Water has become a critical issue for most Texans. And while recent rainfall has raised area lake levels and eased local water restrictions; booming populations are increasing the demand on the areas limited water supply. Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and periodic droughts create a feast-to-famine cycle for residence living in the Coastal Bend. In urban areas, about 25 percent of the water supply is used to water landscapes and gardens. In the summer, as much as 60 percent of the water the average household uses may be used for landscape maintenance. Many landscapes require large amounts of water and much of this water is applied inefficiently. While adopting efficient lawn irrigation techniques can help save large amounts of water, a comprehensive program of landscape water conservation can dramatically reduce landscape water demand.

This idea is better known as Xeriscape landscaping but it need not be all cactus and rocks. A Xeriscape landscape has plenty of room for lush turf grass and shade trees. There are seven water saving principals of Xeriscape landscaping: planning and design, soil analysis and preparation, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, efficient irrigation, use of mulches, and appropriate maintenance. None of these practices are new and by incorporating these seven principles, you can help preserve our most precious natural resource – water.

Planning and design is the starting point for any water wise landscape. Consider how you use the various areas of your yard, how you want your yard to look, the amount of maintenance you plan to give it, and the budget you can afford. When designing the landscape, keep in mind that turf grasses need more water and maintenance than most other plants. To conserve water, reduce the size of the lawn by including patios, decks, shrub beds and groundcovers in the landscape design. Also consider the ease of watering turf areas. Areas that are long and narrow, small, or oddly shaped are difficult to water efficiently. Confine grass to blocky, square areas that are easier to maintain. The purpose of planning is to design a landscape that will have the appearance and function you desire while conserving water. You can implement your landscape design gradually over several years.

Prepare your soil by starting with a good soil test. Soil analysis will show whether the soil should be improved so that it will absorb and hold moisture better. Most soils benefit greatly from organic matter. Adding organic matter to the soil of shrub and flower bed areas makes plants healthier. Organic matter also helps the soil absorb and store water. As a rule-of-thumb, till in 4 to 6 inches of organic material such as shredded pine bark, compost or leaves.

Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers that are adapted to your region’s soil and climate. The use of native plants in Texas landscapes has become extremely popular. Combining Texas natives with well adapted exotic plants is one key to a beautiful, interesting landscape that conserves water. Native plants generally use less water than exotic plants, but there is room for both in well-designed landscapes. Native Texas plants are becoming more available at retail nurseries and garden centers.

While tremendous amounts of water are applied to lawns and gardens, much of it is never absorbed by the plants and put to use. Some water runs off because it is applied too rapidly, and some water evaporates from exposed, un-mulched soil. But the greatest waste of water is applying too much too often. When too much water is applied to the landscape it can leach nutrients deep into the soil away from plant roots, and possibly pollute groundwater. Runoff also can cause pollution by carrying fertilizers and pesticides into streams and lakes. These problems can be eliminated with proper watering techniques. The key to watering lawns is to apply the water only when the grass needs it, but thoroughly saturating the soil profile to a 6 inch depth with each watering.

In addition to irrigation scheduling, irrigation application methods can be improved to decrease water usage. For tree and shrub watering around the dripline (the area directly below the outermost reaches of the branches) is highly efficient, not watering at the trunk. Simply lay a slowly running hose on the ground and move it around the dripline as the area becomes saturated to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. If you use sprinklers to water turf, make sure the sprinkler heads are positioned properly to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways. Also adjust sprinkler heads so that they spray large droplets of water instead of a fog or fine mist, which evaporates quickly and may drift away with the wind. Water between late evening and mid-morning so that water will not evaporate quickly and be wasted. Drip irrigation is an alternative to sprinkler irrigation systems that is highly efficient. Efficient irrigation can save 30 to 50 percent of the water bill for an average home.

