Back in 2003, this property was an ill-kept and forgotten 1920s bungalow. But, and this is key: It’s one of only seven Atlanta homes backing up to Piedmont Park, Kaye said. So after years of house-hunting, he saw the potential and snapped up the property within hours — for $345,000.

Over the next five years, the home would be overhauled from roof to terrace. “Common materials were used in uncommon ways for eco and budget-friendly, amazing results,” Kaye said in an email. “The house seamlessly blends traditional and modernist architecture for a one-of-a-kind home with 180-degree views of the park and skyline.” The grounds — based on the “principles of Versailles” and featuring 100 percent water reclamation — have since won several landscaping awards. If the entire property looks familiar, you may have seen it featured on HGTV’s “Groundbreakers.”

At 4,800 square feet, it’s no shack, with six bedrooms, a multi-story foyer, two-car garage and “floating” concrete walkway that crosses the koi pond. By way of custom doors on pivoting steel spines, interaction between common areas and the formal library can be customized — that is, opened or fully closed off for privacy. Ditto for exterior walls that retract to open the great room and master bedroom on three sides, unveiling those sweet, sweet views of Atlanta’s greatest park.

· 543 Elmwood Drive NE [Zillow]

Truman Hall, a historic property that serves at the residence of the Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (Courtesy of NATO website)

(CNSNews.com) – Just over a week after sequestration took effect, the State Department allotted more than $700,000 for gardening at a U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Brussels, Belgium.

On March 11, State awarded a contract to provide gardening services at an “official residence” of the U.S. Mission in Belgium.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNSNews.com that the contract is for Truman Hall, a historic property that serves at the residence of the Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The current U.S. ambassador to NATO is Ivo H. Daalder, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in May 2009.

The total award comes to $704,198.30, including $134,744 for the base year and four one-year option periods thereafter.

A State Department spokesperson said that Truman Hall regularly hosts visitors from the 28 NATO nations and other Alliance partner countries around the world and is a valuable platform for America’s diplomacy.

The award provides for grass cutting, edging, trimming, weeding, and other gardening and landscaping services. It will also mandate the planting of 960 violas, tulips, and begonias.

Truman Hall, named after former President Harry S. Truman, was built in 1963 by Architect B.A. Jacquemotte and Landscape Architect René Pechère. The 28-acre property consists of several gardens, meadows and a lawn pavilion.

The award came just 10 days after automatic across-the-board cuts, known as the sequester, took effect on March 1. Prior to the cuts taking effect, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the sequester could “seriously impair our ability to execute our vital missions of national security, diplomacy and development.”

In a letter to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) on Feb. 11, Kerry said sequestration means $2.6 billion less in fiscal year 2013 for State Department programs.

“These cuts would severely impair our efforts to enhance the security of U.S. government facilities overseas and ensure the safety of the thousands of U.S. diplomats serving the American people abroad,” he said.

In addition to Truman Hall, the State Department is currently soliciting gardening services for U.S. Embassies in Jakarta, Indonesia; Santiago, Chile; Maseru, Lesotho; and Bangkok, Thailand.

The solicitation for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta places a maximum amount of $500,000.

A State Department spokesperson said the award for Truman Hall was made at the lowest price technically acceptable, at a total cost of $704,198.30. The contract was awarded to Iris Greencare, a landscaping company based in Brussels.

Does your thirsty landscaping need some TLC?

Learn great tips on how to bring your landscaping back from last year’s drought from Melinda Myers, a nationally-recognized gardening expert, TV/radio host, author and Birds Blooms columnist.

The free seminar “Graden Revitalization” will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13, at Pasquesi Home Gardens in Lake Bluff.

After the heat and drought of 2012 left many landscapes and gardeners stressed, this seminar is designed to revive gardeners’ spirits and give people lots of ideas for revitalizing their landscapes.

Myers will showcase possible plant replacements, stress tolerant low maintenance plants, and plant combinations to give landscapes a seasonal facelift after last year’s challenging season.

