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By Tribune-Review

Published: Friday, November 9, 2012, 8:55 p.m.

Updated 19 minutes ago

It is after a hard frost, when the perennials have died back and all the leaves have fallen from the trees, that a gardener begins to appreciate the value of evergreens. During the winter months, when little else is standing in the garden, plants in this group become the stars, adding texture, color and structure to the landscape.

Don’t get me wrong — I do think that ornamental grasses and deciduous trees with berries and/or interesting bark add a lot of winter interest to the garden, and I don’t want to belittle their presence. It’s just that, for me, evergreens form the backbone of the winter garden. Whether in the form of a tall, narrow pillar or a ground-hugging tuft, evergreens pack a visual punch.

All too often, this group of shrubs and trees is relegated to foundation plantings. Or plunked as a single specimen into the middle of the yard. But evergreens really should be included in perennial borders, patio gardens, kitchen gardens, and walled gardens, too, because when all the other plants in those spaces have died to the ground, the evergreens can really shine.

I am not suggesting, however, that you plant a 60-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce or a hemlock, in the middle of your perennial border. Instead, I’m suggesting that you turn to one of the many varieties of dwarf conifers and short-statured evergreens with a much more manageable growth habit. They’ll be in proportion with the rest of the garden and require far less maintenance than a larger evergreen.

Because there are hundreds of choices out there, here are a few of my favorites to get your started.

Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’): This lovely evergreen is a slow-grower, taking 20 or more years to reach its mature height of 6 feet. With soft, fan-like foliage and a casual conical shape, Dwarf Hinokis have always been among my favorites of all the evergreens. They require full sun and average garden soil, and never need to be pruned. There are several other cultivars available, including one called ‘Nana Lutea.� It is even shorter — reaching a mere 3 feet in height — and it bears golden-yellow foliage.

Golden Globe Arborvitae (Arborvitae occidentalis ‘Golden Globe’): When most of us think of an arborvitae, we think of a 20-foot-tall, upright evergreen. This plant, however, is a charming little evergreen that almost seems entirely unrelated to larger arborvitae specimens. ‘Golden Globe’ is a perfectly round little shrub that reaches a mere 3 feet in height and spread. It, too, does not require pruning. The foliage is a creamy yellow. I love grouping three of them together in the garden.

Siberian Cypress (Microbiota decussata): A Russian selection, Siberian Cypress is unique in that it is tolerant of partial shade, a trait not often found in conifers. It is low-growing, reaching only 12 inches in height, but it can spread up to 8 feet across. The foliage is soft and feathery and, while it is green during the summer, it turns a beautiful rusty red in the autumn. Site it in a well-drained location, as Siberian Cypress do not like to sit in water-logged areas.

Blue Mound Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra ‘Blue Mound’): While full-sized Swiss Stone pines are on my love list, this little gem is perfect for smaller spaces. Reaching only 3 feet high and 1.5 feet wide after 10 years of growth, ‘Blue Mound’ looks much like a miniature Christmas tree. It has soft blue needles and a dense, hardy growth habit.

Sparkling Arrow Alaskan Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Sparkling Arrow’): Taking the prize for the most intriguing evergreen, this narrow, yet weeping, tree is a real eye-catcher. The blue-green foliage is randomly splashed with creamy yellow markings and, while the entire plant grows straight and narrow, each of the individual branches is weeping. Although ‘Sparkling Arrow’ will eventually reach 30 feet tall, it remains only 3 feet wide.

Come spring, when planting time arrives, consider adding a few dwarf evergreens to your landscape. Your local nursery is sure to have a good selection of them to suit your needs.

Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts ‘The Organic Gardeners� at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio. She is the author of several gardening books, including ‘Grow Organic� and ‘Good Bug, Bad Bug.� Her website is www.jessicawalliser.com.

Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 503 Martindale St., 3rd Floor, D.L. Clark Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

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LAWN CHAIR LECTURE SERIES Lakeland

“Thinking Outside the Sidewalk.”

WHEN: 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday

COST: Free

LOCATION: Peterson Nursery and Garden Center, Inc., 2184 E. County Road 540A

PHONE: 644-6491 for reservations or information.

GARDEN/LANDSCAPE LECTURES PROGRAM Lakeland

Presented by the city of Lakeland Beautification Board and Lakeland Parks and Recreation. Topic is “Landscaping For Winter Color.”

