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Marin

• A Marin Rose Society class on “The Ins and Outs of Rose Pruning” is at 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at Sloat Garden Center at 401 Miller Ave. in Mill Valley. $5. Call 388-0365.

• A free “Sustainable Landscaping Practices” seminar with Betsy McGee of Marin Master Gardeners is from 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 8 at the San Anselmo Public Library at 110 Tunstead Ave. Call 473-4204 or go to www.marinmg.org.

• West Marin Commons offers a weekly harvest exchange at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Livery Stable gardens on the commons in Point Reyes Station. Go to www.westmarincommons.org.

• The Novato Independent Elders Program seeks volunteers to help Novato seniors with their overgrown yards on Tuesday mornings or Thursday afternoons. Call 899-8296.

• Volunteers are sought to help in Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy nurseries from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays at Tennessee Valley, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at Muir Woods or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays or 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays in the Marin Headlands. Call 561-3077 or go to www.parksconservancy.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

• Jessica Wasserman of Marin Master Gardeners speaks about “The ABCs of Growing Succulents” at a Marin Rose Society program at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the San Rafael Corporate Center at 750 Lindaro St. $5. Call 457-6045.

• Kristin Jacob speaks about “Botanical Illustration” at the Peacock Garden Club meeting at 11 a.m. Feb. 12 at the Falkirk Cultural Center at 1408 Mission Ave. in San Rafael. Call 453-2816.

• The SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network) native plant nursery days are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays and weekends. Call 663-8590, ext. 114, or email jonathan@tirn.net to register and for directions.

• Marin Master Gardeners and the Marin Municipal Water District offer free residential Bay-Friendly Garden Walks to MMWD customers. The year-round service helps homeowners identify water-saving opportunities and soil conservation techniques for their landscaping. Call 473-4204 to request a visit to your garden.

• Marin Open Garden Project (MOGP) volunteers are available to help Marin residents glean excess fruit from their trees for donations to local organizations serving people in need and to build raised beds to start vegetable gardens through the MicroGardens program. MGOP also offers a garden tool lending library. Go to www.opengardenproject.org or email contact@opengardenproject.org.

• The Marin Organic Glean Team seeks volunteers to harvest extras from the fields at various farms for the organic school lunch and gleaning program. Call 663-9667 or go to www.marinorganic.org.

San Francisco

• The Conservatory of Flowers, at 100 John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, displays permanent galleries of tropical plant species as well as changing special exhibits from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. $2 to $7. A “Plant Cutting Paper Valentine” workshop is from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 11. $40. Call 831-2090 or go to www.conservatoryofflowers.org.

• The San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, at Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park, offers several ongoing events. $7; free to San Francisco residents, members and school groups. Call 661-1316 or go to www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. Free docent tours leave from the Strybing Bookstore near the main gate at 1:30 p.m. weekdays, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. weekends; and from the north entrance at 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Groups of 10 or more can call ahead for special-focus tours.

Around the Bay

• Cornerstone Gardens is a permanent, gallery-style garden featuring walk-through installations by international landscape designers on nine acres at 23570 Highway 121 in Sonoma. Free. Call 707-933-3010 or go to www.cornerstone gardens.com.

• Garden Valley Ranch rose garden at 498 Pepper Road in Petaluma is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Self-guided and group tours are available. $2 to $10. Call 707-795-0919 or go to www.gardenvalley.com.

• “An Olive Odyssey” with Don Landis is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 15 and 16 at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards at 24724 Arnold Drive in Sonoma. Free. Reservations required. Call 707-931-7575.

• The Luther Burbank Home at Santa Rosa and Sonoma avenues in Santa Rosa has docent-led tours of the greenhouse and a portion of the gardens every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. $7. Call 707-524-5445.

• McEvoy Ranch at 5935 Red Hill Road in Petaluma offers tips on planting olive trees and has olive trees for sale by appointment. Call 707-769-4123 or go to www.mcevoy ranch.com.

• Wednesdays are volunteer days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center at 15290 Coleman Valley Road in Occidental. Call 707-874-1557, ext. 201, or go to www.oaec.org.