“I’m excited about being able to present at Pasquesi this spring especially after last year’s tough growing season,” said Myers. “Now is a great time to plan new additions, replacements, and strategize for increasing the seasonal beauty and enjoyment of your garden and landscape.”

For more information call (847) 615.2700 or visit www.pasquesi.com.

Photo, right to left:  Secretary Fisher, Ed Brock, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Freeholder Serena DiMaso, Freeholder John Curley, Freehold Mayor Barbara McMorrow and Dominick Mondi of the NJNLA

FREEHOLD, NJ – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today kicked off the spring planting season by urging residents and businesses to patronize the state’s nurseries and garden centers.

Secretary Fisher visited Brock Farms Home and Garden World in Freehold, one of Central Jersey’s largest garden centers and long-time supporter of the Department of Agriculture’s Jersey Grown marketing program for the state’s half billion dollar a year horticultural industry.

“When planting your spring gardens this year, visit your nearby nursery or garden center and look for Jersey Grown annual bedding plants, perennials, shrubs and trees,” said Secretary Fisher.  “These businesses at the shore and throughout the state are open and here to help during the Superstorm Sandy rebuilding process.”

Secretary Fisher today also announced the launching of the new Jersey Grown website at www.jerseygrown.nj.gov.  The site has a wide range of information about the program and industry, including a search function for nurseries and garden centers.  There are listings for “choose and cut” Christmas tree farms and gardens or arboretums to visit.  The site has details on all the Jersey Grown products and information for growers on how to become part of the program.  There also is helpful information for gardeners, such as New Jersey weather and the plant hardiness zone map, and a number of links to resources covering everything from where to get soil tested to what plants are deer resistant.

“Use the Jersey Grown website,” said Fisher.  “It is the most up-to-date and easy to navigate resource for gardeners who are interested in buying locally grown for their landscaping needs.” 

To promote the industry, the Jersey Grown branding program was created and over the years expanded so it now includes trees, shrubs, flowers, annuals, perennials, Christmas trees, firewood, wood and black oil sunflower seed for birdseed.

Brock Farms has been a certified Jersey Grown grower since the inception of the program.  The business was first started by Ed and Jean Brock, opening the Colts Neck retail outlet first, then the Freehold location in 1958. Freehold also serves as a re-wholesale center.  The company farms more than 600 acres of nursery products in Bridgeton, as well as 200 acres in Monmouth County.

“We have been providing the highest quality plant materials and landscape supplies to the horticulture industry for over 50 years,” said Paul Witter, Brock Farms Manager.  “Business is improving currently and the weather so far has been cooperative for harvest.  Some demand has been seen for plant material due to Sandy, but it’s still early in the recovery process to gauge any impact on the horticulture industry.”

Steve Wagner, General Manager of Brock Farms in Bridgeton was named the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association’s Nurseryman of the Year for 2012.

“Being a part of the Jersey Grown program has always made sense to us,” said Wagner, who also serves on the NJNLA Board of Directors.  “New Jersey has some of the best conditions for growing nursery plants in the country, and this program only serves to further highlight the quality and success of New Jersey’s nursery industry.”

All growers are encouraged to join the Jersey Grown brand.  There are many benefits, such as identifying their products in the marketplace; capitalizing on the popularity of Jersey Fresh; and it is high quality.

To find Jersey Grown products, look for signage and the Jersey Grown logo.  Supporting local growers and outlets helps to rebuild the Garden State and the lives of all New Jersey residents.

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Kenneth Harrison

 

April is one of the nicest months of the year. We are through with freezes, yet the weather is still mild and working outside is a delight. Landscapes look especially nice, as the fresh new leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs provide a shimmering green backdrop for the abundant flowers of spring.

There is an undeniable urge to get out into the yard and plant. This time of the year gardeners are irresistibly drawn to nurseries and garden centers full of trees, shrubs, colorful bedding plants and vegetable transplants. We call this urge to garden “spring fever,” and it generally lasts until May, when summer heat arrives. There is no cure for spring fever – it just has to run its course. But, you can take something to help with the symptoms.