WHEN: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 19

COST: Free

LOCATION: Larry Jackson Branch Library, North Florida Avenue

PHONE: 644-6491TOURFALL GARDEN TOUR Plant City

Plant City Garden Club event features gardens ranging from suburban to country settings.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

COST: $10 tickets can be purchased day of the tour or in advance at All A Bloom Florist or by sending a check and self addressed stamped envelope to the club at P.O. Box 3471, Plant City, FL 33566. Funds raised support scholarships to high school students, Camp Wekiva and Veteran’s Memorial Park.

PHONE: 813-754-8685ROSESCENTRAL FLORIDA HERITAGE ROSE SOCIETY Lakeland

Program on “Rose Garden Timing” by Jeff and Debbie Coolidge, owners of Cool Roses in West Palm Beach.

WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Sunday

LOCATION: Third floor, Jack M. Berry Citrus Building, Florida Southern College

COST: Free

PHONE: 647-1548bonsaiBONSAI SOCIETY OF LAKELAND

WHEN: 7 p.m. third Thursdays

LOCATION: Room D-3, First United Methodist Church, 72 Lake Morton Drive

PHONE: 860-1173ORCHIDSRIDGE ORCHID SOCIETY Bartow

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. fourth Tuesdays

LOCATION: Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave.

PHONE: 859-5060

violetsFIRST LAKELAND AFRICAN VIOLET SOCIETY

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. fourth Saturdays

LOCATION: Lakeland Police Station, 219 N. Massachusetts Ave.

PHONE: 686-9059 GARDEN CLUBSBAREFOOT GARDENER ORGANIC GARDEN CLUB Lakeland

Members share knowledge on how to grow or where to obtain local, organic fruits and vegetables through the Yahoo group, the Web site, Facebook, classes or field trips.

WHEN: Visit www.thebarefootgardener.org for events

PHONE: 904-8620, email pegjeffcamp@yahoo.com

CAMELLIA GARDEN CLUB Winter Haven

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. second Thursdays

LOCATION: Winter Haven Garden Center

PHONE: 632-6405

FORT MEADE GARDEN CLUB

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. fourth Wednesdays

LOCATION: Presbyterian New Covenant House, 205 E. Broadway

PHONE: 285-8199, 285-9176, email swamporchid@comcast.net

GARDEN CLUB OF LAKE WALES

WHEN: 10 a.m. fourth Mondays

LOCATION: Women’s Club, 275 Park Ave.

PHONE: 676-6644

THE GARDEN CLUB OF LAKELAND, INC.

Circles meet Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday evening and Friday morning, the third week of each month. New members welcome, experts and beginners.

PHONE: Eva Johnson, president, 863-815-7139; Cheryl Doyle, membership, 863-701-2815

PLANTERS’ GARDEN CLUB Winter Haven

WHEN: First Wednesdays

LOCATION: Members’ homes

PHONE: 602-5728

[ To be included in the Garden Notes calendar, notices must be sent prior to each meeting. Include information about where and when the meeting or event will be and what the meeting topic will be. Must be open to the public. Send to The Ledger, P.O. Box 408, Lakeland, FL 33802, email features@theledger.com, fax 802-7809. ]

The vintage Mill Valley home at 371 Marin Ave. has a contemporary touch that takes full advantage of its spacious woodsy surroundings. Built in 1925, the four-bedroom, three-bath residence has 2,300-plus square feet of living space and is flanked by decorative gardens and landscaping.

The charm is evident as one walks toward the large entry porch, said Marcus Robinson, senior marketing consultant for Coldwell Banker. Although recently updated, the interior retains its original personality.

“It still has some of the old feelings of the 1920s,” Robinson said of the Marin Avenue property. “What is really nice is that it has the front entry porch, which is not common in this area, (and) an open staircase leading to the front door.”

Through the front door, the comfortable living room includes a sturdy brick fireplace between two matching, built-in bookshelves. The area opens up into the formal dining room and a sitting area that contains one of the home’s five French doors leading outside.

The sitting room’s doors open to the garden, while the formal dining area has its own set of French doors that lead to a deck drenched in sun.

Next to the dining area is the home’s recently upgraded kitchen. It features Carrera marble slab counters, a gas stove and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. Robinson said the kitchen’s ample size is ideal for big gatherings, allowing a free flow between the house and grounds.

“Right off the kitchen, there is a breakfast area with another set of French doors to the deck. The deck is very private and sunny. It is great for morning breakfast, afternoon lunches,” Robinson explained. “From the sitting area to the dining room, you have three sets of French doors that are perfect for indoor-outdoor living.”

The outdoor gardens include a brick-paved walkway and an area perfect for entertaining family or guests.

Back inside on the main floor are two large bedrooms. One includes its own en-suite bathroom and a walk-in closet with access to a deck.