• Quarryhill Botanical Garden at 12841 Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen covers 61 acres and showcases a large selection of scientifically documented wild source temperate Asian plants. The garden is open for self-guided tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. $5 to $10. Call 707-996-3166 or go to www.quarryhillbg.org.

The Trowel Glove Calendar appears Saturdays. Send high-resolution jpg photo attachments and details about your event to calendar@marinij.com or mail to Home and Garden Calendar/Lifestyles, Marin Independent Journal, 4000 Civic Center Drive, Suite 301, San Rafael, CA 94903. Items should be sent two weeks in advance. Photos should be a minimum of 1 megabyte and include caption information. Include a daytime phone number on your release.

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‘SUSTAINABLE GARDENING.” That sounds about as drab as a gray school uniform or an old beige sofa. But that isn’t it at all.

Sustainable gardening is about choosing to create a beautiful garden — edible, ornamental or both — that is in harmony with our natural ecosystem. It is a matter of bringing a mindfulness and care to design choices that will create not only healthy vegetables and beautiful flowers in the small bit of Earth in our backyards, but will also help to promote the diversity and health of our region and even our planet. This is truly a case of “Think Globally, Act Locally.” How often do you actually get to have such a profound effect with very little effort?

There are several basic principles of sustainable gardening. We need to build soil, conserve water, invite wildlife, make smart plant choices and contribute to the health of our community by saving energy, reducing waste and eliminating chemicals, pesticides and pollutants from our gardens. Here are a few of the ways this can be done.

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Building soil. Every Master Gardener’s mantra: Compost, compost, compost! Adding compost to your soil will enrich it with organic nutrients, improve the texture, and provide a welcome use for kitchen scraps. Keeping a layer of mulch on top of the soil around plants with improve water retention and encourage growth of earthworms, particularly if you resist tilling the soil. Over time, your backyard dirt will improve to a rich, loamy-textured soil where it will be a pleasure to plant.

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Conserving water. With the looming drought, this point is more important than ever. Water can be conserved by careful irrigation methods, such as a drip system with a timer. Plants can be hydrozoned, with the thirstier plants placed together so they can get more water without overwatering the plants with lower water requirements. And thoughtful plant choice, including choosing native plants that evolved for our climate, will help conserve water.

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Inviting wildlife. Wildlife needs food, water, shelter and places to raise their young. Letting your garden go a little “wild,” with a diversity of plant material and a little overgrowth, can be a big aid to wildlife. A benefit of choosing native plant species is that you are providing a home for native birds and insects, particularly native bees. The native wildlife has evolved to coexist with the bloom cycle of native plants so that the proper nourishment is provided in the appropriate season. A shallow ceramic platter or jar filled with fresh water, will be a popular stop for your local wildlife. It is a great delight to have a garden filled with cheerful birds, floating butterflies and noisy bees. Keeping a field guide handy is a great way to increase your pleasure as you learn the names of your garden visitors.

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Making smart plant choices. You can design a beautiful garden using plants that have low water requirements. Every category of plant — trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, perennials — offers choices you can enjoy in your garden. Publications such as “Plants and Landscapes for Summer — Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region” produced by the East Bay Municipal Utility District and “California Native Plants for the Garden” by Carol Bornstein, David Fross and Bart O’Brien provide inspiring pictures and plant lists. You also can be careful when choosing the variety of plant to opt for one that is disease- and pest-resistant to reduce the need for chemical applications.

Saving energy, reducing waste, eliminating chemicals. If you do the things outlined here, you will already be a long way to achieving this goal. Your rich soil will not require synthetic fertilizers and your thoughtful planting choices, as well as willingness to live with less than perfection, will eliminate pesticides. You also can reduce your contribution to greenhouse gasses by choosing hand-powered tools whenever possible, by using solar-powered outdoor lighting or water features, and by growing your own organic food.

Don’t worry! You will not be left to muddle through this by yourself. The Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Garden Coalition has produced an excellent online publication, “The Bay Friendly Gardening Guide,” a 70 page how-to guide that can be found at www.bayfriendlycoalition.org/bfguidedetail.shtml. This information-packed guide is not just a technical manual, but covers such topics as gardening for a sense of place and gardening through the seasons.

