By Sarah Cosgrove
Monday, 10 February 2014

The APL has opened its entry process for this year’s WorldSkillsUK Landscape Gardening competition.

2013 winners: Daniel Handley of Sparsholt College in Hampshire and Daniel Brennen from Derby College, Derby

The Landscape Gardening competition is open to all students and apprentices who are studying for either a Level 2 or Level 3 S/NVQ qualification in a relevant horticultural subject. The online entry portal is open from February 10 to March 21.

The competition will feature a theory test and a heat which will take the form of building competition gardens at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2014, the winners going on to an international event at The Skills Show at the Birmingham NEC where finalists compete to be named the best in their field.
 
Judges for the Landscape Gardening competition include award-winning APL chairman, Mark Gregory, who has worked on more than 120 show gardens and garden designer and four times RHS gold medal winner Adam Frost.

They will be joined by technical lead Jody Lidgard, who has run his own landscaping firm for over 18 years, lectured at various colleges around the country and mentored students through past WorldSkillsUK competitions. 

2011 WorldSkillsUK medal winner Simon Abbott completes the judges’ line up. Abbott has also won medals at RHS Malvern and RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

This is the first year the APL is acting as industry partner to WorldSkills UK for the Landscape Gardening section, one of dozens of skills judged and promoted. The organisation took over after BALI decided to drop its assocation, citing concerns about the cost.

WorldSkills aims to inspire young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level and taking part is often a springborad to a successful career.

Gregory said: “As chairman of The APL, I am excited about the collaboration with WorldSkillsUK and working with the young professionals during the competition starting this year. I feel I have a lot to give and share with this new generation of landscapers and I am looking forward to being part of it.

“It does wonders for your career and is the best hands-on learning you can get in the industry so I encourage all to enter.”

 

For more information on entering the Landscape Gardening competition, visit https://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/

 

Tropical landscaping can turn your garden from ordinary to exotic-looking. Apart from providing you with a relaxing, resort-style haven and tropical landscapes do not need complicated Garden maintenance service. They can be very low maintenance, provided you plan your garden in advance.

Here are some tips on how to achieve a tropical look for your garden:

Choice of Plants

Tropical plants need a high amount of water so make sure to choose those that won’t require that much irrigation. Some, like a number of palm plants, do not need as much water. Bangalow Palm, which is indigenous to northern New South Wales, is a good example. You may add it to your tropical landscape design.

Strategically placed palms and bamboo trees will let your Garden maintenance a tropical appearance. They may grow too big, but these plants will add style and mood to the garden. They are also perfect for providing dense green walls and creating an intimate canopy. If you’re worried that they might grow too big for your place, then consider choosing dwarf specimens.

In general, choose plants based on size and shape. The texture of their leaves is another consideration. Think about planting in groups of odd numbers to give your garden a wide-ranging texture and create an exotic look.

Mix of Colours

To achieve a realistic tropical look, consider the colours of the plants carefully. For example, colourful flowers such as hibiscus, fragrant frangipani, and canna lilies can add warmth to the garden. You dont have to limit the colours to plants, though. Think about adding bright-coloured banners and flags to your Environmental management services. Oriental-flavoured features and sculptures such as Polynesian and Balinese statuettes can be great additions, as well.

A Host of Accessories

Water is a common sight in many tropical gardens. Adding a simple pond feature can give your garden a nice make over. You can also use rocks for your Bali style landscaping services. If your garden already has existing large but dull-looking rocks, scrub them clean. Then, coat them lightly with glue before covering them with red, brown, or charcoal coloured sands for contrast.

Adding candles and lanterns is also a great idea. They can add a distinctive character to your garden. You may place torches in different parts of the garden as well to create that jungle feel.

Make sure that your Bali style landscaping has a free form style. Do away with straight ridge and hedges. Besides, winding trails and garden rooms will add a sense of mystery to your garden.