On my Saturday morning radio show on WWL, I’m known as the “Plant Doctor.” No, I’m not really a doctor. But if I were, I’d say the best prescription for a bad case of spring fever is the 2013 Spring Garden Show. It is the premier spring gardening event in our area, and with more than 70 vendors and exhibitors, this year it will be better than ever.

The 34th annual Spring Garden Show will take place April 6 and 7 at the New Orleans Botanical Garden on Victory Avenue in City Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The purpose of the show is to help the gardening public find out where to obtain garden products and services, what plant clubs or societies are located nearby, and the best and newest plants for our area and how to grow them. During a leisurely stroll, you can talk to experts on a one-to-one basis about vegetable gardening, planting trees or pest problems; chat with representatives from local nurseries about their selection of plants and prices; check out local landscaping companies and businesses selling garden soil; and find others who share your special interest in a particular plant at one of the plant-society booths.

The show also provides opportunities to buy plants and gardening products. Thousands of area gardeners and their families come to the show each year.

The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a perfect location for the Spring Garden Show. To be outside in beautiful spring weather and surrounded by beautiful gardens, sculptures and colorful flowers is a delight in itself.

Be sure to check out the Botanical Garden’s beautiful permanent garden exhibits that are both attractive and educational (bring a camera and notebook to record interesting landscaping ideas, plant combinations or noteworthy plants). Take time to see the Japanese Garden, PLANO Garden (food gardening), Miniature Train Garden, Palm and Cycad Garden, Conservatory, Butterfly Garden, Parterre Rose Garden, Shade Garden, Native Plant Garden and Azalea and Camellia Garden.

When you add the beautifully designed exhibits of the Spring Garden Show to the already attractive Botanical Garden, it creates an amazing visual experience to relieve even the most virulent cases of spring fever. From the numerous plant vendors, you will find roses, bromeliads, orchids, tropical foliage, ferns, camellias, plumerias, daylilies, herbs, perennials, vines, azaleas, Louisiana native plants and much more. The Botanical Garden has been propagating many of their plants, and will have a large and diverse selection for sale as well.

Vendors also will be selling a wide selection of garden art, bird houses, pottery and furniture for outdoor living areas.

The LSU AgCenter will sponsor a Plant Health Clinic, located in the Lath House. If you have insect, disease or cultural problems, you can bring specimens in for diagnosis and control recommendations. There will also be an LSU AgCenter weed specialist on hand, so bring weed samples in for identification and control recommendations.

In addition, you can bring a pint of soil and submit it to the LSU AgCenter Soil Testing Laboratory for analysis. The cost is $10; bring a check. Or, you can pick up a soil test box to take home and submit a sample later. If you have never had your soil tested, you are missing out on important information that affects how plants grow in your landscape.

Three educational programs will be presented each day in the Garden Study Center to help you learn how to garden in New Orleans. The programs last about 45 minutes and are free with admission to the show.

This is a great event for the whole family. Kids of all ages are welcome at the Kids Discovery Area, where hands-on activities will keep them occupied and teach lessons about nature.

There are lots of shady spots where you can sit, enjoy the beautiful surroundings and relax. And while you are relaxing, enjoy the music from live bands both days – including Ms. Emily and the Collard Greens old timey string band from New Orleans and The Swamp Lilies Americana band from Lafayette.

City Park Catering will have jambalaya, grilled chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, beer and soft drinks.

DAN GILL’S MAILBOX

I’m an avid reader of your column and depend upon it for helpful information. I was interested in the question about the night-blooming cereus in a recent column, and noticed you made a mistake in the answer you gave. You gave the Latin name as Epidendrum oxypetalum, but from what I can tell the proper name is Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Thanks again for your great column.

Nancy Adams

You are absolutely correct. My mind said Epiphyllum and my hands typed Epidendrum. The genus Epidendrum is incorrect and designates a genus of orchids. Epiphyllum is the genus of cactuses that includes night-blooming cereus. Thanks so much for catching this and letting me know.

********

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Once the flowers have all faded, you can plant your Easter lily outside in a garden bed. Choose a location that receives morning sun and some afternoon shade. Easter lilies go dormant in midsummer. When the foliage yellows in midsummer, cut the plant back down to the ground and mark the location so you will remember where it is.