The master suite is located upstairs. It includes enough space to comfortably hold a sitting area and also has a walk-in closet. The master bath features dual sinks and Carrera marble counters.

“The bedrooms are very generous in size. This is a large space,” Robinson said. “This, with the grounds, is what makes this very unique.”

The sunny Mill Valley home is conveniently located near Mount Tamalpais and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

“This is ideal if you are into nature, hiking and biking,” Robinson said. “Plus, there is easy access to Highway 101.”

Priced at $2.15 million, Robinson said the home exudes a classic character and fits well for any type of family – whether a young couple or soon-to-be empty-nesters. It is a property that is easy to fall in love with.

“There is a wide range when it comes to the buyer pool,” Robinson said. “This house is very charming and is quintessential Mill Valley.”

For more information, contact Marcus Robinson at Coldwell Banker, (415) 381-7688, m.robinson@pacbell.net.

Gardens are for people and the pets they love.

When we get home, our pets are always happy to see us. It doesn’t matter what kind of day it has been — they are there for us. So it stands to reason that we would want to make their little corner of the world as interesting and comfortable as we can.

I’m working with several homeowners right now who have dogs in the family. Their goal is to provide a dog-friendly landscape that is beautiful and safe and has enough mental stimulation to keep them occupied during the day.

If you have a dog, here are some tips to remember.

Each dog is different. Banjo, a yellow lab owned by one of my friends, loves to play the fetching game with his favorite toy. He needs lots of exercise and objects to chew on. His yard has room to play and a box of toys he can carry around in his mouth.

I’ll need to consider several breed traits and personalities in a Ben Lomond garden that I’m updating. Sunny Boy is a timid pit bull mix who has bonded with Pippy, a cocker spaniel-dachshund mix. Along with Brandy, a beagle, they all love to tunnel and chase each other. In this garden, there will be a dog tunnel made from wire winding between plants. The plants will grow over the top and can be tied to form a roof. That way, the dogs have a fun activity that comes naturally to them.

These owners also have a very old rescue Chihuahua, Rico Suave, who receives hospice care for a brain tumor. He needs a quiet, private spot with warmth. In an out-of-the-way spot, we are going to add several flagstones to soak up the heat of the sun where he can lie down.

Creating a garden to meet your dog’s needs is the best way to avoid future problems. Most dogs prowl the perimeter of the fence to investigate noises, so instead of a plant border, consider paving stones, gravel or mulched paths along the fence line.

If your dog is a digger, like Brandy the beagle, create a special area in a shady spot where it can dig to its heart’s content. The spot can be a sand pit or earth. Entice the dog to this area by burying a favorite toy or bone. Then, your dog will return again and again to this one spot and not dig up your flower beds.

Picking the correct plants is important in backyard landscaping, especially if your dog naturally nibbles on greenery or berries. Some plants are lethal, while others can cause illness or vomiting. I was surprised to see so many common plants on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website that could cause problems. From carnations to primroses to geraniums, I’ll be checking the list to make sure all my dog friends are safe. Check it out here: www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-dogs.

Plants near paths should have soft foliage without thorns and spines, which can cause eye injury.  Brittle plants, like salvias, should be in the center, where they will be protected.

Dogs usually avoid densely planted areas, but planting in raised beds or mounds helps, too. Pieces of driftwood placed at the front of a border will discourage them from climbing through. 

Also, start with gallon or larger plant containers that can stand up to a little roughhousing.

If your dogs have already created their own path through the garden, don’t try to redirect them. Instead, turn their well-worn routes into pathways covered with a mulch of small woodchips that are easy on paws, yet large enough so they won’t cling to fur coats.

Provide your dog with an area to relieve himself. Since you have only about eight hours to water a spot after your dog goes on the lawn, it’s better to set aside a corner covered with pea gravel, cedar chips or flagstones and train your dog to go there.  It’s also a good idea to install marking posts, such as a piece of wood or a log along a path.

Dogs can get bored in a space. Dog-friendly gardeners incorporate barriers, arbors, pathways and raised beds to channel dog’s energies toward things they enjoy, like running, and away from delicate plants and veggies. They also need places that provide shade, such as trees, arbors and pergolas.

Also make sure to eliminate weeds, especially foxtails, which can get in your dog’s ears or be inhaled.

Keep these tips in mind and both you and your dog will be happier for it.

– Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Email her at janis001@aol.com, or visit www.jannelsonlandscapedesign.com to view past columns and pictures.