Another helpful resource is the free public seminar to be given by Marin Master Gardener Betsy McGee from 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 8 at the San Anselmo Public Library. She will be highlighting some of the major points in the guide and explaining how to implement the ideas.

The University of California Marin Master Gardeners are sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension. For questions about gardening, plant pests or diseases, call 473-4204 from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays, or bring in samples or pictures to 1682 Novato Blvd., Suite 150B, Novato.

IF YOU GO

What: “Sustainable Landscaping Practices” seminar with Betsy McGee
When: 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 8
Where: San Anselmo Public Library, 110 Tunstead Ave., San Anselmo
Admission: Free
Information: 473-4204; www.marinmg.org

Save the date: It only comes around every two years and this year we’re in luck. Hollin Hills, the award-winning mid-century modern neighborhood in Alexandria, will host its bi-annual House Garden Tour Saturday, April 26. 

The self-guided walking tour will showcase stunning examples of mid-century modern architecture and landscape. Ten Charles Goodman-designed properties and three gardens will be opened to hundreds of modern architecture enthusiasts. As 2014 represents the 65th anniversary of the historic neighborhood, the tour will offer a unique opportunity to visit the homes of some of Hollin Hills’ original owners.

The weekend will kick off on Friday evening with a lecture highlighting Hollin Hills’ architecture, landscape and design. The lecture will be held at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane, Friday at 7 p.m. and followed immediately by a cocktail reception.

Advance tickets are available for purchase on the Hollin Hills Web site for $25 ($30 on the day of the tour). To learn more about the tour and sponsorship opportunities, visit the Hollin Hills Web site at http://www.hollinhills.net. You can also follow Hollin Hills on Facebook or find them on Twitter.

The Hollin Hills Historic District is a residential neighborhood set within a 326-acre wooded landscape of Fairfax County. Hollin Hills was developed as one of the first post-World War II planned communities in the Washington, D.C. area and one few consisting entirely of modern architecture using natural topography and landscaping as an intrinsic part of the design. The neighborhood was named to the National Register of Historic Places Sept. 30, 2013.

The subdivision plan has irregularly shaped lots that embrace the natural topography, winding streets and cul-de-sacs, and communal parks and woodlands that provide shade, privacy, and outdoor space. The development was intentionally designed to be a part of the landscape, marrying the modern houses with the existing topographical patterns. A product of the Modern Movement, the buildings were created from standardized plans with prefabricated modular elements and window walls that unite the interior with the outdoors.

One of the most identifiable facets of the houses is the contiguous series of floor-to-ceiling, 3-foot-wide window modules, which are free of traditional ornamentation. The foundation of Hollin Hill’s success was the collaborative interpretation of the traditional large-scale merchant building practices by developer/builder Robert C. Davenport and architect Charles M. Goodman.

    CLEVELAND — The Great Big Home + Garden Show presented by Carrier will return to the I-X Center Saturday and continue through Feb. 16 with more than 1,000 home industry experts to engage with and 650 exhibits to explore.

    New home improvement features, appearances by home and garden celebrities, and returning favorites from the 2013 show are sure to excite and surprise visitors.

    “The Great Big Home + Garden Show is a must-see for homeowners wanting to check out the latest trends, be inspired or get advice from the area’s leading home improvement experts, said Show Manager Rosanna Hrabnicky. “With more than 1,000 experts under one roof, attendees will find what they need to turn their home and garden dreams into a reality.”

    Produced by Solon-based Marketplace Events, this year’s Great Big Home + Garden Show will stage a multitude of local exhibitors that allow visitors to shop for home improvement contractors, lawn and garden services and equipment, home decor and other products and services that will offer attendees ideas and inspiration to transform any home or garden.

    Show times are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. this Saturday and Feb. 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Sunday and Feb. 16, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 14.

    Tickets cost $14 for general admission, $10 for seniors ages 65 and older (Monday through Thursday only), $9 apiece for group tickets (with a minimum of 20 in the group), $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the I-X Center box office, online at www.greatbighomeandgarden.com and at Discount Drug Mart and AAA locations.

    For more information, visit www.greatbighomeandgarden.com, the Home and Garden Events Facebook page and @GreatBigShow on Twitter.

