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Saudi Arabia is building the world’s largest botanical gardens on nearly 2.5 million square meters of desert land near Riyadh. A stellar environmental initiative to educate the public on climate change, or a tourism-boosting novelty? However you dice it, it’s amazing. 

The enormous facility – five times larger than the UK’s Eden Project – focuses on the history of local plants in the Arabian Peninsula, then peers forward to a more sustainable future (it will use renewable energy for power and plant irrigation).

King Abdullah International Gardens (KAIG) is an enormous desert park; 150 hectares of the 160 hectare site will be planted with indigenous species, mostly contained within two giant domes – crescent-shaped structures that resemble a swirling galaxy.

Appropriate imagery for gardens that look back to the origins of life on earth – KAIG will contain a detailed time line that portrays the great paleobotanical ages that have swept across the region.

Siteworks began in 2008. The final project includes several botanical gardens, split in two sections. One will display historical plant evolution in the Arabian Peninsula, including a museum of animals contemporary with those times. This section will be fully contained under the domes.

An open-air section will contain indigenous plants current to today, a desert park, rock gardens, and a garden featuring different styles of landscaping from across the world.

The project also includes a flower garden, a physics garden, geological park, and separate sections for birds, fish, butterflies and reptiles.

Irrigation will use 100% recycled greywater obtained by treated sewage effluent generated on site.  Renewable energy will fully power the place, 93% of the landscaping materials will be sourced from the original site (soil, rock, stone, gravel, soil), and waste will be recycled.

Visitor and worker transport will be restricted to electric vehicles charged from the on-site solar array.

Designed by UK-based planning and design consultants Barton Willmore, KAIG aims to become a world-leader in the study of climate change. Emphasis has been placed on special parks for children where they can interact with different environmental ecosystems.

While the project will include research institutes,  it also houses a water park, theater, restaurants, mosques, camping areas, gift shops, and…a snow park?

A stellar environmental initiative or a tourism-boosting novelty? Like I said, however you dice it, it’s amazing.

Images of KAIG from Barton Willmore

The 23rd annual North Iowa Home and Landscaping Show, Friday, March 7, to Sunday, March 9, at the North Iowa Events Center in Mason City, features a diverse mix of North Iowa and southern Minnesota’s best home improvement and landscaping businesses.

Nationally recognized home improvement expert Paul Ryan headlines an informative series of seminars at this year’s show.

Ryan is the host of several television shows on DIY Network, and has appeared on the Food Network, TLC and HGTV.

When not on television, Ryan works as a licensed contractor, certified home inspector and insurance adjustor in Minnesota.

Ryan will present “Kitchen Remodeling — Planning for the Best Outcome.” Learn tips and techniques to help you get the most out of your project while saving time and money.

In this information-packed seminar, Ryan will unveil what’s really involved in key aspects of your next remodel. Topics include plumbing, drywall installation and repair, flooring, tiling and general tools of the trade.

John Sjolinder, executive director of ISU Extension and Outreach for Cerro Gordo County, will provide area gardening enthusiasts with some tips on hardy but beautiful plants in “The Weather Resistant Gardener.”

Sjolinder will show you how to be prepared for Mother Nature’s weather extremes this summer. Sjolinder holds two degrees from Iowa State University and received his ISU Master Gardener certification in 2006. He is a popular speaker on plants, soils and turf management.

Shawn Davis joined Marquart Concrete Products last year. He is a popular speaker on designing attractive patios, walkways and driveways using pavers and stone.

Davis is a certified nursery professional and has been involved in the landscape industry since 1980. Before joining Marquart he owned his own landscape company for 14 years.

Let him show you how to take your designs to the next level in “Turn Your Outdoor Space Into an Entertainment Showcase.”

Planning to build a new home but don’t know where to start? Come listen to Art Stenzel from Nordaas American Homes present “Building a New Home — Getting Started.”

This seminar is a Builders 101. Stenzel starts with the first step of getting financing and ends with the final construction project.

Each participant will walk away with a variety of information, including a free binder full of insider tips and practical guidance.

Stenzel has been with Nordaas for more than 20 years, and has a vast amount of building experience.