Above, church members Denise Drobek and two of her children, Jadyn and Joey, sit on a new granite bench talking with Father David Buersmeyer in the Prayer Garden during last Sunday’s dedication cermony. Below top, Prayer Garden Committee leaders, from left, Janet Tevlin, Mary Ann Klakulak and Paula Klozik stand near the rock bubbler in the new SS. John and Paul Prayer Garden in Washington Township. Below bottom, rendering of the way the Prayer Garden was to look.

(Observer photo by Marianne Weiss)

      A brick pathway at SS. John and Paul Catholic Church in Washington Township that seems to meander in a garden is actually shaped like a rosary.
      
Located on 28 Mile Road, west of Campground Road, the community dedicated the new Prayer Garden after the 9:30 a.m. Mass last Sunday.
      
A brick pathway is shaped to form a rosary, including beads, starting at the east entrance with the cross. Following the path, the beads are indicated by bricks shaped like diamonds to indicate each time the “Hail Mary” is to be recited.
      
A rock bubbler sooths people praying with the gentle sound of water and centered in the garden is a miniature of “The Pieta,” a well-known masterpiece by Michelangelo. The outdoor statue portrays Mary grieving as she holds the lifeless, scarred body of Jesus after he was taken off the cross.
      
Granite benches invite people to sit and relax while saying prayers and meditating. Lilac bushes, daffodils and perennials placed in strategic places along with dogwood for the winter months, make the garden a year-round retreat.
      
All of this, including the trees, flowers and a rose garden, will be taken care of by the garden committee, nicknamed “Gardening Angels.”
      
Serving since January on the Prayer Garden committee are co-Chairs Mary Ann Klakulak and Janet Tevlin, with members Connie Hojnacki, Ron and Sharon Pewinski, Sharon Pospiesch, Tamara Weiss, Pat Gresko, Cathy Radtke and Paula Klozik, the church’s business manager.
      
Klozik, who has worked at the church for 15 years, said the landscape company designed the garden after the committee researched other parish’s gardens.
      
“We started searching for a contractor to do our prayer garden in front of the church,” said Klozik. “It will be lit up at night so people can come to use it 24 hours a day.”
      
Klozik said families can remember loved ones with brick memorials that will allow for names to be engraved on them. 
      
The contractor hired for the job was Jerry Mayle from Custom Landscape Services.
      
“We did the brick work and the landscaping, with the focal point being the rosary,” said Mayle. “It was an honor to do this at SS. John and Paul.”
      
Father David Buersmeyer began the dedication ceremony as parish members gathered outside in the chilly November air. He thanked all those who served on the Prayer Garden committee and the landscaping contractor in attendance. 
      
Following this, Father Buersmeyer had the very first family sit on one of the benches for a photo in the center of the garden.
      
“The rest of our family is home with colds,” said Denise Drobek of Wahington Township, while her kids, Jadyn and Joey, shivered next to her. “We really love this Prayer Garden, it’s just beautiful.”
      
Ron and Sharon Pewinski from Washington Township have been members since 1980.
      
“We are glad to be on the garden committee,” said Ron. “We brought up ideas for the landscaping and it has turned out beautiful, better than I pictured on the design.”
      
In the last part of the intercessory prayers, Father Buersmeyer said, “We pray for the surrounding community, that people will see this garden as a place where they are welcome to come.”
      
Then he blessed the garden with holy water and led the parishioners as they walked around the rosary path.
      
“We dedicate this Prayer Garden as a place of reflection and peace,” he said.
      
SS. John and Paul Catholic Church is located at 7777 28 Mile Road, Washington Township and their parish office telephone number is (586) 781-9010 or people can find their website at: www.ssjohnandpaul.org.
      

Second of two parts

When you begin to reimagine your outdoor environment as an edible landscape, don’t forget to imagine people in it and people looking at it.

In Part 2 of my series on replacing your stupid, pointless lawn with something more nutritious, I take advice from North Vancouver landscape designer Senga Lindsay, author of an intelligently structured book called Edible Landscaping.

She pointed out to me that humans may inhabit part of the space in your yard, and that simply tilling in your entire lawn for crops might not be entirely palatable for owners of a typical suburban home.

Her book contains lots of illustrations that show people in among the raised beds, trellises, fruit trees and cosy firepits.

I am such a total dude about garden design that none of my sketches have ever depicted nor contemplated the presence of a human other than myself.

Lindsay advocates – and indeed explains in some detail – garden infrastructure that defines what amount to outdoor rooms, from an elaborate gourmet kitchen in the yard to patio dining spaces and reading nooks. Trellises covered with tomatoes and cucumbers become edible walls. Wood or metal boxes define the perimeter of the living space and provide vegetables that are as edible as they are decorative.