While a tropical garden does not require high maintenance, it doesn’t mean you are not going to take care of it. Just keep in mind that tropical gardens need water regularly, and you also have to deal with dead leaves (anyway, you could just cut and put them on the soil to feed it).

View full sizeVisitors to Unique Concrete and Landscaping’s Sicily garden enter through a stone archway at right at The Great Big Home and Garden Show held at the I-X Center. The show runs through Feb. 16. Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer

I learned how to make hydrangeas change from pink to blue, got tons of ideas for cool water features, toured a custom home and learned about home elevators – all in a few hours at the Great Big Home and Garden Show at the I-X Center.

I was there for opening day on Saturday, Feb. 8, when the flowers in the garden showcase were still fresh and the booth salesmen were still smiling . I wanted to see the The Idea Home, sponsored by Perrino Custom Builders, which shows off trends for building, remodeling and decorating; and the Garden Showcase featuring international-themed gardens created by some of the area’s top landscapers.

I stood in line to see the Dream Basement, a showcase of an audio visual theater designed by Xtend Technologies; it included heated theater chairs and a 65-inch television hooked up to $12,000 worth of speakers. The Celebrity Designer Rooms, custom-designed by a local interior designer, included a beach-themed dining room for WKYC Channel 3 meteorologist Hollie Strano, and a sleek, modern and mirrored space for WOIO Channel 19 anchor Denise Dufala.

The Great Big Home and Garden Show continues through Sunday, Feb. 16. Frank Fritz of the History Channel’s “American Pickers,” appears on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Here are a few of the things I learned during my day at the Great Big Home and Garden Show.

Think greenhouse: It’s a misconception that glass greenhouses are expensive to heat through the winter, said Paul Kenyon manager of Arcadia GlassHouse in Painesville. Plants grow in temperatures over 50 degrees, and sunlight will heat the interior of a glasshouse to close to that temperature on many days. “It’s not as inefficient as people think,” Kenyon said.

Another plus to growing flowers, fruits and vegetables in a greenhouse is that deer can’t munch your crops. Arcadia glasshouses have glass sides and roofs made of a polycarbonate material that is shatter-proof and is better insulation than glass, in an aluminum frame, he said.

Arcadia was offering a home show special price of $5,000 for a 10 by 16 glasshouse.

Bigger outdoor space: Think about how large mature plantings will be before you install landscaping, said Mike Mireiter, owner and principle designer of Unique Concrete and Landscaping. He designed a garden inspired by Sicily, complete with a 6-foot waterfall and suspended bridge over a creek, for the international-themed Garden Showcase.

Many of his clients also don’t realize that their outdoor kitchen or deck will need more space than they initially planned, Mireiter said. You’ll need space to create different outdoor rooms and conversation groupings.

Hydrangeas demystified: Big-leaf, panicle, oakleaf, climbing – all of these are species of hydrandreas, said Stacey Hirvela, shrub specialist for the plant brand Proven Winners, said during her talk. Her goal was to explain many of the misconceptions surrounding hydrangeas; for instance, mulching aluminum foil into your soil, or adding pennies or nails, will not make your hydrangeas change colors. It’s not soil pH that prompts the shrub to change bloom color, but aluminum in the soil.

Hydrangeas don’t need pruning; they will grow and flower with just headheading and removal of dead wood in the spring. “If in doubt, just don’t prune them,” Hirvela said.

All hydrangeas need moist but well-drained soil, at least four hours of sun each day and plenty of water reaching their shallow roots.

Inside out: When you’re planning an outdoor kitchen or living space, choose a site that will look pleasing when viewed from inside the house, said Rich Kanary of Green Impressions of Sheffield Village. Green Impressions created a sunken outdoor living space with a water feature and pergola, leading to an upper level with an outdoor kitchen and fire pit, for its contribution to the international-themed Garden Showcase.