The Parkland Master Gardeners and the St. Francois County Extension Center presented the 16th Annual Parkland Gardening Symposium at Mineral Area College on Saturday.

They had nearly 200 people registered for the event, along with several vendors set up. There were four sessions with five classes in each session that were offered.

Parkland Master Gardener and Vice-President Colleen Cruse said they had 200 people attending and that’s what they wanted.

“They were able to pick the four classes they wanted to attend when they signed up. There are presenters from the extension office, one person from Lincoln University, and several Master Gardeners that are presenting the classes,” said Cruse.

Master Gardener Ginny Smith said all the proceeds from the event go to a scholarship.

“The money we take in will go towards a scholarship for two horticulture students at Mineral Area College,” said Smith.

MAC Horticulture Assistant Professor Chad Follis and Parkland Master Gardener President Faye Worley introduced the MAC students during the gardening symposium. Sandra Jarvis and Abbie Hamblin were given their scholarships at that time.

Lincoln University Assistant Professor Zalalem Mersha said this was his first time participating in the symposium and his class covered the basic concepts, diagnosis, identification and prevention of plant diseases.

“I am a state extension specialist. I cover Missouri and I am the state plant pathology specialist on vegetables and small fruits. The organizing is done well here and I am just excited to meet the gardeners and talk with them. I will talk with them about what I am doing in my Plant Pathology Program, and what they can do if they are having problems,” said Mersha.

The classes that were offered ranged from container gardening, landscaping, greenhouse design and construction, canning, weed warfare, wild edibles of the Native Americans, rain gardens, invasive species, combating common insect pests in the garden, bird baths and garden art, cooking with herbs, tomatoes galore and much more.

MU Extension Plant Science Specialist Kate Kammler said she instructed a class in each session. She ended up filling in for two other classes besides the two she was scheduled to lead.

“We covered the basis of the topics of each class. I am a very hands-on teacher. Whatever questions people have I want to answer them, because it’s about what they want to learn out of it. This is one of my covered counties, so I teach a class here every year and it has really expanded a lot. The master gardeners group does a great job organizing this event and they do an excellent job of managing everything, getting speakers and picking good topics,” said Kammler.

Symposium attendee Jean Trask said she was looking forward to the afternoon classes she was taking.

“I wanted to take the class about starting plants. I have come to this in the past and enjoy it thoroughly. I look forward to the classes and have put what I have learned to good use,” said Trask.

There were also 12 vendors set up in the atrium for the attendees to view and purchase the products if they liked. Everything was locally made products such as honey, bird house gourds, compost, jams and jellies, pottery and soaps.

Garden’s Green Compost employee Matt Plunkett said this was the first time he has come down as a vendor to this event.

“We offer a variety of all natural composts made up of animal waste, sawdust and manure. There are several different compost blends, including one that feeds and weeds at the same time,” said Plunkett.

The compost was created to reduce the use of fungicides and herbicides, as well as water conservation, healthier soils and protection of sensitive ecosystems. It contains all the major plant nutrients which will provide a steady long-term feeding of nutrients to plants.

Owner of The Farmer’s Daughter, Jean Merrill-Doss, said this is the second year being a vendor at the symposium.

“It’s great to see everyone come through. I sell jams, jellies, spice mixes, baked goods and gifts from a jar. It’s usually worthwhile to come down, but for me it just creates awareness that I’ll be at the Farmington Farmers Market this year,” said Merrill-Doss.

Parkland Master Gardener President Faye Worley said they had a wonderful turnout and it was very successful.

“I heard wonderful comments about the presenters, the classes, and we are all very happy with it. It’s a great sign when the fact that people who stopped us would say it was a great event and that they were having a great time. That is what we like to hear, because we are always trying to get what people would like to learn,” said Worley.

Want to improve your landscaping without spending a lot of money? Consider this: shimmering reflections of your existing landscaping, as well as a few artfully arranged container gardens.

Why not double the intrinsic value of your landscape by using your pool as a mirror that reflects your plantings year-round? Container gardens are perfect for this: You don’t need to retrofit new beds and planting areas; all you need to do is add some appropriately sized pots close to the water’s edge, and gain the look immediately.

