vegetables and flowers per square foot as ordinary beds.
The Green Box is bringing pleasing geometry to the garden, with form and edging used to define specific areas. The website at http://www.greengardenbox.com is an easy to navigate informative hub where visitors may view photos firsthand and enjoy the blog discussions with information on uses, and other valuable topics.
Learn more by visiting http://www.greengardenbox.com
And like the Company Facebook page at “The Green Box” https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Box/385500634863354?ref=hl
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Media Contact:
Richard Imus
115 Lind Street
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
360-419-9909
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