“The key thing is from the inside looking out,” Kanary said, reminding us that we’ll be gazing longingly at our outdoor fireplace for at least six months of the year. He offered another tip: site the grill close to a door leading to the indoor kitchen to minimize the amount of to-and-fro walking you have to do in order to serve dinner outside.

Home trends: The Idea Home, built by Perrino Custom Builders, demonstrates several trends in custom homes, said vice president Pat Perrino. As home show visitors streamed through the home’s living room, kitchen and children’s bedrooms, Perrino pointed to the kitchen’s island that doubles as a table. “Instead of looking at the cabinets, look at each other,” he said.

The Idea Home has 12-foot ceilings for a feeling of openness, a flex room that can be used as a study or bedroom, and a covered patio with a fireplace. Many of the home’s unusual light fixtures, such as the one shaped like a hot-air balloon in the nursery, were custom built by hand, Perrino said.

Aging in place: If climbing stairs is becoming difficult for you or a loved one, consider installing a chair elevator. Gable Elevator in Twinsburg can install a chair elevator that glides on a set of rails for about $2,900, said estimator John Festa.

The chair elevator is battery operated in case of electric-grid power failures, the chair swivels to allow the rider to put his or her feet on the landing, and there’s a seat belt and a fail-safe that shuts off the chair if the rider takes his or her hand off the armrests.

“They’ve thought of everything,” Festa said. “It’s probably the best thing for the elderly.”

If You Go

The Great Big Home and Garden Show,

Home improvement inspiration with international-themed garden showcase, Idea Home, cooking stage, special guests and more.

Now through Sunday, Feb. 16 at the I-X Center

Show times:

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, Feb. 10-14

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16.

Adult admission $14, seniors $10 (Monday-Thursday only) Children 5 and under free.

Contact: www.greatbighomeandgarden.com/‎

 

News Release:Georgia Department of Economic Development

The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Tourism Product Development team, in conjunction with Destination Brooks and the Quitman Garden Club will host the first Camellia and Garden Symposium on February 12 and 13. The event honoring Betty Sheffield will take place at the Quitman United Methodist Church.

In 2010, Quitman was selected by the Georgia Department of Economic Development to host a tourism product development resource team and at the time, the team identified Quitman’s namesake as the “Camellia City,” as a means to develop cultural tourism. Additionally, the team recognized the significance of Betty Sheffield’s work in hybridization of the Camellia japonica that is nationally recognized by horticulturists and backyard gardeners across the United States.

Speakers will include experts from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina and in turn will cover topics from landscaping to the history of camellias in southern gardens. Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan from Atlanta, Walter Reeves from Atlanta and Tom Johnson from Magnolia Gardens in South Carolina are just a few of the nationally recognized speakers.

“I am thrilled that Quitman and Brooks County is participating in this prototype event,” said Bruce Green, Director of Tourism Product Development at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

“Cultural tourism based on a community’s authentic heritage and cultural assets has the potential to positively impact every community in Georgia. The symposium is designed so that it can become an annual event thereby increasing tourism and visitation in the host community.”

In addition to the speaker lineup, there will be area tours of gardens and neighborhoods; including the Betty Sheffield Memorial Garden. Aside from her work with camellias, resulting in the “The Betty Sheffield” and the “Betty Sheffield Supreme” and many other “sports or mutants” of this camellia, Mrs. Sheffield was equally passionate about her desire to beautify Quitman. She worked untiringly as a volunteer supervisor of the city workers to landscape and maintain the medians on the main thoroughfares in Quitman. She was an inspiration for many to encourage beautification of their property by planting trees and shrubs and, of course, camellias.

Registration information is available at: Camellia and Garden Symposium Honoring Betty Sheffield.

From statue-strewn traditional gardens, to an open-air movie theatre or a showcase for homegrown artists – Your ideas to restore pride in Piccadilly Gardens have been coming in thick and fast.

The M.E.N asked readers for their views on how the city centre site should be transformed after it emerged as Manchester’s most loathed attraction on Tripadvisor.

And we received more than 100 responses.