Consider using some brightly colored pots, and then plant in them flowers/plants with one or two colors to gain the greatest reflective value in the pool. To keep your pool-cleaning from becoming more challenging, you will also want to choose flowers that do not readily drop. Some annuals that hang on to their blooms are Scaevola (fan flower—trailing), Pentas (tall upright) and Gazania (low perennial). I also recommend searching out some of the more interesting varieties of Lantana. They will thrive in the heat and hold up well all summer long.

Some heat-happy succulents and other plants to consider:

• Giant Hesperaloe. (Pictured to the right.)
• Red Yucca.
• Whipple’s Yucca.
• Bougainvillea—Torch Glow. (You don’t want to use other varieties, as you will constantly be removing the petals from your pool filter. The Torch Glow hangs on to its blossoms much better.)

What about the heat, you ask? You can beat the heat with some good planning. It’s best to place your pots on the south or west side of the pool. West-side pots should ideally have something behind them to provide a bit of afternoon shade. A wall would be perfect—see the picture at the top—or you can use a landscape plant if you already have a bed nearby. You can even use a larger pot behind the pool pots. The reflection value is tremendous with this latter arrangement.

If the pots need to be on the east side of the pool—which means plants will get not only a direct hit of the Western sun; they’ll also bear the reflecting heat of the pool—it’s best to go with shrubs or cacti/succulents. These plants hold up well to the direct sunlight and heat of our desert summer.

North-side pots are most at risk of heat problems in the middle of the summer when the sun is setting. Again, you can add plants or large pots to offer these pool-area pots some relief.

All plants will need regular water, so make sure your plantings are in pots a minimum of 24 inches tall. Floral plantings will need daily water, and shrubs require water every two to three days. Cactuses only need water once every two weeks.

Your first step is to spend some time looking at your pool while the weather is still relatively cool. If you have an empty pot handy, try placing it near the pool’s edge to see where you get the best reflection. Then plan what pot(s) you will want to use, and what you would like to plant in them. Start with just one, if you’d like, or ramp it up to two or three. If you’re worried about trying this during the summer, go ahead and plan for the fall.

A 24-inch pot with one of the succulents listed above will be the easiest plant to practice with. Plant one in a brilliant red or purple pot, and it’ll do the trick!

Marylee Pangman is the founder and former owner of The Contained Gardener in Tucson, Ariz. She has become known as the Desert’s Potted Garden Expert. Marylee is available for digital consultations, and you can email her with comments and questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, and follow the Potted Desert on Facebook. The Potted Desert Garden appears weekly at CVIndependent.com.

Among the flourishing collard greens, cabbage and eggplants is where Teresa Conyers feels most at peace.

Peace was once an elusive concept to the 50-year-old recovering drug addict who once slept in abandoned warehouses. Her days revolved around scheming to get her next high.

“My life was a living hell. I used to sell my body. I got beat up in the streets. I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from, but I just couldn’t stop,” she said.

Conyers is one of 300 transitioning homeless clients who live at Camillus House’s new state-of-the-art facility at 1603 NW Seventh Ave. She lives in a dormitory-style room with five other women. Her days consist of a variety of meetings including therapy and life skills.

The meetings help, Conyers said.

But it is an unlikely place in the middle of the sprawling campus where Conyers and other recovering homeless find a different kind of healing — some call it spiritual.

Tucked behind the dining hall on an undeveloped parcel of land sits rows of cinder blocks bursting with kale, collard greens, peppers and different types of herbs. The 1-year-old garden is run by clients like Conyers who volunteer to plant and harvest the crops. The fresh produce is eventually served to the 500 homeless and transitioning homeless guests who visit the dining hall daily.

The garden volunteers at Camillus House learn about nutrition and agriculture and develop work skills.

“To me it’s not just a garden. It gives me hope that I can make it another day,” Conyers said.

The Camillus House garden was developed by Marvin Dunn, a psychologist and director of Roots in the City, a nonprofit organization with urban gardens in Overtown.