    Here are more details about the show.

New features and attractions:

    Perrino Builders Interiors returns for a second year to build the Idea Home that will inspire visitors with ideas for building, remodeling and decorating their own homes. A Vacation Home built by Weaver Barns will also provide extra inspiration. Landscaping surrounding the homes will be provided by Morton’s Landscaping.

    Belgard Hardscapes, Inc. will feature outdoor living spaces and add some flair to the restaurant located next to The Main Stage.

    Enjoy the show while making new connections at one of several Networking Nights planned throughout the show.

    Bring the children for a Home Depot Kid’s Workshop. As seen in your local Home Depot store, each child will get to build something and leave with their own orange workshop apron.

Returning favorites from 2013:

    The popular Garden Showcase will feature international-themed gardens created by some of Northeast Ohio’s top landscapers. These gardens will represent exotic locations from around the world and will be partnered with local restaurants that will offer samples during special tasting events from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

    The fully-constructed Dream Basement will showcase a large audio visual theater designed by Xtend Technologies and will be surrounded by colorful, lowmaintenance landscaping created by Morton’s Landscaping.

    The combined Main Stage and Loretta Paganini Cooking Stage will be bigger than ever to offer attendees the best of home improvement celebrity appearances with the opportunity to taste and enjoy culinary delights in one convenient location. A state-ofthe-art kitchen stage and vignette will be designed and built by Pepperwood Signature Homes Remodeling for consumers to tour between stage presentations.

    Show attendees can relax and enjoy fine dining among the beauty of the Garden Showcase in the Cambria Bistro, a full-service, white tablecloth restaurant.

    The Celebrity Designer Rooms will feature a variety of rooms custom-designed by a Northeast Ohio design business or exhibitor and inspired by local television and radio personalities.

    At The Petitti Gardening Stage, daily gardening seminars on landscape design, flora and furnishing outdoor rooms will be held by Northeast Ohio landscape experts. The Petitti Floral Mart will also feature numerous outdoor furniture and plants to purchase.

    Children can have fun in Playground World’s KidsZone, featuring a variety of safe, high-quality playground equipment and exciting giveaways for parents.

Celebrity appearances:

    Host of DIY Network and HGTV’s Yard Crashers and Turf War, Ahmed Hassan w i l l appear on The Great Big Home + Garden Show’s Main Stage on Saturday a n d Sunday. With more than 20 years spent mastering the business of landscaping and home improvement, Hassan’s specialty is residential design, where he leans heavily on his experience of plant knowledge, soils, irrigation and garden maintenance. Along with appearing on the Network, Hassan also maintains his own landscape consulting, design and installation business in and around Sacramento, Calif. He’s currently producing web and promotional videos for the green industry. Learn more at www.ahmedhassan.tv.

    The Great Big Home + Garden Show will also feature Frank Fritz, co-star of History Channel’s hit show “American Pickers.” The TV show features Fritz, Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby as they search the American landscape digging in barns, garages and junkyards for hidden treasures. Describing himself as a modern day recycler, Fritz is a buyer and seller of antique collectibles with particular interest in old motorcycles, toys, cars and anything unusual. His store Frank Fritz Finds (www.frankfritzfinds.com) is located in Illinois. Sponsored by Absolute Roofing Construction, Frank will appear on The Main Stage Saturday, Feb. 15.

    The deliciously unique cooking personality you’ve seen on Food Network’s “ N e x t Food Network Star” and “Cupcake Wars,” Emily Ellyn, will appear on The Great Big Home + Garden Show’s Main Stage on Saturday and Sunday. Born and raised in Northern Ohio, Ellyn started the Retro Rad Cooking Movement and encourages everyone to dig through their mom’s recipe boxes, dust off their pressure cookers and crock pots, and take the old and make it new through retro recipe re-dos. Learn more at www.emilyellyn.com.

    Returning as this year’s Main Stage emcee, Matt Fox will delight show visitors with his quick wit, home improvem e n t knowledge and special educational presentations. Fox is best known for creating and cohosting the first and longestrunning show to air on HGTV, “Room by Room,” as well as hosting and producing the public television series “Around the House with Matt and Shari.” Learn more from his website, www.mattandshari.com.