Dubbed the Berlin Wall by critics, the travel ratings website described the area as ‘dirty’, ‘depressing’ and a ‘big slab of ‘concrete’.

‘Dirty’ and ‘depressing’: Piccadilly Gardens is Manchester’s worst attraction 

Town hall bosses say they are looking into sprucing up the landmark – and they may want to review the great ideas sent into our website.

They include using the wall as a ‘canvas for local artists’, a greater police presence, more seating, an outdoor movie theatre and museums.

 

Sarah Hallan, 35, from Collyhurst, said it should be used as a ‘gateway’ to advertise the rest of the city centre. She also suggested outdoor movie nights.

The mum of three said: “It should be used to get people into Manchester. There should be a 24-hour big screen telling people about where they can shop, what events are on and when sales are on.

“There should be movie nights with benches carved out of wood that are made to look like cars.

“There should be lots of landscaping and trees. It’s about gripping people and getting them to stay in the city centre. That will bring in business and money.

 

She added: “There should be an area and activities for children too.”

Emma Minott, 28, from Stretford, said: “Basically everything needs doing – it needs a load of flowers. When you visit it should feel like there’s something amazing there. It should be restored to how it used to be. They should have really good gardens and there should be more benches near the coffee shops in a circle to bring people together.”

 

The gardens were revamped in 2002 by internationally-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. He won a council competition to redesign the area after the 1996 IRA bomb destroyed large parts of the city centre

More news from the Manchester Evening News        

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As I look out the window and see the thermometer at minus 25, I start wishing for spring, still a long way off.

Seed catalogs and tree order forms can take your mind to a warmer time. As you browse and make your lists think about adding some edibles to your landscape. Edible landscapes have become more popular recently, but this is far from a new idea. Many of the ancient gardens of Babylonia, Egypt or medieval cloistered gardens used edible plants for their gardens.

Edible landscaping doesn’t mean turning your whole yard into a vegetable garden. By using the same principles of landscaping such as balance, unity, pattern and inter connection you can include an assortment of edible plants into your landscape. You can have an attractive and productive landscape.

There is a large selection of plants or seeds to use in your edible landscape, including both annual and perennial plants. Many of the trees and shrubs in the catalog are natives which typically have the advantage of less watering and maintenance.

The following plants and seeds are usually readily available. Check those seed catalogs or the Internet for more. Now is a good time to order seeds so you have them in time to give them a head start under lights.

Rainbow chards, colorful kales can easily be incorporated into a flower bed and provide greens for tasty and nutritious salads. Herbs like chives, rosemary, thyme, parsley are all easy to grow and very good in the kitchen. Creeping thyme, chamomile and strawberry can be used as ground covers. Sweet or hot peppers are also available in many colorful varieties but be careful with children, touching hot peppers and then your eyes can be quite painful.

Shrubs with edible fruit such as raspberry, high-bush cranberry, serviceberry or hazelnut could be used as a hedge or a divider. If you don’t pick the fruit the wildlife will love to pick it for you. Apple trees, flowering crab, wild plum and sand cherry can be used in the landscape. If you plant an apple tree, remember they are not self-pollinating so you will need two varieties. A neighbor’s tree will work well.

Many of these trees and shrubs are available quite reasonably at your Soil and Water Conservation District sales. They are usually sold in bundles of 25. If 25 trees are more than you need, talk to your friends and neighbors and share a few selections. Anoka, Isanti and Ramsey counties all have annual spring tree sales. For now, let’s stay warm, dream and plan. Then we will be ready when spring comes.

The Anoka County master gardeners invite you to visit our web page http://anokamastergardeners.org/ Go to hot topics for information on the Home Landscaping and Garden Fair, plant sale and the plant diagnostic clinics.

Bob Vaughn is an Anoka County Master Gardener.