 

I purchased a couple of Easter lilies to decorate for Easter. When the flowers have all faded, I’m wondering if I can continue to grow them or if I should just discard them.

Belinda Robinson

Once the flowers have all faded, you can plant your Easter lily outside in a garden bed. Leftover Easter lilies in stores and nurseries at greatly reduced prices are an excellent bargain to obtain plants for your gardens. Remove the plant from the pot and plant it into a well prepared bed enriched with compost. Choose a location that receives morning sun and some afternoon shade. Easter lilies go dormant in midsummer. When the foliage yellows in midsummer, cut the plant back down to the ground and mark the location so you will remember where it is.

Easter lilies will begin to grow again in fall, around October. Fertilize them at that time. They will grow over the winter (don’t worry about freezes) and should bloom next year in late April. Every year the clump will get bigger and produce more stalks of flowers. Divide the clump every three to five years in mid to late summer when the foliage yellows. Dig up the bulbs, separate them and replant them immediately, spaced 10 to 12 inches apart and about 5 inches deep.

********

I planted my queen palms in one-half wine barrels. As they grow larger, I’m sure the next transplant will have to be in the ground. Two questions, will queens survive on the north shore planted in the ground? And second, since the barrel is large with lots of soil, could I plant some small annuals in the barrels with the palms? If so, would vinca or some other flowering plant be recommended? I have pretty good sun for a few hours a day on my patio.

David Karl

Cold hardiness is one of the most important considerations when we want to add palms to our landscapes. Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are hardy down to about 20 degrees — maybe the upper teens. Since it gets that cold on occasion on the north shore, queen palms are not considered reliably hardy. But, no one can predict when temperatures in the teens may occur, and many years may go by before the trees are killed. The last time it happened was 2010. If you can dig into the soil of the pot without digging into the roots of the palm, you can plant some bedding plants in the pot. One of the trailing vincas would look nice cascading over the sides of the pots.

********

Dan Gill is extension horticulturist with the LSU AgCenter.

Send mail to:

Dan Gill, garden columnist

The Times-Picayune Living Section

3800 Howard Ave.

New Orleans 70125-1429

Send email to dgill@agcenter.lsu.edu. Please include a phone number.

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• The new Central vertical mall is hoping to attract bohemian customers. Photo: Supplied

With Danish design and French landscaping, Sydney’s newest shopping precinct is striving to smooth out the rough edges of Broadway to attract its “bohemian” neighbours.

Developers of the $2 billion complex Central on Parramatta Road are confident “arty locals and fashionable youth” will flock to their Tokyo-style “vertical mall” when it opens in spring.

Located a block down from the Broadway shopping centre and directly across from the University of Technology, the six-storey Central shopping centre aims to appeal to the 74,000 pedestrians who walk past every day.

“[We] have looked to successful vertical malls globally – including malls in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore,” said Guy Pahor, the chief executive officer of Frasers Property Australia, that developed the complex with Sekisui House.

Mr Pahor’s confidence comes as retail figures showed a sales bounce of 1.3 per cent this month, a far cry from the harsher trading environment last year.

In a conscious move away from cavernous shopping centres, the development will only have 65 shops and no parking available to customers.

The mall, Mr Pahor says, is designed to grab “educated consumers with a sophisticated appreciation of global trends” with an average age of 35.

“We have to excite them, to inspire them and, most particularly, to challenge them,” Mr Pahor said.

Vertical malls go up – not out – with smaller shop spaces and floor plans per level.

Retail will be focused on “young fashion” with convenience stores, a Woolworths supermarket, at least three restaurants, a gym and an entertainment area within the complex.

Central Park is not the only development taking advantage of the once grungy western fringes of the CBD.

In the next few years, Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Broadway will be home to several new upmarket developments. University haunt the Clare will be transformed into a high-end hotel, while Lend Lease recently secured a UTS building that will be designed by lauded architect Frank Gehry.

The Central Park complex – complete with public grounds owned by the City of Sydney Council, 24 “vertical gardens” and an apartment complex with 2100 apartments – will be completed by late 2014.