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©2014 the Norwalk Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio)

Visit the Norwalk Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) at www.norwalkreflector.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Fantastic Gardeners Sydney is one of the oldest and most professional gardening companies in Sydney and all the nearby suburbs and areas. The company started its work more than 10 years ago, and nowadays they can be easily described as one of the most popular choices for a gardening contractor in the area. Fantastic Gardeners Sydney started its work as a very small company, and thanks to their hard work and devotion, now they are growing bigger and bigger with each day. The company hires only well trained and experienced gardeners and landscape designers. Each employee of the company is being thoroughly vetted and has to pass a special company training in order to sign a contract. This is done to ensure that every employee will follow and provide the highest standards this company can offer.

Lately the company is trying to explore new horizons in order to satisfy a wider range of customers, so they decided to offer a new service – expert landscaping. The idea to start providing this service comes from the fact, that many people in the NSW area have big and spacious gardens, but they have no idea how to arrange the space and design them. This is why this company decided to hire and train their own experts, who will help the clients choose the best possible landscape design for their garden. The landscape designers of the company only show the best possible options, depending on the exposure and dimensions of the garden or backyard, and the customer chooses the option he or she likes the most. Then the professional gardeners from the company execute the service, so the customers can get the gardens of their dreams.

There’s a wide variety of benefits when you pick the services of Fantastic Gardeners Sydney. The company has a policy, which states, that every client they have must get a package of benefits, which actually define the first class of their services. This is why by getting your landscape design done by the expert gardening team of Fantastic Gardeners Sydney, you also get a 24/7 customer support team on your disposal, flexible booking and payment options, nature friendly working methods, which won’t harm the environment in any way, options to book even during the weekends for no extra fee, professional and friendly attitude on all stages, various promotions and discounts, and many more. As you can see yourself, this gardening company can provide you with absolutely everything you need for your first class garden care in Sydney. Even if something is not mentioned as a service in their website, you can always give them a call and get a FREE quote on absolutely everything you would like to be done in your garden.

When you book your landscaping services with Fantastic Gardeners Sydney, you get an expertly executed service. The gardeners of the company are punctual, and they always use first class, state of the art equipment, and the high quality results they provide are guaranteed. So, call them right away on 02 9098 1704 to check out what are the possibilities to turn your ordinary garden into a landscaping paradise! I’m sure the polite customer care associates at the company will give you all the information you need.

PHILADELPHIA The imagination and beauty on canvas that is given bloom and blossom by flowers and gardens inspires the theme for the 2014 edition of the Philadelphia Flower Show, which will run March 1-9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

At a press conference Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts on North Broad Street, the shows theme of ARTiculture was labeled the fusion of art and horticulture. Natural settings, floral arrangements and gardens have served as subject matter for some of the worlds greatest paintings, prints and sculptures, according to the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, sponsoring organization of the nations oldest flower show.

Sam Lemheney, senior vice president for shows and events for the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, said the theme makes sense: Art and horticulture go together since the beginning of art. He promised this years show will give visitors something to think about.

While this years theme may seem like a departure from the past years in which a nation or region was the focus for the flower show (last year was the gardens and flora of Great Britain), world cultures and art history can be discovered in exhibits. Such will be found in American Institute of Floral Designers look at Korean treasures or Swarthmores Michael Petrie Handmade Gardens display of Frenchman Henri Matisses imagery, derived largely from works found at the Barnes Foundation.

Tom Morris, operations manager for J. Downend Landscaping Inc. in the Crum Lynne section of Ridley Township, explained Downend will present Avant Gardening inspired by Flower Abstraction by American Modernist artist Marsden Hartley (1877-1943).

Morris said it was not too hard to make to the art/flora relationship. When you wrap your mind around it, it is just thinking differently. He said the artwork J. Downend Landscaping Inc. selected as its template reminded him of the kind of thing you see in IKEA.

The colors are so vibrant and ahead of its time, said Morris. And there are so many levels to the painting. I see a three-dimensional garden as I look at it, like a blueprint from above. The J. Downend exhibit will draw on the paintings geometric shapes and masses of bright color combinations.