Arts/Crafts

Super Saturday: A Campbell House Valentine – Spend the day after Valentine’s Day with your sweetie, making love notes, dressing up for the photo booth, playing games, and interacting with MAC’s Living History actors. Saturday, 11 a.m., Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. $5/adults; $4/seniors; $3/students. (509) 363-5344.

“Hearts for Hunger” – During the month of February, Pacific Flyway Gallery invites the community to create handcrafted hearts on gallery templates. The gallery will frame the piece at no charge and sell them for $20 with all proceeds benefitting Generation Alive, a local nonprofit providing nutritional meals to families in need. The showcase will be Feb. 21, 4-7 p.m. Pacific Flyway Gallery, 409 S. Dishman-Mica Road. (509) 747-0812.

SCC Spring Arts, Crafts and Food Fair – A variety of vendors will sell gifts, garden art and many other unique items designed to welcome spring into your home. March 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Spokane Community College, Lair Student Center, 1810 N. Greene St. Free admission and parking. (509) 434-6576.

Home/Garden

Horticulture Workshops – The University of Idaho Extension presents the 2014 Idaho Master Gardener’s Annual Horticulture Workshops: Landscaping for Fire Prevention, Monday, 6-8 p.m., $10; Introduction to Bee Keeping, Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., $25/per person or $30/per family of two; Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Northern Idaho, Feb. 22, 1-4 p.m., $10; Managing Your Backyard Forest, Feb. 24, 6-8 p.m.; $10; Chicks in the City – Raising Chickens within City Limits, March 3, 6-8 p.m., or March 8, 1-3 p.m., $10; Basic Gardening for Northern Idaho, March 10, 6-8 p.m., $10; Tree ID, March 17, 6-8 p.m., $10; The Art of Composting, March 24, 6-8 p.m., $10; Hunting for Wild Mushrooms in Northern Idaho, March 31, 6-8 p.m., $10; Ice Age Floods, April 7, 6-8 p.m., $10; Plants and Clean Water: Creating Rain Gardens, Native Gardens and Protecting the Aquifer and Surface Water, April 14, 6-8 p.m., $10. Registration is recommended; class sizes are limited. University of Idaho Kootenai County Extension Office, 1808 N. Third St., Coeur d’Alene. (208) 446-1680.

Athol Library Spring Gardening Series – Thursday, Organic Soil Fertility; Feb. 20, Fruit and Nut Trees; Feb. 27, Small Fruits; March 6, Perennial Flowers; March 13, Rock Gardens. Programs will be 6-8 p.m., Athol Library, 30399 Third St., Athol. Free; registration required. (208) 683-2979.

Basic Beekeeping Class – Presented by the Inland Empire Beekeepers Association and sponsored by the Washington State University Extension. The first class will be Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., followed by four field days. Washington State Beekeepers Association Apprentice certification available. Registration is required. WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. $50. (509) 477-2195 or (509) 924-3652.

Cabin Fever: A Gardening Symposium – Presented by the Washington State University Spokane County Master Gardeners. Registration includes continental breakfast, with keynote presentation by Cass Turnbull from Plant Amnesty, the choice of four gardening classes, catered box lunch, parking pass and door prizes. There are 16 gardening classes to choose from covering a wide variety of topics. Detailed information and registration is found at www.mgfsc.org. Feb. 17, 7:30 a.m., WSU Spokane Campus, Phase I Classroom Building, 668 N. Spokane Falls Blvd. $75. (509) 536-8284.

Advanced Pruning – Cass Turnbull from Plant Amnesty will cover the three main forms of mal-pruning: tree topping, inappropriate shearing of trees and shrubs, and over-thinning. This is an advanced course and those attending should be familiar with principles of selective pruning. The class ends with an outdoor show and tell, live evaluation and pruning demo. Feb. 18, 9 a.m., WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. $50. (509) 536-8284.

Scaling and Marketing Private Timber Workshop – Registration is due Feb. 18. Feb. 21, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., University of Idaho Kootenai County Extension Office, 1808 N. Third St., Coeur d’Alene. $20/includes handouts and refreshments. (208) 446-1683.