April 7, 2013

Lewiston Gardenfest looking for vendors

Staff reports

Niagara Gazette
The Niagara Gazette

Sun Apr 07, 2013, 03:55 PM EDT

Niagara Gazette — Longer days mean spring sunshine and warm summer days not far behind, bringing thoughts of gardening and landscaping projects. The Lewiston GardenFest, presented by Lewiston Garden Club, is now accepting vendor applications for its 8th annual event on June 22 and 23 along Center Street in Lewiston.

Businesses and vendors who sell items related to gardening, horticulture and the outdoors, including nurseries, landscapers, garden artists, builders, and others which enhance beauty in the garden, are encouraged to apply.

“Expert gardeners and those with a novice green thumb come from across Niagara County, Western New York, and Southern Ontario, to gain ideas for beautifying their outdoor spaces at the Lewiston GardenFest,” said Sharon Low, vendor chair and president of the Lewiston Garden Club. “Over the past several years we’ve welcomed vendors from across the country and encourage anyone who sells garden or outdoor-related items to apply for our 2013 event.”

Vendors who are interested in participating are encouraged to call Sharon Low at 297-5925 or visit www.lewistongardenfest.com by May 1 for an application. The application fee varies from $125 – $225 based on the size of the vendor display.

In addition to shopping opportunities, the Lewiston GardenFest also features open gardens of local Lewiston residents, speakers, master gardeners, and representatives from floral societies to answer questions. For more information, visit www.lewistongardenfest.com.

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Not long ago, Tucsonans wanted pools the way Southern Californians wanted convertibles and surfboards.

And while a pool is still at the top of the list for many Tucsonans considering a major home upgrade or house hunting, some are opting to fill in their pools for use as gardens, koi ponds, smaller water features, sunken patios, play areas or cisterns.

The reasons range from “I don’t swim” and environmental concerns about chemicals and using too much water to seasonal visitors concerned about the cost of maintaining a pool that sits dormant most of the year, and the safety of children and pets.

“Most pools are over-maintained and under-utilized,” says Jason Isenberg, owner and principal designer for Realm, a Tucson firm that does almost anything to do with the area outside Tucson homes and businesses. That includes, in the last couple of years, turning pools into gardens, ponds and kid and pet play areas.

Isenberg said a pool is no longer always seen as an asset. “We’ve actually had real estate agents come to us and ask for the most economic water-harvesting feature, whether it works or not. It’s actually started to offer attractiveness to buyers,” Isenberg said.

“Even when they are used, they’re not used in their entirety,” Isenberg says. “Not only does it eat up natural resources, (there is) exposure to chemicals, maintenance costs, and this usually massive thing eating up a large portion of your real estate. A lot of empty- nesters don’t use them, and snowbirds don’t use them a good part of the year. They’re just sitting there dormant most of the year,” Isenberg says.

It’s still not a big part of Realm’s overall business, which includes yard design and landscaping, along with water-smart xeriscaping, rainwater harvesting and shade structures to play areas, fire pits and outdoor kitchens. “In the past year we’ve probably done a dozen of them,” he said. But the interest is rising, and Isenberg expects it to continue.

What’s involved

Converting a swimming pool to other uses isn’t difficult, but there’s more to it than getting a load of dirt and five friends with shovels on a Saturday afternoon. Isenberg says there are definitely wrong and right ways to do it – and it’s a lot of work anyway. He said the bottom of the pool must be punctured so rainwater can drain through the rocks and soil used to fill it in, even if a plastic liner is used – as is sometimes done, particularly for conversion to use as a koi pond.

Isenberg favors boring clean core holes in the bottom of the old pool, making it easier to restore to swimming pool use should a future owner want to do that. Then crews lay down layers of large rock and top that will a layer of fabric made from a recycled material that will pass water, but not soil and other material from above that could clog the openings between the stones and the drainage holes. That’s topped with soil that is compacted to a specific density so anything on top of that doesn’t sink or settle. If it’s going to be used as a pond, a plastic liner is used. For other uses – patio, play area or just reclaimed backyard space – the liner isn’t necessary, Isenberg says.