Dunn is a proponent of the therapeutic value of gardens. He said it has a positive impact on the physical and mental well being.

“It really helps improve the therapeutic environment. There’s something that is very calming to have plants around, particularly food,’’ he said. “Some get nostalgic remembering an earlier happier period of their life.”

Holding up a bunch of freshly cut collard green leaves to the sky, Conyers said her life is analogous to the crops she tends to.

She explains, “When you first plant the seeds and it turns into a plant, sometimes the plant struggles. The leaves turn brown and you think, ‘It’s not going to make it.’ You tend to it, you water it, you talk to it, you don’t give up on it and then one day you come out here and you see it survived. I struggled too. I survived.”

Darrick Bradford is also a survivor.

A former client of Camillus House, he now lives on his own and is a chef in the dining hall.

He takes pride in the meals he serve to the public; he never puts anything on a plate he hasn’t tasted himself. The harvests from the garden add another dimension to his cooking, he says.

“It’s the difference between cooking with freshly caught fish and buying the prepacked stuff,” the self-taught cook said. “It’s amazing to come out here and get fresh greens and salad tomatoes. People think you should feed the homeless anything. We don’t.”

Bradford said the garden volunteers who haul in plastic bags and clear buckets full of the latest pickings remind him of his journey from addiction.

“I was addicted to cocaine. When I got here in 2008 I was fresh out of jail,” he said. “You have to get involved in something that is not about you. You have to give back and pay it forward. That’s what they’re doing out here every time they work in the garden. We all get something out of it.”

On a recent sunny afternoon, Ricky McGowan hoisted a semi-filled bucket of tomatoes onto his shoulders. Dressed in a one-piece green jumpsuit, his head covered with a straw hat, McGowan stopped to take in the sight of the garden.

He once owned his own landscaping business, but his vices led to him lose his livelihood. McGowan, 47, landed on the streets. When he completes the six-month program at Camillus House, he said he’ll have a better work ethic this time around.

“When I come out here I take it all in. It’s always looking beautiful,” he said of the garden.

Conyers stooped over nearby pruning a bunch of collard greens.

“I tell people all the time, ‘If you don’t believe in God just plant something,’ ” she said. “Watch it grow. It’s a miracle.”

We’ve endured a long, cold, snowy winter, waiting impatiently for the first signs of spring. It’s still winter, but inside the Home Garden Show, spring is here! The Show has long been known for its beautiful landscapes filled with fabulous flowers, hardscape materials, water features and the newest ideas for your yard and garden. Stroll through five fantastic gardens and be inspired to create your own retreat.

The theme for the gardens at this year’s show is Treasures of Spring, and the landscapers have worked hard to create gardens that are beautiful outdoor retreats and creative living spaces great for relaxation, family time and entertaining.

Frisella Nursery has created Rustic Spring Beauty. A pavilion made of stone and hand-hewn timber sits atop a hillside setting of boulder shelves and outcroppings. A stream flows into a waterfall that cascades to a flagstone patio with a kitchen and natural stone fireplace, and unique plant material forced into bloom creates a colorful spring display.

Outdoor Systems Inc. showcases Modern Style. Clean lines, simple colors and trendy style come together in the landscape for the Feature Home. This garden expands the creative possibilities for outdoor spaces with the newest products for natural stone retaining walls and a sharp, functional inground pool with the latest in water feature technology.

Prestige Landscape has built An American Garden. Antique freestanding stone fences give the garden a feeling of space and tranquility, and the sound of water trickling over rocks focuses your attention on the mossy waterfall. Tall evergreens and flowering trees will make you forget you are inside at the Home Show. Flowers in such abundance will cause you to pause and take in the beauty of this small space garden.

Rivers West Landscaping presents Elements of Nature. This garden features a bounty of natural elements, with an impressive 1,000 pound sandstone boulder with a fire feature at its centerpiece. A wide variety of pavers make up the landscape’s structure, including a fire pit, a seating wall and lighted columns. The natural stone bar with limestone countertop and outdoor cooking pit are perfect for entertaining friends. You’ll feel like you’ve gotten away from it all, surrounded by flowering shrubs, spruce trees, white pines and huge maple trees.