Backyard Conservation Stewardship Program – This program will feature tips on landscaping with native plants, xeriscaping, soil health, permaculture, trees, organic gardening, composting, attracting pollinators, landscaping for wildlife and more. Training is provided by local experts. Register at www.sccd.org/education.html. Advance registration is required and registration will not be available at the door. A limited number of scholarships are available. March 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 5:30-8 p.m. Spokane County Conservation District, 210 N. Havana St. $25. (509) 535-7274.

Animals

Woof, Purr Wine – A fundraising event with a three-course dinner and wine for Partners for Pets. Saturday, 6-9 p.m., Nectar Tasting Room, 120 N. Stevens St. $30. (509) 893-9829.

Most people think landscape architecture is about creating pretty lawns and gardens, but there is much more to it than that. The way cities design their outdoor public areas can have a huge impact on the way citizens interact with each other – how they gather and order their social lives, says Swiss landscape architect Michael Jakob, who has curated the ongoing exhibition ‘The Swiss touch in landscape architecture’.

“A key feature of good landscape architecture is the respect for the spirit and the history of the place, the ‘genius loci’. Landscape architecture as practised in Switzerland is always a dialogue; a way to discuss and redefine traditions. It is never self-referential, but open to people, to discussion, to the future,” says Jakob in an e-mail interview. “Only if you understand the past can you build the future.”

Landscaping, he feels, has to be dictated by local topography, geology and social conditions. “Ours is a country without resources, except rocks and water. Having learned to survive and to cope with necessity gave birth to a culture of respect, of not wasting things, of looking for the best possible way to design. The presence of the mountains, of formerly wild nature, is a central element,” explains Jakob. “The mountains remind us of famine, of the cold; and at the same time of fresh air, liberty, and the sublime.”

Experts agree that the best landscape architecture is not just pleasing to the eye, but is rooted in local scenery, and is evocative of emotions such as pride, joy, freedom, the universal human love of symmetry, and love of nature. This is why public spaces such as Bangalore’s Cubbon Park or New York’s Central Park are inviting spaces – because they incorporate elements of nature into their structure.

While more formalized parks and gardens in India are thought to have been influenced by a European colonial heritage, Jakob clarifies that there is no such thing as a ‘European style’. “Rather, there are different schools, tendencies and traditions that intermingle. However, by comparison, one could say that Swiss landscape is more respective (French landscape architecture is more self-referential; elegant for the sake of elegance); more formally beautiful (compared to a certain heaviness of the Germans) and more contemporary (compared to the British, who are still in the 18th century),” he says, while maintaining that good landscape architecture is both local and universal. “Take the fact that the landscaping in front of the British House of Parliament in London was designed by a Swiss studio (Vogt).”

At the same time, a universal homogeneity of design is a real danger, Jakob believes. “The world becomes more and more the same and loses its individuality. Landscape architecture has to take into account the local, the historic, the organic. But local traditions can be wrong too, and landscape architecture can correct things,” he says.

While Bollywood has shaped much of Indians’ idea of the Swiss landscape, Jakob says it comes as a surprise to him that we have “such an interest in the Swiss Alps given [your] wonderful and incredible mountains”. “The image of the Alps (think of Heidi, Toblerone) has been fabricated. It’s a myth, but a very powerful one. The ‘ideal landscape’ is a man-made and European category as well. Indian culture has other ways to explain nature, but the European reading became dominant over time,” he explains.

What are the evolving trends in landscaping around the world? “Today we don’t simply want to create beautiful projects; we think of their existence in the long run. The older tradition of landscape architecture was to build something that immediately looked finished, like a postcard,” he says. “Good landscape architecture today is not a decoration; it is open to future change; it is open for different uses; it is not standardised. It is reflective, not commemorative.”

The Cameron Foundation awarded $800,000 in end-of-year grants to help complete a new Petersburg library building and to help build affordable family housing.