Use mulch in flower and shrub beds to reduce water evaporation from the soil. Mulch is a layer of nonliving material covering the soil surface around plants. Mulches can be organic materials such as pine bark, compost and woodchips; or inorganic materials such as lava rock, limestone or permeable plastic (not sheet plastic). Use mulch wherever possible. Good mulch conserves water by significantly reducing moisture evaporation from the soil. Mulch also reduces weeds, prevents soil compaction, and keeps soil temperatures more moderate.

Good maintenance preserves the beauty of the landscape and conserves water. Mowing grass at the proper height conserves water because it encourages root systems to grow deeper and become more water-efficient. Fertilizing the lawn at the proper time and using the proper amount can save time, effort and money by reducing mowing and watering. Properly time any insect and disease control measures, and eliminate weeds. A well-designed landscape that uses Xeriscape principles can reduce maintenance by as much as 50 percent through reduced mowing, once-a-year mulching, the elimination of unadapted plants that require lots of water, and efficient irrigation.

Xeriscaping conserves water in the landscape without sacrificing beauty and plant diversity. The information in this article was adapted from Extension publication B-1584 “Xeriscape: Landscape Water Conservation.” For more information on Xeriscape landscaping contact our office at 361.767.5223

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance. Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Water has become a critical issue for most Texans. And while recent rainfall has raised area lake levels and eased local water restrictions; booming populations are increasing the demand on the areas limited water supply. Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and periodic droughts create a feast-to-famine cycle for residence living in the Coastal Bend. In urban areas, about 25 percent of the water supply is used to water landscapes and gardens. In the summer, as much as 60 percent of the water the average household uses may be used for landscape maintenance. Many landscapes require large amounts of water and much of this water is applied inefficiently. While adopting efficient lawn irrigation techniques can help save large amounts of water, a comprehensive program of landscape water conservation can dramatically reduce landscape water demand.

This idea is better known as Xeriscape landscaping but it need not be all cactus and rocks. A Xeriscape landscape has plenty of room for lush turf grass and shade trees. There are seven water saving principals of Xeriscape landscaping: planning and design, soil analysis and preparation, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, efficient irrigation, use of mulches, and appropriate maintenance. None of these practices are new and by incorporating these seven principles, you can help preserve our most precious natural resource – water.

Planning and design is the starting point for any water wise landscape. Consider how you use the various areas of your yard, how you want your yard to look, the amount of maintenance you plan to give it, and the budget you can afford. When designing the landscape, keep in mind that turf grasses need more water and maintenance than most other plants. To conserve water, reduce the size of the lawn by including patios, decks, shrub beds and groundcovers in the landscape design. Also consider the ease of watering turf areas. Areas that are long and narrow, small, or oddly shaped are difficult to water efficiently. Confine grass to blocky, square areas that are easier to maintain. The purpose of planning is to design a landscape that will have the appearance and function you desire while conserving water. You can implement your landscape design gradually over several years.

Prepare your soil by starting with a good soil test. Soil analysis will show whether the soil should be improved so that it will absorb and hold moisture better. Most soils benefit greatly from organic matter. Adding organic matter to the soil of shrub and flower bed areas makes plants healthier. Organic matter also helps the soil absorb and store water. As a rule-of-thumb, till in 4 to 6 inches of organic material such as shredded pine bark, compost or leaves.

Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers that are adapted to your region’s soil and climate. The use of native plants in Texas landscapes has become extremely popular. Combining Texas natives with well adapted exotic plants is one key to a beautiful, interesting landscape that conserves water. Native plants generally use less water than exotic plants, but there is room for both in well-designed landscapes. Native Texas plants are becoming more available at retail nurseries and garden centers.

While tremendous amounts of water are applied to lawns and gardens, much of it is never absorbed by the plants and put to use. Some water runs off because it is applied too rapidly, and some water evaporates from exposed, un-mulched soil. But the greatest waste of water is applying too much too often. When too much water is applied to the landscape it can leach nutrients deep into the soil away from plant roots, and possibly pollute groundwater. Runoff also can cause pollution by carrying fertilizers and pesticides into streams and lakes. These problems can be eliminated with proper watering techniques. The key to watering lawns is to apply the water only when the grass needs it, but thoroughly saturating the soil profile to a 6 inch depth with each watering.