It all starts with a pencil and a piece of paper. Lindsay doesn’t want you to muck about on your soil until it starts to dry out in spring, so you have plenty of time to plan.

Start with a list of your favourite vegetables, she advises. There is no point in planting zucchini and chard – which are super productive – if you won’t actually eat them.

“You have to be really truthful to yourself and admit what you will really eat,” she said.

Most vegetables require a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight a day, but some are shade tolerant. Each plant has to be located in a favourable environment to thrive, so know the needs of your plants.

The size of your garden should not exceed your willingness to plant, nurture and weed. If you aren’t sure, Lindsay suggests starting with about four square feet per family member. You can always add more boxes. But you could just as easily learn that you don’t want to weed.

If you are starting with a blank slate, such as a featureless lawn, you need to sketch out your plan. Make sure to include things like an outdoor eating space, an outdoor kitchen or a firepit. Envision the finished space with every element you might ever want and then take a step back and realize it might take several years to get there. Each element you add, whether a veggie bed or a bench, helps to frame the living space.

Start with a single raised bed with a sturdy trellis attached to its north side. Lindsay recommends building a box 18 inches (46 cm) high to place right on the surface of your current grade. The trellis creates a vertical space to grow vining plants.

A cucumber vine that would cover nine square feet on the surface of the soil takes only one square foot of soil if you tie the vines up the trellis, she said.

Assume your soil sucks – since most yard soils do – and bring in quality soil. Think of the current surface of the yard as the bottom of the garden and build up.

Lindsay’s book contains sketches and design advice for creating edible gardens and redefining outdoor spaces for everything from public boulevards and front yards to garage tops and tiny townhouse yards. The concepts run from highly geometric and ornamental European-influenced designs to ecologically integrated permaculture gardens and utilitarian vegetable patches designed to fill your soup pot.

You could decide to take elements from a whole variety of conceptual plans and bolt them together to suit your space. I’ll be thumbing through it as I plan for next spring.

rshore@vancouversun.com Blog: vancouversun.com/green man

No current events.

Catmint bloomsfrom spring into fall.

Spanish lavenderis a hardy plant andafavorite of bees.

Right: Kent’s Beauty is an oregano grown for its unusual flowers, rather than culinary powers.
photos by Laura Christman / Record Searchlight

Below: Chive Gigantic produces eye-catching, globe-shaped flowers.
Contributed photo/ Natural Garden Bureau

Herbs are plants with purpose, valued for flavor, fragrance and medicinal power. With some herbs, however, it’s not so much about tasting good or doing good — it’s about looking good.

“The ornamental value of herbs is that the foliage textures are just amazingly diverse,” said Lisa Endicott, horticulture manager at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding.

“There are lots of beautiful herbs,” said Chris Moats, owner of Castle Mountain Gardens Nursery in Redding. “When you go through a list of plants, you find so many things that you don’t even think of as being herbs but they are.”

“They are found in all shapes and sizes and colors,” said Cleo Lane, an organic gardener in Whitmore.

Ornamental herbs draw butterflies, bees and other pollinators to the yard, she noted. And most are hassle-free to grow.

“Herbs are a great choice for the Redding area because a lot of times they are Mediterranean herbs, and that is the climate we are in with hot, dry summers and wet, cold winters,” she said.

Herbs are a key component of The Good Life Garden at University of California at Davis. Christina Reyes, landscape architect and a designer for the demonstration garden of edible landscaping, said many herbs look nice year-round. They are especially important in an edible landscape at the end of the growing season when annual plants are waning and have been hit my powdery mildew or aphids, she said.

Another plus of herbs is fragrance. “They’re good for creating spaces that smell good,” Reyes said.

The National Garden Bureau is celebrating 2012 as “Year of the Herbs.” If you’re interested in adding hardworking ornamental herbs to your landscape, here some to consider:

OREGANO

“Oregano is probably the best, most bulletproof herb we’ve used in the garden,” Reyes said.

The Good Life Garden features basic oregano, but there are many ornamental oregano varieties.

“There are some really interesting oreganos,” Endicott said.

She suggested Greek oregano. “It has kind of a lily leaf.”

“The most beautiful cultivar is Kent’s Beauty,” Lane said. “The bloom is a drooping blossom in pink, purple and white. It is outstanding.”

Kent’s Beauty, because of its trailing habit, is ideal for rock gardens, containers or at the edge of a bed, she said.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary thrives in Redding. “They grow really well and the texture is amazing,” Endicott said.