• The Better Housing Coalition received $500,000 for Phase II of its Claiborne Square project in the Halifax corridor of Petersburg. The first phase was a 47-unit affordable community residence for active adults 55 and older. The second phase calls for 40 garden apartments for families in the block south of Claiborne Square.

Cameron funds will be used for onsite improvements such as lighting, grading, curb cuts for handicapped ramps, a playground, rain gardens and landscaping.

“The Cameron Foundation invested in Phase I with grant funding, and we were pleased with the success that resulted from that collaborative effort,” said Larry C. Tucker, board chairman. “The Better Housing Coalition’s stewardship of those resources supported our decision to invest in Phase II,” he added.

Support from the local foundation will help the housing coalition compete for low-income housing tax credits, explained J. Todd Graham, Cameron president. The tax credits, if awarded, will provide most of the equity for the development.

• The Petersburg Library Foundation received $300,000 to help complete a $12.7 million capital campaign for the new city library. The year-end grant brings Cameron’s total funding for the project to more than $2.7 million.

When complete, the 45,000-square-foot facility will offer expanded programs, computer banks, community meeting spaces, dedicated areas for teens and children, a reading room, a café offering healthy foods and a drive-thru window providing easy access for patrons picking up materials they have checked out.

“The community has really rallied around this project with its financial support, underscoring just how important it is,” Graham noted. “We hope this additional grant helps Petersburg Library Foundation quickly wrap up the campaign, open the doors to the new library, and begin providing the many valued services to the community that it has planned.” The library foundation anticipates a grand opening in April.

Perdue Foundation makes $5,000 classroom donation

The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation has awarded $5,000 to Agriculture in the Classroom to help educate Virginia students about where their food originates and the importance of agriculture to Virginia’s economy.

The grant will help train educators and provide agriculturally-themed classroom resources.

MeadWestvaco makes scholarship donation

The KLM Scholarship Foundation received $1,000 from the MeadWestvaco Foundation for its program to help Virginia college students buy textbooks and supplies.

Since 2002, the organization has awarded $79,000 in book scholarships to 111 students attending 18 Virginia colleges and universities.

“Our scholars work very hard and make all the right moves toward their college degree. They deserve community support and the MeadWestvaco Foundation has risen to the occasion,” said Kimberley L. Martin, founder of the scholarship foundation.

Martin’s customers, associates donate $94,746

Martin’s Food Markets customers and associates donated $94,746 through the Share a Holiday Meal program to support Christmas Mother campaigns in central Virginia.

“Thank you to our customers and associates for your overwhelming generosity in assisting families in need throughout our community,” said Jim Scanlon, regional vice president for Martin’s. “Since Martin’s started participating in the Share a Holiday Meal campaign four years ago, more than $370,000 has been donated.”

In the 2013 campaign, the Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Christmas Mother received $28,103; Salvation Army Central Virginia Command (Richmond Christmas Mother), $26,000; Henrico Christmas Mother, $24,594; Hanover Christmas Mother, $12,418; and Salvation Army of Williamsburg, $3,631.

Gazing up toward the mountains there is no sign of snow. Driving south on the freeway, up the Grapevine, the hills are still mostly brown, the grass and wildflower seeds germinating much less than normal.

These are signs of great significance. The weather has never been quite like this. We’ve had dry years, drought, a few wet years, but I’ve never experienced a Bakersfield winter without southbound winds. Usually clouds accumulate by the Grapevine. There have hardly been any clouds, let alone any tule fog.

Back in 1977, an extremely dry year, a tremendous dust storm pitted windshields and blew down fences. Headlines told of the “Great Bakersfield Dust Storm” in capitals. But 1977 started wetter than 2014.

The coast has been storm-free, judging by the lack of seagulls in town. In most winters, they avoid coastal storms by flying inland. In previous years, I’ve seen flocks of seagulls in fields and parking lots, waiting out the bad seaside weather.