In addition to irrigation scheduling, irrigation application methods can be improved to decrease water usage. For tree and shrub watering around the dripline (the area directly below the outermost reaches of the branches) is highly efficient, not watering at the trunk. Simply lay a slowly running hose on the ground and move it around the dripline as the area becomes saturated to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. If you use sprinklers to water turf, make sure the sprinkler heads are positioned properly to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways. Also adjust sprinkler heads so that they spray large droplets of water instead of a fog or fine mist, which evaporates quickly and may drift away with the wind. Water between late evening and mid-morning so that water will not evaporate quickly and be wasted. Drip irrigation is an alternative to sprinkler irrigation systems that is highly efficient. Efficient irrigation can save 30 to 50 percent of the water bill for an average home.

Use mulch in flower and shrub beds to reduce water evaporation from the soil. Mulch is a layer of nonliving material covering the soil surface around plants. Mulches can be organic materials such as pine bark, compost and woodchips; or inorganic materials such as lava rock, limestone or permeable plastic (not sheet plastic). Use mulch wherever possible. Good mulch conserves water by significantly reducing moisture evaporation from the soil. Mulch also reduces weeds, prevents soil compaction, and keeps soil temperatures more moderate.

Good maintenance preserves the beauty of the landscape and conserves water. Mowing grass at the proper height conserves water because it encourages root systems to grow deeper and become more water-efficient. Fertilizing the lawn at the proper time and using the proper amount can save time, effort and money by reducing mowing and watering. Properly time any insect and disease control measures, and eliminate weeds. A well-designed landscape that uses Xeriscape principles can reduce maintenance by as much as 50 percent through reduced mowing, once-a-year mulching, the elimination of unadapted plants that require lots of water, and efficient irrigation.

Xeriscaping conserves water in the landscape without sacrificing beauty and plant diversity. The information in this article was adapted from Extension publication B-1584 “Xeriscape: Landscape Water Conservation.” For more information on Xeriscape landscaping contact our office at 361.767.5223

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance. Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Wilton Girl Scouts held their first S’mores and Songs Bonfire at the Wilton Historical Society. More than 100 girls participated in the event which recognized Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday on Oct. 31.

The event, host by Girl Scout Troop 50618, also commemorated the completion of the troop’s Bronze Award, which is the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can achieve. The award requires a minimum of 20 hours of work focused on a community project.

The troop teamed up with the historical society to plan and build a victory garden. Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private homes and public parks during World War I and II to reduce the pressure on public food supply brought on by the war effort. The gardens were also considered civil morale boosters.

Troop 50618 worked with local experts and businesses to plan and secure supplies to build the garden. Donors included Teich Garden Systems, James Ferrone Landscaping and Tree Service, Navarro Land Unlimited, Rings End, Village Market and Young’s Nursery, with initial consultation provided by Kevin Meehan and Farmer Jonathan from Ambler Farm.

For the bonfire event, the girls turned the space into a “haunted garden” featuring a Wizard of Oz theme complete with a scarecrow and pumpkins modeled after main characters in the beloved story. Participants at the Bonfire enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the garden, s’mores around the fire, games, making stepping stones for the garden and exchanging Girl Scout SWAPS — Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere. A portion of the proceeds from the event went toward Halloween baskets for local children donated to Wilton Social Services.

Wilton Girl Scouts held their first S’mores and Songs Bonfire at the Wilton Historical Society. More than 100 girls participated in the event which recognized Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday on Oct. 31.

The event, host by Girl Scout Troop 50618, also commemorated the completion of the troop’s Bronze Award, which is the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can achieve. The award requires a minimum of 20 hours of work focused on a community project.