Signature Landscapes  Design presents the Treasures of Spring. Tucked away down a stone pathway and through lush gardens, a waterfall emerges from the earth, greeting visitors. Follow the path where garden treasures can be found at each turn. It’s never cold in this garden. Cozy up to a warm, rustic fireplace and kitchen hearth that welcomes those who find their way into the heart of the garden. Discover a resting place of untold beauty, with the best that Mother Nature can provide.

Tour these beautiful gardens and be inspired to turn your yard into a fabulous outdoor living space!

Sponsored by WIL

JOHNSTOWN —
What better way to prepare for spring than to learn about what you can do in your yard and garden?

A series of five seminars on gardening and landscaping will be offered in March and April at the Sandyvale Greenhouse at Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy, 80 Hickory St., Johnstown.

The seminars are “Success with Houseplants,” March 15; “Vegetable Know-How,” March 22; “Creative Home Landscaping,” March 29; “Herb Gardening 101,” April 5; and “Backyard Fruit Production,” April 12.

The seminars will be led by Ron McIntosh, who hosted the “Green Grower” gardening program that aired in the 1980s on WJAC-TV.

“I graduated from the agriculture course at Vo-Tech in 1981, and I’ve been gardening and working in the landscape industry ever since,” McIntosh said. “I have a lot of hands-on knowledge. I’ve always had my hands in the soil and am lucky to have had a job in that area.”

McIntosh said the three-hour sessions will cover a lot of material, but be easy to understand in layman’s terms.

In the first session on houseplants on March 15, McIntosh will cover the basic care needed to keep them happy and healthy.

“We’ll talk about how to choose the right plant for the lighting conditions in various rooms of the home,” he said. “Every room is different.”

Potting soil, containers, watering, fertilizers, pests, lighting and propagating also will be discussed.

“Vegetable Know-How” on March 22 will feature choosing the right site for a garden while considering sun and shade.

How to start garden plants from seeds indoors, using mulch, addressing the problems of pests and disease, growing a garden in containers, soil, how to extend the area’s short growing season and how to harvest the bounty by freezing and canning also will be discussed.

“Creative Home Landscaping” on March 29 will be all about making a landscape plan to work on over a period of years, whether gardeners are working with a new or existing property.

“Participants will measure their property and identify problems such as wet and dry areas,” McIntosh said. “Selecting the right plants is key to me. You don’t want a plant in the wrong spot where it won’t do well.”

Proper planting methods for trees and shrubs, pruning, maintenance, mulching and fertilizing also will be discussed.

The session on herb gardening on April 5 will have information on the culinary and medicinal uses and scent properties of herbs.

“Herbs are becoming bigger every year,” McIntosh said. “They’re hardy for the area and come back every year. (Participants) will learn how to design a kitchen garden or formal herb garden.”

Propagation, growing from seed, harvesting and drying also will be discussed.

“Backyard Fruit Production” on April 12 will tell what types of fruit can be grown in the area and add in some more exotic fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges and figs, which can be brought indoors and treated as house plants after the summer.

“We will discuss how big their property is and what type of fruit can be grown on it,” McIntosh said. “You can grow a dwarf apple or pear tree in 10 square feet.”

Purchasing trees and berry bushes, making them deer and racoon proof, pruning, pests and disease, fertilizing, harvesting and storage also will be discussed.

“This is all very much hands on, and I’ll make it as simple as possible,” McIntosh said. “The best teacher is to do it and learn for yourself.”

Class size will be limited to 30 seats per session, and registration and payment must be received at least one week prior to the desired seminar.

Registration forms are available by emailing dmkdaylily@atlanticbb.net or on Sandyvale’s website at www.sandy valememorialgardens.org.

Ruth Rice covers Features for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/RuthRiceTD.

Despite the lingering cold and snow, now is the time to start planning your summer garden.

 Whether gardening at home or at the Naperville Park District’s West Street Garden Plots, residents are invited to attend a series of free gardening workshops led by Master Gardener and Commissioner Ron Ory.