The most disturbing sight isn’t visible from ground level. Satellite images of California reveal hardly a trace of white in the Sierras. There has never (ever) been so little snow at this time of year. Neighboring states have also announced extreme drought.

It’s not like the planet is drying up. In far regions of the globe floods, snowfall and hurricanes have set records in the past year. The issue here at home is that global trends show wet places getting wetter and dry ones becoming drier. Bakersfield has never had to take extreme measures for coping with drought. Santa Barbara has rationed water in the past. There were stories about companies offering to paint lawns green so they wouldn’t look dead when the homeowner decided to turn off the sprinklers all summer.

This column has dealt with drip irrigation and water-wise gardening practices before. (An Internet search for “irrigation” and “Shiell” brings them up immediately.) The first place to cut back on water waste is in residential landscapes. Resetting the irrigation timer seasonally is the first step, and costs nothing. Taking measures to guarantee water doesn’t run over the sidewalks and down the gutters makes more sense every day.

Green space makes clouds

Back when I earned a master’s in landscape architecture, two classmates and I did a water resources study on Santa Catalina island. Catalina has only one small reservoir, located in the largest canyon. Water prices have always been high, so much so that desalination of seawater became economically feasible (at several times the price of mainland water). Most of the island is desert-like, the few shrubs that survive somehow coping with constant nibbling by large populations of feral deer, goats, and pigs.

Historically, Catalina was forested, mostly with a lovely tree called the Catalina ironwood (which unfortunately is neither frost hardy nor clay tolerant, so it can’t thrive in Bakersfield). There are records of the deforestation of the island, and of a corresponding drop in rainfall.

Clouds form over cool spots, over the ocean or over lush green areas. Hot dry ground creates updrafts, like a hair dryer aimed at the ceiling. Cloud formation happens when airborne particulates (of which we have a surplus) become the substrate for condensation of moisture.

That means the air at a given elevation has to be cold enough for moisture to condense. Heat arising from sun-warmed bare ground, pavement, rock mulches, roof tiles and sidewalks makes it hard on clouds. Having plenty of healthy trees and other landscaping has a cooling effect.

The point here is that drought and heat become a scratch-and-itch problem, where the one makes the other worse. Dried-up landscapes become hotter, heating the air above.

If the drought wipes out greenery the problem gets worse. So it’s important in a drought to continue sufficient irrigation to maintain the health of our plants. Covering bare ground in bark mulch or deep-rooted groundcovers helps retain moisture in the soil.

Water-wise choices

Xeriscape, literally dry landscaping, is not limited to cactus gardens (although cacti and succulents make great additions). Many flowering and ornamental plants don’t need frequent watering to thrive. They come from regions with similar climates, cool-season rainfall and hot summers, and are not limited to native varieties.

Plants of the Mediterranean, South Africa, parts of China and India, and arid sections of Australia make up the majority of Bakersfield greenery. Most California native plants in horticulture come from the coast or mountains. Just because a plant is native to someplace in California doesn’t mean it wants to grow in our heat or our soils, especially species from the north coast.

Most natives are so well-adapted to summer drought that moderate summer irrigation stimulates unusual growth, making them shorter-lived than in nature, and larger and weaker too. There are cultivars of native plants, horticultural selections either found in the wild or bred by hybridizers, which tolerate summer watering much better, and for this reason named cultivars of plants like Manzanita, Ceanothus, Artemisia, and woody Salvia are preferable.

Not every part of a garden needs the same amount of watering, unless it’s designed that way. Lawns take the most water, and deep-rooted woody plants take the least.

Climatically it makes a lot of sense to let growing trees shade out lawns and then replace the lawn with something more shade-tolerant, but more often than not homeowners choose to cut the tree and keep the lawn. In this year it seems water-wise choices will be particularly important.

Richard Shiell is a professional photographer and gardening enthusiast. If you have a question for him, send it to btowngardenwriter@hotmail.com.