The troop teamed up with the historical society to plan and build a victory garden. Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private homes and public parks during World War I and II to reduce the pressure on public food supply brought on by the war effort. The gardens were also considered civil morale boosters.

Troop 50618 worked with local experts and businesses to plan and secure supplies to build the garden. Donors included Teich Garden Systems, James Ferrone Landscaping and Tree Service, Navarro Land Unlimited, Rings End, Village Market and Young’s Nursery, with initial consultation provided by Kevin Meehan and Farmer Jonathan from Ambler Farm.

For the bonfire event, the girls turned the space into a “haunted garden” featuring a Wizard of Oz theme complete with a scarecrow and pumpkins modeled after main characters in the beloved story. Participants at the Bonfire enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the garden, s’mores around the fire, games, making stepping stones for the garden and exchanging Girl Scout SWAPS — Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere. A portion of the proceeds from the event went toward Halloween baskets for local children donated to Wilton Social Services.

Wilton Girl Scouts held their first S’mores and Songs Bonfire at the Wilton Historical Society. More than 100 girls participated in the event which recognized Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday on Oct. 31.

The event, host by Girl Scout Troop 50618, also commemorated the completion of the troop’s Bronze Award, which is the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can achieve. The award requires a minimum of 20 hours of work focused on a community project.

The troop teamed up with the historical society to plan and build a victory garden. Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private homes and public parks during World War I and II to reduce the pressure on public food supply brought on by the war effort. The gardens were also considered civil morale boosters.

Troop 50618 worked with local experts and businesses to plan and secure supplies to build the garden. Donors included Teich Garden Systems, James Ferrone Landscaping and Tree Service, Navarro Land Unlimited, Rings End, Village Market and Young’s Nursery, with initial consultation provided by Kevin Meehan and Farmer Jonathan from Ambler Farm.

For the bonfire event, the girls turned the space into a “haunted garden” featuring a Wizard of Oz theme complete with a scarecrow and pumpkins modeled after main characters in the beloved story. Participants at the Bonfire enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the garden, s’mores around the fire, games, making stepping stones for the garden and exchanging Girl Scout SWAPS — Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere. A portion of the proceeds from the event went toward Halloween baskets for local children donated to Wilton Social Services.

Submitted
Moorings Park at Grey Oaks has secured well over 50 percent of the reservations required to begin Phase I construction.

Moorings Park at Grey Oaks announced it has secured well over 50 percnet of the reservations required to begin Phase I construction of a continuing care retirement community at the corner of Airport-Pulling Road and Golden Gate Parkway.

Phase I will include construction of the community’s first 32 garden home residences in four buildings. Each building will include four floors over parking with two garden homes per floor.

Phase I will also include completion of the Aqua Gardens that will feature a resort-style pool with lush landscaping.

Moorings Park at Grey Oaks anticipates beginning Phase I construction during 2014. At build-out, Moorings Park at Grey Oaks will include 96 luxury residences in 12 buildings.

Moorings Park at Grey Oaks presents a limited opportunity to enjoy the best of a holistic approach to living well in an enclave of elegant garden homes that provides the high-quality health care and lifestyle programs of a renowned retirement community along with the ambiance, amenities and activities of Grey Oaks Country Club. A year-round sports membership at Grey Oaks Country Club is included with the purchase of each residence at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks.

Plans call for the Moorings Park at Grey Oaks campus to offer a lushly landscaped ambiance. As planned, the campus will feature three gardens 200 feet wide and 400 feet long designed by JRL Design Studios of Naples. In addition to the Aqua Gardens that will be completed in Phase I, the design includes the Jasmine Gardens that will feature both a butterfly and a fragrance garden and the Viridian Gardens that will provide an open green space adjacent to the community’s Grand Place which includes the community’s clubhouse, the Center for Healthy Living, an Extended Congregate Care Licensed Assisted Living Center and Memory Care Center.