McConnell Arboretum Botanical Gardens features several rosemary varieties. Endicott said her favorite rosemary is Tuscan Blue. “It’s big and vigorous,” she said. The plant puts out a profusion of tiny blue flowers in late winter and early spring.

Collingwood Ingram also is an enthusiastic grower. It gets about 3½ feet high, Endicott said.

“I really like rosemary Irene,” Lane said. “It’s a trailing rosemary. It’s really good in containers, it kind of cascades over. It’s also really nice on retaining walls and on hills.”

SAGE

“My favorite (ornamental herbs) are the colored sages,” Lane said. “Not only are they good in cookery, they’re really great in the landscape. They have texture, color and variegation. They pretty much look good year-round, except at the end of winter.”

Choices include purple, gold and tricolored (green, white, pink/purple) sage.

Reyes likes culinary sage in the landscape because its leaves are larger than those of many other herbs. She especially likes purple sage. “I like the smell, the color, the texture of the leaves. It’s a really nice herb.”

THYME

“Thymes are beautiful,” Lane said. They can be grown as groundcovers and look nice between steppingstones, she said.

“They can handle light foot traffic and are aromatic when they bloom,” she said.

Endicott said woolly thyme works well as a filler between pavers. Thymus Minus, a thyme that “spreads rather slowly, but consistently” is featured near the Children’s Garden at the botanical gardens, Endicott said. “It makes nice, tight kind of mounds that look like little rolling hills.”

A favorite thyme at the gardens is Frenchy, she said. Endicott described it as a sub-shrub that gets 6 inches high and has tiny, woody branches. Pink-white flowers cover the plant in spring.

“It is just adorable. You could use that in front of a border or next to a patio,” she said.

A drawback is that some thymes don’t live long. Endicott said several at the gardens lived only two or three years. “I think they just wear themselves out.”

Reyes said at The Good Life Garden, the thyme “seems to die off in droves every couple of years.”

LAVENDER

“Lavender is probably the plant most people think of as an herb and a landscaping ornamental,” Lane said.

At The Good Life Garden, “lavender has been a great success,” Reyes said. “Hidcote Blue, that is a stunner when it is going. It draws an incredible amount of bees, as does any lavender.”

She also recommended Grosso, Munstead and Spanish lavenders as good landscape plants. The National Garden Bureau notes that well-draining soil is crucial to winter survival for lavender.

CATMINT

Moats suggested catmint as an easy-going, long-flowering plant for Redding-area landscapes.

“It is one of my favorite plants at the moment,” she said.

The plant gets about 3 feet tall and isn’t pushy like other mints, she said. It has small blue/purple flowers from spring into fall.

“It’s just beautiful. It’s a mint related to catnip, however cats don’t seem to be drawn to it. I have seven cats and nobody bothers it,” Moats said.

FENNEL

“I, personally, love bronze fennel,” Endicott said. “It is just gorgeous with feathery foliage.”

It grows 5 to 6 feet tall and produces seeds that taste like licorice, Endicott said. The plant dies back in winter, but comes back in the spring. It is easy to grow from seed, she noted. The feathery foliage complements other plants.

CHIVES

“They are really pretty,” Reyes said. “… The standard chives have the purple flowers; the garlic chives have white flowers.”

The globe-shaped flowers are favorites of garden visitors, she said. She uses chives as border plants. Even though they get 2 feet high or so, the slender plants can be planted at the front of a bed, she said. “It’s not like they are blocking the views of the things behind.”

When Glenn Kulas started making improvements to his Oak Creek ranch and the extensive gardens that surround it, he didn’t have a plan in mind. He’s apt to say he just started working “from the ground up.”

“Maybe I’ll see something I like when I’m driving, at someone’s home, on a TV program, or at the golf course,” he says. “And then I go home, and I make it happen.”

Projects he’s “made happen” inside his home since buying it in 1999 include removing part of a first-floor wall that flanked a stairway in order to give the area a more open look. He also added a “window” to an interior wall on the lower level so soft light would flow between two rooms.

When he removed the wall along the staircase, he added angles to the opening to match those in the living room, removed the door at the top of the stairs, then added a sliding door at the bottom; topping it with an antique stained-glass transom. Another antique stained-glass window was used to create the “window” with shutters in the rec room.

He also upgraded an existing fireplace – and added four more.

In the living room, where there was a gas fireplace, he built a new mantel from wood veneer and other materials so he could give it a slight bend, and added black marble tile.

In the dining room, he built a decorative fireplace by combining an antique gas fireplace with part of an old dresser.

“I made the fireplace mantel and frame from the top of an old dresser,” he says. “Where the mirror was, I put in beige ceramic tile. I put the old fireplace in and put lights in behind it to give a warm glow.”