Either way, the bottom of the old pool must be punctured. If you don’t puncture the bottom of the pool and allow for drainage, Isenberg says, “you’re going to have putrification of water and thus mosquitoes. It’s going to be a mess.”

Bruce McDonald of Tucson Koi Water Gardens, 3372 N. Dodge Blvd., favors using the same specialized application concrete, known as gunite, used in swimming pools to form a shallower pond, since he feels that liners may leak and are tough to repair. But he, too, says the original pool bottom should be punctured to allow for drainage.

For conversion to use as a koi pond, McDonald says a shallower depth is usually required, because most pools hold too much water for an efficient koi habitat; a pool provides far more depth than the fish need and that means a lot more water to filter, increasing the cost to the operation. “The linings don’t last as long as concrete. Most of the work we do is with concrete. It’s a cleaner end product and more robust.”

property values

Attitudes toward pools may be changing, and there are more people who see the lack of a pool as an asset than in the past, says Tucson Realtor Jenni Morrison. But she said most people in the market for a $400,000- plus home still expect a house to have a pool.

In fact, Morrison said it’s rare to find a home that lists in the $400,000-plus range that doesn’t have a pool. And sometimes that’s a problem, Morrison says. She said she recently had clients looking for a house in that range that didn’t have a pool and she didn’t have much to show them.

Morrison should meet Sue and Red Redlaczyk, who have a 2,700-square-foot home with three bedrooms and two baths and an immaculate koi pond in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood near the University of Arizona. The house is listed for $479,900.

“We’ve had a lot of people who said they don’t want the koi pool because it takes up space where they could have kids’ play space,” says Sue Redlaczyk. “It’s mainly people who have kids. We have the big three-car garage that takes up a lot of space. So the yard itself wasn’t all that big to begin with.”

Still, the Redlaczyks hope to find a koi fancier or someone willing to convert the shallow (3-foot-deep) swimming pool pond to other uses. “They could have it as an all-brick patio if they wanted to, or turn it into a small play pool or spa,” Redlaczyk said.

“I do think it’s a very specific buyer. And you’ll have the people who aren’t into the koi or ponds who still find it an attractive feature to them,” said Desiree Mooney of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the Redlaczyks’ agent for their house. “It’s so tranquil. You go into that backyard and you have no idea where you are, near the university in the middle of the city. You’re seconds away from the city.” But it does, Mooney said, “narrow the buyers’ pool down.”

On the other hand, Mooney says, the Redlaczyks know they are not going to recover the money they spent on the pond, and some buyers will see it as space they can put to other uses. The way Mooney looks at it, “it’s a gorgeous home. And it has so many wonderful features,” and she hopes buyers will see the pond as a free upgrade or space that can be repurposed.

While Mooney said it’s not yet a trend to fill in a pool, she said she’s handled three properties in the years she’s been in real estate that have mentioned in their property disclosures that the yard contained a filled-in pool.

And, in general, she said, “I think people too are turning their yards into space where they can find peace and enjoyment. There isn’t as much cash for people to go out and do the things they used to. So I’m seeing more people do things to their yards. I’m seeing more and more that they’re putting more money into their yards more quickly. We’re taking refuge in our own yards more than we used to.”

STILL A POOL

Mark “Eb” Eberlein found another use for a pool he and his wife, Gwen, didn’t want when they bought an otherwise great west-side house several years ago.

“My wife didn’t even want to look at a place with a swimming pool, but I said there’s all kinds of things you can do with a swimming pool. I decked it over. Now it’s a cistern,” Eberlein said, storing rainwater for their rambling Painted Hills home’s garden and desert landscaping.

Eberlein said they hired a contractor to build a deck made of Trex – a popular colored synthetic wood made from recycled plastic – over the roughly 15-foot by 32-foot pool. A submersible pump feeds irrigation lines that exit the pool below ground level. Unless one noticed a small trap door, there’s no indication there’s anything there other than a large deck in the backyard between their vegetable garden and the house.