The clubhouse will feature casual and fine dining venues, as well as a lounge, library, pool, spa and salon. Plans call for the open multi-purpose lawn areas to be finished with fine grasses intended to host a variety of activities, including bocce ball and lawn bowling. A central pedestrian and golf cart corridor lined with royal palm trees will link the three gardens and the community’s three neighborhoods.

The Moorings Park at Grey Oaks lifestyle includes a continuum of care designed to provide experiences customized to each resident right on campus. The community’s 7,208-square-foot Center for Healthy Living will offer doctor’s office visits, a fitness center, out-patient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

Moorings Park at Grey Oaks campus will present Mediterranean-inspired architecture that celebrates the outdoors with exquisite courtyards, spacious lanais and splendid balconies complete with outdoor kitchens and views of sparkling fountains and Southwest Florida’s lush natural landscape.

The Moorings Park at Grey Oaks garden home residences offer spacious, two-bedroom plus den, two-and-a-half bath floor plans that are designed to provide a carefree, maintenance-free lifestyle. Each floor plan includes a private elevator vestibule, an entry courtyard, spacious great room, adjoining kitchen and breakfast area, a wet bar, vaulted ceilings and a large master suite with walk-in closets and a beautifully finished master bath. Both floor plans offer spacious lanais and balconies complete with outdoor kitchens designed to enhance the day-to-day living and entertaining experience.

The 3,007-square-foot Indigo garden home floorplan is base-priced at $1,205,800. This floor plan is designed for those who love to entertain and includes an impressive gallery hallway, a formal dining room, a gourmet island kitchen with island bar seating and a 528-square-foot covered lanai with conversation and dining areas and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.

The 2,873-square-foot Verde floor plan is base-priced at $1,152,100. The plan includes a gallery hallway, dining and breakfast areas, a gourmet island kitchen with island bar seating and a covered lanai with conversation and dining areas and an outdoor kitchen.

Each of the floor plans comes with an array of premium quality standard finishes, including ceramic tile flooring in the primary living areas, hardwood flooring in the den, carpeted bedrooms, level 4 cabinetry, granite countertops in the kitchen, and marble countertops in the baths. Pre-construction and early construction buyers will be invited to make their finish selections at the Moorings Park at Grey Oaks Design Center within Grey Oaks Country Club. Optional features and finishes are available.

Reservations for residences at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks are now being accepted. The Moorings Park at Grey Oaks sales center is within the Grey Oaks sales center at 2406 Grey Oaks Drive N. Visit www.MooringsParkGO.org.

Who needs a garden with this outlook?

Virginia Pawsey might live in North Canterbury, but her hill-country farm and garden story has resonance in any southern rural community.

She shared her garden’s beauty and bounty in books co-written with old schoolmate and inner-city gardener Janice Marriott, and their joint endeavours have featured on this website,  but in stories produced through phone interviews without the benefit of a personal encounter.

A trip north finally offered that opportunity, but too late to visit Virginia and husband Harry on the farm at Double Tops, for they have sold and moved on to semi-retirement on a smaller block.

Not, however, to the dream home by the sea Virginia wrote about so often while battling with frost and dreaming of a future where tomatoes would grow in abundance.

In fact the Pawseys’ new house is only 6 kilometres from their former home, but on a warmer hillside site, where after long delays in building their home, the landscaping is still a work in progress.

It’s assuredly the warmest spot on that hillside, says Harry, as identified by the preferred resting place of one very large cow – a cow named Janice, giving writing-partner Janice a nice role in this new enterprise.

Where frost dictated gardening at Double Tops, the slope here generates a katabatic wind effect with a downhill draught.

Virginia can look down in frost-free satisfaction on frozen paddocks below.

However it is very windy with no shelter, a fact given extreme emphasis in last week’s gales.

“I’m definitely going to have concrete furniture,” she says, very firmly.