In the rec room, he cut a hole in a wall for an antique brass fireplace and put lights behind it, and installed electric wall fireplaces in his bedroom and TV room.

Outside, though, was where the real changes began.

Lighting the way

Kulas extended his deck, then topped it with a pergola and surrounded it with trellis-like fencing for privacy. He added a Lannon stone path flanked by old railroad ties, built an arbor with seating, created seating areas throughout the yard and on the deck, added a pond and built at least a dozen wood planters.

He liked his enclosed deck at first, but after time he decided to remove the trellis fencing to better enjoy the view of his yard.

He also made good use of lighting, inside and outside. In his gardens, he added antique carriage lights and old smudge pots once used in railroad construction, an old light pole he fitted with a solar light, tiny LED solar lights that cover potted junipers, and a mix of low-voltage and solar lights to accent trees, pots, his pond and a large fountain.

Inside his home, which was built in 1994, he updated all the existing lighting, then added more to enhance his artworks, vintage sporting memorabilia and musical instruments – even a birdhouse on a ledge in his living room that he made in the image of his former home. His 3½-car garage sports two old schoolhouse lights and a retro-style light.

Kulas, a retired government worker who is also retired from the Army Reserve, said when he initially saw the home, he liked the fact that it was on a cul-de-sac and had a large yard with a field behind it.

“Both the house and the yard were like blank canvases when I moved here,” he says.

Q. Tell me about your house.

A. On the first floor I have the kitchen, living room, dining room and the master bedroom and bathroom. I also have a second bedroom I use as an office, a third I use as a TV room, and a second bathroom. The lower level has a rec room, a large workroom, a game room decorated with sports memorabilia, a laundry room, storage room and bathroom.

Q. What are some of the amenities in your home?

A. It has large windows throughout the house. In the master bedroom, I have three windows that fill about half of the wall. They give a great view of the backyard, and I can see the fountain. The bedroom has a recessed ceiling, and the living room has an angled ceiling. I also have maple floors with inlaid wood accents.

Q. Other than lighting, what did you do in the rec room?

A. I built a bar using glass block for part of the base. I topped it with leftover floor tile, and I used wood flooring the builder left behind to cover two walls behind it. I furnished the area with casual furniture and decorated it with antiques.

Q. What are some of those pieces?

A. A set of golf clubs, bayonets, a Civil War-era rifle, a trombone, a violin and two zithers.

Q. Tell me about your fountain.

A. I just put it in this year. I added solar lighting around it, and low-voltage lighting in the fountain. I put bricks around the base to create an area for plants, and four Lannon stone paths to reach it. In the areas between the pathways, I planted flowers. With the cornfield behind it, it’s a beautiful site. . . . That’s a field that farmers lease, but some of the area is also left natural. Because the area is farmed, there are no telephone poles, which gives me a great view.

Q. Can you tell me about the little Asian areas on your deck?

A. When I enlarged the deck, I added these areas on each end. I built triangular-shaped raised planters, then built angled seating around them. In the planters, I put smooth, gray stones and pounded them down. I also added pots with mugo pines.

Q. What are some of your favorite plants?

A. I like ornamental grasses, especially a grass called Karl Foerster. Also yucca, roses, rose of Sharon, arborvitae, boxwood, junipers and weigela. I also have lots of purple asters, blue spruce and both large- and small-scale trees.

Q. What are some of the distinctive accents in your yard?

A. I have an old horse saddle and old tools on my fence, duck decoys on sticks in the garden, and a ram’s head and a weather vane on top of the arbor. I also have an old pump and wheelbarrow.

Q. Who planted the garden in the center of your cul-de-sac?

A. When the subdivision was built, the builders put in a few trees. Now all of us who live here add plants and maintain it. That’s another thing I love about my home: I have wonderful neighbors.

WANTED: YOUR SEASONAL STYLE

Do you, or does someone you know, have a distinctive way of decorating for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa or another occasion? Let us know for a possible feature in At Home.

Contact Entrée home and garden editor Tina Maples at:

Phone: (414) 223-5500

Email: tmaples@journalsentinel.com. Please put “Seasonal At Home” in the subject line.

Photo by Margaret B. Wood // Buy this photo

Margaret B. Wood/Special to the News Sentinel
Master Gardeners David Craig, founder of HUG or Habitat Urban Garden, left, and Harry Tucker dig up plants to be part of the landscape of a Habitat for Humanity house.