Among other Delaware County exhibitors will be: Stoney Bank Nurseries in Glen Mills, and Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Middletown. Stoney Bank will present Beauty of the Brandywine with an exhibit inspired by the art of the Wyeth family and the collection at the Brandywine River Museum. Williamson students will present Liberation from Tradition highlighting the work of Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx with flowing lines, water cascades and colorful plants.

In addition to the marketplace and shopping area, highlights of this years show include:

An entrance garden frame inspired by artist Alexander Calder which Lemheney called, the most colorful entrance garden ever created for the flower show.

A butterfly experience featuring a thousand fluttering pollinators with 20 species of butterflies presented by Californias Sky River Butterflies. This add-on experience will allow visitors to roam around the butterflies in a simulated natural environment.

Join in the creation of the making of artwork at an exhibit hosted by the Crayola Experience, a large paint-by-numbers painting called ARTiculture Tour. Flower show visitors can also create their own coloring page using kiosks with custom software.

The return of special nights includes Wedding Wednesday on March 5 for prospective brides and their bridal parties to sample and get advice for their big day; the fourth annual LGBT Party on Sunday, March 2, with cocktails and food samplings; and Girls Night Out on Thursday, March 6, presenting food and wine tastings, shopping and demonstrations.

IF YOU GO: The Philadelphia Flower Show runs Saturday, March 1-Sunday, March 9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia. Advance tickets are $27 for adults, $20 for students and $15 for children (2-16). Tickets at the door are $32 for adults, $22 for students and $17 for children. Check flowershow.com or call 215-988-8899 for recorded information on daily hours and ticket locations.

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Those who choose Monday or Tuesday to go to the 2014 Great Big Home + Garden Show will be able to sample food from area restaurants while exploring some of the gardens created by landscapers.
The Show, which opens Saturday at the I-X Center in Cleveland, organized the partnerships with restaurants to serve food and drink in the gardens between 4 and 8 p.m. those days creating a perfect dinner hour diversion.
So this years preview of the sights, scents and sounds of spring, adds the sense of taste to the mix for show goers.
The Weidner Groups Naples garden will transport visitors to that exotic Italian city as Clevelands La Dolce Vita from the Little Italy neighborhood, and Orlando Baking Co. serve up tastes of what they do best. Step through an entryway framed for privacy by evergreen trees to discover that this Olmsted Falls landscaper has created an outdoor living space with both a fireplace area and a cascading waterfalls one of many water features in the shows gardens.
Westlakes Ironwood Cafe will showcase its food in America-Backyard Barbecue, the garden designed for the show by Green Impressions of Sheffield Village.
Its sunken dining area, constructed from natural sandstone boulders, will include a fire pit and grilling area presided over by a built-in Green Egg Grill. The sounds of water from a custom water feature will enhance the experience.
A hand-carved stone water feature is the focal point of the garden designed by Sheffield Villages appropriately named Falling Waters, Water Features and Landscape Gardens. That garden also includes a custom bench fashioned from stone and wood. Visitors to this garden are sure to notice how the placement of stones creates interesting elevations with colors and textures from a variety of evergreens.
Landscape firms faced some unusual challenges in creating the gardens for this years Great Big Home + Garden Show. Creating the illusion of spring in bloom months in advance requires tricking plants to produce flowers at a time when their bulbs are still below the ground in their natural state.
Many of the shows landscapers had outsourced their spring bulbs for forcing to J J Greenhouse in Columbia Station. But all the bulbs were destroyed when the three-generation family-owned greenhouse business was ravaged by fire in early December.
That left landscapers with a relatively short time to find a different source. After days of sub-zero temperatures, they also struggled with frozen clumps of soil and mulch that had turned the usually pliable earth into ice.
The cold weather and its related school closings also impacted deadlines for the Lorain County Joint Vocational School students to complete their garden. Juniors and seniors in the landscape and greenhouse management program worked with masonry and carpentry trades students to construct an 18th century windmill primrose garden for their Holland entry in the show. The students normally work long days at the IX Center to prepare their garden, but when schools were closed they werent permitted to do that,
Lorain County JVS offers the two-year programs to students from Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Clearview, Columbia, Elyria, Firelands, Keystone, Midview, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake and Wellington school districts.
The show will also include presentations by celebrities such as Ahmed Hassan, a TV landscaping expert; Frank Fritz, co-star of History Channels American Pickers; and the Food Networks Cupcake Wars star Emily Ellyn with her retro recipe re-dos.
Northeast Ohio chef Stefanie Paganini and her professional colleagues will present two to three 45-minute cooking demonstrations per day, passing out food samples to those in the audience. Among some of the more interesting demonstrations will be one on the making of mozzarella cheese and another on how to grow and harvest spring flowers for salads, she said.
Sure to be among the most popular of show features is the 2,500-square-foot ranch-style idea home, built inside the IX Center by Mayfield Heights-based Perrino Builders and Interiors. Open spaces with 12-foot beamed ceilings make it ideal for entertaining, and one space is versatile for use as a den, living room or fourth bedroom.
A walk-through one-bedroom, one-bath vacation home takes the cabin concept to whole new level with an affordable timber frame and a loft for additional sleeping or living space. A dream basement, designed with sports fans in mind, will resonate with those recovering from Sundays Super Bowl. Its home theater with leather power reclining seats, game room and bar will be a magnet for those who live to entertain.
A Home Depot Kids Workshop will be a draw for young ones. Each will leave with something he or she has built and will also take home an orange workshop apron.
For many, the Home + Garden Show is a place to walk among exhibits to see the latest trends, learn about options, cultivate ideas for their own projects and get advice from hundreds of experts in dozens of home and garden areas. For others, its closing-night sale of products and plant materials is a great place to snap up bargains for their own home landscapes.
It begins at 6 p.m. when the show closes on Feb. 16. Those who come should be prepared to get dirty and to haul away their finds.