Techniques perfected at Double Tops will still be needed here – like weighting seedlings down with bricks to protect them.

The wind might not blow plants directly out of the ground, but could twirl them around to the same effect, she explains.

The other challenge is the heavy clay soil, requiring setting aside what she describes (only half-jokingly) as “philosophical objections” to water- hungry raised beds.

It’s not just that they’re environmentally unfriendly, for in drought conditions the garden must always come second to stock.

Two of just three beds are in place, and partially planted, with the emphasis to be on food crops, but also a cutting garden of annuals – a rotation of the likes of daffodils, tulips, Iceland poppies, stocks and little dahlias.

With a love of hellebores, Virginia has set herself the challenge of creating a shade garden, featuring the few plants brought along from Double Tops.

A glasshouse is “absolutely a must”, firmly tied down, for cocktail tomatoes – and here an unashamed plug for Kings Heritage seeds – hopefully aubergines, and early strawberries. But there will be no perennial or shrubbery borders (as much as Virginia feels sorry for nurseries as these fall out of favour), and no roses except for a hardy yellow rugosa as a backdrop to the vege beds.

For at the stage of life many farm women of an earlier generation pushed out the fences and enlarged their gardens, Virginia is choosing to do the opposite.

“You’ve got to be mindful when getting older and not create a huge garden,” she says.

Harry’s continuing lack of expressed enthusiasm for gardening may also be a factor – he originally wanted to fence off and just have sheep, she reports.

Harry’s opinions on gardening pepper a conversation as much as they do Virginia’s writing, and in person he’s equally skilled at keeping his actual views veiled by mischievous humour.

Certainly he has co-operated on major projects, but there’s potential double meaning in pronouncements such as: “Harry says you must be able to get at all parts of the garden with a tractor.”

But their views coincide in how the new house should appear on approach up the hill, sitting in a natural landscape setting of green paddock with a swathe of native plantings.

But given the amazing views from every window and the deck across the spread of the Amuri Valley to the mountains, and the magnificent skyscapes – especially at sunrise according to Virginia – a garden seems almost redundant.

Virginia and Janice (who has also moved on to a new phase of life) are still writing to each other, and publishing a regular column in House and Garden magazine.

HarperCollins has brought out a lavishly illustrated hardback compilation of their two books, Common Ground and Common Table, this time entitled Common Lives.

All are warmly recommended for lovers of garden books and good writing.

Story suggestions or feedback on this page are welcome at timesgardening@gmail.com.

– © Fairfax NZ News

Sponsored links

Comments

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Armory National Historic Site featured an open house on Saturday as part of an effort to recruit members to the new Springfield Armory Alliance Inc.

James M. Woolsey, armory superintendent, explained that the alliance will help the armory connect with the community and raise funds for the historic site.

Established by George Washington in 1794, it is the nation’s first armory. It closed in 1968, and opened as a historic site in 1974. It features the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection.

Park historian Richard Colton led a tour of the commanding officer’s house, which was erected in 1845-1846 during Major J.W. Ripley’s tenure for $24,900. Colton explained to the crowd that the cost caused a stir at the time, as people were lucky to make an annual wage of $200.

“It was the most sumptuous house in the area,” Colton said.

The 20,000-square-foot house, only open for special events, once had a reflecting pool outside it, and gardens. Colton and Woolsey said they hope to restore the garden, and improve the landscaping around it. The rooms are spacious, with plenty of bathrooms and even walk-in closets. A total of 34 families lived there over the years, until the closure.

Melvin A. Edwards, Ward 3 City Councilor and Springfield Armory Alliance president, said the city has “gems all over the place,” but doesn’t do the best job of marketing them. Edwards said they hope they can raise the funds to bring the house back to its “historic glory.” He said it could take up to $1 million.

Woolsey said they also would be interested in finding a tenant that would be responsible for renovating the house. Peeling paint and exposed ceiling areas could be seen in some areas, and the third floor was off-limits due to its condition.