“It held as much as 20,000 gallons of water a couple years ago when we had a wet period. There’s probably only 2,000 gallons in it now,” Eberlein said.

“It’s not completely sealed, as there are gaps between the decks’ planks,” Eberlein said.

“There are fish – mosquito fish, a little like guppies – in it so we don’t get mosquitoes. But there’s not enough light for algae to form.”

Eberlein said they’re satisfied with the results of the project, done eight years ago. Not only does it cut water bills and reduce the costs associated with having a pool, but he said it has helped them avoid some costly repairs, too.

“The pool was shot,” Eberlein said. “When we got here, it was green” with algae.

Posted: Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:39 am
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Updated: 6:40 am, Sat Apr 6, 2013.

Growing Concerns: Gardens get to sleep in, but plenty to do when they awaken

Robin Fruth-Dugstad

Post-Bulletin Company, LLC

I have been trying to decide if spring is late this year or if this is a normal spring and we were spoiled by last year’s early arrival. The garden will eventually wake up, and then the spring garden chores will pile up.

Check for signs of spring growth. Look for the early spring blooming bulbs like winter aconite, crocus, glory-of-the-snow and others. Remove faded blossoms but allow the foliage to naturally ripen and store food in the bulb for next year’s flower show.

I was in Auburn, Ala., in early March, and the forsythia and redbud were in full bloom. These spring blooming branches should be blooming soon in southern Minnesota. For those who cannot wait, prune a few branches off and bring inside to force. Forcing can also be done with some of our late spring bloomers like crabapple and lilac.

It’s time to remove the spruce tops and convert the winter containers to spring containers. Fill containers with long-blooming cool-season plants like pansy, snapdragon, sweet alyssum, stock and dusty miller. These cool-season plants tolerate frosts. Wow, I can smell the flowers already!

One advantage to this late spring is that there is still time to prune fruit trees before buds begin to break into bloom. Pruning after bud break will stress the plants and reduce fruit yield, so check the buds before pruning.

Clean up the debris in the garden. Prune perennials left in the garden for winter interest. Remove winter mulch, or, if it has decomposed, just work it into the soil. Incorporate organic matter like leaf mold or composted manure into the soil. Do not work wet soil, it will compact the soil and damage the soil structure.

Spring is a good time to divide fall blooming perennials. Just as the new growth peeks through the soil, dig up the clump, divide into sections, replant, and water.

Cover the soil with a black fabric to warm the soil quickly for planting. Luckily I prepared my garden last fall, so as soon as the snow melts I will be rolling out my black fabric to start heating up the soil for my cool season crops.

When the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees, it is time to plant potatoes and peas, and time to transplant cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and artichoke into the garden. Soil temperature can be measured with a thermometer or by walking barefoot across the garden without getting cold feet.

Continue to feed the birds. It is going to be a while before there is a food source for them.

There is plenty to do in the garden in April. Celebrate the arrival of spring by spending time in the garden. We have been waiting for this one, so enjoy the color.

Robin Fruth-Dugstad is a horticulture professor at Rochester Community and Technical College with 25 years of experience gardening and landscaping. Send plant and garden questions to life@postbulletin.com.

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Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:39 am.

Updated: 6:40 am.

His parents had stopped maintenance on the nearly 2-acre Japanese-style garden a decade earlier, when Caltrans acquired about a third of an acre by eminent domain for extension of the 710 Freeway. Plants had died.

The pond had gone dry. Garden ornaments had been sold or stolen. The teahouse, overgrown with moss and weeds, had burned to the ground.

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  Ponderosa Modern: Glendale kit house floats on 10 pine poles

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  A house in Manhattan Beach for a modern family: Cool, not cold

PHOTOS: Historic Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden revived in Pasadena

“Every real estate agent around wanted to sell off the lot in parts. It was tempting,” Haddad said, noting the enormous tax assessment that was coming his way. “They were offering a fair amount of money. But I couldn’t say yes.”

Haddad and his wife, Connie, shared memories of living in the guesthouse as newlyweds; of their Labrador, wet from a dip in the pond, roaring through the plant beds; of a daughter’s wedding; and of their grandchildren playing around the manicured grounds. They also knew that the garden, though in serious disrepair, dated to 1935 and was of cultural importance. So they held on.