2014 Great Big Home + Garden Show
Saturday through Feb.16
IX Center, Cleveland
Tickets: $14 adult at box office; $11 at www.greatbighomeandgarden.com, Discount Drug Mart and AAA locations; $10 seniors Monday through Thursday; $5 Children 6 through 12; free 5 and younger.
A dozen international gardens representing exotic locations around the world have partnered with local restaurants to offer food tastings in the gardens between 4 and 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. The latest show information will be posted on www.greatbighomeandgarden.com, the Home and Garden Events Facebook page and @GreatBigShow on Twitter.

See also: Lorain County JVS students honor Holland at Great Big Home + Garden Show.

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Sonja Clark

THE MASTER GARDENERS OF BERGEN COUNTY ”Xeriscape Landscaping” Presented by Sonja Clark
At the next meeting of the Bergen County Master Gardeners, Sonja Clark, Director, Communtiy Relations, United Water will present a very special program on “Xeriscape Landscaping”.
Come and learn about United Water’s conservation program designed to help conserve the Earth’s most precious natural resource: Water. From the Greek word “xeros,” which means “dry,” Xeriscape Gardens require less water than traditional gardens.

Learn how to create a beautiful “xeriscape” or “conservation” garden, by following techniques that can reduce your landscape water use by up to 60%, and, significantly reduce your garden maintenance.　 Xeriscapes also focus on native plants that are naturally drought tolerant.
Sonja Clark has been with United Water since 1992. She is responsible for community outreach in the NJ area, plus charitable contributions company-wide, corporate initiatives such as the Scholarship Program, Workplace Giving Campaign, Annual Community Involvement Awards Program, and many other programs surrounding the company’s CSR initiatives. She is a graduate of Montclair State University Montclair, New Jersey with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology.

The presentation will be held on: Tuesday February 25, 2014 at 7:30pm, at The County Administration Building, One Bergen Plaza, County Place, Hackensack, NJ. in the multi-purpose meeting room on the 1st floor. Home of the County Extension Office. There is plenty of parking easy access to the building. Meetings are open to all interested gardeners, free of charge, and refreshments, followed by announcements, start at 7pm. For more details, directions or other Master Gardeners activities, please contact: Tracey Fraser (201) 768 1856 or visit our website: http://mgofbc.org
In addition, please support The Master Gardeners “Cans for Community” project, helping our neighbors in need. Please bring non-perishable food items to the meeting, or donate a gift card or financial contribution (checks payable to The Center for Food Action).

Every donation helps. Thank you.