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo

Left to right, Inga Brown, Michael Shadden and Denise Shadden plant a forsythia as part of the Habitat for Humanity HUG program. Habitat Urban Gardeners, HUG, helps to educate and assist homeowners with the landscaping of their property using donated plants and materials, with the advice of a volunteer master gardener.

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo

Denise Shadden and her son, Michael Shadden, place plants at her home as part of the Habitat for Humanity HUG program on Oct. 27.

Photo by Margaret B. Wood // Buy this photo

Master gardener David Craig, founder of Habitat Urban Gardens, loads his truck with plants, which he dug up at HUG gardens off Reynolds Street and Western Avenue and will be planted as part of the landscape of a Habitat for Humanity house.

David Craig, a professor of education who trained students to become teachers, retired in 1998 from the University of Tennessee but he’s still teaching.

As founder and principal leader of Habitat Urban Gardens (HUG) Craig is in his ninth year of training fellow Knox County master gardeners, volunteers, and Knoxville Habitat for Humanity homeowners to carry out his HUG vision.

The mission of HUG, a Knoxville Habitat for Humanity educational program established by Craig in 2004, is to teach and assist Habitat for Humanity homeowners as they landscape their new homes using donated plants, donated landscape materials, and the best gardening management practices.

HUG is the recipient of two prestigious awards: the Clarence Jordan Award for creativity and innovation from Habitat for Humanity International in 2005 and the Search for Excellence Award from the Tennessee Master Gardener Program in 2010.

The HUG idea came to Craig in 2003. As a volunteer with Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee Office on Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), he was asked to stand and tell what he intended to do as a community volunteer. Dave’s words came out completely unplanned and by surprise, like a divine calling. He announced that due to his interests in the environment, plants, and working outdoors he intended to grow plants for Habitat for Humanity

ACHIEVEMENTS

In less than nine years HUG has landscaped 173 Habitat homes, installed 12 vegetable gardens, planted more than 8,000 plants, and spread hundreds of cubic yards of mulch. More plantings are already scheduled for next spring.

Over 350 Habitat homeowners learned to select, plant, and care for the right plants for their landscape by attending the mandatory eight hours of free classroom instruction taught by HUG volunteers.

Over 1,157 volunteers have shared their time and talents. HUG volunteers donate, maintain, dig, and deliver plants grown on four HUG nursery plots with more than 2,500 individual plants at Beardsley Community Farm. Volunteer master gardeners prepare individualized landscape designs, help homeowners select plants appropriate for their growing conditions, and supervise plantings.

On planting day, friends, family, and any neighbors participating in the HUG program join the regular HUG volunteer crew for a 1.5 hour blitz to complete all the digging, planting, mulching, and watering. Work ends with the traditional “bucket ceremony” — the presentation to the homeowners of a bucket full of gardening tools — and with a blessing of the home, garden, and homeowners. Later in the year master gardeners return to provide follow-up advice.

HOMEOWNERS

Habitat homeowner Denise Shadden was especially excited about her HUG landscaping installed in late October. Master gardener Linda Denton of Knoxville helped Denise with design, plant selection, and planting. Plants include a dogwood and a Japanese maple tree (Denise’s most-wanted plant and a gift from Linda) plus forsythia, nandina, boxwood, and hydranga shrubs. Shade-loving perennial hostas and Lenten roses line flower beds. Colorful pansies in containers brighten the front porch.

Denise credits the informative HUG classes with developing her new interest in gardening and plants. She learned all about soil, how to dig, how to plant, how to water, and how to maintain a landscape. She always wanted to garden but never tried it until now because she didn’t know how. Future plans for Denise and her fiancee, Brian Charlie Nimmons, include adding a vegetable garden, more flowering plants, and a weeping willow tree in the large backyard.

About six years ago, Denise was renting a house at this same address. A fire destroyed that house. Denise lost everything. About four years later, curious about her old home site, Denise drove by and saw a Habitat for Humanity sign on the vacant lot. She was already participating in Habitat’s programs and met the requirements to buy a house. Imagining how nice it would be to live back in her old neighborhood as a homeowner in a new house instead of renting, she asked Habitat to consider building the planned house for her. The answer was yes.

PARTNERS

HUG has many partners. Donations of plants, landscaping materials, mulch, and garden tools are received from local gardeners, nurseries, greenhouses, mulch facilities, lawn and garden businesses, and community organizations.

Interested people can volunteer to help in the nursery or in landscaping homeowners’ yards. Or they can donate needed plants and used garden tools or donate money designated for HUG to Knoxville Habitat for Humanity. For more about HUG and volunteer opportunities visit www.knoxvillehabitatforhumanity.com/HUG or phone Knoxville Habitat for Humanity at 865-523-3539.