To fully understand the rebirth of the garden since then, you could note that in 2005, the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, as it is known, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Or you could simply see for yourself: The garden will be open April 28 as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour.

What visitors will see is nothing short of time rewound. The garden, originally commissioned by Ellamae and Charles Storrier Stearns, was designed by Kinzuchi Fujii, a master carpenter, landscaper and recent immigrant. He conceived the landscape as a Japanese “stroll” garden that revealed itself — through essential elements such as ponds, waterfalls and a teahouse — as visitors wound around paths and over bridges.

Fujii’s clients spared no expense. Black leaded tiles topped a garden wall, and stone ornaments were imported from Japan. Tons of granite boulders were hauled from the Santa Susana Pass. A teahouse of nearly 400 square feet was built for the property in Japan, then shipped to Pasadena. The landscaping included plants typical of Japanese woodland gardens — black pines, Japanese maples, Chinese elms, camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and ferns — as well as California natives such as redwoods and live oaks.

That vision remained relegated to history until the Haddads retired and could even think about bringing the garden back to life. The bones were still there — the winding path, the man-made hill from which a waterfall once tumbled, the concrete and granite bridges. And the freeway plans had languished for so long, the extension no longer seemed to be an imminent threat.

Jim started the enormous undertaking by reviving the pond.

“I labored over it for eight or nine months,” he said, until he found a sealant and method for fixing the leak. But there was much more to be done. The original waiting house, which in Japanese gardens is built along a path as a place to rest and contemplate the scenery before continuing on to a teahouse, was infested with termites. The burned-down teahouse, once a highlight, needed to be rebuilt.

When the Haddads questioned whether their efforts were worth the time and money, Kendall Brown, an authority on Japanese gardens and a professor of Asian art history at Cal State Long Beach, encouraged them to continue.

The Storrier Stearns garden, he said, is one of the few remaining prewar private estate gardens, remarkable for its scale and complexity. “It’s on a level with the best of the country’s top estate gardens,” Brown said.

Takeo Uesugi, a landscape architect and professor emeritus at Cal Poly Pomona, confirmed Brown’s assessment.

“He believed that it should be restored,” Connie Haddad said. “He impressed it upon us.”

Uesugi came on board as a consultant and introduced the Haddads to Jesus Rodriguez, a Colombian horticulturist who studied in Japan. Rodriguez moved onto the property to restore the garden with on-site composting, rainwater collection and proper plant care.

Jim Haddad, meanwhile, rebuilt the waiting house using a spruce tree discovered in Lake Arrowhead. (“If you’re going to be authentic,” he said, “you have to really look.”) Using plans for the original teahouse, he also oversaw the construction of its replacement — “as close to the original as you could get,” he said.

The original 11-foot-tall entrance gate had been dismantled and is in the Japanese Garden at Balboa Park in San Diego, so a replica was built. The rocked-lined paths were bolstered by seven truckloads of new rock. Bridges were repaired. New vegetation was planted.

The revival, as impressive as it may be, is only partly complete. The Haddads have plans for Phase 2, which will focus on one final section of the property. In the meantime, they’re enjoying the beauty they’ve re-created.

“This garden is something else in the moonlight,” Jim said inside the exquisite teahouse. “In the rain, there’s a serenity that overpowers you here.”

Added Connie: “It takes you away. It’s hard to realize with a quick visit. You have to sit in the garden and let it work on you.”

SEE IT

The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden remains a private property, open only for filming and events, but it will be one of six private landscapes on the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Pasadena tour on April 28. Admission to Storrier Stearns is $5 and can be purchased on tour day at that garden 270 Arlington Drive, Pasadena. Maps to all the gardens and a discount ticket set (six tickets for $25) will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on tour day at Arlington Garden, 285 Arlington Drive, Pasadena. The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Los Angeles tour, which covers six different properties, is scheduled for May 5. For more on Storrier Stearns: (626) 399-1721, japanesegardenpasadena.com.

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