Woolsey explained that Washington created the armory to manufacture weapons as a way to decrease the country’s reliance on foreign-made guns. In its heyday during World War II, it employed 12,000 people. Usually, it employed between 1,500 and 2,000 people. The closure did “a lot of economic damage to the city” at the time, Woolsey said.

Edwards said it was a major employer, and provided jobs to many minorities, who were able to make a “good, livable wage.” It was one of the contributing factors to making the city known as “the city of homes,” he said.

Colton continued the tour inside the armory museum, where visitors glimpsed muskets from the Civil War and more.

Frances M. Gagnon, local historian and Armory Alliance vice president, said she thinks the alliance is needed. She called the armory one of the “most important places in the city of Springfield.” It also was the site of Shay’s Rebellion – the armed assault on the armory in 1787 by rebels upset over taxes who tried to seize control over it until they were repelled by state militia.

“Not enough people know it’s here,” Gagnon said.

Eileen Pratt, 67, of Springfield, wanted to attend the open house to learn about volunteer opportunities, and to visit the place she worked at as a clerk from 1964 to 1966.

“There’s just so much history here and I just enjoy coming. I don’t think people realize what a good museum it is and it’s free,” Pratt said.

City resident Linda L. Bartlett said she would love to see the commandant’s house preserved.

“We need to preserve all the history we can before we lose it,” Bartlett said.

For information about the alliance, call (413) 734-8551 or email shera_cohen@partner.nps.gov

OTTAWA GARDEN CLUB

The Ottawa Garden Club met Oct. 29 at the Fox HiRise. Dan Eilts was door greeter, Jane Norem was the hospitality greeter and President Mark Parisot called the meeting to order. Regular membership included new members Carrie Orr and Debbie Harke and one guest.

Stephanie Stacy, owner of Garden’s Gate Garden Center and Landscaping, presented the program on Ottawa’s Community Garden Project. Two acres adjacent to Garden’s Gate will be available for any citizen of Ottawa to rent to be able to develop their own garden. Some of the garden area will be handicap accessible and grants will be available. Water is on site, paid for by the city. Applications are required; the gardening period is from April 1 through Nov. 1. Additional information is available through cityofottawa.org.

Additional topics included the status of Ottawa is Blooming. There will be a meeting Wednesday, Nov. 20, at City Hall to discuss methods to improve the coordination and communication of the committee and its volunteers.

The Association of Professional Landscapers is delighted to announce that it has joined forces with WorldSkills UK, the country’s premier set of skills competitions for young people and adults.

The APL will become the organising partner for the landscape gardening section of the WorldSkills UK competition from 17 November 2013.

The competition is part of a set of over 70 UK wide skills competitions ranging from landscape gardening to engineering, electronics to the arts; all of which are designed by industry experts and targeted at apprentices, college and university students, trainees and employees.

The aim of the competition is to inspire young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level.

Entering the competitions is proven to catapult a person’s career, build on their skills, test their knowledge against their peers in industry and showcase their potential to employers.

The competition features regional heats which will include a showcase of competition gardens at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2014, culminating in an international Olympics-style event at The Skills Show where finalists compete to be named the ‘Best in the UK’.

APL Chairman, Mark Gregory said: “We are proud to be the landscaping partner with WorldSkills UK. We want to raise the profile of the APL as being the leading landscaping trades association.

The APL’s partnership with WorldSkills demonstrates our on-going pledge of encouraging landscaping excellence and raising the profile of vocational skills.”

Richard Beene, Head of WorldSkills UK National Competitions, said: “We are delighted to welcome the APL as the new organising partner for the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Competition.

By working with APL, an organisation which is all about promoting professional standards and quality workmanship, we are confident that the competition will continue to raise levels of expertise in further education, skills and Apprenticeships and inspire the next generation of landscape gardeners.”